Biking & Baking in Las Alpujarras

If I am sitting down with a bit of care, and walking slightly oddly, it's because I've just spent 2 days on horseback and the old body has taken a bit of a pounding. Two or three hours once a week is fine, but five or six hours each day for two days is quite a lot.

We rode from Bubión via the Area Recreativa de Pórtugos to Trevélez, then going back we took a high route up to the Hoya del Portillo and back down to Bubión. Four of us: Rafa from his stables 'Cabalgar', Ulrike from Saltzburg, Jasmine from a nearby village and myself. We rode 3 grey horses and my beautiful bay, Lola, who behaved herself very well unless any other horse got too close behind...then flattened her ears, tried to block any overtaking manoeuvre and kicked her heels back if necessary!

But we had good weather (warmer today), the views were splendid and there were some excellent opportunities for a good canter. Rafa gives instruction to those who need it (keep your heels down, control your horse etc) and one always feels an improvement in riding style afterwards. We only had one incident, when Jasmine's horse stood on her foot by accident, but some cold water, a Paracetamol and a bit of comforting soon got her back in the saddle. I almost overshot the saddle climbing back up just as Lola decided to move on, but the mane is always a good safety point...wherever your horse goes, you go too!

Our packed lunch consisted of a hearty bocadilla, stuffed with jamón, queso y tomate but baked beans on toast with a fried egg a la cowboy was on the supper menu last night. Tonight might be patatas bravas as we have very little left in the fridge until tomorrow. I think I have left the recipe for this before.

Tomorrow we have to 'prep' 2 motorbikes for their ITV (MOT) in Orgiva on Thursday: my little c90 and Steve's VFR 800i. I don't think I've ridden a 40km round trip before on the 90, so I'm more nervous about that than the horse-riding. Rain is due but we will have to hope that it holds off until we are home again. Water on well-used tarmac after so much dry weather is not a very good idea...