Mucho Frio (In Search of Winter Sun)

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"MUCHO FRIO" (In Search of Winter Sun) arrived in Malaga on the south coast few sheep in a half-acre paddock. Then of Spain, the sun shining and the climate into a rocky arid semi-desert, where the mild as May, unlike the cold February trail followed a dry stream bed, until I I had left behind in Yorkshire. The city reached a small stream at 6000 feet, has a fine promenade of palm trees and where I slept out on a fine frosty night. gardens, from which narrow streets lead Next day I was soon above the snowoff, barely ten feet wide. New blocks of line and although the weather was fine flats soaring above the slums they re- a mean wind was cold, and the ridge place. hard ice. My campsite was on the sum- The country around Malaga is hilly mit of an unnamed peak at 9500 feet, and steep, up to 3000 feet, much of it and I saw a blood-red sunset. uncultivated, with small terraced fields, Next day found me floundering in that are ploughed with yoked oxen and deep snow drifts in the basin of the sown by hand scattering as in biblical Laguna de las Yeguas. It was my intentimes. Ripe oranges and lemons and tion to cross the main range and set off orchards heavy with apple and cherry for the saddle. Snow drifts led to hard blossom. Heading north-east for Granada ice, where I put on my crampons. When and the Sierra Nevada, I found the I saw what looked like bad weather apclimate both hot and dry. From a hill- proaching, I retreated to the shelter of top the Mediterranean was a deep travel the Laguna, from an elevation of 10,500 poster blue. feet. But on reaching the frozen laguna I was soon to find the Spaniards as the weather was still fine, the basin warm in their friendliness as their sheltered, and a hut alongside had a climate. A happy, smiling people. The ventilator which, sO I thought, was a village of Comares is planted on a hill, possible means of entry in an emergency. its tiny village square, the Plaza de Snow commenced overnight, not heavy General Franco, has a well at one end, and no wind, so I stayed put. The next above a long, steep drop. The cobbled night the snow became heavy and the streets leading off are about six feet wind strong. When I attempted to enter wide. Here I dispatched some postcards, via the ventilator, my shoulders were and although I pointed out the address too wide, and my torch was lost in tryas Nuevo Zelandia, they insisted on only ing. The tent had collapsed and quarter charging 11d., (1 peseta). Some of my filled with snow, when I crawled in. ex-friends had to pay a surcharge. clutching the flapping cloth to stop it The third day I sprained my ankle, tearing in the wind. Sometime later the but was fortunately not too far from tent was not flapping nearly so much but a main road, where I was able to take the wind was just as strong-the snow a bus to a village called Bentos de was drifting over the tent. I had to locate Zaffrilla, and stayed at a guesthouse. the entrance in the dark, under a weight For an overnight and a substantial sup- of snow, and then dig myself out. per I was charged about 4s. 6d., less Come daybreak I took the more imthan at a youth hostel. Next day I went portant items and left the tent, forto Granada and visited the amazing tunately I was not too far from El arabic palace of the Alhambra and the Ultimo. the highest snow-drifted road in gardens of the Generalife. In such a Europe. I arrived at the Alberque Unishort account it is impossible to do full versitario, a pleasant place with a credit to the beauty of the Alhambra log fire in the centre of the common huge with its marble stairs, tiled courts, intri- room, double windows, tiled floors, hewn cate stucco gateways and ornamental oak benches, wrought iron electric fitgardens. tings. A five-mile tram journey took me to The machine that is supposed to the village of La Zubia and centuries the road open was stranded, keep back in time, where donkeys and oxen with four drivers. They had the together radiator carried their loads through narrow dustv in the centre of the fire streets. pouring boiling Leaving the village behind, I water into it. They would come in to commenced climbing, following a mule warm up muttering "Mucho Frio". One trail through pine forests and small man would take off his boots and farms, where I saw a shepherd tending a his feet into the fire until there plunge was a pungent smell of smouldering socks. fog had descended with light rain. De- Four days later the weather was fine, spite the bad weather, I enjoyed Spain, the Spanish flag ripped to shreds by the even if only because one can live like blizzard, but clouds over the plain (where a king very cheaply. Afterwards I visited it mainly rains in Spain), were boiling up the beautiful island of Corsica, where into the hills. A cloud hanging over there was more rain, snow, hail, and Veleta, the name means weather vane, thunder, and escaped from Paris by the was increasing in size. I hurried to the skin of my wallet. laguna, where some time was spent dig- Adios Amigoes. ging my tent and other gear from under three feet of snow. By now a pea soup -NORM CLARKSON. *