Distance walked: 10 miles (officially 8), Time taken: 7 1/2 (including lunch stop)
Woke up with a nasty cold. My head felt like it was stuffed full of cotton wool and I found it hard to hear. I went on today's walk anyway and it cleared my sinuses. My theory is that my body had only so much energy and it could use it either to power my legs or make my nose run. Fortunately, it chose the former not the latter. Still, I was very slow going up hills today.
Denis of the knee has given up walking. He has finally accepted that even "easy" walks are not smart to do with a torn cartilage so we were 11 + Steven this morning. The early part of the walk was along a waymarked route, the GR221, and it is a positive highway. Lots of people going in either directions. Mainly English (-speakers) and Germans but at least one French group and a group of Spanish schoolchildren. It is amusing watching the Germans and English greeting each other carefully in our best Spanish - "hola!".
We turned off the main route which runs down the spine of the mountain range around midday and Sarah picked the American duo in the van as the next bit down to the coast and along it was a bit steep and vertiginous. We expected it to also be less crowded but it wasn't. At times the path narrowed so much it was awkward for groups to pass. More importantly, it made it next to impossible to find a discreet bush to disappear behind for a pee because you couldn't be sure you wouldn't be surprised by someone appearing from another direction. Not that it is ever an entirely private event as you have to let someone know that is what you are doing so the group doesn't worry about why you've dropped out of site and come searching for you. The end result is a lot of tactful looking in other directions while you hover behind the inadequate cover of a small bush. This is the only time I regret not being a man.
Lunch was in a small rocky cove with a rather ramshackle looking bar-restaurant perched on the rocks over looking the water. The water was a beautiful blue and the sun was shining so I took my boots off and went for a paddle. It took a good 10-15 minutes to regain feeling in my feet. The water was a bit cool.
We didn't each in the bar but had our picnic on the (stony) beach. Again, 3 salads, 3 breads, 1 olive but 4 cheese and only 1 salami. To make up for the protein deficiency we had a mackerel pate as well. Wine of course and torrone and a pressed fig cake for dessert.
After lunch we went on an unnecessarily winding route inland to Deia. It is a tiny place but very posh. There is a real estate agent here that is a subsidiary of Christies. Their cheapest property for sale is 2 million euros and needs work.
Our hotel is huge! It is actually a cluster of buildings spread over quite extensive grounds dotted with
art works. These are all up one side of the valley and are on different levels. To get to my room I walked down a colonnade from reception and then go up in a lift. Once at the top I go around the upper pool and into another building where I take the lift to the top. Again, once there I walk through that building into the ground floor of another one and up in the lift to my floor. The views are superb but they have to issue guests with a map.
I don't think I'm sufficiently posh for this hotel. I was lounging in my room before dinner and the chambermaid came to turn down the bed. This involved not just turning back one corner of the bed covers, but removing some pillows and fluffing the others, putting a towel down (over the rug) beside the bed so I would have something clean to put my feet on as I get in and out of bed. Once she was finished in the bedroom she went into the bathroom and folded the end of the toilet paper roll into a point and folded my towels neatly. This was rather embarrassing for me as I had rinsed out all my hiking gear and had it draped over the shower rail to dry.
Dinner was at a nearby restaurant. They seated our group on the terrace. I'm not sure why as it gets a bit brisk when the sun goes down and there is no view once it is dark. We started with a trio of entrees - zucchini stuffed with mushrooms and spinach (tasty but why bother stuffing a zucchini), cuttlefish cooked in tomato, oil and garlic (chewy), a fry up of potatoes, capsicum and bits of pig including kidney. Main was a chunk of roasted suckling pig with potatoes and apple sauce. I got a leg (hock?) and was very envious of those that got a chunk of rib as they therefore got a big bit of crackling. It was tasty but I thought a bit dry. Dessert was a strawberry tarte tatin accompanied by an ice cream made from a soft cheese. The ice cream was delicious but hot strawberries are an experience I do not need to repeat.
Tomorrow's walk is short - officially 8 miles, but quite steep. I wonder if my lungs/sinuses will be able to cope? It is another day where there is no opportunity for a pick up partway through so I will have to make my mind up at breakfast.
No comments:
Post a Comment