Pueblos Blancos

We had a lovely surprise today - there was a national strike so few people were working and it meant that Andrew and R were able to come up to Ronda to meet us - our second Andalucian blipmeet!
We had a lovely leisurely coffee in the Plaza María Auxiliadora and the sun shone while we made plans for the day. We were really priveleged as Andrew kindly took us out to visit the white villages or pueblos blancos and we had a great day with him. We went higher and higher into the Sierra del Hacho until we reached Gaucin which, at this time of year, sits peacefully (tourist free) astride the hill top surveying the Rio Genal valley below and the Serrania de Ronda all around. Gaucin is famous for its steep twisting streets of whitewashed houses and simple decorative wrought iron balconies: the houses glowed brightly in the autumnal sunlight and the wrought iron created long and pretty shadows.
After lunch we climbed up to the viewpoint by the old Roman Castle of Eagles (now the remnants of an Arab Fortress) and it was clear enough to see out to the Rif mountains in Morocco. There were stunning views at every turn!
Later in the day we went to visit Andrew's friend, Victoria, and when we stopped a little further along the road we could see the distinctive shape of the Rock of Gibraltar. It was good to meet Victoria and see some of her excellent work.
Arachne captures the essence of the views perfectly here - the glow from the sunlight on the chestnut trees created a very special landscape .
Thank you Andrew for a very wonderful day!