Every spring in Spain, the pine trees are covered in nests the size of a fist with the texture of a rotten cobweb. Out of these nests come caterpillars, called processionaries. These caterpillars are poisonous. Their hairs provoke a rash that can last for several days. This rash spreads. Like a poison. In today's episode, Estrella is ridding her backyard of these pests. When her shovel strikes an owl skeleton, she travels back to 1970s Robledo de Chavela, when the town was held terrified hostage by a ghost in the medieval church cemetery. A cemetery overrun by processionaries and their poison. Estrella discovers that the poison doesn't just spread; it becomes a part of you. --- 1-See the bio of Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente, nature expert and journalist, here. 2-Here's a link to Robledo de Chavela on the map, where our story takes place. 3-Check out Spanish Sundown’s webpage or our Facebook or Instagram accounts for footage of Robledo de Chavela, the church where the owl hid, and processionaries in my own backyard (ew). While you're there, join our community; I love hearing from you! --- © 2025 Samuel Mattern. All rights reserved.

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