The trip from Córdoba to Granada was generally uneventful, but had its noteworthy moments nonetheless. En route to Granada we passed through a district of the province of Andalusia known as la Subbética, which as far as I know includes no major cities or major tourist attractions other than the Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park, which we were not fortunate enough to visit, but which is home to a wide diversity of plants and animals, and a stronghold of the peregrine falcon. Our encounter with la Subbética was limited mainly to a rest stop on the N-432 highway at Nicol’s Restaurant, near the town of Luque. However, this proved to be of great interest to me as a showcase, as it were, of small-town Spanish life. The closest analogy I can think of is a roadside cafe in Midwestern America. But this was an area primarily devoted to the cultivation of olive trees and the production of olive oil, and Nicol’s was a market for that commodity as much or more than a roadside diner.
The olive groves and factory where the oil was produced were close behind the restaurant. Between the roadhouse and the olive groves there was a parklike area suitable for strolling, relaxing and picnicking according the needs of the moment. Although there was no railroad line, there were two railroad cars in back of the establishment, which puzzled me until I figured out that they provided the refrigerator for the business. Judging from the remains of an old horse trough, stone benches and other antique artifacts adorning the site. this place must have functioned as a travelers’ stop from time immemorial.
Resuming our journey, we continued across the rolling Andalusia countryside with its endless olive groves. Racing the oncoming twilight, we were able to catch late-afternoon views of picturesque towns and castles such as Castro del Rio and its hilltop fortress, until the curtain of darkness ended the show.