Ronda

 Ronda is a beautifully easy day trip from Seville, just jump on one of the frequent coaches that travel between the two, and you'll have yourself a really grand day out. Ronda is one of those charming little places where time seems to just stand still. And despite it being a busy little tourist trap, you seem to find yourself alone in many areas of the town

Perhaps first stop is to find the bridge. People in the hostel who were going in the opposite direction to me (I think they had come from Madrid, and were on their way to Gibraltar) had said they'd been told in a previous hostel about Ronda, and said they really enjoyed it. Thats the great thing about hostels, you talk to so many different and interesting people, and it gives you ideas and plans as to what is good and not so good. Once I'd googled Ronda, I decided that my final proper day in Spain should be there, before I headed home. 

The bridge instantly catches your attention. Whenever you think of a dramatic bridge, this is one to think about. Small, yet seemingly impossibly tall, the bridge is the focus point that shows you just how high up Ronda is. Its charming, and you can imagine how many people have been inspired by this bridge. Being on the bridge gives you an amazing view of the land around Ronda, but equally, being off it shows you it's grandeur.

The view from the bridge

The view of the bridge. I've seen pictures that are a lot better, I will just say that, especially when the sun moves round. But the bridge just seems to have this amazing slender quality to it, yet an impressive strength, almost like its holding the two parts of Ronda together!

To escape the heat for a bit, I ended up heading to the Water mine, a sort of fun garden come preserved mine which leads you down to the cool waters of the stream inside the canyon. There was nobody there, and I jut stood, watching the water slowly flow past, keeping the heat at bay. To call it a mine is perhaps incorrect, these are actually passages in the rock, cut in for defence purposes of the Casa Del Rey Moro, a fortified house above. It gives the caves a sort of aqueduct feel to it, and makes you feel like you're heading down into a cave system. And then all of a sudden you're by the water, which in places is so still you can see the reflections of the buildings at the top of the gorge. Visiting costs just 5 euros, and will give you ample opportunity for some amazing photos (if you're better at taking than me that is!)

And keeping with the theme of escaping the summer heat, Ronda also has a beautifully preserved Arabic baths. Now of course it's not a big or as grand as those in Granada or Jaen, but they are still lovely to visit, if they are quite a way down, especially if you've just come up and down the stairs in the water mine!

Even just wandering around Ronda is a treat. The place is lovely, and the locals are friendly, even letting your rub their bellies!

And I had a little bit of spare time before the coach came, I so I treated myself to a nice coffee and a little tapas before I went back to Seville to pack my things are prepare to go home.

But what a Glorious last proper day in Spain it was!