Went for a day out today.... Long long drive, we started out towards the lakes at Ardales, but decided to try another route once we reached the town. And took the Teba/Ronda turn to the left instead! Driving through beautiful patchwork mountains, as above photo...its amazing how different the landscape is only half hour drive from here! Fields of rape seed, wheat, poppies! and herds of beautiful brown cows! Also, the most pig farms in one area I have ever seen! Not a pig in sight though, all tucked up in doors - not so good, or the smell!!!

We stopped first at a road side venta, two coaches had just pulled up and we managed to skirt around them and get to the bar! Two coffees and bread with oil... A nearby pig farm supplying the many jamons surrounding bar I imagine!

We were headed actually now for the turn for Arriate... To get to Setenil de las bodegas, where we have been a couple of times before, but has always been too busy to appreciate the village! Both above pics are amazing, well the subject matter I mean! The one below may be a bit confusing[dot.com]... I took a photo of the ceiling above the bar where we stopped for coffee, actually I had a beer, don't know why, just fancied one! Sorry I digress, and per norm! So the pic below is the cave above, and the stone was covered in cobwebs!!! Also there mid photo and down towards the bottom, is a swallows nest, so many birds flying to and fro, and so fast, they swoop down towards the cars while driving, or people while walking, what a game they have!

I tried to take photos I didn't take last time, but different day and less people, so hope I haven't repeated myself! More than usual!


Lots more photos, so will post more tomorrow, hopefully, not been too busy on here of late have I!

While walking in Setenil past a shop, the owner opened the door and told us to go in, have a look around! We did, well we really had no choice! He told us all the plates were painted by hand, here in the town, well that would be good, it all was 20 years ago, but I think most of what you see on the markets these days is not Made In Spain any more!

We went from Setenil to Olvera, it was almost as hot as when Tony and I were there in June one year, well seemed it, although it could the amount of up hill walking you have to do to get anywhere whatsoever! But a very pretty town, we went first to the bar in a plaza, we had a coffee, then started up the mountain to the church, Tony and I were too hot and too tired to go further up to the castle, so thought we would go today.... No chance! it was 1:35 and about to shut at 2pm, definitely not long enough for that climb! And also, they shut the doors!!!! Well time for lunch for them then I guessed! On the way into town we needed petrol, and I remembered a gas station on the left hand side of the road, I know I had only been to Olvera once before, but I did, and it was...! Funny how I remember that but go to put the cereal into the refrigerator!!!!

So back down, took a couple of photos from a distance, back to the car and off again! We had passed a sign for Campillos, so went back to that junction, and took that route back towards Alhaurín, although, no where near it yet of course! And the journey took other turns well before we got back here!

We ended up coming down the road we had originally started from, my now famous road to the hospital! We were on the other hand nowhere near it, being still in the lakes vicinity! We had passed a turn and thought to turn back to it, so we did, and began a new journey around the lakes we had never taken before, getting a bit confused[dot.com], which is unlike me in this area! hahahaha!!! We were very confused actually, then ended up coming to a road we knew!?! I have spent years travelling around the lakes here, and still find a new bit!

phew... So from there, we were going to have a coffee at the Kiosk bar, but was busy, too busy, so off to El Choro, where else! And had a coffee there! Sat by the railway lines, watching the birds go by, well lots of dogs anyway! Apparently they are going to renew the whole of the Kings Walk, and the whole area around there, I suppose, that will be good, but so many times, in the making of something better, you lose some of the old, which was the reason it was good in the first place, the roads will be wider, the place tidied up, new this and new that, and soon, the 'thing' it had will be lost.... Its going to take about five years, so we have time yet to get the best from the way it is now! [does that make sense?]

I am not sure in what way the Kings Walk will be left, if people will all have to use the rope and tie thing, rock climbers equipment etc, or if it will be safe to just stroll around the narrow walkway, but we will never, I am sure, be able to get to the narrow bridge over the gorge we have taken before, in the way we did!!!!

Just watched a bit of Planet of the Apes, the old one, but, in my opinion[!], the best! The final words when Charlton Heston sees the Statue of Liberty... "oh my God, we finally did it! blah blah blah..." It was of course, only a surprise the first time I saw it, but still this bit is the best bit of the movie, the realisation of what has happened!

Its taken about two hours to do this Blog today, stopping for breaks... friend at the door, Pippa barking at passers by up at the back, coffee making, phone calls, oh washing up the dishes and washing my hair! Oh and send an Ecard!!!!

Ecard for friends who had a lovely BBQ on Saturday afternoon, beautiful food, wonderful surroundings and good people... Wasn't there long, and should have stayed longer... Thanks again amigos!

After not Blogging for a while my mouth seems to be running away with itself now, or my fingers over the keys anyway... So I better quit before everyone falls asleep!

More photos tomorrow amigos, adío!

TTFN
Marian