Kiwifruit on the vine.
The walk the next day was rated as easy, but the first portion was another of those uphill climbs (although we could’ve walked up the road at an easier grade). We reached the road above Capiliera and walked down into the village.
While there we ducked into a local bakery that still uses a wood-fired oven and sampled the wares. We were allowed to shop around for a bit. I picked up book Nick and Bruno recommended – South from Granada – to supplement my reading material for the trip home.
We followed the road back down to Bubión, along which I noticed a blister forming on my right foot. Following Nick’s instructions, I reported it immediately, so he put what looked like a thick soft rubber band-aid over it. He warned me not to take it off, but to let it fall off naturally, lest it take a lot of skin with it.
From Bubión we left the road, dropping down to take a trail to Pampaneira. The trial gave us some nice views back up the valley and the villages there. Entering the village, Nick led us to a local visitors’ center where we had a rush on los baños, while waiting for our guides to take care of assorted business. While we waited in the square, a longhaired grey cat took an interest in Oakley’s walking stick. Oakley obliged the playful feline and provided entertainment while we waited.
Kiwifruit on the vine.
Jonathan, Cindy, and Teague.
Stopping at a vantage point to take in the view.
The view - I used this image for the homepage for this travelogue and for our 2006 Christmas card.
Looking at the village in sunlight.
Jonathan.
The streets of Caplieira.
Teague waiting outside the bakery.
Cindy outside the bakery.
Everyone else outside the bakery.
Some of the local beer - gee, what ever is that leaf behind the Virgin's head?
Descending the trail from Bubión to Pampaneira.
A rare level portion of the trail.
Looking back up at the church in Bubión.
Our morning destination - Pampaneira.
Once into town, we descended on the village streets.
The frisky cat that took a liking to Oakley's walking stick.
The view out our hotel window in Grazalema.
Lunch followed immediately and Nick was a little anxious about our schedule as we walked uphill from the square to the restaurant. Lunch was salad and cheese to start, along with the ham of the region. Albondogas (meat balls) and some very tasty pork skewers, which looked like they had curry – I tasted cumin. While at lunch, a blue-eyed white cat came to introduce himself, and proceeded to jump into my lap to Deena’s dismay. The white cat hit the jackpot with a cat-lover sitting next to someone very allergic. I put him down to avoid triggering Deena’s allergies, but he wanted up again, and it took some persuasion to get him to move on.
The bus ride took about four hours to get to Grazalema. At Jonathan’s request, we sat “between the axles” rather than right behind the driver as we had on the trip into the Alpujarras. The bus retraced our path down the twisty-turny road to the highway, and then back through Granada where I got one last glance at the Alhambra from the highway. We then turned west onto the highway that leads to Sevilla. After leaving the urbanized area around Granada, the land is primarily agricultural with a lot of olive trees. We left the main highway to a two lane road (A-384, which was labeled A-382 on my map) traveling towards Jerez de la Frontera as the land got much hillier. The region is known as the last frontier because it marked the boundary between Moorish Granada and Christian Spain (España) for over 200 years and is dotted with fortifications. One of the more impressive ones was Olvera (which we observed from the highway as we drove by) where the old walls of the fortress at the top of the hill were flanked by an even larger church. It was interesting that all the towns we passed were situated on hillsides rather than the plain.
We turned south off that road and climbed up into the hills towards Grazalema. We passed fields of cork oaks that had been harvested for the outer bark as we passed through the “natural park” that surrounds the national park. Grazalema is, of course, situated on a hillside, and our hotel in town, the Puerta de la Villa. A quick unloading of the baggage, as there was apparently a funeral going on at the church next door, and we got checked into our room.
Dinner was at a local restaurant – I was going to bring my camera, but wimped out – I wish I had as the restaurant had interesting décor. Nick ordered the preliminaries, including Serrano ham (air cured – beats the hell out of prosciutto) and a Spanish omelette with thistle. I ordered venison with red wine sauce, which was delicious while Jonathan had boar, which he pronounced “boring.”