Snapshots from Spain - A little more Ronda

With just a week and a half in the Andalucía region of Spain I had to make some tough choices deciding which cities to visit. I almost skipped Ronda altogether in order to give myself a little more time in Granada. Instead I used the town as a pit stop between Sevilla and Granada, spending a quick afternoon, evening and morning in town. It was just enough time. Charming and scenic, Ronda makes a restful break from the busier cities. The hot spots of Ronda are pretty easy to navigate. Once you find the main drag centered around the gorge, aka El Tajo, you're golden.

My hotel was located just across the street from The Alameda del Tajo, a lovely little botanical garden with stunning views of the surrounding mountains. Full of lush greenery and tons of viewpoints, the park also features a small but cute playground and a family friendly, if a little stinky, bird enclosure.

The little dude pictured below was having the time of his life feeding the birds at the fountain. He was quickly joined by this impeccably dressed, and unbearably cute, girl. I couldn't help but notice that, in general, Spanish children seem to always be dressed to impress.

Make your way along the viewpoints toward the big bridge and you'll walk past Plaza de toros de Ronda, the oldest bullfighting ring in Spain. A little further and you'll find Paseo de Hemingway. Orson Wells and Ernest Hemingway both summered in Ronda, writing about the dramatic bull fights and epic landscape. On Ronda Hemingway wrote, "That is where you should go if you ever go to Spain on a honeymoon or if you ever bolt with anyone." So, planning to elope? Hemingway says Ronda is where it's at.

Up top I said that Ronda is easy to navigate, and it totally is, but I wasn't so lucky. I have a pretty good sense of direction, but it's become a bit of a bad habit for me to get lost right away when I arrive in a new city. Heading out of the bus station I went in (what turned out to be) the opposite direction of my hotel, walking uphill into the sun, dragging my suitcase and backpack. When I found myself in front of the Train station I knew I'd picked the wrong direction. Thanks to the big town map out front I navigated my way back easily. This time I picked the shady side of the street and the downhill trip back to the bus station was no problem. In no time at all I arrived at my little hotel. Despite the extra stress and time spent, I gained some very valuable information. The train would take me on to Granada the next day and now I knew exactly where to find it.