Our trip to Spain

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The following morning, we had a delicious buffet breakfast at our hotel (NH Califa), then we took a taxi to Hesperia Córdoba where we stayed for the next 4 nights (first night was unavailable at this hotel). This hotel is located right across from Puente Romano (Roman Bridge) which we enjoyed walking on back & forth everyday.
There is a terrace on the roof of the hotel with a refreshing pool, which I enjoyed one hot afternoon while my mom rested in the room. At night, we enjoyed watching the Mezquita all lit up from this very terrace. A great sight tattooed in our minds forever.

On Sunday, we walked to the Royal Stables to watch an equestrian show that we enjoyed very much. After the show, we walked to the Mezquita, but the guard at the entrance was only allowing entry to those who wanted to attend the mass, otherwise tourists had to wait till 3pm.
We told him that we wanted to attend the mass, so he let us in. The Mezquita was more beautiful than any of the photos I’d seen. Experiencing a mass in the cathedral, right in the midst of the Mezquita was surreal! After the mass, we were ushered out, so we decided to return on a different day for a more complete tour, which was truly remarkable.

The following 3 days in Córdoba, we enjoyed walking, eating lots of tapas, visiting the patios,
Viana Palace, the artisan shops on ‘Calle de los Judios’, the synagogue, Casa de Sefarad, Victoria Gardens, Calahorra Tower, the market at Plaza de la Corredera & various churches.
When we said goodbye to Córdoba, I said to myself… someday I will return…

Our next destination was Granada! We took a bus from Córdoba & enjoyed a 2 hour ride where we passed by some, ‘white towns’, & rolling hills covered with olive trees.
Olive trees planted in straight rows, row after row for miles! You have to see it to believe it!

In Granada we stayed at, ‘Anacapri Hotel’, right in the historic center near the cathedral & Plaza Nueva. Once we checked into the hotel, we walked to the cathedral & also visited the Royal Chapel.
We then took the minibus to ‘Mirador San Nicolás’, and found the viewpoint very crowded,
so we walked to the mosque next to it for a great vantage point for photos of the spectacular Alhambra. We then noticed a restaurant across the street & decided to eat dinner while enjoying the view of the Alhambra at sunset. Our meal was a bit expensive but the view was amazing & worth every penny, I mean worth every Euro!

The following day, we visited the Alhambra & Generalife Gardens.
The Alhambra is absolutely magnificent! The architecture, the lace-like mudejár decorations on the walls, arches, & windows are overwhelmingly beautiful!

The colorful ceramic tiles & patterns are also amazing.
I took so many photos because everywhere I looked, there was beauty to be held & captured!

After visiting the Nasrid Palaces, I thought my mom had had enough for one day, but to my surprise, she wanted to visit the Generalife Gardens the very same day! So we walked & walked, we climbed over many stairs & made it all the way to the prince’s summer retreat!

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Needless to say, my mom was exhausted when we returned to the hotel & she slept like a baby that night.

I must warn first time visitors to Granada. Since the Alhambra is one of the main highlights of
Granada, make sure you book your tickets way in advance. I booked our tickets 2 months in advance, but if you’re planning to visit in the busy summer, make sure you book way in advance.
We witnessed many disappointed tourists who wanted to buy tickets but they were all sold out, for the whole month! We were there the 2nd week of October.

While in Granada, we also enjoyed the deliciously creamy ice cream at, ‘Los Italianos’, the tasty pastries at, ‘Casa Pasteles’, on Plaza Larga in the Albacín.
We even witnessed a wedding ceremony at a beautiful church (Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Las Angustias). Most of the wedding guests were elegantly dressed, some of the women wore fancy hairdos & hats, the men wore tuxedos or dark suits, while my mom & I sat in the back row wearing our ordinary clothes & comfy walking shoes! I realized that no one seemed to
care that we were there.
We waited till the very end (we wanted to see the wedding gown) when the bride & groom exited the church to be showered with brightly colored rice by all the guests! It was a special
experience for my mom & I, especially since my mom used to be a wedding gown dressmaker
for many years & even now, one of her favorite pastimes is making beautiful veils decorated with lace & beading.

After 4 nights, we bid Granada goodbye & we took a bus to Sevilla where we spend 5 nights.
After checking into, ‘Amadeus Hotel’, we walked to the Royal Alcázar only to find a big line of tourists. I had forgotten that it was Monday when there is ‘free’ admission after 4 pm.
The Alcázar was beautiful with the same type of mudejár decorations we had seen at the Alhambra but I still think the Alhambra is much more majestic looking.

