On Virtual Explore

Nice to wake up to this at my sister's place this morning!

Sierra de la Cabrera, spring scenery with granite and monastery. I tried to grow asphodel in my garden near London, but it prefers acidic soils so it never performed well.

La Sierra de La Cabrera. I enjoyed my Canon digital which a kind Pano member sent to me after I dropped my beloved Nokia N95 in a bog in Cornwall. Sadly it gave up accepting charge from any charger after about 9 months. Many of my best countryside, night and sunrise / sunset shots were taken with it. I still have it and will find a Canon service centre to get it fixed when I can summon up the spondooliks! Shot taken in late September but in both 2011 and 2012, I distinctly recall that summer lasted well into November!

Príncipe Pío metro and mainline station, Madrid.

The central Sierra de La Guadarrama viewed from the Roman road between Zarzalejo and El Escorial.

Sierra de La Cabrera

I can't think of a more typical Sierra de la Cabrera piece of scenery than this! The deep blue sky is also typical ... at any season (and this was a perishingly cold January day!).

Typical Sierra de La Cabrera country in late Spring.

You can drink this and I do. I re-fill my water bottles here. but not in summer and autumn because it is dry. Sierra de La Cabrera, Madrid. Please view on large and black. Sight and sound. www.youtube.com/watch?v=COiIC3A0ROM A favourite soul artist.

You can just about trace this tiny mountain stream doing its darndest in full spate zig-zagging its way across this shot. Sierra de La Cabrera at the Valdemanco end.

Seen (just about) at bottom left. I think most of it is in the much later wall! Zarzarlejo, El Escorial, Sierra de Guadarrama, Madrid Province. Granite country.

In the distance the Sierra de Guadarrama. The Roman road probably passed slightly to the right of here; the modern path goes straight ahead as you see at the left of the shot.

Wild flowers (including poppies) and fence by a country lane near Valdemanco, Sierra de La Cabrera, Madrid Province.

Sierra de La Cabrera, granite country, lookng north towards the valley of the Lozoya.

Castle walls and gateway.

This spelt POWER, added to Religious fundamentalism, 16th century style. And the nerve centre of the greatest world empire seen up to that time.

Abandoned walled town in Cacares province. (Abandoned due to being cut off by a new reservoir in the 50s). But the fruit trees are still tended and the hay collected for summer, autumn and winter fodder (grass is only grazed in the spring).

Two weeks here in Guadarrama: immersion classes in Business English, teaching students from the Government´s nuclear power regulators and site inspectors. Mountains left to right: Sierra del Quintanar, Siete Picos, Bola del Mundo and La Maliciosa.