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The Wild Asparagus Hunters are Out and About

It´s that time of year. Cars parked in odd places, the solitary person - usually a man, popping up above a bank or from behind an olive tree. The hunters of the wild aparagus are here. The plentiful rain scattered with a day or two of sunshine has brought them out in droves. Some have their route, others instinctively know where to go. They appear, walking back to their cars, with a huge bundle of foot long green spears of asparagus. And off they go, probably not to be seen for another year - or another week if the rain continues. No matter how hard the shoots try and hide the older men hunt them down with stick in hand, to fob off the spiky old growth, and uncover the tender new stems of wild asparagus. Everyone has their favourite way of cooking them but the most common seems to be in a Tortilla - the thick Spanish potato omelette to which you can add anything that comes to hand - or is hunted down. My one or two shorter stem finds don´t come close to the experienced hunters catch. I...

Drives in Jaén, Embalse de Queibrajano Car Tour

After heading out in the car for a walk, which we did a little, we then carried on towards Valdepeñas de Jaén (pronounced val-de-penyas). A new route has been added to our Embalse de Queibrajano car tour since our last trip there, the Natural Monument Quejigo del Amo o del Carbón.



The ´natural monument´ a gall oak, quejigo del amo, is said to be over 500 years old. The carbón part, means charcoal which was the main use for the gall oak, making into charcoal to sell for winter fuel.



To get to the natural monument which has staggering views of craggy rocks and an aquamarine reservoir take the C3221 out of Jaen towards Valdepeñas de Jaén, it is then well signposted.

Having zigzagged up the beautiful mountain track, the light was fading rapidly and when we were about 2km there was a closed gate across the way.

After debating whether or not we should open it we decided we better head home (good job as we had a little misshap and had to flag down a passing Land Rover and be pulled out -that´s another tale, it wasn´t on this route!) so we didn´t get to see the ancient tree after all.




We will definitely be going back again. This will make up part of a driving route for my planned book (tongue-in-cheek) of lovely drives around Jaén.

I´ll try and try and write up the circular tour we recommend soon.

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