Final Ramblings in Ronda

Friday, June 2, 2017--Ronda, Spain

I began the day by getting a haircut.  I had been needing one for a while, but I hadn't organized myself for one.  That means that I had not used Google Translate to create a list of specifics about what I wanted done in Spanish.  But while Wes was lingering in the bathroom this morning, I did my translation and then went to a barber shop I had seen yesterday.  It was a nice young man who spoke a little English, but read my list and understood exactly what I wanted.  He took his time and did a good job of cutting.  At the end, I told him he could take my list (including my sketches) to a party to have a good laugh with his friends.  He put it in a drawer and said in English, "For my collection."  The haircut cost only 6 Euros.  I gave him an extra one even though he was the owner of the shop, since he had to deal with the language barrier with me.

Today was a wrap-up day in Ronda.  We went into local neighborhoods to see some old churches and an old public fountain.  We crossed two other bridges, including one they call the old Arab bridge but which was also the site of a Roman bridge earlier, at lower levels than the high one over the gorge.  We went by the ruins of the old Arab baths. 

Back in the hotel for part of the afternoon, we got caught up on reading news stories and did some time researching some of the sights we have seen here.  I also reviewed and highlighted the literature for our next stop tomorrow.

We had an early dinner of pizza and beer, since Spanish restaurants don't really serve meals until late in the evening. Then we wandered some of the viewpoints of the city again before returning here for the night.