Brian's Rick Steves' Tour of Spain Scrapbook
After dinner we retired to a second story lounge with a television screen and watched a one-hour introduction to a British series on the Spanish Civil War. I learned that the Republic initially underestimated the need for change in the face of extreme poverty. The film documented the rise of anarchy and the resulting desire for law and order among conservatives. The filmmakers worked at not taking sides. But it is clear that poverty was at the root of the unrest and it is clear that Franco did not provide a solution to poverty .
After I reconnected with Annie we found a Rick Steves place for lunch where we enjoyed a single stalk of asparagus and a sardine. Ordering a satisfying meal was sometimes a challenge for us. It was pretty funny.
In Spain, attempting to obtain a chicken salad sandwich, you wind up with a dish whose name, when you look it up in your Spanish-English dictionary, turns out to mean Eel with big abscess.
Dave Barry
We then resumed our shopping paseo stopping twice so I could enjoy a little ice cream.
First Let's Have Lunch
The Hotel
The Lobby of Hotel Banbolero
The Pool
Hotel Garden Park
Eventually we rejoined the group at the bus station and went on to our hotel in the country – Hotel Banbolero. There was a swimming pool two hundred yards from the main building where many of us took a dip. Along the way you pass several gardens and pleasant pools of dark cool water. The actual swimming pool was cold at first but enormously refreshing. Even though she didn’t have a suit, Annie managed to get into the water, with great poise, dressed in some under things. Ramona paddled about while David regaled some of us with the wonders of Australian Rules football. We all relaxed. The travel was hard and it was nice to have a break from shopping, sight seeing, getting lost, etcetera.
During this free time I made the following note: Ronda 6:15 CET – country estate hotel sitting by the pool – Bonnie, Annie, Charlie, Margie, Jim, Janet, Sally, David – laughing, drinking champagne – Joyce, Judy, Claudia.
I left them drinking after a time seeking solitude and settled on a bench warmed by the setting sun with water cascading gently along the nearby tops of garden walls and gurgling into miniature pools, barking farm dogs in the distance, birds chirping, a rooster crowing, wind in the palm trees.
We are in a valley below the hill atop which Rondo sits – a very nice break.
Dinner was at the hotel – gazpacho, which many didn’t like, was the first course. It was definitely a different taste – and I had mixed feelings. I think if I tried it a few more times, I would develop a liking for it. What is it? A cold soup of tomato puree and olive oil along with assorted vegetables. It is a sort of vegetable smoothie with olive oil instead of yogurt. The wine flowed. The second course was a perfectly cooked sea bass tasting nice and fresh (We were not far from the Mediterranean). For dessert we had cake.