The Dramatic Cliffside Town of Ronda

The white hill towns and villages in Spain's Ronda mountains are nestled in striking natural surroundings, but none so magnificent as the city of Ronda itself.  Ronda is built on either side of a dizzying ravine, and the impressive 18th century bridge that spans across it is one of Andalusia's most awesome sights.

Puerte Nuevo, completed in 1793.

Founded by the Romans, conquered by ancient empires, Ronda finally fell to the Arabs in 713, from whom it received its rich Islamic architectural and cultural heritage.  Painted bright white to reflect the hot summer sun, and built on the edge of cliffs and hillsides as a natural defense against invaders, the village offers dramatic scenery and vistas.

Guadalevin River Trail

A good place to start your exploration of Ronda is to walk beside the deep gorge carved by the Guadalevin River.  Along the paved path are views of the hilly surroundings, handsome old mansions, and several more older bridges across the ravine.

Walking trail along El Tajo Canyon and the Guadalevin River.

Palacio de Mondragon at the top of the photo.

The pedestrian-only Puente San Miguel.

The Puente Viejo, also known as the Arab Bridge.

Arab Baths

At the bottom of the cliffside path are Ronda's 11th century Arab baths, thought to be the best preserved in Europe.  The cool, underground chambers and seating for the informational video are a welcome respite from walking in the hot sun.

Bullring

Ronda's bullring was built in the 16th century as a training facility for developing horsemanship, but in 1726, when Francisco Romero, from Ronda, used a sword and cape in the arena in a bullfight, he gave birth to modern bullfighting as it is performed in Spain and other countries of the world today. The guided tour of the complex (6.50 € per person) is extremely interesting, as is the accompanying bullfighting museum. What my kids (and I!) found extraordinarily cool about Ronda's bullring (as opposed to Seville's bullring, which we also toured) was that we were allowed into the ring! Needless to say, my son enjoyed a little role-playing:

Also exciting is visiting the bullpens:

Old Town Ronda

On the south side of the fabulous Puerte Nuevo bridge is the old quarter of town, with narrow cobbled streets, sunny Plaza del Socorro, and charming whitewashed residences.

Plaza del Socorro in Ronda

We stayed in a hotel (see my review here) on the "new" side of town because it was cheaper, but I regretted the choice once in Ronda since the old quarter was so much more historical and beautiful.  If you're just driving in for a day visit you'll be pleased to know there is an underground parking lot directly beneath Plaza del Socorro in the middle of town.

This is my link-up post to Photo Friday at DeliciousBaby.com.

Review of the Broadway Hotel and Hostel in NYC

Broadway Hotel & Hostel in NYC.

After our pleasant stay at 40 Berkeley hostel in Boston, my daughter and I were hopeful at the prospect of our second U.S. hostel experience at the Broadway Hotel and Hostel in New York City.  My teenager wasn't too concerned about the condition of the Broadway, however, because after only one night there she was off to the fancy-shmancy Hilton Midtown to spend the rest of the week with her high school chamber orchestra group.  I, on the other hand, was a little bit nervous about my husband's reaction to a potentially less than high-quality experience, even though he was completely on-board with the $137/night price for lodging in Manhattan!

My husband and 14 year old son had only just joined us on our East Coast trip, and didn't have the same positive pioneering spirit my daughter and I had gained the previous four days battling the cold, braving a shared bathroom, and searching wantonly for the best cannoli.

But it was my 14 year old son who surprised me at the Broadway Hotel as we exited the rickety old elevator and approached our double room down a very narrow, run-down hallway.  He proclaimed the place "a dump."  (Had we spoiled him last summer by staying at the Grand Hyatt in NYC?  I think a mother-son trip is in order, where I teach him the finer art of traveling frugally.)

We were all relieved, however, when I unlocked the door to room 436 and it had been recently renovated.  Fresh paint, clean crisp beds, a brand new flat screen TV, new window blinds, and a virtually unused porcelain pedestal sink in the corner.  Our private bathroom was not attached to our room but rather was directly across the hall and accessed with a key - it was spotlessly brand new.  New shower, sink, toilet, tiling, and fixtures.  Imagine that.  And housekeeping cleaned the bathroom and exchanged our towels every day.  At a hostel!  Throughout our stay I peeked into other guest rooms and they were either already renovated or being renovated and refurnished.  I saw several new beds installed that week.

Okay, there was one oddity about our room, but it's easily remedied.  It had no closet.  Not only that, but not even a single hook on the door or wall - not even a nail - on which to hang anything.  Nowhere to hang our wet coats or our hand towels.  And only one small nightstand on which to place anything.  I like to think the room was so new that they hadn't finished it yet.  I imagine that's so, because I heard another guest in the lobby complain that she had no mirror in her room, for which the receptionist apologized that some mirrors had just arrived that day and they would hang one immediately.

So what were we doing in New York City?  We toured Columbia University, of course, since this was a college scouting trip:

At Columbia University.

