Wednesday Walk and Make Me Smile 30.3.2022 Edition.
Hello dear Friends! I hope everything is fine with you all!
Our last weeks in Andalusia were stressy because we brought the car to our friend ´s Car Repair shop. I have known Javi and his wife for 23 years. His 2 sons were still small at that time and they´ve grown-up now and have taken over the shop when Javi retired a couple of years ago. I had to leave the car for days at the shop while they ordered the spare part, since I had to go back without car, one of the sons offered me to bring home. Voila! That was fine!
Their shop to my home is about 4 KM away ( 2 KM cemented road and 2 KM dirt track). So up we went....and when we reached the crossing on the mountain top of the area we live in, I asked him to drop me off there because that was the chance for me to take pictures of our surroundings. Our house is more or less 1 Kilometer from the crossing.. So I went off and started going round for these images.
Mediterranean Sea
When the skies are cloudless and so blue, the Mediterranean Sea is also blue in color. Most of the hills are cultivated by farmers planting avocados in the beginning. Avocado plantations are rampant in Andalusia... but then, water supply became costly. So other farmers opted to plant mangoes and so most of the vacant hills are now full of mangoes. They said that mangoes consume less water.
Before leaving Andalusia in February, the almonds started blooming already and a sign that Spring had arrived in Andalusia. The temperature in the beginning of Spring is about 10°C higher than in Central Europe.
Pyrostegia or orange trumpet vine is so popular in Spain. It climbs and even reaches electrical poles giving spectacular beautiful colors.This had been my neighbor´s fence.
The Neighborhood
I encountered the neighbor´s cat who was running away back to its gate when he saw me. This was one of the abandoned cats by Spaniards. Our german neighbor takes care of his food and water. The dirt road is about 500 meters from our place. Part of the track had been cemented in this neighborhood, we all contributed part of the cost and the townhall shoulders half of the total expenses, the work of cementing the track is ongoing. A couple of Spanish neighbors did not contribute anything but continue to use the cemented track.
A wild olive tree along the dirt road... In Andalusia, the harvest is between November and February.
Normally, all family members of the farmers help out during the harvest. They would put a net around the olive tree and hit the olives with sticks or scraper, the olives fall on the net and the kids gather them in boxes.
These boxes are brought to the cooperative that grinds the olives to make oil, a portion belongs to the cooperative and the rest for the farmer. They do not have to buy olive oil. Around 6 kilos are needed to produce 1 liter of oil that could fetch a price of 4-6 Euros depending on its quality.
As I went down the dirt track, I passed - by my Italian neighbor. He has plenty of wild agave growing in his property. They are wild and already have flowers that resemble a tree. He is new in the neighborhood and just bought the olive plantation from the German couple.
These are the seeds of the wild Oleander that is spreading along the barranco which is a narrow winding creek where water passes between hills during the rainy days.
Well friends, that´s all for now, I hope you enjoyed the view...see you around and stay safe!
I was refreshed by this walk although it had been a long one. Despite the distance, it made me smile! I thank both 
and 
for this wonderful collaboration.
and for this wonderful collaboration. 
