The Sierra Nevada is the tallest mountain range in Spain and some of its peaks are higher than those in the Pyrenees. The highest peak is Mulhacén at 3,479m. All around the Granada area you get a stunning view of the mountains, which are still snow capped in May.
We drove up to a dull looking ski town called Pradallano and parked up, with a view of Veleta peak (3,396m, on the left in the photo below). I had read that there was a shuttle bus which takes you up to a scenic viewpoint and a place that serious hikers go off up to Pico de Veleta from. We ate lunch in the van with a view of the road but quelle surprise, no buses went past. It was clouding over anyway and pretty chilly up there at 2,100m altitude, so it wasn't that much of a big deal.
A little way further down we stopped where the first flowers were blooming as I wanted to see what they were (yes I know these are sheep!😀).
The white flower is a Helianthemum - a Rock Rose but I don't know which one as there are many white ones like this, and PlantNet wasn't sure. The blue flower is Erinacea anthyllis, commonly called Blue Broom. I have never seen a blue flowered broom before - it looked gorgeous in the blue clumps interspersed with the white rock roses. In the bottom picture there is a white broom growing next to the blue one - the only only I saw this colour.
The next day we explored the Alpujarras ranges. This is on the southern, coastal side of the Sierra Nevada and is an area of rolling hills and gorges, a green and fertile area due to being watered by the snow melt. Further east the area becomes more arid. There are a number of 'white villages' here which are popular with second home owners and foreign buyers. The villages that we visited were very pleasant and not at all overly touristy.
The village of Pampaneira has a textile industry making 'jarapas', thick, colourful fabrics that are used as blankets, rugs and bedspreads made on hand looms, some of which are several hundred years old.
I was quite tempted by the rugs but they would have taken up too much space in our Moho garage, but we did buy a woven fly screen, one of those old fashioned ones which have long cords hanging that you put in a doorway.
The church, Inglesia de la Santa Cruz, which was built in the C18th was very surprisingly plain on the outside. However the rest of the village made up for it, with plants galore and gorgeous architecture.
These chimney pots are unusual and most houses have flat or almost flat roofs, with chimneys like this. I loved the way this flat roof had been decorated.
We didn't notice it when we were walking around but there is an old public laundry area inside the brick arched building where the town ladies would have brought their clothes to wash by hand.
A lady working at a hand loom.
We then drove higher up the valley to the last village, Capileira, where, believe it or not, there is an Indian restaurant! El Jardín de los Sabores has in fact two chefs, one who cooks the Indian food and the other who cooks local cuisine. You can guess which we opted for!
The setting in this lush and verdant garden was just divine, with views to die for and very good food. Whilst waiting, I was kept amused by this lovely dog who took a shine to me and wanted me to throw his stick to him (constantly!). He belonged to one of the waiters.
Back near our campsite this cactus was blooming. This is Austrocylindropuntia subulata, native to the Peruvian Andes, but an introduced invasive species in the Spanish coastal provinces. Can't say that I noticed this plant anywhere else though.
I didn't know what this was at the time of taking the photo, but it turns out to be a Pomegranate (Punica granatum)! Pomegranates are another introduced species in Spain, which I have seen both growing wild and also in cultivation.
I've now got to go through several hundred photos from Granada and the Alhambra and whittle them down to a couple of blog posts!! Expect lots of collages. 😁
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