Trepidatious traveller – camino blog | Camino de Santiago de Compostela – before, during and after

Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red

Posted on 22/09/2014 by magwood

I had a good ride on my horse this morning – the first in nearly two weeks. Yesterday’s weather forecast promised us rain storms with thunder and lightning, but we got blue sky and sunshine so I took advantage of the fine weather. As the dog opted not to accompany me I was able to take a ride along the road, past the Bodega Jarel where they are busy making wine, and down into the valley where we turned around and took an exuberant gallop back up to the top. Liana kicked her heels and put in a couple of jubilant bucks and we arrived back at the bodega in no time at all.

I have been to the UK for ten days visiting family, flying into Bristol to visit my youngest daughter Rosie. We seemed to spend most of our time in wool shops making the very difficult decision about what yarn and colour I will knit the blanket for my new granddaughter, due to arrive at the end of the year. We have decided on the same pattern as the one I knitted for my grandson Mikey, which has become an essential component to him going to sleep – it has to be placed in exactly the right position over his pillow. It gives me great pleasure that he is so fond of this blanket, as it has a bit of history attached to it. The yarn – cotton denim – was originally knitted into a jacket for me by my mother, who was a very talented craftswoman. I can’t remember exactly when she made it, but it was probably before my children were born. It was a bit of a tedious process to unpick the yarn but it was a very special feeling to be reknitting the same yarn that had run through my mother’s hands so many years ago. My daughter was delighted with it, and now Mikey loves it too. My dear old mum would have been so very happy with the result. There was even enough yarn left over to make Mikey a jumper which he wore for two of his nearly four years (with the addition of a couple of extra inches knitted onto the length of the body to keep up with his growth). So now I get to make some pretty girly things which is much more fun.

Amongst the wool shopping we managed a trip to the beach at Weston super Mare for Mikey to ride his bike along the promenade and on the huge expanse of sand. Not so many people around at this time of year and although it was very pleasant weather the clouds made a dramatic statement above the newly rebuilt grand pier.

My next stop was in London as I was very keen to see the display of ceramic poppies at the Tower of London. I’m sure that all my British readers will know about this amazing memorial to the fallen British military personnel during the First World War. The installation, entitled Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red marks one hundred years since the start of the First World War. 888,246 ceramic poppies have been made, one for each british military fatality during the war, and from 5 August (the date in 1914 when Britain declared war on Germany) until 11 November (the date in 1918 when WWI ended) the moat surrounding the Tower of London will progressively be filled with poppies. If you have the opportunity I can wholeheartedly recommend a visit – it is a wonderful and thought-provoking sight. The poppies are available for sale. They can be purchased on line and will be posted after the installation has been dismantled. I have purchased five, one for each daugher and grandchild and one for myself. I know that my daughters understand and respect the significance of these poppies and I hope that my grandchildren will grow to understand the huge sacrifice that was made on their behalf. See here for more information.

I followed my visit to the Tower with a river cruise along the Thames to Westminster where I spent a fabulous couple of hours wandering along Whitehall with a detour into Horseguards Parade and a short stop on a bench on the edge of St James’s Park and then on to Trafalgar Square, back along Northumberland Avenue and across the Thames by the Jubilee Bridge, along the South Bank to Westminster Bridge and across to get the boat back to Tower Pier. It was a hot and sunny afternoon and I had a magical time. I wouldn’t have dreamt of taking such a solo trip before walking the camino – the camino experience has changed me in ways I am still discovering.

I stayed the night in London with my step-daughter and great friend Maxine who looked after me really well and even drove me to Kings Cross station the next morning, after a telephone call from my partner David from Spain telling me that he had seen on the news that there were problems with the underground. If he had not phoned me I would most definitely have missed my train which would have been a huge blow as I had a ticket that was non changeable for the next leg of my trip to Leeds. I had paid the ridiculously small sum of £14 for this ticket and had been offered an upgrade to first class for just £10, so I not only had a comfortable seat but also a free bacon sandwich and as many hot or cold drinks as I could cope with. Bargain!

My older daughter Ella met me at Leeds station and we spent three lovely days mooching, walking the Meanwood Valley Trail (11 kms wearing Ella’s cowboy boots!) visiting York, and eating interesting food. Ella moved to Leeds after we walked the Camino Frances last year and in the meantime has found herself and excellent job and bought a house. It was my first visit to the area and I enjoyed it a great deal.

I had a fabulous trip, didn’t encounter any bad weather and my jaunt ended with a return flight from Leeds Bradford airport back to Málaga.

Posted in A view of life, Horse riding in the mountains of andalucia | Tagged Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, Grand pier, London, Meanwood valley trail, Poppy memorial, Tower of London, Weston super Mare | 15 Comments

An unintentional ‘selfie’

Posted on 07/09/2014 by magwood

Today has presented a few photo opportunities.

