Since I've returned from Spain, many people have asked me "What was the best thing about your trip?" I cannot give them a succinct answer. Should I describe the view over Granada from the Bell Tower of the Alhambra? Should I vocalize the pleasure and satisfaction at seeing Ronda's New Bridge, which features prominently in Nick Bantock's The Forgetting Room, one of my favorite books? Or talk about the magnificent tranquility of sitting on the balcony outside our cortijo (farmhouse) bedroom sipping coffee and gazing upon acres of olive groves and pueblos blancos (white villages)? I usually touch on all of those joys, and I mention the intellectual stimulation of learning about Spanish history and culture, something that my otherwise outstanding public school and university education neglected teaching. In Andalusia, there is a concept of duende - a spirit and mysticism that pervades all things. I think that is wonderfully appropriate; my time in Spain was magical.
The folks at Untours actually did a great job even before we got to Spain. Due to American actions in Iraq at the time, Swiss (and other airlines) cancelled and/or consolidated a number of flights, including those on which were booked from Washington, DC to Malaga. This happened about two weeks prior to our departure. The Untours staff quickly resolved this by re-ticketing us on Air France, quite to our satisfaction. Our flights on Air France were quite pleasant; Air France has the best airline food I've had so far. Furthermore, we had no problems with our baggage, which is apparently a frequent complaint for Air France travelers.
When we finally arrived in Malaga on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 9th, we collected our luggage and made our way down to the rental car area. We were quite relieved to see Maria, the Untours' staffperson in Spain, waiting at the Hertz rental counter. She assisted us in picking up our car, a metallic blue Mini Cooper, and then Maria drove us to our home for the next two weeks, La Cubertilla. We wound our way inland, up through mountains, among acres and acres of olive groves. Sitting in the back seat, I dozed through the hour-long ride; I vaguely recall winding roads and wondering if Scott and I would ever figure out how to get around. Eventually, we neared Priego de Cordoba and headed up the curvy, hilly road to the village of Fuente-Tojar. After passing through this quaint little town, we rumbled along an unpaved road out to La Cubertilla. Maria actually owns La Cubertilla, and she lives in the main house there with her husband, Jean-Claude. There were two apartments in addition to the house in which we stayed.
Maria showed us around: the patio with lemon trees and a swimming pool, the spacious entry way, dining room and kitchen. A living area with fireplace stocked with wood, then upstairs to the four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Maria had even left food for us: some braised chicken with vegetables and potatoes to reheat on the stove, delicious vegetable soup, some fruit and the makings of breakfast: coffee, tea, eggs, cereal. It was wonderful to have someone lead us home, and to have dinner waiting for us, weary travelers that we were. However, for all our exhaustion, we eagerly explored the house and the patio and the surrounding area. La Cubertilla is certainly out in the countryside, but the scenery is stunning: mountains and millions of rows of olives and tidy white villages off in the distance. It is lovely and serene.
We learned our way around quite easily, as a matter of fact. On Thursday, after a good long sleep, we drove down to the restaurant La Zamora for our orientation and lunch. Maria gave us great suggestions: where to park and eat in Cordoba, how to get to La Alhambra, arranging for a guide in Seville and so on. After lunch, we easily found our way to the Mercadonna grocery store in Priego, which we loved. There was only one brand of all the products, but the store was stocked with everything we needed and wanted. We stocked up on fresh fruit, museli con dos tipos de copos de chocolates (granola cereal tossed in milk chocolate with milk chocolate and dark chocolate pieces), fresh vegetable soup, yogurt, and exotic juices like pear and strawberry and mango. Yum! After the drive from La Cubertilla down to La Zamora then into Priego de Cordoba and back to La Cubertilla, we were pretty confident getting around.
Over the next two weeks, we explored near and far. Some highlights follow:
Friday, April 11:
Explored Priego de Cordoba. So much to see, especially in the lovely Barrio de la Villa (old town): narrow alleyways - I could reach out and touch either side with my hands, whitewashed homes, an abundance of flowers, a centuries-old fortress-castle, a fantastic park and the Balcon de Adarve (cliff walk), with amazing views all around. We also sought out the Baroque Fuente del Rey with 139 spouts and a statue of Neptune.
