— Nan Sterman
The town of Ronda, Spain, is built around this 300-foot deep gorge.
Thirty-six people, nine days, five cities, more than 35 gardens, and nearly 3,000 photos. Those are the numbers for the tour I co-led last month to visit the romantic gardens of Spain.
We toured by private coach, starting in Malaga, a beautiful seaside town whose lush parks lure in visitors and locals alike. From the greenbelt, it was just a short stroll to the Picasso Museum, dedicated to Malaga’s most famous native son.
On our way to Cordoba, we stopped in the picturesque town of Ronda, home to Plaza de Toros, the world’s oldest bull fighting ring. We strolled through Alameda del Tajo, Ronda’s “Central Park.” Its cliff-edge location features forever views of the beautiful Spanish countryside. Ronda’s biggest tourist attraction is a 200+ year old bridge ironically named “Puenta Nueva.” The bridge spans a 300-foot deep, river-filled gorge. The views into the gorge are, well, gorgeous.
The fountain at Palacio del Rey Moro is replicated in the former Café del Rey Moro in San Diego’s Balboa Park
We came to Ronda in part to see Palacia del Rey Moro whose gardens inspired the gardens at The Prado restaurant (formerly Café del Rey Moro) in San Diego’s Balboa Park. The gardens are small but lovely as they step down the hillside. There is a small rill, boxwood-edged
beds, a large old wisteria arbor, and a classic well. When I looked down onto the garden from the top-most level, I could envision San Diego architect Richard Requa standing on the same spot 90 years earlier, absorbing the design details that he would later used for his 1935 remodel of Balboa Park.
We moved on to Cordoba which is renowned for its Mezquita, the ancient mosque with its red and white striped arches, inside of which is a Roman Catholic church. The Mezquita is so large, it can accommodate
Cordoba’s Mezquita is famous a Roman Catholic cathedral built inside a mosquepeople!
20,000 people!
We timed our visit to Cordoba so we could be there for the city’s annual Patio Festival.
In Spain, older homes are built in traditional Persian style where their public facades are unadorned, whitewashed, and abut sidewalks. No front yards here. Instead,
houses are oriented inward, around a central, private courtyard open to the sky. Rooms face into the courtyard. The stairways to each home’s upper story is under the eaves, rather than under the roof.
Once a year, Cordoba holds a competition for the most beautifully planted and decorated courtyards. The winners are opened to the public for two weeks in spring. That event is called the “Patio Festival.”
Patios range from tiny to small and spectacular – filled with potted plants mounted all the way up two-story tall walls. The pots are painted terracotta, one color per garden. In most patios, the pots were all bright blue, but some opted for icy green, and a few chose bright red and one was natural terracotta.
Cordoba’s Patio Festival features courtyards dripping in flower-filled pots
Either way, pots overflowed with bright red and pink flowering geraniums. The intense colors were magical against the stark white walls.
Each neighborhood boasted ten or twelve or fifteen winning patios. We toured dozens of them.
Next week, I’ll post Part II …stay tuned!
Geraniums are featured in all gardens in Cordoba’s Patio Festival
