Viña Cristina near Grazalema
05.08.2010
Grazalema
Grazalema
Lady of the house
Machicos bad leg is doing well
Dog life
Catch me if you can
This is dog life
MMMMMMMMMM my lovely Pia
My brave and always happy dog Kutya
mmmmmmmmm I love hollydays in Grazalema
Machico loves Andalucia (and Madeira)
Sweet Kutya always wants to play with me
The King of Grazalema (perro mas grande)
Todays short biking: 34,3 km and 761 vertical metres
Todays climb to Puerto
Chico from the Zahara side 25.36 avg. on MTB
Now I am tired after 2709 km and more than 60 vertical kilometres
and 134 hours on MTB-bike in 38 days in the beautiful, sunny and very
hot Andalusia, + broken arm :-)
We will be back next year
04.08.2010
Morning plunge pool stimulates your appetite.
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After numerous pancakes it was time for training; for me: running
to Puerto Chico and back, followed by 2 km of swimming in El
Tajo.
Gabor did a 3 hour bike ride as seen below. Tonight he will
attack Puerto Chico again after a dissatisfying result yesterday.
Must be possible to drive up by 20 km/h.
Siesta and lunch in the terrace; before I have a horseback
riding appointment and Gabor is going out on bike again.
Depression has started to sneak in on us; in two days time
we will be heading back to Denmark. Terrible to think about!
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Gabor on bike near the Roman pond nearby, on his way to Puerto Chico
Todays first biking: 61,0 km and 1411 vertical metres
Todays second biking: 34,3 km and 760 vertical metres
Todays climb to Puerto
Chico from the Zahara side 25.07 avg. 19.5 km/h on MTB
Me and my dogs
03.08.2010
Pancakes and a rose for breakfast
Dear Bo (My brother) .......We pay the beers :-). We got the house
cheap!
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After a lovely breakfast we went out on bikes - as usual at
the warmest part of the day. Maybe that is why we never see
other cyclists!
We stopped for a drink at El Alamillo, before going towards
Villaluenga. The house above is one we pass everytime we go
up the Puerto de Montejaque; and we find it really charming.
The goats live on the Villaluenga road. Almost daily we find
ourselves in the middle of a herd of goats crossing the road.
Second training session of the day: Pia running and Gabor biking.
In addition I had to go to Grazalema for meat supplies, and
visited the butcher for great joy for Gabor, Machico and Kutya.
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Todays first biking: 45,0 km and 513 vertical metres
Todays second biking: 34,8 km and 777 vertical metres
Todays climb to Puerto
Chico from the Zahara side 25.04 avg. 19.5 km/h on MTB
(Best on MTB and overall)
02.08.2010
Today I went horseback riding while Gabor had planned
to do the entire Triatlon Titan bike course. It is a race I will very
much like to do, but this year it is impossible because of work. He
was extremely tired when he came back, so we had a long siesta in
the terrace, before waking up again.
I had a lovely horseback ride in the field. I saw eagle,
stork, perdiz, etc.
Todays biking: 130,4 km and 2821 vertical metres
Grazalema triathlon bike course: 91,8 km and 2280
vertical metres
We have been haunted by these two blue Buicks, we see them everywhere
these days. Now they were parked outside Grazalema. They are used
for a music video that is being recorded here at the moment.
After training and an early (19.30) dinner we went to Grazalema for
an ice cream and a stroll around town. It seems like we already know
more people here than we do where we live in Denmark for the moment.
The dogs (especially Kutya) were the biggest attractions
in Grazalema today; Kutya is nearly twice as big as the normal sice
of a big dog around here; and the interest in him was massive, but
he did not seem to take much notice of it.
Kutya inspecting the fountain at Plaza Pequeña
Kutya inspecting the old Roman fountain
Kutya inspecting the lavadores publicos
01.08.2010
Still tired after yesterdays bike ride, but after a
stack of pancakes we went out for our bike ride, which turned out
to be long and hot.
Todays first biking: 63,2 km and 1063 vertical metres
| Filling bottles in Algodonales |
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Todays second biking: 30,6 km and 652 vertical metres
Later today Gabor went out again while I went running
up this mountain and back down again. I met the same guy that I meet
almost everyday, also running. Gabor saw an interesting animal on
his bike; cat size, grey with black dots, and a long grey and black
banded tail.