My alarm (in the guise of Sheba the cat) was a bit late going off this morning and I opened my eyes at around 7:15 am and was greeted by a very unusual sight – a red morning sky. Now I expect many of you may experience this on a regular basis, but our house is tucked away in the lea of a mountain, and although we benefit from magnificent sunsets, we don’t get to see the sun until 10:00 ish and consequently our morning skies are usually unremarkable.

I know these colours don’t last long so I quickly whipped the bed covers off, and rushed to grab my camera and much to Liana’s amazement (and probably annoyance because I was carrying my camera and not her morning carrots) I clicked away wearing only a pair of sandals. By the time I had got dressed, fed the cat and prepared said carrots, the sky although still pretty and transformed in a matter of minutes into our normal pretty vista.

Camera in pocket, I took a few more shots as I walked the dog.

And as I still had the camera in my pocket when I went to groom Liana after her breakfast I decided to have a go at a shot of her eye, reflecting the surrounding vista. I love the results but need to practise a bit more and find a way to avoid the unintentional ‘selfie’.

Posted in A view of life, Animals | Tagged Animals, eye photo, Morning sky, unintentional selfie | 9 Comments

Friends

Posted on 07/09/2014 by magwood

There are some clever TV adverts around. We don’t see many these days because we no longer have tv, other than sky news and a couple of programmes that you would have to be extremely bored to even think about watching. This is due to the main UK satellite being realigned earlier this year with a narrower beam that excludes southern Spain. This has not really proved to be a great problem for us. Before we moved into our house we spent ages working out how we would arrange furniture and where we would place the TV. We realised that we were arranging our lives around a box on the wall and decided to go without, and continued to do so for three years before buckling.

There are a few programmes I love and have missed – The Good Wife, Homeland, newly discovered Breaking Bad from the USA, and homegrown Strictly Come Dancing and Great British Bake Off. But now we have a new internet provider with a decent signal I may be able to catch up on these shows.

However, one theme tune that always grabs my attention is the song ‘Friends’ by Adam Buxton and when I hear it I just have to stop what I’m doing and gawp at the box for this advertisement (Ad for tv advertising!). I love it and want to share it with those of you who have not had the delight of seeing it thus far. I could talk about it at great length, but there is no need – just watch it and I am sure you will love it as much as I do. Enjoy!

Do you have a favourite advert you want to share around the world. Leave a link in the comment box below.

Many thanks to Jan Powell whose comment below led me to include this TV advert also staring the magical Harvey

Posted in A view of life, Animals | Tagged Adam Buxton, friends, Harvey and Rabbit, TV | 8 Comments

Bridges on the Camino Portuguese – updated!

Posted on 06/09/2014 by magwood

I’ve been motivated to re blog this post by caminoforums member Lucimi. She made a lovely comment in response to the post, which in turn inspired me to seek out some bridge-related quotations. The most delightful aspect of this research was that I ended up on a Winney-the-Pooh website and spent an hour or so languishing in the charming words of A A Milne. I am a few quotes short and would welcome any suggestions in the comments section below.

The sun rising behind the Vasco de Gama bridge spanning the River Tagus in Lisbon. Completed in 1998 in time for the Expo 98 World Fair. Europe’s longest bridge at 17.2 km (day 2)

“Hi Magwood, great photos, especially the one of the Vasco da Gama bridge, what an impressive feat of engineering. I wonder what is it about bridges that makes them so fascinating. They join fields, forest paths, villages, cities, countries, even languages and cultures. We can bridge our differences, and when we’re finished we burn our bridges behind us.”
~ Lucymi, pilgrim

Raised timber walkway through wild riverside scrubland at Tagus Linear Park between Sacavem and Alverca do Ribatejo (day 2)

“With stones, you can build walls to separate people or build bridges to unite them! Do the second thing in the name of ethics and honour, for the glory of love and goodness!”
~ Mehmet Murat ildan

Quinta de Cardiga (day 7)

“Stop telling me not to burn bridges. Some bridges are meant to be burnt, some roads are never meant to be traveled again.”
~ Steve Maraboli

The bridge over the Rio Mondego at Coimbra (day 12)

“Politicians are the same the world over: they promise to build a bridge even when there is no river.”
~ Nikita Khrushchev

Ponte do Cabeço do Vouga – a Roman bridge, probably built in the second century, located in the village of Lamas do Vouga, in the municipality of Águeda (day 15)

“Happiness is……..looking over bridges”
~ Anon

collapsed bridge at Lamas do Vouga (day 15)

“The hardest thing in life is knowing which bridge to cross and which to burn.”
~ David Russell

Standing on the Dom Luis bridge looking towards the AutoEstrada-do-Norte bridge with the familiar Sandeman logo in the foreground (day 18)

“Faith is the pierless bridge supporting what we see unto the scene that we do not.”
~ Emily Dickinson

Ancient bridge between Vilarinho and Pedra Furada (day 20)

