Exploring Spain and Portugal Part VII - From Granada to Ronda (photo slideshow)

Part VII continues with my trip about Spain and Portugal.  From Sacramento to Lisbon, follow my journey through these two countries.  Leaving Granada, I head to a hillside town in southern Spain, Ronda.

Day 12 - From Granada to Ronda

We woke up around 9 am and checked out of our hotel.  Because we had the Rick Steves book, we got an extra 20% off!  We were able to leave our bags at reception so we could walk around Granada some more.  We headed over to the Royal Chapel and saw the graves of Isabel and Ferdinand.  Granada was the last victory over the Moors as Spain was finally united under the Catholic rule of Isabel and Ferdinand.  It was also in Granada that Isabel decided to sponsor Columbus.  There is also a statue dividing the old and new parts of town with Isabel and Columbus in the Plaza Isabel de Catolica.  Also buried in the Royal Chapel are Philip II and his wife Juana.  The chapel was a nice little church but the reason people come here are to see the two graves.  Also included in the chapel is the royal treasury with art, tapestries, royal dress, the altars of John and John the Baptist, and the crown and scepter of Isabel. 

After the Royal Chapel, we went to the Cathedral which is the second largest in Spain (Sevilla’s is the largest).   Inside, it is one of two Renaissance churches in Spain and unlike most cathedrals, it is big and bright as the walls are painted with lime (during the 18th century, this was done to help prevent disease).  This church includes a lot of Marys as it was very much a symbol of the Counter Reformation.  There is also a number of paintings and sculptures by Granada’s own Alonso Cano and some funky music sheets in G clef rather than C clefs.  Like all other cathedrals, it had its share of side chapels and museums.  However, I really enjoyed the size and color of this cathedral.

Afterwards, we took two bus tours of two different areas of the city.  First, we went through the Albayzin to get a look at the Moorish quarter.  While we walked through a few streets last night, we wanted a broader overview of the area since we weren’t going to have time to explore it on our own before leaving.  It was definitely interesting and different as you step from one culture to another all within the same city.  The Albayzin also offered some great views as it was the highest part of the city.  From there, we took the next bus through Sacromonte.  This is the home to the Roma community and is completely different than the rest of the city.  The Roma are a traditional nomadic group of people that originated from India.  Today, Granada is home to 50,000 Roma and most make their home in this community.  Many Roma have the reputation of being thieves and begging for money on the streets.  While this is true for some of them, this is not the case for all of them.  Many live in simple dwellings (many in caves above the city) in which they sell crafts on the streets and make their living in music or dancing.  Zambra is a Roma version of Flamenco dancing.  The entrance to the Sacromonte community is marked by the statue of Chorrohumo, a Roma guide in Granada.  There is only one street leading the way through with simple dwellings, crafts and tourist caves, and other caves above the community in the hills for which many live (along with Granada’s modern hippies).  Again, this was an interesting view of a unique community within this city.

Afterwards, we had a quick lunch at the local Burger King (no time to have a long drawn out Spanish lunch), grabbed our bags, and took the bus to the train station.  The driver was kind enough to tell us where to get off.  However, we walked around for 15 minutes and had to ask directions a couple of different times to find the train station.  We finally arrived and asked information where we should go.  Since there were only two sets of tracks and this was a very small station, we just waited patiently for our train to arrive.  We sat in a train car which only had 1 other person and enjoyed the 2 ½ hour train ride through southern Spain on our way to Ronda.  Most of the stops along the way were poor, small town areas through farms and mountains.  We arrived in Ronda around 8:15pm and walked through town and the Puente Nuevo (new bridge) to take a look at the gorge in the dark. 

Ronda is a town of about 40,000 people that overlooks a gorge near the Costa del Sol.  During the day, it is busy with tourists hiking and taking to its streets while at night, it is quiet and peaceful full of locals.  The two main attractions are the two bridges over the huge gorge and the oldest bullring in Spain.  Arriving at night, I just loved the feel of the town.  Everything was serene and peaceful and the streets were like any small town in the USA.  There are even a couple of long pedestrian only streets in which families and tourists alike take a stroll.  This is a town where there are some things to see but also a place to catch your breath and enjoy a break from the busy cities.  Being here, I was already enjoying the quiet and feeling like I was able to catch a glimpse of local life in a nice Spanish town.  After our walk through town, we were in search of our home for the next couple of nights, the Buraka B&B.  It took us a while to find it but when we did, we were greeted warmly by the owner of the house, Anahid.  She spoke perfect English and led us upstairs to our room.  She had a beautiful home with an open air patio downstairs looking up at the sky.  Anahid spent a little time talking to us and recommended Café San Francisco for dinner as it was a place where all the locals ate.  Anahid was an Armenian from Lebanon who has spent 24 years in the US, 7 in England, and the last 5 in Spain.  By far, this was our best place to stay.  Her home was tucked away in the back streets of Ronda and was so beautiful and peaceful.  Already I felt comfortable around Anahid and felt like I was a part of Ronda’s community. 

