Amazing Andalucia

En route to Granada we stopped at the old Alcaudete station to finish off the last section of the via verde and rode through rolling olive oil plantings to have a tapas lunch at Martos. Back at the van we headed in to Granada to park up at the Camping Reina Isabel with our small van fitting in to a space that gave us more privacy than most and proximity to the showers and laundry facility.

 

On the Tuesday we caught the bus in to the centre - no masks neeed in contrast to Seville - and walked a slightly circuitous route up to the Alhambra. Our etickets soon saw us in to the main Alcazabar, gardens and other attractions with plenty of people about on a fine sunny day but also plenty of space. We explored the gardens more fully before joining the short queue for our timed admission to the Nasrid Palace - perhaps the most famous attraction in Andalusia and justifiably so.

 

 

Built originally by the Moorish occupiers of the Iberian Peninsula over Roman fortifications it lay empty for a long time before being gradually restored to its sumptuous glory. We moved from room to room through graceful arches with ornate plasterwork at every turn. Cool courtyards and shaded passages joined up to create an amazing layout that we were able to explore at our own pace as well as enjoy the views across the city and to the Generalife Palace across a gorge.

 

This was also included in the visit so we made full use of the day before jumping in to a taxi for the 10 euro ride home - great value as the bus to the centre had been 4 euro.

We then washed and changed before heading out on a surprise excursion that the site arranged to go to a flamenco session back in the Sacramonte district opposite the Alhambra. We had an hour spare to after the minibus ride to walk the narrow maze of streets by night with the illuminated Alhambra directly opposite. Then after a beer in the bar we moved on to a larger room where a trio of musicians and two dancers enthralled us with a passionate and energetic session of their traditional dance. It was truly impressive and well worth the effort after what had been a tiring day.

We had decided to stay an extra night so bussed back in to town for a walk through the squares, a visit to the beautiful cathedral and then an exploration of the Albaicin, another maze of backstreets with alleys, squares, viewpoints and bars joined by craft stalls and shops selling ethnic clothing and household decorations before enjoying a superb lunch in a square full of orange trees. I bought a local SIM valid for 3 months with 40GB of data which will last well beyond our final Spanish weeks and at a chemist I got weighed and was pleased to see a loss of around 5/6 kilos due largely to just a 10/14 fasting regime. Further weight was shed trying to find where the  bus back departed from, without any luck, so in the end we again hailed a taxi.

Moving on we decided to only go as far as Alhamma de Granada which is a spar town above a deep gorge with the aire perched on the edge. We walked in to the centre and up to the castle before dropping in to the gorge and discovering carved stone laundry basins, derelict water mills, a tiny chapel and some remarkable geology. After a quiet night in the aire we woke to the sound of stalls for market day being erected and enjoyed a good look round before returning to the rest of the gorge via different paths. I had seen a really nice VW T3 van conversion in Granada and stopped at garage workshop that had a few older VWs around to chat to the young owner who was a VW enthusiast and very interested in the photo I showed him. As the market packed up we bought some fruit and veg before moving on to Antequera and the impressive geology of El Torcal. The car park attendant insisted on squeezing us in to a very tight space which then seemed to annoy a returning Spanish family, but we set off on the longer walk that took us amongst the most remarkable towers, pillars, outcrops and gorges. As always five minutes from the car park we were virtually alone although a noisy Dutch woman seemed to always be in the background somewhere. Despite this we saw the small deer grazing and griffon vultures circling overhead.

 

