Waking up this morning was incredibly difficult at 7am. I literally got out of bed, turned off the wakeup call and crawled back in bed for the next thirty minutes before getting dressed. Breakfast was the same as yesterday at 8am, plates of sliced fruit. We left Granada around 9 to head by bus to Sevilla. On the way out of Granada, I observed kilometer after kilometer of greenways—shame that they were across the river. Of course I saw people running, which made me thrilled that we were on the way to Sevilla, where rumor has is there’s a park safe for me to run in. Hopefully Alex will decide she wants to burn some calories and go for a run with me, since we’ve eaten so much these last few days. I don’t care about pace, I just want to inhale and exhale Spain while gracefully gliding across cobblestone streets – is that too much to ask?
Anyways, since we’re staying in the Andalucían region, the
scenery was pretty much the same as the ride to Granada: plenty of olive trees,
mountains and little random houses. Most of the houses in this area are white
because in the summer it can get quite hot, and white reflects the heat. We made
a “pit stop” to take a walking tour of historic Rhonda and tour the
bullfighting ring. Old Ronda was breathtakingly gorgeous, filled with
whitewashed buildings, and lined with cobblestone streets and bitter orange
trees. I learned the specifics about some of the context Spanish history
covered on my last 2441 test about the brief period of French rule. In Rhonda
during Jose Bonaparte’s reign, the bridge linking Old and New Rhonda was used
as a prison. Pretty smart idea if you think about it—either remain in captivity
or jump hundreds of feet to your death in the gorge below. Although the Muslim
influence is heavily noticed in the structure of the cities, including the narrow
streets, exterior decoration of buildings and in a few
mosques-later-turned-churches, it’s not as prevalent as I would have imagined
for a city this far south of Spain founded during the 800 years of Islamic
rule. I believe the main reason is because the city was destroyed in the 1600s
by an earthquake—almost 150 years after the unification of all of Spain by the
marriage of Fernando and Isabel and the subsequent kicking out of the Islamic
tribes.
first glance of Rhonda! 
old Rhonda 
group photo at the bridge
After touring Old Rhonda, we headed to the oldest
bullfighting ring in Spain. It’s still in use today (and it smelled like it
too) but most of the bigger bullfights are in other places, like Madrid. This
ring was small in seating, and because of this is home to 5 fights a year. However, the ring itself is one (if not the)
largest in Spain.
Kimia and I at the bullfighting arena
Thank goodness that after walking around everywhere, it was
finally lunchtime. Henry and Alex chose this place near the bullfighting arena.
Most of us branched out when it came to food selections—Kimia and I split a
gigantic seafood paella, Henry ordered “cola de toro” or bull’s tail, and
Fernando ordered rabbit. I was thinking about ordering gazpacho, but it was
really windy, which made it rather chilly. I didn’t need a cold soup too.
Anyways, the paella was so massive that the waiter brought out a special table
just for it. Between the two of us and my runner’s appetite, we polished it all
off! I wish I had a little self-control to prevent myself from eating whatever
dish is in front of me; I’d like to fit into my prom dress here! The worst part
was the unpeeled shrimp—I can’t count the times I bit into shrimp shell or found
a crab’s claw. Delicious—I see why it’s a favorite dish of Spain!
my paella. don't worry, there's much more than in the frame.. it filled three large plates completely!
last glance of Rhonda
Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s nap time until we get to
Seville so I’ll have plenty of energy for exploring Sevilla before dinner
tonight! From what I learned from my project on Spain last semester, I think Sevilla will be my favorite city of the three we stay in. Guess we'll have to wait and see :)
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