Spanish Adventure Part 3

 

Spanish Adventure

Part Three.

 

Having arrived in Ronda travelling by the scenic route we had an evening and all the next day to enjoy the place. I was not feeling too good early evening I thought it was too much pollen in the air with the strong fragrance of the tree blossom in the park but it turned out to be my UV contact lenses and corresponding Polaroid sunglasses that gave me such a headache. It was eye strain from being double polarised. There was a grainy view to the world I could not cope with. A rest and not wearing contact lenses or sunglasses I was alright after an hour too late for Gita to go shopping.

The next day was all action starting with a chef cooked fried eggs done to perfection and sausages and bacon. Out of the hotel and across the road the shopathon begins at the first jewellery store. Contactless card payments are magical at removing money from your account. As the little machine bleeps you almost hear the whoosh as the money goes. Fortunately for me there is only the one “High street” where all the shops congregate. We shopped until the shops closed for lunch so we took a break too. I was dragged into most of the jewellery shop and bag stores. Some were both with Mia-Mia have four stores in that area and something was bought in each store. Post lunch is a quiet time to fill in the time before the shops open again we visited the Bull Ring just behind the hotel. Ronda is where Ernest Hemingway wrote “Death in the afternoon”. Drama of the bull fight and about the villains and heroes of that era. But the Bull Ring is about equestrian prowess and where the Olympic sport of dressage was born. Spanish Elite School of horsemanship was born there out of necessity as there were no trained cavalry to go to war with and Ronda was that school. The Bull ring was built after the riding school. I like Ronda and staying at the Paradore, the hotel on the cliff with stunning views looking down on the birds gliding on the thermals.

The next day was a leisurely start to head to Malaga; some 65 miles away for another two night stop over.  Driving over the hills was challenging. It is the first time I have experienced brake fade from repeated acceleration and deceleration. It was not gentle. I am still not sure Malaga was the best place to stay but considering my shopaholic I thought a hotel of character near the shops would be a good idea. At the end of a hot day the hotel was not easy to find and even more difficult the secure car park. I’m sure I went the wrong way down a one way street to get there. Other than a great deal of walking and the long climb to the fort it was not that memorable. 

We did not even get into Picasso’s museum as you had to book on line. We had no roaming on our phone contracts. Our last evening we enjoyed a beer on the terrace as the sun went down on this unusual hotel. In the morning we had to find the car and take it back to the hotel to load up. We set out early but we could not find the car park. I was one street out in my memory. The car was fine. I am wary of remote car parks from past experience. Back to the hotel past road works that required both mirrors to be folded in to get through. It was a hold your breath time, couldn’t go forward, couldn’t go back situation. After a bit of going round the houses we were back at the hotel. Loaded up we went on our way to Almeria some 128miles and easy driving except for finding the entrance to the hotel. The Gran Hotel Almeria situated on a corner but you had to be on the right road to get to the car park.

 The beach looked close but you had to walk the perimeter of the new marina to get to it. After much cruising the town we asked in a shop for the best place to eat and were rewarded with the Bar Tomat and a very special meal.