3. Alboloduy to Abla

Today has been a big day - thirty kilometres with heat, wind, and serious ascending and descending!! We were expecting this so worked to get up and going early. We had a good sleep last night after a delicious communal paella cooked by the president of the Mozarabe Camino Association, who happened to be visiting our albergue. We were out on the track by 6.45am. It was still dark but already we could feel a warm wind blowing down the valley.

The first section of the trail led through a dry river bed that was being ‘flooded’ for irrigation. We don’t know where the water was coming from, but there seems to be some system for releasing water for the olive and citrus crops in the valleys. It wasn’t long before we were climbing, and climb we did up a narrow rocky goat track - about 400 vertical metres. It was hard work but the view was exhilarating. 

After an hour of climbing, we breached the pass and joined the road briefly just as the sun rose above the mountain. After that, the day really started to warm up! 

We descended down the other side of the hill, not quite as barren on this side but still quite steep!!

On the way down we passed the 50km from Almeria mark.

Through the valleys we passed several crumbling former settlements with signs of terracing in the hillside. To eke out an existence here must have been a courageous and back-breaking act. And in several cases now, it looks as though the rocky hills are reclaiming their stone.

After 3 hours and 13.5 fairly gruelling kilometres, we entered the first village of this stage and (very happily) found that its one bar was open. We had breakfast and were subsequently joined by four others from our albergue. 

Here’s the town in the rear view mirror. Imagine living in a place like this?!

More evidence of the landscape reasserting itself over human settlement. The path through here was all through a dry, shaley, rocky riverbed in sun and wind - hard walking!!

But some encouragement on the way!!

The little town of Abla is our resting place tonight - full of whitewashed walls, narrow lanes and staircases up and down the hill. 

We are now happily settled in a lovely little albergue.

This is the view from the front door!!

And this, from the side balcony where our washing is hanging to dry.

Our numbers have thinned as some of our pilgrim companions from last night were stopping earlier. Our hospitallero has offered to cook us all a home-cooked meal, which we’re really looking forward to! 

We are grateful to have you following along and for you comments/words of encouragement.

Buen camino

Sarah and Neil 😅😅👣👣🧡🧡