Spring into summer in Spain

[jumartoo]

My last thread was Autumn and it's still been running. However, I've recently noticed that spring has sprung. It's been a long, wet, winter this year but that has now given us some beautiful wildflower colours.

So this thread starts today. Once I've cleaned the van of debris from yesterday's rooflight replacement and we've reloaded the essentials (bikes, food, clothes) we're heading out for a short, local(ish) trip. We can't wander too far because I have to be back here when my new passport arrives so I can sign for it. I've only just sent it off, so, with Easter looming, we may get three or four weeks of freedom. Enough time to have a nice trip.

 

[scousebird]

Great

 

[MichaelT]

My last thread was Autumn and it's still been running. However, I've recently noticed that spring has sprung. It's been a long, wet, winter this year but that has now given us some beautiful wildflower colours.

So this thread starts today. Once I've cleaned the van of debris from yesterday's rooflight replacement and we've reloaded the essentials (bikes, food, clothes) we're heading out for a short, local(ish) trip. We can't wander too far because I have to be back here when my new passport arrives so I can sign for it. I've only just sent it off, so, with Easter looming, we may get three or four weeks of freedom. Enough time to have a nice trip.

Is that a Spanish passport?

We renewed our UK ones last week, applied Monday online, sent old ones Tuesday and received the new ones on Saturday, still not got old ones back though.

 

[Lenny HB]

Have a good trip But pleas stop trying to confuse us oldies. Summer really!

 

[jumartoo]

Is that a Spanish passport?

We renewed our UK ones last week, applied Monday online, sent old ones Tuesday and received the new ones on Saturday, still not got old ones back though.

Nope, British passport but renewed from here online. I've had to send the old one back before the new one is sent. The postal service will be the part that takes the time.

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[jumar]

Have a good trip But pleas stop trying to confuse us oldies. Summer really!

Really confused Lenny.... Spring, Summer..two different seasons..

 

[Carpmart]

I’ve missed your last thread… I must have ignored it by accident or something as I can’t recall seeing it!

Anyway, looking forward to this one!

 

[manners]

I might start a Spring into Autumn thread for the UK, as we don't get much difference in-between

 

[gus-lopez]

I have to be back here when my new passport arrives

I sent mine from here on a Tuesday the old one returend on Friday & the new one the following Monday.

The postal service will be the part that takes the time.

They used to use DHL for return of old & new. bloke delivers nothing else..

 

[jumartoo]

I sent mine from here on a Tuesday the old one returend on Friday & the new one the following Monday.

They used to use DHL for return of old & new. bloke delivers nothing else..

Wow. We might not get very far then. Velez Rubio for our first stop.

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[cyberyacht]

Stopped there to visit old friends en route to Santa Pola from Granada. The aire gets a bit dusty if it's windy. Love the mural on the side of the theatre.

 

[jumartoo]

It's a lovely evening here. There's a group of about 12 local women playing petanca and the running group is doing circuits. There are more motorhomes here than we were expecting, about 7 so far.

Edit

Petanca has finished, it's picnic time now. The runners are still running though. There are kids on bikes and scooters, dog walkers, groups of people walking and others just chatting and ... band practice. It's getting louder.

The petanca group van

Us

And the rest

Band practice

 

[jumartoo]

For anyone who doesn't know where we are, we're here at Velez Rubio, just off the A92 autovia in Almeria.

 

[jumartoo]

Today we went for a proper mountain ride. First we took a small road up to Velez Blanco. There were many abandoned properties along the road, all seemed to be either mills or small factories. Unfortunately all the information boards were old and totally unreadable.

The notice board theme continued on most of our ride.

We passed Velez Blanco with its castle. We've visited before. We knew where we could get a good photo looking back.

A village well worth visiting. As is, apparently, the Cueva de los Letreros, a figure from the rock paintings (Indalo man) has become the emblem of Almeria.
We've never found it open when we've been there

Cueva de Los Letreros

Localizada en el término municipal de Vélez Blanco, en la Cueva de Los Letreros fueron descubiertas diversas pinturas rupestres que contienen escenas relacionadas con las actividades que practicaban los primeros pobladores del sureste peninsular. El lugar, utilizado como refugio, forma parte del...

www.andalucia.org

Indalo - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

We climbed up to the high point of our ride at the viewpoint at the Puerto del Peral from where we could see the snow covered mountains of Sierra Nevada.

We watched some Griffon Vultures and I picked up 4 large pine cones. I couldn't fit any more in my bag. The "nuns bum" plant (the translation of the name told to us by our friend Angéla) is just beginning to flower.

It looks nice, but you wouldn't dare touch it

Our descent started here, but then climbed up again, under more cliffs with nesting birds.

Heading back up to level out on a wide, but stony, track high above Velez Rubio.

A climbing area. We couldn't remember if we climbed there in our previous life as climbers.

More steep descending back down to the town and my bike brakes were making a really awful noise . Very off-putting but we're back safe and sound.

 

[Barriesimpson]

Great

Some weird people out there still.

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[Helen Ariel]

Today we went for a proper mountain ride. First we took a small road up to Velez Blanco. There were many abandoned properties along the road, all seemed to be either mills or small factories. Unfortunately all the information boards were old and totally unreadable.