We enjoyed Sevilla’s Palacio de España, the cathedral & it’s tower, which I climbed (while my mom waited inside the cathedral), walking & shopping on Serpes & nearby streets.
We found a favorite (authentic) tapas bar on Plaza del Salvador & ate an early dinner there 3 days in a row! The tapas bar is, ‘La Antigua Bodeguita’.
We spent one afternoon walking around Triana where we purchased some ceramic plates & souvenirs at Cerámica Santa Ana.
We also bought some deliciously sweet grapes at, ‘Mercado San Miguel’, found on the right side
just after crossing the bridge (Puente de Isabel II)
I almost forgot, we also toured the bull ring & it’s museum & learned some interesting facts about bull flights & bullfighters. We did not see a bullfight nor did I ever wish to attend one.
One night we attended a Flamenco show at, ‘Casa de Flamenco’, as recommended by RS.
It was only a one- hour show, but that was enough for us. I found out (from some Spaniards we met) that
Flamenco shows are, “just for tourists”, I guess it’s like going to a luau when in Hawaii ;-)

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After 4 wonderful days in Sevilla, we took a train to Madrid & then on to Toledo.
We took Chani’s advice & left half of our luggage (one carry-on suitcase) in a locker at Atocha station. This was the best thing, since I only had to lug one suitcase instead of 2!
Thanks Chani!

When we arrived to Toledo, I’d forgotten how beautiful the train station is, so we
spent a few minutes admiring this beautiful building & taking more photos.

By the time we stepped out of the station, all the other passengers had already left, so we waited for a taxi to take us to our hotel. We stayed at ‘Hotel Santa Isabel’, near the cathedral.
I’d reserved a room with a view & indeed we had a magnificent view of the cathedral!
Our room was on the 3rd floor & it was great until that night when we heard loud noises coming from above & we couldn’t get to sleep. I called the front desk & was told that there was a large group on the terrace right above our room! The following morning we moved to a room on the 2nd floor. The room didn’t have a great view, but it was quiet & we didn’t have any trouble falling asleep.

My mom & I loved exploring Toledo. We walked everywhere! Well, we also took many buses, especially when we had to get back up to Plaza Zocodover, from say the Greco museum.
My mom was a real trooper! We took our time when going uphill & going downhill was a delight for her, as it was much easier than going uphill.

We visited the cathedral, of course, & I climbed to the top of its tower to witness the largest bell in Spain, which supposedly cracked the very first time that it was rung.
We were surprise by the many churches we found in Toledo.

El Greco & Santa Ana museums were fun to visit & the artwork was exquisite.
When we visited El Greco Museum, there was a second story, so I asked if my mom could use the elevator, but was told that the elevator was only for those with wheelchairs. So the museum staff offered a wheelchair for my mom. She had fun being pushed around in the wheelchair all through the museum! It wasn’t much fun for me, especially when I had to go up a
ramp to a different level. Going down the ramp was not easy either, because the ramp was quite steep! Not a good design by any means! Someone could easily get hurt going down in a wheelchair! We almost did, but fortunately no one got hurt.

We attended Mercado Martes (Tuesday Market) an open air market near Puerta Bisagra.
We had fun looking around & found a stall where a young woman was selling beautiful hand embroidered tablecloths & yes, we ended up buying some of them as souvenirs for ourselves.

One day we decided to take a day trip to Talavera de la Reina, a city West of Toledo which is known for it ceramics.

It was a relaxing 2-hour bus ride & my mom actually fell asleep.
When we arrived to Talavera de la Reina, we didn’t find any ceramic shops nearby, so we took a taxi to an area where there were supposed to be many ceramic shops, but to our surprise, they had closed down. It was very disappointing to only find a couple of shops. Nonetheless, we had a good afternoon enjoying a tasty meal at, ‘Versalles Restaurant’, (by the bus station) taking a stroll on Jardines del Prado with benches decorated with beautiful ceramic tiles. We also & visited the Basílica Nuestra Señora del Prado.

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When we returned to Toledo after our day trip, it was around 9pm. When walking to the hotel, we took a wrong turn & got lost. I don’t like getting lost & remembered what the hotel staff had told us the day we’d arrived in Toledo. This is what he said; “Toledo is a very safe city, don’t be surprised to see women, especially elderly women, walking their dog in the wee hours of the night, sometimes at 1or 2 in the morning!”

So, when I realized that we were lost that night, we saw a young man walking toward us & when I asked him for directions, he said he would walk with us to show us the way to our hotel.
This was such a nice gesture that my mom & I appreciated very much.

The day before our flight home, we stayed at a hotel near the airport (NH Barajas).
We took the train back to Atocha station to retrieve our left luggage, then took the Cercanias
train to the airport where we were picked up by the hotel shuttle van.
The following morning we took the courtesy shuttle to the airport to fly home.

I told you this was a slow paced type of trip…4 cities in 3 weeks.
Yes, we could have visited twice as many cities, but if we had, we wouldn’t have enjoyed our trip as much as we did.
We spent many a time just sitting at a plaza watching the world go by, or sitting in a restaurant, or a church, or just strolling on cobble stone streets eating ice cream & laughing at ourselves… the memories that we made are truly priceless.

May you have many wonderful trips in your lifetimes!

A special thanks to Chani, Brad, Ken & many of you who helped me plan this amazing trip!

Happy New Year!