“We can’t jump off bridges anymore because our iPhones will get ruined. We can’t take skinny dips in the ocean, because there’s no service on the beach and adventures aren’t real unless they’re on Instagram. Technology has doomed the spontaneity of adventure and we’re helping destroy it every time we Google, check-in, and hashtag.”
~ Jeremy Glass

Medieval bridge between Pedra Furada and Lugo do Corgo (day 21)

“Sometimes you get the best light from a burning bridge.”
~ Don Henley

Ponte de Lima (day 22)

“Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.”
~ A A Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

looking back towards the town from the Ponte de Lima bridge (day 22)

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”
~ A A Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

On Spanish soil! Looking back towards Valenca having walked out of Portugal across the Rio Mino

On Spanish soil! Looking back towards Valença having walked out of Portugal across the Rio Miño (day 23)

“When you see someone putting on his Big Boots, you can be pretty sure that an Adventure is going to happen.”
~ A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Walking through the woods between Tui and Porrino (day 24)

Walking through the woods between Tui and Porriño (day 24)

“Pay attention to where you are going because without meaning to you might get nowhere.”
~ A.A. Milne

Bridge over the Rio de Vigo at the pretty town of Arcade (day 25)

The beautiful bridge crossing the Rio Lerez in Pontevedra (day 25)

Entering Padrón day 26)

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Portuguese | Tagged Bridge quotes, bridges, Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., camino Portuguese, Portugal, Portuguese route, travel | 16 Comments

100,000 views – THANK YOU

Posted on 19/08/2014 by magwood

Today I have reached a milestone – and not of the kilometre variety that were marking my journey along the camino de Santiago, but a blogging achievement – 100,000 views on the Trepidatious Traveller blog.

When I started writing the blog last year to record my journey along the camino Frances, simply as a journal to aid my terrible memory, I certainly didn’t expect anyone else to be particularly interested in it.

It shouldn’t really mean as much to me as it does, but I just love the statistics that wordpress provides.

Lots of visitors just take a quick peep at the blog and then disappear back into the ether. But many people have taken the time and effort to write comments and have stuck around on an ongoing basis – and I now feel I have many new friends from all around the world that I would never have met in any other way. And whilst I really appreciate each and every visit, these lovely people who interact are what makes blogging such a joy.

A couple of months ago David and I placed bets as to when this magic number would be reached – he thought the beginning of November and I guessed a month sooner, so I have exceeded my own expectations by six weeks. Since getting so excited two months ago at receiving a visit from Greenland, I have now had hits from nine new countries – Belarus, Bermuda, Brunei, Cambodia, Darassulam, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Macao, Panama, and the Virgin Islands. But I still have lots of gaps on the world map, most notably China, some of the ‘….stan’ countries, Iran, a fair chunk of Africa, Svalbard, a few South American countries (and of course many others not listed here).

I still have a couple of posts to write about my recent camino Portuguese and then I will start to do more research into my next camino – most likely the Mozarabe from Málaga. Watch this space!

And in the meantime I might just bake a celebratory cake to eat with my glass of cava …… roll on six o’clock!

A huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who has visited this blog

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Posted in A view of life, Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Frances, Camino Portuguese, Expats in andalucia | Tagged 100000 views, Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., Camino Frances, camino Mozarabe, camino Portuguese, Málaga, travel, Trepidatious Traveller | 32 Comments

Noche del Vino XXXIX

Posted on 18/08/2014 by magwood

Each 15 August sees the return of Cómpeta’s annual fiesta ‘Noche del Vino’. Always a very special event, it was made even better this year by the visit of my daughter and grandson, and of course my son-in-law, for a week’s holiday.

As forecast the day was rather overcast but still very hot and humid. We didn’t catch the full programme of events which start with a mass at 11am, after which the fun begins.

At 12 noon traditionally dressed farmers carry baskets of grapes on their heads through the assembling crowds towards the treading platform. This is followed by dancing and singing by local groups and professional troupes. Free food and local Cómpeta wine is provided for one and all. The winding streets are bedecked with bunting and craft stalls to provide a feast for the eyes.

After a late afternoon break in activities, the fun starts again at around 10pm with a programme of professional flamenco performances on the pretty stage set up in the main Plaza Almijara. I made a full report of the day’s events last year which you can see here, complete with a couple of videos.

This year it was not possible to join in with all the fun because my grandson didn’t have the stamina to keep going all day (in truth, neither did I), but I have put together a slideshow of some of the entertainment we caught during the day, and I have found the following beautiful photographs posted onto the Cómpeta townhall Facebook page.

I have never seen so many people packed into the square for the first evening performance, all wanting to see the ‘wunderkind’ – 9 year old Raul “El Balilla” who has an incredible voice and has become something of a phenomenon after appearing on a spanish TV talent show. As he left the stage he was followed by a procession of gaggling young girls hoping for a final glimpse of their hero. The crowds dissipated a little after the mini maestro departed and we were able to find a seat down in the square and spent a few hours in the cooling night air before leaving the square at 3am and walking home along the goat track in light rain.

