Snow Joke Walking from Villar del Orzobispo to Bejis

When I woke up this morning I wasn’t fantastic. I knew that at breakfast yesterday the black pudding was ok but I had a spicy sausage too and that tasted a bit off. I left it but it caught up with my exit procedure. In fact it expedited an emergency evacuation, luckily on the tarmac and not in mid-flight. I had fresh orange juice, coffee and toasted bread with crushed tomatoes, olive oil and salt for brecky. Old favourite. 

I hit the road at 8.30 with 33kms to my next stop in Bejis. Freezing wind. The landlord warned me about snow before I left. Be careful.

I got wrapped up. Who you looking at? Do you want some? 

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Sorry. Whilst I’m blogging I’m listening to the Maccabees album ‘Given to the Wild’. They’re playing ‘Forever I’ve Known’. Bloody, bloody brilliant and beyond. 

It was a long hard slog across 12 kms of plain to Alcublas. Stopping en route to evacuate stowaways. Feeling better afterwards. The route was unlovable.

A couple of farmers stopped to make sure I was ok and to tell me to be careful about the snow. It came on a bit, those small icy flakes that hit one of your eyeballs and make it sting and shut down vision for a few minutes. But it soon cleared. In Alcublas I went into the only bar open and had two more coffees. I don’t care for this Skinny Latte with a vanilla shot, extra whip of caramel and a keech composium slipped up the spoon. Southern muck. Four. But Spanish cafe con leche does something for a man. St Bruno does something more. 

I soon thrust myself out into the brutally cold wind. The landlord told me to be careful of the snow. He showed me a forecast for snow here at 3pm. It was noon. You’re talking to a northerner matey. Nae worries.

The pools of water from the recent downpours were frozen solid.

Fair play to this pilot, he landed his Piper on the smallest runway I’ve ever seen!

Taking a short cut over the shoulder of a mountain that the main road rolls around saved me a couple of kilometres. And the next town, Sacanyet, was the only interim stop between here and Bejis. And it was a long uphill walk to it. Another bloke stopped in his car and warned me about the snow. I’m northern me. I got to Sacanyet and was almost at the summit, before the road drops 8kms down to Bejis, when the snow came. Luckily a couple of lads turned up in an old VW Combi and offered me a lift. An Italian bloke from Venice (merchant he was) and a local Valencian. I was on the edge. Only 8kms to go, but the snow might be proper snow at this height. I jumped in and we were down in Bejis in 10 minutes. I was booked in Hostal El Tren Pita and I was there in time for lunch. No snow at this lower altitude. And the store room, where I left my kit whilst I ate lunch, was full of goodies.

And the view from the restaurant was great.

And then the real snow started. Thank goodness I accepted that lift and got down from the higher altitude. This is proper stuff. 

It’s still going after 5 hours and blizzards are forecast for tomorrow. I’ve booked to stay here tomorrow night. Bizarrely the snow storm is electrical so we’ve had lightning that’s knocked the electricity out for the last hour. The room is getting a little colder with no heating. Oh well. I’ve got my sleeping bag. 

I can plan a new route tomorrow and it’ll be fine. But at the moment it’s a lock-down. Just like Ghost Adventurers. And,as I wrote that, the lightning sparked through the dark room and the thunder roared. Spooky timing. Given to the Wild.

Night night.