And This is Why I Love Andalusia, Spain

Crossing the Roman bridge across the Gualalquivir River, our travel group approached

the next stop on our itinerary, the bustling town of Córdoba, which some estimate was one of the most populated cities in the world during the 10th century under Islamic rule, as well as one of the most intellectual.

We drew nearer to the Great Mosque, the cultural highlight of the town, which today might be more correctly referred to as the Cathedral.

You see a mosque was built on this site, starting about 784, with a beautiful prayer hall of double columns made of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite.

The interiors are stunning

with lavish carvings of marble, stucco and elaborate mosaics.

However, when Córdoba was conquered by King Ferdinand of Castle in 1236, he consecrated the mosque as the city's Christian cathedral, and instead of building a new structure,

a Gothic chapel was erected in the middle of the mosque, leaving a very interesting juxtaposition of styles.

Leaving the Great Mosque, we wandered the cobbled and whitewashed streets of the town,

and peeked into secret patios which had been ornamented with flowers for the Festival de Los Patios.

We found this lovely patio for lunch,

and promptly settled in for a relaxing meal.

Our final day we explored the "jewel" of our trip, the picturesque town of Ronda 

with its bullfighting ring, the Plaza de Toros, the oldest bullring in Spain which hosted its first fight in 1785.

We took time to tour the Church of the Virgin Mary with gorgeous interiors,

as well as took time to smell the flowers of the beautiful spring day that graced us. Such a difference from the grey, chilly London weather we had left behind.

The beauty of the town is in its dramatic views of the Ronda mountains,

and the canyon views sitting at its feet.

The Puente Nuevo, at a height of 390' which is the height of a 30 story building, was finished in 1793. 

It straddles a deep gorge

and offers breathtaking views on each side. Not for the faint of heart, to be sure.

We spent our final hours of this trip in this idyllic spot, having lunch overlooking the vista

and celebrating the new memories we had created on our latest trip.

What do London gals eat and shop for in the south of Spain? Makes for a fun blog--coming up next. Stay tuned!

Impressions of Seville

Day 2 of The Great Spain Adventure found us in the capital city of Andalusia--Seville, home of fiestas, flamenco and bullfighting.

The stunning and colorful Baroque architecture presented us with a stellar first impression,

and although we could have spent the day just walking the narrow streets of the town, 

there were major historical monuments to see, starting with the exceptional Seville Cathedral.

Built in the 15th century on the former site of a mosque from the 12th century,

the interior is breathtaking. The former minaret of the mosque was converted into the current bell tower.

Inside, we paid our respects at the final resting place of the remains of Christoper Columbus, realizing that he is not only a hero for the Americas, but a local hero as well.

Then it was on to the Alcázar, the Royal Palace, built by Pedro I the Cruel in the 14th century, on the site of a previous Moorish palace. Entering through the Lion's Gate,

we toured a myriad of embellished rooms and courtyards

which are a blend of Moorish and Christian style. In one of the rooms, plans for Columbus's voyages were planned.

Today, it is the official residence of the King and Queen when they visit.

Just as beautiful as the interiors, are the gardens which await just outside.

A blend of Moorish, Renaissance and even English style

combine to make a gorgeous retreat for painting,

for strolling

and for a slice of tranquility in the middle of a bustling city.

We enjoyed our lunch of tapas sitting on a local square,

then went on the setting of the 1929 World's Fair. First stopping at the Plaza de América to see the buildings designed by González,

and having a little fun at the square there where white doves congregate, hoping to be fed by tourists like us.

At first, Holly was willing to play along and extended her arms to see what would happen,

but in due time, regretted that decision as the doves became 

a little too familiar for comfort.

As much as we enjoyed the Plaza de América, we were blown away by the beauty of the Plaza de España with its diverse styles, ornamentation,

and lavish decorations of the traditional glazed tiles.

So beautiful!

Found out later that some of the new Star War episodes were recently filmed here, but I'm very curious how they were incorporated into a futuristic storyline.

Anyone remember this spot??

Photo courtesy of Jill Alexander

And finally, our day would not have been complete, without an evening flamenco show, since Seville has been the major center of the development of flamenco.

A passionate performance set to the tunes of a haunting Spanish guitarist and singer--it was an experience that I doubt nothing ever again will be able to parallel.

More adventures to come, more sights in Spain to see, and don't miss the shopping and eating post that will come someday soon....

Charmed by Andalućia

Near the top of my bucket list while living in London, has been a trip to the Andalusia region of southern Spain, so when a trip to that area with the American Women's Club gals popped up on the radar, I jumped at the chance to go. 

We left chilly London in search of some sun, and found it upon arrival at the Malaga airport. Immediately, we headed to our "headquarters" for our stay, the little town of Carmona.

Driving through the central plains of Andalusia to get there was eye candy in itself, and we finally made it to our 

home away from home, the Casa de Carmona, a 16th century renaissance palace in the historic quarter of town.

Lovely on the outside with its lush courtyards

and beautiful settings, we were first amazed, but then a bit disappointed upon seeing our rooms, I have to admit. Although they had been "modernized" since the 16th century, we did all agree that there was a lot of work still needing to be done.

Not letting that get the best of us, we headed out for an early evening stroll, remembering that this was a town, where since the beginning of time, that had been shaped by a continuous

occupation of a cross section of cultures. The town is known for its assortment of churches, palaces and fortified city walls. We were fascinated by the greenery growing from the roofs, 

and the stork's nest on top of this spire.

As the sun lowered in the sky, we strolled through

the streets of the quiet historic quarter,

taking in some sensational views along the way.

After years of being a Roman stronghold, the Moors came and erected walls around the city

to fortify it even further.

As in many parts of southern Spain, the incredibly beautiful tiles caught our attention in the churches,

in homes,

and even marking the Tapas Route, a "pub crawl" of sorts, where the locals  stroll from café to café partaking of the small and delicious tapas that the region of Andalusia has to offer.

Our evening stroll culminated at the town square where we parked for several hours enjoying the local night life and trying an assortment of tapas.

Today's post is really just an introduction to several more I hope to write about this fascinating region,  its food, and of course, its shopping! I hope you'll enjoy it.

Stay tuned for more....