Nature enhanced by Man

The woods of La Vallesa, full of wonders, natural and manmade

As you’d expect, the charms of our local woods are mostly natural. But mixed in with them, there are occasional manmade creations, no less charming for being artificial. Some are long-lasting, but not all, since they may be vulnerable to the weather, or to other people more orientated towards destruction than creativity. 

Some of these manmade constructions have historic importance. The bronze age settlement, for instance, on Betxi Hill (la Lloma de Betxi). 

The Lloma de Betxi, from outside and in
With a latter day visitor

More recent, and sadder, are the remains of trenches from the time of the Spanish Civil War. They were built to protect our local city of Valencia, which for a little while was the capital of the Republic. The trenches were never used in combat, since the Republic had surrendered to the Nationalist forces of the dictator Franco, before his armies had even reached that far.

Still, their traces stand as a reminder of that terrible time.

A memorial? Perhaps a grave?

Still closer to our times, and weirdly mysterious, is the pile of stones with a cross on top. Is it a grave? Is there a body underneath it? I’ve never been able to find out.

In memory of Francisco González Fernandez
Apparently quite a guy
Apparently with quite a fist

There’s even a plaque by the side, declaring that it’s in memory of someone called Francisco González Fernandez, pointing out that he was a great guy, but including a picture of a fist. Was he a boxer? A brawler? A sportsman perhaps? Maybe the fist is just to underline what a force he was in company. I don’t know, but whenever I see the place, I enjoy wondering about him.

Touching in a different way, and with great charm, are the smaller and less historically significant creations. The stone rings, large and small, sometimes mixed with circles of sticks or pinecones, sometimes incorporating flowers or even fruit.

One of the few stone circles that seem to last permanently

Then there was whoever made a pattern without any stones, simply carving it into the earth itself.

Somebody once used stones to build a house layout, a fine place to exercise a child’s fantasy or even an adult’s.

And someone recently made a stream of stones.

Then there are the wigwams, big and small, constructed with great care and effort but, unfortunately, lasting barely a few days before someone takes them apart in a fraction of the time they took to build. Glowing examples of that appealing branch of creation, ephemeral art, giving you a brief glimpse of beauty, which you catch today or miss forever.

Among my favourite sights are the tall cairns of stones, balancing precariously, vulnerable to the first strong breeze, even if no person knocks them down.

Teetering with elegance

You've got to admit these are all pretty great, right? The natural wonders are of course breathtaking enough. But having the manmade ones to enjoy too only enhances the experience of being in our woods. 

A place of wonder then, a privilege to have practically on our doorstep.