 Ronda was the fourth city I visited during my trip to Andalusia in October 2019. It was a trip I took with my former travel partner and we were based in Seville, from where we then toured the other most important cities in the region. I got to know Ronda thanks to Ernest Hemingway and his novel “Death in the Afternoon”; in that book the writer mentioned the city in an idyllic way and claimed that Ronda was the city for secret lovers. Hemingway said that the city was perfect as a place of escape for two people who desire each other but where their relationship is not accepted by their respective families. A sort of escape and redemption for the modern Romeo and Juliet, stories that now seem impossible but that still exist today. The way Hemingway described Ronda has always remained in my mind as long as I have never experienced a thwarted love, I have always had the desire to see this magical city. The fact that I achieved this goal accompanied by my ex-lover and travel partner, did not really respect that aspect, however she was a person with whom there was a great mutual physical attraction and respect, but nothing more. Even if in theory I did not have the right person at my side, because she lacked the romantic aspect described by Hemingway, I was still excited and happy to be able to realize this dream that had lasted for almost twenty years. Obviously Ronda was also and above all a city with its beauties and was characteristic in itself, for its particular position and for works such as "Puente Nuevo" which was a bit of a symbol of the city. Above all this work had always obsessed me because looking at it I saw something strange and mysterious that I could not perceive. Only in the last few years have I been able to understand the mystery of Ponte Nuevo, something that is more properly a theory of my own. Compared to other Andalusian destinations, Ronda was the only city we reached by car, basically because it was the fastest and most independent way to visit it. Ronda was in fact located on top of a sort of high plateau, where the train journey was too long and complex due to the various changes. Another alternative that I never considered were the bus tours, something I never liked. In addition to all this, the car journey would have given me the opportunity to also visit Setenil de la Bodegas, this characteristic village where the mountain was shaped in a strange way on the houses. The drive took about 1 hour and 50 minutes and we arrived in Ronda at around 11:15 AM. The parking lot I had chosen was right next to the “Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Merced” a linear church with brick perimeters and the rest in white stucco. The church was located at the top of a staircase and the facade was characterized by a series of rectangular windows and four portholes, it had the bell tower on the right side but in the back part so even from afar, only the top was visible. Just a stone's throw from the church was the large park “Alameda de Tajo” characterized by very tall trees but at the same time it was very paved, a contrast that in the end was in favor of the green because the trees were so tall that they cast shade and had a greater impact than the paving. Through the park we arrived at the “Balcón del Coño” a large balcony with a panoramic view of the valley. The place was full of people and the atmosphere was quiet, moreover there was a mild spring climate and a perfect air that made you breathe deeply. The view from the Balćon was suggestive but irregular both in terms of the differences in altitude and the type of vegetation present. In fact, downstream there was everything; trees, cultivated fields and on the horizon arid mountains. A mixed and varied view but without a particular or spectacular reference point. After leaving the park we returned to the main road where I could notice the beautiful architecture of the houses in that part of Ronda; houses with a lively two-tone combination, they were all renovated and had wooden fixtures and decorations. Nearby was Plaza de Toros which was located on one side of Plaza Blas Infante. Although white in color and with an evident roundness, Plaza de Toros was a low structure, with a design of protruding pillars and inclined towards the inside, for these reasons it gave the idea of a strange structure but it did not seem like a Plaza de Toros. Plaza Blas Infante was completely paved with oval cobblestones, there was a life-size statue of a bull there much photographed by tourists. Obviously I also behaved in the same way until I found two more interesting works not far from the bull. Walking around it, I saw two commemorative busts of Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles which were positioned on the sides of the road, like two guardians at the entrance of the “Mirador de Ronda”. I stopped both to photograph and to admire the busts dedicated to two people who had always inspired me and who in a certain sense, especially in the case of Hemingway guided. I have always considered the American writer as a master, much more than the philosophers I read when I was young; for me the difference between Hemingway and Nietzsche or Schopenhauer for example was that Hemingway was a wise man who had lived and enjoyed life as well as analyzed it. Philosophers in general, although wise, gave me the impression of having been suffering individuals. In this parallel, Hemingway was the individual who had freed me and led me towards an adventurous vision of life rather than a pragmatic one. If today I have done almost everything I dreamed of doing when I was young, it is thanks to the American writer who made me choose the right path between an ambiguous dualism.  Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Merced  Alameda de Tajo  Balcón del Coño  View from Balcón del Coño     Plaza de Toros   From Mirador de Ronda there was more or less the same view as from the Balcón del Coño, however there was a very large gazebo there, crowded with people. At that time of day, however, the gazebo cast its shadow somewhere else but under its roof, which gave a surreal tone to that structure that was so large but so useless. Beyond the gazebo, the road wound along the cliff overlooking the valley, which took us to the Kazunori Yamaguchi Promenade where I finally saw Puente Nuevo. Seeing the bridge for the first time was a unique emotion even if the perspective and the light were not what I had seen in the illustrations of the bridge. The classic elements such as the four arches and that strange door with the balcony placed above the central arch were visible but with a strange perspective. However, from the Promenade I could see other details that I did not know, such as an entrance door that led right into the left arch. This door that was accessible, remained lower than the famous one that was in the center of the bridge, this meant that inside the arches there must have been some rooms first and then some stairs that led to a higher level. To tell the truth, I overlooked this detail and subsequently taken up by other things, I forgot to visit that part that could probably shed some light on the "mystery" of the bridge. This is also because initially the first thing I wanted to do in Ronda was to go and reach the observation point of the bridge, which was located downstream. However, looking at it I realized that at that moment it was totally in the shade and therefore, given the way the sun moved, it was better to postpone the visit to the afternoon when the bridge would be in favor of light. Looking at the bridge from the Promenade, I noticed that the view was very perpendicular and close so I could not appreciate it at its best and in fact it didn’t give me the same sensation as the more classic and famous view. However, I still started taking dozens of photos, a task that I practically continued to do not only there but also above the bridge and even on the other side. Puente Nuevo connected the new part of the city to the old town which was actually detached from the rest and surrounded by a ravine. In the Umbria region of Italy, there are two cities with the same characteristic and yet I have not yet managed to visit. In the case of Ronda, what I noticed was that especially near the bridge, the two parts of the city were not so different. In other words, there was no real stylistic distinction between the new part and the old part but it seemed more like a separation or collapse due to some apocalyptic event that had created the ravine dividing the city in two parts. Coming out of the Promenade Kazunori Yamaguchi towards the old town, we had a fleeting glimpse of Plaza España which was a sort of nerve center of the new part. One side of the square was heavily cemented with wide sidewalks and a portico where there was a row of shops. The street was made up of a small rectangular paving stone and there was only a small green area where in the center there was a bust of a person. The thing I didn’t like at all was the coming and going of cars, which crossed the square and then went over Ponte Nuevo, probably the city’s main attraction. Personally, I’m not in favor of mass tourism and large crowds in popular or famous areas of a place and I understand the needs of people who are lucky or unlucky enough to live in places that are very populated by tourists. However, there is a universal common sense that should lead the municipality to eliminate cars from certain historic centers because in fact they are something that has nothing to do with a certain urban planning. Cars are not a means of transport created to facilitate travel, but only a form of capitalism that has caused us to lose our most natural habit; that of walking. In cities like Ronda, especially in the parts where the streets are on a human scale, cars should disappear. I myself, arriving in the city by car right next to the historic center, only lost the opportunity to wander around and discover another part of Ronda that I only saw fleetingly from the car. Personally, I am not in favor of parking lots but of real hubs for those who want to use the car; car travel should cover distances of hundreds of kilometers, after which you should continue on foot. Puente Nuevo area was very busy with dozens of people in various parts of the bridge looking out or taking photos. All this while cars were driving on the same bridge that certainly had not been designed for them, subject to certain weights and was also paved with the same paving as Plaza España. In that frenzy where drivers were using their horns very easily, I tried to explore the bridge to satisfy my desire and in a certain sense