It was time to leave Ronda, going steeply downhill only to then go steeply up hill because that is how it is here.
Despite insistence to the contrary, there is a lot more cement and asphalt on this route than I was expecting. And maybe I am not the only one who does not love these surfaces:
Death was by bicycle, I believe.
On the other hand, these little ones were safe (for a time) but calling for their MAMAs:
The conclusion of today's walk was Montejaque, but I am in interlude mode now—off the C2C path and doing circular walks—so I walked about 45-60 minutes, mostly along a highway to get to Benaoján Station, which is about 20 minutes from Benaoján the town, so if you want something from the local grocery (a peg up from a 7/11), you have to be willing to walk up a very steep hill for 20 minutes. I was!
The place I am staying is lovely. This is the setting:
BUT, as comfortable as the room is and as lovely the views, there is a sense of isolation. Why, I am not sure. Anyway, the hotel has an upscale restaurant for which, I was instructed quite sternly when I checked in, one must have a reservation, so I made one. Arriving at the appointed hour, I was quite surprised to see only two tables occupied. My table had a big 6 on it (my room number) to indicate that it was reserved for ME! The meal, salmon and a tomato salad was beautifully prepared, and guess what? Salt and pepper on the table! I did something very tacky, though: I brought plastic bags so that I could take what I could not eat—enough for another meal— secreting away the "leftovers" when no one was looking. Seeing as hardly anyone was there, that was not a problem. A frig in the room is a big plus.
May 13 My plan was overly ambitious: a combination of two walks, which would have been about eight hours. After I completed the first half of the first segment—the out part—I decided not to do the three-hour add-on. A good decision. The walk was lovely: not too easy, not too hard. All told, between one thing and another, I walked some fifteen miles, good enough for a day.
But here is how it began. Having ascertained the direction yesterday I confidently walked to the start, only to be met, several feet on, by this ugly barrier:
What the heck! Why is this silly, flimsy annoyance IN MY WAY? So I pushed it aside, walked on just a bit to discover that ummm, the bridge was not there. (It had been washed away in a flash flood some time ago.) I saw an alternate path; maybe there is a crossing farther down. There was:
OMG! About two dozen stepping stones, each too far away from the other and a little bit too small for comfort AND the ones in the middle were wet. I cannot do this and live. I consulted my OutdoorActive map, saw that one could continue on the path, get to the highway, cross the river there and maybe reconnect with the path, which, in fact one could, by climbing over the barrier and making one's way very carefully down a steep, scree-like path. Encountering the stepping stones again on the other side of the river, I saw this advisement:
Other than this initial bit of drama, it was a most pleasant day. Birds singing (a lot), the river rushing, fields of flowers mostly yellow, just enough upping and downing to keep things interesting, and other than at the start, no directional challenges:
At least I knew it was not Alex because A) she would never do that and B) It was not a DIET Coke!
A fact learned from a Xword puzzle: Only U.S. city bordered by two national parks: five letters.
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