Wanderful Wednesday #wanderfulwednesday
Nov 12-13 Toronto to London to Madrid
Nov 14 Madrid on our own
Nov 15 Madrid on our own
Nov 16 Madrid on our own until Welcome Dinner
Nov 17 Part 1 Madrid City tour
Nov 17 Part 2 Toledo and Madrid dinner
Week 1 Recap Nov 12 - 16
Week 2 Recap Nov 17 - 23
SUNDAY Nov 18 DAY 4 - Travel to Seville
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Bags out 7 AM B/F 7:30 AM Depart 8 AM
Madrid to Cordoba 4 hours
Everybody is on schedule, bags on bus, last couple to arrive?? Miami Duo!
Then he gets off bus and goes back inside.
We were advised that we would be stopping in about 1.5 hours for a bathroom break, coffee, etc.
This morning, enjoy a scenic drive through the arid landscapes of Don Quixote's La Mancha, featuring panoramic views of its famous windmills.
Castilla-La Mancha is a region in central Spain to the south and east of Madrid. The setting of 17th-century novel "Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes, it encompasses plains dotted with vineyards, castles and windmills, plus mountain ranges. due to which La Mancha is internationally well-known.This area is famous for the Don Quixote trail starting from the small town of Orgaz, south of Toledo, which takes in several sites with hilltop windmills, including the most famous of these at Consuegra, where there are still eleven historic windmills for visitors to tilt at. We saw some of these on our bus ride.
Click here to see Don Quixote in Guanajuato Mexico. We also came across a gorgeous sculpture of him in Boca Raton Florida!
Don Quixote is standing guard protecting La Mancha.
There aren't that many windmills left.
But a lot of bull.
The Osborne Bull is the black silhouette of bull that stands on hilltops and along the roadside in many – but not all – parts of Spain. It began as nothing more than an advertisement in 1956 when the Osborne Groupset out to promote 'Veteran' brandy. An Andalucian artist by the name of Manolo Prieto suggested the bull and thus set a legend in motion.
The weather was great as we drove through Don Quixote country.
We stopped at a restaurant called Venta del Quijote, in Puerto Lapice.
I have to say this was the one and only interesting break/stop that we made.
Puerto Lapice, whose village inn is said to be where Quixote was knighted by an exasperated landlord and Sancho Panza was tossed in a blanket for failing to pay the bill. The Venta Del Qixote is actually a quaint reconstruction of a coaching inn of the day, with a corral for animals and wooden tables around a cobbled yard.
John went in to have a coffee, while I browsed around outside.
In the gift shop.
Even wine!
Arrive in Cordoba, founded by the Romans.
Known as both an important Roman city during the Roman Empire and a significant Islamic center during the Middle Ages, Cordoba and the surrounding region are rich in cultural history, famous attractions, and areas worth exploring.
It is 2 PM when we arrive in Cordoba and it is raining!
Lunch on your own in Cordoba.
The guide then said we should have lunch and meet at the mezquita at 3:30 for the tour. It is November and it starts getting dark early.
We head to a recommended restaurant, Bodegas Mezquita with Bob and Anne.
John and I shared rabo de toro a la Cordobesa or slow-cooked Cordoban-style oxtail with local wine and vegetables that was delicious but it took a long time to be served as the rice is cooked to order. Here's a recipe.
Waiting for our bill at 3:20.
We head to a recommended restaurant, Bodegas Mezquita with Bob and Anne.
John and I shared rabo de toro a la Cordobesa or slow-cooked Cordoban-style oxtail with local wine and vegetables that was delicious but it took a long time to be served as the rice is cooked to order. Here's a recipe.
Waiting for our bill at 3:20.
The most famous site in the city is the Mezquita de Cordoba, once the largest mosque in the world that was transformed into a cathedral in the 16th century.
Still raining as we meet Terry, our Liverpudlian tour guide who is very animated about his subject.
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THE MOSQUE CATHEDRAL
The Mezquita (Mosque) dates back to the 10th century when Córdoba reached its zenith under a new emir, Abd ar-Rahman 111 who was one of the great rulers of Islamic history. At this time Córdoba was the largest, most prosperous cities of Europe, outshining Byzantium and Baghdad in science, culture and the arts. The development of the Great Mosque paralleled these new heights of splendour.
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Today the Mezquita de Cordoba (Cordoba Mosque) as it is commonly known (or the Cordoba Cathedral as it was know by its owners the Catholic church) can be visited throughout the year for an entrance fee. Following a dispute between the church and the city over the name of the building in the 2010's it is now diplomatically called "Cordoba Mosque Cathedral".
The approach is via the Patio de los Naranjos,(court of the oranges) a classic Islamic ablutions courtyard which preserves both its orange trees and fountains. When the mosque was used for Muslim prayer, all nineteen naves were open to this courtyard allowing the rows of interior columns to appear like an extension of the tree with brilliant shafts of sunlight filtering through.