Please take a look at this slideshow – there are some lovely photos of the dancers throughout the day – and a few less expected sights, like a couple of random piglets. The music that accompanies the slideshow was written and performed by our very own Mitch France otherwise known as the front guy of our local band ‘The Rooters’.

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Posted in A view of life, Expats in andalucia | Tagged Cómpeta, El Balilla, Expats in Andalucia, flamenco, night of the wine, Noche del Vino XXXIX, Spain, Spanish fiestas, travel | 25 Comments

Cómpeta Rocks

Posted on 09/08/2014 by magwood

Last night (Friday 8 August) saw the return of Cómpeta Rocks, a very successful musical extravaganza in support of two local charities. Last year’s inaugural event raised over 1,800 euros which was shared by cancer hospice CUDECA and animal charity Axarquia Animal Rescue.

Hosted jointly in a charming courtyard setting by Bar Fernan and El Recreo, the event kicked off at 7pm with live musical entertainment, right through until about 12:30 am. There were African drummers, the delightful and talented Ella, an eclectic set from the ‘Booze Brothers’, our friends ‘MPG’ who just get better and better, and finally my favourite rock band ‘Guiri’ rounded off the evening. All artists donated their services to the cause.

I hadn’t previously been inside the new bar ‘El Recreo’ and I climbed to the roof terrace to be rewarded with some lovely views down onto the revellers, and in the other direction past the church tower towards the main square Plaza Almijara.

There was an almost full moon rising at the same time as the sun was creating a splash of colour as it sunk behind the mountains.

Meanwhile our taste buds were treated to a grand buffet which would have been acceptable at the finest occasion, all prepared by a team of hard working volunteers. There wasn’t much food left on the plates at the end of the meal! A few lucky guests won some fabulous raffle prizes, including a half day cruise.

Those of us attending from the outset paid a mere 15 euros for our tickets, including the food and a welcome drink. But at 9pm the doors were opened to one and all for a small charge of 3 euros and the crowd swelled to fill the space. The atmosphere was superb, with a great party vibe and with much dancing.

As darkness fell, the views became more dramatic and the beautiful church tower shone bright against the black sky. A fitting end to a excellent evening. I can’t imagine that an event could have been better organised. Well done to all involved – thank you!

Posted in A view of life, Expats in andalucia | Tagged Bar Fernan, Cómpeta, Cómpeta Rocks, El Recreo, Expats in Andalucia, Guiri, MPG, Spain, travel | 25 Comments

CBBH photo challenge: flowers

Posted on 30/07/2014 by magwood

This month I’m participating in the ‘Conejo Blanco Blog Hop‘ hosted by Marianne of East of Málaga blog fame. Marianne’s blog concentrates on the area of Andalucia known as ‘La Axrquia’ and is full of useful information and stunning photographs. Her posts are always interesting – click the link above, I guarantee you will find plenty to keep you entertained.

So, here´s how the CBBH Photo Challenge works:

On the first day of each month, Marianne provides a theme to inspire participants to create a blog post on her chosen subject. And the lovely thing about this challenge is the community spirit it engenders, as one of the conditions is that at the end of the post we must introduce two links to blogs visited and commented upon during the past month. What a great way to discover new blogs and subjects.

I was particularly inspired to participate in July’s challenge as the theme is flowers, and I have a good collection of photos taken on my recent camino Portuguese. I have somehow managed to leave it until the last day of the month to post my entry – oh well, better late than never……

So, here are just a few of the dozens (could even be hundreds!) of the path-side wild flower photographs that I took whilst walking through Portugal and Spain.

I hope you enjoyed these flower photos, even if you have seen them before.

And now I would like introduce you two blogs that I follow:

Highland Hind tells us on her ‘about’ page:

“At an age when I should know better, I’ve taken a risk. I’ve sold my home, discarded most of my possessions and am travelling, writing and living as simply as I can. The Highlands of Scotland are home, my passion is the land and I’m a journalist and broadcaster specialising in rural affairs, food issues and the stories of people who live on and work the soil.“

Some might think her a little foolhardy, but I think she is incredibly brave. Reading her posts about living and hiking in Scotland always make me feel as though I am walking by her side – although I could really have done without her experience of being eaten alive by gnats and horseflies on a recent camping trip! Her words are beautiful and evocative and her photographs are stunning.

My second link is for those of you interested in the Camino de Santiago. There are various pilgrims’ forums out in cyber space where pilgrims past and future can exchange information and ideas. One of my favourite forums is run tirelessly by Leslie Gilmour, alongside his blog Camino Adventures. You will find the answers to every camino question that ever crossed your mind (and a lot that had never occurred to you!) I regularly contribute to the forum both as a newbie when I was in the ‘asking’ mode and now as an old-hand when I can share my experience with the new newbies.

Posted in A view of life, Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Frances, Camino Portuguese, Expats in andalucia | Tagged Camino Adventures, Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., Camino Frances, camino Portuguese, CBBH photo challenge, East of Málaga, Highland Hind, Portugal, Portuguese route, travel, Wild flowers of the camino | 12 Comments

Shhh…….can you keep a secret?

