Month: <span>January 2018</span>
Month: January 2018

Month: January 2018

Another ghost town. Off season seaside at Matalascañas, where it was hot and sunny but scarcely a soul on the beach besides ourselves.

Another ghost town. Off season seaside at Matalascañas, where it was hot and sunny but scarcely a soul on the beach besides ourselves.

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Had a good time in the forest today despite worries regarding over enthusiastic gun toting Spaniards. There were none around today but plenty of spent cartridges littering the forest floor as testament to their proclivities. Enjoyed looking at wildlife tracks and traces until realising we were carrying no wild boar protection. Loving these seed heads.

Had a good time in the forest today despite worries regarding over enthusiastic gun toting Spaniards. There were none around today but plenty of spent cartridges littering the forest floor as testament to their proclivities. Enjoyed looking at wildlife tracks and traces until realising we were carrying no wild boar protection. Loving these seed heads.

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These flowers will be everywhere soon. We have been seeing them since Vagueira, in isolated blooms but here the plants blanket the ground. The plants in sunny patches are breaking into bloom, no doubt the shaded plants will follow soon. Some kind of Oxalis, I think.

These flowers will be everywhere soon. We have been seeing them since Vagueira, in isolated blooms but here the plants blanket the ground. The plants in sunny patches are breaking into bloom, no doubt the shaded plants will follow soon. Some kind of Oxalis, I think.

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Went shopping near Seville today. As we were exiting the Carrefour carpark we saw a goatherder and sizeable flock. He had brought the goats out for a walk and to have a quick graze on this patch of waste ground. They did one circuit and then left. Where they came from or went to, I do not know. This was in the middle of town and right by the motorway. Anyway, a touch of local colour!

Went shopping near Seville today. As we were exiting the Carrefour carpark we saw a goatherder and sizeable flock. He had brought the goats out for a walk and to have a quick graze on this patch of waste ground. They did one circuit and then left. Where they came from or went to, I do not know. This was in the middle of town and right by the motorway. Anyway, a touch of local colour!

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Spit spot

After a night of heavy rain we woke to bright sunshine and a light but sharp breeze. I groaned inwardly at returning to the morning spit wash and sighed with relief to know that we were aiming at a shower this evening.
Gibraleón was quiet. We were soon on our way and zipping along the all but empty holiday roads.

Our destination was not far, this side of Seville. I had been promised an upmarket camp site in a forest and with an on-site restaurant. Sounded fab.
Light cloud, blue sky and sun made our drive very pleasant. The omni-present graffiti of Spain made things less so.

We crossed the Rio Tinto, though I saw no colour just the glare of the sun. On the drivers side it was noticeably red, apparently. My disappointment was made up for however when I spotted an ass and cart crossing the flyover ahead of us shortly thereafter.

The scenery was largely unexciting, though very much green. Some orange and olive groves, an enormous cactus patch, pine trees, graffiti…
I am definitely becoming blasé about orange trees. The streets in Gibraleón were lined with them but I didn’t try to pick any and wasn’t even moved to take a photo. I do keep thinking about how close I am to Seville, it being Seville orange season and me loving marmalade so much. It has been months since I tasted marmalade!

Joining the N road for Hinojos we passed brought the Dead centre of Almonte… Cemetery to the right of us, Crematorium to the left… Ho, ho, ho.
We were soon deep in the olive groves, with olives as far as the eye could see and interspersed with the odd palm tree.. then bang! straight into a pine forest and a sign that translated to “Slow, Bobcats crossing”. How exciting.

And then we were there.”There” being the Doñarrayan Park campsite in the Doñana National Park. A delightful spot. We have booked to stay for a month. The showers are fabulous… and there is a cycle path that begins outside the camp that will make Nell’s daily walk a doddle.

I got to thinking about the “bobcats” and checked y translation, Google still insisted that Linces = Bobcats. I think it really means Iberian Lynx. I do hope that we manage to bump into one.

Other good stuff: there is a Heritage Railway not far from here and it runs in the winter months. Also there is a couple here that we met back in Zarautz. Small traveller’s world, isn’t it?

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