06.02.2016 11:30
Around 8 I got up and slowly packed my things together. I'm still surprised that everything fits in the backpack so perfectly, as if it was meant to be like that. My he sleeping bag is in the lower compartment, together with the cooker and my sleeping and rain clothes. In the upper compartment I store matress and tent to the left and right, and all the other stuff (food, clothes, medication) goes in between.
I only had some sips of water left once again, so I didn't boil anything for tea but just drank it instead. I had decided that I would try to hitchhike to Castillo de Castellar, because I really had enough of the tarmac walking, and the whole way lying ahead would be exactly that.
So with a dry mouth and some salami I started walking uphill along the CA-9207. I found a new-looking plastic bottle half filled with water along the way and took some sips - better than nothing.
When I finally got to the busier A-405 I realized that hitchhiking would be rather difficult, because cars were driving about a 100 km/h and the only option for walking was a cycling lane which was separated from the road with a barrier.
There was two restaurants at this junction, but for some reason I was stupid and didn't buy any water here. I really don't know what I was thinking. Instead I suffered for another 5 km or so until I reached the Venta La Cantina, where I just had a cafe con leche and una botella grande de agua. Oh, the small things in life.
On the way around 200 cyclists passed me (one of them female!!). Hard to believe it's only February really, more seems like May. Also, there was storchs all over the place.
A sign some hundred meters from here also told me that I'm on the way of the Almoravids and the Almohads - names that sound all too familiar from university. You can't run away from education it seems.. ;)
06.02.2016 19:30
A rather short time after the Venta, it was possible to leave the road to Castillo de Castillar (now CA-9201) and walk on an old road parallel to it. Still mostly tarmac, but with some dirt on it, so better than nothing. Not much later the sight of the fortress of Castillo came into view.
Then this wild green way post appeared and confused me for a bit, but I decided to follow it anyway and it turned out alright.
Soon the beautiful cobbled path from Moorish times became steeper and I started sweating, but enjoyed having a 'goal' at the same time.
Then the sun came out for good as well and I took my longsleeve off for the first time, yay! Lots of dayhikers came down the hill, but no one followed up with me, even though I had to take several breaks.
Almost up, this view made me even more breathless. A quick look at the map told me that the distant mountain-island in the middle of the picture is Gibraltar.
Around the fortress were lots of people, standing in front of what must've been te only place to eat, because it was so full. So I went inside first, hoping for the food shop mentioned in the guidebook - but I couldn't find one. I also didn't find a fountain, so I thought the guide must've meant the one that was also marked on the signboards as 700m downhill from the fortress. So that's where I went after a quick round in the truly beautiful little Castillo.
The way to the fountain felt like forever, and I was utterly frustrated when I saw that there was no water coming out of it. Frustrated that there was neither food to buy nor water to fill up, I ate a protein bar and some chocolate. Then I went the whole way back up again and asked a guy in what looked kind of like a tourist information if there really wasn't any supermercado here. He said that there had been, but the man who owns it now had back problems and couldn't run it anymore. So much for that. But there is a fountain in the fortress!, he said. I went back in and realized I had stood right in front of it without noticing. I filled up my reservoirs and washed my feet in the cold water. Walking barefoot on the cobbled stones was in cre di ble.
Finally I decided to eat something in the rather overpriced restaurant that had been so packed before. The blood pudding I was looking forward to was out already, so two kinds of cheeses it was, one of which you can admire here.
After that and having charged my phone at least a little bit (unfortunately there was no internet), I continued walking. I went down the hill in the other direction and really enjoyed the views.
From afar I could hear a huge group of hikers who had stopped for some reason that stayed unknown to me. Seeing them, I was once again glad I was by myself.
After some really rocky terrain through a forest the path cleared up and i walked through a beautiful valley towards some railways. I tried to make a shortcut, but failed at the two fences guarding the rails, so I walked all around the damn thing, crossed the rails, and walked all the way back on the other side. A bit frustrating, but that's how it was in the guide, and it was beautiful anyway.
For the last half hour of today's hike I was joins by a farmer on his hours and his three dogs, one of which walked closely behind me as if to guard me home safely.
At some point they turned around though, which came in handy for me, because I wanted to find a place to set camp soon. It came more or less around the corner, hidden behind some trees with what I think to be bee boxes (with no bees in it, I checked that).
I didn't have much left to eat, so I boiled some water and wanted to stir in some chocolate protein powder... but apparently the chlorine in the water was too much, or the water was too hot, or both, so that it was not eatable at all. What is left are nuts, chocolate, and protein bars. I really hope to find a proper supermarket tomorrow :D
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