Bejis and back to Blighty – just restored a blog I did earlier too- the one before this. 

When the power went out for an hour, it stayed out. And still is as far as I know. Three days later. Power and hour eh? There was a young lady from Kent. Enough!

The snow settled and fell for 24 hours. Power cables came down and this region was plunged in darkness. Luckily the hostal’s heating was oil fired so my room was warm but the public rooms were cold. 

My iPad was running out of juice but it had no wifi or 3 signal anyway. My phone was topped up but the aerials were down so no signal. I had my head lamp so at least I had some light. The landlady cooked on a Primus stove. Nice food too but they ran out of milk and were down to the last three candles when I left. It was a Dunkirk spirit for the locals having breakfast in the hostal bar. No milk? Open the wine! All happy except the miserable looking old dear on the right. It’s only milk love. 

Two days full board, with great meals, £40 a day, room and board. I’ve put that weight back on. Can’t walk in the snow and nowt to do but sleep. 15 hours yesterday. Two days and I’m already stir crazy.

Saturday and I am going to go for it, probably back home. The landlady and landlord were sorry to see me go. The only resident guest. They asked me to be careful. There were two snowploughs clearing a track to the village and dropping salted grit. Just what the walker ordered.

I covered 4kms in an hour, reaching the next village, looking back at Bejis, momentarily lit for me by a shaft of sunlight. Still no electricity though. And Toras, this next village, was out too.

Another 8kms and I reach a village with a bus stop. A 4 wheel drive came down the hill and I stuck out my thumb. Result. A lift to Viver. The young woman passenger spoke English and said the next section of my walk was totally blocked. No pasar. The GR7 was out of bounds probably for the entire trip. The roads I intended to use as a substitute were blocked and I would have to wait for them to be cleared. However going north the power was also out. I needed to get through the mountains to reach the coast. The only routes open were trains and the main road from Valencia to Madrid which runs through the valley. I’d like to see the rest of the GR7. I’ll go home and come back to where I left off at some time in the future. Maybe later this year. 

The village of Viver celebrated my decision with a parade.

No snow on the valley floor. The buses were running so I got one to Valencia and a train to Alicante. Antonia booked me a flight to Leeds on Sunday afternoon and a hotel in Alicante. It’s been a good walk. 230 miles. Halfway there. Another time.

As my cousin Mick says. It’ll still be there. And with views like this it’s worth another shot or two!

Adios amigos.