On Sunday May 14th, we met our guide Angel in Madrid. He will be with us the next 5 days. We take the train together to Sevilla. Sevilla is by far the best-known city in Andalusia. We had a city tour with (?) to the city visiting the unique Reales Alcazares palace and the amazing gardens. The El Real Alcázar was originally built in 913 as a military fortress on the site of a Visigoth basilica. The Real Alcázar is the oldest palace in Europe still used as a royal residence.
The palace was amazing. It is known for its tile decoration. The two tile types used are majolica and arista tiles. They were mainly of geometric design inspired by arabesque ornamentation. Visually stunning and a lot to take in during one short visit.
After the visit to the Palace we took a slow walk to the Plaza de Espana. This huge, semi-circular building was built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929. It incorporates different styles of Spanish architecture and has a canal and four bridges in front of it (you can rent small boats to row the canal). Some call the Plaza “the Venice of Seville”.
Dinner was at the rooftop restaurant Recoveco.
Monday, May 15 – we visit the Royal school of horses in Jerez. We watched the training and learn about the famous dancing horses. An institution dedicated to the preservation of the equestrian arts, in the Spanish tradition.
We visit Bodegas Tradicion, a famous sherry house in Jerez. We have a personal tour and tasting which was capped off by simply walking through the most impressive personal collect of Spanish art in Spain. Sipping sherry in the company of Velasquez, Goya and El Greco.
We had a very nice lunch at La Carbonara and returned sleepily to the Hotel Gravina. We had a short turnaround before we attended a Flamenco Show.
Tuesday, May 16 – we left the hotel early to head to Cordoba and visit the Medina Azahara. One of the most stunning historical sites in Cordoba. We pick up our guide the animated Paco. He told us the Medina Azahara was a fortified palace-city on the western outskirts of Córdoba in present-day Spain. Its remains are a major archaeological site today. The city was built in the 10th century by Abd-ar-Rahman III.
After the Medina Azahara we drove directly to Cordoba, where Paco brought us to one of the famous “patios”. There was a traditional festival with the courtyards of the city dressed with flowers the previous week and we had a peek at a typical patios.
Lunch was at Bodegas Campos where we ate some local specialities. After lunch Paco lead the tour of the amazing Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba. It is a mosque turned cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is visually stunning and clearly a work of architectural significance. The Cordoba Mosque stands as an example of a blend in culture and architecture of the east and west. Its architectural design has Islamic art forms uniformly blended with Christian elements.The architectural choices like the double arches, the horseshoe arch with a semi-circular arch atop it, designs with red brick and stone, are some of the key architectural elements that are world-famous.
We stayed the night at the Hotel Casas de la Juderia.
Wednesday, May 17 – we left the hotel early to make the trip to Baena, one of the major olive oil producing areas in Spain. We toured the facility of Nunez de Prado, and we taught about the process of making extra virgin olive oil.
After the tour of the facility we went out to the fields to see an amazing forest of olive tress. It was olive trees as far as the eye could see.
After the field trip we went to a cave where they prepared a very elaborate olive oil tasting for us. It was a little over the top, but the setting was amazing and the cave was dimly lit to not disturb the bats. It was a once in a lifetime experience.
We had a very nice lunch in the village and then went on our way to Granada. We had a heavy rain storm on the way with the temperature dropping 20 degrees in a short time. We survived to go to tapas bar and watch Man City beat Real Madrid. Hotel in Granada was The Aurea Catedral.
Thursday, May 18 – we visit the Alhambra. We met our guide Anna and were prepared to see the crown jewel of our trip. The Alhambra is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world. The name Alhambra, means in “the red” in Arabic, and is probably derived from the reddish color of the tapia, from which the outer walls were built. Anna explained the palace represents a succession of Muslim rulers, where each tried to make the palace a little better and grander. It was a massive castle constructed over many centuries, it consists of gardens, fortifications, and sumptuous palaces. The Alhambra became a Christian court in 1492 when the Ferdinand and Isabel conquered the city of Granada. Thankfully the integrity of the palaces were not compromised.
The Alhambra complex contained numerous other structures, perhaps the most famous of which was the Patio of the Lions (or Courtyard of the Lions). This courtyard was so named for the central fountain, which is surrounded by twelve lions that spewed jets of water.
Other famous structures include the Hall of the Abencerrajes, which has a stalactite ceiling and is a legendary site where a noble family was said to have been murdered, and the Hall of the Ambassadors, a chamber where Islamic emirs (commanders) would negotiate with Christian emissaries.
Friday, May 19th – we head back to Madrid. Our Andalusia adventure comes to a close.
