Ronda, Spain Oct 29

 We left Gibraltar and went up the mountains to the west and north and came to a city called Ronda. This city is at about 2500'. It was founded by Celts. By the time the Romans held the city it was called  Arunda, meaning 'surrounded [by hills]'.

The first image shows our group walking down a narrow street in the city.

The second image shows George and Ann who have reached the main pedestrian and shopping center of the city.


The third image shows George in front of the Bull fighting arena. Ronda is famous for having bull fights and also school that train bull fighters. 


The fourth image (from wikipedia entry on Ronda) shows the 'New Bridge' (Puenta Nuevo in Spanish) which spans the El Tajo  canyon carved by the Guadalevin River. 

In the book, "For Whom the Bell Tolls" by Ernest Hemingway, there is a scene in chapter 10 in which there is an execution (it is set during the civil war of Spain in 1936) of civilians who were sympathizers of the losing side of a battle. 

The scene takes place on a bridge that resembles the Puenta Neuvo.  Hemingway lived here during part of the Civil War.

The last image is of George, Ann and Beth near the top of the bridge. 

From the top of the bridge to the river at this point is about 400'. The new bridge isn't that new. It was built over about a 40 year period in the last half of the 18th century.  A bridge with only one arch was built immediately before the new bridge but it collapsed.  The chamber above the middle arch was used for a prison in some periods.