Moclín
07/05/2023
Jeg havde gået i fladt terræn, men de sidste 3 km var stærkt stigende. Jeg kom rundt et bjerg og pludselig kunne jeg se en gammel borg på toppen af næste top. Jeg blev helt blæst bagover, da jeg overhovedet ikke var forberedt på det.
Der bor omtrent 500 mennesker her i Moclín. Det er nok til en lille købmand, en tobakshandel, en bank, kommunekontor og 3 barer. Der udover er der så ruinerne efter en borg på toppen af bjerget og en kirke hvis klokker spiller en lille melodi hvert kvarter. Kirken har endda egen souvenirbutik. Det undrede mig. Det skyldtes så, at katolske Kong Fernando og Dronning Isabella efter sigende skulle have overdraget et stofbanner til kirken/byen i 1480'erne efter erobingen fra muslimerne. Billedet på banneret var Jesus bærende på sit kors. Banneret blev berømt for at have mirakuløse helende kræfter og det er nok, til at have en souvenirbutik den dag i dag. Kirken er selvfølgelig bygget af stenene fra den tidligere moske.
Da jeg ankom til den arabiske borg, som er hævet højt over Moclín, stødte jeg på det sædvanlige problem. Har du den mindste smule interesse i en given seværdighed, så ring på det her telefonnummer. Der blev ikke svaret. Så kunne man da som et minimum gå op til borgmuren, måske lidt videre, måske lige klatre op af bjerget til tårnet, måske videre til tårnet endnu højere oppe, måske komme til at kravle en lille smule igennem et hul i muren, måske komme til at tænke: Whoops! Det bliver da en egentlig en ret stejl tur ned igen. Men sikke en udsigt!! Det var helt fantastisk. Det kan godt være, at det ikke er meningen, at 50 årige damer skal tage på sightseeing og komme hjem med rifter på benene, men det var det hele værd.
Aftenen blev tilbragt på den lokale bar i selskab med en lattermild herre fra Granada. Han var lige startet ud på en 1400 km cykeltur. Selv om vi ikke forstod hinandens sprog, fik vi os nogle gevaldige grin. Man kan ikke lade være med at holde af landsbylivet. 10-12 damer fra det lokale gymnastikhold dukkede op. Da der ikke var plads på terrassen, blev der bare smækket nogle borde op på gaden. Lidt senere kom der et par biler og parkerede på må og få og så var vejen da helt spærret og ved I hvad? Det betyder ikke en meter, så længe de har det godt. Min cykelven delte sin aftensmad med mig og ville ikke lade mig betale for noget, hverken mad eller drikkevarer. Jeg måtte lige fortælle ham, at det ville blive en forfærdelig dyr cykeltur, hvis han skulle betale mad for alle de kvinder han mødte på sin vej. Han skraldgrinede blot og jeg takkede for aftensmaden.
På billedet ses den arabiske borg, kirken, den ydre arabiske bymur og den nutidige landsby. Den gamle arabiske by var placeret mellem borgen og bymuren.
Most of the hiking that day, was on flat ground. The last 3 km turned rather steep. I came around a mountain and then I suddenly saw it. A big fortress on the the next peak. I was blown away. Had absolutely no idea, that it would be there.
Approximately 500 people live here in Moclín. Just enough to have a small grocery store, a tobacco shop, a bank, municipal office and 3 bars. In addition, there are the ruins of a castle on top of the mountain and a church whose bells play a little melody every quarter. The church even has its own souvenir shop. That puzzled me. It was said, that King Fernando and Queen Isabel back in the late 1480s handed over a banner after the conquest from the Arabs. The image of the banner is Christ carrying his cross. The banner became famous for having miraculous healing powers and that seems to be enough to have a souvenir shop today. The church is built with the stones and on the site of the former mosque.
I walked up the hill to the Arab castle and faced the usual problem. A sign telling me, that if I have the slightest interest in this attraction, call this phone number. No answer. I didn't come this far, just to walk down again, so I might have walked up to the castle wall, might have gone a bit further to the tower, might have climbed up the hill to the next tower, might have crawled through a small hole in the wall, might have thought: Whoops! That's like really steep going back down. But the view!! It was amazing! 50 year old females might not be meant to go sightseeing and come back with torn legs, but I tell you, it was worth it.
I spent the even at the local bar in the company of a smiling gentleman from Granada. He just started out on a 1400 km bike ride through Spain. Even though we didn't understand each other's language, we had some great laughs. I can't help it, I just love the life in these villages. 10-12 ladies who just finished yoga or what ever training they had done, showed up at the bar. No room for them on the terrace, so tables were just set up on the street. A few cars parked around them, completely blocking the road and guess what? It didn't matter at all, as long as people just had a good time. My new friend shared his dinner with me and wouldn't let me pay for food or drinks. I pointed out to him, that if intended to pay dinner for every women he met on the way, his bike ride would be rather expensive. He just laughed out loud and I thanked him for dinner.
On the picture you see the Moorish castle on top of the mountain, then the church, the arabic town wall and the present village. The Arab town was located between the castle and the outer wall.
Forrige