We wondered what it was, a mongoose, a lynx....the mystery
was solved a few days later. We asked our biologist friend in Grazalema,
and he could reveal that it must have been a Genetta
genetta, a common gennet (Desmerdyr). Have never seen them
before.
Machico tired after two days of birthdy celebrations
Today we celebrated Machicos birthday again, today with
gambas al ajillo, also for the dogs. They liked this more light seafood
today:-)
31.07.2010
Today we agreed to make an attack on Puerto de las Palomas;
Gabor is planning to improve his personal best from both this year
and two years ago; and I will try to cut some time of this years personal
best. I don't think I will be able to improve my all time PB, because
two years ago I was in total top condition, ready for the most brutal
Ironman in the world; the Embrunman...
You will see our results below. We both achieved our
goals and are satisfied!
But it was a tough one; my pulse being considerably
over the anaerobic threshold for 35 minutes, which gave me a heat
stroke and made me feel sick for some hours after the attempt.
Todays biking: 72,3 km and 1679 vertical metres
Todays climb to Puerto
de la Palomas from the Zahara side:
Gabor 44.49 avg. 16.7 km/h on MTB (Best on MTB, and over all best
time)
Pia 53.48 (Best time this year)
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Machico looking into the house. Tonight Gabor has
promised Machico sausage night, because it is her 7 month birthday
tomorrow. Machico agreed to that and has invited guests to join
her for the meal. |
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After todays incredibly nasty bike ride, with personal best
for both of us on the Palomas; I felt sick and had to lie in
bed for some hours. During the afternoon I entered the surface
and suggested that we went to see the Cueva de la Pileta, from
the inside this time. We did that, and it is a very interesting
prehistoric cave, with extraordinary stalagmites and stalactites,
cave paintings from different civilisations, and remnants from
human living.
It is really large, and only some og it is open to the public,
some of the galleries are closed, and only give access to professionals,
who interpret the cave paintings etc.
After the visit we went shopping in Ronda before going home
and cook dinner. We had a lovely dinner party pre-celebrating
Machicos birthday with steaks and sausages under the olive tree:-)
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30.07.2010
Todays biking: 69,3 km and 1577 vertical metres
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Today is Friday, and that still means, that I go to El Bosque
after breakfast to ride for a few hours. This time with Joaquín,
and in the fields where the cattle, horses and goats, that belongs
to the finca are grazing.
We checked the horses and counted them. One of them had crossed
the river and was in a wrong herd og horses. We tried to guide
it back over the river but without any luck.
Later we met an angry shepherd, Joaquín and him were
arguing about a gate that apparently was not closed properly.
As usual these trips are a combination of wonderful trip on
horseback, nice company and Spanish lessons.
The afternoon was spent in the house and garden, cleaning and
gardening, before going to Grazalema for dinner at our favourite
El Simancon restaurant. We talked to the triathlete-waiter and
he explained the Triatlon Titan courses for us, so we can drive
the bike and run course and log them by gps. A good little thing
for Gabor to do while I have fun on Cartucho some other day:-)
The town and surroundings had more or less been invaded by
a lot of trucks and vans with cameras and other filming equipment,
and a music band driving around in a light blue convertible...we
think they were going to shoot a music video here. Must say
that they have chosen some beautiful landscape for this!
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29.07.2010
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On the way to morning swim in the plunge pool. That gives Kutya
appetite for his breakfast. He denies eating before he has been
swimming!
He is really good at swimming, and he just need a hand on his
neck in order to climb out of the pool. He is a fantastic dog
that is not afraid of anything!
Machico always wants to come up there as well, but she never
jumps in, but is an enthusiastic spectator.
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The bike course today was from VC down to the lake,
then up the Montejaque, then to El Alamillo, towards Villaluenga and
from there we returned to VC.
Last time we were riding here, we saw a few Bee Eaters,
a very colourful bird, that sometimes can be seen here in the Parque
Natural.
