The virtues of a waitress and the rise and fall of the iron rails.

 We have barely moved into Baza then we are on the way out and into one of those routes which is the only way between two lumps of inconveniently placed geology.  But first, a few steps back and nip round the Antigua Estacion Ferrocarril. 

The railway reached Baza in 1894 when a line from Lorca arrived.  This was so popular that a second line, linking Baza and den of inquiry, the bishopric stealing city of Guadix, in 1907 - built by the British Great South of Spain Railway Company.  This event was so important it would lead to the station having a wiki page all to itself.  Eight tracks ran into Baza. The station has two platforms which kept going for 90 years. In 1985 the line was closed as it had become very unprofitable.

The station building now stands before a big area which appears to be used for fairs and flea markets.   Clare said of it ‘A disused but fine example of an old rural town station in Spain complete with rurntable’  Tomas was more mournful ‘Somewhat soulless, the station is now a mere memory of the railroad passing through these parts decades ago. The current space provides work for some social sectors.’  Jose is more in the anti-Beeching Spanish Branch. ‘Historic Baza railway station building, on the Guadix-Almendrícos line, which connected the Granada region with Levante. A railway line that should never have been closed.’



Moving beyond the ex-railway we come to a place Google calls a Fair Ground - market place might be a better description.  Antonio says ‘Market on Wednesdays selling all kinds of clothes and fruit, second-hand items only on Sundays. Close to a fishmonger and supermarket.’   Carmen is less impressed with the geography and the nature of capitalism. ‘It's fine, but the parking is very far away, and in some areas it's narrow for so many people between one spot and another, and the prices are very profiteering, with a huge stake and a small amount.’ 


We are about to head out of town so we will nip over the road into Saturno, described as a canteen by Google. It gets 4.1 stars from 196 reviews. A month ago Nicolas reckoned ‘five stars. Good and cheap food.’   Asv hasn’t really grasped the whole star thing.  ‘The best thing about that place is and always will be the waitress Tania. The few times I've been there, it's been because she's there.’  I mean, Tania might be great, and that should allow for more than a star.




Out of town and over the tracks until we hit the back routes and the farmers road following the main road. We are back to the N-342. Apparently the road is on the up.  Murcia Today says that the Ministry of Transport are to spend over two million euros to do nice things to a 15.7km stretch near point 83.


Today is Andalucia Day.  I have tried to find out what Baza are doing but have failed so far. I am told schools will get an Andalusian breakfast. This appears to be freshly toasted bread, drizzled in olive oil and topped with ripe tomato pulp.  You probably need a fag and a strong coffee as well, but the site I looked at does not indicate this.



So we come to the end of the day.  As day’s end, it will, at 19.04 - although twilight ends at 19.30.  Tomorrow is another day. And that day will sea twilight at 7.16 and sunrise at 7.42.














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