try to steal its secrets. While crossing the bridge I took dozens of photos of it and of the waterfall and the gorge below. The same goes for the opposite side where the view of the bridge and the gorge was wider. From that point I was able to better appreciate some details of the bridge but above all there was a very singular view of the entire row of white houses that over-hanged the gorge. Immediately after the end of the bridge, just on the right as you enter the old part of the city, there was a house that immediately caught my attention. It was triangular or pointed in shape, where in the narrow part it could be just over a meter wide. It was on two levels where at the base it was formed by a portico while on the first floor there were a series of doors that in the lower part were protected by iron railings but in fact there were no balconies. As unfortunately often happens to me especially when I travel in company, I paid the wrong attention to that house which was nevertheless very popular for photos among tourists. I also took and had photos taken of myself with the house as a background, however I forgot to create fine art with it. As long as it is about nearby destinations that I can reach easily, this thing does not bother me too much, however I have also made this mistake in places where I do not have the chance of returning soon. Today I definitely put fine art as a priority for this reason I prefer to travel alone, without distractions and without compromises.     Puente Nuevo   Plaza España     Almost in front of the triangular house there was a very particular mural, another work transformed into a tourist attraction. It was a mural made of ceramics called “Ronda a Los Viajeros Románticos”, it had a reproduction of the city and phrases written by famous people who had visited and were impressed by the city. Also in this case the challenge was to be able to have a photo taken with the mural between one tourist and another. In the end, not being able to take a photo of the work without other people posing, I opted to have one taken with obviously other people around me. Right next to the mural there was a small road made of small cobblestones that wound downhill and led directly to our next destination which was a building called Casa del Rey Moro. To be honest I didn’t know this house, but it was considered one of the things to see in Ronda. Its popularity combined with the fact that the house was located in the same direction as the other things to see, didn’t make me investigate its history. I understood from the name that it had to be the residence of a king, however I did not know the person in question. Casa del Rey Moro suddenly appeared to us as we walked along the last part of the street, which ended in a small square that was a balcony at the same time because it was in an elevated position compared to the street below. That very welcoming area was dominated by many differences in level of which Casa del Rey Moro represented the quintessence. The building was in fact very large and developed along the descending street which in turn had a serpentine shape. In other words, the house had a unique design and to increase the effect of singularity, there were also particular details. In addition to rising on a very accentuated difference in level, the house had the upper part on the left that was slightly concave, another detail that gave it an austere tone, were the towers that stood out from the rest of the building. Including the tallest central tower, the house rose on six levels and in general, even if not linear, the design of the doors and windows was not asymmetrical. The house also stood out for its sand color contrasting with the brown of the window frames and the green roof, even if the latter could only be seen from certain angles. To be honest, I had never seen a residential building like this, what struck me most was the serpentine shape, this detail dictated perhaps by the position gave the house a dynamic appearance, while I looked at it in fact, it always gave me the impression that it could move like a snake. I dedicated many photos to Casa del Rey Moro also because it had different perspectives and as we went down, the house had increasingly suggestive views until it didn't seem like the same building. Continuing down, a short distance from the house, there was a panoramic point from which I could observe the part of Ronda that was beyond the gorge. The view was characterized by white houses distributed on different levels and by the bell tower of the Iglesia de Padre Jesus. Puente Viejo connected this part of Ronda to the historic center where we were, however there was no real view of it. In fact, from a panoramic point, the bridge was just a road made of small cobblestones but nothing else could be perceived. Still going down towards the bridge, a few steps from the panoramic point there was another polar monument of Ronda named Arco de Felipe V. This arch had a mixed design, made with different types of bricks and the part of the frame was as if closed with concrete. Personally I had the impression that this closure had been a job to secure the arch, I don't think that the frame was originally walled up. Beyond the beauty of the structure itself, what in my opinion was the value of Arco de Felipe V was what was around