20160511Ronda | Spain May 2016

May 11, 2016, Wednesday — going from Torremolinos to Ronda, Spain

sunrise from our hotel, the Melia Costa del Sol in Torremolinos

driving from Torremolinos to Ronda

driving from Torremolinos to Ronda

driving from Torremolinos to Ronda

We left Torremolinos and the coast this morning and drove inland through the mountains. Most of the Spanish mountains are here in the southeast. Because of the strong winds, we also see many wind turbines. Spain is second only to Germany in the generation of wind power. In the area there are lots of caves. Some have prehistoric paintings by the early cave dwellers.

driving from Torremolinos to Ronda

driving from Torremolinos to Ronda

driving from Torremolinos to Ronda

the mountains are riddled with caves

May 11, 2016, Wednesday — Bull breeding Conservatauro near Ronda, Spain

We drove to the Conservatauro, a bull breeding operation near Ronda. It was started by Rafael Tejada, a matador who came to bullfighting at a much older age than most bullfighters. His next fight is in June. Rafael started to fight at the age of 30 in 2009, older than usual. Rafael does well and has gained an audience and respect. A good fighter is determined by the risks he takes on the first attempt and if he kills the bull. Style is important. Each fighter has his own cape with his name on it.

model of old bullfight arena

model of old bullfight arena “Perseverancia” located in Algeciras, Spain (near Tarifa and Gibraltar) - inaugurated 1851, torn down in 1975

model of Plaza de Toros de los Barrios “La Montera” inaugurated 2000

the veranda of the house

the Group in the Bullring

For 5 to 7 years the fighting bulls live wild. They are fed only hay to keep them as wild as possible. There are many things to check to determine the best breeding. Female cows are tested to see if they are excellent to be the mother of brave bulls. A cow is tested at 3 years old to see her reaction to horses. If she looks around to find the door she came out, she is not acceptable. On this ranch they have 165 cows and bulls. Bulls fight only one time. The bull will be killed because they can't used more than once since they are quick learners and can’t be fooled by the cape in a second match. That's why they keep them as wild as they can. Of course that means they are highly intelligent, and it is wrong to set them up for death in such a one-sided contest. Even worse, if the bull kills the matador, not only is that bull killed, but his mother is killed as well to prevent the breeding of another potential matador-killer. I don’t think it would go over very well if it were the other way around — if the matador kills the bull, then the matador and his mother would be put to death.

In the past, bulls were tested in a large open area by chasing them with a horse. If the bull ran away, it was not good for fighting, but if the bull was aggressive, it was good for fighting. Now more often they are tested in a small bullring. The sand in the bullring is porous so that the water drains quickly. Bulls don't like water. Bulls are ready to fight at the age of four to six and a weight of 1200 pounds. Six bulls are sold at a time from the Conservatauro. They get 1000-1500 euros depending on the use of the bull. The ones used to run the streets are less expensive than those destined for the first class bull rings. Calves are separated from the cows at six months because the cow may get pregnant again. The Conservatauro has a small museum featuring miniature bullrings from around the country and their own bullring where we took a group photo.

young bulls

mare and foal

mares

foal

breeding cow

breeding cow

Each fighter has his own cape with his name on it. They passed a cape around. Those capes are very heavy and made out of a strong material to ward off the piercing horns. A fighter has five minutes to kill the bull.

Linda Gore tries her hand at using the cape

Nancy Fisher tries her hand at using the cape

the Matador's cape

matador Rafael Tejada

matador Rafael Tejada

matador Rafael Tejada

Plaza del Socorro

May 11, 2016, Wednesday — Ronda, Spain

From there we drove the short distance to Ronda. Nothing could have prepared me for the steep canyon in the center of town. We stood on the sandstone New Bridge (finished in 1793) and stared down a 3oo-foot abyss. In 1936 apparently some people suspected of being Fascist sympathizers were thrown down the abyss to their deaths. It is reasonable to believe that that method of execution had been used many times before in the city’s history.

Ronda
Ronda is a city in the Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about 100 km from the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is situated in a very mountainous area about 750 meters above sea level. The Rio Guadalevín runs through the city, dividing it in two and carving out the steep El Tajo canyon upon which the city is perched, Ronda was first settled by the early Celts, but its Roman and then Moorish rulers are reflected most prominently in its architecture. The forces of Catholic Spain took control of the town in 1485. Three bridges, Puente Romano (the Roman Bridge, also known as the Puente San Miguel), Puente Viejo (the Old Bridge, also known as the Puente Arabe or Arab Bridge), and the Puente Nuevo (New Bridge), span the canyon. The term “Nuevo” is a bit of a misnomer since this bridge was completed in 1793. Puente Nuevo is the tallest of the bridges, towering 120 meters above the canyon floor, and all three serve as some of the city’s most impressive features.

Another important site in Ronda is the Plaza de Toros, the oldest bullfighting ring in Spain that is still used. The partially intact Baños Árabes (Arab baths) are found below the city and date back to the 13th and 14th centuries. Both Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles resided in Ronda for many years, and both wrote about its beauty, contributing to its popularity. Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls describes the murder of loyalists early in the Spanish Civil War by being thrown from the cliffs of El Tajo by Franco’s forces.

Though its roots are in pre-historic times, Ronda is like many Andalucian cities in that it saw its glory days during Moorish rule. Conquered by the Christians in 1485, Ronda was one of the last strongholds of the Arabs, and Arab architecture dominates the old city, set on one side of the ravine. On the other side of El Tajo stands El Mercadillo (the new city), constructed mostly during the 18th century. Connecting the two halves of the city is the Puente Nueva (New Bridge), an amazing architectural feat built between 1755 and 1793 and spanning a dizzying drop over the gorge.

The Ronda Bullring

View in Ronda looking toward the Church of Santa Maria la Mayor

Plaza del Socorro

Plaza del Socorro

statue of a man with two lions

Plaza del Socorro

"El Tajo" of Ronda and a little piece of the Ronda "New Bridge"

The New Bridge (built in 1700s)

the chasm below

flowers will grow anywhere

The New Bridge (built in 1700s) and the town

the chasm below

looking straight down

The New Bridge (built in 1700s) and the town

the town is built on the lip of a gorge

Juan-José Perez holds up his
ever-present maroon umbrella
to summon us

Poster for the Saint Peter the Martyr Convent, founded by the Catholic Monarchs (Isabel and Carlos) after the conquest of Ronda in 1485. In the 16th century the Inquisition Court was headquartered here