Left our resort by the Meditteranean Sea at sunrise today and climbed up into the beautiful mountains to Ronda, (3,300 ft.), one of the whitewashed villages that dot this region. Learned that Spain is second only to Switzerland in European mountain ranges. Ronda, itself, is divided by a deep chasm and offers spectacular vistas of the mountains and furtile farmland below. The city boasts the first bull ring (1700's),the sport beloved by folks such as Earnest Hemingway ("For Whom the Bell Tolls") and Orson Wells, whose ashes are buried in the bull ring. We enjoyed tasting premium "five chestnut" ham, from the black pigs who are free range and feed on chestnuts and truffles - outrageously pricey and not exported, then we toured the bull ring, learning about the history of the "sport" and famous bull fighters. Tapas lunch al fresco and a bit of shopping.
On to Seville tonight.
Today's pix: Ronda and chasm; watching the art of cutting fine ham paper-thin, Ronda's bull ring
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