Andalucia travels, Benarraba & Casares - Days 141 to 144

It’s just as well we are all different, when we arrived in Benarraba there was a small Dutch campervan, and us. An English guy arrived, just to have a look, that’s an 18km detour down steep and windy, just to have a look, before going to Ronda for the day and probably coming back, that’s not much less than our journey for the day. 

We were then joined by the English couple who had been parked next to us, last night, in Grazalema, who we hadn’t immediately gelled with, they’d left before us, but then hared back past the Aire in the opposite direction, the way they’d come from yesterday. 

Views on our walk from Benarraba

It seems they seek out wiggly windy, so the sat nav had tried to take them the shortest route, but despite being windy enough for us, and edged in green, meaning pretty, in the map book, it wasn’t ‘goat track’ enough for them. They then, as they had the previous night, reversed in next to us which instead of the stunning view we were looking at gave them a view of the bins! The main reason for our disapproval had been that their grey waste water had just been left to drain out of the van, so that’s shaving, teeth cleaning, washing up just dumped in the carpark. Not the done thing. It transpired that this was unintentional, at some point, on a recent ‘goat track’ they had managed to knock off and lose the tap to their grey tank! We still didn’t gell.

Now here's an interesting thing, this is a cork tree. The cork is the bark and they cut it off and treat the trunk with some sort of protection. It takes about 9 years to grow back again

Here's a close-up showing the cork

Another British van then arrived, they quickly went out for a walk, much as we do. On their return, I was hanging out the washing I’d done to make the most of paying for water and electricity, and we had a really good chat, they Housesit, they walk, they were much easier to talk to. Before they left, the following day, she uttered the wonderful words “so any books to swap then?” As it happens, I had 5, as did they, two of which I’ve read before, but it bodes well for the others... They had also done the walk yesterday, that Brian was planning for today, with his own little addition.....they hadn’t really enjoyed it, whereas we quite did, though we didn’t do Brian’s little addition, which would have doubled the descent and ascent (yes, in that order, which is always a depressing way to walk) just to get to the river. 

we also saw this, an old lime kiln in the forest

We did quite enjoy it, so perhaps they don’t walk quite as much as we do! This left one space, would our English guy make it back from Ronda to make it 4 out of 5 Brits? Does it matter? Yes he did get back, luckily for him, just before the Belgian Frankia that turned up and just pulled in to a non space. When we got back from our walk, via beer and tapas, they had all gone, though this didn’t last long, we were soon joined by ANOTHER British van. They were nice enough, but even the walk to the beginning of town was too much for them! As I say, just as well we are all different.

Our walk from Benarraba:

Our next stop was at Casares, only 40 minutes or so further, but as close as we could get, parking

Enjoying the afternoon view outside Big Ted at Benarraba

officially, to San Pedro de Alcantara. (Aire location: 36°26'45.3"N 5°16'42.1"W) (Aire amenities with photos: click here then on item 61 in list)We hoped to catch up with Jean and Jimmy who we met on the repositioning cruise, and then met up with at the end of 2017 in Malaga. They were due back from their holiday on the 20th, so timing was all working very well, we reckoned we had a couple of days entertainment here, a day with them, then head off on Monday, and actually see a supermarket. It’s been 12 days since we actually went in a proper supermarket, in Antequera, and we didn’t need that much then, but when we come back we can really stock up, only for one reason or another, we never went back.....

The Aire at Casares from the viewpoint nearby

Best laid plans however, Jimmy has, as apparently usual, returned from holiday “with more than a tan”. We don’t want his rotten man flu, and he doesn’t want to give it to us, so after our two days entertainment we shall be leaving on Sunday, driving away from Estepona, the end of the Costa del Sol and all the supermarkets when all the shops are shut. Tomorrow will probably be tuna pasta bake, or corned beef hash, from the store cupboard, who says I’ve been carrying this stuff for nothing?

A climber abseiling off a 6c climb at the edge of Casares (in fact the town is just at the top). We spoke to them and they pointed us to the two via ferrata and some other climbs. There was a time when we would have tackled their 6c climb, but probably not now - lack of practise 

We did do the via ferratas though. This is the first (harder) one

We’ve had a good time here though, yesterday was two Via Ferrata, at the back of the town, you somehow end up falling into the mirador that is part of the old ruined moorish castle. In truth though I only did one, admittedly the harder one, which had a big outward leaning section, which definitely got the heart pumping, and also put a big strain on my elbows. The second one was probably more exciting, there were two wire bridges to cross, which I did think it was really too windy for, but this didn’t stop himself.....

We had to walk in down the side of a restaurant and what at first sight appeared to be two back gardens, though this actually wasn’t the case, but by the restaurant, were two cats, who were happy to be stroked, amazing. There were then three by the tourist information, though the old lady sitting on her chair on the street told me one of them might scratch, but no, three more strokes, to be rounded off by Wonky a ginger streetcat who is fed and watered by a local Scottish guy. We had a lovely chat with him. Six cats, six cats in one town, that’s more than the rest of Spain....

Jackies heading on up (before it got difficult)

Today was a walk, surprise surprise, 11km. We did the route the wrong way round in theory, this gave as the uphill on the horrible rough path and the downhill down the gentle road into the town, oh well, we’ll have to stop for a beer and a nibble then, rude not to..... it’s a good Aire and a nice town, but as one of the reviews stated it’s a 3 weetabix walk between the two, down, up and 1.9km, just to get to the main square.

Tomorrow we head off to possibly a nonevent... Cape Trafalgar, not sure there will be anything to see, we’ll just have to imagine the British and Spanish warships doing their thing!

And there she is just hopping over the wall into the top of town by the viewing point. No photos of the overhanging difficult bit, hanging on was more important than taking photos (and anyway, I might have dropped the camera)

Here's me bringing up the rear

Cat therapy after the quite exciting via ferrata

Brian going up the second via ferrata

And just setting out on the wire bridge

Halfway across and still going. It's quite a long way with a big drop below and just a moving wire to stand on!

That's the first one done, now up the wall to get on the higher one to come back again

Halfway back across the higher wire bridge

Pussy cats sunning themselves in the afternoon sun

The remains of the Moorish castle at Casares 

This apparently is a medievil bridge in Casares. The dry bed is sometimes a raging torrent we were told

Casares town from the Aire we're parked on. The climbing and via ferrata are on the right of the town, actually just out of sight 

Casares by night from Big Ted

On our walk today heading up towards Sierra Crestellina, Casares in the distance

It was actually quite hot today as Jackie in a T shirt shows

Arriving at the refuge halfway up the climb

It's seldom used apparently, but a couple had rented it last night (€30/night they told us) so we could go inside to take photos

The kitchen/dining/lounge (with wood burner behind me)

This is who you phone/email/visit to book it

At the Mirador (viewpoint). Casares is down just to the right and the white above is actually the mediterranean

The route we had yet to do (up there somewhere anyway)

Griffon vultures circling overhead

They were circling over Jackie at one point, but I think they decided there's life left in us yet!

Out at the furthest point and a zoomed in view with Casares on the left. In the distance we could see the rock of Gibraltar and, although it should be in this photo it hasn't come out for some reason

Tree blossom on the way down

Big Ted has just come into view, upper centre of the picture, but you probably can't make him out. The snaking road down and then back up this side is the 1.9km walk we have to make every time we want to go to town

But we made it back to town for a well earned beer and a bit of tapas. I forgot to remove the bread from the table that we'd just bought. But anyway, a nice pleasant square with lots of people having lunch on a Saturday afternoon.