Happy New Year from Gaucin!
Hola
Ringing in 2019 on a balcony in Gaucin, Spain. It is sunny, 18 degrees and we have a view of the Rock of Gibraltar and beyond to the Rif mountains of Morocco. Eagles are soaring above us and donkeys can be heard braying in the distance. Absolutely bucolic. I expect Spanish Heidi to come skipping around the corner!
Our town is set high in the mountains and is among the many Pueblo blanco towns of the region. All buildings are whitewashed and adorned with black ornate railings- a nod to their Moorish heritage.
Arriving in Gibraltar, the famous Rock stood menacingly above the runway. At first glance, Gibraltar looked like any British town complete with chip stands and Marks and Spencer but just a short walk away was the border to Spain. We all rambled through; the border control people
taking no interest in us whatsoever.
After wandering aimlessly through town looking for our car rental agency, we found Manuel in a large parking lot. His English was good, his teeth were not. It seemed a little odd to be signing the contract in this location but so far the car has not blown up!
As we drove into Gaucin in the late evening we were met by a parade of townspeople ( that word sounds like it is straight out of Beauty and the Beast!)who were singing their way to the local church. We managed to make our way through the maze of streets to our place. The roads are very narrow and barely accommodate our small car.
Many of the shops and restaurants are closing for the season after January 6th. We spoke with the owners of an excellent restaurant who close for the month of January. They are a Dutch couple who run a two-person operation with excellent , creative cuisine. They became friendlier when they heard we were Canadians.
Jet-lagged and a little groggy from Benadryl, we set out later in the day for Ronda. Once again, the views as you wind through the mountains are stunning. Ronda appears to attract more of the tourist trade with its bullfighting arena and views of the jagged gorge from the bridge. All are out in their finery preparing for New Year’s Eve.
Celebrations for the New Year seem familiar and at the same time not. At a local village shop where we stopped for groceries, young teens, their faces flushed with youth were hanging out near the bottles of vodka giggling with thoughts of what the big night may bring, too young to realize that monumental NYE celebrations often result in regret and nausea A tradition specific to this area involves eating 12 grapes at midnight and wearing red underwear. You eat a grape and make a wish for each month of the year. We followed the tradition wishing for happiness, health, adventure in 2019.
Life is good.
Ringing in 2019 on a balcony in Gaucin, Spain. It is sunny, 18 degrees and we have a view of the Rock of Gibraltar and beyond to the Rif mountains of Morocco. Eagles are soaring above us and donkeys can be heard braying in the distance. Absolutely bucolic. I expect Spanish Heidi to come skipping around the corner!
Our town is set high in the mountains and is among the many Pueblo blanco towns of the region. All buildings are whitewashed and adorned with black ornate railings- a nod to their Moorish heritage.
Arriving in Gibraltar, the famous Rock stood menacingly above the runway. At first glance, Gibraltar looked like any British town complete with chip stands and Marks and Spencer but just a short walk away was the border to Spain. We all rambled through; the border control people
taking no interest in us whatsoever.
After wandering aimlessly through town looking for our car rental agency, we found Manuel in a large parking lot. His English was good, his teeth were not. It seemed a little odd to be signing the contract in this location but so far the car has not blown up!
As we drove into Gaucin in the late evening we were met by a parade of townspeople ( that word sounds like it is straight out of Beauty and the Beast!)who were singing their way to the local church. We managed to make our way through the maze of streets to our place. The roads are very narrow and barely accommodate our small car.
Many of the shops and restaurants are closing for the season after January 6th. We spoke with the owners of an excellent restaurant who close for the month of January. They are a Dutch couple who run a two-person operation with excellent , creative cuisine. They became friendlier when they heard we were Canadians.
Jet-lagged and a little groggy from Benadryl, we set out later in the day for Ronda. Once again, the views as you wind through the mountains are stunning. Ronda appears to attract more of the tourist trade with its bullfighting arena and views of the jagged gorge from the bridge. All are out in their finery preparing for New Year’s Eve.
Celebrations for the New Year seem familiar and at the same time not. At a local village shop where we stopped for groceries, young teens, their faces flushed with youth were hanging out near the bottles of vodka giggling with thoughts of what the big night may bring, too young to realize that monumental NYE celebrations often result in regret and nausea A tradition specific to this area involves eating 12 grapes at midnight and wearing red underwear. You eat a grape and make a wish for each month of the year. We followed the tradition wishing for happiness, health, adventure in 2019.
Life is good.
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