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Published: February 23rd 2024
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Orange trees.
In Ronda, the streets were lined with orange trees. They are used primarily for marmalade etc and a little too sour for eating. A short drive inland from the coast, there are a series of small towns called “White Towns” which are historical communities going back to the Moors (Muslim occupiers). The Moors had some unique architecture in the area with narrow streets etc and they used a lime based plaster that made the buildings white. On a practical side, the buildings were cooler in the extreme heat and the lime reduced the amount of bacteria thereby making the town more hygienic. Or as an alternative explanation, my brother Daryl might hypothesis, ”maybe they got a deal on white paint”!
After an hours drive along a winding road, we arrived in Ronda one of the larger of the “White Towns” with a population of 35,000. It was captured by the Moors around 712 AD. Running through the middle is the deep 103 meter Tajo gorge that splits the town. What is now called the new bridge (completed in 1792) connects the two sides. Close to the bridge is the bull ring where the founder of bull fighting, Pedro Romero performed
Another smaller White Town, Casares is nestled high in mountains about 1 hours drive from Ronda. It is reputed to be named
New Bridge Ronda
Picture taken from the bottom of the gorge which where the old bridge connected the two parts of the town. after the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar who visited the area to use healing power of a natural sulphur springs. There are a number of interesting hiking trails that originate from Casares which we’ll explore later and other than the remnants of a Roman era castle, there is little else of interest In the town.
In contrast to some of the historic places we have visited, close to Estepona is the “Riviera of Spain”, Marbella. The rich and famous live here on the Costa de Sol and the Puerto Banus reflects that reputation. Although a little less opulent than Monte Carlos, the yachts, high end shops and luxury cars certainly are in a league of their own. Adjacent to the harbour is a beautiful beach lined with Chiringuito ( beach bars) and restaurants. At one time, it was home to numerous mafias and drug dealers but apparently its residents are now legitimately wealthy?
Within the general vicinity of our Villa, there are a number of different ethnic restaurants and we had a very pleasant Indian meal with our friends from France who know more about the cuisine. This was our first exposure to traditional Indian food and with the
The Tajo Gorge — Ronda
It’s 103 meters deep or over 300 feet. variety offered on the menu, dining with someone knowledgeable really helped with our choices.
The past week, the weather has been absolutely perfect. The cloudless skies and the low humidity temperature of around 20 C was most enjoyable for walks along the beach path and golfing. There has been only 2 days of rain since we arrived and in fact, drought conditions have caused some modest water restrictions by the local municipality.
We find the people and hospitality staff in Costa de Sol very friendly and helpful. So far we’ve hooked up with visitors on the golf course from Holland, Finland and Belgium and the area appears very popular among people from around the world. We’ve also crossed paths with Canadians from Okanogan and Mississauga. It’s truly a small world!
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