Caravaca de la Cruz to Moratalla

The first day and an easy walk in beautiful clear sunshine on old roads through orchards of almonds and peaches flowering in white and pink. Even so I was quite tired by the end, and my hips ache a bit.
My friend from Molina gave me a lift in the morning to Caravaca, and a sandwich of jamón Serrano. I also took charge of a large tub of home-made membrillo, which is a kind of jelly made with quinces. It goes really well in salads and with strong cheese. Anyway it weighed a kilo and a half and I was a bit alarmed. With that, three oranges and the water my pack was a lot heavier than I thought it was going to be!
I climbed up to the sanctuary of the true cross in Caravaca, remembering the end of my last walk, and taking a couple of photos of myself in the same
place.
After working out where I was meant to be going I walked out of the town and soon picked up the signs for the gr7.1. The route follows the same way as the Camino de la Vera Cruz, which I've just learned goes all the way to the north of Spain to join up with the Camino de Santiago.
Just outside Caravaca I came across a woman riding a horse. It was startled when it saw me and reared up. The woman scolded it in English. Apart from her, one runner and three mountain bikers I saw nobody else on the route.
Completely out of the blue another friend texted me to tell me he was driving down to meet me in Moratalla. I'd expected to see him when I was nearer Gandia where he lives, so I was really pleased.
I got to moratalla a lot sooner than I expected at around three oclock. It took me a while to find a pensión and I was sitting on the corner of the street waiting for the owner to turn up when my friend drove up entirely by chance having seen me in my stupid hat.
More drivel tomorrow.