Day Trippin', Spring Fever Edition; or Seville y Ronda

The haul between spring break and summer break is BRUTAL, y'all. Seriously. There is Memorial Day holiday in May, but from April to June is a long, exhausting journey. We've been able to get out and about to the towns of Ronda and twice to Seville, which has really helped make the time go by a little faster.

First, Seville.

Seville is only an hour and a half or so away by car, and an easy drive. We spent a cold, rainy day in December getting to know the city a little and saw the Alcazar. We went back in April over spring break and again for a quick trip a week ago, and I'm happy to find something new every time.

We are lucky to be living about an hour away, and Seville is much like what I pictured Spain being like before I moved here. It has a population of  around 700,000 and covers a little more than 50 square miles. It's very pedestrian friendly, but it's definitely somewhere that requires a little driving (or taxi/bus/tram transportation) to see the entire city in a day.

The older area of town has a Jewish quarter and cobblestone streets. There is a bizarre system of red lights where one-way streets alternate directions after the light changes. We found this quite by accident, as I was (unsuccessfully) trying to navigate to a parking garage. This area also is where you'll find the Setas, amazing mushroom-like wooden structures. There are pedestrian streets with restaurants and shopping (Camper shoes! Lush cosmetics!). There is much of what you'd find in any city---professional football (soccer) stadiums, a tram system, a large train station (we switched trains here on our trip to Madrid), and a decent sized airport. It's a nice blend of old and new. The large cathedral in the middle of town has the tomb of Christopher Columbus. The Alcazar is right around the corner and a beautiful example of life in the Moorish era.

Again, it's not something anyone could sensibly tackle in one day. Instead, I'd recommend getting a map, finding one of the dozens of parking garages, and sticking to that part of the map for the day.

During spring break, we spent a few hours exploring a few parks and public gardens near the Plaza de España. Built for the World's Fair in the 1920s, it has beautiful tile mosaics representing various areas in Spain. There is a small waterway where you can rent a row boat, beautiful, scenic bridges, and lots of colorful tiles. On a clear day, it makes a very picturesque place to visit.

From there, we had the best Asian meal we've had since moving to Spain at a small Japanese restaurant named Origami, which is right around the corner.  We will definitely be visiting there again. The restaurant is small and has a decent selection of mostly Japanese food on the menu. As with the majority of restaurants we've been to so far in Spain, the prices were very reasonable.

Our most recent trip found us walking around the pedestrian area on Calle Tetuán that had parks, shops, and restaurants. It's close the El Corte Inglés, a large store that is similar to Macy's. I'm happy to report that I FINALLY found a place that has shoes in my size! The Camper shoe salesman didn't blink when I told him my size (10 in US). Yes, I have big feet. I have a hard time believing other women in Spain who are my height (5'9") don't have big feet, but I can't find anything above a size 8 or so in the Rota area. I was SO happy to finally get a pair of sandals and from one of my favorite shoe companies, on top of that.

Another fun adventure was the 2 1/2 hour trip to Ronda. Ronda has been occupied by people pre-Roman times, and of course by the Romans, then the Moors, before its modern day incarnation as a tourist attraction. Ronda is famous for its stone bridge connecting the old and new parts of town.

Cobblestone streets, amazing views, a great selection of leather goods and tablecloths made this a fun day trip. We did mostly window shopping, although Boy 2 and I managed to find a shop that made candy. (If you go, don't eat all the candy in one sitting the next day. Just trust me on this).

We walked around the gorge, walked through parks, visited an old abbey that is now a town government building, ate really good paella, and took a tour of the bullring. Ronda's bullring is the oldest in Spain. Built over several years, with construction completed in 1785, it's the only completely stonework bullring in Spain. It has a very interesting museum attached, and for a few euros, you can get a headset and do a self-directed tour.

I love that we sat in the ring where Hemingway also sat. Ronda is known as "the home of modern bullfighting."

The biggest attraction in Ronda is the famous bridge. Yes, a bridge. People come here to see the Puente Nuevo, or "New Bridge." Construction began in 1751 and it took 34 years to build. Views from here are amazing and it's definitely not for those afraid of heights!

I'm glad we went to the bullring and walked around town, because a 5 hour round trip to see a bridge, no matter how spectacular, is, well, sort of disappointing. Yes, there are breathtaking views from above and below, but if you go to Ronda only for a bridge, you will know why Hemingway said of the place, "Nice promenades, good wine, excellent food, nothing to do." Plan on taking in tapas, going to to the bullring, doing a little shopping, and if you have a chance, hitting a white town on the way there or back to make it an even better trip.

My favorite Spanish town thus far, Zahara, is on the way to Ronda. I imagine future trips may include going to both (as well as a couple other white towns in the area).

I love being able to visit so many places in this area within a 2-3 hour drive. After five years of living in Cuba, where we had only a few miles to see, and where it was a huge ordeal to try to go anywhere else on a plane, it is a relief to be able to drive, drive, drive. For me, the trip is just as exciting as the destination.