On the road to Ronda - which is on the way to Seville

Today was a traveling day - well, sort of.  We needed to get from Granada to Seville, and the best way is to go by car.  But since we don't have a car, our local tour operator, Rosa Lara (Just Explore), gave us a lift.

The southern bit of Spain (Andalucia) is dotted with small towns clinging to the cliffs and rocky outcroppings of the Sierra Nevada.  The most beautiful of these towns, Ronda, would be our destination for lunch and a walk around.

Three things you don't know about Ronda:  1) Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles spent many summers here.  In fact, Orson Welles is buried here - or at least his ashes are.  2) The Puente Nuevo is not new.  The bridge was completed in 1793 - about the same time the construction on the US Capitol building was started.  3) Finally, Ronda is the birthplace of modern bullfighting.  Bullfighters used to combat the bulls on horseback.  Then a very brave man, Pedro Romero, said something like, "Hey, y'all, watch this..."  Then he jumped from his horse and fought the bull on foot.  It actually worked out pretty well for him - he won 5,000 bull fights without injury (to himself, not the bull).

Okay, here's some scenery...

And the wide valley

Across the way is the bull ring.  We went to the museum and got to walk out into the ring.  Great acoustics!

And here's the new bridge...

Time for lunch.  Our friend at the restaurant...

After a lovely tour of the town, and a spectacular drive through the Grazalema Natural Park, we arrived in Seville.  Tired but excited to continue our exploration of Espana - we will dive into Seville tomorrow.  In the afternoon.