From Sierra de San Pedro, near Aliseda

Description

When my friend Paddy Waller joined us for hiking we set off first to see the Sierra de San Pedro mountain range which is rich in biodiversity and comprises part of a big trans frontier conservation area (we had seen these mountains from the amazing Marvao lookout in the Portuguese component).  It’s supposed to be great for raptors in fact we first explored around the Embalse de la Peña del Águila a large lake carrying their name.  We saw Short-toed Eagles, many Griffon Vultures and, through the big berthas, a stunning pair of Egyptian Vultures perched atop a very distant rock outcrop.  But it was this villa / farmstead that caught my eye standing out in bright Sienna against the beautiful blue expanses of northern Extremadura plains beyond.  You can just make out the white and pink urban shine of Plasencia against the distant blue Gredos marking the northern boundary of this amazing province.  The plains are transected by the Rio Salor but I really liked the soft green foreground vegetation colours against the bare earth substrate colours.