Walking up river.

Last week's long morning walk was down the river to Yátor,  starting from here,  going towards El Golco  and then down the valley.   Today we did it the other way round,  I went down to Yátor to meet Gordon and say a quick hello to Jennifer then we set off up the footpath.

First the path is to the right hand side of the river, past various cortijos and a new fuente with seats for the weary,

then a bit further on after walking on a stony and bouldery section that was probably the river bed when it flooded a few years back,  we crossed the river.  We found a narrow section and jumped, then up the river bank,  over what I thought was an old bridge but appeared to be a wall - maybe a dam for some reason at one point?  It had a deliberate square hole at the base almost as if to let water through.

Any way, over that and then we followed the path up.  Lots of flat green areas by the side of the river, quite a few collapsed bridges, one ruined cortijo,  and  some  olive and almond  terraces  with dry stone walls in  surprisingly good condition.

Round a corner,  another ruin,  too small to have been lived in I think but maybe it was an animal shelter or somewhere to store tools and have lunch while out working on the land.

The path levels out now and you get the first good sighting of the church at El Golco and the village of Mecina Bombaron

A few hundred metres more brings you out onto the concrete road going down from El Golco to the river,

For those going the other way,  there is a yellow 'turn left' arrow on the rocks,  more obvious when you come up from the river.

 and then it's the more familiar path - for me anyway - that leads back to Montenegro.  Door to door,  about 1 hour 40 minutes.

PS:   although it is sunny and with blue skies,  there are cool winds!  Lovely walking in the sun but not sitting out weather today. 

PPS:  yesterday afternoon  the dogs and I went for a short walk to the fuente and deposito and came across some English visitors to the area,  2 of whom went in for a swim. Yes really.  In February.  Like I said, lovely in the sun but to swim???