On the road again. I get up early this morning to check my email and try and get in touch with Rosie and Graham, the couple whose farm I will be staying at near Granada. I send off an email to Rosie. She had written to me saying I would have to take a bus from Granada to Guejar Sierra, then call her from Guejar so that they can pick me up. Sounds easy enough, but she didnt give me a phone number. Nor an address. Thats all fine, but she doesnt have internet and might not get my email for days.
Awesome.
I pack up my things and head to the train station. The walk to the Santa usta train station in Sevilla is ridiculous. Its still morning, yet the city is already an inferno. It should never be this hot before noon. Since I am now a professional traveler, catching the train is a breeze. Along the ride to Granada I take in the Andalusian scenery. The contryside is gorgeous. upon arriving in Granada I searched for my bus stop near the train station, caught the #33 bus, and set off. On the bus a couple English speaking girls from Australia cant remember which stop is theirs. They dont speak Spanish so I ask an old woman next to us for directions. They greatly appreciate the help. I feel like a super hero.
Eventally I arrive at my stop, hop off the bus, wait for the #390 bus to Guejar Sierra, and catch it towards Guejar. After 30 minutes we arrive in Guejar and I hop off the bus. I ask a woman where plaza mayor is. She says uphill.
Sweet.
So I set off towards plaza mayor and walk all over Guejar trying to find WiFi to check my email. I find a restaurant that has a network and I ask for the password, explaining that Im a little lost. The guy behind the bar is nice enough to give me the password, and since Im extremely hungry I try and get some food. Its around 4p.
Puedo comer?
Kitchen is closed.
Puedo beber?
He laughs, yes of course.
Ill have a beer then.
The small beer comes with free tapas. Im much more interested in the delicious dish than the beer. After getting in touch with my friend Kiara who stayed on the farm last year, I get Rosie and Grahams phone number. Kiara also gives me directions to their farm deep in the mountains in case they dont answer the phone. She warns me that there are turns that she wouldnt remeber to take. She advises against trying to find it, but suggests that someone might be able to point me in the right direction if I ask where I can find an English couple who sell cherries and live on a farm called Cortijo Hoya Grande.
Kiara youre a lifesaver.
I leave the restarant and the internet and set off to find a payphone. I call Rosie but theres no answer. Rosie had warned me that they wouldnt be able to afford calling me back if they missed my call. So I set out walking. Kiara had told me to walk down the road to the right of plaza mayor and follow it up into the mountains. I set off walking and fond my first fork in the road. No signs for Cortio Hoya Grande, so I kept right on the main road. Farther down the road I run into a man, so I asked if he could point me the right way. He has no idea where they live. I keep walking. About another 30 minutes down the road I come across a restaurant. Its another opportunity to ask for directions. I stop in and find a burly Spaniard working in the kitchen. I ask where Cortio Hoya Grade is. He knows. He walks me outside and points to the montains on the other side of the ravine. Im not even on the right montain. I thank him and start walking back to plaza mayor in Gear.
Apparently Kiara has no sense of direction.
After a five minute walk back, a car comes by and I stick my thumb out. Its a million degrees and I really dont feel like walking anymore with my big pack. The car stops and asks where Im going. I tell them Guejar and they tell me to get in. They came up here to hike and theyre on their way back to Granada now. They drop me off in Guejar and continue on their way. With few options left, I decide to try the phone again. Rosie answers. She tells me to wait at plaza mayor. Graham will be down in a red mercedes van to pick me up in a half hour.
Success!
In the mean time, I run into a supermarket that has been reopened after a siesta. I buy cheese, crackers, and a bottle of wine for Rosie and Graham. I start walking back to plaza mayor and a dark blue Audi pulls up next to me.
mack?, the man in the drivers seat asks.
Im confused. I dont really know what the man said, but it sounded like he said mack with a Spanish accent. Graham is English. Instinctively I just say mack in return.
Are you Graham?
It is. He really did say mark, but with an English accent. I get in the back and introduce myself. It takes me a minute to realize that Graham isnt even driving. His friend Aidan is. On the right side of the car. Aidan had just drove down from England with his wife Bridget and son Josh. Theyll be staying at the farm while Im there. We drive off to the farm and I realize Kiara had given me decent directions. The big Spaniard was just plain wrong about where Cortio Hoya Grande is. After abot a 20 minute drive we arrive at the farm house. The place has a gorgeous view. The farm is nestled in the mountains with a view of Guejar Sierra down to the right, the reservoir situated between the two montains, and further down sits Granada.
This is a special place.
At the house I finally meet Rosie. I also meet Josh, whos 12 but looks 16, and Bridget. We sit around for a while, then Graham shows me around the farm while Rosie prepared dinner. Ill be staying in the bunkhouse. Theres a barn out back thats been turned into a stable. Around back of the house there are a few cherry trees, but most of them are down the mountain on the front side of the house. We pass by a patio overgrown with weeds that will eventually be turned into a greenhouse, but after all the weeds are gone. I make a mental note to pick all the weeds by the time I leave the farm. We continue on around the side of the house and theres two steps completed in what will eventually be a staircase around the side of the house. Back at the front of the house, Graham shows me his front steps. Kiara had built the first one a year ago. Now, all thats left to be finished is the concrete and pebbles at the top of the steps, and the wooden steps and bench need to be stained. He suggests that I finish the ob. He quite likes the thought that my friend started the stairs and I cold finish them. I do too.
We head inside for dinner. Rosie has prepared some chorizo and some freshly chopped tomatoes with onion. Theres also my crackers, cheese, and wine. The food is delicious. At 9p its too dark to see in the house anymore so Rosie leaves to turn on the generator. We sit arond for a few more hours until I admit that Im completely exhausted. I head to bed, but before I leave to walk to the bunkhouse Graham, Josh, and I make plans to eat breakfast at 9am and go mountain biking at 930a.