View attachment 1041683
View attachment 1041684

The notice board theme continued on most of our ride.

We passed Velez Blanco with its castle. We've visited before. We knew where we could get a good photo looking back.
View attachment 1041685
A village well worth visiting. As is, apparently, the Cueva de los Letreros, a figure from the rock paintings (Indalo man) has become the emblem of Almeria.
We've never found it open when we've been there

Cueva de Los Letreros

Localizada en el término municipal de Vélez Blanco, en la Cueva de Los Letreros fueron descubiertas diversas pinturas rupestres que contienen escenas relacionadas con las actividades que practicaban los primeros pobladores del sureste peninsular. El lugar, utilizado como refugio, forma parte del...

www.andalucia.org

Indalo - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

We climbed up to the high point of our ride at the viewpoint at the Puerto del Peral from where we could see the snow covered mountains of Sierra Nevada.

View attachment 1041689View attachment 1041690

We watched some Griffon Vultures and I picked up 4 large pine cones. I couldn't fit any more in my bag. The "nuns bum" plant (the translation of the name told to us by our friend Angéla) is just beginning to flower.

View attachment 1041696
It looks nice, but you wouldn't dare touch it

Our descent started here, but then climbed up again, under more cliffs with nesting birds.

View attachment 1041700View attachment 1041701View attachment 1041699
Heading back up to level out on a wide, but stony, track high above Velez Rubio.
View attachment 1041702
View attachment 1041698
A climbing area. We couldn't remember if we climbed there in our previous life as climbers.

More steep descending back down to the town and my bike brakes were making a really awful noise . Very off-putting but we're back safe and sound.

A nun's bum is untouchable then...makes sense

 

[jumartoo]

Some weird people out there still.

Yep, riding without a helmet

 

[jumartoo]

A nun's bum is untouchable then...makes sense

You got it in one

 

[jumartoo]

The band practice tonight is wonderful. They're marching back and forth past the motorhome area. There are a lot more brass instruments tonight. A small girl has the biggest drum

I'm going to have to learn how to make videos with my camera and upload them.

 

[jumartoo]

It's been cooler and cloudier today with a brisk breeze, but still fairly warm. We went out on the bikes to explore the area on the other side of the motorway. Martin planned a route using Komoot and sent it to me in Wikiloc format. We started off through the town and over the motorway and then rode up a wide, driveable rambla. There were various properties scattered about on the hillsides but this one was a bit closer to the river bed. We wondered whether they got a tad worried during gathering heavy rains.

Obviously just high enough, or they've had a new paint job.

The wide, smooth surface changed for a very short distance to deeper gravel and then we popped out onto a tarmac road. Most of the ride was then on tarmac of varying condition and we went through and past many small hamlets and individual properties. We spotted a Brit home, easily identified by the huge sat dish.

There was a house for sale in that hamlet. Once upon a time ....

We finished off the ride down another rambla, but this one wasn't as dry, with a stream, with a grey water odour, running down it.

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[jumartoo]

After lunch and a siesta, we had a coffee and then went to try to access the church we'd passed at the beginning of our ride. The Swiss guy parked next to us said it was worth a visit. Unfortunately it was closed this afternoon.

The town was nicer than we remembered, but not as touristy as its neighbour Velez Blanco.

We're moving on tomorrow, but the direction is not yet decided. My passport has arrived in the UK according to Correos, but the passport office haven't yet informed me of its receipt. So, we have at least three or four days before I need to keep an eye on proceedings.

 

[royandsharont]

What a coincidence, yesterday we arrived in Motril and this was our view of the snow capped Sierra Nevada, from our prom
Were only 150 miles apart .

 

[Barriesimpson]

Batten down the hatches, Olivier is on his way.

 

[rb62]

You have to go into the tourist office in Blanco to visit the Letreros caves I think Judith jumartoo and then they arrange for the guide to meet you there or give you his number if there's enough people interested.We pass those statues when we go to the Santander bank and on market day,not investigated their history yet!

 

[jumartoo]

You have to go into the tourist office in Blanco to visit the Letreros caves I think Judith jumartoo and then they arrange for the guide to meet you there or give you his number if there's enough people interested.We pass those statues when we go to the Santander bank and on market day,not investigated their history yet!

The problem we have, normally, is that we always have our bikes with us. One day we'll go up with the van and park near the castle and go and explore properly, and maybe even get inside the caves.

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[jumartoo]

BAND PRACTICE


Good job we're early risers.

 

[Peavy]

BAND PRACTICE


Good job we're early risers.

really? that's a little bit excessive, don't the kids go to school? After rehearsal maybe

 

[jumar]

really? that's a little bit excessive, don't the kids go to school? After rehearsal maybe

Listening to them last night, I think they need as much practice as possible.
Did you play in a band when you were a kid Nacho?

 

[jumartoo]

really? that's a little bit excessive, don't the kids go to school? After rehearsal maybe

It must be a real honour to play in the band to get kids out of bed so early

 

[rb62]

Listening to them last night, I think they need as much practice as possible.
Did you play in a band when you were a kid Nacho?

But when they get older they can graduate to the serious stuff !

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