Spain: View from Ronda

From Seville there are opportunities to take several day trips to nearby towns with interesting architecture. They are collectively known as the "white towns" because many of the buildings of these towns are whitewashed.

I had spent most of my week observing the April Fair in Seville, but as I had seen most of the activity of the fair, I had the day to explore another town. My first choice had been Arcos de la Frontera, which was the closest of these towns to Seville, but the bus schedule was better to Ronda. I wasn't disappointed: Ronda boasts plenty of fascinating architecture and some phenomenal views, as Ronda sits on two hills with the huge Tajo gorge cutting through the middle of the town. This particular view you can see by walking the fenced perimeter, where there is a wide promenade.

See my previous entry on Ronda at http://latin-caribbean-travelblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/spain-bullring-in-ronda-2006.html

Also see my webpage on Spain at http://www.latinandcaribbeantravel.com/spain.html


Other websites:

Caribbean Folk Arts Network (Caribfolk) - Caribbean cultural network: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/caribfolk/
Raices Culturales Latinoamericanas (Latin American Cultural Roots) - a nonprofit organization I founded in 1991 that presents Latin American cultural shows, exhibits, and workshops: http://www.raicesculturales.org/

Raicesnews - Latin cultural events in the Philadelphia area: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/raicesnews

Spain: Bullring in Ronda, 2006

This bull statue stands at the entrance to the bullring in the town of Ronda, which is regarded as the birthplace of modern bullfighting. The ring also includes a small museum with information about the development of the sport.
Bullfights take place during certain seasons depending on the location, and when I visited in late April, there were no scheduled bullfights here, as the most important events at that time were taking place in Seville. That meant that people were free to walk around the bullring, and it was inevitable that some of the visitors played matadors and bulls in the center of the ring.






If you walk along the outer ring behind the wall, you can see the places designated for the matadors, the picadors, the banderilleros, the press, and certain dignitaries. The tourists with the red shirts in the photo were part of a group from Germany.




See my webpage on Spain at http://www.latinandcaribbeantravel.com/spain.html