Day 3, hike near the Ecomuseo

The Internet is indeed endless, especially when it comes to nicely described hiking trails. A suitable route for me at a beginner level starts at the Ecomuseo El Tanque. I can also catch some culture afterward by visiting the museum – a win-win situation. Upon closely searching the map for the starting point, I realize that I can't start from 'home' as the name suggests; instead, the entry point is 8.5 km away. Since I have a car, this isn't a big hurdle. The starting point is quickly found, with three cars already parked there, and hikers equipped with boots and trekking poles are also making their way. Well then: put on hiking boots, pack water and snacks, and throw a softshell jacket into the backpack – I begin to wonder if I’m overdoing it for a little walk. On the other hand, I prefer being well-prepared rather than underprepared. The first few hundred meters are designed as a wide hiking path, and soon I am treated to a beautiful view over the entire valley below me. However, after almost twenty minutes, there’s no sign of a circular trail anymore, and I have several options, all quite ambiguous – I really love that, and not even ironically. Adventure – here I come. Now it looks nothing like a hiking path at all, but every now and then I come across traces of civilization. Sometimes it’s a man with a dog, other times it’s a camper in the wild, and my phone still has reception, so I can’t be completely lost yet. At some point, now I’ve probably been on my way for an hour and a half, I finally spot some real civilization in the form of a remote guesthouse. I do have to wait half an hour for a long-awaited coffee since the opening hours are strictly adhered to, and a Spanish extended family barges in, but no one is rushing me. The rest of the way feels more intuitive. This should be right, this could work, probably down here, maybe this way, wait – is that even a path or a washed-out creek bed full of rubble? Although I sometimes wondered before if it was really appropriate to bring along the heavy hiking boots inherited from Siggi, I am sure now that I made the right decision. Furthermore, it’s nice to have the spirit of the old hiking boy with me, sweat and all. My family would hate me for it, but I’m luckily accountable to no one. Look at that, I’m back on the path where it all began. A beautiful tour with wonderful natural impressions.

A short break, and then I still have strength for the Ecomuseo. Here, roughly speaking, it’s about the historical development of agriculture. Everyone receives a detailed explanation about the meaning and purpose, the allocation of open areas and rooms, as well as some peculiarities of historical development. I have to regretfully give up my idea that agriculture is carried out here in a historical manner all the time. Only once a year, during a festival at the threshing floor, the traditional method of threshing grain is demonstrated. They don’t ask for an entrance fee from me here. The rooms are lovingly decorated, the information panels are extensive, and the accompanying videos leave no questions unanswered.