As we breakfast, the water is turned back on, we all shout a celebration and rush to flush the smelly toilets!

Julian and Geneva pack up and leave just after 10.00am to return the car in Granada and catch a train to Córdoba. We shower, enjoying the luxury of running water again and finish clearing up in the villa. We leave around 11.45 and drive first to Mercadona at Durcal and buy cheese, Iberian ham, fruit, vegetables and wine. All that remains of the large grocery shop that we did earlier in the week is some garlic and a piece of cauliflower. Now that we are back in the Hymer and on the road we need stocks of wine and food.

We take the A-44 again, back via Granada (passing the Alhambra, its orange-red stone high on the hilltop) to Albolote. From here we take the A-246 to Atarfe and then the N-432 to Pinos Puente. We drive up through the mountains and park at the top (by Escudo de Granada restaurant) for some lunch. It is hot and we pull the blinds down to keep us cool.

From here, on N-432 through Puerta Lope and Pinos Puerta. We take the A-339 through the Sierra Subbéticas mountains with some spectacular scenery, climbing to 800m. We pass the fortified town of Alcalá la Real with a spectacular fort perched very high above the surrounding mountains, a fantastic lookout in times past. Then dropping down into the valley to Cabra. We arrive at Cabra late afternoon and park on the Area Autocravanas on Calle Juanita la Larga.

There are only two spaces for motor homes and we are first to arrive, so pick the spot furthest from the cars and under the trees. It is quiet, about a mile from the town and perfect for our needs. The heat of the day is fading, so we walk into the town, it takes us about 30 minutes. It is not a particularly attractive town, but has significant historical importance as it is here that the two Islamic states of Granada and Seville aided by the Christian nights (Knights Castillo) fought the bloody Battle of Cabra in 1079 AD. El Cid’s forces routed Granada and his sword (the Poker) is reputedly buried here.

We go to the Museo Archeologiquo, which is quite small but we spend about two hours looking at the burial finds and artefacts from Neolithic times, Roman and Moorish civilisations. There are arrow heads, very old jewellery, toga pins of copper, ceramic amphora and oil lamps, bronze, roman coins and beyond. There are Neolithic 3D film presentations of cave drawings and artifacts found in the caves high in the Sierra Nevada mountains and between Granada and Seville. There are also original mosaics from Roman times and earlier. One particularly good one of a man with two tigers, now the image used on all signs for Cabra.

The woman at the desks speaks no English, but spends time with us and is at pains to help us know and understand what is here. Mr C. understands her pretty well, but her frustration at not having enough language is clear, we laugh together and understand each other perfectly. We are very grateful for her time as we think we may have missed much without her help, especially of Neolithic life in the caves in the mountains (thinking about Conchar and Durcal), the artefacts and burial finds and especially the mosaics.

We return to the camper park and find we have a Spanish neighbour. We sit on the low wall next to the camper under the pine trees and drink Spanish Cava. We note the size of the pine cones in the trees, they are enormous, and I think about taking some home for our grandchildren. I wander around but there are none on the ground and I can’t reach those in the trees. No matter, the thought is there. The evening is warm and pleasant, as we sit about a thousand birds fly overhead and congregate in the pine trees above the car park. Starlings and sparrows… they are incredibly noisy, almost deafening at times. We are mesmerised, especially when they all take flight together and swoop and turn en-masse, performing their evening sunset dance for us. As the sun sets, they land in the top of the pine trees with a cacophony of bird noise then… as the sun sets they fall silent… eerie and bazaar.

We eat sausage and tomatoes for supper with raspberries, strawberries and the last of the clotted cream.