Yesterday was the first day of sun after the Christmas rains. Blue sky, childlike fluffy white clouds, birds singing, our molino whirring like a train [great, it’s filling up our batteries]. We ventured out in our wellies to explore the extent of the wetness. Our first destination, as always after rain, is the bridge at the bottom of the valley.

The water was flowing fast beneath the bridge, and there was a thin layer of sand underfoot suggesting that the river had at some point flooded over the top. The water was sludgy, full of leaf debris, muddy brown. Further up the valley, the Thyme Track was a little sticky underfoot. Sticky for the wild boar as well as us: lots of hoof prints to follow! The holm oaks look a little worse for wear, losing more of their leaves than normal at this time of year [they are not deciduous, instead shedding a few leaves all year round]. Some are orange and yellow-toned [below], I think more because of the autumn drought. This rain should help remedy that. That was the morning. Two hours later, the heavens opened again and the wind howled.

5 to remember
ayer – yesterday
ingenuo – childlike
esponjoso/a – fluffy
el tren – the train
el runrún – whir [of machine]