One cannot have early nights in Spain. The Spaniards take their siesta followed by working late, eating late, and drinking even later into the night. Restaurants often open around 8 or 9 in the evening and remain open until midnight. Thus our dinner in Marbella ended late even though we had an early morning drive ahead of us. As I walked back to the hotel through Marbella’s old quarter, I wondered about the Moorish rulers of this area and how little they had left behind. But, I realized that I was wrong. The clues were all around me and I simply failed to pay attention. The Moors had been in Spain for about 800 years; a period that is longer than the subsequent Castilian/Catalonian dominance that continues to present day. There are definite clues to the Moorish past in modern Spanish culture if one is to look closely. The paella that I had enjoyed so much for dinner is directly influenced by the moors who introduced ‘azafran’ or saffron and ‘arroz’ or rice to Spain. Both words are of Arabic origin. Another clue was the ubiquity of ‘naranja’ or orange trees in the region; another word of Arabic origin and another crop introduced by the Moors. Of course one could also find numerous hints of the Spain’s Moorish legacy in its ancient and modern architecture.

The next morning we drove north of Marbella and headed towards the picturesque town of Ronda. It turned out to be an unexpected and exhilarating drive through mountain passes that rose much above sea level and offered unforgettable views of stunning cliffs and deep valleys. There was an abundance of foliage on some hills yet others were starkly bare and devoid of any trees. We came across a set of peaks which were so white that they seemed to be made of crumbling chalk. The winding road cut through the mountains and bored through tunnels until we reached Ronda a little before lunch.

We began our short trip of Ronda by walking through its provincial streets lined with rows of orange trees. During the high season, Ronda is very much a tourist town but that particular morning in February the tourist were far and few between. We walked past the church of Santa María la Mayor – a mosque in Moorish times – until we reached what looked like a small garden perched on top of a hill. We were offered panoramic views of the profound emerald valley below and after taking in this view for a few moments we began walking towards the Puente Nuevo. This 18th century bridge connects the new town ‘Mercadill’ with the old Moorish quarter and sits atop the deep El Tajo gorge. The views of the spectaluar gorge and the surrounding hills from Puente Nuevo are simply breathtaking. The gorge today is surrounded by hotels and restaurants that hang precariously over the edges of the surrounding hills and offer dramatic views to their patrons. On the way back we walked by the historic bullring of Ronda. This is the ring where modern bull fighting began and has been home to legends of the sport. Today the ring is not used frequently but the occasional fight here is highly regarded by fans and afficianados from around the world.

All this walking made us a little hungry and we satisfied our urges with a couple of tapas so greasy that they had to be washed down with some strong coffee. Tapas are another feature of this region and originated in Andalusia. There’s hardly a café or bar in the province that doesn’t offer these essential snacks.

I remember Ronda being totally devoid of young people and wondering that there aren’t many compelling reasons for a young person to stay in this town. Most of the youth probably leave town as soon as they are old enough to go to college or find work in bigger cities. With these thoughts in mind and a sense of admiration for Ronda’s beauty, I got back in the car and began driving towards Seville.

To be continued…