This walk was just one of the most amazing walks I have ever done. The temperature today was 23 deg c, the dogs and I are now used to the temperatures. As such I decided a longer walk was in order, the walk I chose was just under 11km in distance with some steep elevations. The walk started in a little village and then through what looked to me like allotments, to go down into a valley where a river with various small waterfalls led to a beautiful lake and waterfall as pictured.
I don’t know about you, but up until this point in my life I was not aware how hugely water affects the temperature of the surrounding area. Walking down into the valley it was shaded but still very warm, once alongside the river I was suddenly aware of a 2-3 deg drop in temperature. It was incredible and so unexpected.
The dogs absolutely loved this walk as they could splash in and out of the water, had the weather been warmer and the area slightly quieter I may well have been tempted to join them as it looked so clean and refreshing.
We stayed here for about 10-15 minutes playing in the water and then we left to continue our walk. The walk was mainly hard tracks or stone following the river upwards to the top of the hill, where the heat was much more apparent, though this did not affect the dogs due to reasonably free access to water en route.
What I did notice is that my phone battery was really being drained by the walking App that I was using, and so I became dangerously close to having no phone. Having turned everything off except the app, I made it back to the car with 6% available. I was very concerned that I would lose battery power and have no way of knowing which way to go to get back to the car. Must find a solution to this problem soon.
I have mentioned before about the hotel – the disappointment about dogs not being allowed to stay in the room whilst I nip out to eat. Fortunately I found a little cafe really very close to the hotel. This allows dogs on the tables outside but not inside, if this weather holds then that is fine, but if it doesn’t this may well be problematic.
The dog laws in Spain have been changed recently – on the whole I really agree with them, and their reasons for them. One such law is that dogs are not to be left in cars, or unattended for any length of time. This is great for the locals who have their air conditioned homes to leave their dogs in. The problem for the traveller is this:-
The hotel will not allow the dogs to be left in the room unsupervised
Most of the restaurants do not allow dogs inside
Supermarkets do not allow dogs inside, and the law states it is illegal to leave them tied up outside.
This leaves limited options for eating and shopping for necessities, especially for the lone traveller and their dogs.
So if the weather is bad (which it sometimes is), you cannot eat outside, they won’t allow you to eat inside with your dogs, and you cannot buy food in a supermarket to take back to the hotel as you can’t leave your dog anywhere. More thought is needed on this one I feel.
Catch up on more tomorrow….
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