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A walk in the wilds - with thoughts of the provinces.

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  We are walking along the path less streetviewed. We will get back to the civilised world at the end of this so lets step out with a song on our lips and hope for the best. We won’t be going to the Castillo de Feli but we will be near it.   According to Ramon ‘Fantastic route through the Almenara that culminates at the 12th-century Feli Castle. It's well worth the trip; it's very easy and suitable for the whole family. But if you go, be careful. Don't climb the walls. They're 900-year-old rammed earth. The wood is still preserved. He took some photos.’   I can’t find much more.  There are some trench lines left over from the Civil War. What shall we do for the rest of the day.  Let’s get provincial. The pattern of provinces have ancestry into the early Middle Ages. This is shown when you get those wonderfully silly bits of territory which are enclaves within other provinces.  In 1833 the current pattern was set - although the Canary Islands were divid...
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25% Good Works

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  We are heading for Campo Lopez.  Until then we will have trees, terraced hillsides and a lot of up - 113m and even more down, 142m. What will the weather bring? Probably not rain. [edit - I wrote this two months ago. I think it is possible to say I was wrong] Precipitation across Murcia ranges from 200mm to 600mm, making it the driest  autonomous community in Spain.  The region has between 120 and 150 days in the year where the sky is totally clear. April and October have the most precipitation, with frequent heavy downpours in a single day.  So we should be in luck- but weren't. Campo Lopez is not big enough to rate much coverage.  Here are some videos and useful information - such as we are 59.72km from Murcia. https://pueblosdemurcia.com/pueblo/campo-lopez-lorca/    There is a church. The Ermita de Campo Lopez exists but no one has felt the need to write about it.  Rosao’s bar has even less about it.  Let us enjoy the very narro...
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The language of loafing about

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4.9 km.  225m upwards - which is gradient of about 4.6%.  You get the feel of this as the agriculture thins and disappears and we are definitely getting end of valleyish. We will pass ‘Finca El Fraile’. https://www.bodas.net/fincas/el-fraile--e231246   They do events for 40 to 300 people.  Three reviews and not a single word among them. Well, we have little more to do than look at the trees so let's get linguistic.  Languages are a bit non-binary, what ever the French say. The snuggle up to each other and pass on words with gay abandon.  So, what has Castilian casually picked up from English when they were holding hands.  Some words have been taken outright. Football becomes fútbol , trailer dons a cap and becomes tráiler and, my favourite, sweater becomes suéter. Some words stand proudly out.  The English influence on Spanish football was marked by Athletic Club [of Bilbao] and Madrid used the untainted English till Franco declared all things mus...
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Never on a Sunday - unless it is for tapas.

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  Morata is so small a place it only has a wiki page in one language , Spanish, in case you wondered if it was more unusual.  It is so obscure no wiki editor has bothered to shout at if for being uni-sourced or speculative.  Anyway, it has 304 people, the young have moved out and Ecuadorians and North Africans have moved in.  Apparently the almond and the olive tree are still important. That is where we are heading up to.  Before that we have a bit of cross country rambling and the roads less traveled. We will pass a pharmacy.  Farmacia Aleman Marin opens 9.30-2.30 and 5.30-8.30 weekdays and mornings only on Saturdays.  Don’t be needy on a Sunday.  Look, I’m tired and it has been a long day and my brain is free wheeling.  Let’s pad this out with some music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGJsokdGaww    The farmacia has 18 reviews and 4.8 stars.  Alejandro gives the most fulsome of coverage. ‘ Great professionals. If they don't...
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This article may lack focus or may be about more than one topic.

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  We are off on the RM-D5 today.  We will see polytunnels, bins, rugged landscapes and, at the end, letter boxes.  Better do to some fillers. Before that, we will pass one bar. It is the Bar Pastrana.  They do 6.30am to 8pm, but not Mondays.  I mean, Mondays. Its key words are tapas, sunset, price, flat roof and very good.  Fernando was much taken last Spring.   ‘A fantastic place, awarded the "The Sun from Rise to Set" award, with a spacious terrace, spectacular private rooms, home-cooked meals, affordable menus, grilled meats, paellas, and top-notch service. Young, friendly, dynamic, professional, and above all, family-oriented people. Just like your home. Don't worry, just make your own arrangements, and enjoy a spectacular day with us. OH! AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE PARKING, 300 SPACES, AND IT'S FREE.’ Rene have four stars.  ‘Nice, authentic Spanish tapas bar, very friendly people and delicious tomato/pepper salad with plenty of garlic.’ S...
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