Skip to main content

Ronda, Paraje Natural Desfiladero de los Gaitanes

 


June 11


We started our day in Espinosa, Spain with a quick run. Helen and I did NOT see a large man in a thong riding his bike along the beach. We DID see that the day before. (Insert Helen’s beautiful accent) “It was a lot of buttocks.”

Because my UK family loves me, and loves to tease, they bought me a pineapple to serve with dinner. Just wait, I have a very American meal in mind, complete with pineapple.

During our first day lying by the pool we all decided to we would have an adventure. Paddy and Geoff quickly searched for all of the options: Airbnb, tickets, excursions, and itinerary. Just like that, we were on our way to Rondo.





We were on a pretty tight schedule to make our hike in Camonito del Rey. As a result, we had an amazing whirlwind visit to the highlights of Ronda. We speed raced the town, trying to see as much as we could in three hours.



Paddy and Catroina


The landscape was idyllic.


My uncle had walked a portion of the Camino de Santiago and it was on my list to see, or walk on. I was happy to see a little landmark.









I still love me some thistles.



These are the Turkish baths the Moors had built.






The church was being refurbished. So I took a quick snap of the top.



Geoff and Helen


The town is built on a hill, so as you see the sights there is a great deal of up and down and up again. Great for the calf muscles.




I realize I was a little obsessed with this bridge, but it is so awesome.



Toledo is one of the few places where bull fighting is still done.



Geoff paid to go in and see the bull ring while the rest of us wandered about looking at the river.
Nic just stole a photo from the wall.


We definitely usurped his photo and photoshopped ourselves into his great photo. Thanks, Geoff!




We stopped for a quick lunch and were thrilled to have Coke in bottles.


I think I failed to mention we had a pretty tight schedule. Paddy took the lion’s share of the organizing the events. He also took charge of organizing US. We are maybe not the easiest group to manage. We managed to be five minutes late to everything they booked. Really we were fortunate it was only five minutes.

We were running to our booking at Camonita del Rey. As we raced up to our guide, he handed us a hairnet and a helmet. We were under strict instructions not to remove our helmets at all inside the park. Spain is safety conscious. To be fair, if you Google this particular trail it has a gruesome history, so the precautions seem to be prudent. Also, the trail is pretty high up, and pretty breathtaking. 






Nic enjoyed scaring us all between bird watching and regretting leaving his binoculars behind in the car in the rush.



Here I am in my little helmet.


I must now pause a moment to talk about the landscape of Spain. It really, really looks a lot like the American Southwest. Like, A LOT. While these pictures are amazing, and we have seen many amazing things, to be honest driving out of Madrid into the southern parts of Spain is really not pretty. It is dry, hot, and covered in agriculture. These little towns popped in the corners of Spain are really exceptionally beautiful, but for those headed to Spain, or dreaming of Spain, align your expectations within the reality of a lot of graffiti, and landscape like Southern Arizona. Just keeping it real here. If you go, seek out the magical spots.

I also did not really expect as much of a wide, open country with hikes and remote areas. It has been a beautiful suprise.

The oleander flowers can be seen throughout southern Spain, along the roads and virtually everywhere. Nic is totally in love with these. 














Our incredible photo, complete with hairnets and hats.





Paddy and Nic pose for the camera.


Take a moment to look at the original path. In some of the photos the original path can be seen under the current path.




I took a photo of the fire hydrant. I thought it hilarious that there was a fire hydrant along the path.










See?


Check out the hole in the path.







All the guys together.


And then Paddy, Catroina, Nic and I posed over the glass. Poor Catroina was terrified.



Last, but not least, the bridge. Fortunately, Costa Rica prepared me for this moment., 














Here is tiny little church for the workers and the families who built the trail.


Along the way there were fields and fields of sunflowers. I insisted we stop and take a photo.. How could I drive past this and not have a photo?




Before we knew it we were racing to Seville.
And then Nic had to park our dear friend, Ramona, in Seville. It was terrible. Poor Ramona.


We arrived very late, threw on clothes, and ran out to dinner at 11p.m. We are working on this Spanish lifestyle. Finding vegetarian food has been a journey, but at last I found a dinner that filled my belly and my bucket.




 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Five Fab Days in Florida - Tampa

Let me preface this post/trip with this disclaimer: We are not Florida people. (Nothing against Florida people. I know some Florida people and I love them. I just have a complicated relationship with Florida). We are, however, Scottish people. When we learned the Scots would be in Florida this spring, we made the decision to go to Florida. I had never been, and Nic had not been for years and years. So, another adventure was in store for us. Nic and I awoke early (WAY early) on Wednesday morning to catch a flight to Tampa, where we planned to meet up with our Scottish family for five fab days of Florida.  Things at work have been hard for both of us, so we came to this holiday so ready to relax, and very thankful that Paddy is an excellent trip planner. We travelled from Tampa to Kissimmee, where their daughter was playing tennis. Our afternoon was spent lying by the pool, soaking up the sun, and quickly catching up. We planned to pop down to Cocoa Beach to see the launches. Paddy h...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Blind Leading the Blind Tour ~ June 2026 ~ Coming Soon

  Who : This gang (minus my dad, who has informed us he is never leaving the country again).  Only my sister does not have r etinitis pigmentosa , and my dad, who is not going.  Not to disparage my in-laws, Jennie, Sharon, Scott, Mae, and my husband, Nic, are all coming, too. They can all see, too. It just sounds more dramatic to tell you the blind people are going. It seems anti-climatic to include people who can see. Still, the blind are almost the majority. When : June 2026 Where : Paris, France Why : Because we have to go while we can still see. This is the first official post of The Blind Leading the Blind Tour because although we have been dreaming about this,   WE ARE OFFICIALLY GOING. Consider this the official announcement of The Blind Leading The Blind Tour. Included in this trip are seven full days with this cast of characters (minus Dad) and their better halves. Nic and I will have a Side Quest. Each of my siblings will have their own side quests, bu...
Post a Comment
Read more

2026 ~ Word of the Year

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness.” –Desmond Tutu In my annual tradition of choosing a word for the year, I found myself this morning reflecting on last year's word: Well . Unfortunately, last year (yesterday and the 364 yesterdays before that) was a bit of a train wreck.  In a brief review and update of some of the goals and ambitions I put forth last January: We did not go to Vietnam or Alaska. Neither of those were real goals, more manifestations for the future.  We did focus on the house. We updated my office, installed new HVAC for the house, painted the living room, and we are in the process of redoing the downstairs bathroom to practice for the upstairs bathroom. When I say, 'we,' I mean Nic. I have stood by and nodded throughout these projects and consulted on colors. Nic has done all of the work. I worked hard on getting back to running my usual mileage. I improved my overall health. I am proud of the work I have done physicall...
Post a Comment
Read more