francebound

MADRID arrival late afternoon from Portugal
1 night: In Monday, April 22,2024
ACCOMMODATION: Room Mate Alba confirmed
RESTAURANT IDEAS:
Book ahead: Triciclo
Breakfast at Casa Gonzalez

Why 1 night and why arriving from Portugal? Here’s why…Last fall we found a Vancouver- Lisbon return fare that allowed a stopover of up to 7 days in both directions in the Azores, which is what we are doing. Having never been to southern Spain, we thought “since we’re all the way over there” let’s add that on. But we stayed in Madrid a few years ago so we’re just overnighting there.

Before going any further I’d like to say a big thank you to all of the extremely helpful advice generously given by contributors to this forum - I’m looking at you Mirabel! - but really everyone who goes to the trouble of posting trip reports and offering tips and suggestions, it is so appreciated.

To CORDOBA
TRAIN RESERVATIONS: Iryo train Apr 23 11:45am-1:36pm confirmed
3 nights: In Tuesday, April 23 out Friday, April 26
ACCOMMODATION: Palacio Colomera confirmed
ACTIVITIES:
*Mezquita/Cathedral by day (free early morning beginning 8:30am for 1 hour) and by night for the Soul of Córdoba sound and light show (book when dates available on-line)
*Alcázar gardens
*Palacio de Viana with its 12 interconnecting patios
RESTAURANT IDEAS:
*El Bar de Paco Morales
*Casa Pepe de la Juderia
*Ermita de la Candelaria
*La Regadera, on the river walk or Amaltea

To GRANADA
TRAIN RESERVATIONS: AVE 2076 9:15am - 11:04am confirmed
2 nights: In Friday, April 26 out Sunday, April 28
ACCOMMODATION: Ferala Suites confirmed (by taxi from train station)
ACTIVITIES:
*Friday, April 26. 7pm. Moorish Albaicin Tapas Tour
*Saturday, April 27. 8:30am private Alhambra Tour (Margarita Ortiz de Landazuri’s company) Admission to Nasrid 10am confirmed.
RESTAURANT RESERVATION: Sat Apr 27 @ 8:30pm Carmen de Aben Humeya confirmed

Drive to RONDA
CAR RENTAL: April 28 p/u rental car 12:00 Granada train station.
Where to stop on the way?
2 nights: In Sunday April 28 out Tuesday April 30
ACCOMMODATION: Aire de Ronda confirmed
ACTIVITIES:
Ronda area- Grazelema and Zahara de la Sierra, Setenil, as day drives or enroute to Sevilla?
Restaurant ideas?


Drive to SEVILLE
Drop off car at Seville train station
5 nights: In Tuesday, April 30 out Sunday, May 5
ACCOMMODATION: Airbnb in El Arenal confirmed
ACTIVITIES:
*Real Alcázar and gardens: buy tickets a week in advance
*Cathedral including rooftop tour (book when availability posted)
*A stroll through Triana across the Guadalquivir River a walk through the Triana market
*Palacio de las Dueñas
*flamenco maybe but not high on the list
RESTAURANT IDEAS:
1st night for dinner?: Petit Comité
La Escalona (recommended by friends) (reserve)
Visit Triana market, Puratasca for lunch (reserve)
Takeout: El Corte Inglés supermarket downstairs or upstairs Club del Gourmet
Lunch or dinner: Tradevo Centro
Bodequita Romero for tapas
La Barra de Inchausti for tapas (seafood)

Are any of the restaurant ideas too challenging for those of us who only know a few words of Spanish?

Maribel

francebound,
A few thoughts:
MADRID:
Triciclo is a great bet for dinner. For breakfast the Room Mate has a generous buffet spread served until noon, but if you want something other than that you have the all day breakfast spot, the Scandinavian looking Gosto Café at León 30, that serves specialty coffee, bowls, different toasts. Casa Gonzalez is better for evening small plates/wines taken at its marble topped tables in the back dining room and gourmet deli items to take away.

