One of the nicest things about travelling is the chance encounters you have with people, and the places that you could so easily have missed. On my recent trip to Ronda with friends to the beautiful town of Ronda we were lucky to find this pretty little B & B in the old town, just around a corner from the Puente Nuevo. Baraka is an Arabic word that loosely translates into English as a blessing - you use it when you want to wish someone all the best in their lives.
We were met at Baraka by its owner and very charming hostess Anahid Blannin, a Lebanese of Armenian extraction who had arrived in Ronda by way of California and London, and who helped make our short stay such a pleasant one. Indeed, almost as soon as we arrived, some friends dropped in for a visit, and we ended up sitting around the table in the patio drinking sherry and eating biscuits. It's the kind of impromptu get together that adds something unexpected and special to a holiday.
The building itself is one of those "typical" Andalusian houses built around a small internal patio that is all tiles and greenery, with a lovely rooftop terrace. There is one suite, and two double bedrooms, all with ensuite bathrooms. Ours had a partially timbered ceiling, a pretty street view, and most importantly, clean, comfortable beds. I liked that there were little extras like a kettle and fixings in the rooms for tea or coffee, and a fridge in the kitchen where you could purchase drinks and mineral water. And although there is free WiFi available, Anahid has also thoughtfully put in a desktop computer that clients are welcome to use.
The highlight of the stay, however, was probably the breakfast that Anahid served us round the table in the patio the next morning. Lovely fresh coffee, orange juice, fruit, and toasted rolls with tomatoes, basil and olive oil, and a fabulous Lebanese dish called labne, which is a sort of yoghurt cheese with olive oil and herbs that was perfect with the toast and tomatoes. It was just what we needed to set us up for what turned out to be a fairly strenuous, but fun and interesting day in Ronda. It was late in the afternoon when we finally picked up our bags and said goodbye to Anahid, vowing to be back when we got the chance.
One of the delights of staying in a personally run B & B like this is that you are made to feel at home and comfortable, which is ideal for a relaxed visit. If you are more used to hotels a couple of things to keep in mind is that the parking is about a ten-minute walk away but Anahid gives you easy-to-follow instructions and a map to the parking options. Also, there is no central heating or air-conditioning, but space heaters are provided in winter and ceiling fans make sleeping comfortable in summer. I think I would personally miss having air-con in July and August for an extended stay, but for a weekend get-away it wasn't an issue. The location of the Baraka is perfect for exploring and it's close to pretty much everything you'll want to see in Ronda. Anahid puts out information leaflets in the patio about tapas bars, flamenco, and things going on in town. It's all these personal touches that made our stay so wonderful and we would definitely go back again.