Sierra de Guadarrama

Iberian or Spanish Lavender, Sierra de La Cabrera and the Bustarviejo Valley.

The same stormy day as her previous shot posted by me. We had another storm today with more promised for tonight and tomorrow! On the horizon near the left is my favourite Sierra de La Cabrera.

I had a car in 2011 and could drive round to the north side of the Sierra. Since then I have been relient on buses and therefore the southern view is the only one I show now; as here: www.ipernity.com/doc/2247598/45542510/in/album/987282 Spring flowers, cantueso (wild lavender landscape in season) and granite scenery. Sierra de Guadarrama, Madrid Province. Taken from near near the tiny village of Navas de Buitrago.

Sierra de La Cabrera. For Marie-Claire.

Near Valdemanco. Sierra de La Cabrera.

Between El Escorial and Zarzaleja. I suspect most of it is now in the walls that line it!

Sierra de La Cabrera.

One more from my bedroom window last week in Guadarrama.

Lavender, cistus, contrail and granite. Peña del Tejo, Sierra de La Cabrera. Sight and sound, no other reason than that I like it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAaFTOLAziM I think that the skill of singing at exactly the same time as playing the guitar is a gift given to very few. Sixto Rodriguez and Jimi Hendrix, are the two that spring to my mind straight away. There surely are others but I can't think of them for the moment. Maybe Paco de Lucia but certainly not Clapton.

Sierra de La Cabrera in Autumn before the rains. Mondalindo dominating the background.

Narrow alleyway in Miranda del Castañar, Salamanca Province. Sierra de Francia.

My views of this sierra last week were from a closer vantage point. I should have been there this week but an arrogant student decided that the immersion course was not to his taste and so he got it cancelled after only 2 minutes of us all meeting! I now have a battle to get paid and the academy has a fight to retain the contract. A worrying few days all round! (There was nothing wrong with the course).

An early winter shot.

I passed under this overhang to proceed on my way. (It's not so difficult: I didn't include the easy foot ledge in this photo!)

Sierra de La Cabrera granite above the town of La Cabrera. There's a Griffon vulture soaring up there too.

Plaza Mayor, Guadarrama.

La Maliciosa is a moderately high Sierra de Guadarrama peak but it often exudes a menace belying its stature, as seen here in shadow between the pillars of the establishment where I am staying (for work only) these two weeks.

I like the colour and the flower and just thought it looked attractive with its shadow against the grey of the wall. That slight pink tinge shows that it is the local granite being used here.,