The mystery of Alhaurin's tower

I left the house early to return to the Post Office with my little parcel. When the counter clerk read the registration form she asked if the phone parcel contained a battery, which I said it did. Then she told me it was unacceptable. The explanation was unintelligible regardless of whether it was in English or Spanish. The language difficulty was conceptual. It was about how she interpreted the regulation. Did it specify 'Battery in the parcel' or 'Battery inserted in phone'? I had been advised to pack phone and battery separately and had done this. I bought another jiffy bag, and opened the parcel, showed the clerk that it was separately packed, and got the standard clerical frown until I separated the battery and re-packed phone, adaptor and leads. This time I got a smile for my nine euros The battery will have to travel separately, although I'm not sure how yet.

Half a job done, I drove up to Coin to celebrate the Eucharist there for the last time, drink coffee after and say my farewells. Then, before I drove back down the hill to Fuengirola, I drove as far as Puerto de Pescadores, the top of the pass where the road from below divides to go to Coin or Alhuarin, in order to climb the forty five metre hill and visit el Torre, which gives the nearby village its full name, Alhaurin de la Torre. This structure, prominently visible on the horizon from many places around this area, is a twentieth century water tower which has been disguised with decorative stone cladding that make sit look like a tall ancient fortified grand mansion. It's a grand romantic folly and it looks good in the landscape.

It wasn't clear which path would take me quickest to the tower, so I explored before ascending. It was an unusually warm day for mid October, but fresh, cool and fragrant under the trees, with lots of   flowering rosemary and thyme bushes on the hillside. The views were spectacular in all directions. I reached the tower, expecting it to be inaccessible, and was surprised to find a huge iron portal wide open. I entered, and found that I was able to climb right up inside the tower two thirds of the way up to a level with open views out across the countryside. I could have climbed further but the condition of the building - open stairs without guard rails, and much evidence of neglect and casual vandlaism dictated caution, to I didn't go as far up as possible.

If this edifice had been well maintained, it would have made a fascinating tourist attraction, but the view from high up indicaed this was part of a stalled project. Roads had been made throughout the surrounding countryside, but few buildings or residences had been constructed to fit in with them. There was a metalled road up to a car park below the tower, and a large concrete plinth on which to build  restaurant or a visitor center. The adornment of the tower itself was incomplete, or had been allowed to deteriorate to the point where it looked incomplete. I know nothing more about this failed project, whether it was a victim of recession in this century or the last. Apart from a good stiff climb, it gave me lots to think about.

You'll find photos I took here.