Ronda and surroundings part 2 - Pileta Cave

Bill went on a guided tour of the Pileta Cave just outside Ronda. Entrance is all he could photograph.

The kind of geology around Ronda - caves everywhere. 

Cave painting in Pileta Cave (picture of picture) about 30,000 years old. Pileta Cave still owned by family of farmer who discovered it in early 1900's. They struggle to maintain it and limit the number of visitors. 

Ronda and surroundings part 1, Small towns and bulls

Finally found a live one after passing signs since we've arrived. Do you think this guy/gal is thinking of the bullring? The young bulls are free to roam the forests for four years before being taken for bull training.

We know this little town intimately - have been on most of the winding streets.

What every bull but Ferdinand wants to be when he grows up. This statue is outside the bull ring in Ronda - the oldest in Spain. 

This year's poster. Artists  (including Picasso) compete to have their design chosen. 

We must love this....

What is it that they say about insanity? Something about doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? 

So, why should it be any different with a GPS named Honey in the medieval streets of remote towns in Southern Spain?? She really is great about getting us to many places. But give her free rein in one of these towns and expect hair-raising turns on steep roads with signs that probably are telling you not to go there and locals standing in the doorways (to give you room to pass) looking quizzically at the locos trying to drive there. 

Twice today we drove those skinny roads in little towns that you’ll never find on a map. Honey’s voice was constantly telling us to take turns at corners that Eileen knows won’t lead anywhere good. The roads 'she' takes us on for some reason also seem to take us further and further up hill. I think it's because Honey has realized her mistake and decided to just take us to the other side of town the shortest way - over the mountain. 

There are three saving parts to this story. One. The non-English-speaking local Spaniards have never-ending patience and have helped us many times. Today a resident whipped out his phone and kindly pointed and repeatedly explained, in Spanish, the complicated route to get us down the hill of the little town’s streets. In another town, after another wrong turn, a policeman, carrying his shopping, did more pointing and Spanish directing and then took off running a few short blocks ahead of us, to wave us down in the right direction. We always make it out but then wonder how it all went sideways in the first place… 

Oh, and the second thing? After 50 years, we manage to just laugh at the end of each crazy-making episode. Notice I said at the “end”? Don’t ask about the language, pointing, and exasperated noises in the middle.  

And third? We end up in places where guidebooks never go. 

After a while, I figure I may as well record our last few minutes....

Right or left?

Put in your side mirrors!! 

We had the town square of Montejacque to ourselves.

The best we could do with no Spanish... tapas - a kind of chorizo sausage and potatoes. 

I love the towns when I can walk!! 

Gorgeous gorge at Ronda

We are starting our last week in Spain and drove down to Ronda from Seville this morning. It is the largest and possibly most famous of the pueblos blancos. Ronda is famous for its bridge which spans a gorge of 200- 300 metres. Originally a Moorish fortification, its position made it one of the last to fall to Spain, only seven years before Granada. The old Moorish Town is now connected to the New Town by the "new Bridge" built in the late 1700's. Once settled in our hotel, we followed the pathway around the edge of the cliff, looking down the knee-tingling 300 metres to the valley below.  

Looking down the cliff to the valley below

Side street of Ronda

Mosaic of current Ronda showing gorge dividing communities.
Our hotel is just two blocks from the bull ring (bottom left), the oldest in Spain. 

New Town with Serrania de Ronda Mountains in background. New Bridge on far right

New Bridge

Seville Cathedral and Giralda Tower

Virtually impossible to show or grasp the size.

Chrstopher Columbus' tomb. 

View from half-way up Giralda Tower

Seville skyline

There are 10 huge bells  None rang while we were up there!

Afternoon sun on Cathedral and Tower

De Toros

Famous bulls who were courageous enough to be spared, lived their lives out and are displayed here
along with Matador's elaborate and ritualized costumes.

Poster from Arcos that was still up from the September bullfight in their town. 

The bullring has a capacity of 14,000. Stadiums are full in April and September when bullfights are held. 

View of Bullring from Giralda Tower

Bulls, religion and tapas. This is Spain.

Today, the sun came out and we set out to view two contrasting examples of the cultural heart of Seville: Plaza de Toros in the morning and Seville Cathedral in the afternoon. Both of huge significance to the people of Spain.
Bull fights still occur in Seville and many other Spanish towns. They are not considered sports events but rather ritualized celebrations of beauty and courage. The matadors are heroes whose accomplishments are legendary. Even some bulls are renowned for their courage.

The afternoon we joined eight other English-speakers for a tour of the Seville Cathedral. Our guide gave us a forty-minute history of the world's largest Gothic Cathedral as he walked us through the labyrinth of structures. Like that of the Toledo Cathedral, it covers the footprint of the Mosque it replaced after the reconquista in the 1400's. Its Giralda tower. formerly a minaret,  now has a renaissance-styled addition to the top transforming it into a bell tower. We climbed the 37 floors (using ramps rather than stairs - much easier to climb) then joined crowds of people stretching to take in the skyline of Seville.

It is the weekend in Seville and the streets and squares are full. Tourists line up for the highlights and then wander the main streets looking for tapas. The locals are found in the winding streets a bit further in - they crowd around the outside high tables standing with their drinks as they shout and laugh. The noise is unbelievable, the sheer enjoyment of the gatherings infectious. Here was our chance to see Spain!