Elda-Castalla

Today was the first day of walking over mountains. Fortunately, my friends from Gandía came across and we walked together. I realise it makes a big difference being with people: it makes the journey much easier when you have company.
We started on the outskirts of Elda to avoid the industrial estates which are normally an inevitable and tedious part of the walk. the road soon rose into the hills, past an impressive sand dune which we learned was brought there by the wind. Again as we walked I was impressed by the amount of houses in the countryside, both weekend cottages and proper houses. A big
contrast to Murcia.
The road carried on up through pines and occasional orchards of almond trees. I was amazed to see cultivation this far up, but my friends reckoned that it would be old folks looking after them and once they died the orchards would fall into disuse.
A delicious lunch of bocadillo de atún con aceitunas, looking down the mountainside to Elda.
We searched for fossils in the soft mudstones by the side of the track on the way down to Castalla but found none.
Castalla is a nice small town with an imposing castle on a rock. I'm staying in hotel San José, which has a profusion of furniture and lighting. What it doesn't have is any hot water, which made showering a refreshing experience. I'm staying here on Sunday and starting out for Alcoy on Monday. I might split this walk in two at Ibi, which isn't that far from here.