Ronda – Romantica

We got here in time for the annual festivities this year and as Spanish cultural parties go, it was colorful, which I think was how I described the last party in Jerez a week ago.  Seems to be a weekly thing over here, colorful parties, parades, song and dance, food and drink, and of course horses everywhere.  I was tempted to make this post a pirate theme, but I did that earlier with the lame parrot thing and while the dress looks sort of ‘pirate-ish’, they are actually bandits.  Could be called land-pirates I suppose.  Is that a thing?

And that is what the Romantica festival is really about.  Bandoleros.  Romantic ones.  Kinda like Robin Hood.  The bandoleros had been hiding out in the Rondan mountains for years, stealing from the rich, politely, helping the poor people, and defending the area from Napoleon’s armies.  Stories were told, the tales got bigger, and everyone became romantic, in a story-telling kind of way.  The Ronda fair actually dates back to the early 1500’s but by the time the French started invading, it had become a sort of gathering spot for European and North American travelers hoping to meet the famous bandits. 

Every year, the area celebrates all of this history by dressing up in 19^th century garb, French and bandolero style and turning Ronda back into an 1800’s town.  There are small reenactments of some of the French battles, local merchants from the surrounding towns selling stuff off of donkey carts, and food and drink prepared and served the way it was 200 years ago.  There are performances put on by traditional Andalusian singers and musicians, story telling’s of some of the more famous banditos, and  equestrian events celebrating the Andalusian horses.  

I was a little disappointed at first, to tell the truth.  Given that we mentioned the festival and posted some links to the promo videos of the Romantica last year, I was expecting a full-blown battle reenactment on the plains below the city.  You know, thousands of men, horses, canon, death and destruction everywhere.  What fun!  At least that was what I was thinking after watching the video.  It was made up for though with the Friday night parade.  In Canada, the parade clowns often hand out chocolate silver dollars to the kids; here the merchants pass out shots of liqueur…to everyone.

The takeaways from this for us are:

You’re never very far from a festival in Spain so bring some party clothes, preferably 2 or 3 hundred year’s old.

Always check out the parade.  You never know what they are giving out!

Don’t believe the media.  Even the Donald doesn’t trust them.  He should know, right?

There are no pirates here.  Arrrrrgh!