Jaén

Made it down to Andalucía, the land of olives and olive oil. Olive trees absolutely everywhere. It blows my mind how many there are that need harvesting this month! The hills make for stunning scenery though.
We did a little essentials shopping first thing then headed on for the last of the longer drives for a while, able to take in some sights along the way as the weather has turned for the better. First stop, a waterfall in the hills - Cascada de la Cimbarra nr Aldeaquemada. There was also a derelict mill that’s undergoing renovation. A short but hilly walk took us to the vista overlooking a pool below but sadly, no waterfall. Despite the rain, it had dried up. Gary sent the drone up for a reccie which will produce some incredible views once downloaded. Next stop was through some crazy hilly mountains, the kind that has a single track road, sheer drops at the edge and you can’t pass other vehicles. My stomach was in my mouth, not pleasant! The good thing about these places is that they are off the beaten track therefore no one around. We arrived at the foot of the hill that held Castillo de Otíñar (nr Jaén). This was mid afternoon and getting quite hot but luckily some clouds whilst we were hiking. Bit of a walk then a hike up the rocky hill to the castle ruin. Took a bit of climbing to work out how to get to the top. Gary sent the drone up again to have a look. We found our way round and it was definitely a spectacular view. By this point we were over 2000 feet above sea level. Lots of photos then back to the van. It was at this point I lost Gary! Anyone who knows me knows this isn’t difficult, I get lost coming out of a public toilet! I called for him for what seemed like ages, prob 15 minutes. We eventually found each other again though I must admit, I did panic for a bit! Once safely back to the van we headed to our stopover for the night at La Guardia de Jaén. Beautiful view over the local town with a gorgeous sunrise this morning. All for gratis. Quick video chat catch up with the lovely family then sun and dinner. A little walk in the area then planning and games night. Feeling a little more upbeat prob after seeing more sun and family chat. Looking forward to hitting the coast for the rest of the week before fam rental home next week.Read more