Friday is market day in Alhama and the market is held at the bottom of a very steep hill. We went this morning to buy some oranges, lemons, and cherries. On the way back up the hill we met a small woman carrying a bag of potatos. We don't know what they weighed, but the bag looked very heavy because the woman carrying them had stopped for a rest. I should add that it was also extremely hot - the temperature for the past few days has been in the mid 30s and very sunny.
As Brian was carrying our purchases, I tried to help her as she started off again but the bag kept slipping and I had to stop. Brian took over then, but the same thing happened to him. He then discovered that she had got one of the potatos and pushed it into the corner of the bag and that was how she was able to carry it without it slipping from her hand. They progressed to the top of the first part of the hill, when she needed a rest and then he took it from her altogether and carried it on his shoulder all the way to her house. We chatted in Spanish for most of the way, catching some of what she said, but missing most of it, but when we finally got there she insisted on introducing us to her mother.
We had already identified the area we were in, as one of the poorer parts of town and this was born out when we met the mother. She is a tiny little woman who looks as though she has spent most of her life working in the fields and it seemed to me that she doesn't have a single tooth left. She was delighted that we had helped her and offered us a drink, but we declined and headed back to the other side of the Church which appears to be a bit more prosperous.
The bag was one of those plastic string ones and the weight has ranged from 10 to 30 kilos! Because the potatos were unwashed, Brian has carried the evidence of his good deed around on his grey shirt, and almost looks like a local - only trouble is that he is so much taller! Muy alto as they say in Spanish.
Yesterday after lunch we took a drive in the opposite direction to Granada and made a circular route toward Jatar and then to Arenas del Rey (Sands of the King). It is a small town where we took some photos of the plaza de Alfonso and the Church and then on to a huge lake created by a dam across the Alhama and Cacin rivers.
We followed a sign to a Mirador and Bar (lookout) but no joy with the bar, so walked back to the main road where we chatted to a gentleman who come over to tell us that the dam was not full at the moment and that there was no where open where we could get a drink!
Walked to the centre of the dam wall and took some photos, as the view to the Sierra Tejeda is impressive. The dam has the name Los Bermejales.
Came back for a rest and went out for dinner last night to the second of the restaurants we have tried in town. The first one Meson Diego was where we had lunch one day last week, and last night's is called Al Dente. As the name suggests it is mostly Italian and we both had pasta. As usual we were far too early - we got there around 8.15, but everyone sits around drinking if they get out that early and don't start eating until around 9.30 or 10.00.
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