Exploring

The beautifully deccorated turn-off to another small town
"witch" we did not explore.  Everything was witch related...it
would have been interesting to find out why...

Sadly our vacation's ended and even Bela's got post-vacational blues!  We had a fabulous and very relaxing week.  We got up early every morning let Bela do her business, had breakfast and then set out to explore; then it was tapas time, home for lunch and a little siesta, a dip in the pool around five, relax until later in the evening to take Bela out quickly, then dinner, a movie and bed. :)  The perfect vacation routine, right?

Bela checks our the community laundry facilities.
Pretty sure no one actually washes here any more,
but this was definitely the center of the rumor mill
back about 70 years ago. ;)

The first few days we decided to explore other small towns in the area: Pampaneira, Bubión, Capileira and Trevélez.  They're all beautiful.  I especially wish we'd had more time to explore around Trevélez.  It's one of the highest towns in the Alpujarra and just on the edge of the declared Natural Park.  Unfortunately, the windy roads meant it was a little over an hour from Lanjarón and so we didn't have time for much hiking once we arrived and had a look around town.  Some day we'll go back for sure though because the town is also famous for its jamón serrano which because it isn't cooked, but rather salt cured, I cannot eat in my current state.  There were all kinds of places offering free samples... Angelines has promised that when I can eat whatever I want again, we'll go back.  I will stuff myself on free samples like a true American! ;)

Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira are three lovely little towns tucked into the mountainside and just over a kilometer away from eachother.  There is a popular trail that leads from one to the next so you can easily walk between the three towns.  Perhaps "easily" isn't the best word for it since there is a very steep climb between Pampaneira and Bubión.  It's about 250m of elevation in that one km--basically all straight uphill.  It was slow going for us, but thankfully we got an early start and the trail was shaded throughout the morning.  The bit from Bubión to Capileira was more level, but less shaded and we actually ended up losing the trail at one point!

This was before getting lost...a tired me after a rest stop between
Pampaneira and Bubión.

Angelines was about to have a heartattack thinking about being lost in the Alpujarra with her eight-month pregnant wife...but I am a fearless Somes Bar-barian to the core (aside from also being quarter Okie as my Whoa Whoa loved to point out) and I really wasn't phased; even though at one point we were basically scrambling straight up the mountain on all fours!  The frustrating thing was we could see the town the whole time (most of why I wasn't really scared), but we just didn't have any clear way to get up to it!  And the annoying thing is that in losing the trail we also lost elevation and so had to climb much more to get up to the town than if we had been on the real trail.

Like I say, Angelines was pretty freaked out and every five seconds or so would ask if I was okay... but once we made it into Capileira and we had our cold beers (well, I had aquarius) and tapas, the frantic scrambling on the trail was all but forgotten.  On the walk back we were able to follow the trail and as it turns out we had been very, very close to NOT getting lost but the trail passed through a marshy area with zig-zaging sheep trails cutting all helter skelter and there was no clear sign marking the way.  All's well that ends well, though and now we have a great story to tell about Emily's first adventures in the Alpujarra.  She had better be an outdoors girl! ;)

Bela and I in the lower end of the parque Salao in Lanjarón

Sunday we drove into Granada capital and visited my host family.  Although the original plan was to visit in the morning and be "home" in Lanjarón for lunch, Isa convinced us to stay for lunch.  So the nine of us (they already have two Americans living with them for the semester) squeezed around their tiny dinning room table to enjoy Isa's "arroz amarillo", she never calls it paella for whatever reason.  It was a great visit, and they were very happy to get to see me with my big belly!

The rest of our vacation we spent just hiking around Lanjarón.  I was plesantly surprised to find that there were so many hiking opportunities right out the front door.  There is a beautiful park in town with a stream running through it--the highlight as far as Bela was concerned.  From the park we found a trail leading to the old moorish castle of Lanjarón.  We also completed about 6km or so of the trail that completely encircles the town on another day's adventure.  Needless to say we got our exercise in!

But now we're home and getting back into the routine.  A week was the perfect ammount of time to be gone.  We are well rested and slowly getting back into our "real" life activites.

Picture from the Castle in Lanjarón.