We headed down the hill along the city wall and entered the barrio neighborhood.  Café San Francisco was packed with locals and there was even a huge carnival going on next door as well.  Families and kids were out riding rides and having fun.  Further up the street, we walked through the neighborhood with these beautiful, but modest, homes.  This area just felt like a beach town without the ocean and I just loved this part of the city.  Since the Café was so crowded, we decided to come back another night to eat and wandered back into Ronda.  After being here just a couple of hours, Ronda was a favorite of mine for so many different reasons – great B&B in a beautiful home, easy going city, the locals, the views, and just the peace and relaxation I felt walking around.  K headed back to the room and I ended up having to go to McDonald’s to eat.  The restaurant I wanted to go to was closed so I had to find something that was still open.  The night didn’t end well because of some frustrations and having to eat at McDonalds (I was disgusted by the food, just can’t handle fast food that much anymore).  However, I am happy to be in Ronda and look forward to the next couple of days here.

Lessons Learned - While renting a car may be a great way to travel for many people, don't overlook the user of public transportation in other countries.  Buses and trains are generally cheaper and much more efficient than transportation in many cities in the US.  By taking public transportation, you can relax, read up on your next destination, or just connect with other travelers.  Traveling by car can be a great option but it may not be the best or cheapest for your vacation.

Day 13 - Ronda

We woke up at 9 and went downstairs for a breakfast of fruit, toast, and jam prepared by Anahid.  At breakfast, we met the other couple staying with her, Max and Ana.  Max was a chef from Italy and he moved to Calgary after he was married (his ex was from there).  It was after his divorce that he met Ana and they have been married for over 10 years.  The 4 of us and Anahid sat at breakfast talking about culture, travel, politics, and our lives for over 2 hours.  It was one of the best moments of the trip as we really spent time connecting with two other travelers and a local here in Spain sharing our thoughts and adventures.  We instantly clicked with Max and Ana.  After breakfast, we headed out to explore Ronda.  It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day and the view from the bridge overlooking the gorge was amazing.  It was our first stop as we headed out.  We walked along the parador, a walkway below the bridge extending out to the gorge and all the way around to the park.  As we walked along, we ran into Max and Ana again and we chatted for a few.  As strange as it sounds, it felt like running into old friends again (even though we had just seen them) after we had spent so much time connecting.  They even offered to take a picture of us, one of the few we had taken together.  After our walk along the bridge and parador, we walked along the pedestrian only street Calle Espinol, full of shops and restaurants.  We turned along a broad street in a quiet but nice neighborhood on our way to the bus station. 

We bought our tickets for Sevilla and then walked back through town and through the Alameda del Tajo park.  The park is a great place to people watch, take a stroll, overlook the gorge, or just relax in the shade.  We took our time walking through and then headed over to the bullring.  We got to go inside, sit in the arena, and even walk around on the grounds of the bullring.  Certain spots were brown from the blood of bulls that had been spilled.  This is the oldest bullring in Spain (1784) and the arena and museums are dedicated to the bullfighting legends, the Romero family.  Outside, there is even a statue of the great Pedro Romero.  While walking around the museum to see the matador costumes and read up on the history of bullfighting, we ran into Max and Ana again.  Max said they really enjoyed talking to us and felt like we really connected.  So he gave me his email address in case we wanted to keep in touch and ever made it to Calgary.  As I walked away, I heard Max tell Ana that he really liked me.  Something about that really struck me.  It was the last time we would see Max and Ana but our connection with them was one of the best memories of our trip.

As we left the bullring, we went to a local cafeteria for some pizza.  From there, we walked through Casa del Rey Moro gardens and the Old Bridge (lower part of town below the New Bridge).  After exploring the views from there, we headed back to the Puente Nuevo and had some very bad wine at Don Miguel’s overlooking the gorge.  We then headed over to the tree filled (pinsapo trees, only area of the country where these ancient fir trees grow) Plaza Maria de Auxiliadora to walk down the Puerta de los Molinos for a walk down into the gorge.  I saw a great view of the Puente Neuvo from the bottom part of the gorge and walked a bit farther to just sit and relax.  Going back up was harder than going down but we made the long hard walk back up the path and just wandered around the city of Ronda.  Took a break for a while to use the internet and then went back to the B&B to rest for a bit.  For dinner, we headed back to Café San Francisco and decided to be a bit adventurous.  Had the fried cod and swordfish and washed it down with a beer.  I really enjoyed the fish and was surprised at how good it was.  After dinner, we walked back through the Plaza Maria de Auxiliadora.  We took our time walking through the back streets of Ronda before heading back to the hotel. 

Ronda passed Granada as my favorite place even though there wasn’t a lot to do.  It was definitely a relaxing place to slow down a bit.  I loved the views of the gorge and the different neighborhoods in the city and down in the barrio.  If there is a city that I would want to live in Spain, Ronda would be it.  Max, Ana, and Anahid just made my experience of Ronda even better.

Lessons Learned - Don't overlook the opportunities to connect with locals and other travelers.  While seeing many cities, famous sights, and churches are fascinating, some of your most memorable experiences happen when you meet other people.  To this day, we still keep it touch with Max and Ana.

Next up - Part VIII From Ronda to Sevilla

If you want to get an email any time a new Budget Travel story is posted, just click on the Subscribe link above (no spamming and you can unsubscribe at any time).  Now you can follow me on Twitter @budgettravelsac or on Facebook at Examiner Budget Travel.