The Canyons of Ronda

Today was a holiday in Seville which meant that we didn't have class (yay!) so while most people would use this day to catch up on sleep, we opted for a different approach to our day off.  Being the eager study abroad students that we are, about 20 students from my program and I decided to buy bus tickets and travel to Ronda, which is a mountain town about an hour and a half away from Seville.  The town is perched on top of a canyon, which allows for the most breathtaking views I think I have ever seen.  Apparently, Ernest Hemingway spent many summers in Ronda and wrote about its beauty and I can see why he admired this town so much.
When we got off the bus, everyone went their separate ways; we had six hours to explore Ronda before we had to catch the bus back to Seville.
Ronda's main attractions are the "Puente Viejo" (old bridge) and the "Puente Nuevo" (new bridge).  Both bridges span the canyon and give you amazing views of the city and its surroundings.  So, my four friends and I decided to make our way towards the old bridge, and do some shopping/exploring along the way.  We first came across a city park, so we decided to take a look around.  This park allowed you to see miles into the distance, so after we took tons of photos of this new viewpoint we had found, we continued to make our way towards the old bridge.

 Riley and me at the park

 the view from the park

 another viewpoint from the park

After stopping in various shops along the way, we finally reached our destination.  The bridge was beautiful and looking down into the canyon was absolutely breathtaking.  There was one section that had a locked gate, but beyond that gate was a path that lead all the way down to the bottom of the canyon towards the water.  Riley and Hope were determined to get down there, so Riley tried to pick the lock with a bobby pin, but that didn't work.  Hope and was close to hopping over the wall beside the gate and then jumping onto the path, but we convinced her to leave it be and that is was probably marked off due to some danger hazard.

 The view of the new bridge, from the old bridge. Complex, I know.

All of us on the old bridge

As we continued along the bridge, we came across the entrance to "Casa del Rey Moro," which is the remains of an old Arab palace.  We explored the magnificent gardens, but nothing was more exciting that exploring "la mina" (the mine).  The 289 stairs that make up this mine shaft bring you down to the very bottom of the canyon by the water (so Hope didn't need to jump a fence after all).  It was a little scary making the trek through the dark tavern and down the steep stairwell; it reminded me of The Hidden Staircase (hey, once a Nancy Drew fan, always a Nancy Drew fan).  But, once we reached the bottom, we walked out onto a metal grate over the water and our surroundings were absolutely stunning to see.    
A nice German couple that we met during the trek told us that this passageway was originally used by slaves to transport food that had come by boat to the palace.
  

 me walking down the creepy staircase through the taverns

 oh hey! The first lady and the first daughters also walked down through the cave!

After our cave explorations, we continued on to make our way towards the new bridge, and by new bridge, I mean the bridge that was built a little over 200 years ago...bit of a misnomer if you ask me.  After seeing more views of the Spanish countryside from that bridge, we stopped to get a quick bite to eat and a refreshing drink since we were famished from our earlier activities.  Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the bus station to return to Seville.  All I have to say is, this was definitely one of the greatest days off from school I've ever had.

We ran into some other girls from our program and got a shot of all of us on the new bridge

I will be traveling to Cordoba this weekend with our entire program, so look out for my next blog post!

xoxo,
sworonoff