transhumance is alive and well

After our long drive we enjoyed simply hanging out at the casa rural outside Cepeda la Mora: lounging in the sun and doing a limited foray in the near vicinity (Phil and me), stomping around the environs (Juan).

Juan had chosen Cepeda village because it was referenced in one of his books on village life in a previous age and was suitably “godforsaken” for his tastes. We walked up to the village centre to take a look and have a beer in a lively bar, populated by locals and second-home owners.

As the sun set we drove up above the casa for a typical northern Gredos view:

Walking in this less-than touristy area isn’t easy – we had no maps and much of the rolling, boulder-strewn hills are fenced off. But we spotted a track and invented a walk up a stream that took us into the path of a shepherd based at nearby Navacepeda. He was in no hurry, indicating the hip flask of wine in his satchel that will sustain him through the day. We chewed the cud for some time, watching the dogs working the sheep and learning about how the area has changed in his lifetime – fields of barley replaced by gorse as agriculture becomes less significant.