Five Days in Andalusia

Hotel Las Villas de Antikaria

Best Of IgoUgo

Hotel | "Las Villas de Antikaria"

Quote:

The Las Villas de Antikaria, a modern three star hotel, is central in Antequera which itself is the midpoint of Andalusia. Forty minutes by motorway from Málaga international airport takes you there. It’s easy to find being on a main road and there's plenty of parking space.Externally the hotel lacks character because of its new build. Not to worry it’s what inside that matters. The reception area coped with the coach load of people in our party. At the reception we had to deposit our passports and in return received our electronic keys for our room. The receptionists can speak Spanish, English and German. Useful for there are few people in Antequera able to speak English.The hotel...Read More

The Las Villas de Antikaria, a modern three star hotel, is central in Antequera which itself is the midpoint of Andalusia. Forty minutes by motorway from Málaga international airport takes you there. It’s easy to find being on a main road and there's plenty of parking space.

Externally the hotel lacks character because of its new build. Not to worry it’s what inside that matters. The reception area coped with the coach load of people in our party. At the reception we had to deposit our passports and in return received our electronic keys for our room. The receptionists can speak Spanish, English and German. Useful for there are few people in Antequera able to speak English.

The hotel’s small lift is a bottleneck. It can only cope with four people so we had to wait patiently. It also has a small brain and pressing buttons for more than one floor gives it a brainstorm causing it to freeze with its occupants trapped inside - as I discovered! Usually we took the stairs down but lift up.

Reaching our room on the third floor and after several tries with the electronic key we were in. All was dark until I slotted the key into a switch in the wall and the lights came on. Closed Venetian shutters on the windows and opened glass windows provided ventilation while keeping the sunlight and flies out. On opening the shutters the view on the one side was an unattractive square while on the other side it was on to a magnificent church. Little traffic noise disturbed the tranquillity.

All appeared quiet. We were to change our mind on this. Marble floor tiles and ceramics on the walls created an echo chamber. Anyone speaking in the corridor created a racket. Any chair scraping across the floor created noise, which travelled through the building. On the plus side we had comfortable beds and the room and the hotel were spotlessly clean. The other room furnishings were new but basic. The bathroom shower proved very effective – not always so in hotels.

The hotel has 33 rooms in total. It lacks a coffee lounge though it was possible to have coffee in a tapas bar on the ground floor. In the corridor, seating with comfortable chairs provided a place to relax and read a book. A large veranda with magnificent views over the countryside proved popular with many.

Breakfast consisted of rolls, cheese, ham, apples and oranges, sometimes yoghurt, coffee and tea, and bread which most people toasted, and pastries. As there were no nearby restaurants, we usually opted to eat in the hotel restaurant. The menu read well with plenty of choice and nothing was too much trouble for the waiter. The fish, meat or pasta was always well prepared.

The hotel is basic as suggested by its three star status but service is excellent as is its position as a centre to visit the attractions in the area including Granada and Seville. For these reasons I recommend this hotel.
Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 18, 2008

Hotel Las Villas de Antikaria
Avda. De La Cruz Blanca, 1

+34 952 84 48 99

Cheer!
Flag

Antequera in central Andalusia

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction

Quote:

Since prehistoric times different civilisations have left behind in Antequera a profusion of burial mounds, dolmens, Roman baths, a Moorish Castle, Gothic churches, Renaissance fountains and baroque bell towers. Spires of churches pierce the sky and the walls and towers of the great Moorish fortress stands silhouetted against the sky. The famous bullring still holds regular corridasAntequera the governing town in the north of the Malaga province has a population of 40,000 . It's 45mins inland from Malaga airport and is a perfect base for exploring Andalucia due to its nearness to the main A92 motorway.Spread out in the valley below lie rich farmlands irrigated by the Guadalhorce Ri...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on April 18, 2008

Cheer!
Flag

Alhambra Palace and Fortress Complex

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The Alhambra a Moorish Wonder"

Alhambra Photo - Alhambra Palace and Fortress Complex, Granada, Spain

Quote:

The sombre outside of the Alhambra (red fort), the heart of the ancient Moorish empire in Spain, gives little hint of the delights within. Catching the eye immediately is the elaborate stucco plaster - the pattern taken from an intricate woodcarving but multiplied many times. Throughout the building the pattern changes. It’s so simple and clever an idea compared with the western style of laboriously carving designs into stone. Equally eye-catching are the heart shaped Moorish arches. The tour begins in the Palace of the Nasrids, the first of a trio of palaces. Here in this council chamber the sultan's chief ministers met for business meetings and dispensing justice. The largest of these ch...Read More

The sombre outside of the Alhambra (red fort), the heart of the ancient Moorish empire in Spain, gives little hint of the delights within. Catching the eye immediately is the elaborate stucco plaster - the pattern taken from an intricate woodcarving but multiplied many times. Throughout the building the pattern changes. It’s so simple and clever an idea compared with the western style of laboriously carving designs into stone. Equally eye-catching are the heart shaped Moorish arches.

