Madrid
Plaza Mayor
September 5-7, 2012
We flew from DFW to Madrid departing on Tuesday, September 5. We arrived in Madrid around 10:00am and took the Metro line 1 _Anton Martin Station to the hotel. Luckily the Anton station was located close (or within walking distance) to the hotel. We stayed at the Hotel Catalonia Plaza Mayor located in the Puerta del Sol area. The hotel was in a great location, within walking distance to all the plazas, the museums and the gardens. Hotel Catalonia is a hotel chain with several locations throughout the city so be careful that you go to the correct one. I would recommend writing the hotel name on a sheet of paper to show your taxi driver or some one on the street to help you find the location. Sometimes trying to speak the name gets lost in translation. Also, be sure to get a city map from the hotel receptionist. The hotel was modern, clean with all the comforts of home. Nice large bathroom and bedroom. Even though we visited the Prada Museum, our favorite thing to do in Madrid was visit all the plazas and people watch. Tapas was a big favorite and the calamari was very tasty.
Our biggest adventure was checking out the health care in Madrid. I broke out in hives/rash due to an allergic reaction to some lotion. My arms and legs were covered in an itchy ugly red swollen rash. Thank goodness for wifi and google!!! I found an English speaking group of doctors at a medical clinic that catered to expats, government officials and tourists. Without an appointment, Randy and I walked to the location as soon as they opened on Wednesday morning. The receptionist was very helpful and accomodating and told us that the doctor I needed to see would not be in until 3:00. So, Randy and I visited the Prada Museum that was featuring Rafael until we were able to see the doctor. He gave me a steriod shot, prescription for prendisone and an anti-itch creme. We thought the cost would be huge, but it was only a total of $180.00 including the visit and the medication. I don't think you could touch that in the states!! The doctor even gave me his email address and requested I check back with him to see how I was doing!!
We visited Plaza Mayor, Plaza Santa Ana, Plaza del Sol and Plaza del Carmen as well as the Fuente de Neptuno and Palacio del Villahermosa.
We flew from DFW to Madrid departing on Tuesday, September 5. We arrived in Madrid around 10:00am and took the Metro line 1 _Anton Martin Station to the hotel. Luckily the Anton station was located close (or within walking distance) to the hotel. We stayed at the Hotel Catalonia Plaza Mayor located in the Puerta del Sol area. The hotel was in a great location, within walking distance to all the plazas, the museums and the gardens. Hotel Catalonia is a hotel chain with several locations throughout the city so be careful that you go to the correct one. I would recommend writing the hotel name on a sheet of paper to show your taxi driver or some one on the street to help you find the location. Sometimes trying to speak the name gets lost in translation. Also, be sure to get a city map from the hotel receptionist. The hotel was modern, clean with all the comforts of home. Nice large bathroom and bedroom. Even though we visited the Prada Museum, our favorite thing to do in Madrid was visit all the plazas and people watch. Tapas was a big favorite and the calamari was very tasty.
Our biggest adventure was checking out the health care in Madrid. I broke out in hives/rash due to an allergic reaction to some lotion. My arms and legs were covered in an itchy ugly red swollen rash. Thank goodness for wifi and google!!! I found an English speaking group of doctors at a medical clinic that catered to expats, government officials and tourists. Without an appointment, Randy and I walked to the location as soon as they opened on Wednesday morning. The receptionist was very helpful and accomodating and told us that the doctor I needed to see would not be in until 3:00. So, Randy and I visited the Prada Museum that was featuring Rafael until we were able to see the doctor. He gave me a steriod shot, prescription for prendisone and an anti-itch creme. We thought the cost would be huge, but it was only a total of $180.00 including the visit and the medication. I don't think you could touch that in the states!! The doctor even gave me his email address and requested I check back with him to see how I was doing!!
We visited Plaza Mayor, Plaza Santa Ana, Plaza del Sol and Plaza del Carmen as well as the Fuente de Neptuno and Palacio del Villahermosa.
