3 attempts to leave Ronda….

 …the first two were predicted by the weather, but really didn’t bother us, but the police didn’t let James go without a helmet on our third try. We were already out of town in glorious sunlight heading east towards Granada, when a very authoritarian whistle demanded attention. Attached was a civil guardian with a very stern look addressing James: “Why are you not wearing a helmet?” (In Spanish of course) as he is looking around on J’s bicycle in disbelief trying to find a helmet dangling. Pointing to my helmet…pointing to J’s bare head…gesturing ….trying to get his point across, Spanish speaking. 

J is shrugging his shoulders: “I haven’t worn a helmet all through Europe last time I was here (speaking English) (30 years ago).

Now the two officials are looking at me: not saying anything….I look right back at them….

(The fine for not wearing a helmet riding a bicycle  outside of a city in Spain has a consequence of €100. We read that somewhere…)

“Hoondert oyros” he says “goo Ronda buk”

Generously he offered to let us go back and find a helmet -on a Sunday all stores are closed- without paying the fine!

Another day in this wondrous town. Back to our favorite little Hostal Doña Carmen which we had to abandon mid term because it was the weekend and they were booked out in advance. On Sunday though, tourists are leaving and we settled back in, early that morning. Attempt to find an open bicycle shop was fruitless, so we wondered around one more time blending in with the remaining weekend tourists. 

We haven’t always been “good” here in Spain (or maybe elsewhere too..knowingly or not…). We sped illegally across a 1km long bridge back in Huelva crossing the Odiel river. It was a question of 34km versus 14km with a big old headwind. We -very clearly- ignored the

signs.

The bridge wasn’t very kind to our poaching: between rumble strips, debris and elevated reflectors we were stumbling along with our heavy cargo trying to keep a line in the wind and going as fast as we could. The honking could be interpreted as encouragement or annoyance which ever one would like to choose. (I choose encouragement if you want to know….)

It was a bit stressful for the time of exposure…battling the wind and all….though, when a police car passed us (not honking) I felt this sinking feeling of relieve: busted! Oh well…they’ll be waiting for us on the other side….we’ll see…maybe the “better to ask for forgiveness than permission” version will work - again-? Heart pumping, but somehow “the-world-will-not -come-to-a-stop-because-of-us” sensation we turned off that bridge and nobody was waiting for us…nobody at all!

So, yes, we did know about the helmet rule…pretending not to only helped a little….