MANILVA,DAY FIVE.

Tuesday 9th June 2009.

Just toast, jam (Diet ) and tea at the start of a long day out; the weather was glorious as we set off with clear blue skies, very warm sun and a little breeze blowing from the sea.We headed over the hills to our nearest neighbour’s,the famous white village of Casares and as we took the picture one of the large Eagles which nest in the trees surrounding the village was soaring above us. Next on the route was another mountain top village,Gaucin which is reached by going down to the floor of the next valley and then strait up the other side! Over the Spring bank holiday they run the bulls through the very narrow main street and every year there are accidents! On the way to Ronda from Gaucin the road again climbs higher and it reaches the Mirador Del Ganal were there are spectacular views over the high mountains and down to the tiny village of Algatocin where we stopped for our morning coffee and rest brake! The road enters Ronda past the town walls and up into the old part of the historic town and across the bridge before going by the oldest bull ring in the world;after parking the car in an underground car park we walked back along the cliffs and headed for our lunch stop,The Hotel and Restaurant Don Miguel which is perched on the 300ft cliffs over looking the bridge. Jack and I had the Roast Leg of Baby Lamb, with our secret ingredient,Mint Sauce which I had brought with us!The girls had fish, Brenda chose the Turbot and Lyn had the Brochette of Monkfish and Prawns,washed down with an excellent Casares Rosado.As the afternoon went on it was getting hotter all the time,we found out later that it had reached 32degs! but in the narrow streets of the old town it was sheltered as we took the folks on the grand tour; The picture below shows you the old 13th church which is built over and around a mosque from when the Moslem’s invaded Spain. We called into the bull fighters hotel and then came back along the street which has all the boutique hotels over looking the gorge and the bridge. After picking up the car we headed back down to the coast on the A397,which is one of the ten best drives in Europe, as I set off we overtook, at the only spot on the road that you can, a large lorry and then for the first time since we have been using the road we had a clear run down to San Pedro.We called into Casa del Abuelo to make contact with Clive and Carolyn as we are back there in the middle of July; the work on the villa is progressing and they hope to move back into the old part in the next two weeks, when it is finished it is going to be very spectacular and they are planning a party in the middle of August on Clive birthday, we have offered our services !! After arriving home we sat out on the roof terrace with our drinks before we had a light supper of cold cuts and salad.

PS; The news as promised is that we are going back to Casa Olimpia on Thursday !!! Jack and Lyn are coming with us, a holiday within a holiday. We had phoned Joan on Monday to arrange to take her out with us at the end of the week with Jack and Lyn; we sensed that there was a technical problem and after checking with Chris,who is back in England, we have made arrangements to go over on Thursday morning in the Smart car after the hire car people pick up the Fiat early and leave it there and then come back over in the VW and all of us will then go back.there is plenty of room and the two large bedrooms overlooking the Strait are very nice.We think that we will be there for four weeks until our next job with Clive and Carolyn on about the 15th July!More details to follow shortly!