But if you would allow me to brag a moment, the ultimate purpose of our trip back East was to watch my daughter and her high school chamber orchestra perform at Carnegie Hall.  It was a memory of a lifetime for everyone.

Photo Friday: Decorating With Plates

I wonder what my neighborhood homeowners' association would say if I decorated the exterior of my house with ceramic plates the way they so decoratively do in Spain?

This post is my Photo Friday link-up to DeliciousBaby.com.

Mother/Daughter Travel to the East Coast

I've been slacking on the blogging lately, but for good reason:  we were traveling!  First my 16 year old daughter and I spent three days alone together, and then my husband and son joined us on day 4.  We had just two days together before my daughter left us to join her high school group in New York City, and we remaining three finished off the week in NYC as well.

Since my husband demands a little more luxury than I do when traveling, I decided to take the opportunity of being alone with my daughter to show her how little it actually takes to travel frugally, comfortably, and safely.  Our first stop was Boston and we stayed in a hostel.  You may know from my previous posts that I am a big fan of hostelling in Europe, but I have never stayed in one in the U.S., so I was eager for the experience.  It did not disappoint.

The bright and spacious hostel lobby.

Our hostel in Boston was 40 Berkeley.  Located in the South End of town, the neighborhood is - most critically - safe and clean.  My daughter and I never felt nervous, not even when arriving by subway at night (Back Bay station is a block away).  The reception staff was fabulously welcoming:  they asked us not only what floor we wanted our room on, but also which way we wanted it facing and whether we preferred to be nearer or farther from the hallway restroom!  Fresh baked cookies were offered in the bright and spacious, multi-level main lobby, and there was a game room and a snack room with Starbucks coffee and vending machines.  A little later, when I asked a gentleman at the reception desk about subway tickets in Boston, he reached in his wallet and handed me a 7-day, unlimited ride, subway pass (value = $18).  When I thanked him profusely, he said, "Are you traveling alone?" to which I replied, "No, I'm with my daughter," and he promptly pulled out another card for her.  Astonishing hospitality!  And in a final warm gesture, on the morning we departed the hostel we had to leave before breakfast, but one of the cooks who'd noted that my daughter liked bacon, handed her a take-out box full of bacon.

The buffet breakfast, included in the $84/night twin-room rate, served eggs and omelettes, potatoes, bacon or sausage, pancakes or French toast, a variety of cereals, breads, and all beverages.  This hearty breakfast held us over until a late afternoon lunch (sometimes substituted by afternoon dessert instead)!

What were the 40 Berkeley rooms like?  Pretty similar to my old UCLA dorm room.  Two twin beds, a desk, a dresser, and a closet:

The shared bathroom was average too, but never crowded or out of hot water or supplies.

With our free unlimited subway rides, my daughter and I took advantage of Boston's extensive public transportation system.  We rode the trains sometimes even just one stop, rode the bus, and could have taken a ferry as well, but did not.  We were impressed how convenient it was to travel straight to all our college campus tours at Harvard, Tufts, MIT, and Northeastern University.

Will my daughter be attending college in Boston or on the East Coast?  I have no idea, and I don't think she does either.  Since we live on the West Coast it would be far from home, of course.  She's not used to cold weather, and we were both freezing on Wednesday last week when the temperature in Boston hovered around 37° F all day.  What's attractive to both of us about some of these college campuses is their beautiful European architecture.  My jaw dropped touring Yale in New Haven, CT.  Brown and Princeton University are also stunning.

A castle in the English countryside?  No, Yale's residence halls.

Beautiful Brown University campus.

A cathedral in France?  No, the campus chapel at Princeton University.

Since we suffer from limited train service out here on the West Coast, it was exciting for both my daughter and me to travel by Amtrak from Boston to Providence and then on to New Haven.  I learned another travel lesson though:  just like on European high-speed trains, Amtrak tickets are best purchased in advance because the price goes up over time, just like airfare.  We paid almost double what I expected for the ride from Providence to New Haven.

After my husband and son joined my daughter and me in Connecticut, we rented a car and drove to New York City, where we checked in to hostel number two:  Broadway Hotel and Hostel in uptown Manhattan.  The experience was a little bit different.  Will post about it next week.

See my review of Broadway Hotel and Hostel here.

Photo Friday: Scouting Colleges

My daughter, a junior in high school, and I are on a mother-daughter trip this week scouting colleges back East.  We toured Harvard and Tufts on Wednesday, MIT and Northeastern yesterday, and have Brown, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia still ahead of us.  Doesn't she look lovely in Boston?

This post is my Photo Friday link-up to DeliciousBaby.com.

The Mezquita in Córdoba

The mezquita looks like a fortress from the outside.

Sometimes it takes me awhile to write about the grandest places we've visited because the thought of having to describe their beauty (and sort through our family's 100s of photos) is so overwhelming.  That's my excuse for not having yet posted about the Mezquita (Spanish for "Mosque") in Córdoba which we visited last summer.

