Trek – Days 3 – 4 – Mirczak's Magical Year

These two days hold little treasures along side natures grand statements. A bit like life; precious moments woven into a larger tapestry of your day. The grandeur of events like weddings or funerals where the sweetest memory is holding your sisters hand or listening to a story about your grandfather. Mike and I hold the joy of walking towards a new year and a rest day, both feeling very welcomed!

I’ll start with the little treasures…. The stone house conveniently located on the side of the trail. It is carved out of a single sandstone boulder. Unknown origins but thought to be a place of worship for those seeking a safe place. Later it would be used for making wine.

The little shrine in the cliff as you walk down the trail… if you aren’t paying attention you might miss it. A feather on the ground that caught my eye…

Or the wonderful moment when we had to step aside to let the parade of goats, moving to a new grazing pasture, pass us on the road.

This was a solid 5 minutes of goats passing!

Then came Nature’s grand statement… Canyon de las Buitreras! (Canyon of the Vultures) We crossed the deep and narrow gorge by way of the Puente de los Alemanes. This lovely little bridge was used as part of a water conduit that channeled water to the hydro-electric power down river. Once you cross the bridge you find yourself in a rock tunnel which quickly dumps you at the base of lengthly climb.

The gradiose display of nature occurs after climbing to the high point. The valley unfolds below with the Rio Guadiaro snaking through it. Sandstove cliffs form the canyon walls and majestic backdrop. The water was swift and loud, carving swirls and grooves into the valley walls.

Despite a LONG day, some 15 miles, we poked around this portion of the river taking in the power of water. Had it been a bit warmer… and the water a bit lower, we would have dipped in the natural pools. But alas it was in the 50’s and the water was dangerously high. Leaves a treat for next time!

Our lodging on this evening, in the little pueblo of El Colmenar ranks amongst my favorite nights in Spain. We were treated to this lovely stone and cob home, built by the women we rented it from. It is the quintessential rural cottage experience that one finds in southern Spain. We could have spent a week!

The last day of this segment of the trek was another long ramble through cow pastures, grazing lands, funny gates and forests that looked sculpted. We ended up in Jimena de la Frontera, known for being perched on the side of the mountain below a castle turret. This marks the halfway point of our trek.