July 22 - August 2, 2013
Andalucía
When the job gets tough,
the tough get…
No, that won't work.
Had a ~ two week-long
training event in Rota,
Spain, damn the bad luck.
Naturally, I explored a bit
during my free time.
Andalucía
When the job gets tough,
the tough get…
No, that won't work.
Had a ~ two week-long
training event in Rota,
Spain, damn the bad luck.
Naturally, I explored a bit
during my free time.
Ronda
It was consistently hot and dry throughout (most days got up to 45° C, or about 113° F), and the late sunsets were a nice touch. Central European time-the same clock we're on here in Italy - but 1100+ miles west.
And you'd never know it from the lack of humidity, but, Andalucía and beaches are practically synonymous. The beaches themselves weren't particularly spectacular (nothing compares to home), but they were clean and very busy.
And you'd never know it from the lack of humidity, but, Andalucía and beaches are practically synonymous. The beaches themselves weren't particularly spectacular (nothing compares to home), but they were clean and very busy.
Sevilla, Cádiz, Ronda, and various points throughout Andalucia
Sevilla, Cádiz, Ronda, and various points throughout Andalucia
-
One of the restaurants in the town of Rota was named Honey Dont Cry. -
Plaza del Socorro, Ronda -
View from the Puente Nuevo looking southwest -
Cool sky in Ronda -
South-southwest view from the Ronda bridge -
Ronda -
Murallas de la Cijara in Ronda -
Looking toward the Guadalevin River from the Puente Nueva -
Ronda -
Plaza del Socorro, Ronda -
La Puente Nueva, Ronda (18th century) -
Ronda -
Iglesia de Santa Maria Mayor, Ronda -
Looking up at the Puente Nueva from the Cañón del Tajo -
Sun setting, seen from Ronda's Plaza de Maria Auxiliadora -
Arcos de la Frontera -
Arcos de la Frontera -
Arcos de la Frontera -
View from Arcos of the reservoir (embalse) and 20 miles away the peak of El Torreón -
Cádiz, a couple friends enjoying the Plaza de España -
Monumento a la Constitución de 1812 -
Fish eye view of the monument, a fire, and a dove in flight -
Cádiz -
Cádiz -
Cádiz -
Cádiz -
Jazz festival happening in Cádiz! -
Bulbous tree in Cádiz -
Cádiz Train terminal -
One must enter through these Murallas when going to old Cádiz. -
Within the Murallas de Tierra -
Cádiz, on the corner of Carlos Orello and Concepción Arenal, looking southeast -
Cádiz -
C.E.I.P. Campo del Sur School -
Santa Maria Monastery (Cádiz) -
Bust of 19th century Flamenco artist known as Enrique el Mellizo -
Wedding in Cádiz -
Cádiz -
Cádiz -
Cádiz post office -
Cádiz -
Cádiz sunset -
My Cádiz exploration over, I head back to the jazz festival -
The town of Santa Maria -
Santa Maria Bull Ring -
Upon entering the parking area of Santa Maria's bull ring -
Santa Maria's Castillo de San Marcos -
Iglesia Mayor Prioral, Santa Maria -
Iglesia Mayor Prioral -
Near the Fuente de las Galeras in Santa Maria -
Seville Cathedral, fourth largest church in the world -
Seville Cathedral -
Seville Cathedral -
Seville Cathedral -
Seville Cathedral -
Inside Seville's main cathedral -
Seville -
Detail of Seville Cathedral -
West façade of Seville Cathedral -
Seville Bull Ring -
Seville Bull Ring -
Seville Bull Ring -
Palacio de san Telmo -
Seville -
Seville -
San Telmo, from across the Guadalquivir -
Seville -
Seville -
Seville -
Ronda -
Santa Maria Bull Ring -
One of the restaurants in the town of Rota was named Honey Dont Cry.
3D view of Ronda →
courtesy Google Earth
(click for larger image)
courtesy Google Earth
(click for larger image)
3D view of Ronda →
courtesy Google Earth
(click for larger image)
courtesy Google Earth
(click for larger image)
Playa Ballena & surrounding areas, Chipione, Santa Maria, and Rota itself were all convenient destinations for after-class weekday trips. In each one I made it a point to enjoy a meal--all delish, all punctuated by coffee and some apples-and-cheese-themed dessert or fruit-flavored ice cream.
Cádiz was close enough to hit on Friday afternoon, since I could get there in under an hour, and stay late without next-morning oversleeping consequences. This city was immensely fascinating. Parked the rental right near the western tip of the peninsula that forms the town, and must have walked ten miles that evening. Tried a couple places for paella, but the restaurants wouldn't do paella for a party of one, and I could find no exception to this policy (maybe I'm just not a smooth talker).
