So the next day a train ride here where we changed to get to Benaoján where we had a house for ten days.
And it was a lovely house. Our English friend Anna Snowden had first recommended it. Mark and Jane Carson who have a house nearby had concurred. So I rented it from Paco for ten days and we had a ball! Kevin and FPG enjoyed reading in the cool living room with nice art.
The kitchen was well-equipped and a cheerful place to work and to watch others (notice my foot as I am reading in comfortable chair).
Outside the kitchen door was this lovely patio with an ancient fig tree and view to swimming pool.
Paco is a great gardener and came by almost everyday to check on plants. We learned that Paco is a diminutive for Francis! So FPG became Little Paco!
We went to a lovely hotel restaurant one evening. FPG looks especially happy!
After a good dinner, he was happier.
And soon our friends Sophie and Matthew and JoJo joined us
We loved sitting and talking under the antique fig tree.
And eating the delicious brown figs--like our turkey figs in SC but bigger.
Water games were fun!
The house had this lovely tile work for horses from the middle ages.
We liked walking to Annie's tiny store for basics and red licorice.
We enjoyed great meals in different restaurants in the little town.
A gift for Jonathan and Sophie from Lecie and Paul!
Fun in the Kitchen
We enjoyed road trips, as we were close to some interesting places, Montejacque, Ronda, Gaucin.
Driving by amazing landscapes and sometimes treacherous overlooks.
We traveled to Pileta Cave to see ancient cave drawings.
Where we saw drawings on the cave walls.
We traveled to Ronda--(19th-century travelers liked it here! I have a small collection of prints of Amman by David Roberts when he traveled there--the search for Orientalism).
And toured these ancient Arab baths.
And walked around the charming city or should I say up up up!
Sweetly scented roses along the way.
A nice lunch in this outdoor cafe.
We were reminded that Hemingway was here--at the Arena where the bull fights are staged. I think he set "Hills Like White Elephants" (always one of my favorites stories to teach) in this area, even though he says that it is in northern Spain. However, I saw white hills around the country side that could have been the hills like white elephants.
Some of us went to beautiful Gauchin-- the playground for Spain's rich and famous!
Where we had a yoga lesson
In a lovely old house surrounded by gardens
And walked through winding streets
We saw lots of decorated geckos on the walls of houses.
Enjoyed a delicious lunch on the terrace of a posh hotel.
On another day we took the road behind our house following the river
To a swimming hole and a lovely place for a wedding photo
And another cave!
Montejaque is near Benaojan so we went there for dinner one night.
The square leads out to a maze of tiny ancient streets.
Where FPG had fun running and hiding from us.
We had a wonderful time in Benaojan and hated to leave this lovely place but onwards
On the delightful very modern train ride to Madrid!
And more great views
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