isobelmtl

I’m sure someone will be able to correct me if I am wrong… I believe this translates to “marrows”. It took me a while to figure it out but I think it refers to the Roman gold mines that operated here during the period when they ran things here in Spain. Somehow they discovered that there was gold in “ them thar hills” and they devised a scheme to flush water, huge amounts of water down the mountains to excavate the gold. This gold floated the Roman Empire for a long time.

but as you see nature corrects, forgives and camouflages all. It is really a tremendous sight. Of course, my desk partner got a bit lost as he drove me, Anna and a remarkable person called Juan Antonio around some hair-pin bends to the look out!

Juan Antonio is remarkable in that he has been hired by the priest to “ help “ us – some sort of community service I think. Anyway, yesterday I was stung by a bee while collecting my socks from the washing line. He immediately grabbed a handful of earth and mixed it with water. This mud poultice he applied to my thumb and made me wear a plastic glove for a little while. Within half an hour I had no pain or swelling

Besides bees, it seems humans “ pick “ there too. I had to make this sign in case someone took them by accident. They were black after all! We will see the results of this.

Here he is holding a combination of ladders as a rather “ alternative” young man insists in cutting a hole in a horizontal screen in the entrance. It is meant to stop birds building their nests up there. One adventurous bird got caught between the glass roof and the netting so it was the young man to the rescue.

The mountain is full of blooming trees which people call cherry. There is a sort of heather too. It was a lovely outing Hood thing as there is a big function on the weekend. It is the 25th anniversary of the opening of this hostel and Anna is already planning what we will cook! Who me? My dinner turned out quite well the other day despite discovering there is no functioning oven three hours before dinner time!

This much for today as the Greeks say!