World Spain Andalucia Ronda

4 Girls Going Places! Maureen joins Wayne in Spain!!!!

Ronda Spain Aug 9, 2009

OH MY GOD! This is another heaven.

This town is situated on a cliff with a deep deep gorge through it. One half was settled by the Moors and the buildings are indicative of that time frame. It is amazing how they built the city on the top of the cliffs with a bridge going across ' easy to see how they protected their property here!

The other side of the bridge was settled later when Christianity came to Spain. More like Cadiz it is quite ornate. it is all small and very walkable. I can´t wait for the sun to set here so I can snap a ton of pics and share them - it is a breathtaking town. The guidebook says you will think you have entered a fairytale and I have to completely agree ' including the horse and carriage that you can take a ride in around the town for a tour!

We walked and walked and walked both in the Moorish part (old) and then in the newer (Renaissance period) part. Funny to think of things so ancient as old and new! We had a bit of paella in the old square as well as my now customary glass of Sangria. We did last minute shopping - which was wonderful in this town. A lot of nice Moroccan feeling linens and metal and stonewares. This town is in the mountains and is at least an hour from the coast. The afternoon was HOT - almost unbearable but we stayed in the shade, sat when we needed to (for cerveza or sangria) and managed to get through the day. As the sun set we made our way to the lookout over the valley below which faced east and was the makings for a wonderful sunset. As it set I started snapping =- although I did not feel that I was getting the shots that I wanted to for the most part. I'm looking forward to seeing them on the computer so I can see if that was not true. Anyways, Wayne struck up a conversation on the steps behind me with a 50 year old Spaniard man. It was the chance for him to practice his Spanish and the man his broken English. A wonderful site in itself as I am filled with admiration towards Wayne and his quest to learn Spanish in this culture and way!

after the sunset we walked back to the old part of town hoping to avoid the tourist feeling in the new part and have a nice Spanish dinner - my last with Wayne here! We had to walk all the way through the old part (and that involved a lot of up and down some very steep streets) in a quest to find an open restaurant. Eventually we did and it was the quaintest, friendly little restaurant in a little square almost on the cliffs (no view though). We had a wonderful meal which was finished off with a complimentary taste of some local Sherry - a very big part of the Adulucian region of Spain. We had hoped to take in a Bodaiga (not sure of spelling) but missed the only English one earlier that day in Jerez, so this was not a sherry educated taste.

More walking after dinner into the new part of town in a quest to find some live music however Sundays in Spain are quite different than every other day - with very limited shops, restaurants and pubs open all day and certainly into the late evening.

An early night (is midnight early?) in a wonderfully comfortable and beautiful room set me up well for a final day in Spain tomorrow.

Ciao!

Mo