The parking opposite the Alcazabar at Antequera had a fine view but there was a strong if mild wind blowing as we walked in to town via the huge church and a lovely set of stone steps. We had been before and reached the large bullring at the end of town before finding a decent bar for a couple of drinks and tapas. Light rain fell overnight depositing a muddy sheen on everything but the following day dawned bright as we drove on to the parking for El Chorro something I have wanted to do for years since visiting the area in 2008. We walked through the access tunnel and down to the entrance gates where things were not well organised and we were uncertain if we were in the right group for our 12.30 start. As we were early it was the 11.30 group being directed so we walked back along the shore to await our turn and eventually after passport and ticket scanning we were given helmets and an AV headset. The guide was a friendly lass with good English and after a safety briefing we headed down along the paths to the entrance to the stunning limestone gorge of El Chorro and the start of the Camino del Rey. This path had been installed to allow maintenance of a long canal built in to the towering cliffs to take water down to a hydro scheme supplying power to Malaga for over a hundred years. Once that canal was superceeded by a new tunnel it fell in to disrepair but several million euros and six years late the remarkable walkway has been reopened and is a popular success. We walked through the first gorge with long drops to the lively river and even higher cliffs towering above us. The weather was perfect and we were not rushed along which was much appreciated. At the midway point we reached a thin slab of concrete that bridged the gorge and was the point I had reached last time I had been here by following the railway line up from the village through a couple of tunnels, much frowned upon then let alone now. A Malaga to Cordoba train duly appeared as if on cue but most traffic now follows the faster LAV line that avoids the mountains. After a section of valley we entered the final gorge passing opposite a stunning cliff face and following the walkway in and out of a large but narrow cleft before finally reaching a bridge that crossed to the far side and led via exposed steps to the finish point. Beyond here we enjoyed refreshments in the sun before walking on to the shuttle bus that would return us to the start point - the snack bars here were much cheaper if you do go! As we left we decided to check out the wild camping down by the much reduced lake and after a chat with a friendly Irish guy were soon parked on the sun baked mud for a very relaxing evening and sunset.

 

Our next destination was the lovely town of Ronda where we parked in the station car park as most other options were underground with limited headroom - the entrance barrier was up so we drove in and then realised we should have stopped for a ticket. Without a vehicle in place no ticket could be issued so we decided to worry about that later and set off in to town. The amazing bridge was bathed in sunshine and we walked round to the path that drops sharply away to give the best views before returning for an excellent lunch in the sun in Plazza Mondragon, much quieter than the centre. 

 

We then walked behind the famous bridge and dropped down to earlier Roman bridges before a final climb to town and back to the van. As the entrance barrier was still up the simplest solution was just to drive out that way and we were soon heading off towards Olvera and the start point for the VV de la Sierra. At the old station we decided to park in the blue zone for 10 euros a night with water and power so rang the number on the board. We then received the key box code by SMS and were able to unlock the barrier chain. A cabinet key to the water and power boxes was also included but as I have my own we replaced everything and filled up with water before parking across a bay to give us space and privacy. Two Italian vans turned up later and a dozen or so others were parked up in the red zone which is only a fiver but has no facilities.

 

Next day we set off for the end of the vv stopping at Coripe for coffee and cake after the longest tunnel of 990m. We recognised the aire off the track which contains Spain's largest oak tree and had been used on our last visit here when Mandy was recuperating from her illness. It is a superb, largely flat ride with 30 tunnels and ends at another revamped station building that provided our lunch stop. A local bike hire company was waiting for a group to arrive after their 24 mile ride as we saddled up for the return run which we found rather tiring towards the end after completing almost 50 miles.We chatted to an English couple we had met before turning in for a bit of TV as one phone is still allowing access to IPlayer.

Before leaving Olvera I cleaned both bikes and ran the drive trains through my cleaning tool as they had an accumulation of grit and grease fom the dusty tracks we've been enjoying. We stopped in Olvera and realised we had been here 4 years ago. The beautiful church and rugged castle should surely stay in one's mind but in reality with so many amazing places visited it is easy to forget the individual ones. 

 

As we approaced Zahara the sat nav took us on a route to the aire that would have taken us through narrow streets so we executed a smart 360, dropped back to the dam and approached from a different angle to reach the large flat car park with superb views that would be our base for the night. Across the reservoir sat Algonodales where a friend learned to parasail and we climbed the steep streets and paths to the kiosk for tickets to the lofty castle. At 2 euros each this was a bargain and the views from the keep remarkable with the snow covered Sierra des Nieves in the distance - the late snow that has come with the cooler temperatures in both Spain and Morocco and affected UK salad imports also prevented any attempt on Mulhacen in the Sierra Nevada which means we have left the Alpujarras for another time. The aire was very peaceful overnight and after another stroll through the village we set off south for Algeciras on an indirect route via Gaucin for Algeciras where we hoped to collect our tickets for Morocco from the port. Gaucin was another pueblo blanco strung out along a ridge with a small but impressive castle and views of Gibraltar. Lunch in the sun seemed a good idea but there was a chill wind and service was a bit slow so we were glad to get back to the warm van eventually and drop down towards the coast.

