March 24th 2008
Written by Geoff Forster
Monday March 24th 2008
It's Easter Monday and it's another fantastic sunny day.
We're going to San Pablo de Buceite.
Jane struck gold again .. it was San Pablo market day.
We went to Vivero Salinas and bought some plants. We're looking for some plastic mesh as we're unfortunately having to evict the street cats from the 'Entrada'. They've had a good winter there, out of the rain and protected from winds. However another two have turned up and it's just a question of time before they all start breeding ... A lovely gentle Siamese male has been with them all winter, none of the neighbours know who's cat he is. He's very kind and never pushes in to get food although he's the biggest and hungry. He's been promoted to house cat and has been named 'Sam'. We've bought him a collar and is now officially part of the family. I'll try to photograph him tomorrow.
We drove out of the nursery. There's a road to the left. Jane uttered the fatal words " I wonder where that road goes to". Soon we were heading through some beautiful countryside. We were going to another garden centre at San Enrique. The road was heading south so no problemas so far ... We stopped to take a photograph of a field of daisy type flowers. We call them 'Fried Egg' daisies or more seasonally 'Cadbury's Creme Egg' daisies. They flower all over this part of Andalucia.
The road was heading towards the wind turbines just inland from Manilva so our only worry was would it come to a dead end? Suddenly after passing through an unsigned hamlet the road turned into a dirt track. We carried on a little more apprehensively. A sign said it was the CA-8200 so I took encouragement from the fact it was actually a recognised road. We passed some workers improving the road. The surface that they'd prepared for tarmacing certainly improved the driving experience. Suddenly we saw a fairly large pueblo in the distance. I guessed from the location it was San Martín de Tesorillo, it was.
The CA-8200 when repaired will be a handy shortcut between San Pablo and San Martín. It cuts out quite a trek over to Jimena de la Frontera.
In San Martín we drove into the plaza, around the roundabout and straight out of San Martín to El Secadero where we stopped in Bar Martín for a coffee and a muffin.
We then drove to San Enrique to Viveros Martín where we bought the green mesh and more pots and plants. We stopped in San Luis de Sabinillas briefly, then shopped in Lidl's before going back up to the mountains.
This is Gaucín from quite near the bridge over the Genal.
We stopped near this lovely hedgerow plant. The spiral is wonderful.
This is the Sierra Crestellina.
We cooked some local pork chops with vine tomatoes.
Later we watched 'Juno'. Directed by Jason Reitman. With Ellen Page, Michael Cera and Jennifer Garner.
Juno won an Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (2008). Well acted, interesting story of a 'funny, intelligent tomboy' dealing with a teenage pregnancy.