Adoring Andalucia - Seville, Cordoba & Granada

Andalucia is a region rich in historical and cultural sights.

Spain's colorful and often turbulent past comes to life in the sheer magnitude and character of its ancient sights and the varied styles of its castles, palaces, and mosques. The Alhambra in Granada is the most notable sight - a sprawling complex of ancient palatial grounds, grand Moorish halls, and courtyards with intricately carved walls and arched doorways. Particularly stunning is the Patio de los Leones.

The Mezquita in Cordoba offers quite the contrast with its more Arabic like design. Moorish arches stretch off across the vast open mosque, and a Catholic cathedral oddly arises in the center of it.

Seville offers an amazing array of sights - the cathedral (third largest of its kind in the world), the Reales Alcazar royal palace, and gardens.

There is too much to possibly cover - one must allow enough time to explore and enjoy, wandering the narrow streets like the Sevillanos, enjoy some tapas, and you will come to appreciate their laidback and far less anal lifestyle. All in all, a magical and wonderful place we will be drawn to again!

Quick Tips:

A few things to keep in mind:

1)We flew into Madrid then took the high speed AVE train to Seville. This was a very nice and fast way to go - recommended! We booked a three day pass which allowed for a day trip from Seville to Cordoba for the wonderful Festival of the Patios. Get your AVE pass in advance. And although you might be told to buy your seats then ahead of time as well, we managed quite well just doing that when we arrived!

2)April and May are fairly busy times to go there, but we caught a number of spring fairs and festivals in May, and they were quite fun!

3)I would avoid going in the summer when temperatures get quite hot. We were quite comfortable during our three weeks in May.

4)When staying in Seville, get a hotel or hostel as close to the old city center as possible. That is where the most fun and activity and sights are, and you can avoid the crazy traffic!

Best Way To Get Around:

- As mentioned previously, we found taking the high speed AVE train to be a well worthwhile way to get from Madrid to Seville.
- When in Seville, locate yourself as close to the old city center as possible. Traffic can be kind of crazy and intimidating, as the drivers seem to get rather impatient.
- Getting around on foot is the best and most trouble free way to explore. Some of the narrower streets don't allow vehicle traffic anyway. Besides, on foot is the only way to explore all the nooks and crannys, mix and mingle with the people, find all the great little shops and tapas bars, and see the many sights.
- We used a bus on a few occasions during our week in Seville to get to and from the train station, and it seemed to work out quite well and didn't cost much.

This is a gem of a small hotel located in a 15th Century home. It has 14 rooms including the one which he stayed in, up in a tower - a smaller room but beautifully down with rich, dark wood and most importantly, you enjoy a stunning view of the nearby Alhambra. The hotel features a central patio courtyard/lobby, and it has a feel of history with the older, dark wood columns and tiles that date back to a 17th Century restoration. There is no restaurant, but the ambience of the place makes up for it. You can, however, get breakfast there for a small extra amount. There is a wonderful little outdoor patio which my wife and I had to ourselves one beautiful evening - again with an authentic feel to it.

One drawback is getting to it. You can drive to it, but access to this older city center is restricted. You get to it by Plaza Nueva. You will come to a barrier, where you are to push a button and tell them you are staying at Casa Morisca, and they are then to let you pass. You basically go straight alongside the River Darro until you come to Cuesta de la Victoria. There is no private parking, but some parking is available on the short street. The staff are very helpful if needed.

The beauty of this hotel is not only its historic character but its location - a number of the sights are within walking distance. The Alhambra is across the street, over the narrow river, and up the hill - if you are not up to the hill, there are buses that will take you as well.

In the end, we felt Casa Morisca was well worth the cost - and at anywhere from 108 to 156 Euros, it actually is not really that out of line. You will pay as much at many other places that are nice but don't have the character of this place!

The Hotel Palacio Marques de la Gomera is located in the historically important city of Osuna--mid-way between Sevilla and Cordoba. This is an historic character hotel--in fact, it is located in an 18th-century castle which is one of the highlights of a tour of Osuna.

It has 20 rooms around a central patio/courtyard with an authentic, historic ambience about it. There is a dining room that is classy and very warm with the golden walls, but it also has a more casual offering as well. As with many of the better hotels across this region, you are served great Andalusian cuisine, and we love the breakfasts with fresh fruit and crusty buns.