Sounds good to me.
PS. y copter has keys that dont work. excse typos.
Awesome.
I pack up my things and head to the train station. The walk to the Santa usta train station in Sevilla is ridiculous. Its still morning, yet the city is already an inferno. It should never be this hot before noon. Since I am now a professional traveler, catching the train is a breeze. Along the ride to Granada I take in the Andalusian scenery. The contryside is gorgeous. upon arriving in Granada I searched for my bus stop near the train station, caught the #33 bus, and set off. On the bus a couple English speaking girls from Australia cant remember which stop is theirs. They dont speak Spanish so I ask an old woman next to us for directions. They greatly appreciate the help. I feel like a super hero.
Eventally I arrive at my stop, hop off the bus, wait for the #390 bus to Guejar Sierra, and catch it towards Guejar. After 30 minutes we arrive in Guejar and I hop off the bus. I ask a woman where plaza mayor is. She says uphill.
Sweet.
So I set off towards plaza mayor and walk all over Guejar trying to find WiFi to check my email. I find a restaurant that has a network and I ask for the password, explaining that Im a little lost. The guy behind the bar is nice enough to give me the password, and since Im extremely hungry I try and get some food. Its around 4p.
Puedo comer?
Kitchen is closed.
Puedo beber?
He laughs, yes of course.
Ill have a beer then.
The small beer comes with free tapas. Im much more interested in the delicious dish than the beer. After getting in touch with my friend Kiara who stayed on the farm last year, I get Rosie and Grahams phone number. Kiara also gives me directions to their farm deep in the mountains in case they dont answer the phone. She warns me that there are turns that she wouldnt remeber to take. She advises against trying to find it, but suggests that someone might be able to point me in the right direction if I ask where I can find an English couple who sell cherries and live on a farm called Cortijo Hoya Grande.
Kiara youre a lifesaver.
I leave the restarant and the internet and set off to find a payphone. I call Rosie but theres no answer. Rosie had warned me that they wouldnt be able to afford calling me back if they missed my call. So I set out walking. Kiara had told me to walk down the road to the right of plaza mayor and follow it up into the mountains. I set off walking and fond my first fork in the road. No signs for Cortio Hoya Grande, so I kept right on the main road. Farther down the road I run into a man, so I asked if he could point me the right way. He has no idea where they live. I keep walking. About another 30 minutes down the road I come across a restaurant. Its another opportunity to ask for directions. I stop in and find a burly Spaniard working in the kitchen. I ask where Cortio Hoya Grade is. He knows. He walks me outside and points to the montains on the other side of the ravine. Im not even on the right montain. I thank him and start walking back to plaza mayor in Gear.
Apparently Kiara has no sense of direction.
After a five minute walk back, a car comes by and I stick my thumb out. Its a million degrees and I really dont feel like walking anymore with my big pack. The car stops and asks where Im going. I tell them Guejar and they tell me to get in. They came up here to hike and theyre on their way back to Granada now. They drop me off in Guejar and continue on their way. With few options left, I decide to try the phone again. Rosie answers. She tells me to wait at plaza mayor. Graham will be down in a red mercedes van to pick me up in a half hour.
Success!
In the mean time, I run into a supermarket that has been reopened after a siesta. I buy cheese, crackers, and a bottle of wine for Rosie and Graham. I start walking back to plaza mayor and a dark blue Audi pulls up next to me.
mack?, the man in the drivers seat asks.
Im confused. I dont really know what the man said, but it sounded like he said mack with a Spanish accent. Graham is English. Instinctively I just say mack in return.
Are you Graham?
It is. He really did say mark, but with an English accent. I get in the back and introduce myself. It takes me a minute to realize that Graham isnt even driving. His friend Aidan is. On the right side of the car. Aidan had just drove down from England with his wife Bridget and son Josh. Theyll be staying at the farm while Im there. We drive off to the farm and I realize Kiara had given me decent directions. The big Spaniard was just plain wrong about where Cortio Hoya Grande is. After abot a 20 minute drive we arrive at the farm house. The place has a gorgeous view. The farm is nestled in the mountains with a view of Guejar Sierra down to the right, the reservoir situated between the two montains, and further down sits Granada.
This is a special place.
At the house I finally meet Rosie. I also meet Josh, whos 12 but looks 16, and Bridget. We sit around for a while, then Graham shows me around the farm while Rosie prepared dinner. Ill be staying in the bunkhouse. Theres a barn out back thats been turned into a stable. Around back of the house there are a few cherry trees, but most of them are down the mountain on the front side of the house. We pass by a patio overgrown with weeds that will eventually be turned into a greenhouse, but after all the weeds are gone. I make a mental note to pick all the weeds by the time I leave the farm. We continue on around the side of the house and theres two steps completed in what will eventually be a staircase around the side of the house. Back at the front of the house, Graham shows me his front steps. Kiara had built the first one a year ago. Now, all thats left to be finished is the concrete and pebbles at the top of the steps, and the wooden steps and bench need to be stained. He suggests that I finish the ob. He quite likes the thought that my friend started the stairs and I cold finish them. I do too.
We head inside for dinner. Rosie has prepared some chorizo and some freshly chopped tomatoes with onion. Theres also my crackers, cheese, and wine. The food is delicious. At 9p its too dark to see in the house anymore so Rosie leaves to turn on the generator. We sit arond for a few more hours until I admit that Im completely exhausted. I head to bed, but before I leave to walk to the bunkhouse Graham, Josh, and I make plans to eat breakfast at 9am and go mountain biking at 930a.
Sounds good to me.
PS. y copter has keys that dont work. excse typos.
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