Semana Santa en España Part 1: Toledo and Córdoba

Hotel Las Adelfas

The Hotel las Adelfas was a great choice for us. It was just north of the center of town, a mere five minutes by car or taxi. They use the tagline “Balcón de Córdoba,” and for good reason. The hotel sits nicely above the city, and if you have a room facing out to the front, the view is spectacular.

Our room was very well-appointed with modern and clean décor. It is part of a chain of four-star “Style” hotels. Our room looked over the front of the hotel with balcony doors and a French balcony. The bathroom was green marble with a cloudy glass sink and countertop. The shower had great pressure, but one of those half-glass doors makes it hard to keep the water in the bathtub. Towels were large, white, and fresh!

Breakfast was included in the rate. It was a large buffet with a wide selection including breads, pastries, meat, cheese, cereal, and a “diet” area with skim milk, lighter pastries, etc. You could also request a hot breakfast such as eggs and bacon or a French omelette.

The grounds of the hotel were remarkable. In the front of the hotel were orange trees and large cacti. Birds were fluttering around our window most of the time, I was afraid they were going to fly into our room! Out to the back of the hotel was a pool and garden area.

Parking at the hotel was sufficient for this time of year, but I can see that during peak season it may not be sufficient. In the morning there were cars parked in the open foyer area since there were no open spaces.

Overall, it was a nice place to stay and I would recommend it to anyone going to Córdoba. The only inconvenience was the distance from the city center. We chose to drive into the town center and did have a bit of trouble finding a place to park. Hint: If you are looking for a place to park in the city, there are areas across the river, only a short walk away. This was more convenient for us than driving around and around hoping to find something on the street.

Hotel and Restaurante Vallina

We found this restaurant in a guidebook which we normally avoid. We walked by earlier and it looked grand inside, and it wasn’t too busy, so we gave it a try.

This restaurant and hotel opened in 2000 in a 1600-year-old building that sits at the back of the Mezquita. It looks very old, but newly refurbished with its Roman columns and brickwork along with an ancient well. The dining room is split into several areas with the arches and columns and a large sideboard. It is nicely decorated with wine barrels, tile work, and wine storage.

The service was outstanding. Our waiter and waitress were attentive without being annoying. They would check on us when necessary and come to the table to pour more water and wine. They left a perfect amount of time between courses. Both spoke very little English, but had no problems with the little bit of Spanish we had managed to learn.

We started with a complimentary glass of fino. My husband ordered us a bottle of house white wine and mineral water. The menu selection was diverse, with meat being the main concentration, although there were some vegetarian selections available. I opted for the set menu and my husband went with the a la carte menu.

Tom started with a Córdoban specialty, Salmorejo, a cold gazpacho soup with sliced ham and hard-boiled egg. I will attempt to make this at home—“wow” is all I can say. I had soup with a tomato/clam soup base with shrimp, mussels and clams in it. Tom had a large ox tenderloin and I had a pork fillet, both with vegetables and fries. The meat platters were great, as well. We couldn’t wait to see what was in store for dessert.

The guidebook raved about the dessert selections, so we had to try one. Tom went for the strawberry cheesecake, and I, the chocolate cake. Once again, wow!! Tom described his cheesecake as more of a cheesy concoction than the cheesecake we are used to. Either way, it was out of this world. I think my jaw hit the floor when my chocolate cake(s) arrived—three pieces of cake, to be exact. OK, they weren’t huge pieces, but between Tom and I, we still couldn’t finish them. Three different kinds of chocolate cake and I couldn’t decide which one I like the best, so I ate half of each one of them! We left there stuffed to the gills, but very pleased with our dining experience.

After dinner, we strolled around the restaurant looking at the columns, beams, ancient well, and all of the barrels stacked in various places. People may be put off by the place, since it doesn’t look like much from the outside and the prices are a bit high, but once you step inside, it is like stepping back in time with such ancient décor. I highly recommend this place to anyone visiting Córdoba.

Rincón Bar (Rincón means "corner" in Spanish.)