Posted on 28/07/2014 by magwood

We were a little tired this morning (Sunday) following an extremely late night at the Cómpeta feria (actually very tired and a little jaded after getting to bed at 4:00 am and our animal alarm going off at 7:00 am). Consequently poor Roly didn’t get his early morning walk. But no fear, a treat was in store – for all of us – when we decided to take a late morning trip to ‘la Fàbrica de la Luz’, a beautiful recreation area alongside the river Turvilla, about 3 km from the village of Canillas de Albaida and the same distance from our house.

Although it is a well used facility, with lots of shade and picnic areas, it is often possible to be in this beautiful area entirely alone. This morning there were a couple of cars parked up, but no-one in sight and we spent an extremely pleasant time throwing sticks into the river for the dog and generally enjoying our surroundings amongst the oleander trees.

But, please don’t tell anyone about our oasis of delight – we don’t want too many people visiting and spoiling the peace.

Background music by Antonio Forcione ‘Alhambra’

Posted in A view of life, Animals, Expats in andalucia | Tagged Canillas de Albaida, Cómpeta feria, Expats in Andalucia, Fabrica de la Luz, oleander, Roly, Spain, travel | 21 Comments

Who needs clocks when you’ve got animals?

Posted on 26/07/2014 by magwood

We don’t need clocks and watches in our house – we always know when it’s food o’clock

I am reliably woken every morning at exactly 7:00 am when my cat Sheba commences her demands for breakfast. Although a rescue moggie from the pueblo she looks and sounds like a Siamese and certainly thinks she is several ranks above any other being in the vicinity.

She terrorises poor Roly and will happily whack him around the head for absolutely no reason. She is impossible to ignore and uses the combined powers of her incredibly loud yowling voice and severe padding (with claws) to make sure she gets her breakfast in good time. This fabulous video will show you exactly how it works http://youtu.be/Jrq03XENSdY

The next demands come from Liana whose single aim in life is to eat. She will be expecting me to appear with her breakfast soon after Sheba has been satisfied, and if I have not presented her with a bowl of carrots and grain with a side of hay by 7:15, she will set about making her own cacophony of demands, also very difficult to ignore.

Stable chores follow Liana’s satisfaction and I clean up the yard and stable, both of which involve a lot of sweeping and much dust, and then it is Roly’s time for attention.

Often David will have joined me about the stable and we will then set off around 7:45 for our regular morning walk, a couple of km’s round trip involving significant climbs and descents, during which we usually meet lots of lovely doggy people and stop for a few chats.

When we return home Roly will, or there again often will not, be ready for some breakfast. He is such a funny little chap and will often go for a day or two without eating – even best raw meat. Sometimes he appears to be asking for food but will just turn his back and walk away when it is presented. Other times he will greedily eat his meat and then empty his own and Sheba’s bowl of dry food and then ask for more. I have given up trying to second guess his mood of the day.

Liana lets us know it is lunchtime when she has a small amount of hay, and at the very dot of 6:00 pm will announce that she is ready for her supper, whilst Sheba will turn up some time during the evening for her dinner and Roly once again, may or may not eat in the evening.

We, of course, fit our meals in around the animals.

I hope I don’t sound as if I am moaning – I really wouldn’t have it any other way!

Posted in A view of life, Animals, Expats in andalucia | Tagged animals' time clock, Food o'clock | 13 Comments

Green shoots of recovery

Posted on 20/07/2014 by magwood

I’ve been into the fire-ravaged natural park a few times over the three weeks since we were evacuated from our village celebrations – see here for that story.

It still smells of bonfire but looks somehow hauntingly beautiful. Some of the pine trees are just skeletons with no sign of the needles and cones that adorned them a few weeks ago. Others have retained their foliage but its completely blackened, but the majority still have a full complement of needles and cones that have been burned a rusty orange colour, quite like the shade of autumn. I fear they won’t revive and it will be many years before there is a green backdrop again on the mountain above Cómpeta.

The fire raged over 200 acres of the Sierra Almijara and thanks to the skill and dedication of our fire fighters there was no loss of property, although there were some extremely near misses and many gardens were completely decimated. As a keen gardener I am very aware of how heart-breaking this must be – having years of work wiped out in seconds.

There is still the sound of birdsong in the park, but obviously at a much lesser level and of course there is no sign of butterflies that usually abound at this time of year. And normally there are many lizards scuttling across the tracks and the occasional snake, but right now there are none to be seen. Thousands of these creatures must have died.

I expected Liana to be quite upset the first time she witnessed the new conditions on one of her frequent rides, but although she appeared very interested in the blackened surroundings, she remained entirely calm and even the smell didn’t seem to faze her. Her only concern seemed to be that the grasses she normally lunges for whenever she thinks I’m not paying attention had completely disappeared.