Saturday, April 12:
La Alhambra and Granada. La Alhambra is amazing. I had ordered our tickets over the phone at least a month ahead of time, and I'd highly recommend doing this. The line to pick up tickets is *much* shorter than the line for people waiting to purchase tickets. Scott and I spent hours exploring the Alcazaba (military fortress), the Palaces (like a fairy tale!) and the lush gardens. In the afternoon, once we finished our tour of La Alhambra, we wandered down to and around El Albaicin, then made our way to the Cathedral of Granada. We had a late lunch at a tapas bar across from the Cathedral and strolled around before heading home.
Sunday, April 13:
Relaxed and explored close to "home." Drove up (way, way up) to the Hermitage of the Virgin of the Sierras Subbeticas, around Carcabuey and Cabra.
Monday, April 14:
Ronda. It takes about 2 hours to get to Ronda, but it's worth the trip! We had a scrumptious lunch at the Bar Restaurant Almocabar, in the Barrio de San Francisco, beyond the Old Town. We spent the afternoon contentedly strolling around the Old Town, including a visit to Palacio Mondragon, which I recommend. We walked down to the Old Bridge, then wound our way back up to the town and re-crossed the New Bridge. There are great views of the Tajo (gorge) all around, especially from the Old Bridge and from the gardens of Palacio Mondragon. We departed Ronda in the early evening, as the sun was casting a golden glow over the verdant countryside. On a whim, we decided to drive up to the abandoned castle in Teba. We ascended some very steep hills on car and on foot, and we were rewarded by being the only people among the ruins of this 10th century castle, with spectacular vistas of countryside and classic pueblo blanco (white village) in every direction and a majestic eagle soaring overhead.
Wednesday, April 16:
Seville. Another fairly long drive, perhaps 2.5 hours, but also worth the trip. Maria had arranged for us to have a walking tour with a guide, the best way (we think) to cover a lot of ground efficiently. And boy, did we see a lot: We started in the Cathedral, the third largest in the world (after St. Peter's in Rome and St. Paul's in London). We learned all sorts of fascinating history and stories about the Cathedral, the main altar, the chapels, even the tomb of Columbus. And we ascended La Giralda for a bird's eye view of Seville. Next stop, the Real Alcazar, where we had an official guided visit of the Royal Apartments then toured the rest of the Alcazar and its extensive gardens with our excellent guide. We continued walking... through the Barrio de Santa Cruz with its tranquil courtyards and cobbled alleys, past the remains of the old Roman city walls. It was Semana Santa (Holy Week), so we even saw a procession through the city: men, women and children wearing long purple robes with large conical black hats which covered their faces, some carrying large wooden crosses, some beating drums, some bearing candles. It was quite dramatic, and a little intimidating. After the procession, our tour took us through the elegant lobby of Hotel Alfonso, around the University, into the Parque Maria Luisa and finally Plaza de Espana. Quite a day!
Thursday, April 17:
Paella and another procession. This afternoon, we drove to another Untours' apartment in Carcabuey, where we (and the other Spanish Untourists) were treated to a paella made from scratch by one of the landladies. It was the best meal we had in Spain. We thoroughly enjoyed the food, the company and the conversation that afternoon. And that evening, Maria guided us into Priego de Cordoba to witness another Semana Santa procession, followed by tasty tapas at El Arjibe (my favorite - datillos - dates wrapped in bacon and baked - the perfect combination of sweet and salty).
Monday, April 21:
Cordoba. We lunched at Casa Pepe de la Judeira, recommended by Maria. This was one of our best meals in Spain, over which we lingered for more than two hours. We explored the alleys around the Mezquita, then the Mezquita itself. What a fascinating place!! All those candy-cane-like arches (hundreds), which were actually a clever solution to the problem of marble, stone and wood columns of differing heights. We were amazed that the core of the Mezquita was built in the 8th century, and the subsequent expansions were pretty much complete by the 11th century! The ceiling of the Mihrab (prayer niche) is awesome and ornate. And to come upon a Catholic altar and choir stalls in the middle of this building is quite a surprise.
Wednesday, April 23:
Madrid. We toured the Prado and the Reina Sofia, both of which are top-notch museums. My advice: pick the art in which you're interested, and focus on that; don't try to see everything, or you'll get overwhelmed and burnt out. We also walked a lot, to the Puerta del Sol and the Plaza Mayor, and many little streets in between. At the end of the day, we packed our bags and prepared for the long day of travel ahead of us.
Thursday, April 24 and Friday, April 25:
Madrid to Paris to Washington, DC. Then Baltimore to Cincinnati to Portland, Oregon. Our flights on Air France and Delta were just fine. We were happy to be home, but even happier to have such fond memories of our Spanish Untour.
