Monday 17th - Sunday 23rd October 2016.
Monday. We wanted to visit the fabulous looking castle at VELEZ-BLANCO this morning but despite the hundreds of historical monuments we have visited in Spain we completely forgot that the vast majority are closed on Mondays so the closest we got was a walk around the outside. This did allow us some absolutely stunning views of the surrounding countryside. Going back up the hill past the campsite was a large fertile plane all of which were under cultivation, the fields near the roads had been sown with a cereal crop that had been grown, cut and removed leaving only stubble behind, the fields further from the road contained a bright green crop that could have been cabbages, cauliflowers or something else. Try as we might we could not get close enough to see. In the middle of know-where was a small village where we found a fuel station selling the cheapest diesel we have found on the trip so far.
Returning to the campsite we went to the site restaurant for lunch where we had the “menu del dia” lunch, as before it was €10.00 for an acceptable three course meal with wine and coffee after.
Tuesday. Moving day - again. We have moved to CAMPING LAS LOMAS situated in the foothills of the SIERRA NEVADA. A certain amount of towing confidence is needed to reach the site as the climb up from GRANADA is considerable with a couple of hairpin bends thrown in for good measure, and when you get to the site the entrance, not to the site which is easy peasy but to the camping area itself is quite awkward for long outfits, in fact the reception recommends going in via the exit. All of this, though, should not put you off, this is a good site to visit.
Wednesday. Frank cooked us all a ginormous breakfast on the BBQ this morning, sausages, bacon, black pudding, white pudding, baked beans, fried bread, mushrooms, eggs we had the lot, so much that we didn’t eat another thing all day. Thanks Frank - delicious.
After breakfast, several mugs of tea and a rest to let it all settle we went for a drive into the Sierra Nevada. We followed a small road on the map (it was marked “dangerous road” but we chose to ignore that) climbed steadily upwards until we were looking down from a great height on the campsite that we thought was itself at a great height. Eventually at 2500m above sea level we came upon a barrier across the road at the village of PRADOLLANO which is the base of the ski station Sierra Nevada Ski
Thursday. Into Granada today, not to see the ALHAMBRA as we had all been there on other occasions but to Granada’s old city - EL ALBAICIN. It is the oldest part of Granada, very steep with tortuous streets and vantage points looking over the Alhambra on the other side of the valley. We particularly wanted to see EL BANUELO said to be the oldest and best preserved Arab baths in Spain.
Friday. Moving day we have continued towards the west to a site we have been to on a couple of occasions CAMPING LA SIERRECILLA.
Rosemary and Frank have been with us on this trip in the hope of seeing Spain in another light. They see Spain as we see France, a place to get through as quickly as possible and with as little contact with the locals as possible. Sadly despite our best efforts their opinions of Spain have not changed and they have decided that tomorrow they will head off back to Portugal while we will stay in Spain for a while longer as we want to go north a bit to Cordoba, a city we have long wanted to see but never quite got to.
Saturday. We waved good-bye to R & F for a few weeks and set off to LAGUNA FLUENT DE PIEDRA a famous and beautiful lagoon, at 2.5km wide and 6.5km long the largest natural lake in the Iberian Peninsula, with over 170 different bird species recorded.
As well as the wide range of birds it supports, it is probably best known for its flamingo population, the second largest colony of these birds in Europe after the French Camargue. In spring flamingos flock here in their thousands attracted by the water's high salt content and the fact that it is shallow. It is the only place in Europe where flamingo’s breed.
In winter the lake fills up and covers around 15km², however it is seasonal, so it virtually dries out in summer. During times of scarcity, the flamingos may go as far as the Doñana National Park to find food.
During Roman times, salt was extracted here and flamingos were hunted for their tongues, considered to be a delicacy. In 1988 over 8000 hectares of the lake and surrounding land was declared an area of special interest for birds. There is a very informative visitor centre.
Sunday. We have moved 70 odd miles north to CAMPING LA CAMPINA a small site of just 31 pitches south of Cordoba.
The main event of the day has been the torrential rain which started just after we left La Sierrecilla and was still pounding on the roof as we went to bed. It is forecast to continue for at least tomorrow.