Pampaneira

First you fall in love with Pampaneira and then you fall in love with the rest of La Alpujarra. This is because Pampaneira is the first and only one of the white villages actually situated on the Carretera de la Sierra itself and it is virtually impossible to pass it and not stop.

Inevitably, just what Michael and I did on our first visit to La Alpujarra with Karen and Krudt Jespersen. Karen and I had been very nervous during the drive on the rather narrow and winding mountain road, but no sooner had we parked the car and walked through the quaintest of tinaos to the church square, that all fear was forgotten for the sheer charm of this village. "It's like a fairy tale place...I feel like Alice in Wonderland" I kept repeating as I twirled with excitement like someone possessed, trying to take it all in.

By the church, there was a public fountain with water flowing abundantly. It is known as "La Chumpaneira" and it is dedicated to San Antonio. Above the fountain there was an inscription that none of us understood then, but that now I know says something to the effect that any faithful with the desire to wed, comes out of this church a bachelor and drinks this water, is guaranteed to find himself a bride.

As most churches of La Alpujarra, this, Iglesia Santa maría de la Cabeza, is no exception. It was built in the 16c in Múdejar style over what was a 13c mosque.

Opposite, across the square, is Calle Verónica, a narrow street with a stream running through its midst and a typical tinao to allow it and the street to pass below the house. So narrow was Calle Verónica, that neighbours living in the houses lining it on both sides could literally open their windows and shake hands.

All the houses of the village were painted white, had grey flat roofs known as terrados with chimneys reminiscent of Mexican sombreros. One got the impression that from every window, from every balcony, on every patio, there were pots after pots of brightly-coloured flowers..mostly geraniums. Hanging against the white-washed walls were strings of red peppers drying in the sun. As we climbed to the top of the village, I was sure I could tour it all by hopping from one roof to another.

The shops on the square and the side streets sold mostly handicrafts, pottery, ceramics and handloomed rugs known as "Jarapas". The Jespersens, who had a flat in Almuñecar, bought a large one for less than we would have paid for a portion of fish & chips back home in Windsor.

Amongst these shops were delightful restaurants offering on their menu typical Alpujarra dishes, at the top of the list.... what else but serrano ham?

We found, no, I stand corrected, we discovered, for it was more like a journey of discovery, the general store. To reach it one had to search for a very small wooden door, hidden between two shops and climb a steep and dark flight of stairs. To make matters more difficult, the door was covered by a faded hand-loomed curtain. No sign, no name, just word of mouth, but what a surprise! Crammed on shelves and a commercial display refrigerator, was a variety of goods you could hardly wish for in a supermarket.

For me, the most beautiful spot in Pampaneira is "Calle Silencio", always calm, always cool even in the height of Summer, always with an abundance of plants oozing from every corner, from every window, even in Winter.

Up and beyond is the "Paseo Federico García Lorca", named after the famous poet and playwrite who was assassinated during the civil war. It leads to La fuente agría, a source of ferrous water below which are to be found the Arab Lavaderos, today's equivalent of Laundrettes and so well described by Gerald Brennan in his book South from Granada. Here, some scenes of the film Yerma, based on Lorca's novel of the same name, were shot. From this point one can have the most breathtaking views of the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada and of the other two white villages cascading down Barranco de Puqueira: Bubión and Capileira.



Pampaneira lies at an altitude of 1058m and has less than 350 inhabitants, depending mostly on tourism for their livelyhood.

What better place for a taste of La Alpujarra!










Photo 1, Pampaneira Square with Bubion above
Photo 2, The Tinao leading into the village from the car park
Photo 3, The church at Pampaneira
Photo 4, Fuente La Chumpaneira
Photo 5, Alpujarra Chimney
Photo 6, Jarapas
Photo 7, Gavin Daniel and I, Calle Silencio, taken by Clare Daniel
Photo 8, Pili and July, Calle Silencio
Photo 9, Calle Verónica
Photo 10, Airi & Aulikki on a visit from Finland

Phtos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 & 9 taken by myself