In Ronda, we started at the historical Plaza de Toros (bullfighting ring), but didn't go in. Instead, we went to an overlook of the surrounding valley. The view was incredible. I'll post a link to the facebook album at the end of the post. Ronda was built near a very steep, impossible to scale, cliff in order to protect the city. Because of the height, you can see for miles. We were there on a nice, clear day, so it was particularly spectacular.
We then saw the Puente Viejo (old bridge), the support pillars of which apparently used to serve as a prison. If you ticked off your guards, they threw you out a window. Which is only, you know, slightly terrifying. Crossing the bridge, we made it to the old Arab Baths, which were not what I was expecting. Having been to the Roman Baths in England, I was thinking they'd be fairly open, with pools and airy spaces. I forgot to take into account the fact that the Roman Baths are heated naturally by hotspring, while the Arab Baths of Ronda were heated by fire. Therefore, they put a lot more effort into making sure as little heat as possible escaped from the heated rooms. Though there were skylights in the ceiling, for light and sanitation purposes, it was still dim and cave-like. I suppose the twilight would make it more relaxing.
After that, we went to La Casa del Rey Moro (House of the Moorish King), where we saw some pretty gardens and went down into Las Minas. Las minas literally translates as 'the mines'; these tunnels consisted of 194 steps down, through the interior of the cliff, that led to a river below. It was definitely work the burning muscles and absolute terror at walking down slippery wet steps in near darkness, because I don't think I've ever seen water that blue. Maybe in a movie, but never in real life. I personally don't have a ton of pictures (and no group shots) because my friends, took a ton, and told me I could use theirs. Once they're online, I'll post them.
After lunch (eaten picnic style at the lookout) we hopped back on the bus and went to Sevilla. Our first afternoon there consisted of a ton of free time, so my friends Danielle and Dave and I explored a little then got dinner. That night there was a flamenco performance, and it was amazing. I had been to one before, when I was in Barcelona in 2008 (was it really so long ago?), but to be honest I don't remember much of it. This one, however, was amazing. The guitarist, the singer, and the dancers. Everything. The guitar is so intricately played, and the singing is raw and emotional. My favorite part by far was the dancing. Not only was it technically amazing, but the passion in the woman's face really made it spectacular. I mean, you can usually tell the emotional color of a song or dance, but this just burst through. I'm not sure if I was more impressed by the speed at which she was able to move her feet without breaking the rhythm, or by how passionate she was about the dance.
Saturday was just as exciting as Friday. Our first stop was Los Reales Alcazares de Sevilla, or the Royal Palace. When the Spanish royal family is in town, that's where they stay. Because I did a project on Spanish castles this fall, I already knew a few things about the Alcazar, like who originally built it, the architectural style, and the history of some of the areas and their names. One patio in particular, El Patio de Las Doncellas, stands out in my mind. Its name refers to the legend that the Moorish kings demanded 100 virgins each year as a tribute from the Christian kings of the Iberian Peninsula. It, like the palace, is gorgeous. We walked around almost the entire palace, and even saw some peacocks after getting accidentally separated from our group, because our leader didn't give us time to take pictures.
We also saw the Cathedral, which was built after the destruction of the Mosque that was there originally. The only remaining part of the Mosque is La Giralda (the tower). We climbed to the top (thankfully there were ramps, not stairs), and could see the entire city. Within the cathedral itself, we saw the tomb of Christopher Columbus, although one other church claims to have his body.
Below are 3 photos (2 from the trip) that are from some of my friends, but you can look at my facebook album, too.
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| This isn't from Sevilla. It's from Wednesday, when Danielle, Alicia (pictured) and I got chocolate y churros. |
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| Dave and I practicing our mapping skills |
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| Playing in the maze at the Alcazares |
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