Pulling in at Algeciras port passeneger terminal we were immediately approached by ticket touts as expected but a firm and polite rebuke saw them melt away and to my surprise we had exchanged our printed vouchers for the actual tickets and were on our way to Tarifa in less than twenty minutes. Before arriving at the Rio Jara campsite we did a shop for those items less likely to be available in Morocco and then pulled up at the familiar site. Unfortunately I think it has had a change of ownership as apart from the African guy who maintains the grounds and facilities all the staff seemed unfamiliar. The price seemed way too high at 29 euros and the place was half empty, even the bar which used to be a convivial hub was deserted. The shop no longer stocked Camping Gaz which I initially saw as a problem but as in fact full cylinders in Morocco are only a fiver I will deplete two of my three CG907s, store them in the roof void and just buy two cylinders over there and give them away when I leave - a saving of 30 euros just like that.

Anyway we chose a sheltered pitch with hook up and settled in for the night, pleased with how the day had unfolded. Next morning we strung a line between two trees and did a full laundry load leaving it to dry as we walked up the beach to admire the kite surfers and their ecclectic range of vans and lorries. The advent of good cheap solar power and 3/4G interenet access on smartphones has transformed van life, including mine, and may also explain the reduced numbers paying top whack for a campsite - and modern vans also have all the comforts of home and more so why bother.

 

Today we cycled in to Tarifa to gaze across the busy Straits shipping lane to the Rif Mountains not 20 miles away. We sat on rocks round from the port for a while before climbing to a viewpoint and then exploring the narrow streets of the original Moorish walled town and a final lunch in hot sunshine. The two miles back against a headwind was soon achieved and we have spent a final evening sorting things out. The only hurdle now is obtaining vehicle insurance once over at Tangiers and getting a Moroccan SIM so assuming all this is achieved without too much hassle the next posts will be from AFRICA!!!

PICS here....

 

Across in to Andalucia

 Despite various strike threats in the UK the EasyJet flight arrived on time and we walked back round to the handy aire for a good night's sleep. The early mail plane for Lisbon barely roused us but later we were enjoying the spectacle of flights arriving and departing right before us.

 We decided to drop in to Faro for a look round the old town and harbour before heading up to Alcoutim on the border where the following day we took the skiff across the Guadiana to Sanlucar and walked up to the fort via the start point of a zip wire back across the river.

At Mertola we parked up initially in the town for a walk round but decided there was enough to see to justify a night in the aire down by the river so relocated and enjoyed the castle, its keep, good views down to the river and the archaeological excavations of both Roman mosaics and Arabic housing.

Returning to Pomarao we parked by the river and headed out for a short ride through local tracks and back via a tiny chapel high above the village.  A beer at Maria's gave us a chance encounter with a Welsh woman and her Portuguese husband who live locally but also spend half the year in Wales.

The weather was perfect as we set off to start the via verde from the old loading wharves towards El Granado where we enjoyed lunch in the sun before returning through the quiet countryside. On the Sunday Maria's bar was too busy as the other village bar was shut for a holiday so we decided to head off late morning and make our way to Umbrete which would be our base for visiting Seville by bus. We walked in to the town to find the bus stop and timetable, have a hot drink and then on a cold night chatted to Dianne from Bromley who was on her first longish trip in a recently converted van. She had done well to get here and was looking forward to a friend joining her and we promised to keep in touch.

First thing next morning we were on the bus to the centre of Seville for a couple of Euros with the fast bus taking half an hour to reach the main bus station. On a sunny day we walked along the river to the Golden Tower and then on to the remarkable gardens of the Parque de Maria Luisa which included the stunning Plaza de Espana built for a huge Iberian/American trade show in 1929. Horse drawn carriages clattered around the square, a fashion shoot was underway and buskers filled various cool galleries with their  efforts. A flamenco dancer enthralled us as we left to enjoy lunch at a decent restaurant before walking to the cathedral and fort to check admission details. Then it was an enjoyable meander back for an evening bus that took longer as it wound its way through the suburbs. We had time to have a cosy evening in with Dianne and exchange stories before settling in on another cold night.