it. Going down the road, it was built immediately after a curve and both the parapet and the very wide road were made of cobblestones of all sizes. The visual impact that these details produced together with the arch were very beautiful and I personally had the impression of finding myself as if by magic in an ancient era. That glimpse was in fact a choral work; if there had been only the arch, it would not have had a particular impact just as that cobblestone road, without the arch, would have been one of many of the same type and era. I must say that the arch was very popular among tourists and I personally was lucky to pass by there in the minutes in which there was no one, a few moments later in fact that area had been taken by storm by a group of tourists. Puente Viejo was a few steps away from the arch and once we got there we began to explore it but I immediately had a strange feeling. The bridge was a very handcrafted work that followed the design of irregular cobblestones but had a series of iron railings about a meter and a half high on both sides, they reach the road so it was possible to see the gorge below. In reality the view from the bridge was not particular, there were the curved mountains that formed the gorge but the position was neither high nor low. The main thing however was that I could not have any view of it, in fact once on the bridge I did not realize its structure or see it from any angle. However from up there I noticed another small viaduct downstream and logically I understood that at least, going down there, something of the structure of Puente Viejo could be perceived. My next mission was to go even further down the valley and reach that viaduct which was called Puente San Miguel. It had the same construction typology as Puente Viejo but what changed was the view; definitely more suggestive. In fact, from below I could see not only Puente Viejo, composed of a single brick arch, but also the rock composition all around it. The stone seemed to have been shaped around the bridge with rotations even wider than those of Puente Nuevo. The view was also amplified by the position from below: the rocks were large, irregular in depth and Puente Viejo seemed to be fixed in hot rocks that had dried out. Even in the case of Puente Viejo, it seemed that the rock had clung around it. That visit to Puente San Miguel made me happy both because it had supported my hypothesis and because thanks to it I had discovered the true panoramic point to see both Puente Viejo and the gorge. The even more positive thing about that visit was that Puente San Miguel was not popular among tourists so I was able to appreciate that panorama in a calm and chaos-free way.      Casa del Rey Moro     Arco de Felipe V   Puente San Miguel  View of Puente Viejo from Puente San Miguel  Up to that point our visit had respected the times I had planned and after leaving Puente San Miguel we started to climb up again. There were still two structures that I wanted to see and they were let's say in the lower or southern part of the historic center. One of them was Alminar de San Sebastian, a rather low tower built in stone. It overlooked a very small and irregularly shaped square where we arrived by walking along a very narrow street. Alminar de San Sebastian was attached to a small two-story house and I can't say if it was originally part of it. In general the structure was beautiful because it seemed like a miniature, it represented in miniature the bell towers of the cathedrals, personally it seemed to me like a structure for children; like the whim of a rich person who had built a tower for his children to play in. To get to the last structure I wanted to see in Ronda, we passed through a square I didn’t know, called Plaza Duquesa de Parcent. This square had a real green park in the center and the surrounding part was paved with cobblestones. There were very tall trees and several flower beds, in general the park part gave the impression of a small forest. All around the square there were typical houses but two structures stood out in particular: the Town Hall and the Iglesia de Santa Maria la Mayor. The Ayuntamiento was a long, three-story building where the ground floor had a series of rectangular windows protected by bars and the two upper floors had arched windows. The strange thing was the number of these windows; practically the entire facade was a series of arches with wooden frames, a very impactful view. But the structure that struck me the most, placed at an angle to the Ayuntamiento, was the Iglesia de Santa Maria la Mayor. Entirely built in stone, it had a design that I immediately loved because it was composed of an arched portico on the ground floor and a double patio on the two upper floors. On the left side of the patio there was the bell tower, of modest height and with a square base and the upper part of the tower that was octagonal and rich in decorations. I have always loved the concept of a patio or portico, it is normally a design that in churches is found in cloisters but seeing it on the facade, in that context, gave me an incredible positivity. In this case, the surprise effect of seeing a structure that struck me but that I did not know, did not particularly help me to appreciate it. That square needed to be experienced more and not just seen