SIERRA MARTILLA

This morning we went to look at the archeological site in the Sierra Martilla in the north of the municipality of Loja. To get there you turn left at the top of the village of Ventorros de San Jose. It is signposted. After a few km down this road there is a track on the right with a notice board describing the site. We drove up the track to a rocky plateau which was protected on three sides by a vertical rock face - the perfect place for our ancestors to feel secure. From the plateau there are the most spectacular views of the Lake of Iznajar, the valleys below and the hills beyond. It was too hot to wander for long and there was nobody else there but we found some tombs from the Copper Age, an Arab watchtower and groups of large stones. This was once an important settlement and we will return to explore it more thoroughly when the weather is cooler.

VA DE CALLE

The 19th festival of street entertainment in Loja, Va de Calle, takes place this weekend. There are six "espectáculos", which include contemporary dance and circus theatre being performed during the evenings of Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Details from www.aytoloja.org or from the Tourist Information Office. There is also a theatre workshop on Saturday morning in the Avda. de los Angeles. We hope to post some photos later.
Talking about photos please have a look at our new blog www.fotosdeloja.wordpress.com

LOS INFIERNOS DE LOJA

Yesterday we went in search of Los Infiernos de Loja, the spectacular waterfalls of the Rio Genil close to the town. In the little village of La Esperanza, just to the north of the town, there is a signpost opposite the bar indicating Los Infiernos 600 metres. This lane ends after about 200 metres and one is faced by open fields with not a waterfall in sight. Fortunately there was a camposino ( agricultural worker ) working in a field and he indicated that we had to walk across a field to a pylon and from there we would see the falls. They are quite spectacular but difficult to photograph as it is somewhat dangerous standing on the opposite edge of the ravine. Further enquiries indicate that you can get to the bottom of the ravine by accessing the Rio Genil from the centre of the town. We will try this another day when it is not too hot.

ENGLISH IN LOJA

On the first Tuesday in every month there is an informal meeting of the English speaking residents in the area of Loja at the Hotel Almazora - www.englishinloja.com. This lovely hotel is located in the olive hills near Venta del Rayo about 10 minutes drive from Loja. Here is a photo taken today of the gathering relaxing on the terrace which overlooks the pool and the view from the terrace.

We went along this morning specifically to discuss arrangements for an art exhibition, Con Otros Ojos, which is being held in Loja at the end of September and arranged by the Asociación de Angloparlantes de Loja - sites.google.com/site/loslojanglos. Three artists and two photographers have been invited to produce work for the exhiibition. As I am one of the artists and Digby one of the photographers we need to put our heads together to create some original pieces that reflect life around Loja.