A VILLAGE RAMBLE

There is a heatwave currently affecting most of Spain and in Guájar Alto, during the hottest hours of the day when a profound langour settles upon the village, there’s nothing much anyone can do other than laze in the shade or splash about in the swimming pool. By contrast, the nights are wonderfully cool; people sit outside their houses chatting and children play in the street until the early hours. All around, the air is saturated with the heavenly scent of flowering shrubs.

We had another organized village excursion - on foot, this time. A group of about a dozen of us, all wearing lime-green T-shirts and red caps ( to the great amusement of the other villagers ) set off in the cool of early morning to walk along the course of the river Toba in the direction of Guájar Faragüit. For much of the route, the river bed (practically dry in summer ) runs parallel with the road and often when driving in or out of the village we’d wondered about the ancient aquaducts and derelict buildings along its banks. Apparently, they are relics of a flour mill and it seems that since the times of Arab occupation crops of wheat and maize, watered by means of a system of canals, were grown in Guájar Alto.
We passed a small, concrete-lined reservoir which, we were told, once provided the village houses with water. There was also a spot where villagers used to swim and if they fancied a beer or other refreshment, they would ring a handbell to attract the attention of the proprietor of a small chiringuito ( a kiosk selling drinks ) on the other side of the road; he would then walk across with their order. The chiringuito, a small, concrete block, still stands by the side of the road, forlorn and derelict.
Along the riverbed are pools of water in which all kinds of aquatic creatures and plants must thrive. I would have liked to linger to look for the little terrapins which are found in this kind of habitat but I had to keep up with the rest of the party since the route we were following is quite tricky in places and assistance from the gallant, male members of the group was at times required.
As the sun rose higher, we were shaded from its heat by the precipitous, overhanging rocks. After a while, the riverbed broadened out and we found ourselves in a recreation area furnished with seats and tables. The Spanish always have a mid-morning snack so we stayed there for a while so that the sandwiches and other refreshments we’d brought could be consumed. Our rucksacks now considerably lightened, we scrambled up a steep path through a pine forest from the summit of which is a fine view of Guájar Alto and its dominant mountain, El Fuerte.
Continuing on our way, we wound along a narrow track, single-file, until we evntually found ourselves on a dusty track which the villagers call Camino Roto ( broken road ). We’d come full circle and were now heading back towards the village. Now and again, someone would burst into song and the rest would join in. The mayordomos of Guájar Alto are the best, sang the steward leading the party. Better than the mayordomos of Faragüit! This was a reference to the good-natured rivalry between the three villages which comprise Los Guájares and resulted in much laughter.
We passed a number of farms, obviously well-irrigated and fertile judging from the lushness of the vines, olives, avocados and fruit trees. People working on their land were quite startled to see such a large group of people on a road along which, these days, few travel and our lurid green T-shirts and red caps caused much hilarity. I told one man, who’d stopped work to stare at us in astonishment, that I felt like a mountain goat after the terrain we’d just negotiated.
By now, we were all very hot indeed and as we entered the village, we made our way straight to the first of the fountains where we were able to drink the spring water and splash our faces. After that, we had to parade ourselves through the main street and then back again to the house of one of the members of our group for a very jolly hour of tapas and drinks.
August is the month of fiestas in Los Guájares. Guájar Fondón have already had theirs and Guájar Faragüit is currently putting up the flags in preparation for their fiesta which begins this weekend. Guájar Alto is the last to celebrate its annual fiesta which will take place in a week’s time and, already, there is an atmosphere of excitement as the villagers gear themselves up for the festivities.