A walk in the Andalucian contryside

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Working 4 hours a day, 5 days a week leaves a lot of leisure time. I had yesterday off and did some exploring.

Starting at the purple spot at the bottom of the map, which is Kay and Bernard's property, I walked up a narrow, crooked road that climbed steadily (the green line). In the lower sections it passed through orange and olive groves but in the upper portions vegetation was quite scrubby.

Agriculture here depends entirely on the diversion of streams carrying melting snow from the mountain to the north and irrigation ditches built by the Berbers from North Africa 500 to 1000 years ago are still in use. It was warm and sunny but a pleasant day for an uphill hike with a steady breeze and a hat to keep the sun off my head. The road gained about 600 metres in a distance of 7 km where it intersected a paved road that connects villages in the "Alpuharra".

I took a break at a little church where the roads intersected and ate the last of the four oranges I'd packed. Then I stuck out my thumb and hitchhiked for the first time in years. I got a ride with a young Spanish guy and was in Orgiva three hours after leaving the house. It was the time of day when most stores are closed but I managed to find a beer, a pizza and an espresso (called "cafe solo" here).

After my leisurely meal at an outdoor table, I started walking the 3 km back home (the blue line) but about halfway, I caught a ride with Bernard who had also been in town. Circular excursions are always more fun than backtracking!

Irrigation ditch, olives and oranges

The little road provides access to properties like this and ...

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