The bridges of Ronda

When I returned from my trip, my family gave me the postcards I had sent them during my travels. I thought this strange at first, but now I realize the postcards are helpful as I piece together my memories.

In a postcard to my dad (a retired architect) I wrote about the construction of the bridge spanning the dramatic gorge in Ronda. The Puente Nuevo (“New Bridge”) is an impressive architectural feat. It is the largest of Ronda’s three bridges. In a side view of the bridge, you can see how the bridge was built in three stages, each with its own layer of arches (google it, the bridge is highly photogenic).

I was quite sick in Ronda so my exploration of the town was brief. I did manage to walk over the impressive bridges and under the old stone archways of this charming whitewashed village. I was glad to stumble upon a pretty park to take in the lovely scenes of this mountaintop town from a park bench.

Sarah and I spent the afternoon in our hotel with our map and trusty guidebook plotting out where to go next. We wanted a beach vacation to regain our energy. The island of Menorca was one option but we settled on Gandia, south of Valencia (Chill’n out in Gandia turned out to be exactly what we needed).

We were spoiled for choices in Spain. Menorca would have to wait. I added it to my list of places to return to for another day.

This is one entry from my 1992 European backpacking trip with my friend Sarah. If you want to start at the beginning, please check out The journey starts in Nice.