Hazy

There was very heavy rain overnight, with a bit of thunder and lightning, but this morning it was overcast but calm. After breakfast we went out onto the vast square in front of the monastery to find that the stable colonnade I blipped yesterday was lined with stalls selling a varying assortment of tat, ranging from jewellery, incense, dreamcatchers, fridge magnets, toys, and leather goods to creepy dolls, and fans and other items badly hand decorated with portraits of Frida Kahlo. A stream of buses disgorged tourists to add to those already there. We bought maps and then headed to the tourist office where a very helpful young woman gave S leaflets for a selection of walks.

Given the uncertain weather, we decided on a short and easy circular walk of just over 4 km. It started with an awkward scramble up rocks, but thereafter was quite easy. It still took us two hours as we stopped to look at a rock formation known as the camel — which we all agreed looked like a tortoise — a Bronze Age tomb, some elusive goats, and a charcoal burning site.

Back at the monastery we had a light lunch at one of the bars and then decided to do the walk up to the cross above the monastery. It’s a pity the sign at the bottom didn’t inform us that the path was closed halfway up due to a rockfall. We came back down and got there successfully from the other end. Impressive views over a fertile hanging valley (blip).

The sky was constantly threatening rain, but magically we avoided it. After the stations of the cross, we visited the really delightful botanic garden behind the monastery — I will blip it another day. By then it was time for a bit of a rest before reconvening for drinks and dinner. And then to bed. Or at least to blip.