Grazalema and Zahara, May 18 and 19

  Yesterday, whilst dinnering on the patio, I noticed a guy who had the same guide book I was using, so I started talking to him.  He had begun the two circular walks of Grazalema that I had planned on doing, but reviews were dissuading me.  Well, wouldn't you know, he did not finish either walk for one reason or another: couldn't find the way, instructions confusing, peaks looked daunting, and so on.  I thought, "Who needs that frustration?  The walk I did the other day was so fab why not do it again?"  A plan was hatched.

Guess what?  There is more than one route from Grazalema to Benaocáz, you know, sort of like taking I 95 or Rte. 34.  So I ended up not repeating the gorgeous walk of the day before yesterday, but taking a very nice, indeed, but somewhat less spectacular, route.

Gorse!

Bed springs often have a second lives as gates:

Fortunately, this was just part of the view:

After reaching Benaocáz, I tacked on a two-mile Roman path to Urbique, the major town in these parts.  It has a real supermarket.  

But, before tackling that last bit in the heat of mid-day, I bought a chocolate Magnum, which, being the perfect hiking food, was most fortifying and delicious.  Birthday present to self!

The Roman path is so in need of repair.  Where are those legionnaires when you need them?  I have walked over so many stones in this area, OK, they are bigger than stones and smaller than rocks, so let's call them rockettes.  I am trying to impress that it is very rocky around here!

How to get back to Grazalema?  Asked check-out person at supermarket, who directed me to hotel across the street, where bartender thought and thought, and finally called a couple of possibilities. One taxista said he would come in twenty minutes, but then decided not to come at all, so, business being slow at the moment, bartender asked his compañero if he would drive me. Yes, he would. Compañero's car had no working AC, he took the curves, of which there were an infinite number, as if he were driving the Indi 500. This  made me so car-sick that I did not mind that he left me off several blocks from the hotel so that I had to schlep the backpack, boots, and the groceries up a huge hill.  

May 19, Walked from Grazalema to Zahara where I am spending the night.  Rojita and Mochilita went with Antonio in his very nice taxi. The walk had its moments:  some good, some dull, and it was hot.  Six and a half hours of walking, due to the taking of a wrong fork. (Although the wrong path was super nice along the embalse//reservoir):

The correct path, higher up, was also beautiful:

Gigantic thistles:

What I was really proud of about today's walk (no, not the grammar of this sentence) was that I was able to reverse the OutdoorActive GPS directions from Zahara to Grazalema since I was going the other way.  Achievements are a good thing!

I am staying at Al Lago, a lovely hotel in Zahara where, after a luxurious shower,  I had lunch—roast chicken and salad— beautifully prepared and served on the patio. Very elegant!