Day 185
4 hrs, 10 .0 kms

I continue along a narrow road parallel to the freeway, pleasantly suprised. There's even a historical looking bridge across the stream. Looks like this hike won't be too bad...

Eventually I do have to walk along the freeway, but not for long. Soon there's another side road through a sprawling new commercial zone with a bunch of big box stores, restaurants and Chinese run stores. It's sad to think that this ugly mess up hastily built buildings could eventually kill the charming pedestrians only city center shopping areas here in Spain.

As I approach the Guadalcortes River, it looks like my ugly sprawl hike can come to an end: there's another town, still unparkbenched just a couple kilometers upstream. And it looks like I have plenty of time to visit it.

Los Barrios isn't all that special--but after a morning wandering through ugly sprawl, it feels magical, with all the elements of a cozy traditional Spanish town. There's the plaza with the old men socializing... the freshly whitewashed twisted alleys... a nice, traditional church... Just overall a very friendly feel to this place, where it seems everybody knows and greets everybody. This is the Spain that I hope will not die out with modernization.

In the park there's an antique railroad engine which figure can serve as the backdrop for my video clip.

And it looks like I have a pleasant country road to take me straight to Algeciras. Looks like this hike is turning out to be quite pleasant after all.