Blogs from Spain, Europe - page 18

The alarm buzzes annoyingly and we both turn over. But this wont do, we have 9.30am tuckers to visit Seville Alcazaba and we have been told to arrive at least 20 minutes early to clear security and to make sure that we don’t miss our time slot…if the clock says a minute after 9.50am we will be denied access with no refund on our tickets! We shower and eat a hurried breakfast then its off through the relative cool of early morning on the route we have come to know quite well. Passing the Cathedral and the Archive of the Indies, we arrive at Lions Gate at precisely 9am. We are the first to arrive, closely followed by a Filipino gentleman and his two American friends. We have started a queue. Hmmm, looks like we didn’t ... read more

Today is Christopher Columbus Day, a national holiday to celebrate the discovery of America. As a result nothing has been formally booked for today as it’s unclear what is and what isn’t going to be open. The kitchen is unusually busy today too. A French couple are at the table, suitcases at the ready…they must be leaving. Then an older German couple come to use the kettle. They are on their way to Cadiz with their son who is at Madrid University. We eat a quick breakfast then head off in the direction of the mushrooms. Despite the thirty degree forecast for today, it’s still feeling pleasantly cool outside today. We are heading for Santa Cruz, the Jewish quarter. Here we find interesting narrow wiggly streets full of architectural detail. By 10.30am the place is crawling ... read more

It’s nice to have the luxury of a kitchen and we breakfast ‘at home’. Unfortunately the long life milk makes my coffee taste disgusting but it’s OK on the cereal. Note to get fresh milk on our way back today! We’re going on a general orientation tour of the city today so won’t be going inside the two major attractions: the Cathedral and the Alcazaba as we have five days here and we want plenty of time to appreciate them on their own. It rained early this morning so the streets are wet and it’s a pleasant temperature as we set off at 9.30am. Navigating our way through the narrow streets we make our way towards the river an iconic 19th century bridge, Puente de Triana. A little further on we find the Nao Victoria, an ... read more

I could have done with an extra hour in bed this morning but equally we can’t handle the heat later in the day so we’re out of our hotel by 9am and walking down the cool narrow streets of this photogenic town. Ian has worked out a walking circuit and we start off at the old Roman Bridge and the town gate. It’s still a pleasant temperature and there’s not too many others hanging around. We had hoped to beat the crowds to see the Mezquita, the highlight of the city, but today they are not opening till 10am so we decide to visit this later when the majority of tour groups will be at lunch. Well that’s the plan anywa IAN’s ACCOUNT OF OUR CIRCUIT Córdoba was established in 125BC as a Roman trading post ... read more

A nice gentle start to the day. We wake around nine, have breakfast and lounge around awhile. We have tickets to see the Andalucian horse show but it does not start till midday. All the same we want to make sure we are there in time so we leave in that general direction allowing 30-40 minutes. In fact, it only takes us fifteen minutes and for once we find the place straight away. OK so we are about an hour early but no matter we are allowed into the grounds. Our ticket allows us entry to the palace and the saddlery. Plus we can go to see the horses training. This gives us ample time to see everything before the show. We walk through the shady gardens, behind the palace and on to the saddlery. A ... read more