We made our stop in Toledo for a few hours on our way to Córdoba so we didn’t have much time to stop for lingering. After visiting the Cathedral in Toldeo, a stroll around the city was in order. Several shops lined the streets selling pottery and other tourist items such as the Toledo knives and gold embossing. The Rincón Bar actually just happened upon us so we went in for a drink and some tapas.

The Rincón Bar was a lively place when we went inside. We chose a comfortable looking table towards the back of the cafeteria area. There were low tables with couch-type seating along the sides. It looked more comfortable than it actually felt!! It wasn’t so bad until you tried to eat something from the low tables.

There was an extensive menu in this place. We were just making a quick stop so we had a beer and then five tapas to split, each one being around €1.25. Our favorites were (OK, this is my description since I don’t have the Spanish names) garlicky anchovies on bread and the panini with Roqueforte and jamón. It was just enough to satisfy us. This was our first experience with tapas and couldn’t wait to try out more on the rest of the trip.

We saw people eating much larger meals as this is also a restaurante with a "menú del dia" and full range of wines and beers.

I would recommend this place if you are looking for a casual place to stop for a beer and some tapas. It is a relaxing and enjoyable environment. I can’t give you directions to the place as we just happened upon it in the winding streets of Toledo. The street is listed on the map you can get from the tourist office near the cathedral.

The Toledo Cathedral towers above the skyline from afar in this picturesque city. Once you start walking among the narrow, winding streets, it isn’t as easy to find. We were convinced that once we parked and took the escalators up into the city, we would never find our way back out again!! It feels rather mysterious to walk among the old streets to find such treasures “hidden” around each corner. Smaller buildings hide larger buildings along the hilly streets. When you finally round that last bend to see this large cathedral standing before you, you will know it was worth the effort.

This being my first trip to Spain and my first church on the visit, I was quite impressed and hoped that other cathedrals/churches in Spain would be as grand. I could complain about the €5.50 entrance fee and no pictures allowed, but I won’t. I understand why some churches have these policies and some don’t. I would just rather make my own donation inside the church and be allowed to take some digital memories rather than purchasing their guidebook. The fee covers entrance to the Capillas, sacristy and treasury.

The present cathedral is built on the site of a 7th-century church. Work began in 1226 and the last vaults were finally completed in 1493. It is one of the largest cathedrals in Christendom. You will see a mix of styles that reflects this long building period. Most guidebooks will tell you the same thing: visit the High Altar Reredos, the choir, paintings by famous artists, and the Transparente, a Baroque altarpiece.

The High Altar Reredos has to be the most beautiful part of the cathedral. It is polychrome and depicts scenes from Christ’s life. Its gilded detail will have you sitting there in awe. It is floor to ceiling and is immaculately detailed. The choir was another intricately detailed part of the cathedral. Its wooden carvings show detail of the fall of Granada and above those are alabaster figures from the Old Testament. In the Treasury you will find people crowded around the Monstrance, a 16th-century gold and silver treasure that is carried through the streets of Toledo during Corpus Christi celebrations at the end of May.

Just as you come out of the Mezquita from the bell tower side, you will see Artesania Los Patios right at your feet. It is a bright, open shop selling local ceramics in all shapes and sizes. You will find mirrors, plates, bowls, clocks, tiles and all sorts of odds and ends.

It is a wonderful little shop to browse. Their prices were decent, too. I could just kick myself now for not buying a few more things in there! My husband and I chose a large shallow ceramic bowl for ourselves for €30. I haven't quite figured out what to do with it yet, but it is very beautiful.

When I made my purchases, they carefully wrapped everything in bubble wrap and newspaper. I was really worried about going another 9 or so days with this fragile package, but it was wrapped so well that it made it home safe and sound.

This shop is part of a larger business of a restaurante and hotel which can be accessed next door at #14. Even if you don’t plan on buying anything, it is an interesting place to stop in for a browse just to see the local crafts.

