Atajate is another village in the Serrania de Rondas along route 341 between Ronda and Gaucin in Andalucia. This region is hot and dry during the summer months and the parched earth looked dusty and dry. We saw groves of olive trees on several occassions, and the two-lane, asphalt-topped highway was lined by cork oaks. I assume that olive and cork production accounts for some of the local economy. There were no visible water sources. What made the drives through these mountains enjoyable was that there was absolutely no traffic, other than an occassional farmer. The road meandered along the mountains, and the little villages with their white-washed houses appeared as white spots perched on the mountainside. At night there were no lights and the same villages appeared as clusters of light surrounded by total darkness. What made it a thrill to us was that time appeared to have stood still in this part of Spain, middle age in appearance and costums. No evidence of a modern European EEC member here. We were warned to dress properly, i.e. long sleeves and nothing revealing for our women. Yet it didn't matter how quietly we approached these villages, once we were spotted by one of the black-clad old women, the village knew there were strangers in town and we got the evil eye. There was no evidence of tourism, neither hotels, nor restaurants or stores. But once on the coast, in Torremolinos or Marbella there were topless and nudist beaches, and international crowds. This picture was taken in July 1989 and later scanned. Thank you for viewing and commenting on my recent uploads, Sig...