Of all the countries we have visited – and it stands at about 46 now – one of my top five favourite countries would have to be Spain. It’s a mixture of great food, wine, music, language, customs, scenery, climate, people – what can I say, it’s got everything! We have been there a few of times now, stopping at various Spanish ports on a couple of cruises, spending a week in Barcelona in 2015, and the first time in 2010 when we did a three-week road trip.
I did some sightseeing in Segovia on my own for a few days before hubby joined me in Madrid and we headed off on the road to do an independent tour of southern Spain. Since the walled city of Segovia is only about 90 kilometres to the north, catching the AVE high-speed train from Chamartin station gets you there in about half an hour. Although this leaves you at a station in the middle of nowhere, buses are timed to connect with the trains and take you to the plaza right beside the aqueduct.
Segovia’s most famous landmark is the Roman Aqueduct. Inhabited in the pre-Roman era, the city was built on a rocky hill between two rivers, over 1,000 metres above sea level. The city prospered due to its textile and wool trade, leaving a legacy of fine buildings such as its Romanesque churches, palaces and fortress. The major tourist drawcard – the Alcázar – was built as a palace or fortress above the junction of the rivers, appearing like a ship floating above the countryside. It is now a museum of mediaeval armour and weaponry. The most imposing church in the city is the massive Segovia Cathedral, which was built between 1525 and 1577 and was the last Gothic cathedral to be built in Spain. The road trip itself involved a quick stop in Aranjuez south of Madrid, spending a day in Toledo, crossing the region of La Mancha with its windmills, and celebrating the Fiesta de San Juan in Alicante. There we met up with our son and his partner and together we headed south along the Costa Blanca to La Manga del Mar Menor where hubby played golf while we non-golfers took a quick spin around Cartagena. Then it was a detour inland to Granada and the famous Alhambra. Finally we spent a week on the Costa del Sol, staying at a resort in Mijas that had its own golf course. Using that resort as our base we visited Ronda, Seville, Córdoba and Gibraltar as well as exploring the local area.
Holy Toledo! Ever wondered where this expression came from? This beautiful city, 73km south of Madrid was the seat of the Catholic Primate of Spain from the 4th century to the 16th century and had large communities of Muslims and Jews (until they were expelled throughout Spain in 1492 and 1502 respectively), allowing the construction of cathedrals, churches, mosques and synagogues and a good deal of religious tolerance. Its cultural, monumental and religious contribution to heritage led to Toledo being declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. The city of Toledo occupies a rocky hilltop, traversed by narrow, winding streets, with steep gradients and rough surfaces, with an imposing Alcázar (fortress) atop. The city also displays a love of Miguel de Cervantes and his hero Don Quixote. Statues of either can be found in various places. As we left Toledo we drove through the famous landscape of La Mancha depicted in Cervantes’ novel. As we were also keen to call in to some wineries to the east of Toledo, we decided to drive via Consuegra as we made our way towards the coast. Along a high ridge above the town stand 12 windmills, built in the 16th century to grind wheat into flour, the inspiration for Cervantes’ hero’s imaginary battle.
Near the southern end of the Costa Blanca is the city port of Alicante, which is a major tourist centre, popular with beach goers and boating enthusiasts. The evening we arrived in Alicante
the area was buzzing with locals and tourists alike, all descending on the area as a focal point for the feasting and partying associated with the fiesta of San Juan. Las Hogueras de San Juan (the Bonfires of St John) festival takes place over five days with the culmination on the feast day of St John, June 24. It is the most important event in Alicante’s cultural calendar, and it stands out among the most popular festivals in all of Spain. During the days of the festival, streets are decorated with ornate archways. Parades are held through the streets, there are music and dance competitions and there is a beauty contest for Queen of the Fire. The beautiful wood and papier maché effigies (ninots) that are paraded through the city streets ended up on display at the intersections of the main thoroughfares and along the foreshore. In the Plaza de los Luceros, just prior to midnight on June 24, there was a great fireworks display followed by the burning of the ninots. We had timed our stay there to perfection!
A highlight of our trip was visiting Grenada and the Alhambra (which deserves a blog of its own, as did Madrid). Islamic rulers who occupied the area for over 700 years left a wealth of
Spanish-Islamic art and architecture. The Alhambra is a sprawling hilltop fortress complex with wonderful Moorish decorations, particularly around arches and doorways, as well as tranquil gardens and shady courtyards. The World Heritage Site was extended in 1994 to include the district of Albaicín – the Mediaeval Moorish area of narrow winding streets where gypsies also made their homes in caves after the city was restored to Christian rule in 1492.
During our week on the Costa del Sol, we made several day trips including that to the cute town of Ronda, high up in the mountains on the way to Seville. The Guadalevín River runs through the city, dividing it into new town and old town, and carving out the steep, very deep El Tajo canyon upon which the city perches and over which the spectacular Puente Nuevo spans.
The iconic Puente Nuevo is the tallest of three bridges that span the canyon at Ronda. Although Seville is the fourth largest city in Spain, the Old City is easily covered on foot. I had been so looking forward to roaming the streets sightseeing, but the day we arrived it was 45C in the shade! Founded by the Romans, Seville was under Muslim rule from 712 until 1248. Its situation on the Guadalquivir River led to its success as a port for international trade and it was also the port from which Ferdinand Magellan departed on his attempt to circumnavigate the world. Fittingly, the remains of Christopher Columbus are interred in a tomb in the Seville Cathedral. Although the architecture of the old town still shows some Muslim influence, many buildings have their façades decorated in the Baroque style such as the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla, which is the site of one of the most well-known bullfighting festivals in the world, and one of Seville’s most visited attractions.
The most important attraction of Córdoba is La Mezquita. This was one of the most impressive mosques in Spain during the occupation by the Moors. So beautiful, in fact, that when the Catholic Church regained dominance in the city, it was decided to keep much of the structure intact, creating a Christian cathedral within its walls. Unfortunately we arrived in Córdoba after the Mezquita had closed for the day, so I had to wait for another opportunity to see inside. We had to make do with walking around the outside, a stroll along Calle Cardenal Herrero where there are bars and gift shops catering to the many tourists and a ramble through the streets around the Plaza Mayor.
Our week would not have been complete without a visit to the popular beaches along the Costa del Sol – Marbella, Torremolinos and Fuengirola. This latter was the closest to our accommodation so we spent a day there. It was great to simply relax in the sun after all our day trips further afield. The Costa del Sol is also a golfer’s paradise, with some of the most famous Spanish courses to be found there. Needless to say, hubby and son managed to squeeze in a few rounds. Our Spanish road trip came to an end at Algeciras, where we handed back the car and boarded the ferry bound for Tangiers, Morocco.