Where does one even start with the Mezquita? There is so much information out there that I don’t want to write the same boring thing as usual. It is such a remarkable building that it is even hard to put into words. Those of you who have visited already will know what I mean.

I guess you could say that my husband and I were in the right place at the right time when we decided to visit. It was Palm Sunday and didn’t have any idea of visiting hours because of mass. We decided to just go there and if we couldn’t go in yet we would find something else to do until we could. We were in for a nice surprise.

Just as we arrived at the Mezquita the doors were wide open and nobody at the door to take tickets (normally €6.50 per person). It is free to enter during Mass, which is held quite frequently, but you can only be in there if you intend to stay for mass. We figured we would just poke our heads in for a few minutes to see if mass was over or about to begin. After about 5 minutes of wandering around we saw a group starting to form at the door. Lo and behold we were there just in time for Palm Sunday mass. As we approached the door we saw a whole procession of clergy and followers with Palm leaves and olive branches coming through the Puerta del Perdón at the Torre del Alminar (Bell Tower). It was an awesome sight to see the whole procession make their way through the Patio de los Naranjos through the Mezquita and into the cathedral.

As people scrambled for seats we continued to browse around until the security guards started herding everyone to the other side since the middle and one wing were already full. We finally ended up with a seat on the wing closest to the entrance. There was a large screen set up with camera to broadcast to the wings. It ended up being standing-room only for the mass.

Tom and I sat there in awe. We had no idea what they were saying since it was in Spanish, but it was moving, regardless of the language. After an initial verse there were three men, two on the pulpits on the sides and one in the middle who sang for nearly an hour. It was more of a chant, but they had the most beautiful, deep voices that carried throughout the building and in that hour they never missed a cue changing from one person to another every minute or so. It just gave me goose bumps sitting there listening to it. We still don’t know what they were singing about, but I consider myself lucky to have witnessed it.

We didn’t get to see the entire building or spend as much time in there as we originally wanted to, but I came away from the Mezquita with a memory that will last a lifetime. The rest of it I will have to see in other people’s pictures.

The only other thing I would like to add about the Mezquita is a comment about the cathedral plopped down right in the middle of this fine architectural masterpiece in the 16th century. It was almost surreal to sit and watch Mass in this building and turn my head to the left to see such an odd contrast of the double arches and columns in such a sharp reddish color. I have never seen such an odd contrast. It is just something you have to see for yourself to believe.

After spending the night in Madrid, we ventured down to Estacion RENFE Chamartin (train station, RENFE is the Spanish national railways) in the north of Madrid to pick up our "Coche de alquiler" (rental car) from National/Atesa. At the last minute we decided to ask for a diesel to keep down some costs, and it did as diesel was cheaper and the car more efficient. Diesel was running around €0.70/liter (~$3.17/gallon) and gas was around €0.80-0.85/liter (~$3.62-3.85/gallon). We ended up with a little Citroën Saxo 1.5D, which got great economy and was a blast to drive. Except uphill!

Since we have driven all over Western Europe, we were curious as to how the roads were going to rank here in Spain. Overall they were pretty good; a step below such roads as France’s Autoroute network but still generally on par with American roads and better than Irish roads. The road network does seem to be improving as we saw evidence of road construction everywhere.

Autovías and tolls:
We used the Autovías when we needed to go long distances or make up some time. Generally they were fast and in good condition. Some of them are toll roads (peaje) and can be expensive. The toll roads are nice and you can move rather quickly on them. You don’t pick up tickets; you pay for the section you just completed. Tolls can be paid with cash, credit card or by telepay, a prepayment system for frequent users. If you plan on paying with credit card, make sure you are in the correct lane, which should be clearly marked with "tarjetas" and/or a picture of credit cards. For the most part, we avoided the toll roads as there were parallel roads that were almost as good. During peak travel times (summer) the Autovías Peaje would be a good bet.

