ANOTHER WALK TO THE BOTIJA MOLINOS

Our favourite Sunday walk ending up in the charming bar at Salvatierra de Santiago.

This was a beautiful sunny day only last Sunday, since then it's been rather wet, unusual in May but we will do the walk again this Sunday, the waterfall from the weir must be spectacular after all the recent rain. Absolutely love this walk, the bird life is wonderful, full of bee eaters nesting in the muddy banks, many storks and herons. Always a flock of goats, cows, sheep and Iberic pigs on the way to the perfect pastoral peace of the mill buildings surrounded by vast areas of dehesa. 

About a 2 hour walk. 

   

 

WINTER SOLSTICE VISIT TO GEOPARQUE DE VILLUERCAS IBORES JARA - CAÑAMERO

We set off on a misty morning in Montanchez. The mist was still swirling around when we reached Cañamero over one hour later. In fact this added to the mysterious atmosphere of the canyon on the Ruecas river near Cañamero. We started off from the interpretation centre De la Zepa y Valle del Guadarranque, completely deserted and obviously not used for some time, a pity. It's in a fabulous position above the canyon and is a very pleasing modern design built with natural stone,slate and sliding iron doors.

 Spot the Weimaraners....Lottie is not so easy to disguise.
The path down to the gorge is through thick pine woods, later on I collected a big basket of pine cones for pretty and effective fire lighters.

The mist starts to lift and sun shines through.  We made a detour to visit the Cueva Chiquita which has several pre- historic paintings still in good condition

 Down to the Ruecas river again, there is a bridge to the other side where the walk to Guadalupe starts, Ruta de Catarina Catolica. The walk continues until the wall of the dam and back to the interpretation centre.  Very easy walk, a bit too close to the village and a little municipal with all the railings and benches etc. but still impressive nature. Must do the Guadalupe walk one day with more time, it's 13 kms.
Our next stop was in Berzocana, a village below a mighty ridge of the Villuercas, we knew a good spot for Medronho berries and I wanted some for Christmas decorations, so seasonal with the vivid red berries, the wild strawberry tree. Patridge and Quail eat the berries as they drop on the ground, they are already starting to ferment so local hunters have easy pickings with totally sloshed birds tottering around.  The fruit is made into the most divine aquadente .

There is a small botanical garden nearby, sadly neglected, yet another project funded by the EU which has not developed. Lovely iron sculpture at the entrance, now wonderfully rusty.

Time to go home, sun setting rapidly, Winter Solstice! The valley was filling up with mist again, amazing effect, looks like an arctic snowscape. A good thought that the days will get a little longer everyday from now on.

RAIN + SUN = GREEN!

The sierra behind the cortijo

The autumn rains are very early this year, we have had rain on and off for the last 2 weeks, plenty of sun in between, ideal conditions for the miraculous growth spurt for all green things which have  been  lying dormant waiting for the first rain since last May.

Exquisite fronds

Moss!

The springs have started to flow again

Leucojum autumnale

The moss is the first to revive in all its emerald glory, then come the small seedlings pushing up shoots over night, the most delicate little white bell flowers and the acorns start to turn from acid green to golden brown. 

The horses look forward to acorns from holm and cork oaks

Perfect example of a choza at Casa Alfarera, its a primitive shelter

Willy enjoying the last hay

 The horses and Willy the donkey are getting the last hay, they will survive on fresh grass and acorns from now on.  This may not seem so magical to Northern Europeans but for us it’s been a long hot golden summer so  all this sudden verdure is pure delight.

Lovely Lottie, only 6 months and still growing and growing.....

Cortijo draped in honeysuckle and an instant green slope

More pet boulders around the cortijo

CORK HARVEST AT FINCA Al-MANZIL - EXTREMADURA

Cork trees (Spanish alcornoques,another arabic word) can only be cut every 9 years so this is our 2nd harvest at the finca. We don't have that many and they are widely dispersed over 20 hectares so there's not as much impact as a cork harvest in the nearby dehesa which is a magnificent sight, thousands of freshly cut boughs dancing in terracotta glory.

Still our trees are a delight to see among the green foilage and craggy rocks of the mountain side.

Just a glimpse of a freshly cut cork tree above the swimming pool

Very hard work in the heat of July, the cork cutters are very skilled in removing the bark, if cut too soon the whole tree can die.  As most of the cork trees grow up on the mountain side and higher peaks we use a neighbours' lovley white donkey for bringing the cork down to the trucks for transportation to a local cork treatment centre where it is steamed and flattened ready for using , mainly for bottle corks.

PROSERPINA - A ROMAN WATER RESERVOIR NEAR MERIDA

modernistic chapel in the pine woods

The embalse or reservoir is about 5 km from Mérida. Originally it was built at the site of a natural lake, the Romans captured the water from two streams and built a long stone dam to create the reservoir which we see today. A dedication stone with an exhortation to the godess Proseprina was found at the lake in the 18th century confirming the original Roman name for the reservoir.
It is a short detour on the way into Merida from Finca al-manzil, well sign posted.

The dam wall is made of clay and concrete and covered with granite ashlars forming a slope. It must have been a considerable engineering feat to channel the captured fresh water into the town through large hydraulic pipes and finally the Los Milagros aqueduct which is still largely intact.

The peaceful environment of the embalse  is a natural attraction for many species of birds,  especially the aquatic varieties which thrive on the varied fish and crayfish clearly visable in the shallow water of the shore.

 

An important and interesting Roman site; Proserpina was the essential fresh water source for Emerita Augusta which became one of the most imposing Roman cities in Iberia.

The reservoir is set in the middle of an Extremadura landscape of cork oak and holm oak woods, pasture for sheep and pigs, vast views. It's a man made environment, not a natural lake, but it still makes an impressive vista, an unexpected expanse of water in the typical landscape.

 Within the last 20 years it has been developed as a natural leisure area with water sports, fishing and a cycling/ walking path around the entire reservoir. The water is very clean, swimming is delightful.

 It's a good place to take children, they can  run around and explore the natural environment as well as the other attractions,  there are pedal boats for hire which may be a fun and safe diversion.

Several pleasant waterside cafès provide light meals, drinks and snacks all year around, open for lunch and dinner until 20.30 or 21.00 at weekends.

 

 

A WALK IN THE BLUEBELL WOODS OF THE SIERRA DE MONTANCHEZ