Tuesday, January 10, 2017 | Spain – Andalusia, Ronda | Petra
GREAT START
MAGIC OF ANDALUSIA
After having some days off and enjoying peaceful days at Ronda, a nice little town in the province of Málaga, our spirit of discovery is back again. We’re starting our new year with a lot of activities and wonderful experiences. We’re happy about the friendly and helpful people around us. Yes, we have to admit that we fell in love with charming Andalucía.
IDYLL IN BLUE AND WHITE
With our motor bike we jet off to Júzcar, the spanish Smurfs’ Village with it’s houses all painted blue.
It was in 2011 when Sony let paint the village completely smurf blue for promoting the movie “The Smurfs 3D“. Twelve painters and 4000 liters of smurf blue color were necessary for it, they say. They promised to turn the village back into white color again after the campaign will be finished. But the village residents were so impressed by the maases of tourists who all of a sudden visited Júzcar, that the majority voted for continuing with the blue color. Isn’t that funny?
After the blue impressions we also want to see the so called White Villages along the Ruta de los Pueblos blancos (Route of the White Villages). 30 mountain villages with their typical white painted houses are part of the route. We visit Setenil de las Bodegas and Olvera, two impressing traditional villages, that are worth to take a look at.
EXCITING MOUNTAINS
From Linda and Phil, our english camp neighbors, we get the ultimate hiking tip: Caminito del Rey – The Little Way of The King
For a long time the path along the Río Guadalhorce was known as the most dangerous path of Europe or even of the world. It was built more than 100 years ago to transport construction material for building river dams. Later on it was used as way to school, work or shopping by the residents of the surrounding villages. During the years it fell into ruin and a walk on it became more and more dangerous. At least the path was closed for many years.
Since 2015 this spectacular path is fully renovated and easy and save to walk, provided that someone isn’t scared of heights. The Caminito leads along walls of bold rocks, 100 meters above the ground, through steep canyons and over a swing bridge.
To our great joy our friends Susanne and Stefan with their red fire truck jet over from Málaga. Of course Stefan doesn’t want to miss the Caminito del Rey. Antequera is our meeting point for spending the next days together.
We’re lucky that Susanne recommends a side trip to El Torcal, the wide natural reserve near Antequera. There we marvel at a fascinating landscape of a karst mountain range with beautiful formations of rocks and stones.
Natural art made of limestone.
COZY CAMPFIRE
Leaving Antequera the red fire truck and our truck saunter through the landscape on winding mountain roads and hidden paths through little villages.
Our camps we pitch one day in the forest, another day in a village or at a lake.
At the reservoir Embalse del Guadalhorce we like it very much and decide to stay there for some days. Nobody is there apart from some climbers, a herd of sheep with their shepherd and the four of us. The lake in front of us, mountains behind and heaven above – there is no room for improvement.
The boys collect fire wood for our camp fires with enthusiasm and an impressing axe or take their chances with fishing. The girls on the other hand care for well-being, manage the household thing or sweet idleness. We chat about everything and alternately watch the climbers, the lake or the fire.
It’s a perfect chill out.
INTO THE WILD
After having some days off and enjoying peaceful days at Ronda, a nice little town in the province of Málaga, our spirit of discovery is back again. We’re starting our new year with a lot of activities and wonderful experiences. We’re happy about the friendly and helpful people around us. Yes, we have to admit that we fell in love with charming Andalucía.
OFFROAD CAMERA
The next morning improves the off-road capability of our solid Canon G9 camera:
Of course I have to log our camper’s fortune by camera. While having a cup of coffee I take some pictures and put the camera aside after a while. While driving to Ronda since an hour or so, all of a sudden I wonder where did I put the camera. It’s not in my bag. I suspect and ask Win to stop at the very first opportunity.
Did I leave the camera on our bike carrier?! At this stage we already did some 14 kilometers on rough gravel path and winding country roads. Win stops the truck, I get out, watch the rear and there it is. The camera lies exactly where I put it just an hour ago. I can’t believe it.
Lucky I am!
Now we know that our camera is even capable for off-road.
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