Lunchtime wedding entertainment at the church in Velez Rubio |
What a wedding car they chose |
Managed to get a sneak into the church before they locked it up after the wedding |
A herd of goats came to visit on our campsite |
It may be a Saturday, but definitely time to move, so, off to Vélez Rubio, a small town not far from Totana where we’d first gone to, and recommended by the same guy who had recommended Ricote. Not a bad journey, but just at the eleventh hour Doris (sat nav) let us down and tried to take us a very convoluted route to the Aire, through the street market, and then progressively narrower streets as we kept having to ignore her! Oh well, gave us something to do once we’d finally parked up! (Campsite location: 37°39'08.4"N 2°04'25.5"W) (Campsite amenities and photos: click here and then item 47 in list)
Found and English bar serving Sunday breakfast in Velez Rubio - fabulous! |
A a fabulous cake shop next door! |
One of the cats that came to visit in Maria |
Vélez Rubio wasn’t quite the hub of cycling and walking we’d been expecting, so we thought we’d move up, through Vélez Blanco to Maria, and stay at the campsite in the Natural Park. On Sunday morning after a full English breakfast at the local British run cafe (La Bomba) we had a chat on with our British neighbours as they had come and then gone and returned the previous day, where did they go? Did they go to the Botanical gardens? Did they know if there was parking? They hadn’t, they’d been for a guided walk around Los Cuerva de Los Letros which is what they’d come from the coast to see.
Walking up to the cave with our guide |
For 7000 year old painting they were pretty clear |
Our guide holding a picture and pointing out the Indalo man on the wall |
Maite, our guide, did know about the botanical gardens, she used to work there, we could park by the church, so off we went. Interesting enough walk, and at least our questions had been answered.
Lovely views around. The mountain name translates as molar - like a tooth |
Carry on up to Maria then, it’ll be cold, she’d warned, well we were about 500m higher than we’d started that morning and the day had already been colder than the previous t-shirt one. She was not wrong, fortunately we had electricity at the campsite so the heating was on, all night, not for us, just for Ted... kept us about 11 degrees which was grand as outside was -2! Doesn’t sound that warm, but the floor was warm, which made all the difference to the coffee fairy! (campsite location: 37°42'35.2"N 2°14'14.8"W) (campsite amenities and photos: click here then item 48 on list)
Almond blossom coming out in Velez Rubio. |
The fabulous restored castle in Velez Blanco |
I went to rinse the cafetière, penalty for getting coffee in bed only to have a tabby and white cat run up to me wanting fuss, which I obviously gave. She then followed me all the way back to Ted. She wasn’t that bothered by cat biscuits, they do feed them at reception, but she really wanted milk, and more milk. Cat number two appeared outside the toilet block as I had an emergency wee before our walk.
On our walk in Maria NP |
Griffon vultures circling overhead. Don't think they were waiting for us |
Plaza de Conedera in Cazorla |
We returned to Vélez Rubio, via a quick stop in Vélez Blanca to look at the castle and even got our prime spot back.
Tuesday we set off to Cazorla where according to the Aires book we might spot Lynx. (campsite location: 37°55'17.0"N 2°59'54.3"W) (campsite amenities with photos: click here and then item 49 in list). Parked by a busy road overlooking olive trees as far as the eye can see, I don’t think it’s likely, but who knows? It was a long 2 3/4 hour drive on windy motorway and then wiggly country roads. Again Doris brought us to the site via a suspect route, up a 15% hill, bit scary, but all ok. We walked into town to find the tourist information, to ask about walks, arriving at 16.55 a tour had just left. Do we want to go? He asked. Where? Under the plaza, like that picture, €2. OK. He knocked the window and we rushed off.
Saw this in Cazorla, a bicycle house! |
In the tunnel under the ruined cathedral and the half woman half snake sculpture |
Walks from Cazorla itself into the natural park seem quite difficult and we were recommended two, a forty five minute wiggly drive, in the opposite direction to where we are heading, so we will reserve judgement on whether that’s worthwhile when we see the weather tomorrow, the forecast is not very good.
Today we walked through town by the river, up to the castle where you have to be shown round, on the hour. They have put a lot into restoring it, but Mr. Grumpy did not sell it well. We then set off on a Cross walk, started off well, though was all up hill. Got to a point where we could see people high above us at a view point and a path heading uphill, I should know better, but off we went, soon the path ran out and the base of the cliff up to the viewpoint was pretty impregnable. Not happy we blundered back through the underground, scrambling over rocks. Disturbing the mummy wild boar and her five teenagers, at least they ran in the opposite direction.
The entrance to the tunnel is along that walkway |
Finally back on the path Brian admitted we weren’t actually following a route anyone else had done on his app, but he was sure it would be fine! It wasn’t, the sign on the gate saying no exit for walkers into someone’s garden was the clue, so we had to turn round and walk back the way we’d come. Ho hum
Snoopy dog on rocks surrounding the castle |
On our blunder through the mountains. That would be a very nice waterfall in the wet season |
Wild boar running away from us in the mountains |
Cazorla from the highest point we reached before being defeated by a sheer cliff (with no climbing gear) |
This is the view we have from our campsite in Cazorla, endless olive groves |
No comments:
Post a Comment