Tony, Tim, Betsy & Ray's 2016 Camino

(not forgetting Jane & Ann) A walk along the Camino Mozarabe

A stroll across the Shire.









Alquife to Guadix 13.5 miles 6 hours 300m up 600m dowm.
Manollo's Alburgue Latcho is a great place to stay very quiet till the cockerel woke about 6.30 even then he was restrained.We were taken by Manollo for a few drinks and tapas back to where we had lunch and most slept well.
After breakfast we roll down hill and continue along the camino following the yellow arrows. The snows on the Sierra are a continuous presence and we climb towards them for the first 5 miles the last stretch up to Jerez del Marquesado on the side of a valley with snows ahead evoking thoughts of Fairports Meet on the Ledge.
So far it has been a grand walk with varied intetestafter coffees we track around the edge of the Sierra and descend to the plain where a cold wind is blowing this and one or two drops is all we see of the rain promised by the Norwegian weather service. After another stop in a bar in Cogollos de Guadix under its big church tower and yet another set of Moorish baths we are off across the dry plain and dusty tracks to Guadix. We are glad to drop into a huge dry river valley out of the wind and see another troop of bee eaters. Water is carefully managed round here and sluices and ditches are still in service to irrigate crops. Eventally non too soon we arrive in Guadix. This is Hobbittonhlf the buoldings are half underground and chimneys pop up out of the ground.
After a Menu de Dia with some good Bino do casa we get in touch with Mariangeles who runs the alburgue and get directions to it. We are welcomed in and shown round an old Roman,Moorish house on 3 floors. The lower floor is a museum around a typical Moorish courtyard the first floor is where she lives and the to is the stupendous albergue. Well up there with the best and most interesting we have stayed in on any camino.We have wander round town . It is a modern Spanish city and an extensive troglodyte warren at the same time. Quite an amazing place, there are potters and a brickworks probably established by digging out the warrens.



Link to where we are on Google Maps
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