Last week we took our normal ride over the mountain tracks, passed above the town football pitch and through the Cruz del Monte urbanisation, but this weekend Liana had an early (6:30 am) breakfast so that she had time to digest her food before we set off for an 8:30 am ride on an extended route. It is so hot here now that an early start is essential and I no longer invite Roly to accompany us on longer rides, much to his indignation.

So on Sunday we rode to Puerto Collado and up until that point everything to the left and the right had been destroyed. From Puerto Collado towards Casa de la Mina was more or less untouched. We took the zig-zag track up from the viewing point towards the fire hut high above Casa de la Mina, and the devastation continued until we reached higher ground and here I could see where the fire fighting aircraft had bombed the land with red coloured retardant that seemd to have stopped the fire in its tracks. I really do find this new landscape quite fascinating and seeing it from various heights gives a very different perspective.

What I found most wonderful was that Mother Nature already seems to be fighting back, only small signs amongst the charred mountainsides, but (to use a financial phrase for a more literal meaning) there were signs of ‘green shoots of recovery’. Grass was beginning to show through the charcoal of the scorched land, and a single leaf of a Washington type palm was poking through the ground, the top half damaged by fire, but the lower part obviously under the ground three weeks ago was showing its bright green colour like a beacon of hope.

The investigators have declared the fire to have been deliberate, ie arson. It defies belief that anyone would want to create so much senseless damage and danger.

As usual, I took lots of photos, all of them from the saddle (apart from the grass and the burned olive trunk, taken when I was walking Roly), so not much time or opportunity to frame the shots that well, but I am quite pleased with the selection I have included in the video below. I hope you will be patient if it takes a while to load – it isn’t very long, so you shouldn’t have to wait for ages, unless you have the internet speed of a slug, as we do here. I have used a new app for the video and I am quite pleased with it, other than a couple of the transitions are a bit corny, but it is a new toy, so I have a lot to discover. Let me know what you think…..

[Background music Gerry Rafferty – Get it Right Next Time]

Posted in A view of life, Expats in andalucia, Horse riding in the mountains of andalucia | Tagged arson, Casa de la Mina, Cómpeta fire, Cruz del Monte, Expats in Andalucia, Liana, puerto Collado, Roly, Sierra Almijara | 9 Comments

Me and my shadow

Posted on 14/07/2014 by magwood

I guess this post could be alternatively titled ‘spot Roly’. The only photos he is missing from are those taken on camino.

An early morning practice walk in Canillas de Albaida

An early start on the camino Portuguese

A walk in the park – post fire

The lovely Odete at the cafe in Sacavém, day 2, camino Portuguese – also showing Elly drinking her coffee

A very clear shadow with Roly posing for the camera

And I love this one, with Liana breaking into a trot and Roly taking off alongside

Taking a first look at the devastation after the fire

With my ‘camino family’ on the Frances route last year

Posted in A view of life, Animals, Expats in andalucia, Horse riding in the mountains of andalucia | Tagged Canillas de Albaida, Cómpeta fire, Liana, Roly, shadow play, Shadows | 18 Comments

2014 packing list for Camino Portuguese

Posted on 05/07/2014 by magwood

I updated my packing list and review following my 2016 Camino del Norte which can be seen here

…meanwhile here is the list and review from my 2014 Camino Portuguese

See my full packing list on excel spread sheet
packing list 2014

of the items listed I didn’t use the following:

liner socks – I wanted to take them ‘just in case’ but didn’t need them
sarong
shirt – proper ventilated long sleeve walking shirt, which I thought would be useful for hiking and for relaxing but was totally unnecessary
wind-up torch – a very cheap one that I wound like crazy for a nano-second of light – the light from my phone was sufficient for all purposes
inflatable pillow – quite an expensive item that I used once and found very uncomfortable – I wouldn’t take one again, but would use my clothes as a pillow. Maybe I’ll take a pillow case instead next time
knee braces – I needed them last year but fortunately not this year
eye liner and lipstick – these items also came on my Camino Frances last year and remained unused, but a girl has to be prepared!

My creams and potions were sample sizes scrounged from beauty counters and just about lasted the journey. I did not scrimp on hair products because these were the items I really missed last year

Many pilgrims would balk at the amount and weight of technology items that I carried, but with the exception of the mifi gadget which I could not get to work, I didn’t regret taking any of my toys.

Last year on my first camino I panicked about weight, worrying about every item in my pack. But this year I knew that I could carry the weight and was a little more laid back, although of course still cutting down to what I considered was a comfortable bare minimum.

Keep in mind that this list is for a spring camino, I would definitely have taken a second pair of walking pants, long sleeve T-shirt and long johns, all of which were on my original list and left behind at the last moment. I would also have packed a pair of warmer gloves for a colder season.

