Spain 2023 - Almeria/Cazorla

Three years ago, I saw some really intriguing information online: maps of the Alpujarra showing what the villages looked like during Muslim times a thousand years ago; drawings illustrating the techniques of traditional architecture, not just of houses, but also of threshing circles (eras), water-powered mills, and other structures; and photos of locations in the Alpujarra where you can still see these elements today. The source was given as a book, La Arquitectura Tradicional en La Alpujarra Alta, by Agustín Sánchez Hita. I searched all over the web for a copy I could buy but could not find one for sale. I emailed the author and the publisher, but neither had any copies left. I tried to borrow a copy from one of the libraries in Andalucía that had the book, but Spain discontinued their international interlibrary loans during Covid. Finally I wrote to the B & B owner who had posted the excerpts from the book on her blog. Brenda at La Paraje no longer had a copy, but thought she would be able to borrow one if I could make it to Bérchules. Indeed, Brenda went to a lot of trouble. There was no copy in her local library, so she went to the mayor to see if he had a copy. He didn’t, but a friend who had a copy lent it to Brenda this morning, and Brenda delivered it right to our casita. You can imagine what a happy day this was for me! I now have all the information I need for our next walking trip to the Alpujarra when I hope we will be able, with the author’s permission, to put this information on the GPX tracks we will make public on Wikiloc. Then every walker will be able to enjoy the knowledge Agustín Sánchez Hita has acquired over a lifetime - he’s now 84.
(This book is related to the book we saw at the library in Almeria. Same author, but with a different organization: village by village, rather than by topic.)Read more