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Cordoba
Cordoba Train Station
On September 7, we left Madrid and took a 1.5 hour train trip on the AVE high speed train to Cordoba. At the Cordoba train station, we checked in with the tourist bureau and took a cab to our hotel. The train station was very cool with an indoor garden area.
Since we were staying on Cordoba only one night, we decided to try out a bed and breakfast. I selected the Pension el Portillo which was cheap, cheap, cheap!! It was an interested experience, but I would not recommend staying more than 1 night!! The highlight of the Cordoba trip is to visit the Mezquita also called the Great Mosque. Dating back to the 10th century when Cordoba reached its peak as the most prosperous city in Europe, the Great Mosque symbolized these cultural accomplishments. Taking over 200 years to complete, the Mosque's construction started in 784 AD. With the capture of Cordoba by Fernando III in 1236 AD, the mosque was converted to a catholic cathedral and almost all the outer doors were sealed. It is quite amazing to see the blending of the moslem/islamic influence with the catholic architecture. In fact, the Moslem community requested to be given the Great Mosque back but the pope would not hear of it. Outside, the Courtyard of the Orange Trees (Patio de los Naranjos) is perfumed with orange blossoms and has a beautiful fountain.
The Great Mosque
Since we were staying on Cordoba only one night, we decided to try out a bed and breakfast. I selected the Pension el Portillo which was cheap, cheap, cheap!! It was an interested experience, but I would not recommend staying more than 1 night!! The highlight of the Cordoba trip is to visit the Mezquita also called the Great Mosque. Dating back to the 10th century when Cordoba reached its peak as the most prosperous city in Europe, the Great Mosque symbolized these cultural accomplishments. Taking over 200 years to complete, the Mosque's construction started in 784 AD. With the capture of Cordoba by Fernando III in 1236 AD, the mosque was converted to a catholic cathedral and almost all the outer doors were sealed. It is quite amazing to see the blending of the moslem/islamic influence with the catholic architecture. In fact, the Moslem community requested to be given the Great Mosque back but the pope would not hear of it. Outside, the Courtyard of the Orange Trees (Patio de los Naranjos) is perfumed with orange blossoms and has a beautiful fountain.
The Great Mosque
Islamic Infuence
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Catholic Influence
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Alcazar
Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos (Spanish for "Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs"), also known as the Alcázar of Córdoba, is a medieval Alcázar located in Córdoba next to the Guadalquivir River and near the Grand Mosque. The fortress served as one of their primary residences of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. Isabella and her husband Ferdinand used the Alcázar for one of the first permanent tribunals of the Spanish Inquisition and as a headquarters for their campaign against the Nasrid dynasty in Granada, the last remaining Moorish kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula. The Inquisition began using the Alcázar as one of its headquarters in 1482, converting much of it, including the Arab baths, into torture and interrogation chambers. The Alcazar is made up of 3 towers, one being referred to as the hanging tower used during the Spanish Inquisition.
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Alcazar Royal Gardens
Guadalquivir River
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Seville
On Saturday, September 8, Randy and I took a high speed AVE train from Cordoba to Seville. From the train station in Seville, we took a taxi to our hotel. The hotel we stayed in was FABULOUS. It was called Hotel Amadeus and was highly recommended on tripadvisor. The hotel had several lobby areas decorated with muscial instruments such as violins, baby grand piano, harp, etc. The biggest draw to the hotel was the rooftop bar with a hot tub. From the rooftop, we could see a great deal of Seville including the Seville Cathedral. Seville was my favorite city to visit for good food, wine and shopping. The city was clean and safe with wide sidewalks as well as little alleyways to explore. We felt very safe found the people to be extremely nice and friendly.
