Roaming Ronda

I went through a Hemingway phase as a teen, and eventually wrote a paper about him during my senior year of high school. I vaguely remember what I wrote about, but perfectly recall being entranced by the deep feelings he had for Spain and Spanish life in his books. I remember most of his works as being somber and very observant, which made for a touching portrayal of what Spanish life was like for an expat in the 1920s and 30s.

In his novel, “Death in the Afternoon”, Hemingway writes, “There is one town…to see your first bullfight in, if you are only going to see one, and that is Ronda. There is where you should go if you ever go to Spain on a honeymoon or if you ever bolt with anyone. The entire town and as far as you can see in any direction is romantic background.”

So off we went to Ronda.

 

In terms of sightseeing, Ronda is best known for it’s gorgeous cliffs overlooking valleys and rolling mountains.

 

 

Part of the beautiful trail that leads you around the edge of these cliffs is called “Hemingway’s Path”.

 

If you continue on, you’ll come across one of Ronda’s old bridges, built in the 1700s, known as Puente Nuevo, or the “New Bridge”.

 

 

We did find the beauty of Ronda to be very romantic, and its hikes at the bottom of the ravine some of the most breathtaking. Needless to say, D-Man and I intend to return, preferably for an overnight stay.

If you’re looking to read about Spain in Hemingway’s works, I recommend “The Sun Also Rises” (also known as “Fiesta”), and “Death in the Afternoon”.

Have books or specific authors ever enticed you to see, or dream, of faraway places?