12 October 2019: Alhama de Granada to Archidona (36 miles-356 total)

Our hotel offered a simple breakfast, coffee, OK, toast, and some fruit. Their usual breakfast buffet did not open until 10 am. John got up early and went for a walk, accompanied by one of the numerous cats.

I left a few minutes before the others to get a head start on the uphill climb out of the canyon, then over another ridge. I stopped frequently for pictures as our route passed through an area teeming with vegetable fields. I rate this as my favorite route, as I stopped often, temperatures remained moderate until the last few miles.

After showers and a break, we walked up the steep road about a half-mile to visit the fortress. Late season hours were in force, closing at 4 pm, so we just walked about and took photos, like a number of other people.

If there was some sort of national holiday celebration, we missed it due to our early hours. We walked down to the town about 7:15, ordered a light dinner at 7:45, and walked back by 8:30. Spanish hours and bike touring hours have minimal overlap.

I'll let the photos tell the story.


Our lodging near Alhama.


Fig Tree. Tasty.

Rocks balanced on every fence post. The field was posted, No Hunting, so my guess was if anyone crossed a fence, the rock would fall and the owner would know they had trespassers.



Harvesting

Harvested Pole Beans

Remains of a tomato harvest. I gleaned two of the best. Very good.

Unharvested tomatoes. Much more labor intensive that in the US.

Cauliflower that either matured late or was missed during the harvest.



Gleaning Crew




Limestone-covered hillsides

Another lost slipper. Upon spotting the second one in the pair, I stopped for a photo. Why are they roadside, and why are most of them women's shoes?

Hillside scramblers. 

Portions of a large cycling team, out for their Saturday ride.

Tilling. Rather than a conventional moldboard plow, this plow comprised large diameter discs. I could hear the discs striking the rocks.

Yearning for immortality, or at least remembrance.

Olives. They will be harvested in December. No idea how they harvest on some of the steep hillsides.

Dog of the Day

Colorful Rag Collection

Archidona in the distance


Our lodging




Archidona from the hilltop fortress.

Robin exercising on the walk up to the fortress.




Archidona

The smaller walled fortification at the top is Roman. The much larger walled fortress below is Moorish.



Imagine tilling these fields and picking the olives


Michael descending via this path.

Yes, even in Spain, on the wall of a Archidona business.



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