28th February 2014 Blog Update
Gibralta 22nd Feb
We were very excited when we crossed the border from Spain into Gibralta. We left Wolfy in a ‘camper park’ just over the border and walked into Gibralta.
After clearing Customs the first thing you do is walk across the airport runway! Crazy!
Then a feeling sets in of having just wandered into a ‘Little Britain’, not Spanish but British! Everything is in English and the money is Pounds Sterling............weird!
We walked up to the top of the ‘Rock’ (about 1500ft above sea level) and crossed from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.
The Apes turned up to order and all the English shops you might expect were there. We even did a little food shopping in Marks and Sparks and Morrison’s haha!
It’s not really easy to categorize Gibralta, I would just say that we enjoyed it much more than we thought we would and if ever you get the chance to go there, do so!
Jimena De La Frontera 24th Feb
On our way to Ronda we stopped by in Jimena, another hill top town with a fort and all that. But this town felt really ‘Spanish’ with a lovely old and original but gentle feel to it.
After this we drove across the mountains and night stopped by the roadside near a viewpoint (over 2000 feet above sea level). It was quiet with fantastic views towards the Med and Gibralta. Also VERY dark (I am typing this text whilst up here).
It has been a ‘diet day’ today so as usual we feel slightly ‘stupid’ and are looking forward to breakfast tomorrow morning! Our weights are good and I am only 700 grams over my target of 80 Kg (I had put a couple of kilo’s on over the xmas period).
WEATHER UPDATE
It has been warm and sunny for the last week with daytime temperatures around 16 to 18 and night time around 10 to 14. Having said that now we are high in the mountains and away from the coast it has cooled a little (6 degrees outside right now at 20:30).
Ronda 25th Feb
Ronda was well worth a side trip. Yet again another town perched up high on a hill but this time straddling a fairly deep gorge. The main square,Plaza de Espana, was the real life setting on which hemingway’s ‘For whom the bell tolls’ was based during the Spanish Civil War. The facists were marched between two lines of townsfolk before being thrown off the cliff :(
Olvera 26th Feb
We came here particularly for the ‘Via Verde de la Sierra’ which is a 36.5 kilometer cyclepath along an old railway line through the mountains. As luck would have it the start is right next to the Aire that we stayed in. So, it had to be done! Yep, even on our little 3 speed Bromptons! The track started off as tarmac then within a few miles changed to rough gravel. Anyway we persevered and managed to cycle from the beginning to the end and back again. This took us 6 hours including about 30 mins for breaks. It was a fantastic ride and the highlight was seeing Griffon Vultures near their breeding rock. These birds are massive (bigger than a Golden Eagle) and to watch them thermal in the afternoon sunshine was a sheer treat.
The total journey was 47 miles, the most we have done in one day on our little Bromptons!
El Chorro 27th Feb
El Chorro is known for it’s Gorge and mountain climbing (and now downhill mountain biking). It also has the feel of a ‘Spaghetti Western’ town. Around the Gorge is a very narrow one metre wide ‘white knuckle’ path that goes around the contours of the Gorge cliff face 100 metres above the ground. It is VERY scary and in poor condition, so don’t worry, we did not walk it as it is now closed until it will be repaired and redeveloped in 2015.
The reservoir at El Chorro is the water source for Spains earliest Hydro Electric power supply (1905 !).
After a good walk to the top of one of the peaks we motoreed around the corner to Bobastro and set up camp (hehe) for the night high up on the mountain amongst the trees and with a fantastic view to the Northwest.
We discovered this morning that Spain has a public holiday for the next 4 days so we will probably stay clear of Granada (Alhambra) until after the crowds have left.
Antequera 28th Feb
Antequera turned out to be a delight. The town is a mix of Roman, Islamic and Spanish architecture and has 30 (yes 30!) churches as well as a castle/fort. All the buildings appeared well maintained and the town seems quite untouched by tourism.
Something that we were reminded of (again!) today was how narrow some of the streets in these old towns and villages can be. In fact on our way through one little village on the mountain pass between El Chorro and Antequera we ended up going around /through it twice as each road became one way or too narrow to get through. At one point it really did seem as if we were NEVER going to get out! Also we drove up the STEEPEST hill that I have ever driven up in my life!!
Ah well, all part of life’s rich tapestry I’spose :)
El Torcal 28th Feb and 1st March
We stopped in the car park at El Torcal (3000 ft up in the mountains) which is about 10 miles South of Antequera with the intention of seeing the various natural sculptures of eroded and weather beaten rock that El Torcal is famous for. Well this never happened! The weather turned, it became VERY WINDY and by the following morning dense fog and rain thrown in for good measure too! So we sat it out for another day only to find more of the same the next morning. The 2nd night at El Torcal was probably the windiest and noisiest night we have yet spent in Wolfy. The wind was SO bad during the night that the van was literally rocking from side to side as if a dozen rugby players were using Wolfy for scrum practice!
Saturday was also a ‘fasting day’ so we kept ourselves occupied by spring cleaning the inside of the van and just generally ‘catching up’
Salobrena 2nd and 3rd March
The wind and rain up in the mountains was enough after two days so we drove down towards Malaga then along the coast to Salobrena where we have been for 2 days. The sun is out, the sky is blue and it is about 21 degrees centigrade outside...........bliss!
Chocolate ice cream in Nerja on the way to Salobrena
I am hoping that the local library is open this afternoon (another Brit said it was this morning) so that I can upload this blog entry and some of the missing photo’s
If it all goes to plan (haha) we intend to visit Alhambra tomorrow and then stay in the Aire in Sierra Nevada which is up by the ski centre at about 7000 ft above sea level. This will only happen if the roads are not closed due to snow)
Tara for now :)