It’s back! Winter sunshine has returned to Granada and the Alpujarras and we’ve been drenched in the stuff for a whole week. With a soft southerly breeze on Sunday, it was enough to lure us and three couch-potato mutts out of post-Christmas hiding in search of a good walk.
There are seven mapped walks that start from Los Piedaos, lasting from 15 minutes to 5 hours. I was all for the quarter-hour dash to the bar at New Camping, but Fred was feeling manly, so we decided on Walk 6: From Los Piedaos to The Deserted Hamlet (3-4 hours there and back, easy walking).
Taking a left turn at the end of our track, we pass the old Fabricolat cheese dairy and its neighbour, the organic olive mill of Flor de la Alpujarra, busy now as the olive harvest is in full swing. The track descends to a small grove of eucalyptus trees framing a still pond, and opens into the valley. Far below us we can hear the rush and just see the glitter of the stream feeding into the Guadalfeo River. Dazzling morning sunshine lies along the deep ridges, striping their dark green sides with gold. The eucalyptus trees shimmer in the breeze.
A little further on, the pinewoods smell as deep green as they look, and their scent mingles with the rosemary and wild thyme that line our path. Apart from the bees putting in some weekend overtime in the prickly broom, it’s very quiet, even the usual soundtrack of distant cars has been switched off here.
After about an hour and a half at a moderate pace, you’re at the Deserted Hamlet. Which sounds like a Harry Potter movie title, but in the bright sunlight is just a tiny collection of tumbling ruins in a clearing. A handy threshing circle makes a perfect picnic stop before retracing our steps, preceded by three happy tails.
"We've got to do this every Sunday," I say to Fred, and he agrees. At least until the next essay deadline, laundry pile-up, heavy Saturday night, etc...
Hola Raúl, it's such a nice surprise to hear from you and to know that you still follow this blog - I am honoured! I hope we can all have a drink together one day when you visit the Alpujarras! All the best to you and your girlfriend - that day in Málaga seems a long time ago...
Posted by: Arpi Shively | January 17, 2011 at 11:38 AM
Dear Arpy, one more time I write you in order to greet you and remind you that I follow your adventures with illusion. I've got a good friend who has all his family living in Lanjarón, so Anytime I'll go to visit you. I'm Raúl, I met you in Pimpi's Bar in Málaga (about 3 summers ago with my vegetarians girlfriend)
Greetings from Alcalá La Real (Jaén) (near to Granada) and see you soon.
Greeting to Fred too!!!
Posted by: Ruyelcid.blogspot.com | January 13, 2011 at 08:47 AM
Hi Laura,
Thanks for your comment. It's true that when this region is bathed in sunshine, we never want to be anywhere else. Thanks for checking on updates, too. One of my 2011 solemn rezzies is to post more often!
Kind regards, Arpy
Posted by: Arpi Shively | January 12, 2011 at 05:33 PM
Sounds like a lovely winter walk. I enjoy your posts (and check far more frequently than you write!) I have stayed in Ferreirola for a week-at-a-time twice now and have fallen in love with the Alpujarras. Thanks for taking me back to some happy hiking memories for a few minutes.
Posted by: Laura Collins | January 12, 2011 at 01:21 AM