I managed a little sleep at the albergue towards morning, but still it was a reasonably comfy night. We packed up, locked up, returned the key to the ayuntamiento (town hall), found a bar for a quick coffee and picked up a bun to eat along with a granola bar for an improvised breakfast.
Road improvements – for drivers – meant we were on a cement road for the first couple of kilometres. We also had our first river crossing where we had to take off our boots to cross—but just over a cement surface rather than the rocky river bottom. Still it’s a bit of a hassle, especially getting your feet dry again on the other side before putting boots back on.
It was lovely and cool in this stretch as we were along the course of the Río Anzur and the leaves were starting to golden. The rounded hillsides, all covered in olive trees, gave us a new perspective as it was our first time being low with the rolling hills above us. There was even a rest area with a picnic table for a snack.
Soon the climbing started and continued for most of the day. But at least the track was gravel or dirt now and easier on our feet and we were glad we’d made an early start. We were fascinated watching olives being machine-harvested by a tractor with an attachment. Large nets were laid around the base of a tree and three men with long poles (and safety vests) were positioned around it. Then the machine came in and vigorously shook the tree while the men beat it—and the olives cascaded! We passed another olive mill, but this one was smaller and less smoky. Finally the very long, very dreary entry into Lucena – the worst on this trip so far – until reaching the beautiful, historic centre and our hotel.
After much-needed showers we found an empty outdoor table at a busy restaurant on a main street. The menú del día was just what we needed and we ate very well—our first real meal in a while.
We sacked out after lunch, feeling exhausted from the heat and climbing. Later Nedjo got the phone functional again with a new prepaid, monthly plan from Vodafone for only €15 compared to €25 in Portugal where we’d started our trip. Having phone service and data has sure come in handy for having internet when staying in albergues and for calling ahead to make reservations.
We didn’t take in any of Lucena’s attractions but just enjoyed walking its streets and admiring its beautiful buildings. We enjoyed chestnuts and people-watching on a bench in a lively park. The playground was a hive of activity on a Friday night and the candy store strategically located across from the park was doing a booming business.