The white streets of Ronda

At only 120km away from Sevilla lies this beautiful white treasure called Ronda. I visited it with the funniest friends I could have asked for on a day trip sometime in June, while I was still living in Seville. We took the bus and along the road we could admire the amazing landscape, with little white villages here and there, curled up in a valley or bravely guarding the peak of a tall hill.

We strolled a lot (A LOT!) on the lovely streets of Ronda, entered in a few traditional patios to chill from the harsh summer Spanish sun, seen the popular Puente Nuevo which appears on every postcard and tourists’ photo, the Palace of the Moorish King, the Arab Baths, a few other less touristic sights, plus laughed more than a lot… obviously, it’s impossible to see everything a city has to offer in just one day, but those few attractions that I’ve mentioned are a must. You can also add the bull ring if it interests you, but we decided to skip it, as we had other objectives in mind.

However, what I recall most vividly when I think about Ronda is the smell of blooming linden (which is funny, because I can’t find any reference to the existence of this tree in Ronda but I am pretty damn sure it smelled exactly like it), which was feeling like a blessing when a chilly breeze was gently blowing from time to time, bringing with it this amazing smell.

And then there was this lady, a street performer playing the harp in a way that was touching your deepest feelings, giving you goosebumps all over your body while looking far into the distance, over the endless hills and valleys dancing at your feet…