Homemade Iron Molding

The title of this article is very clear, see and enjoy. That's what happens when you step onto the Sierra de San Julian, the great unknown for most of Alicante. The first time I wrote on this blog commented that talk about places that may go unnoticed and deserve interest, or just places that we visited in a while and really deserve to be re to see.

The climb to San Julián , or whatever it is, the mountain located to the east of the two that make up the Serra Grossa or Quarry (The other of the mountains would be to Santa Ana or of Molinet, it would be really the quarry), be done on two fronts . The first would be located behind the Jesuits, and a path would end up giving half of San Julian. The second access is from the Isleta or Albufereta Avenue. In this case you get in a car but only up to three quarters of travel. This second option is the one I made.

Once above we can see that the ride is even more enjoyable, because it changes the slope by a virtually flat surface, and we can realize that there are two distinct areas. A first in the presence of low scrub pines and is surrounded by a road that once could move vehicles coming up to cut the rock into a small stretch (see photo No. 2). Although the step does not recommend this way but outside it, closer to the edge, and so we can enjoy the scenery.

In the eastern half found a masonry building (photo n º 3) and four meters wide with two buttresses, which descends asbestos cement pipe (photo n º 5). Inside we found some asbestos cement pipes, and beside it a landmark in which you can read (photo No. 4): ESSO / ALICANTE / GROS / 1981 . Today replaced the building to place two questions. The first is Does anyone know which are the building and the landmark? (I know the answer.)

already on the other side of San Julián , where he finished the road, which does not mean there are no paths, shrubs and ground is even more plain.

But the most beautiful of the visit are the views , As I said. Looking north see the old orchard of Alicante, Condomina, San Juan, Muchamiel, Vistahermosa ... with the Alicante mountains in the background (photo n º 6) [If pulsáis in the panorama, you can see enlarged]

If we turn our view towards the left leave to see the garden and replaced it with the urban landscape in the north of Alicante (photo n º 7).

If now decided to head west, next to Santa Ana and The British (oil factory Fourcade and Provot which is only a shell - photo # 8), our eyes can see the sea and the north of Alicante with the Castle of Santa Barbara guard (photo n º 9).

If we decide to look south see directly the sea, and if you have luck like me to see a large number of sailing school will seem even more pleasant view. S i from the eastern part of San Julián , near the Isleta, we look lift, we see perfectly the Cabo de las Huertas or Alcodre, Playa de San Juan and El Campello, sight can reach up to Sierra Frost (photo n º 10).

And while we see those fabulous views make exercise of imagination, thinking about how would the quarry in the early twentieth century ... Figueras Pacheco in General Geography of the Kingdom of Valencia (1914) wrote ... We have reached the point where it begins or the hill of Santa Ana Molinet, extension of the Sierra de San Julian, whose name might be the mother of Alicante, for their endless sandstone quarry materials have left almost all constructions of the population. The houses, temples and even docks, owe their existence to the prodigal saw mutilated by the work of the peak for more than twenty centuries, but willing, apparently, to continue to give blocks to the end of time. Under one of the huge cliffs that the extraction of stones left on this mountain, you see the buildings and premises of an important oil factory (At least between 1900 and 1914 was to supply 55% of English market) that located adjacent to the coast, has a small dock iron (and wood) to facilitate or recovery of their traffic (This spring, known as Santa Ana, was destroyed by a storm before 1929 and not rebuilt. Since this date the refinery might opt \u200b\u200bfor other means of transport, the railway of the Navy from 1915 linking Alicante to Denia and a branch line connecting the refinery with the Madrid station MZA company and the port. (Immaculate Aguilar Civera. Mueso Journal of Transport of the Valencian Community. In the British Na Refinery Factory of "The Quarry" by Demetrio Alicante.Catedra Rives. 2006) . After the factory , widening the field by a recess of the mountains, and here is the old hotel Mancha, nursing passers for short periods, and dependence on the field today war (Photo n º 11. Obtained from the Web Alicante Vivo).

At these sites the ride is only accessible to people of reckless courage. The slopes of the mountains are becoming more rapid, almost vertical in places. The road is narrow, and covered with pebbles that roll from the summit, intended to draw a path that allows the passage, but huge and horrible precipices, we come to meet, and the step is interrupted in many places by large cuts in its bottom huge rocks appear beaten by the sea that breaks into a roaring white foam. The path that speak has been called The Pas Mal and has caused much misery to those who recklessly tried to save their obstacles. the loneliness of the place and the roar of the waves crashing on the rocks, and the influence of the mole that seems to gravitate upon us, this site printed a stamp of majesty and overpowering imposed. The engineers, however, do not feel these influences when designing their projects, and hence the two roads are to be built between the mountains and the sea. One is the railroad Marina (Image # 12) , another of the Orchard Road: Both are started and they have built several tunnels, but the fragments of blocks that roll down from the top, seem opposed to the purpose of men, and have disabled most of the work done.

Or we might think, this time looking towards the northeast, in the Garden of Alicante of the XVII and XVIII where towers would be a series of gardens, the closest being the Torre de Las Aguilas (pp. XVII century) and the farthest of Ansaldo (ff. S. XV - pp. XVI century), located between the towns of San Juan and Muchamiel.

could also go even further back, the Iberian world the Cerro de Las Balsas (named have a house there in the 70's were selling food products), or the Roman world in Lucentum. The area was further changed since Albufereta came to almost the Cerro de La Balsas, being in that stretch the Roman jetty (now in stores MARQ) (Photo n º 13. Obtained from the Ibero-Roman Lucentum. Tossal de Manises, Alicante. Diputación de Alicante. 1988).

And to conclude I can only ask heights that I performed in San Julian, but not a radical action but tidy , ie put some wooden tables arranged to access and some parking, but no more than ten. Access is already built, perhaps it would have a higher cost, so it would only fix it with the rock wall (trying to avoid possible landslides), because once you go up one thinks that the views are fantastic and could be a great playground on the walk.

As I said before, today would be two questions. One is already done, now do the second. When was the access to San Julian and for what? (as before, I know the answer)

Greetings!