Cádiz was close enough to hit on Friday afternoon, since I could get there in under an hour, and stay late without next-morning oversleeping consequences. This city was immensely fascinating. Parked the rental right near the western tip of the peninsula that forms the town, and must have walked ten miles that evening. Tried a couple places for paella, but the restaurants wouldn't do paella for a party of one, and I could find no exception to this policy (maybe I'm just not a smooth talker).
The correct pronunciation of Cádiz is "CAD-deeze," not "ca-DEEZE." This is because of that little tilde -- the apostrophe-like thing over the a in Cádiz.
Normally, all syllables in Spanish words receive the same emphasis (like the emphasis you place on the first syllable of "turnover" or the second of "momentum"). If turnover were a Spanish word, it'd be properly
spelled tύrnover.
Normally, all syllables in Spanish words receive the same emphasis (like the emphasis you place on the first syllable of "turnover" or the second of "momentum"). If turnover were a Spanish word, it'd be properly
spelled tύrnover.
I'd originally planned to visit Gibraltar during my stay, but instead opted to make Ronda my second of two weekend-day excursions. The roads from Rota aren't exactly streamlined for quick access to non-Seville locales, and hearing of the hours-long lines to get into Gibraltar, I could imagine having a grand total of two of three hours there before having to head back. I guess I decided seeing a giant rock was just not that important this time around.
All about the Cádiz ->
All about the Cádiz ->
During the week I made my (non-training) priority local, unique spots to savor rather than spend all my time each afternoon rushing to get somewhere, and then to get back in time for a decent night's sleep.
Having been continuously occupied for over three millennia, the city of Cádiz does what many European communities with even a hint of something superlative do: stakes a claim to something that, in the information age, is immediately debunkable. In this case, the claim being the longest-occupied city in Europe (or in Western Europe). Unfortunately, roughly a dozen other European cities have been continuously occupied longer (including Lisbon, which puts the brakes on that whole Western qualifier).
Still, Cádiz is absolutely captivating-and when I take Mirna to Rota, it'll be one of our first visits.
Still, Cádiz is absolutely captivating-and when I take Mirna to Rota, it'll be one of our first visits.
Rough area of my exploraciones during my stay on Rota NAS. A decade or so ago I'd have doubled this area, easily. But time is slowing this old dog down.
A Traveler's Dream
The furthest spots I visited were Sevilla and Ronda-each one its own weekend day trip. Ronda was by far the biggest surprise, being one of southern Andalucía's (many, I'm sure) best-kept secrets. Occupying adjacent mesas straddling the Guadalevín River, 400+ ft below, Ronda was a favorite hangout for Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles. Some creative cliff-scaling, off-the-beaten track exploring netted a couple decent shots of the 250 yr-old "new" bridge, as you'll see below and above, in the first image (the big one at the top of this page).
Seville was everything I expected, and in fact a lot more than I could see in the few hours I was there. After spending far too much time gawking at the city's enormous cathedral and surrounding area, I headed for the river, the bull ring, stopped for an early dinner, and finally found some touristy spots in which to pick up gifts for Mirna and Austin.
Took a bit of climbing--down--to get this. If it's easy to get there, I can deal with the acrophobia (even knowing I'll pay for it on the return). Someone else had made it to this point, but unlike me--who'd come this far down--he'd made it this far up. He'd climbed up the side of the cliff from the Guadalevín River, and was stowing his gear when I got to this point.
Sevilla
Sevilla
← Replica of map Juan de la Cosa gave the world in 1500. First European map of the New World.
↑ Had a little fun with this photo. These guys were impressive. Going for it on a large concrete pad, mostly surrounded by a wall of blocks, in the middle of Old Town Cádiz. Reminded me of the American Football games we used to play in the middle of Stillman Street. Except better.
Pastries from Rota will make your pancreas do backflips.
Music, music, everywhere
Music, music, everywhere
Sevilla
<- Guitarist, singer, and seller of various trinkets. From our brief conversation I gathered he was about as Spanish as I am. My guess? Native of Ohio, or Indiana.
BTW x 2:
<- Guitarist, singer, and seller of various trinkets. From our brief conversation I gathered he was about as Spanish as I am. My guess? Native of Ohio, or Indiana.
BTW x 2:
- No, that's not Tony Soprano @ the 1(ish) minute mark
- Some of the footage in this is Cádiz.
Of course, the entire area is gorgeous; a photographer's dream. And all travels came with frequent, picture-taking stops along the way.
Mirna would've hated it.
Mirna would've hated it.
Cádiz sunset
Originally posted here, 3 Apr 2014.
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