Still raining as we meet Terry, our Liverpudlian tour guide who is very animated about his subject.
.
THE MOSQUE CATHEDRAL
The Mezquita (Mosque) dates back to the 10th century when Córdoba reached its zenith under a new emir, Abd ar-Rahman 111 who was one of the great rulers of Islamic history. At this time Córdoba was the largest, most prosperous cities of Europe, outshining Byzantium and Baghdad in science, culture and the arts. The development of the Great Mosque paralleled these new heights of splendour.
.
Today the Mezquita de Cordoba (Cordoba Mosque) as it is commonly known (or the Cordoba Cathedral as it was know by its owners the Catholic church) can be visited throughout the year for an entrance fee. Following a dispute between the church and the city over the name of the building in the 2010's it is now diplomatically called "Cordoba Mosque Cathedral".
The approach is via the Patio de los Naranjos,(court of the oranges) a classic Islamic ablutions courtyard which preserves both its orange trees and fountains. When the mosque was used for Muslim prayer, all nineteen naves were open to this courtyard allowing the rows of interior columns to appear like an extension of the tree with brilliant shafts of sunlight filtering through.
The minaret of the mosque was also converted to the bell tower of the cathedral. It was adorned with Santiago de Compostela's captured cathedral bells.
Our motley crew in the Patio, and the rain has let up.
Once you enter the prayer hall, you will be struck by the many columns (856 to be exact) and the iconic double arches. The columns draw the eye in a continuous line creating the illusion of infinity. In order to make sense of the many columns, bear in mind that they were built to create prayer isles or serfs. Imagine hundreds of supplicants standing shoulder to shoulder amongst the isles, bowing and prostrating in unison. As you explore the columns you will notice that they are made of various materials including jasper, onyx, marble and granite.
I'll save the rest of the mosque for a detailed post.
The walking tour of the city includes the ancient Jewish Quarter, with its labyrinth of winding narrow streets and picturesque squares.
Terry takes us on a walking tour while the rain has let up.
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The weather is not cooperating as we stroll. It begins to rain harder.
The medieval synagogue on Calle de los Judios is one of only three originals still remaining in Spain.
The skies just opened as we headed back to the bus!
By now we were soaked through.
Travel to Seville, capital of Andalucia for dinner and overnight
Cordoba to Sevile 1.45 hours
We finally reach our hotel at 7:45, rooms assigned but luggage still on bus. Andrea says for us to leave our carryon in our rooms and be back in the lobby for dinner at 8 PM.
The skies just opened as we headed back to the bus!
By now we were soaked through.
Travel to Seville, capital of Andalucia for dinner and overnight
Cordoba to Sevile 1.45 hours
We finally reach our hotel at 7:45, rooms assigned but luggage still on bus. Andrea says for us to leave our carryon in our rooms and be back in the lobby for dinner at 8 PM.
Most of us wanted to change out of our wet clothes and one of the "Southern Belles" says "well, I'm going to change".
Hotel Melia Lebreros, Seville
Located in the city centre, near major tourist attractions, such as Plaza de España (city tour next day), the Real Alcázar and Parque María Luisa (city tour next day), shopping centres (El Corte Inglés and Nervión Plaza) and the city’s leisure facilities and lively nightlife.
Avd. Luis de Morales, 2
Seville, SPAIN 41018
P: +(34)-95-457-9400
It isn't really in the tourist centre, you would have to take a cab as we did the next day.
Dinner 8 PM
We gather as a group at 8 PM and walk around the corner, in the rain, to our dinner. Not happy at being given fifteen minutes to get ready.
We barely sit down and our food is being served. Everything was rushed with a total lack of customer service.
Fried eggplant.
We are done in no time and realize we had been catered to before the restaurant was opened to the public.
Next morning, on the bus, we hear some of the complaints about the meal
John and I, having had two of the the four meals provided as part of our package, vow not to attend the other two.
Overnight: Seville
Thank you for the nice review, Jackie. Your pictures are sooo nice. Glad to see you back but I know you would stay longer still if things were for that. We've spent about eight weeks total in Spain, 2003,2005, and 2009. We had a car and each time a granddaughter who was 16 at the time for each of the first two.
ReplyDeleteOnce we came from Paris, to Western France, down to Gibraltar, over to Granada, and up to Albacete and dumping the car for some mission work and group travel, then flew home from Madrid.
Again two years later, rented a car again in Paris and did Switzerland to Munich to Albacete for more mission work and groop travel, then flew back to Paris and eventually home.
The third time in 2009 we had the girl's dad, flew to Barcelona, rented a car & drove to Southern France, stayed a while and drove over the mountains (through Andorra, we hadn't ever been there) back to Barcelona and spent four more days there. Flew to Paris, rented a car and ended up in Bruges, Belgium, back to Paris and eventually flew home. No mission work there. The last is on my blog, some.
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Quixote is everywhere!
ReplyDeleteThe mosque-cathedral is quite impressive.