Because our Internet connection last night was abysmal, and Tom had no pix from yesterday (I know you think I'm lying, but it's true!), I'm combining two days’ events into one post.
We left Chefchaouen yesterday morning, too early to enjoy the breakfast that was to be delivered to our apartment. Much to our surprise, the delightful young gentleman manning the reception desk worked some magic and produced an impromptu meal for us, which we enjoyed in the lobby while the television broadcast a great show on the American Southwest; ironies abound...
We headed toward the Tangier airport, a couple of hours northwest, where we dropped the car and taxied to the city-center port for a ferry to Tarifa, Spain. In the port, we had our final tastes of Moroccan hustle. As soon as we left the cab, a man was there to "greet" us and point out the ticket booths for the ferry lines that cross the Strait of Gibraltar. He then helpfully hovered at the ticket counter and filled out our departure forms -- something we were obviously incapable of doing on our own?!? Before we insisted that we could find our own way to the passenger waiting area, Tom tipped him, and once again was berated for an inadequate amount. A short while later, when Tom left the terminal to change his Moroccan currency (dirhams) for euros, the same fellow accosted him, wanted to point out the bank (which was in plain sight, of course), and remind him of his previous inadequate show! At least they're consistent!
The ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar to Spain took less than 45 minutes, but fog obscured most of the views we might have enjoyed along the way. It was raining heavily and very windy when we debarked in Tarifa and the short walk to the arrivals terminal was a wet one. Once we cleared customs (I hope they scrutinize some arrivals more closely than they did us.), a bus was waiting to take us to the much larger port of Algeciras. From there (no rain, no fog), it was a short cab ride to our hotel. Though the wife was terrible (being upgraded, we were assured), the spacious room was great and had a view of the busy port and Gibraltar looming just offshore.
Monday, April 27
What our hotel lacked in Internet reliability, it made up for in the fact that our Hertz rental office was in the lobby, so we were off without a hassle this morning. Our first stop was Ronda, which we reached after a drive parallel to the Costal del Sol and then inland and up, up, up a winding, fog-shrouded, and rainy mountain road; we did not envy the tens of bicyclists we passed one bit! Once we reached the hilltop Ronda, the clouds started to part, and except for a few initial moments, it was sunny and warm during our walk through the town.
Ronda is one of Andalucía’s white hill towns, and a popular one, at that; there were throngs of visitors, fresh off their tour buses and using their listening devices to hear their guides' commentaries. Despite this, it was possible to find some quiet lanes lined with white-washed houses, their balconies spilling blossoms and greenery. There were also some great opportunities to enjoy the views of the deep gorge that separates the two sections of the town, the Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) that connects them, and the beautiful green countryside below. It would be a lovely place to linger and explore once the daytime crowd departs, but we needed to be on our way
We reached Granada late this afternoon
and found our apartment and nearby parking garage without difficulty. Once
again, we've lucked out; our apartment is spacious, clean, and has a wide
terrace that wraps around two sides and affords a view of the Cathedral.
Our next-door neighbor is the Church of San Matias; we look out on its belfry,
and hear the hourly toll. Not sure how far into the night that will
sound, but we're grateful it's not a minaret with a VERY loud call to prayer!
We walked a short distance to the main tourist office to pick up the Granada Cards, which we ordered online. They provide the all-important timed reservation for the Alhambra, as well as admission to other sights in the city and some public transportation, as well.
Another short walk brought us to the Cathedral and Royal Chapel, which we plan to visit another day. After a stop for some groceries at a nearby market, we headed back "home" to finish up some laundry, have dinner, and do some planning for tomorrow.
We walked a short distance to the main tourist office to pick up the Granada Cards, which we ordered online. They provide the all-important timed reservation for the Alhambra, as well as admission to other sights in the city and some public transportation, as well.
Another short walk brought us to the Cathedral and Royal Chapel, which we plan to visit another day. After a stop for some groceries at a nearby market, we headed back "home" to finish up some laundry, have dinner, and do some planning for tomorrow.
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