Stations and Facilities:
Facilities along the roads were generally good, too. Areas de Servicios are in abundance along the major road networks. You will find gas stations and sometimes a restaurante/cafeteria and many times a hotel or hostel. Toilets are "los servicios" and are usually marked. Hint: try to carry some of your own toilet paper. I used my own on several occasions. Hand wipes and/or anti-bacterial gel is another good thing to have as soap and hand-towels seemed to be in short supply.

Honking and tailgating:
Drivers in Spain tend to be opportunistic and tailgate frequently, even at high speeds. When you are driving 140kph on an open road and someone tailgates you it can be a little unnerving. We found that if you just take your foot off of the accelerator (don't brake!) and slow down a little people will generally pass you. Of course, if you're on a dual carriageway you should NEVER drive in the left-hand lane unless you're overtaking someone. Honking seems to be something learned in driving school. You will sometimes wonder, "What did I do??" I swear people just honk to hear themselves honk. They seemed to be worst when they were stuck in traffic, as if honking is going to make a difference. Honking is also common at a stoplight if you don’t get your foot on the accelerator fast enough!!

Opening times for service stations:
Traveling over Semana Santa, or Holy Week, we didn’t know when and if things would be open, but we soon found that it wasn’t an issue at all. Petrol, or gas, stations were open all over the place during siesta time even on Good Friday and throughout Easter weekend. This was a pleasant surprise, as in the south of France and in Italy, it can be very difficult to find open petrol stations during siesta times and on holidays/Sundays.

Signage:
We noticed that Spain seemed to be really good about signage…at least the parts we traveled. Our 2004 Spain map did not correspond with the junctions/exits, it seems they just renumbered their road exits. Other than that, things were well-signed. The official speed limits in Spain are 50 in built-up areas, 90 on two-lane roads and 120 on dual carriageways unless otherwise marked. There are "recommended" speed signs, as well. These are blue squares with white writing. You will notice these when conditions on the road change such as hilly or curvy roads. This is actually a standard sign in Europe, but the only other place I've seen it is on the German Autobahnen (130 km/h recommended speed). Another surprise was presence of signs showing the road number you are on. Good luck finding one of these in some other European countries. Construction zones are indicated by yellow signs and road markings.

Mountain Roads:
Mountain roads are very scenic and offer a great opportunity to see things you wouldn’t normally see. The downside is that the mountain roads are very slow-going and it can be miserable to be stuck behind a tour bus or tractor when you can’t see around them to pass. Many of the roads are narrow and precipitous as well. If you've driven in the Italian Alps, then you get the idea.

Cities:

• A blue VP sign shows the Via Preferente which is a bus and taxi lane in a city.
• There are zebra crossings (crosswalks without a light) like the UK. In the UK you must stop for someone in a zebra crossing and most people do follow this rule. This is not the case in Spain. Some drivers were courteous enough to stop, but others just barreled right through them. Pedestrians, however, will still walk out in front of traffic at a zebra crossing (an act of misplaced faith!).
• Another difference from UK driving is the flashing of brights (high beams) or headlights. Here in the UK, by law, it means something like "watch out, I am here". In actual use on the road, though, it means, "go ahead, I give you the right of way". In Spain it means, "Get out of the way, I am coming through!"
• People often park their cars wherever they fancy. This may be on the corners of each block or on crossings, etc. This doesn’t mean it is legal; they just haven’t been ticketed.
• Most areas we visited had a parking problem. The cities are just overcrowded with cars parked everywhere. It may be difficult to park in the street.
• Many times you will find that there is a person to "help" you find a place to park and they will expect some form of payment from €0.50-€1.00. Be prepared to pay them if they are standing there. I read about bad things happening such as flat tires and broken mirrors if you don’t pay them. If you don’t like it, go elsewhere for a space.
• Pay and display areas are popular and they are usually indicated by a blue hashed line. Make sure you check on maximum time allowed. The best time to find a space is during siesta. Plus, parking is generally free during this time, and if you feed the pay and display machine, it will add this time to your ticket!
• You will also find multi-storey car parks in city centers. Completo means it is full and libre means free spaces, not free parking.