The Mezquita is an enormous building which began as a mosque in the 8th century but is now a Catholic cathedral.  A mosque becoming a Catholic church in Spain is actually not unusual, but in Córdoba the mosque was not destroyed - a Renaissance cathedral was simply built right smack in the middle of the mosque, while the rest of the surrounding art and architecture remain the work of its Islamic builders.  This is highly unusual.

Upon entering the impressive Moorish structure the first thing you will undoubtedly marvel at is the repeating red and white candy cane arches EVERYWHERE.  They appear on top of just about every one of the 856 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite columns that hold up the expansive ceiling.

After walking through the dimly lit forest of stripes, the Baroque cathedral interior at the center of the building does come as somewhat of a jolt.  As opulent as any European cathedral, however, one is quickly captivated by the discordant splendor of it all.

Interior of the cathedral in the middle of the mosque.

If you are Catholic and attend one of the Sunday morning Masses, as we did, or are not Catholic and think you can endure a Catholic Mass, you can enter the Mezquita for free (as opposed to paying 8€ per person admission).  Our family enjoyed attending service in such a unique structure and hearing the beautiful organ resound among the ancient Mezquita walls.

Organ player during Mass.

The juxtaposition of Islamic and Baroque architecture.

Outside the Mezquita is the Patio de los Naranjos, or Courtyard of the Orange Trees, which is filled with - of course - orange trees and their fragrant blossoms.  There is also a lovely fountain here.  The courtyard is free to enter.

In the courtyard you can get some great photos of the massive bell tower, which, in the 1600s, was converted from a minaret to the tower.  It is adorned with cathedral bells captured from Santiago de Compostela.

This is my Photo Friday link-up post to DeliciousBaby.com.

Celebrate Springtime!

Today is the first day of Spring!

Are you traveling anywhere lovely for spring break??

I'd like to say these tulips were real,
but they're plastic souvenirs for sale
in Holland.

These Edelweiss plants are real!
For sale in Hallstatt, Austria.

My son likes flowers too.  Posing in the garden
of the Residenz Palace in Würzburg, Germany.

Garden in Marigny Square in Paris.

Garden in Grainau, Germany.

Pelgrom Tavern in Antwerp

Atmosphere and authenticity is what you'll get when you visit Pelgrom Tavern and Restaurant in Antwerp, Belgium.  Don't let your children be spooked as they walk down the deep, dark staircase into the medieval cellar beneath one of Antwerp's charming little alleys.  

Step into medieval Pelgrom Tavern and Restaurant.

In this ancient underground cellar you can enjoy traditional Flemish food or a variety of local beers by medieval-style candlelight.  As a child my family came here often and I always loved the ambience.  My children did too when we took them there:

I guess Rick Steves has discovered Pelgrom Tavern and recommended it in one of his books, and now the restaurant is perhaps a bit more touristy than when I was a child and it was mostly frequented by locals.  Still, the long communal tables and intimate atmosphere invite conversation and a shared good time by everyone.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Roofless Carmo Convent and Church in Lisbon

The most prominent reminder of the earthquake that destroyed most of the city of Lisbon in 1755 is the roofless nave and concrete rubble of Carmo Church and Convent, sitting high on a hill overlooking Rossio Square.

This Gothic church was once the largest church in Lisbon, and was packed with worshippers attending Mass on All Saints' Day in 1755 when the earthquake struck and the roof caved in.  The large convent and its library of 5000 books were also lost that day.

Today the ruins of Carmo Convent and Church are a historical tourist attraction.  Its bare pointed arches, pillars, and rubble stir the emotions and even my children were captivated.  The church interior has a nave with three aisles and an apse with a main chapel and four side chapels.

What once was the main altar is now an archaeological museum (the Museu Arqueológico do Carmo or Carmo Archaeological Museum).  Admission to the church covers admission to the museum and it's worth taking a look.  My kids liked the mummies.

The museum also houses a collection of tombs, most famously that of King Ferdinand I, statuary, ceramics, mosaics, ancient tombstones, and other architectural relics from all periods of Portuguese history.

Tomb of King Ferdinand I

16th century azulejo panels depicting scenes from the Passion of Christ.

Model of the Carmo Church before its destruction.

Rubble at Carmo Convent.

The best way to reach Carmo Convent and Church is to ride the Santa Justa Lift to the top.  The church is then right there in the Chiado district of Lisbon.  Alternatively, you can take the green or the blue metro line to the Baixa/Chiado stop.  The church is closed on Sundays, but open 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. May through September and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 October through April.  We paid 9.50€ admission for our family of two adults and two students.  Occasional open-air orchestral concerts are held beneath the archways in the summer.

Beautiful views of the city from Carmo Convent and Church.

Exciting Time to Be in Rome

I'm not there, but wish I was.

Photo Friday: Town Square in Hallstatt

My daughter, just 11 years old, sitting pretty in the colorful town square in Hallstatt, Austria.

This is my Photo Friday link-up post to DeliciousBaby.com.