We stayed in a superior double room--priced anywhere from 90 to 150 Euros depending on whether it is low or high season (high season includes around the big Semana Santa Easter celebrations). Doubles ranged from about 72 to 108 Euros. Our room felt just luxurious enough to feel as though we were pampering ourselves a bit. It had a cozy four poster bed and rich looking furniture. If you want to splurge a bit, there is also the unique tower room with a bathroom on the first level and bedroom on the second with floor-to-ceiling windows offering great views. When we went, the price range for it was 120 to 210 Euros.

The staff were very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. In fact, the one staff person in particular encountered us a couple times while out and about. There was a street fair on when we went (May) with parties and dancing in tents and a great carnival. He spotted us dancing across the room and sent a couple of drinks our way.

All in all, a little costly but a memorable place to stay.

Molino de Santillan is a country manor house located about 5km from the Mediteranean. It is located about 20km east from Malaga. You take the N-340 Autovia east from Malaga then turn on to the Macharaviaya /Anoreta exit. It is about 3km then and was signed well enough when we went.

Now, I can see one main reason some people would shy away from this hotel--it is kind of out of the way with the 3km you travel off the highway on a winding and, at times, rough dirt road. If that won't be a bother to you, then this hotel is a nice getaway.

The hotel offers a warm Mediterranean ambience, and you may feel somewhat like you are part of the family with the resident dogs accepting you as your own. The rooms are really quite lovely, and we liked the window/doorway that opened out into the side yard and gardens.

There is a pool on a slightly lower level that gives you a nice view of the surrounding hills as well as the sea off in the distance. Lounging poolside on a warm day was quite relaxing--just the tonic we needed after a few busy, hectic days earlier of touring and sightseeing--and therein, I think, is the role this hotel can fulfill quite well. Another highlight is the large inviting dining room with a fireplace.

The prices were quite reasonable, I felt, with the rates when we went ranging from 71 to 89 Euros for singles and 96 to 114 Euros for doubles (low and high seasons).

Overall, it would definitely not be for everyone due to its location, but it does provide a nice relaxing stay!

This restaurant was a real highlight for my wife and I during our week in Sevilla. Actually, we found two San Marcos restaurants - one was a pizzeria and the other was a somewhat more fine dining kind of place set in what was once an underground bathhouse. The atmosphere was wonderful, with the stone walls where we sat and dined. Our pasta dishes were absolutely wonderful, and my wife said the chocolately dessert she had was about the best she had ever tasted. And I seem to recall the prices being reasonable for what you get!

It is set in the historic Santa Cruz district, not too far of a walking distance from the historic area of the cathedral and Reales Alcazar!

Andalucia - I'm not sure how many other places there are in this world that offer such a breadth and variety of sights, sounds, and pleasures all within a day's drive or less.

At the heart of it is Sevilla - one of the most wonderful, enchanting, and historic cities around. In general, it is fairly affordable compared to many other European destinations. Sevilla does offer some of what you might expect and envision - like the narrow streets and flowers cascading down from wrought-iron covered windows on white stucco buildings. But, obviously, there is more to be discovered beyond the obvious.

The history is what is particularly stunning to someone like myself. Coming from Canada where something that has been around for 100 years is considered old, finding mosques, palaces, and cathedrals that go back so many centuries to days when they were ruled by Moors and Romans is almost hard to comprehend. There are the obvious attractions like:
* The Sevilla cathedral - words and photos can't adequately convey the sheer colossal magnitude of the place. The pipe organs alone seem like they would be almost as tall as any building in my hometown (pop. 6.400).
* Reales Alcazares - the royal palace and sprawling gardens. A large complex of Moorish halls and courtyards. The upper floor is still on occasion used by the Spanish royalty. And the gardens are wonderful. My wife and I returned a second time to while away a couple serene hours just reading and relaxing.
* The Pilates house - designed to be a replica of Pontius Pilates house. Very impressive with its Roman design, including some stunning statues. And talk about history - Pontius Pilate - that's going back to the days of Jesus Christ.

There is much, much more to discover - the archeological and art museums, churches, and more. But a big part of the appeal is also when in Sevilla, do as the Sevillanos do. Wander the narrow, twisting streets, explore the shops like the ceramic stores, and pause to enjoy the tapas bars and roadside cafes.

I came to very much appreciate many aspects of their way of life - from their far less anal ways in terms of being less regulated to their highly social nature. In the evening, before the late night supper, extended families can be seen out in groups just walking, talking, and enjoying their company. And the bars are all about socializing and less about music and being cool.

Sevilla and Spain in general has made a lasting impression on us, and I would not be surprised if we were drawn back here again in our lifetimes. I am sure it would have the same impact on others.