Malaga

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On our return visit to Ronda, we took a tour of the bull fighting ring, one of only a few operating in Spain. Bull fighting is still legal in many regions although its popularity has been diminishing. In the early days, bull fighting was forbidden by the church as it was a sin to put your life (soul) in danger. Originally bull fighting was done on horses but transitioned to the matador on foot which is today’s practice. Debra refused to attend a performance and I’m less enthusiastic about a sport where the winner is pre-determined! The tour of the Ronda bull ring was interesting as it’s one of the oldest in Spain (built in 1785) and still in operation holding appx 5000 people. There is also an information/museum section that provides a good background on the social and cultural aspect of the sport.

Brother Daryl and his wife Angela arrived on Sunday for a visit. They typically spend part of winter in Florida so this will be a new experience for them. The weather has been wet and cool for quite a few days which makes touring around a little less pleasant. The rain is certainly needed with these drought conditions. It’s the beginning of the peak tourist season with many of the beach front bars and restaurants beginning to open and Semana Santa (Holy week) begins with numerous processions and events scheduled almost everyday of the week leading up to Easter Sunday. On Good Friday, we attended the procession in Estepona but unfortunately it was “rained out” as was most the events in many communities including Malaga.

With uncertain skies, we head to Gibraltar. The cable car to the top of the mountain was closed for the day due to high winds, so plan B was guided tour in a small van. The views were spectacular with stops at St. Michael’s caves and Seige Tunnels which were part of the British defences against the Spanish. In the nature preserve, overlooking the city, are groups of Barbery Apes (actually small monkeys) that are quite comfortable around tourists and provide great entertainment and photo ops. Gibraltar is still under British rule and negotiations have yet to be finalized post Brexit. We managed to stop for a Fish and Chip lunch and of course took advantage of the area’s duty free status by doing some shopping. Scotch is about 40% lower than in Canada.

The weather forecast is improved for the following week so we’re looking forward to a few rounds of golf and some enjoyable outings before Angela and Daryl head home.

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Photos

Barrier to protect the Matador in the bull ring
And also tourists that don’t have their cape!!

St. Michael’s Caves in Gibraltar
They actually have concerts inside and have an on going light show.

Barbery Apes
They were believed to the introduced to the area by the Moors. About 200 live in the wild in Gibraltar.

Themed Throne for Semana Santa
These were stored in the church while waiting to lead the procession. Unfortunately it was cancelled due to rain.