Seniors in Spain 2018: 8/2/2018-Torremolinos-driving to Ronda, San Gabriel su casa en Ronda, Puente Nuevo/New Bridge, Bullring, shopping, bottom of the gorge, Church of Santa Maria la Mayor, dinner at Santa Maria

Our last breakfast here thank goodness. For the most part I have not felt it was worth paying extra to have breakfast included at the Apartementos Bajondillo. This morning Richard has usual of scrambled eggs and beans on toast/bread. I don't know how he can eat that. It looks disgusting to me. I have fruit and a glazed donut which is not bad. I decide to try something new and have a glass of orange juice with cava/champagne. Check out goes fine. Richard gets the car. Returns the garage key and I get my €10 deposit back. I'm torn about this property. Pros: location with the beach right across the street and close to restaurants and shops, self service laundry, nice view of the sea from our balcony, good price per night for a spacious room. Cons: staff not very welcoming, beds not comfy, room's decor is dated, only 1 trash can and it was in the bathroom, charge to use the room safe, charge to use a sun bed by the hotel pool, and pool very crowded. The pool's positive was that it was large-a nice size. Would we stay here again?? Maybe, maybe not. But I definitely wouldn't book with breakfast included. We are on the road heading to Ronda by 9:00 AM. Ronda is one of the largest white hill towns.

My last breakfast at this hotel

Richard's breakfast

Breakfast room

Waiting for Richard and the car with our luggage

Leaving town

We drive to Ronda on the E-15/AP-7 to start. Tolls €7.50 and €2.95. Then the A-397. Road is a bit twisty but it isn't as bad as I thought it would be. We stop at a restaurant to stretch our legs and take some pictures of the view. Another car pulls in going in the opposite direction. A woman gets out and is very sick due to the twists and turns per what we heard of the conversation. I felt bad for her but stopping every so often will help. Scenic as other drives. Spain has mountains, small lakes, green areas, brown areas. It happens again. We find Ronda but not our hotel. We discover we're in the wrong part of Ronda. With new directions we find our hotel. It's 12:00 PM.

Ronda. First settled by the Celts in the 6th c. B.C. Province of Malaga. In the Sierra de las Nieves National Park. White hill town. Straddles the El Tajo gorge. Dramatic views. Oldest bullfighting ring in Spain. Famous Romero family-Francisco, Juan, Pedro-instumental in the development of modern Spanish bullfighting. Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles frequented and loved this town.

Taking the E-15/AP-7 to Ronda

Getting on the A-397

Where we pulled in for a break to stretch our legs

Twisty turns

Finally in the right part of Ronda

Sign for our hotel is up ahead on the left

San Gabriel-our hotel

San Gabriel-su casa en Ronda. I booked us 1 night from booking.com on 3/13/18. Cost for the 1 night was $126.57. Will stay here from 8/2-8/3/18. Free parking was included in my booking. This building was originally built in 1736 for the heirs of the family Pizzarros-explorers Peru. Fire destroyed and it was rebuilt. Homey atmosphere. Old world decor. We parked our car right by the door and unloaded our luggage. Richard was given directions to the parking lot. When he returned we checked in and given room #10. Service was so friendly and personal. Second floor-stairs or old time elevator. Took the elevator. Our room had 2 single beds. Small couch. Desk. Flat screen TV. Mini fridge. View of the patio/courtyard area. Bathroom had tub/shower combo. Hairdryer. Breakfast options and times available. Hotel amenities-small cinema room with red velvet seats-DVD movies. Plenty of reading material. Sitting room. Pretty room for breakfast. Patio with seating-tranquil. This is a unique hotel with a great location in old town/Moorish quarter.

San Gabriel-our hotel

Entrance to hotel

Our room #10

Bathtub/shower combo

Desk

View from our room

Mini fridge

Closet and safe

Hairdryer

Book for comments about your stay

Sitting area

Reading material

Breakfast room

Computer/business area

Outside patio area

Hemingway wrote "For Whom the Bell Tolls" some scenes town of Ronda

Travel guide author Rick Steves

Red velvet seats in cinema room

Breakfast menu

Breakfast form

Room where you check in and check out-very personal

Few minutes walk down Calle de Arminan past a few shops to Puente Nuevo/New Bridge. Built 18th c. Spans the ravine/El Tajo-over 300' deep. Bridge divides Ronda into old city/Moorish quarter and new town/El Mercadillo. Spectacular views.