fleetingly, this was the feeling I had, something that I perceived there and not planned. I am of the opinion that certain structures have a sort of magnetism towards me, it is not only visual attraction but a real connection. I would have liked to stay there in contact with the structure, not only to photograph it more but to be around it, look at it and receive the positive energies that it secretly gave me. After the moments spent in the square we continued through a downhill road to reach Puerta de Almocábar. This structure was an old wall, it was completely made of stone and was quite large. It probably originally had to be even larger but what was left already gave the idea of imposing. There were still four small round towers and in the center a small door that was the access to another neighborhood of the city. What I did not like was the roundabout in front of it; it was well-kept and with small palm trees inside but in my opinion, there can not be something that serves the cars to turn, right in front of a very ancient structure. Let's say that in this case the record goes to the Colosseum, used as a real giant roundabout, the worst show in the world. In the case of Puerta de Almocábar, it would have been nicer to move the roundabout further down and create a small green park at the entrance to the Puerta, to divert and reduce the roadway in favor of greenery and pedestrians. However, precisely because the gate was located slightly outside the historic center and also because it had a roundabout in front, it was not populated by tourists; only the most curious came there to admire it or take photos.    Alminar de San Sebastian  Side view of Iglesia de Santa Maria la Mayor  Iglesia de Santa Maria la Mayor  Puerta de Almocábar Even though there were countless restaurants in full view in Ronda, for some strange reason, my partner and I went to have lunch in a place that was almost hidden. We were actually looking for a place to buy water and we saw a sign that looked like a bar pointing under a stone arch. After crossing it we entered a large garden with tall trees that also served as shade for the tables scattered throughout the area. That rustic place inspired us and since it was also a restaurant, we decided to stop there. Today, looking for it on the map to see its exact location, I noticed that the restaurant was closed, a shame because it was an original place even if I don't remember great things from a culinary point of view. After lunch we got ready for the big event, a moment that I had certainly been waiting for a long time because it finally fulfilled a dream of twenty years. We went back to Plaza de María Auxiliadora and from there we took the path downhill to reach the Mirador Puente Nuevo de Ronda. Except for the final part, the trail was in good condition and we reached the Mirador in about five minutes. The view of Puente Nuevo, with the perspective from the bottom to the top was even more impressive and filled me with joy. That was one of the most beautiful moments of the whole trip for sure, but in general of my life, as the achievement of a goal. At that moment Puente Nuevo represented the city of Ronda, which in turn was the connection with one of my favorite writers who was an inspiration and a reference for me. It was a sort of closing circle, the view of the bridge was a more complex metaphor, it was not just the view of a very particular architectural work. For me that moment was like a conjunction with Ernest Hemingway and everything he represented for me, a sort of baptism after which I would have to continue only with my own strength. These were the feelings I felt in front of Puente Nuevo and like a trophy I wanted it in the photos. Thanks to my partner, I had dozens of photos taken, both from the highest part of the Mirador and from the lowest part. Of course, I also documented the bridge itself extensively with photos because I had to own it in a certain sense. From a technical point of view, the Mirador clearly had the best view of the bridge because, in addition to the structure, I could also perfectly admire the small waterfall that flowed in the center of it. To be honest, even though I took dozens of photos, I preferred to enjoy those moments, breathe the air and seek a metaphorical embrace with the entire surrounding area. From the Mirador, there were several roads that could be taken, one of which led right under it. At the time, I didn't have the need to take it, instead I went even further down to take photos from the overhanging rock. Another road led even further down the valley and probably near the river. The time there passed in a magical way, even my partner who wasn't easy to get excited, was definitely happy. The area, despite being dangerous due to the lack of protection, was very populated, with the presence of the usual dumb looking for the extreme photo. An idiot had his wife take a picture of him while he was holding his little girl in her arms on the overhanging rock, this individual was not even a physically agile person and during that moment I was always on alert ready to grab the little girl rather than him, in the event that he lost his balance. But during the time at the Mirador, there were also some interesting interactions with other people there where the conversation started with the request