Thursday

If yesterday was a flower day, today was a wildlife day. But first,  I started with a little jog around the village (different muscles from riding) and stuck my head into the big church that houses the Virgin. Lots of cleaning going on for the big festival, lots of gold and gilt on the altar in typical Spanish style.

 

The horses were tied up and waiting when we arrived at the hacienda (I never thought I would write a sentence like that) and we headed back toward the park. On the way, another canter across the wide field. I was a little off to the side and could look over and see eight or so of my fellow riders together, horses moving in rhythm as they streamed across the field. 


Then we entered the most protected portion of the park, where you needed a permit to go in.

This was driven home when a park ranger came out of nowhere and chewed out Alfonso for leaving the trail (we had just been taking a sort cut between trails). This rather pissed him off since, as he put it, horses don’t do any damage to the forest and the ranger was driving around in a big, noisy 4X4.

Things took a turn for the better when, not too far in the distance, we saw a mama boar and her babies (boarlets? boarbies?) scuttling away. And down the road we got a good look at a red deer and, later, a fawn.



Not to mention another lovely canter.

After aperitivo we returned to town and – I am not making this up – cantered in a line of all 12 of us through the city streets. Remember that this horse town has nothing but wide, sandy roads. The line was pretty ragged and we had to veer a little when cars pulled out of side streets but it was still fun.





We then rode to the cathedral and were met by Jose Maria and Alberto, who held our horses while we went ins and contemplated the Virgin statue. It must take a lot of people to carry her, the statue and its pedestal looked really heavy.Then back on the horses, this time so Philippe could video us cantering back and forth around the cathedral.



Not to mention a few still photos. 

Next stop: A bar on the north end of town, one of those that featured bar rails for the horses. And a glass of homemade organic sparkling sherry. Not all the horses were willing to belly up to the bar for it, as opposed to a local guy who showed up on his Arabian, so the waiter brought it to some of the riders.

Then inside for shrimp and prawns as appetizer and fried squid and fish for the main course. The horses were tied to trees out front. When we got back on they appeared to know exactly where they were going and walked happily to the hacienda, the same one, where they would overnight again.

Six of us, determined to ward off a siesta, had signed up for a wildlife-watching trip, and barely had time to shower before it was time to hop into the guide’s vehicle and go back into the park. We saw – very clearly through his telescope – a herd of about 11 red deer, as well as wild storks in their treetop nests and soaring black kites and red kites. No lynx, though we looked hard and the guide took us where rabbits, their prey, were likely to be found.

Dinner at the same restaurant and then we went into a basement reception room for some flamenco. I and the others had expected a cheesy dancer flapping her skirts but what we got was an amazing guitarist and a female singer with a deep, passionate voice. I couldn’t understand the words, of course, but they must have been expressing great love and sorrow, see the video link here. Some of the songs were more uplifting and we found ourselves dancing to the music. It was a late night, but worth it.