Aledo

We left Pinoso and headed for a car park stopover at Los Banos, near a place called Mula. Had it in mind that we (well, I) might want to try the thermal baths up there. Had a lovely drive on a good road that ran parallel to the newer dual carriageway. Very peaceful and some weird and wonderful scenery appeared, rather like a huge sandpit!
The thermal bath places on offer didn't inspire confidence, looked rather seedy, and I wasn't convinced they'd be particularly hygienic. But we had a good little walk, and a stream of water by the roadside was warm. Aqua callientes! That's one I learnt at the foothills of Machu Pichu. It was the town's name.
John went down to the riverbed, that water was cold. His photo from there looks like Christo and Jeanne-Claude have been at work, wrapping the landscape.
We didn't really take to the carpark for an overnighter, so went on to Mula itself up a very steep, narrow, windy road to a castle. Big sign said castle was forbidden entry. Paah! We gazed at the vast landscape and noted the sound of barking dogs across the whole vista. We didn't take to that spot either, so we moved on to this lovely spot an hour further on by a sanctuary at Totana. I chose a scenic route, marked green on the map, it looked fairly straight and low altitude. Whoops ... wrong again! It went up and over, twisted round about, and scared the living daylights out of me, especially when people overtake on blind corners! The surfaces were dreadful with deep potholes, and even rare smooth sections were bumpy. For some reason, workmen were at the most remote part resurfacing a fair stretch, and it was a hell of a squeeze to get past each of them. One side, a metal barrier, the other roadwork machine beasts. Boy, was I relieved when we reached lowland orange groves and flat smooth roads again.
It's a little elevated again here but a smoother ride.
Temperature got up to 24° today. 😃Read more