Priscilla

Your trip sounds absolutely wonderful, and points up the value of doing more than a drive-through to click cities off of a list. It's interesting, too, that people can have differing opinions about the same sites. You said, "The Alcázar was beautiful with the same type of mudejár decorations we had seen at the Alhambra but I still think the Alhambra is much more majestic looking." When we visited both Sevilla and Cordoba, I felt exactly the opposite! I thought the interior of the alcazar to be far superior to that of the Alhambra. I have been to Spain several times but have not done some of the things you have done. I will keep an eye out from some of the foods you mentioned (ooh, your mention of the cod and red peppers made me hungry - one of my favorites!). I'm glad you had such a great time!

Hey Priscilla, and Happy New Year! What adventure do you and Mom have planned for this new year? Thanks for your terrific report, it's wonderful that you and your mom can spend so much exciting time together, on the road, so to speak. Maybe for her 100th, it will be possible for the two of you to take an excursion to the moon, or maybe the space station. I will spend almost a month in Spain this April-May, and rest assured I will be incorporating some if your experiences and tips into my planning!

Hi Nancy,

I know what you mean when it comes to different opinions about the same sights.
Although both cites (Granada & Sevilla) have their charm, if given a choice, I'd return to Sevilla before returning to Granada.
Yes, the Alhambra is a magnificent palace & walking on the Albacín was like going back in time.
However, my mom & I liked Sevilla much more than Granada, maybe because there was much more to see & do in Sevilla.
Now, if I had to choose between Sevilla & Córdoba, I'd choose Córdoba!

Nancy, do you have travel plans for 2016?

Hi Larry,

Happy New Year to you!

I'm sure my mom would love to go to the moon! Actually I take that back... She would not like to go to the moon for these reasons:

• The trip to get there & back would take way too long!
• She'd hate wearing an astronaut suit & all that gear.
• She would despise eating tasteless food out of a toothpaste tube, etc, etc...

Your comment reminded me of a funny story about my mom.
While visiting Granada, we saw some tourists taking Segway tours & one day my mom says to me; "I want to do that!"
I laughed at the idea when I imagined my mom on a Segway riding up to the Alhambra!
My reply to her was, "I don't think that's a good idea, besides, I don't think the tour company would let you do it".
She didn't like my answer... So we got some ice cream instead!

Lucky you! A month in Spain! Where will you go?

Priscilla, yes I have an exciting month planned in Spain, first a week on my own in Barcelona with day trips to various nearby towns, then the RS Best of Spain Tour, which visits most of the places you mentioned, a nice mix of big cities and smaller towns and countryside, finishing on my own with one extra night in Seville, two nights in Córdoba, and then the final three nights in Jerez during the Feria del Caballo, maybe with a day trip to Cadiz thrown in near the end. Very excited with the planning. My only fear is that I live along the small Carmel River, that is in danger of flooding during the season's El Niño storms, which appeared to have begun last night. I very much hope that nothing related will interrupt my trip, or my life. Your last comment in your response to me reminds me of my general motto in Italy: "when in doubt, have a gelato!" In Spain do you find more gelato or US-style ice cream, or something different from either?

Larry,
it sounds like you have a great trip planned out!

When we were in Sevilla, I considered a day trip to Jerez, but we were having too much fun in Sevilla, so decided to skip it.
I do hope the Carmel River does not flood during El Niño storms.... It's been raining very heavily down here.

I like your motto! "When in doubt, have a gelato!",

We ate some ice cream when in Granada, but to tell you the truth, we didn't eat much of it on this trip. The ice cream at 'Los Italianos,' (Granada) was very good, it was much better than any ice cream I've tasted here in the US.

Come to think of it, we had some gelato when we were in Toledo, but it wasn't as good as the gelato one finds in Italy.
My favorite gelato was in Verona & Padova (Pretto) & the one in Varenna (Gelateria Riva) was also very tasty.

I do hope the Carmel River does not flood during El Niño storms....

I will be making two trips to Spain this year (May and September), and a long weekend in New York City. I love Cordoba, too, and there is much more there than many people take time to see.

I'm glad to see that others love Cordoba as much as I do. I extended me upcoming trip (for Semana Santa) so I'd have 3 nights there. I just couldn't imagine a trip to Spain without some time in Cordoba.

Priscilla I'm so glad you loved Cordoba. I'm reluctant to urge people to visit places that I loved but that others aren't crazy about. I guess I sensed a kindred spirit in you when you raved about Toledo. Now, which of those do you like better?

Larry - I don't remember eating gelato in Spain. I do remember that even in February, I saw cold drinks everywhere with big ice cubes and potato chips seem to be the national snack (mostly fried in olive oil).

Nancy - Please share any "secret places" for my next visit (end of March).

Nancy I envy you! ;-) 2 trips to Spain in the same calendar year! Enjoy!

Chani, I have you to thank for helping me decide to spend more time in Córdoba!

Let's see... which is my favorite?
That's a tough one! I love them both!
If I had to choose only one.... as much as I love Toledo, I'd probably choose Córdoba ;-)