 

Next day we caught the same bus in time to visit the alcazar which was stunning with beautifully decorated halls, galleries, rooms and shaded courtyards and an extensive garden. This contained a decent cafe for refreshments before we exited and returned to the cathedral as we had booked the rooftop tour. This was again excellent with an interesting commentary, good views across town and up to the famous Giralda, the cathedral's main tower with its copper weather vane that had replaced Arabic spheres when their rule came to an end. Admission details had been somewhat unclear so we were left with insufficient time to climb the tower but could take in the bulk of the cathedral and consider the tomb of Christopher Columbus supported by statues of four monarchs.

Moving on in to the Morena mountains we stopped en route at Carmona which has a number of fine churches, sturdy castle walls and a smart parador occupying much of the old castle itself. Near La Puebla de Los Infantes we arrived at a lovely site in amongst trees and near a partially dried up reservoir. It had only been open two years and Miguel was pleased to show us a choice of pitches and made us feel very welcome. The facilities were excellent and there was only Andreas, a German guy in a small Eriba caravan towed behind his Tesla, staying who had been there 3 months. We enjoyed the peace and quiet and ended up staying five days as there was a large festival in the village combined with a paragliding show and competition on the shore. We cycled up to the village and then out north before picking up a country track that returned us past a herd of very entertaining pigs. It was a good down hill to firstly the village for a beer in a traditional bar and then down to the site where it was filling up for the weekend's celebrations -  we enjoyed a beer with Andreas in the small bar and learnt a fair bit about touring with an EV.

Thus on the Saturday we rode out towards Constantina calling in to the paragliding festival en route for a nose around and then picked up the far end of the country track and returned to La Puebla at dusk where we locked the bikes up, swiftly donned warm clothing and set off to enjoy the festivities. Dozens of huge bonfires lit the streets with private and public gatherings as we looked for a bite to eat. The Spanish don't really start before 8 so we tucked in to a restaurant for a beer or two until food would be served - as usual we were never quite sure what we were ordering but it was delicious and  thus refreshed we headed off to soak up more of the party atmosphere. Hot chocolate and simple pastries were being dolled out by one family and it was a privilege to experience the true face of Spanish life. We rolled back to the site which was now more than two thirds full but our terrace was almost empty as we were not within reach of electric hook up.

 

On the Sunday we walked round the shore to the event but unfortunately the dual flights were over for the day although we picked up a card for a company operating over in Morocco so maybe, maybe. We enjoyed watching the various competitions and admired the determination of the unpowered wings to get airborne, sadly without much success as it was a hot still day. Returning to site along the road the shuttle bus back to La Puebla was kind enough to stop and then drop us off saving a couple of hot miles on foot.

Tuesday saw us heading in to Ecija to stay at an aire near the town centre and alongside the Via Verde de La Campina so we jumped on the bikes to enjoy an afternoon ride. Unfortunately after a few miles it began to run parallel to a noisy dual carriageway so we decided to head back and then walked in to town for a drink in the sun in its large square. A ride the following day in the other direction was far nicer and led us to Carlota where we had lunch in a friendly bar before using the SatMap to take us back to the trail through endless olive tree groves. Another stroll in to town saw us buying two bike pumps, tyre sealant and lube but failing to find an outlet for CampinGaz. Small hardware shops had similar cylinders of a different brand but would not have been able to take ours in exchange.

After doing a bag of laundry and a food shop on leaving Ecija we headed an hour or so along to Cordoba and we were soon tucked away in the rough parking near the zoo within a mile of the centre and main attractions. A couple of outlets on the CEPSA fuel brand app listed as stocking CG did not in fact stock it and reluctant to add more miles in an unfamiliar city we decided to walk to one outlet listed - this didn't even exist but at another bike shop where we wanted a track pump the friendly owner said his mate, a nearby plumber, would have it. We walked round in anticipation but again it was a non CG brand. Back at  the van we had lunch before I set out on another long and fruitless walk so on my return we pushed off in to town and enjoyed the remarkable Roman bridge with the mosque/cathedral beautifully lit across the river. Having checked out the access point for the following day's prebooked tickets we then walked through the old Jewish quarter's maze of alleys to the modern centre. It was part way through the local fiesta so lights were strung across the streets and artists were performing in the malls.