The tour begins in the Palace of the Nasrids, the first of a trio of palaces. Here in this council chamber the sultan's chief ministers met for business meetings and dispensing justice. The largest of these chambers has been a Catholic chapel since the 1600s.

From here you enter the Sala del Trono, an elaborately carved throne room built between 1334 and 1354. The crowning cedar dome of this room evokes the seven heavens of the Muslim cosmos. Bay windows open on to panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

Here the sultan sat on giant cushions his back to the light so he appeared only in outline. He listened to the petitions of his subjects or with his chief ministers decided on military and other matters. This room opens out on to the Patio of the Myrtles with its large central reflecting pool. In the stucco plasterwork traces of the original paint colours, which were green, red, blue and gold still appear. This patio with its decorative tiles, the best in the Alhambra, connects with the famous Patio of the Lions.

At the centre of Patio of the Lions is Andalusia's finest fountain, which rests on 12 marble lions. These represent the hours of the day, the months of the year, and the signs of the zodiac. Legend claims that water flowed from the mouth of a different lion each hour of the day.

Arcades supported by 124 slender marble columns surround the patio. This was the heart of the palace, the most private section where the sultan lived and enjoyed his harem - it included males and females. At the Hall of the Two Sisters, which opens on to the Court of Lions the sultan kept his ‘favourite’ a much coveted position. This salon has a honeycomb dome celebrated as the finest example of Spanish Islamic architecture in the world.

At the back of the Lion’s courtyard is the Sala de los Abencerrajes, named after a noble family who were rivals of the last emir. This hall has a richly adorned honeycombed ceiling.

The nearby Sala de los Reyes (Hall of Kings) was the great banqueting hall of the Alhambra, site of parties, orgies, and feasts. Its ceiling paintings are on leather and date from the 1300s.

The Alhambra houses some other impressive buildings built after the incoming Christian rulers took control. The massive bulk of the Renaissance-style Carlos V's Palace stands in stark contrast to the delicate Moorish Royal Palaces next door.

After the mesmerizing intricate beauty of the palaces, the next stage is to wander as the sultan's did through the luxuriant landscaped gardens and summer home, together called the Generalife.

Cultures come and go but the one that produced such beauty was advanced in science, culture and the arts and we learn much from it.
Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on April 18, 2008

Alhambra Palace and Fortress Complex
Top Of The Hill Of The Assabica
Granada, Andalusia, Spain
958 523 929

Cheer!
Flag

Cathedral-Mosque of Cordoba

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The Great Mosque in Cordoba"

The Great Mosque Photo - Cathedral-Mosque of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain

Quote:

The Great Mosque in the historic heart of Cordoba is one of the most beautiful examples of Muslim art in Spain. Its 1000 columns create a forest of onyx, jasper, marble and granite, topped by horseshoe arches of candy-striped red and white marble. Pieces of the Roman temple and early Christian and Visigoth buildings previously occupying the site form the columns. Besides the horseshoe-topped arches, the Mezquita also features richly gilded prayer niches. The building occupies a rectangle of 180 metres by 130 metres. The Mezquita dates from the 10th century when Cordoba under the Muslims was the largest, most prosperous city of Europe, outshining Byzantium and Baghdad in science, culture and ...Read More

The Great Mosque in the historic heart of Cordoba is one of the most beautiful examples of Muslim art in Spain. Its 1000 columns create a forest of onyx, jasper, marble and granite, topped by horseshoe arches of candy-striped red and white marble. Pieces of the Roman temple and early Christian and Visigoth buildings previously occupying the site form the columns. Besides the horseshoe-topped arches, the Mezquita also features richly gilded prayer niches. The building occupies a rectangle of 180 metres by 130 metres.

The Mezquita dates from the 10th century when Cordoba under the Muslims was the largest, most prosperous city of Europe, outshining Byzantium and Baghdad in science, culture and the arts. Developing the Great Mosque paralleled these new heights of splendour.

Outside is the Courtyard of the Orange Trees, which in springtime perfumes the air. It has a beautiful fountain. When the Muslims’ prayed, all 19 naves of the mosque were open to this courtyard allowing the interior columns to appear like an extension of the outside trees.

The architecture borrows from that of the Romans. It uses the same horseshoe-shaped arches to bridge the pillars, but at two levels. A second and aesthetic innovation was to alternate brick and stone in the arches, creating a red and white striped pattern. This gives a distinctive character to the whole design. Sunlight streams in from windows in the four cupolas creating interesting effects combined with artificial light from the thousands of small lights.

The Mihrab, the Muslim pulpit, has a shell-shaped ceiling carved from a single block of marble. The chambers on either side contain exquisite Byzantine mosaics of gold. Where pilgrims once crouched on their knees is shown by worn flagstones. The Mihrab once housed the Koran and relics of Muhammad. In front of it is the Maksoureh, an ante-room for the caliph and his court. Its mosaics and plasterwork make it a masterpiece of Islamic art.

