Acinopo Roman Ruins + The Famous Bridge

The Roman Theatre at Acinipo

The view from the top of the hill, behind the Theatre.
I think the village perched half way up in the distance is Montecorto.

                                               
                                  

Just piles of stones and from this point the main attraction does not look particularly impressive.

                                     
                                             

The Puente Nuevo from the valley below.

                                             

The main commercial area of Ronda is on top of that huge rock face.

                                      

It's Warming Up... 20 - 26 February 2012

The temperature is rising. It is still cold in the mornings and cool at night but there have been mainly clear blue skies this week and it is almost t-shirt weather during the afternoons. The days themselves though are not getting any longer. It is still not light until nearly 8 o’clock and is still dark before 7:30.

During walks there are wild flowers but unfortunately no snowdrops, crocuses or daffodils. I always had lots of crocuses and small daffodils in my garden. For the 14 years in our house in Peterborough I tried hard to establish some clumps of snowdrops and when staying with friends 3 weeks ago saw that a couple of groups in the front were looking strong at last.

On Wednesday I went to see “La Mujer en Negro” – “The Woman in Black”. I recently read the book and although the film is only based on Susan Hill’s book - there are significant differences, I was able to just about follow the Spanish dialogue. Entrance costs 3.80 Euros, about £3.25 – there was just myself and a group of five ladies….. I was not with them I would add.

I visited the Roman settlement of Acinipo on Thursday. Founded during Julius Caesar’s reign it is thought to have been created for retired veterans of Caesar’s legions. It is believed that before that, around 1000 BC., there was a bronze age settlement.  Acinipo is about 15 miles from Ronda and at about 1000m above sea level it gets windy. At first there just appears to be a large number of piles of stones. Apparantly these have been gathered at points where dwellings are thought to have been. At the top of the hill though there is a theatre, large enough to seat 2000 people and in remarkably good condition. You can see an orange tiled orchestra pit and actors’ changing rooms. The theatre can only just be seen from the entrance so I imagine many visitors, if not aware, don’t even climb up the hill to get to see it. Entrance is free but there is no literature at the entrance gate.

I managed to have a slight accident with a small, almost empty bottle of beer and although I mopped up the keyboard very quickly, my question mark and forward slash will not work. I constantly have a Word document open so that I can copy these characters when needed.

I took a long walk in the valley below the gorge on Saturday. All downhill one way and as so often on these walks, all uphill on the way back. Hard work, so of course I had to stop at a taverna on the way back.

One of the disappointments here has been the absence of live music – apart from the Spanish guitar buskers (I am sure that is not how they would like to be described) in the plazas overlooking the valley I was walking through on Saturday. At Spanish classes on Friday though I was told of a bar in Jimena de Libar Estacion. With two friends I went along on Sunday afternoon to see Chicago Jim and Mandolin Mick play a complete mix of Celtic, Blues, Folk and even Motown. The music sessions at this bar start at 2pm and finish at 5pm to coincide with the train times to and from Ronda. Jim and Mick were actually quite good. On the way back, we passed the entrance to the Cueva de la Pileta – prehistoric caves. Apparantly on three occasions in the 60’s, The Beatles recorded music there because the acoustics are so good.

This week there is yet another holiday – on Tuesday. I must get my hair cut. The short back and sides I had before Christmas is looking straggly. Maybe the conversation will be better this time.

I have yet to discover why the font etc. is slightly different when a post is confirmed - it's annoying. Consistency should be maintained.

Comparatively busy... 13 - 19 February 2012

I did not get to see “The Woman in Black”, one way and another I have been too busy this week. On Monday I bought my 2 Euro ticket to visit the ‘museum’ below the Puente Nuevo – the bridge over the gorge. The ‘museum’ itself does not have a lot to offer but the bridge itself looks more impressive from half way down.

On Wednesday I visited the Enchinas Borrochas, a 6000 year old dolmen. Again not much to see apart from quite a small group of stones marking what is believed to be a burial site but the position itself is evocative. Apart from the main Algeciras road nearby, not much is likely to have changed in the 6 millenia. The dolmen is situated alongside what would have been the main route at the time from Ronda to Gibraltar.

From there I did a tour of villages, passing through Alpandeire, Frajan, Júzcar and Cartajima.  The villages are in the Alto Genal of the Serrania de Ronda. The area has a large number of chestnut trees. There are vendors selling small packs of hot chestnuts in Ronda. Cartajima, the furthest village is only about 15 miles from Ronda but the roads are so narrow and windy that you travel over 20 miles to get there. Júzcar was a surprise as looking across the mountain to the village, it is completely blue as opposed to the standard white. I checked subsequently and found that all the buildings, church and even gravestones were painted blue last Spring as it was used as the setting for The Smurfs film (starring) Katy Perry as Smurfette and to be released in August this year. Apparantly they normally get around 300 tourist visitors a year and in the 6 months following the painting received 80,000! The Andalucian Government and the Bishop gave special permission for the painting. I can’t see Peterborough City Council doing similar if say Castor asked the same.

The following day I got into the car and it was virtually completely dead. The courtesy light was just about glimmering. Fortunately I brought my charger over with me and with a few leads piggy backed and hanging out of the window left it charging from midday and overnight....... clear sky at 11pm .... it started raining at 8am by which time I had tidied up..... how lucky! The car started ok and I managed my supermarket shop.

