steve

Hello to all fodorites. We just got back from a 10 day trip to Andalusia. We were <BR>in Granada, Ronda, Sevilla, Cordoba, and most points in between. We hit the costa del Sole for a few hours only. The whole trip was great, and the weather was perfect. If anybody has any questions, will be glad to answer.<BR><BR>Also, we have a recommendation for a great<BR>3 star hotel ideally located in the center of Granada - the Reina Cristina. This hotel was the most pleasant surprise of the entire trip!

Brian in Atlanta

Hi Steve, welcome back. I'd be interested in how you got around, how you got back to Madrid on the day you flew back (if that's what you did), and what hotels you stayed at in Seville and Ronda.<BR><BR>Thanks.

steve

We flew through Barcelona to malaga, and from Sevilla through Barcelona.<BR>Our flight plans shouldn't be of much help to you, as we did not fly from the USA.<BR>We stayed at the following hotels -<BR><BR>Malaga - parador golf (one night only)<BR> <BR>Granada - reina cristina (3 nights)<BR><BR>Ronda - san gabriel -delightful 3 stars in the center of old ronda. (2 nights)<BR><BR>Sevilla - san gil - a very good 3 star hotel with large rooms, but located about a 30 minute walk from the cathedral, and a real problem with parking if you come with a car. On the other hand, the taxis are pretty cheap in Sevilla. It's a $5 taxi ride to the cathedral area.

cheryl

Steve, how was your driving to different cities especially Ronda? I remember your questions when you were in the planning stage. Which is your fav location, restuarant, hotel? I notice you stayed in Granada for 3 nights, how was it?

Maribel

Steve,<BR>Glad you like the sweet little San Gabriel in Ronda-it's a favorite of mine, and it's nice that it's becoming better known. Did you fly on Iberia, Air Europa or Spanair (or a combo)?<BR>

steve

We flew Iberia and they were very consistant. All four flights were at least 30 minutes late, one was 60 minutes late.<BR><BR>Driving was very easy. The main roads are excellent highways and the spanish drivers are patient and reasonably careful.<BR><BR>Favorite place is hard to say. We loved the shopping and the Alhambra in Granada, the views in Ronda, the Mezquita in Cordoba, but I guess the city we enjoyed most was Sevilla. What a great city! So much to see and do.<BR><BR>Also, there were many good restaurants, but the best was "Egana Oriza" in Sevilla. This was by far the best restaurant we ate at - impeccable 5 star service and food.<BR><BR>Maribal, how well do you know the customs connected with "La Macarena"?<BR>We stayed very close to La Macarena and on Thursday night, (10 days before Easter) we witnessed what might be called a "pre-processional" where they moved some of the "floats" through the street out of the church thru the side door and into the church thru the front door. I thought they were just practicing but we couldn't find out much because of the language barrier. <BR>It was quite an experience!

Tammy

Steve, <BR><BR>Thanks for the report! I'll be going to Spain in October and I'm planning on visiting the same cities you mentioned, except for Cordoba and I'll be adding Toledo to the list. <BR><BR>Lately on the site there has been talk about the safety of tourists in Spain. Did you have any trouble? <BR><BR>Also, while in Ronda, did you visit the caves in the area? If so, what were your impressions?

Maribel

Steve,<BR>About La Macarena- I don't know what would have been going on there last Thurs, other than a "practice run". This week, the Macarena is scheduled to leave the Basilica slightly past midnight on Holy Thursday and return at 1:30 p.m. on Good Friday. It and the Jesus del Gran Poder and Virgen Esperanza de Triana have always been the most famous processions in the early morning hrs of Good Friday, so it probably was a practice with the "costaleros" (the float bearers).<BR>I'm glad you enjoyed Egana-Oriza; we think it's the nicest place in Sevilla for a formal dinner (and interesting people watching) in that beautiful conservatory type dining rm. Elegant and refined-I agree! -plus great Basque food. And the tapas at the bar are also a sure bet.<BR>

steve

Tammy, we had no problems. Didn't even see anything that looked remotely suspicious. And no, we didn't see the caves near Ronda. We were far too busy enjoying the view.<BR><BR>Maribel, are you a frequent traveler to Spain, or do you live there?<BR>As for the Macarena, I am convinced that it was a trial run for the new team of float bearers, but there were several hundred people milling about waiting for the mini-procession.

Maribel

Hi Steve,<BR>I married a native Spaniard (born in La Mancha, raised in Madrid), and his entire (enormous) family still lives there, mostly in Madrid, others in Almeria, Leon and the Basque Country, so we spend our summers there visiting and traveling. (being professorial types with embarrassingly long summer vacations!) <BR>One of our Sevilla friends is a float bearer for the processions of the Church of El Salvador (as have been all the men in the family-the tradition is passed on from generation to generation). I'll ask him about the "pre-processions" or practice sessions, as we suspect they must have been. <BR>A couple of questions:<BR>How were the crowds at the Alhambra, or were there any crowds at all last week? We were in Europe last week as well (Paris), and all the museums were mobbed with school groups, both children and teens. Just wondered if you experienced the same...<BR>What was your opinion of the Parador de Golf in Malaga? A handy place to spend the night before an early morning flight from the Malaga airport? I'd love to hear more about your trip.<BR>Regards,<BR>Maribel <BR>

steve

Mirabel - regarding the Parador golf - you are exactly right, just on the opposite end of the trip. We arrived in Malaga at midnight and it was the closest hotel I could find for one night. It was quite nice, sorry i didn't bring my clubs.<BR><BR>As for crowds, they weren't too bad - not at the alhambra, nor at the alcazar, or the mezquita... The biggest crowd was at the Basilica de la Macarena!! We spoke to one young girl who actually spoke some english and she proudly told us that her boyfriend was one of the 48(!) float "bearers".<BR><BR>The weather was fabulous, and we enjoyed everything. In a couple of weeks, you can see the entire trip described on my web page... <BR><BR>BTW, there were several restaurants which we enjoyed very much besides the Egana-Oriza.