Blogs from Andalusia, Spain, Europe - page 3

That point in the trip had come, it simply was not possible to get up, have breakfast and hit our jam-packed day. Knowing that day would happen, it always does, we specifically designed a day about halfway through the trip that we would not mind if we did little or nothing on the itinerary. The original plan was close in sightseeing, including the cathedral, (Isabella and Fernando are buried there), lunch at the central market, then the bus up to the top of the Albaicin neighborhood with a walk down stopping at several sites along the way. Option 2 was lunch at the market, then the bus to the top with the walk down. We ended up with the third option, lunch at the market, a free museum and a bit of gift shopping. Then back ... read more

Today we are headed to what I feel is the heart of Spain, Andalucia. The home of Flamenco, gazpacho, sherry, and incredible Moorish history and architecture. We were up early to catch our 7:19 AVE to Granada. Since we were up to early for breakfast, the hotel was nice enough to pack us a little box of food to take with us on the train. The train ride was 6 hours but very comfortable seats, and naps were taken on and off throughout the trip. The countryside was rural, with the occasional city, but most noticeable olive trees as far as the eye can see. Upon arrival we took the taxi and straight to our hotel. The room was not quite ready, so we had lunch in the hotel restaurant. We both had what I will ... read more

From 2002 or 2003. Right after 9/11, I planned a trip to Spain and Portugal to play golf. Sheri decided to stay home due to the 9/11 related issues. So, my friend Mike and I went without the spouses. Two years later, I talked Sheri into going, and we also had our friend Ingrid with us as well. We rented a large two-bedroom apartment in Puerto Banus, just slightly west of Marbella, and home to the most exotic yachts in the world, including the yacht of the King of Saudi Arabia. I found the apartment through a broker in London. Essentially the two-bedroom place cost the same as a room at a moderate level hotel in Spain. If you go to Spain, I heartily recommend the paradores, as the government has renovated an entire army of ... read more

I head out for yet another aimless wander, which seems to have become my activity of choice here in Cadiz. I probably should check at some stage before we leave that I haven’t been aimlessly wandering down the wrong streets and missed some world class attraction. First stop is the Cadiz Museum on the very attractive Plaza de Mina. I thought I took an award winning happy snap here yesterday of a classical building with an eerie green coloured facade, but I now see that it only looks like that because it’s wrapped in green coloured semi-transparent cloth while it’s being renovated. The museum looks very big - three floors in a building with a large footprint - and it probably would be if three quarters of it wasn’t closed for renovations. The exhibits are mostly ... read more

I head off for another aimless wander through the narrow backstreets of beautiful Cadiz. Our apartment’s in Calle Ancha, which I think means “wide street”. l suppose it might possibly be half a metre or so less narrow than most of its counterparts. First stop is the lively Plaza de la Catedral, which, perhaps unsurprisingly, is in front of the city’s cathedral. I read that this was built between 1722 and 1838, so like a few other cathedrals we’ve seen in Spain, they again took their time. The ever-reliable Wikipedia says that it’s a declared “good of cultural interest”, with its “type“ classified as “immovable”. Yep, that would be right I think. It has a large crypt which houses the tomb of the composer Manuel de Falla, who was apparently born here in Cadiz. I don’t ... read more