Andalucia, a region in southern Spain, is well know for its beauty. “White villages” abound, and Frigiliana was voted by the Spanish Tourist Board as the “prettiest village in Andalucia” – so of course, in my imaginary road trip along the winding back roads, seated in my fab 1948 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport Cabriolet, we drove with reckless abandon to Frigiliana.
Winding roads, winding streets, winding walkways – all a far cry from the freeways of Southern California!
Located in the province of Malaga in southern Spain, Ronda is about 65 miles northwest of Malaga, Spain. It is a “white village” located in Andalusia – a vast region along the Mediterranean and inland – but it is more than just a “white village” as it is home to what I think is one of the most fascinating bits of architecture, the Puente Nuevo. We will explore that famous bridge later on, but for now, let us just enjoy the magnificent scenery of this lovely place.
Ronda has been settled since neolithic times, but the 6th century seems to be when itself became a more settled area. It is marked by cliffs and canyons, as you can see below, but it is also built up on either side of the Guadalevin river. As the countryside is steep, getting from one side of the river to the other is a bit problematic.
These buildings are on one side of the Puente Nuevo. They stand on steep cliffs. As someone without a head for heights, I am not so sure I would want to stand on a balcony and look down – but I think looking across would show some marvelous scenery. Also, coming from earthquake country with unstable soil, my thoughts are, oops! – why did they build there? However, I expect things are far more stable than they are in my neck of the woods as this is an area where a bridge spanning a canyon 400 feet deep and completed in 1793 still stands.
So much to see in the south of Spain! To be continued!
I am typing with two hands, ten fingers, no toes! It is so exciting to be able to return to a relatively normal life even though it was extremely difficult for a few days. My arm is nowhere near as strong as it once was – not that it ever was – but at least I am getting some skills back. Two-fingered typing was getting efficient, but two-handed is much better.
So, where are we today on my untaken vacation? We have sailed from Liverpool south, down the coast of France, perhaps watching the coast as we cruise past Normandy and down through the Bay of Biscay – or further out to sea to meet up with the western bit of the Iberian Peninsula as we head to A Coruna. But! Alas! We could not make it into port in A Coruna – probably the same sucky weather that prevented our mooring in Ireland.
What do we miss? An old city. What do we see as we bypass this port? The one thing that struck me as most-likely-to-be-seen was the lighthouse known as the Tower of Hercules – formerly Farum Brigantium. A bit of research shows a genuinely amazing bit of history as it is the oldest known extant lighthouse, one dating from the 2nd century AD (CE if you want!), and possibly erected by a Roman emperor. For me, one who lives in a SoCal suburb, such history is hard to consider, much less a building of such age.
Read the blurb on Wikipedia – when I looked it up, the Torre de Hercules was astonishing. My humble sketch does not do it justice.
Having worked in the medical field, roaming through the emergency room and surgery, on and off varied floors, I am always interested in learning something I don’t know about things medical. Today I came across this video on YouTube, from the channel “Townsends” – purveyors of re-enactment clothing and utensils, and just a wonderful channel for learning all sorts of things.
Today, I watched and learned all about the St. Augustine, Florida, Spanish Military Hospital of 1784. View the video to find out just what amazing things were going on in 18th century medicine . . . if you were Spanish, you were lucky. Doctors had to be educated, licensed, and show they were still competent every 5 years to maintain their right to practice. Elsewhere, your life was at risk if a “doctor” touched you. Learn about bullet removal, amputation, trepanning, patient care, sterile and antiseptic bandages, post-op care, and more!
If you are in St. Augustine, FL, here is the site for the Spanish Military Hospital Museum and here is the website of Townsends. Enjoy!
Ink, Yarn & Beer 