It was a spur of the moment decision which lead me to Spain.
I did a random search in Trusted Housesitters and up popped a chance to care for a huge dog and many cats (seems to be my gig!), in the amazing coastal region of Andalusia near Malaga.
A gorgeous dog would always win me over.
Hampii the Andalusian Shepherd
That did it then. I would fly to Malaga and rent a car, then drive over to Morocco.
Easy.
That plan was changed as soon as I was able to snag a last minute spot on a tour on Socotra island, meaning I would have a 24 hour turn around between Spain and Yemen.
Morocco would have to wait.
Suited me fine. Im not really one to sit still for long.
I had always wanted to go to Socotra, and saying I was going to do ‘the thing’, wasn’t actually doing ‘the thing’ (you can read my Socotra posts in previous blogs).
So here I was arriving in Spain via Madrid (worlds weirdest airport award), as a way to fill in time before Socotra.
I was Frigiliana bound, and figured the nearby mountains would offer me a great training ground for Socotra island. I planned on getting as fit as I could before I left, using the Spanish playground as my hard graft.
Trusted Housesitters allows people to care for animals in return for free accommodation. I had been using this for a couple of years as a way to secure a cheap base from which to springboard into an area for sight-seeing, hiking, photography. Cats were my preferred animal, but big dogs were also an attractive option, as it meant they required exercise. And boy did Hampii the big dog, love to get out and walk.
Prior to my Spanish sojourn I FaceTimed with the owners of Hampii and four indoor cats, plus eight outdoor cats. Hampii was large - a tall leggy energetic boy who had a skin issue caused by food allergies. He was on medication, a special diet and also required a special bathing routine. Given this big boy was afraid of water, the bathing was an interesting challenge. Not to be outdone by Hampii, two of the four indoor cats also required medicating, and one cat lived almost entirely under the bed, too afraid to come out to greet me - although I am sure she probably did when I wasn’t around.
The outdoor cats were all lovely and well taken care of. My favourite was Roy - a large solid ginger boy who loved to follow me around. They all lived near a large rock at the top of the long driveway to the house, content to be away from the action - although Roy would frequently appear at the door waiting for me.
The house was in typical Spanish style, tucked into the hills ten minutes drive from the incredibly cute Frigilana, some 25 minutes from Nerja on the coast.
They had a pool (but being winter I didn’t use it), and a great view over the mountains and part of the coast. I spent a night ‘in training’ before Elisabeth and Tom went to Switzerland to be with their family over Christmas and New Year.
This was going to be awesome - I could feel it.
Frigiliana is a village of around 3300 people. It has a long history that includes prehistoric settlements, Roman fortification, and a profound Moorish influence that is still visible today in its urban design. The village played a key role in the 1569 Morisco uprising before being repopulated and eventually granted the title of "Villa" by King Philip IV in 1640.
Frigiliana has subtle Greek Island vibes with its white-washed houses and contrasting colourful window boxes and doors. Flowers adorned pots on narrow steep alleys, and store vendors showed their wares out on the pavement, enticing whatever passer-buyers were out and about. Cafes spilled out onto verandas and balconies, with tapas being enjoyed in waning winter late afternoon light.
It was an idyllic setting.
The village sits amongst some respectable hiking trails including an ancient water-race which has been turned into a popular track and a short steep hike which soon became my daily go-to for a quick upward grunt, with the formidable name of ‘El Fuerte”, commanding fantastic views over the village out towards the coast.
I was more attracted to the challenging routes behind the village, and took Hampii with me on several long hauls up and down rocky trails in search of stronger fitter legs.
I could not take Hampii off the lead, as he was fascinated with chasing rabbits or ay other small furry animals, and there did seem to be a few. So I fashioned a way of typing his lead around my waist in order to keep my hands free. Being a strong dog, he often ended up pulling me forward, however, required carrying (yes all 40+ kg of him), over any body of water including the narrowest of streams. He was terrified of them.
I took two days away with the help of a wonderful neighbour who offered to have Hampii for each day, so that I could spend a day in Granada with a friend, and also to see Ronda’s famous tall bridge.
These two trips were worlds within a world - each a small treasure within the already bountiful break I was having.
How lucky was I?
Granada (some 95km from Frigiliana), is stunning with an incredible fortified area dating from the ottoman era, called the Alhambra, which sits atop a rocky outcrop. It is huge and covers a vast acreage, flanked by stunning mountain views of the Sierra Nevada range. The Alhambra saw its beginnings in the ninth century as a fortress but gradually through various incantations, not least by the Nasrid rulers of the 13th century, became increasingly more palatial. Its final iteration saw the Alhambra undergo Renaissance style alterations by the Emperor Charles V. It has also fallen prey to earthquake damage and war damage in the 1800’s but extensive restorations in recent decades have transformed it to its current grandeur.
I was there during December, and the orange remnants of late autumn leaves framed every viewpoint of this magnificent gem overlooking Granada. To visit Alhambra requires bookings.
To wander the grounds is free, but other areas require entry fees to visit - see here for the website.
Ronda is around 160km from Frigiliana and is an ancient town built around an imposing deep gorge which has grafted its way through the rock on account of its old river far below.
The town is famous for its stunning bridge which spans the two banks. The bridge is 120m in height and spans the El Tajo Gorge through which runs the Guadalevin River. Despite its colourful history, the Puento Nuevo is a recent addition, with the bridge being constructed in the late 1790’s.
It is a super interesting area due to its neolithic and paleolithic archeological history as evidenced by cave art in the area. Many different groups of people have left their mark on Ronda, including the Visgoths, the Celts, the Romans, the Moors and most notably the Muslims who left an impressionable architectural mark.
View from Puento Nuevo
I also visited an intriguingly charming village called Setenil de las Bodegas. Built under rock overhangs and into the rock itself, the village has a colourful history. The cave/rock veranda weaves its way for several kilometres and attracts many people for its picturesque setting. I had a relaxing few hours there wandering the streets, and enjoying tapas in the afternoon sun, watching the world go by - as one is duty bound to do in Spain.
Setenil de las Bodegas
This stunning area of Spain quickly became my happy place. I had all the hiking I could ask for which fed my soul right down into the core. I enjoyed glorious sunny days, stunning sunrises and sunsets, tapas, Spanish wine and fantastic food, followed up by lots of love from Hampii and the cats.
I left Spain with an intense desire to return and further explore everything else this stunning place had to offer.