I omitted from the list the Brierly guide book. I had sliced all the pages from the binding and dumped the ‘waffle’ pages before leaving home. I didn’t really use the book at all whilst walking with Elly because she was doing all the planning, and I just chucked out the pages as we progressed from stage to stage. However once I set off on my own I did refer to the book occasionally, particularly the map pages, which I kept in a zip lock bag so I could see the print without removing it. I slightly regret dumping the pages now and if I had thought it through I should have at least kept the map pages for future reference. I am now an advocate of paper based guide information which is much easier to access whilst walking than electronic info which is not easy to see in bright sunlight.

Overall, I was very pleased with all the items I took on this journey, including the few that I added en route, my lovely penknife purchased in Lisbon and posted home from Santiago. And a T-shirt and pair of pants purchased at a Chinese shop when I thought I had left my sleep wear in the previous night’s albergue. And then of course when I returned to my room I found the missing items that had fallen out of my pack and were hidden under the bed. My first reaction was to dump the new items but I didn’t notice the extra weight and kept them with me.

I don’t remember wishing I had taken any additional item except one or two more pairs of pants (of the underwear variety) for the evenings. With three pairs there would be one to wear after a shower and then to sleep in, a clean pair to wear after the next day’s shower and one in reserve in case the washing didn’t get dry. One pair definitely isn’t enough!

Posted in Camino assessments and reflections, Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Portuguese | Tagged Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., camino packing list, camino Portuguese, packing list, Portugal, Portuguese route, travel | 31 Comments

A walk on the dark side

Posted on 04/07/2014 by magwood

Today Liana, Roly and I took ourselves for a trip into the Canillas de Albaida valley, down to the river where we can usually find a bit of grass for Liana, although it is rather sparse at the moment. It is a fairly short excursion that we all enjoy. Roly loves playing in the water (the muddier the better) and I love sitting in the peaceful surroundings whilst the animals make the most of the shade of the oleander trees.

The valley is full of these beautiful trees that are at their most colourful right now. They are completely poisonous and it is amazing that animals seem to know this instinctively. Liana is a very greedy horse, food is her number one priority and she will make a lunge for anything that looks even remotely edible, but she has never once turned her attention to the oleander.

David phoned me as I was returning from my ride and suggested we meet in Ramon’s bar for a drink, which rounded off the morning very nicely.

All this was in great contrast to walk Roly and I took yesterday, in the opposite direction, up into the natural park to take a look at the damage from the fire.

The first photo shows the fire raging up the ridge with our house in the foreground below. Luckily for us, the wind took the fire away from us towards Cómpeta. I discovered yesterday, as you can see from the second photo that absolutely everything on the other side of this ridge was ravaged by the fire whereas on our side the vegetation was totally untouched. A very narrow track divides these two areas, no more than 1.5 metres wide – incredible.

This ridge rises directly from the Cómpeta to Canillas section of the goat track at the bend where there is often a mule kept. It rises to what I call ‘beehive corner’ as there are many hives close to the point where the second photo was taken, although I saw no sign of them – I hope the bees made a timely evacuation.

Beehive ridge from another perspective. The other side of the ridge (where we live) was completely untouched.

Looking from here in the direction of the fire hut above Casa de la Mina everything is destroyed – a vast area of charcoal coloured devastation.

I even came across two places where the fire was still smouldering and sending up plumes of smoke, four days after the fire (Thursday).

The rays of the sun shafting through the still smouldering forrest

Below is a forward / backward duo at one of the gullies. My friend Paco explained that the gullies act like chimneys, drawing the fire upward.

This part of the new GR249 walk through Malaga province villages and countryside will be a reminder for walkers of the dangers of carelessness.

I started my descent through the olive groves at the back of Las Colmenillas, where many trees had been completely decimated, but some will probably live to produce olives in the future.

And finally a photo of a house in las Colmenillas with the fire coming to within a few feet of the property. We all have a great deal to thank our firefighters for.

Posted in A view of life, Animals, Expats in andalucia, Horse riding in the mountains of andalucia | Tagged bombeiros, Canillas de Albaida, Cómpeta, Cómpeta fire, spanish firefighters | 15 Comments

It started with a bang……..and ended in disaster

Posted on 30/06/2014 by magwood

A volley of rockets was launched at about 7 am to announce the forthcoming party. It was a beautiful clear morning, albeit rather windy, and I was in the stable preparing liana’s breakfast. As usual she took absolutely no notice of the loud explosions, being interested only in her food.

Yesterday (Sunday 29 June) the village of Canillas de Albaida celebrated San Juan, with a fiesta at our wonderful picnic and recreation area – La Fabrica de la Luz. As soon as Liana had finished eating I set about making her even more beautiful than normal and plaited her tail and mane ready for David to ride her in the romeria (procession). David likes this type of social riding, whereas I prefer to wander the mountains on our own, so I was very happy for him to be in the driving set for this occasion.

He left to join the assembling villagers whilst I washed off the stable dust and got changed before setting off about an hour later, expecting to be walking alone the few kilometres to La Fabrica. A couple of mountain streams converge here and there is always plenty of water for people to enjoy splashing about. There are various areas with picnic tables and barbecues for use only during the winter months. It is a much loved and well used facility.