 

Later back at the van I sufferered a couple of hours of worryingly violent stomach cramps during the night and felt pretty rough at breakfast time. Fortunately they eased off as we walked back in to enjoy the truly remarkable Mezquita - a former mosque now reborn as a cathedral with the original minaret now serving as the bell tower and the numerous cool rooms with their iconic striped arches leading to side chapels, huge altars and choir stalls. It was in fact surprisingly cold inside so we were glad to have various layers on - no doubt in summer it makes the place bearable. Three hours soon passed before we departed for the main square in modern Cordoba for lunch. Back at the Mezquita we took a final look as we wanted to call at a CEPSA distributor that opened at 5. Here to our partial surprise they did indeed stock the holy grail of the blue chalice and we left with 2 x 907's @ £17 each.

Reaching Dona Mencia after an hour or so we were surprised to find that the aire adjacent to the VV de la Subetica now needed payment and prebooking. As we were scanning the Q code to get the app to register a username to set up an account to book the pitch then pay the fee after uploading a card a man opened the barrier and said come in and pay at the cycle hire tomorrow! After filling up with water we parked alongside the VV without power as the south facing pitch would give us ample solar and then settled in for the night enjoying some BBC Iplayer as Mandy's phone does not yet seem to realise she is outside the UK. I had bought another SIM in Cordoba to avoid the '3' network £2 roaming charge so we have 40 Gig of data valid for 3 months with EU roaming and tethering for £8. At the bike shop it was  3 euros a night but 7 at the weekend so we booked for a week - this strangely being only 15 euros - giving us options to extend and then cycled down to Alcaudete where in the grounds of the old station about forty different examples of the world's 120 or so varieties of olive were planted. Hot drinks in an old station next to the wood burner were appreciated as we headed home passing the lofty castle of Zuheros.

 

It being a weekend the aire was pretty full but being small we had tucked away and had plenty of space and enjoyed a quiet night. Yesterday we dropped back along the track and then took a side spur to Baena where we rode up to the castle and then lunched in the square before returning to the road up to Zuheros. This absolutely exquisite village with its magnificent castle draped over a limestone outcrop looked its best in the late aftenoon sun and we paid for castle admission in the small museum giving us access to the high battlements, narrow stairs and tunnels and an impressive keep with far reaching views. A bride and groom were having wedding photos taken and we wished them good luck before saddling up for the short ride home. Spanish families were socialising at full tilt on a cool evening and we noticed that a Dutch couple we had spoken to had moved off as they were sandwiched between two large families.

Today I have booked my ferry from Morocco to Italy for late May as this then triggers our entry date for Morocco which will now be the 28th of Feb, just over a fortnight away. The basic fare for me and the van was £450 but I've opted for a good double cabin and the full meals pass as it is a 3 day sailing via Barcelona and I intend to fully enjoy a late Spring Mediterranean mini cruise ......

We've also booked four nights on Lundy in mid October for Mandy's birthday which should be very special.

Finally we cycled though Cabra and down to Lucena for drinks and tapas before returning and meeting the Dutch couple who had indeed relocated to the quieter aire at Cabra. They were off to Cordoba and Seville so we recommended the campsite at La Puebla for a rest day - he was in need of hook up to charge their electric bikes and was unhappy with his lithium ion leisure battery as once it dropped below 80% all power was lost - he thinks the mains charger is the wrong one for Liion and will be returning to his dealer when they get back. Anyway it was good to see them again and we will keep in touch, similarly we hope with Dianne who has had to return home earlier than planned.

So tomorrow is Granada for a booked visit to the Alhambra on Tuesday. We are staying on a campsite for two nights to give our leisure battery a boost - first EHU in 3 weeks - and with luck will get some laundry done. There is a bus in to town we hope so with onward plans taking shape I will leave it there for now.

Pics here ; enjoy.