Two more rendezvous

Ted. One of our great joys is meeting up with friends and family around the world.

Last week two long time friends, Rick and Margot visited Málaga to see some sights and just hang out, together and separately. No, we didn’t spend every waking moment together but we did a lot of fun things. None of us had ever been to the famous Andalusian hill town of Ronda so one day we rented a car and drove there. After exploring the town with it’s famous bull ring and ravine we tumbled down the hill on a steep dirt road to take the iconic photo looking up at the “New Bridge.”

From there, we wanted to visit nearby Cueva de la Pileta (Cave of the Pool). Googlemaps had suggested a shortcut to the cave so we struggled along a bad paved road, a good dirt road and then, what appeared to be a goat track. After fording a stream, we finally made our way back to a decent paved road that lead to the cave. We found the cave to a wonderland of stalactites and stalagmites with dozens of bats swooping around. There were just the four of us on the tour and our guide spent a lot of time showing us dozens of pictographs, some dating back 30,000 years. Photos were not allowed but I took a photo of a sign outside. 

Margot, Rick, Judy and our guide

Sign out front

On Friday, Rick and Margot flew on to Italy for more adventures and Judy and I flew to Germany to visit our nephew, Chris and his family who live in a suburb of Frankfurt.

Didi & Chris

Silly Nicky

Michael is now an Atlanta Braves fan!

Our visit was just like Judy; short and sweet! Now we are back in Málaga, resting up for our next big adventure.

Back in Málaga

 Judy. We've been here so many times before that, at least for now, there's just not much to say, so I thought I'd just post a few photos.

The supermoon on the night we arrived

And the clouds the next morning

A sixteenth century Madonna at the Málaga Museum

And one of the dozens of Virgins in the churches

Lucia, Inmita, Alex and Little Alex, our Spanish family

And Rick and Margo, old friends visiting us from Denver

Colin and I at church showing off our African print clothes

Alex and Inmita's new house and pool

And the pool that was under construction the whole time we were here last time. No one swims there.

And a Picasso faun to add his two cents

A simple hymn

 Ted. Yes, Judy and I are back in Málaga, Spain. Today, we worshiped at our Spanish church home; St George's Anglican. During the service we sang an English hymn (written by Sydney Carter) that we didn't know called "One More Step Along the World I Go." Apparently, it's quite popular at weddings in England. We couldn't stop laughing as we sang along. You can listen to it by searching the title on YouTube but here are the lyrics:

One more step along the world I go,

one more step along the world I go.

From the old things to the new

keep me traveling along with you.

And it's from the old I travel to the new,

keep me traveling along with you.

Round the corners of the world I turn,

more and more about the world I learn.

All the new things that I see

you'll be looking at along with me.

As I travel through the bad and good,

keep me traveling the way I should.

Where I see no way to go,

you'll be telling me the way, I know.

Give me courage when the world is rough,

keep me loving though the world is tough.

Leap and sing in all I do,

keep me traveling along with you.

You are older than the world can be,

you are younger than the life in me.

Ever old and ever new,

keep me traveling along with you.

Images of England

Ted. Judy and I flew from London Gatwick Airport to Málaga, Spain on Tuesday, August 29. It had been decades since we had spent more than a night or two in the UK so this was a great reminder of how wonderful the country is. There are definitely problems and visible signs of a weakened economy are everywhere. But, as our plane flew over the lush green fields of southern England, several iconic images flashed through my brain. 

Pubs

Tea rooms

Footpaths

Shakespeare

Gardens

Fish & Chips

Football

Thatch

Churches

That indominatable British spirit!