REAL FERIA DE GANADO DE LOJA

The Sierra de Loja is famous for its sheep and today, next to the fairground, the farmers who are dedicated to the special breeds of Loja held their annual show in a giant marquee which housed pens of sheep, an information centre and, of course, a bar. Outside, a giant cauldron of lamb stew was cooking and everyone was given a generous plateful. The sheep are hardy creatures, bred to cope with all kinds of terrain, including the highest altitudes. They come in a variety of colours and there are even ones with black and white spots. Next to the marquee, in a row of loose boxes, were some beautiful horses of the pure Spanish breed.

The event may have lacked the glamour of the feria and the horse spectacular, but the country had definitely come to town and the place was full of characters.

ESPECTÁCULO ECUESTRE CUIDAD DE LOJA

Here are some photos of Friday night's horse spectacular.Never have I seen such beautiful horses. They musthave spent all day grooming them. The show began with individual riders performing choreographed routines. The commentator referred to the lifting of the horses’ front legs as the paso Español (Spanish Step). There were
sideways steps and reverse steps and a beautiful grey Arab horse was so
light on its feet that it seemed to glide over the ground with delicate,
dancing steps. One rider performed with a long pole, leaning right over in
the saddle and balancing with the pole while the horse made a circle
around it. There was also a pas de deux, with two riders on grey Spanish
horses performing another cleverly choreographed routine. One of the
riders in the solo acts was a very young boy, who looked about 8 years
old, and who must have been born in the saddle, I should think. The mare
he was riding wasn’t particularly large but because the little chap was so
small, she looked enormous. He controlled the horse wonderfully and with
such confidence and typical Spanish bravado. A far cry from those bossy
little English madams on their gymkhana ponies!

As well as the individual riders, there was a display of horse-drawn
vehicles, including a magnificent English carriage. There was also a pair
of what looked like Siamese horses pulling a carriage. They were a lovely,
burnished gold colour with sooty legs, manes and tails. What breed would
that be? One of the pics features a carriage driven by a very young lad
and with what seemed to me to be extraordinary skill. Some of those sharp
turns must be quite difficult to manoeuvre.

FERIA Y FIESTAS GRANDE DE LOJA

This weekend Loja is celebrating its annual feria grande. Last night we went to a superb horse spectacular under floodlights in the San Francisco football ground and this afternoon we visited the fairground. Beautiful girls arrived in their flamenco dresses and proud men on their handsome Andalucian horses. Here are a few photos that Digby took this afternoon

LAS CHORRERAS

For this Saturday’s guided walk, organised by the Patronato de Tourismo, we met at 0900 in Loja and drove to Venta de Santa Barbara, a little village about 10 minutes away, situated in a pleasant, sheltered valley.
The destination of the walk was to be Las Chorreras, the spectacular waterfall on the Rio Frio.
A clearly marked track from the village led us through olive groves and along the Rio Frio whose banks were lined with poplar trees and oleander bushes. Our guide told us that people used to use oleander as a means of catching fish easily. The plant is poisonous, so when branches were thrown into the water, the fish would die. Also along the riverbank were poplars, hazel trees, wild clematis and tamarisk.
Eventually we crossed the river over stepping stones and followed a path through blackberry bushes to the falls. The force of the cascading water has carved out of the rock below a deep pool. The water is cool, green and inviting, so many of the party, including all the children, couldn’t resist a splash and a swim.

QUEREMOS QUEDAR CONTIGO

Every Saturday in August the Patronato de Tourismo de Loja organises a guided walk around Loja. The walks are conducted at 9am or 9pm to avoid the midday heat and each one has a different theme. Yesterday evening’s walk was the Route of the Personalities and led by the Mayor, Miguel Castellano. The group met at the Mirador Sylvania which affords the best panorama of the city, immortalized in the Marx brothers’ film “Duck Soup.”

The walk took us through the oldest and most interesting part of the town in which statues of some of Loja’s most important historical figures are situated. Our guide talked at length about the famous priest, Jiménez Campaña, member of the Spanish Arts Academy ( 19th century) and Narváez, known as the“Great Sword of Loja”, whose impressive bronze statue dominates the plaza.

We continued the walk through a horseshoe arch, once the passage to the fortressed quarter in Islamic times, and up to the Alcazabar where, across from the floodlight spire of the Great Church of the Encarnation, our guide the Mayor, recounted the history and legends of the castle.

Photos of Mirador Sylvania and the Mayor conducting the group.

Next Saturday there will be a morning walk entitled The Environment of Loja. For more information contact :
Juan Antonio Peregrina Coca
Patronato Municipal de Turismo de Loja*
C/Comedias, nº 2, Edificio Espacio Joven
18300 Loja (Granada)
Telf.: 958 321 520
Fax: 958 325 650
info@ lojaturismo.com

www.lojaturismo.com / www.aytoloja.org