Deux Escargots

We took Dusty for a walk after lunch, packing him in his backpack carrier until we were off the campsite. He had his jacket on and we attached him to a leash initially. We let him lead us and he took off from the reservoir road and into some waste land. It looked like a safe place to try him off the leash.

Mr Snail got some mountaineering in whilst attempting to retrieve the cat 😃

So, back on the leash once more, and we turned around and crossed the railway line, following the access road for the railway tunnels. This road was almost devoid of both traffic and people, just one car passed us – though in both directions.

Dusty walked really well and we must have done around 4 Km in total. Perhaps he will sleep well tonight.

I do have photos but am disinclined to dig out the laptop at this point. Perhaps when we come to a halt for more than two nights together…

Having taken the big camera out with me it was disappointing, though predictable, that no eagles were about this afternoon.

I think that we should try to get Dusty out for a walk more often, though it is difficult to find places where there are no people or traffic to spook him.

Up and at ’em this morning. We planned to walk out to town via the blue route and return by the yellow. Blue route turned out to be a terrifying descent into the bottom of the valley, with no doubt a terrifying climb up into town thereafter. It was absolutely fabulous out there in the wild in perfect quiet, save the distant call of a lone eagle. Given my recent fall, ankle strapping and consequent limited mobility, I was (to put it plainly) scared shitless, and so we returned to base and walked out via yellow route instead. I was really disappointed that we could not continue as it had been beautiful indeed.

Yellow route began nicely, with a crossing of the railway followed by a steady incline via a forest track.

The route left the track, went back downhill and cut through olive groves and vineyards. It was very pleasant in the early sun, with frost still on the ground – and the views were lovely.

My camera gave up on me in the first olive grove. Was I mad? You bet, because… /the views were lovely/. I could have taken some great panoramas.

Our path turned upward again and crossed some heavy clay and cut across frightening precipices. I was quite literally hanging on to juniper and rosemary bushes in order to prevent a fall. The views were amazing and … my camera wasn’t working!

It was at about this point when we had a close encounter with the eagles. I was trying to clean my sasquatch feet off when I heard Mr Snail exclaiming. I looked up and we had eight eagles close and overhead. AND MY BLOODY CAMERA WASN’T WORKING!!!!!

Argh!

The path improved as we moved on and approached town. We reached an unsurfaced road and I was not at all surprised to find that it was the track that we had set off on at the start of the yellow route. We could easily have missed out the difficult and scary parts. If we had, we might not have seen the eagles and failed to realise one of my lifelong ambitions so, you know, not all bad.

Anyway, we decided to return down the track and not to bother going into town. We were becoming hungry and the restaurant on site here has a good reputation…

We arrived back a little after midday and found that the "restaurant closed today sign" that had been there yesterday was still on display. I enquired at reception. Yes, the restaurant is open… tonight. They don’t open until 8pm. I was starving after my exercise.

I made risotto in the van.

We are taking Dusty out for a walk now. I will try to rescue some photos from this morning on our return (seeing as we won’t be going out for dinner).

Brrrrr!

Still, not as bad as it might have been and warmer than forecast, with 1°C at 08:00 rather than the predicted -3°. A bit of a blessing.

We kept the heating on, set at 10°C and it was a comfortable night, the heating quiet enough in this van not to wake us. Dusty was good too and didn’t start his usual nonsense until 6 am. Also luckily, the trains stop overnight.

We may be apparently in the middle of nowhere and it is generally very peaceful but the mainline Madrid/Valencia trains emerge from a tunnel just outside the campsite, and quickly vanish into another. They are fast, quiet electric trains and cause little disturbance during the day – we hear a quick rumble, nothing more – but I am happy that they don’t whoosh past after bedtime. The first train this morning passed at around 7 am.

So, bright and frosty just now. I was dreading my visit to the shower block but it turned out to be closed for cleaning. I had a spit wash in the van, where the side effect of heating in the night had provided hot water. I will shower when the day warms up a little, and after our walk.

Today’s walk looks as though it may be taxing. I have my ankle strapped and think that I had better take my poles with me. I wanted to take my bigger camera and capture some scenery but will need a rucksack for poles and water etc. and that makes slinging a heavy camera quite difficult, so it will be the Olympus in my bum bag again.

We had Dusty tied out on Nell’s lead last evening and left it tied to a tree when we brought him in. This morning the lead had been removed from its handle and was gone. WTF?

I heard a magpie behind the van and wondered if it had stolen the lead for its shiny clip but it didn’t seem feasible that it would have flown away with it and several metres of trailing line.

Mr Snail has now found the remainder of the lead on the adjacent empty pitch. It has been chewed into several pieces. Rats? Why?

A mystery.

Dusty will have to go out on his own, shorter, lead until Nell’s has been replaced (probably when we reach Seville) and we will have to use the now-spare cat lead for Nell.

Anyway, time to go walkies!