for a photo and then continued on the confrontation of travelers talking about the places explored. We stayed at the Mirador for about twenty-five minutes, a time that goes beyond the concept of time itself because for me it was a transcendental experience of which I have very clear memories. My mission was accomplished, but the photos I took, especially one that I then printed in large size, led me, a few years later, to see the place in another light full of mystery. We went back up to the center and spent about half an hour shopping in the historic center. That phase also passed peacefully and I was personally satisfied and invigorated, that feeling led me to not have anxiety or stress even though we still had a high goal to reach that day. I think it was after 4 PM when we got back in the car to set off towards Setenil de la Bodegas, the last town we had to visit before returning to Seville. Everything had gone more than well and I had been initiated into a new life made of a new energy and awareness, Ronda had injected me with her magic fluid, the one that belonged to artists and people who know how to observe things and elaborate thoughts and stories.   View from Plaza de María Auxiliadora   A moment dreamed for 20 years   Puente Nuevo  I think I have exhaustively explained the feelings and sensations that Ronda transmitted to me, not only that day but any time I think about it or look at some photos. I wanted to write this post as a story, as if it were a bridge or a starting point towards my dream of becoming a writer. After all, I took some events that really happened and transformed the memories into a story, a tale that I could share with everyone or at least with those who still have a minimum of constructive curiosity, the one that generates inspiration and motivation. But there is one more thing I have to add and it is linked to the print I made of Puente Nuevo and then hung it in a place where I can look at it carefully every day. As I said at the beginning, there has always been something mysterious linked to Puente Nuevo, something that attracted me but I couldn’t understand what. Some time ago, looking at the print, I had a kind of illumination after having connected it to another image relating to the eruption of the volcano of La Palma, in the Canary Islands. There was a moment in which the lava covered a house, remaining as if clinging to it without covering it entirely. Suddenly one day, looking at the print I superimposed the image of La Palma on that of Puente Nuevo. The mountain around the bridge had exactly the same shape as the lava that covered the house in La Palma. Indeed, if we stop to observe and reflect on Puente Nuevo and how the structure is embedded inside the mountain, this detail makes no sense nor is it a solution or a construction practice. There are some details that I didn't photograph up close at the time but that are visible, such as the frames in the lower part that end in the mountain, frames that at that point are only a few meters long. It is clear that if it is as I think, there is the possibility that the bridge is a much larger structure or perhaps even something different like an aqueduct, then there is that actual room with that door, the meaning and purpose of which is not clear. Could it be that in the past there was something similar to a volcanic eruption that shaped the mountain in that way? Could it be that that shape is the result of some nuclear weapon from some more advanced civilization omitted in classical narrative? If I think of Cappadocia and the official explanation of the particular conformations of that territory, I laugh more now than I did then. When our guide, a very good and respectful person, explained to us that all those sand-colored hills were ash from the volcano then shaped by the wind, I took those explanations as something fantasy. If we stop to think about what geologists or experts say, we will certainly have the same feeling; like listening to a fantastic story or watching a Disney animated film. Clearly mine are only hypothesis and theories, on the other hand we live in a world where the greatest scientist of the last century, has postulated only theories and not laws. Writing this post today, five years after that visit, I also think about the romantic aspect that was the incipit of this story, that is, Ronda as a city for lovers. I have a genuine desire to return and to respect Hemingway's principle, from my point of view, I should return with a very young girl. Let's say that this principle was respected last year when I visited another city in Spain but that is another story that I will tell another time. As for Ronda, the sentimental part cannot always respect the practical one and if all goes well I hope to return next year but being single, I don't know if this will happen alone or with a beautiful young girl, only time will tell. But if Ronda was the muse of one of my favorite writers, I hope that my return will also bode well for my goals as a writer. After all, even if writing may seem like a complex thing, it may be simpler than you think, and after all, the epigraph on Hemingway's bust said: "I aspired to write as if I were writing in Ronda, sober, with a limited repertoire, simple, classic and tragic." A.M.
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