Norman and Gretchen came to visit at the end of March. We started out our adventures by visiting Ronda.
They were lucky enough to come during Semana Santa (Holy Week) which is full of festivities and processions. We stayed in a cute albergue just below Ronda and started our days by hiking up the beautiful path into town with amazing views of the famous bridge and waterfall.
While waiting for the procession to start we tried to make a cat friend with an adorable kitten.
The procession started just as night fell and we were treated to a nice sunset with views of the illuminated hills stretching past town.
We had a nice spot on the bridge to watch the procession pass.
The next morning we started the day by checking out the river that cascaded its way down from the bridge right past our albergue.
We made our way to what is left of the Old City wall. Where we succeeded in making a cat friend with a friendly black cat.
We then continued along the outside of the wall and through a small olive grove to the Baños Arabes (Arab Baths).
As much time as we've spent in Ronda this was the first time we were able to make it to the baths when they were open.
After the baths we made our way to the Old City center where we visited the oldest bullring in Spain. Though we don;t support bull fighting we really learned a lot about its history through doing the audio tour.
We then found a nice spot by a park to watch the day's procession.
After the procession we continued along the park which overlooks the massive valley below.
And way at the bottom you can see our albergue.
Wysteria, our favorite, was in bloom.
After the park we went to the Secret Mine. It is a secret, ancient passage way that runs through the rock and leads down to the river. It was used to fetch water and sometimes a way for the queen to go down to bathe. The mine is one of our favorite parts of Ronda.
The peacocks were very lively when we saw them at the gardens of the mine.
After climbing the many steps out of the mine we journeyed back towards the bridge and waterfall to get up close and personal.
Ben adventured up to the middle landing of the bridge: he is the speck in the green!
We then went to the top of the waterfall.
We were treated to a nice sunset for our goodbye (for now) to Ronda which will always have a place in our hearts. We are very thankful that we have been able to share this special city with our family.
Hasta Luego Ronda!
