Our next day trip was into the hills to explore several jewels of the region: the white cities of Andalucia. Our first stop was Mijas, famous for its donkey taxis, but they were on vacation. This was good because we were able to park in the donkey taxi loading zone. Here is an adorable little shop where we oggled the local ceramic handicraft.
Mijas was enveloped in a blanket of fog that morning which, while increasing the mystery of the place, made photography a little challenging.
One of the famous sites in the village is a centuries-old grotto-chapel that a monk carved out of the rock in the hillside.
It was stunning, but even better was the amazing nativity that they had set up next door. In fact we saw a lot of elaborate nativities in Spain, but this was the only one that was so attentive to realism that it had a guy taking a crap in an outhouse in a distant part of Bethlehem, far, far from the lowly manger.
A foggy stroll after leaving the chapel.
I just loved the narrow streets and plunging staircases.
Strolling the back streets of Mijas.
Next we planned to take the long way around to Ronda, and it was a bit of a drive—sometimes on vertiginous one-lane roads—but the scenery was amazing, and the weather was getting better and better the further we went into the hills.
Here we stopped for a scenic photo, but again the light and fog were challenging.
We drove through a beautiful little town called El Burgo, but didn’t stop. A little further down the road we were able to get some amazing views back onto the town.
We pulled over here for a designated scenic overlook and found a beautifully maintained pathway through rocky outcroppings leading to a cliff overlooking the valley and El Burgo.
Looking east-ish, the city is behind me.
Chris and Sawyer make the hike.
And there’s El Burgo tucked into the valley.
And the magnificent and diverse landscape…
El Burgo again, en miniature.
Chris and Sawyer pose off the pathway.
Maybe two hours and much carsickness later, we made it to Ronda, which is very possibly the most stunning city that ever existed. Unfortunately we came at it from the wrong side, so you’ll have to search online for the really magnificent shot. Basically it stretches across a 400-foot deep ravine, and what you’re looking at here is the old roman bridge that spans it.
Standing on the bridge and looking left and right, this is what you see.
After overcoming our awe staring into the ravine, made all the more impressive by the recent rains (thousands of gallons of water shooting through the opening and cascading down the hillside), we took a scenic walk through the back streets of the town.
Our third stop, a tiny village whose name started with a G and that I totally can’t remember, unfortunately appeared around the bend right as it started to rain. Nonetheless, we visited a lovely garden beneath the fortress, a beautiful cemetery…
And got a spooky picture or two of the Gothic landscape.
Our last stop was a breathtaking little village called Casares, and we got there right at dusk when the city was just beginning to glow. Unfortunately we had a little trouble getting a clear shot. Chris performed the most amazing 28-pt turn to get out of a parking spot in this town. He also successfully navigated a street that was so narrow that we had to pull the side mirrors in to make it through.
We ended the day—Christmas Eve—with a seven-course meal at a Thai restaurant. Non-traditional, but delicious.
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