The Mosque became a Christian place of warship on the defeat of Cordoba in 1236. Gradually a cathedral arose over the years from the centre of the mosque. It pales in comparison with the mosque. Even the Holy Roman emperor Charles V regretted destroying something unique to make way for something commonplace. Although it clashes with the mosque, the cathedral is impressive in its own right, with an intricately carved ceiling and the 18th century Baroque mahogany choir stalls are some of Europe’s most elaborate. Its Bell Tower, built on the site of the original Minaret, is 93metres high. From its top are superb views of Cordoba.

Although partly destroying a unique building, without the addition of the cathedral there would now be no mosque for it was only because of the continued use of the building for warship that it survived. Continual restoration has been necessary to preserve its fabric.

Today Muslim immigrants and Spanish converts to Islam are seeking the right to pray inside what was once Europe's most spectacular mosque. It would be a grand gesture and a salve to old wounds to let this happen!
Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on April 18, 2008

Cathedral-Mosque of Cordoba
Calles Torrijos and Cardenal Herrero S/N
Cordoba, Andalusia

Cheer!
Flag

Exploring Seville

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction

Quote:

Due to four hours taken up with travelling our visit to Saville proved only long enough to have a brief overview. We started in the old Jewish quarter.The Jews played a prominent part in Seville’s history since the 4th Century and after the Christians regained the area. They enjoyed prosperity until the end of the 14th Century. Among them were prominent bankers, traders, doctors, writers, philosophers, and advisers to both Arab and Christian rulers. It is no coincidence the Jewish quarter of Santa Cruz is next to the Royal Palace, the Alcázar.The “El Callejón de La Judería” leads into the neighbourhood. At the end of this passageway is a small courtyard with bougainvillea growing u...Read More

Due to four hours taken up with travelling our visit to Saville proved only long enough to have a brief overview. We started in the old Jewish quarter.

The Jews played a prominent part in Seville’s history since the 4th Century and after the Christians regained the area. They enjoyed prosperity until the end of the 14th Century. Among them were prominent bankers, traders, doctors, writers, philosophers, and advisers to both Arab and Christian rulers. It is no coincidence the Jewish quarter of Santa Cruz is next to the Royal Palace, the Alcázar.

The “El Callejón de La Judería” leads into the neighbourhood. At the end of this passageway is a small courtyard with bougainvillea growing up the wall of the Royal Palace. Early in the last century, the young Alfonso XII, the great-grandfather of Spain’s present king, would climb down the wall at night, using the plant as a “ladder” to court his bride-to-be, María de las Mercedes.

Our leisurely stroll took us through narrow, winding streets and whitewashed houses with their balconies and profusion of geraniums, bougainvillea and jasmine. These are a delightful assault to the senses. People still live in these elegant homes whose architecture so reflects Seville’s history: the Roman atrium turned into a patio, the Arabic tiles, wrought iron grillwork, fountains, gardens and decorative motifs incorporated into the homes and courtyards.

Spain helped by the many areas of the world with Spanish connections created a masterpiece for the Ibero-American Exhibition in 1929. Among the buildings in the Maria Luisa's Park the most important one is the monumental Spain's Square (Plaza de España). It is an enormous square with a semicircular pond. Surrounding it is a building with towers at its edges. Local brick and pottery featured heavily in the constructions and decorations.

There is also the America Square with the Mudejar pavilion (Museum of Popular Arts and Custom), Fine Arts Pavilion (Archaeological Museum) and the Royal pavilion. From the rest of the pavilions, only the foreign ones remain: Portugal, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, United States of America, Colombia, Guatemala and Venezuela

Reaching the cathedral we found, it being a Sunday, we could not enter until 2 pm. Warned by our guide the queues would be long we gave it a miss. It is worth visiting though. The cathedral occupies the site of a great mosque. Christian architects added extra height - its central nave now rises to 42 metres and even the side chapels are tall enough to contain an ordinary church. In cubic area it is the largest church in the world. The tomb of Christopher Columbus is within.

Some of our group visited the Alcázar. It's one of the oldest royal homes in Europe. Seemingly we missed ourselves by not visiting. The architecture and decor are - a mixture of Moorish, Gothic and Islam. The work that went into the decoration and the plasterwork is unbelievable. Outside, the gardens are a sight to behold with the scent of strong jasmine following you everywhere.

The palace is huge with many rooms and many gardens. Tiled walls and floors, and ceilings with wood inlay with paint and gold leaf all contribute to grandeur. There is no furniture; it is all about the architecture.

We took a trip up the river and under many bridges. The trip proved tranquil with some of the majesty of Seville drifting past but we would have been wiser to take have taken a tour of the Alcázar.
Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on April 18, 2008

Cheer!
Flag

IgoUgo

Andalucia Journals

Upload Photos