The dishwasher had stopped draining before Christmas and an engineer came out to fix it on Thursday. I managed to explain the problem but still have great difficulty understanding the questions that follow. Nevertheless it was fixed. I seem to have gone through a subconscious change though. I no longer when speaking, translate English to Spanish and when listening translate Spanish to English. I either know what to say – or don’t – and understand what is said – or don’t. There is still so much basic stuff I still cannot say or understand. It is all taking longer and more effort than I had hoped.

I still have arrangements/commitments in Peterborough during May to July but although not ready to commit to buying here, currently I aim to be back in Ronda in September/October through to April 2013 - renting again.

I met with friends for a (few) beers and some tapas on Saturday lunchtime. Birmingham were playing at Chelsea in the FA Cup at 12:30. My brother had agreed to send me half time and full time scores but big surprise….. it was being shown on the television in the taverna we met in! If I had known I would have worn my BCFC shirt. A very creditable draw and at least they are in the hat/tub for the draw for the next round.

The blue village of Júzcar, population c250.

More photos

There is snow in the distance. That's as close as it's got so far.

I am getting further into these hills

One day this may well topple over

A view of Ronda just over an hour's uphill walk away. My rented house is among those on the far left.

The weather is better here... 30 Jan - 12 Feb 2012

Going to Malaga airport on Sunday 29^th I left early and took the coast road as opposed to the Autopista. The coast road goes through Fuengirola, Benalmadena and Torremolinos. Fuengirola was all I feared it might be, the other two were OK. At the airport, although we boarded early, the plane got into Stansted ¾ of an hour late…… one of Ryanair’s apparently only 2% not on time.

It was strange sort of being ‘on holiday’ at ‘home’. I stayed with friends and met up with a number of friends including going to choir practice with The Gospel Choir. Thoroughly enjoyed it but I am going to need to practice my breathing before returning in May as I struggled with a couple of songs. I was sorry to have missed the 10^th Anniversary meal; everyone commented what a good night it had been. Also of course I spent some time with my daughters and grandson – as always, it is amazing how quickly babies change. I also visited my brother and his family in Birmingham for three days. We watched the Birmingham v Southampton game and England v Scotland rugby on Sky at the local pub – at the same time.

Fortunately the snow did not cause me any problems. At Stansted on Tuesday though, I set the alarm off going through security. The hand held gismo also suggested a problem. It seemed that it was a small stud on my jeans pocket but although there is another on the left side, that did not trigger the alarm. They also thought they saw something untoward in my case so I had to empty it all and have all my clothes and things checked. One of life’s mysteries as with spilt liquid always seeming to be greater than the amount in the cup/glass/bottle is that it is impossible to repack a case as tidily as it was in the first place. The whole episode though used up over half an hour of the waiting time.

Back in Malaga the temperature was 16c at 8:30pm. It of course became colder when I started up the mountain roads but was still 7c when I pulled up outside the house in Ronda. The next three days however were very cold – it got down to -4 at night and there was a biting wind. It has warmed up again since and is currently very pleasant.

For various reasons I came back here on Tuesday having pretty well decided that I would just return to Peterborough in May when my rental agreement finishes. On Thursday and Friday I took a couple of long walks in the hills and valleys around Ronda and I don't know.... Whatever I decide, I will be back in Peterborough May to July but after that… Qué será, será.

The Spanish is not coming along as well as I had hoped although I am making some progress. I know many more words – it’s putting them together in sentences that is the problem. I went to the supermarket for the bulky stuff the other day and whereas the barrier had always been up, this time it was down. Being in a right hand drive car I could not reach the machine so had to get out, run round, press the button, get back in and drive through. What I did not realise – but should have, there is a notice - is that the machine issues a little card. Presenting that at the checkout, they give you a bar coded receipt. When driving out, I expected to just press a button. There were already two cars behind me and I had to manoeuvre out of the way. I managed to explain my predicament to one of the checkout girls and she got a supervisor to give me a barcoded ticket. I was able to reach over to the reader on the machine and escaped.

While sitting reading a book on my front step, a small finch flew out of the small tree in the drive and very briefly settled on my knee. Amazing. Are such things an omen and if so, good or bad?  The book was Susan Hill’s “A Woman in Black”. The film based on the book is on at the local cinema. I intend going to see it during the week and hope I will understand at least some of the dialogue.

On Saturday night I met up with a couple of friends for a beer then to watch a game of balonmano (handball). Ronda were playing a team from Almeria (about 3 hours away) who, having won 10 and drawn 2 are top of the league. Ronda are 2^nd having won 9, drawn 1 and lost 2. Balonmano is a mix of basketball and netball, played on a court/pitch similar to 5-a-side football and with similar goals. There are six outfield players and a goalkeeper, the object being to throw the ball from player to player and then into the goal. Fast and furious it is with two halves of 30 minutes. Goals are scored regularly as baskets are in basketball and it is rare for there to be more than a 3 goal difference during a game. Ronda had scored 9 before letting in a goal! The other team were clearly rattled and at various times had a player sin-binned and half way through the second half had a player sent off. After five minutes the sent off player can be substituted. The final result was 33-18 to Ronda – they gave them a hell of a beating! We celebrated with a few more beers and some tapas.