Other birds that we see from time to time:
Egyptian Vulture (wingspan 65 cm)
| Barn Owl. Have seen one on one of my horseback rides (wingspan
85-93 cm) |
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| Griffon Vulture (wingspan 265 cm) |
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| Hoopoe (length 28 cm) |
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| European Bee-eater (length 28 cm) |
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Getting something to drink at El Alamillo
Going down towards Grazalema
At home
Todays first biking: 52,9 km and 975 vertical metres
Classic photo outside Grazalema
Todays second biking: 30,6 km and 653vertical metres
Todays climb to Puerto
de Montejaque from the Zahara side:
Gabor 18.20 avg. 20.9 km/h on MTB (Personal best on MTB)
Pia 24.50 avg. 15.5 km/h on road bike (Personal best)
28.07.2010
Today we went to the coast, and we ended up somewhere
between El Palmar and Conil beach. We wanted to have a day at the
beach, and also to take the dogs there. It was very hot, 37 degrees,
but with a strong, strong wind, that created sand storms.
I did my running on the beach as I have so often done,
and enjoyed it a lot! In addition to being very pretty ot is also
the only flat place to run!
It was impossible to sun bathe so instead we took a
long walk with the dogs. Unfortunately it was also impossible to take
photos without risking the life of the camera...
But anyway we enjoyed some hours at the beach before
heading home.
On the way home we stopped at Carrefour in Jerez; and
we found these lovely wetsuits. We will now be able to enjoy snorkling
for even more hours than last year in the Phillipines. Besides that
we also look smashing...:-)
I dropped Gabor off somewhere between Arcos and El Bosque,
also left the bike for him, so he should be able to make it home.
Todays biking: 48,9 km and 1297 vertical metres
27.07.2010
Todays first bike ride was from VC to Ubrique and back
again. Both of us had very very tired legs, and it was just hard work.
After some hours at home, Gabor took another bike ride, hoping for
better legs this time, while I went to El Tajo (outdoor swimming pool
in Grazalema) to do 2 km of swimming.
Todays first biking: 52,2 km and 1093 vertical metres
Todays second biking: 34,3km and 768 vertical metres
Todays climb to Puerto
Chico from the Zahara side 27.53 avg. 17.6 km/h on MTB (Best on
MTB, strong head wind)
We had dinner at El Alamillo, a restaurant situated
3 km from Grazalema, and we have often driven past it and talked about
going there some time.
Before dinner we took the dogs for a walk on a small
gravel road in the area. A lot of small fincas are situated here,
and a few of them were for sale. We wondered about the price of such
a finca. Must find a real estate agent one of these days to find out
more about the price level at the moment!
26.07.2010
Joaquín, Pia y Magda
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We got up at 7.30, breakfast in the sun, and then off for todays
activities:
Pia and Magda had a date with Joaquin and the horses, and Miklos
and Gabor wanted to climb Palomas and Boyar.
The horseback ride was magnificent, we were just the three
of us; so we went off to inspect the horses that at left in
the field for the summer; we found them all in good health,
went off to inspect the river, the sheep and the goats.
We went through the fields today and it was fantastic to ride
there between the cattle and the goats.
For each time I go riding I learn more Spanish, and now we
are able to talk and discuss different issues, Joaquin and me.
It is very interesting to get to learn more about the horses
and the way they run the finca.
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Miklos and Gabor also had a great day on the bikes. They went
up Palomas, and Miklos agreed
that it is a fantastic and very beautiful mountain.
As usual there was no traffic, besides one other cyclist.
The boys had planned their trip so they came to the finca to
meet Magda and I when we returned on horseback.
Miklos chose to join us girls in the car while Gabor took the
long Boyar climb and we all
met in Grazalema for lunch.
After that we returned to VC and a bit later we said goodbye
to our good friends after having a great time together.
We are looking forward to meet again some other time when we
are in Spain at the same time.
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Todays biking: 95,7 km and 2210 vertical metres
Waiting for lunch in Grazalema
Later that day, after Miklos and Magda had left, we
drove to Zahara de la Sierra to take a walk with the dogs. It is a
pretty and small mountain village beautifully situated overlooking
tha lake.
25.07.2010
Gabor on top of Palomas
After the bike ride, and after my running, we cleaned
the house and made things ready for our guests to arrive. Miklos and
Magda, who live in Mijas, a two-hour drive from here, would come to
see us.
When things were ready we went to the lake for a swim,
and as usual the water was lovely, and we all enjoyed it.
Miklos and Magda arrived and we had a great barbecue
and a lovely evening in the garden, talking and having fun.
Todays biking: 71,6 km and 1619 vertical metres
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Both dogs are now very familiar with water, and even Machico
takes long swims voluntarily. |