Hotel Amadeus rooftop bar
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View from the rooftop
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Hotel Lobby outside our room
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Seville Cathedral and Royal Alcazar
Seville Cathedral is the 3rd largest church in Europe. The tomb of Christopher is located in this cathedral. The cathedral is located in a large square with horse drawn carriages ready to take you on a tour of the city. The Giralda Bell Tower is the tall structure that can be seen from the rooftop and you can walk to the top of the tower to view the city and the roof of the cathedral. Also located next to the cathedral is the Royal Alcazar. The Royal Alcazar was born during the eleventh century over the remains of an Islamic quarter. The Alacazar is a harmonious combination of art, history and culture in an area declared "World Heritage Site". It has always been the official residence of the Spanish Heads of State and is today the oldest Royal Palace of Europe that is still in use. 
View of Cathedral rooftop from Giralda Tower
Another activity I would recommend was a carriage ride through the Jardines de El Prado and the Spanish Plaza. The gardens are beautiful and well worth the carriage fare. Make sure you get a tour guide that speaks good English to show you the sites.
Flamenco Show
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Pipe organ in cathedral
Gold statue inside cathedral
Spanish Square
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RondaFrom Seville, we rented a car and drove a scenic route to Ronda with our final destination of Marbella on the Costa del Sol. Surprisingly, the landscape on the drive was quite different than what I expected. The moutains were very arid and dry as opposed to green and lush. The landscape reminded me of a hilly west Texas.
Ronda is one of the most ancient cities in Spain. The river Guadelevin cuts the town in two and cuts its deep Tajo or gorge, 120 meters deep and the town's identifying mark. In Ronda, we saw the impressive Puente Nuevo, an 18th-century bridge which connects Ronda's old and new districts. There are two other bridges as well, the Puente Romano or Roman bridge from Moorish times and the Puente Viejo or old bridge, builte in the seventheen century. We also saw the Plaza de Toros, Spain's oldest bullring that has staged very important events in bullfighting history visited by famous bullfighting fans, such as Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles. After a lovely lunch at a quaint restaurant on the bridge, we continued our drive to Marbella. |
Puente Nuevo
Ronda
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Marbella View of boardwalk and beach from hotel
Marbella was one our most favorite places to stay, right up there with Seville. Marbella's most charming area is the Old Quarter of narrow cobblestone streets and Moorish houses centered on Plaza de los Maranjos. El Fuerte and La Fontanilla are the two main beaches on the cost. We stayed at the Apartamentos Princesa Playa located across from the beach. A perfect location for us right along the famous marble boardwalk that stretches along the entire coast all the way to Puerto Banus. We spent Monday through Thursday in Marbella relaxing on the beach and enjoying the scenery, food and wine.
Nerja and Granada On Thursday, we drove the Costa del Sol to Granada. On the way, we stopped at Nerja for lunch. Nerja lies on the Mediterranean at the Balcony of Europe. It is a quaint little town with a palm-shades promenade jutting into the sea. The walkway was built in 1885 in honor of a visit from the Spanish King Alfonso XIII in the wake of an earthquake that shattered part of nearby Malaga. Another tourist spot if the Nerja Cave. The cave art is depicted in paintings dated back 2000 BC, with a collection of pigments that goes from red to black and stalactites and stalagmites. Alahambra The Moorish, Muslim Nasdrid dynasty of Spain rose to power in 1212 and ruled Granada for over 200 years. Today, the most visible evidence of their reign is the palatial Alhambra built under their rule. Part fortress, the Alcazaba, part palace, and garden, the Generalife and part city, the Medina, this complex overlooks Granada; the most visited attraction in Spain. We stayed at the Alahambra Palace located next to the complex. It was a bit challenging to get to but well worth it as its location is perfect for visiting the complex. We spent two days visiting all the areas of the complex. Friday night we visited the palace, Saturday, we visited the gardens and the fortress. Friday evening, we drove back to Madrid, spent the night and flew back to DFW on Saturday, September 15. 
Mosaic ceiling tiles
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Moorish town of Marbella
Costa Del Sol
Balcony of Europe
Generalife
Granada from the Alahambra
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