Walking across the bridge we head to the Tourist Information Center to inquire about the tourist train that our hotel had mentioned to us. Unfortunately the one scheduled for this afternoon would not take place as the guy left early. Disappointed as I think that would have been a good way to see the town. I do get a map of the town. Right across from the TI is the Bullring. Cost for 2 tickets €14.00. Ronda is the birthplace of modern bullfighting. First great Spanish bullring. Hero-Francisco Romero 1700s. Introduced the red cape held out with a stick. His son Juan and grandson Pedro continued the legacy. Chapel, museum exhibit of horse gear and weapons. Arena is 2 tiers built 1785. Tuscan columns. Exit through a nice gift shop. I have to admit we did not tour this as thoroughly as we should have. We were tired, it was hot.

Bullring

Matador

Arena

Chapel

Walking back to the Plaza de Espana I see a candy shop-Sabor a Espana. I buy some nuts and candy here. Cost $11.68. There are lots of shops in this square selling food items like candy, ham and shops selling traditional clothing. Purses, tourist souvenirs. There's even a McDonald's here. A statue of Rios Rosas-born in Ronda and a famous Spanish politician and jurist. This square is a big part of Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Toll" novel. A building which is the Parador hotel but used to be the town hall. Walking back on Calle Arminan to drop off my purchase at our hotel I see a shop-Artesam Art-selling beautiful purses and unique jewelry. I fall in love with one of the purses with has an emblem/monogram from a tile decoration from Alhambra. I don't need a purse but I have to have this. Cost $259.75. My husband just shakes his head and I know. It was an impulse buy and I really have so many purses at home. We drop off our purchases and walk to get the car.

Jurist and politician Rios Rosas

Jamon, jamon, jamon!

Artesam Art store

Purse I bought

Cafe Hemingway

Bottom of the gorge. A rough drive to get here but the views are amazing. Here you can see the new bridge and the town looking up from the bottom of the gorge. A different perspective. There's trails here for hiking and per some information boards it appears this area may be good for bird watching.

Driving to the bottom of the gorge we pass this museum

Rough road

Driving back

Church of Santa Maria la Mayor. We've parked the car back in the lot and a short walk takes us to this 15th c. church. Mudejar bell tower. Near small park/square with orange trees and City Hall. Cost €2 each. Baroque Altar del Sagrario-statue of the Immaculate Conception in the middle. Smaller altar to the right-Virgin of the Ultimate Sorrow. Fresco of St. Christopher holding Baby Jesus on his shoulder. Carved choir with scenes from life of the Virgin Mary. Centerpiece is Mary as the light of the world with the moon, stars, and sun around her. Paintings done by French artist Raymonde Pagegie. Treasury-Vestments that look similar to bullfighter's/matador's brocaded outfits. Walking back to our hotel we see the Mondragon Palace which is now Ronda's Municipal Museum focusing on prehistory and geology. The Bandit Museum/Museo del Bandolero-exhibits of specific bandits. 19th c. bandoleros-a bit romantic. Could be a fun stop but we don't have the time. 😞

Altar del Sagrario

Virgin of the Ultimate Sorrow

St. Christopher-patron saint of Ronda and of travelers-with Baby Jesus on his shoulder

Mary as the light of the world

Ceiling

Treasury

Detail

City Hall

Mondragon Palace

Walking back to the hotel

Dinner-Santa Maria. Right around the corner from our hotel. Few tables outside and also has inside seating which we prefer. This is a small, cute place. Drinks-San Miguel beer and tinto verano/red wine mixed with soda. We order garlic prawns, house risotto, grilled asparagus. Good amount of bread with olive oil. The prawns arrive sizzling in garlic. They were fantastically delicious! The house risotto and asparagus-green and white with sweet cherries and red raspberries-were very good. Portions good. Our server Antonio is also one of the owners. The other server Antonio-yes there's two of them-is the other owner. There's the chef Maria and an assistant. All the staff are outgoing-talkative and friendly. We take a picture of them. Then we're presented with a plate which has a slice of cheesecake with a lit candle, scoops of ice cream, and the words New York written on the plate. Ah ha-that's why he asked where we were from. A bit cheesy but very cute/touching. Cost of our delightful dinner without tip $53.68. Definitely recommend staying overnight in Ronda. In fact, if I had a do over, I'd spend 2 nights here as there were sights we just didn't have the time for. Tomorrow we drive to Jerez-horses and sherry!