Although an extremely hot day there was a strong gusty wind and
as it happened I came across the party after less than a kilometer as the procession of villagers on foot, horses and mule drawn carriages, a couple of vehicles with decorated trailers full of pretty girls all in their flamenco finery, had all come to a stop for the first refreshment break where beers and soft drinks and filled bocadillos were handed out to one and all.

I still haven’t got to grips with all the many fiestas that the local villages celebrate. On this occasion the statue of San Juan was taken from the church and carried on a beautifully decorated mule drawn cart. It was a charming and happy event with people of all ages making the journey to celebrate an outdoor mass at La Fabrica and then to party. There was music and singing along the way, with one guy who was playing a whistle with one hand and banging a drum with the other, and now and them one of the old guys would break out with a haunting flamenco song. The sense of community in these villages is wonderful and I feel really honoured that I am allowed to join the festivities.

On arrival, the horses were tied up in the shade, those that chose accompanied the icon to an area for the mass where the ladies’ choir, all dressed in their matching flamenco dresses, sang hymns. And then it was time to party. A bar had been set up, mountains of food had been prepared, a canopy of striped tarpaulin had been harnessed between the trees to provide shade, and the giant audio speakers were assembled.

A (fairly) orderly queue had formed to wait in line for the food (3.50 euros could purchase a huge bowl of braised pork and a beer or soft drink). We were sitting near to the food so were able to be at the front of the queue and managed to start eating before the alcalde (mayor) of the village stood on a level above the crowd and tried to get everyone’s attention. He was eventually able to announce that a serious fire had broken out near to the village and that everyone must leave the area straight away as there was a danger of being trapped by the fast spreading fire that was being driven in all directions by the strong hot winds.

The last photo shows the first sight of smoke rising above the mountain.

Our village is on the very border of the Parque Natural, a vast protected area of pine forest and scrub land. We were told by a Guardia Civil officer that the fire had started on the goat track, only a couple of hundred meters from our house. We had the horse and the dog with us and were sure that the cat would look after herself, but I was very concerned for my neighbour who has a riding stable with probably 15 or more horses, so whilst David rode back to the village I got a lift up to my neighbour’s house to see if she needed any help.

The smoke and flames were alarmingly close and there were many helicopters and planes dumping water on the various areas of fire which was spreading in the gusty wind. Fortunately for us (although of course very unfortunately for others) the wind took the flames away from our property and towards Cómpeta.

The helicopters were sounding sirens and buzzing to and fro to Lake Vinuela to fill their giant buckets with water and empty it on the flames. There were also water collecting planes and reconnaissance craft and personnel carrying helicopters dropping firefighters at the scene. Reports say that there were seventeen aircraft in total working from about 2pm on Sunday and still operating this afternoon (Monday) at 5pm dropping water up behind our property.

Several of my friends were among the 500 evacuated during the afternoon from housing developments high above Cómpeta and I have heard that three properties were completely gutted in the area of Cruz del Monte. As far as I am aware there was no human casualty although I don’t know if any domestic animals were caught in the blaze, but I have seen a photograph of a dead ibex. The fire was very close to the town of Cómpeta and apparently there were warnings to be aware of many snakes in the area that have been coming out of their normal habitat to seek shelter from the heat. Ash was said to be falling as far away as Nerja on the coast.

A control centre was set up from where the fire fighting operation was directed and monitored. The disaster was reported nationwide on many TV channels and in the press, and even in the Telegraph newspaper in the UK. It was reported that the fire had been brought under control at 9 pm

After dark the mountainside was lit up like a Christmas tree with pockets of fire. An amazing sight that I have only seen by photograph.

The two sets of photos above have been taken by Facebook friends

I walked the dog at 7:30 this morning and took the goat track towards Cómpeta to take a look at the damage done there. I saw these firefighters descending from the mountain after a long hard night protecting us, and another group taking a break high above me. And the helicopters had started dumping water again.

It makes sense to me that the fire did start in this area, it was directly bordering the much used path that connects the two villages. It would not have travelled in this direction from elsewhere because the wind was gusting the opposite way. I have heard a rumour that someone was clearing some land with a strimmer and when refilling, the petrol ignited. It is a feasible explanation but I am sure there will be many such rumours over the coming days and weeks.

From the goat track this morning. Many olive trees look as though they might survive, but the olives don’t look too healthy!

We drove to the Fabrica this afternoon, rather belatedly, to see if any clearing up was needed. The place was spotless, with no sign of the abruptly abandoned party. Helicopters were still dumping water at 5pm and we could see the devastation high up in the natural park. It is reported that around 100 hectares (250 acres) of land on the edge of the Sierra Almijara have been affected.

All is quiet now at 7 pm and I haven’t heard any aircraft engines for a while. Hopefully all is well and truly under control and our supremely brave firefighters can have some well earned rest.