Grazalema …..on the road to Ronda
Categories Spain 2017.....walking, driving, training, buses, Spain 2024, 2017October 23, 2017
Felt much refreshed after a good night’s sleep, although the leg issue persists. Very nice breakie at the hotel (pretty decent deal @ 50 Euros per night with breakfast included) and with a last look at Grazamela, we are on our way …
Ronda, 60 miles southeast of Sevilla, is one of the largest white hill towns. Ronda’s stunning ravine divides the town’s labyrinthine Moorish quarter and its newer, noisier, and sprawling Mercadillo quarter. The New Bridge, massive yet graceful, has spanned the gorge (360 feet deep and 200 feet wide) since the 18th century.
We got to Ronda easily enough but then my faithful navigator had her hands full ….nevertheless, after driving through some narrow lanes we did reach our hotel and they were ok with leaving Polo directly in front…..YEAH!! Being early for check-in, we spent a few hours wandering around the town, just down the street from the hotel a pretty small church and a look back on our street and the town rising above it….
…the gate to the old Roman bridge……after which we climbed up and crossed Puente Neuve (New Bridge) to look back at the bridge and the famous gorge mentioned earlier from several viewpoints…
…then on the spur of the moment we decided to visit the The Plaza de Toros (bullring) ……The bullring occupies a very special place in modern Spanish culture and history as the home of the Rondeño style of bullfighting and of the Real Maestranza De Caballería De Ronda. The bullring was built entirely of stone in the 18th century, during the golden years of Pedro Romero’s reign as champion bullfighter. Kind of a fun low-key visit …it would have been great to see a bullfight, maybe next time !!!!
There is a nice museum inside which provided some insights into the bullfighting culture……as well as a pic of the bull pens and corridors leading out to the bullring (the ropes are on pulleys which control the doors) ….I don’t think anyone would want to be the door opener at ground level…
Lastly, we found this take on bullfighting: what would it be like if there was a role reversal…
On the way back to the hotel we couldn’t resist a late lunch at the Leuchtang Bar, yes more tapas, haha ….different approach, fill in a little sheet, give it to the barkeep and your eats starts arriving…..quite tasty, so not much left on the plates…
Well, the Hotel EnfrenteArte is without a question the most bizarre hotel we have ever stayed in, so excuse us if we post a bunch of pics…the check-in area, breakfast area…yes, you do help yourself to dishes from the trunk…
…and some nooks and crannies…….water features appearing in odd places, terraces/sitting areas all over and finally a rooftop pool:
Oh and did I mention a free serve yourself bar (coffee, soft drinks, beer on tap, wine by the bottle …..sure makes the clients happy….at least these ones). A bit of a siesta and we are out again …
Before heading out for dinner we had a plan, unfortunately Plan A & B fell by the wayside as both restos were closed contrary to Google…so went with Plan C >>> Entre Vinos….sat on stools beside a wine barrel and once again had tapas, a pleasant evening….. actually had some fun with 2 Japanese American girls who were industriously translating the tapas names on their I-phones. When I innocently asked them if the translation differed from the back of the menu (which was in English)……they were aghast, so tech savvy they neglected to check the backside of the menu >>> haha, nice to be senior savvy !!!
Good day….buenas noces!!!