CÓRDOBA:
We'll be at the H10 Palacio Colomera the month before. It's on a pretty, lively main square in the modern city and I hope you enjoy it. I like all your restaurant ideas, so I would pick the menu that most appeals to you. We'll be dining at Ermita de la Candelaria, have tapas at Casa Pepe and dinner at El Bar de Paco Morales on our trip and will report back. Don't miss the Palacio de Viana. The gardens should be very pretty then! Ditto to the Alcázar gardens.

GRANADA:
Looks great! Wouldn't change a thing.

RONDA:
You can do Setenil as a day drive, since it's north of Ronda. Or do Grazalema, which is south from Ronda. If you want to do both Grazalema AND Zahara de la Sierra on the way to Sevilla just know that it will take about 1 hr. 30 min. to make the drive from Ronda-Zahara on this route and you may have to stop for sheep! You would detour south to Grazalema, where you may have to stop for sheep!, then after visiting this pretty town (produces Payoyo cheese and handmade blankets) then head northwest through two passes, the Puerto del Boyar and Puerto de las Palomas (slow going, as it's mountainous and curvy) to Zahara de la Sierra (this drive would take about an hour, 30 min. without stops. From Zahara to Sevilla it will take about an hour, 30 min, via Utrera.Lunch stops, depending in your route and when you hit the lunch hour (1:30-2:30): In Zahara at the hotel/restaurant Al Lago, in Grazalema at Casa Martín 1920 at the Plaza de España or if you take the northern route, in Setenil at El Mirador.

SEVILLA
I like your activities list, wouldn't change a think, except try to fit in the Plaza de España (carriage rides from the Cathedral will take you there or you can even walk).
Dining:
When you walk. to Pura Tasca you may think "why in the world am I going to the far northeast corner of Triana for a meal", but it's a really nice place with very creative food, but small.
Another option for Triana would be Alfarería 21 Casa de Montalbán, housed in a former ceramics factory (see lrice's TR) with a lovely indoor patio. Very atmospheric and very, very old Sevilla. Seville gets so many tourists these days from all parts, I don't think you'll have problems communicating at restaurants.
Your dining list looks very solid! (I don't know La Escalona but will check it out during Holy Week.

Maribel

If you're interested in seeing an interesting project, a tour of an olive mill and tasting, there's the LA Organicoutside of Ronda, a design of Philippe Starck.

francebound

Just what I was hoping for, thanks Maribel! I'm tweaking my activity options to include all your suggestions. I'm all for a good hotel buffet breakfast but a coffee followed by a walk to the Gosto Cafe sounds better, especially since we have only a few hours in Madrid. In Ronda the LA Organic olive mill tour sounds interesting and different and I always like to bring EVOO home. The driving routes you advise between Granada and Ronda and Seville are so helpful too, first hand experience is the best. Will watch out for sheep!

Maribel

Yes, the sheep have priority on these back roads!

gallagher86

In Granada - go to the tapas bar "Bar Poe". The staff is english speaking (in fact, one of the owners is British), the food is delicious and the atmosphere is really great!

geetika

A tapas bar we liked enormously and went back to a couple of times was La Tana in Granada. Decent pours and a wide variety of tapas, including several delicious veggie options, it was one of the places our Airbnb host recommended.

Maribel

A huge ditto to Taberna la Tana. I love this place on a small square, Placeta del Agua, off Calle Rosario. And the complimentary tapas are freshly made in the small kitchen. It´s run by a sister and brother team who really know their wines, from all regions but especially from Andalucía. They have 600 different labels of wine. Best to reserve. They open in the evening at 8:30 pm. With each round of wine ordered, one receives a complimentary tapa, but they also have a full menu of tapas.

Nearby is Taberna Malvasia, another wine bar.

francebound

Thanks for the suggestion. I see we are booked on the same (Gayle's) Tapas Tour as lrice who wrote a terrific trip report, "Our December in Andalucia". She also recommends Taberna la Tana, but it sounds like a busy spot and may not be included on the tour (I'll ask anyway). Maybe we'll go our first day in Granada, fingers crossed we'll arrive in in plenty of time to have lunch there!