On the road again! Tour bus takes the gals to the white villages

 

Today was a very busy day and it started early.  Kim and Dawn booked a tour to the white village of Ronda.   They had to get to their starting location, about a block from their condo, at 8:10.  They made it in time to head to a small cafe for a couple of Americanos to go.  Kim is missing her pot of coffee that she has every morning in Saskatoon….I think she is suffering from withdrawal.  Kim is thankful to know enough Spanish to order coffee ;).  Most people speak English here, but having some Spanish has been helpful….I think she is just having fun practicing.

And, they are off!  Coffees in hand on a big bus with lots of people.  Kim didn’t count, but she thinks there were about 30.  She was getting a bit frustrated, because the bus kept stopping to get more people for the tour, and this took over an hour.   I think she needs a chill pill 😉

Once everyone was on the bus, they headed up the mountains. The scenery was absolutely spectacular..lush greenery, steep hills, windy roads, and at the top it flattened out, and there were olive orchards everywhere.  Stunning!

Their first stop was a tiny white village called Serenil.  This was unique town where shops and homes are cut into the side and underneath cliffs.  There were a lot of swallows that nested here.   This was a very small village, and they spent about 1/2 hour here, wandering the streets, and taking pictures.  Kim walked into a unique deli and tried their Ibericos Chicharrones….fried pork.  The Spanish are known for their cured ham.

Back on the bus, they headed to their final destination, the white village of Ronda.  Ronda is one of the largest white towns and has a gorge straddling setting.  Kim and Dawn started off the tour with a local guide, who was great!  First stop was the bullfight ring.  Ronda is the birthplace of modern bullfighting and it is still in use today…once a year on September 1st.  Kim has mixed emotions about this place, but found the history interesting.

Next stop…they headed towards the gorge and the new bridge.  The ravine, called the El Tajo is 360 feet down and 200 feet wide.  The “new” bridge was built between 1751 and 1793….it’s a pretty scary height!

Their guide then took them to explore more of the old town of Ronda.  Narrow streets, the church of Santa Maria and the town hall were just some of the highlights ….and the spectacular vistas!

And of course the day wouldn’t be complete if they didn’t track down some tapas…Dawn used her amazing app that helped them find a restaurant with excellent trip advisor reviews, and recommended by Rick Steves.  It was called Bodega San Francisco. The gals got a little stressed here, because the food was a bit slow and they had a bus to catch!  But all ended well and this was a very cool spot!

That’s it for today!  They have another busy day set for tomorrow…bus leaves at 7 am folks and is headed for Cordoba!  Stay tuned…..