My second night in Los Corrales was spent at the cafe counter where one of the women I met worked. I had ice cream and tea, eventually transitioning into a few cervezas, including one called Desperado (ha) that had a tequila flavor. I had to try it (not bad) as it was the first time Ive had the option to drink a beer that isnt Cruzcampo (very light). People from the town came and went all night. Sweet Angeles introduced me to each one and we chatted. It was very mellow and again, good practice. I got a good nights sleep and headed out in the late morning. I want to add that my room was only 25 euro a night. Lodging in Spain can be quite cheap for a simple room. I prefer hostals in cities for the companionship but in smaller towns, I soaked in a bit of privacy by choosing a single room.

Overnight there had been a tremendous storm. There seems to be mostly limestone there so the roads had been severely flooded. All day I ran across big machines moving earth off the roads. Honestly, a lot of Andalusia reminds me of the Hill Country of Texas, with scrubby tress and the very dry soils and limestone outcroppings. Plus olive trees everywhere. And I do mean everywhere.

So that day (Friday), enroute to the coast, I drove through a couple of towns on La Ruta de Pueblos Blancos (the route of the white towns). These are whitewashed villages and towns that probably represent a lot of peoples image of Spain. I had lunch in Rhonda, which is a rather large town high, high up on a hill where there is an insane bridge spanning a gorge. Lots of tourists but very worth it. Driving in these towns was pretty intense since the streets are ancient and narrow cobblestone lanes with traffic flowing both ways. And often they require stopping on steep hills so I am very glad I learned to drive standard in the mountains!

In Europe, they primarily of traffic circles to change roads (versus a left turn or merge or cloverleaf here). They take some serious getting used to — and it the busier places, some serious balls. People change lanes randomly and you have to whip your head around while looking for the sign of your hopeful direction. With the driving, I do wish I had a companion to play navigator. It would have been much easier, although I managed just fine in the end.

ps Here is a picture of my car: