Two glorious weeks in the southern Iberian peninsula!
Jul 2nd, 2014, 06:55 AM
#21
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Oh, you noticed how much time I spend thinking about food? 
Kidding aside, it's one of the things I always find this forum so helpful for. I mean, presumably you can figure out for yourself that if you are going to Granada you should see the Alhambra, but how do you figure out where to eat? I find guidebooks not discriminating enough (other than Michelin - and even that one let me down once or twice on this trip), and TripAdvisor is helpful, but you can't rely on it exclusively. Fodorites always give food advice!
About the paella, the lunchtime-only thing was just that one restaurant. We did get it at night at Oliver's. But in general, Juan (our Alhambra guide) warned us away from all the restaurants around Granada that were advertising paella, and said that for good paella you have to go to the coast. That sounds consistent with your experience.
Kidding aside, it's one of the things I always find this forum so helpful for. I mean, presumably you can figure out for yourself that if you are going to Granada you should see the Alhambra, but how do you figure out where to eat? I find guidebooks not discriminating enough (other than Michelin - and even that one let me down once or twice on this trip), and TripAdvisor is helpful, but you can't rely on it exclusively. Fodorites always give food advice!
About the paella, the lunchtime-only thing was just that one restaurant. We did get it at night at Oliver's. But in general, Juan (our Alhambra guide) warned us away from all the restaurants around Granada that were advertising paella, and said that for good paella you have to go to the coast. That sounds consistent with your experience.
Jul 2nd, 2014, 07:15 AM
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Thanks CGS. So that suggests that for a really good paella I head to the coast (especially Valencia) and avoid any place that blatantly advertises it. I think I should learn to speak Spanish and head to Valencia and ask the locals where to get my paella. I wonder if Fodorites could recommend a particular place?
Jul 2nd, 2014, 07:10 PM
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I couldn't agree more about the deliciousness of Portuguese breakfasts (most of the places we stayed had champagne on offer as well though we never took them up on it) and I couldn't agree more about the coffee - they know how to do it right. Don't think I can go back to Starbucks super sweet drinks after the cappuccinos. One approximation we have found is the Nesspresso espresso machines. And we loved the megaliths as well - it was so tranquil out in the fields, so amazing thinking what it meant to those people so long ago.
When were you in Evora? We were there June 15th-17t
When were you in Evora? We were there June 15th-17t
Jul 6th, 2014, 06:57 PM
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We were there June 8-9. Sounds like we just missed you!
Sorry for the delay in continuing my report. Busy holiday weekend. I'll get back on track this week to report about Ronda and then Sevilla. Happy 4th!
Sorry for the delay in continuing my report. Busy holiday weekend. I'll get back on track this week to report about Ronda and then Sevilla. Happy 4th!
Please keep it coming!
Jul 7th, 2014, 07:47 PM
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Ok, picking up as our time in Granada came to an end...
The next day we said a sad goodbye to Granada and headed out for Ronda. We would be making a number of stops, and figured the drive with stops would take most of the day. Due to the late night and all the packing up and checking out, then getting to our car, etc, it was 11 by the time we got on the road. Not a great start, but that's what it was.
First stop: Antequera. We didn't have a ton of information and we drove around in circles a bit before figuring out where we were and finding a good parking spot. DH was a little worried about leaving the luggage in the car. Before we left the parking lot in Granada we took everything we needed with us in the car so we wouldn't have to open the back when we arrived (we had a station wagon), tied all the suitcases together with straps we had brought with us for this purpose, and then - stroke of genius by DH! - locked them all to the car with a bicycle lock! Then pulled the cover over the back so you couldn't see what was there and were on our way. Even so, we tried to park in very open public places, or back the car up against a wall so you couldn't lift the back door up. We figured the more deterrents the better. DH and I are maybe a little more paranoid about this than normal, because many years ago we had everything - everything! - stolen out of the trunk of our rental car in Seattle. We had stopped to do some sightseeing on the way to the airport, parked in a sketchy area, opened the trunk to get something out (thereby advertising to everyone in the surrounding sketchy area that there were bags in the trunk - right, not so bright, but we were 20-something. Insufficient life experience at that point to anticipate what now seems obvious!), and when we came back everything was gone - bags, clothes, cameras, and our plane tickets. Remember paper plane tickets that you had to have physically on you or you couldn't get on the plane? Yeah, they were stolen, and our flight was in about an hour. It was a bit of a nightmare.
So, bags secure and car parked we set off to briefly explore the city. It was blazing hot, and the city was oddly quiet - we were practically the only ones on the street! - so the exploration ended up being a bit brief. We wandered up to the plaza at the Santa Maria La Mayor and had a look at the church and the walls of the Alcazaba. There is a good view from this plaza of the nearby mountian Peña de los Enamorados, with the striking profile resembling a face gazing up at the sky. We didn't have time to tour the Alcazaba, but I had read in Lonely Planet that the Iglesia del Carmen was really worth seeing so we walked down to that. Again, we were bumping up against siesta - they were closing in 10 minutes (maybe the reason the streets were so quiet too). But it's a small church and the woman at the door said we had enough time to see it, it was only a few euros, and we were there, so we paid and went in. It was actually quite spectacular and we lingered a bit past the 10 minutes - she was kind enough to wait. The whole interior of the church was very beautiful, and of particular note was the elaborate Baroque altar carved all of wood. DD later said it was her favorite church of the trip.
Back in the car and out to the outskirts of the city for a stop at the dolmans. There are three in the area - two are right there at the outskirts of Antequera, with a nice visitors center and a short film about the dolmans. We watched the film and visited the two dolmans that were on site. They were interesting to see, especially after seeing the dolman outside of Ėvora as part of our megaliths tour. I don't think I'd make a special trip, but they are an interesting stop on the drive.
Next stop was El Torcal Natural Park, about 11km south. El Torcal is an area of natural granite rock formations that to me were reminiscent of Utah, except the rock was grey rather than red. The entire area used to be the bed of a pre-historic ocean. We did a 1.5 km hike that leaves from the visitors center and it was really dramatic scenery. We met a Belgian couple on the hike who were looking at something they called a "deer" through the zoom lens of her camera. We pulled out DH's binoculars and finally spotted what she saw, way up on top of one of the peaks of granite - a Spanish Ibex! It was really far away and I have no idea how she spotted it, but I'm glad she did!
All the stopping and hiking and finding our way around, added to the drive itself, took essentially the whole day, so it was early evening by the time we approached Ronda. More of the usual wrong turns and difficulty finding streets (even with the iPhone), but eventually we arrived at the marvelous Hotel Montelirio. The hotel is right on the edge of the gorge, with a spectacular view of the Ponte Nuevo. Once again, we actually gasped when we stepped out on the restaurant balcony and got our first sight. Ronda is absolutely worth visiting, and well worth an overnight. That became especially clear the next day when hordes of day-trippers arrived and completely changed the atmosphere of the city. I was happy we had been there in the evening and morning, before the large groups arrived. Ronda was one of my favorite parts of the trip, but if we'd gone only for the day I'm not sure I would have liked it nearly as much.
The hotel was quite small so even though DDs were on a different floor it made no real difference. The staff could not have been nicer or more helpful in every possible way. Rooms were lovely and perfectly clean. Location is perfect - right across from the Ponte Nuevo, on the old city side. There's a restaurant - which is supposed to be very good, and if we'd been there more than one night we might have eaten there - with that spectacular view of the gorge and the bridge, and a small dipping pool on a lower balcony. They also serve breakfast, but I went and checked on it in the morning and I didn't think it seemed worthwhile. It's the one area where I think they could improve. Otherwise, very high marks for Hotel Montelirio.
We had a little time before dinner so we set out into the city to get what is supposed to be the famous view of the Ponte Nuevo in the late afternoon sun. We found the spot to go down the steps into the gorge, and also found several viewpoints along the way. Whether we ever found the "famous" one or not is debatable, but the view was beautiful everywhere, so we decided not to worry about it.
Back to the hotel for showers and to get ready for dinner, which was to be tapas at Traga Tapas, a casual sister restaurant of the Michelin starred Tragabuches. It was a great meal! When we arrived the outdoor tables were all taken (although all the surrounding restaurants had plenty of space!). We were told we could start our meal inside and move outside when a table opened, so we did. Inside does not have much ambience, but the World Cup was on and Spain was playing so the atmosphere was very lively (every restaurant on the block had screens showing the game both inside and out). We had an absolutely fantastic meal, ordering a little of this, a little of that, some local wine, then a little more food, then moving outside and ordering more until we couldn't fit another bite. We got up the courage to try pork cheeks. One DD loved it, the other said one bite was enough. That's the beauty of tapas! This is not fine dining, but the food was really good and creative. I would go back in a heartbeat. It's worth arriving early for an outdoor table if the weather is good.
After dinner we took a stroll to see the Ponte Nuevo lit up at night. There's a promenade along the gorge on the new city side, and the views are beautiful! We decided to run back up to our hotel to get the good camera, and when we got back the promenade was gated and locked! Apparently they lock it at midnight. We sort of wondered what happens if you're out there strolling when the clock chimes! Anyway, we were disappointed, but took it as a sign that we should go to bed.
The next morning we had a very full itinerary: tour Ronda, check out, drive through the mountains with stops at some white villages, and make it to Seville by evening. We had originally hoped to also see the nearby Pileta Cave, but we were playing those two days between Granada and Seville somewhat by ear, and by that morning we could already see that something would have to go, and the cave was going to have to be the thing. I'm sorry we missed it.
We followed Rick Steves' walking tour through Ronda. We hiked down (and back up!) the water mine at Casa del Rey Moro. We were a little skeptical but actually it is really worth doing - the mine itself is interesting and the view of the water and the gorge from the bottom offers a completely different perspective. The guide books make it sound like it's some horrible climb back up the steps, but it really wasn't. We were back at the top by the time our thighs had started to burn. If you are in halfway decent shape you will be fine. We saw the Ponte Viejo and walked across the Arab bridge, and toured around the Arab Baths. Again, it was quite hot that day - hotter than we had expected, and we learned that we were on the front end of a heat wave that followed us into the already hot city of Seville! Lucky us!
Early on in the trip we had made a family decision that we were not going to visit any bull rings. The bull ring in Ronda is one of the oldest and supposed to be really worth a visit, so if you are planning to visit the city you should factor that in. I think you need to leave a fair amount of time for it, if you plan to see it. Since we weren't doing it we were able to cover all we wanted to see in a matter of about 3 hours. We ended our morning with a daytime stroll along the promenade on the new city side, with spectacular views of the gorge, the Ponte Nueva and the surrounding countryside, and headed back to the hotel to collect our luggage and check out. It was at this point that we encountered the crowds of people getting off buses for day trips to Ronda. Wow, what a change from the evening and morning! You could barely get across the Ponte Nuevo, even on foot! We figured it was time to leave.
The actual leaving always takes longer than you think, and we had about an hour's drive to our next stop - Grazalema. The drive was beautiful through the mountains and the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. I had told my family, with the pueblos blancos, it's as much about the drive as it is about the destination.
I was giddy when I first saw the town of Grazalema all nestled in the crook of the mountain! It was exactly like the pictures and I was so happy to see it with my own eyes! Just before making the turn to head into the town we saw a gatepost leading to a long driveway and a sign for fresh goat cheese. In the middle of basically nowhere! Pit stop! We drove down the driveway to a small house with a parking lot in back, and an open door led to a small cheese shop in the back of the house. Several tastes later we were back on the road with our freshest snack.
We parked in Grazalema and did a short walking tour around the town. It was a Saturday and a festival of some sort was setting up in the main square. There was a basketball tournament going on and a DJ setting up. Down another street an older gentleman was up on a ladder trimming the spectacular flowers planted in window boxes outside his house. His friend stood on the street below offering advice - solicited or unsolicited? Couldn't tell. I wish we'd had more time there - there is a Michelin starred restaurant, so a meal might have been nice! - but as a general matter this part of the trip was a bit rushed, and after some strolling and picture taking we took our leave of Grazalema.
I typed our next destination - Zahara - into the GPS and off we went. I wasn't paying attention to the route the GPS was taking - we were already slightly worried about the time and when we would get to Seville. After 10 or 15 minutes we came to a "T" intersection. The road we were driving on came to an end - to the right was the road we had come on from Ronda. To the left was a bridge. The GPS said to go left to Zahara. Just one problem - the bridge was closed! Barricaded - no passage. There was no other road as far as the eye could see.
Now what? I had a map. Two, in fact. The Michelin map I'd purchased at home, and a map of the Pueblos Blancos I had gotten at an info station in Granada. I forgot to mention that this info station - in Plaza Nueva - had great maps not only of Granada but of all of Andalucia. We got a map of Ronda, one of the Pueblos Blancos (very handy at this point in time!) and a better map of Seville than any that we got when we were actually in Seville.
According to both maps, there were two options: head back along the road toward Ronda and turn off for the main highway to Seville, skipping Zahara, or go back the way we just came, towards Grazalema, and pick up a road that clearly wound like a snake through the mountains to Zahara. Dilemma. It was already late afternoon and even by the most direct route we had a 2 hour drive to Seville. Doubling back and going through the mountains would probably add at least an hour, plus the time to stop in Zahara. But I wanted to see it!
Suddenly something dawned on me - the mountain road was the one I had read you are supposed to take. That was the route we should have taken all along! The GPS just didn't know that and I wasn't paying attention to how we were going. That decided it - the drive is just as important as the destination, and that route was the intended drive.
We doubled back - even so the GPS kept trying to turn us around and take us back over the barricaded bridge. We tried to follow the map but got turned around a few more times looking for a road that didn't seem to exist, until we realized we had to actually go back THROUGH Grazalema, and up and over the town and the mountain above it!
It was an absolutely beautiful drive and we loved it. I don't regret it for a minute. By the time we reached Zahara it was proabably 5pm and we didn't have much time, but we parked and walked around, wandered into a church, stopped for a tapa, drove up to the base of the castle, chatted (via DD) with some local gentlemen, decided based on what they told us that we really didn't have time for the castle, and finally got back on the road, stopping on the way out to take pictures of the town wrapping itself around the peak of the mountain like a lock of white curls.
Then we were on our way to Seville - long anticipated, the place I most wanted to see, and sadly our last stop in Spain.
The next day we said a sad goodbye to Granada and headed out for Ronda. We would be making a number of stops, and figured the drive with stops would take most of the day. Due to the late night and all the packing up and checking out, then getting to our car, etc, it was 11 by the time we got on the road. Not a great start, but that's what it was.
First stop: Antequera. We didn't have a ton of information and we drove around in circles a bit before figuring out where we were and finding a good parking spot. DH was a little worried about leaving the luggage in the car. Before we left the parking lot in Granada we took everything we needed with us in the car so we wouldn't have to open the back when we arrived (we had a station wagon), tied all the suitcases together with straps we had brought with us for this purpose, and then - stroke of genius by DH! - locked them all to the car with a bicycle lock! Then pulled the cover over the back so you couldn't see what was there and were on our way. Even so, we tried to park in very open public places, or back the car up against a wall so you couldn't lift the back door up. We figured the more deterrents the better. DH and I are maybe a little more paranoid about this than normal, because many years ago we had everything - everything! - stolen out of the trunk of our rental car in Seattle. We had stopped to do some sightseeing on the way to the airport, parked in a sketchy area, opened the trunk to get something out (thereby advertising to everyone in the surrounding sketchy area that there were bags in the trunk - right, not so bright, but we were 20-something. Insufficient life experience at that point to anticipate what now seems obvious!), and when we came back everything was gone - bags, clothes, cameras, and our plane tickets. Remember paper plane tickets that you had to have physically on you or you couldn't get on the plane? Yeah, they were stolen, and our flight was in about an hour. It was a bit of a nightmare.
So, bags secure and car parked we set off to briefly explore the city. It was blazing hot, and the city was oddly quiet - we were practically the only ones on the street! - so the exploration ended up being a bit brief. We wandered up to the plaza at the Santa Maria La Mayor and had a look at the church and the walls of the Alcazaba. There is a good view from this plaza of the nearby mountian Peña de los Enamorados, with the striking profile resembling a face gazing up at the sky. We didn't have time to tour the Alcazaba, but I had read in Lonely Planet that the Iglesia del Carmen was really worth seeing so we walked down to that. Again, we were bumping up against siesta - they were closing in 10 minutes (maybe the reason the streets were so quiet too). But it's a small church and the woman at the door said we had enough time to see it, it was only a few euros, and we were there, so we paid and went in. It was actually quite spectacular and we lingered a bit past the 10 minutes - she was kind enough to wait. The whole interior of the church was very beautiful, and of particular note was the elaborate Baroque altar carved all of wood. DD later said it was her favorite church of the trip.
Back in the car and out to the outskirts of the city for a stop at the dolmans. There are three in the area - two are right there at the outskirts of Antequera, with a nice visitors center and a short film about the dolmans. We watched the film and visited the two dolmans that were on site. They were interesting to see, especially after seeing the dolman outside of Ėvora as part of our megaliths tour. I don't think I'd make a special trip, but they are an interesting stop on the drive.
Next stop was El Torcal Natural Park, about 11km south. El Torcal is an area of natural granite rock formations that to me were reminiscent of Utah, except the rock was grey rather than red. The entire area used to be the bed of a pre-historic ocean. We did a 1.5 km hike that leaves from the visitors center and it was really dramatic scenery. We met a Belgian couple on the hike who were looking at something they called a "deer" through the zoom lens of her camera. We pulled out DH's binoculars and finally spotted what she saw, way up on top of one of the peaks of granite - a Spanish Ibex! It was really far away and I have no idea how she spotted it, but I'm glad she did!
All the stopping and hiking and finding our way around, added to the drive itself, took essentially the whole day, so it was early evening by the time we approached Ronda. More of the usual wrong turns and difficulty finding streets (even with the iPhone), but eventually we arrived at the marvelous Hotel Montelirio. The hotel is right on the edge of the gorge, with a spectacular view of the Ponte Nuevo. Once again, we actually gasped when we stepped out on the restaurant balcony and got our first sight. Ronda is absolutely worth visiting, and well worth an overnight. That became especially clear the next day when hordes of day-trippers arrived and completely changed the atmosphere of the city. I was happy we had been there in the evening and morning, before the large groups arrived. Ronda was one of my favorite parts of the trip, but if we'd gone only for the day I'm not sure I would have liked it nearly as much.
The hotel was quite small so even though DDs were on a different floor it made no real difference. The staff could not have been nicer or more helpful in every possible way. Rooms were lovely and perfectly clean. Location is perfect - right across from the Ponte Nuevo, on the old city side. There's a restaurant - which is supposed to be very good, and if we'd been there more than one night we might have eaten there - with that spectacular view of the gorge and the bridge, and a small dipping pool on a lower balcony. They also serve breakfast, but I went and checked on it in the morning and I didn't think it seemed worthwhile. It's the one area where I think they could improve. Otherwise, very high marks for Hotel Montelirio.
We had a little time before dinner so we set out into the city to get what is supposed to be the famous view of the Ponte Nuevo in the late afternoon sun. We found the spot to go down the steps into the gorge, and also found several viewpoints along the way. Whether we ever found the "famous" one or not is debatable, but the view was beautiful everywhere, so we decided not to worry about it.
Back to the hotel for showers and to get ready for dinner, which was to be tapas at Traga Tapas, a casual sister restaurant of the Michelin starred Tragabuches. It was a great meal! When we arrived the outdoor tables were all taken (although all the surrounding restaurants had plenty of space!). We were told we could start our meal inside and move outside when a table opened, so we did. Inside does not have much ambience, but the World Cup was on and Spain was playing so the atmosphere was very lively (every restaurant on the block had screens showing the game both inside and out). We had an absolutely fantastic meal, ordering a little of this, a little of that, some local wine, then a little more food, then moving outside and ordering more until we couldn't fit another bite. We got up the courage to try pork cheeks. One DD loved it, the other said one bite was enough. That's the beauty of tapas! This is not fine dining, but the food was really good and creative. I would go back in a heartbeat. It's worth arriving early for an outdoor table if the weather is good.
After dinner we took a stroll to see the Ponte Nuevo lit up at night. There's a promenade along the gorge on the new city side, and the views are beautiful! We decided to run back up to our hotel to get the good camera, and when we got back the promenade was gated and locked! Apparently they lock it at midnight. We sort of wondered what happens if you're out there strolling when the clock chimes! Anyway, we were disappointed, but took it as a sign that we should go to bed.
The next morning we had a very full itinerary: tour Ronda, check out, drive through the mountains with stops at some white villages, and make it to Seville by evening. We had originally hoped to also see the nearby Pileta Cave, but we were playing those two days between Granada and Seville somewhat by ear, and by that morning we could already see that something would have to go, and the cave was going to have to be the thing. I'm sorry we missed it.
We followed Rick Steves' walking tour through Ronda. We hiked down (and back up!) the water mine at Casa del Rey Moro. We were a little skeptical but actually it is really worth doing - the mine itself is interesting and the view of the water and the gorge from the bottom offers a completely different perspective. The guide books make it sound like it's some horrible climb back up the steps, but it really wasn't. We were back at the top by the time our thighs had started to burn. If you are in halfway decent shape you will be fine. We saw the Ponte Viejo and walked across the Arab bridge, and toured around the Arab Baths. Again, it was quite hot that day - hotter than we had expected, and we learned that we were on the front end of a heat wave that followed us into the already hot city of Seville! Lucky us!
Early on in the trip we had made a family decision that we were not going to visit any bull rings. The bull ring in Ronda is one of the oldest and supposed to be really worth a visit, so if you are planning to visit the city you should factor that in. I think you need to leave a fair amount of time for it, if you plan to see it. Since we weren't doing it we were able to cover all we wanted to see in a matter of about 3 hours. We ended our morning with a daytime stroll along the promenade on the new city side, with spectacular views of the gorge, the Ponte Nueva and the surrounding countryside, and headed back to the hotel to collect our luggage and check out. It was at this point that we encountered the crowds of people getting off buses for day trips to Ronda. Wow, what a change from the evening and morning! You could barely get across the Ponte Nuevo, even on foot! We figured it was time to leave.
The actual leaving always takes longer than you think, and we had about an hour's drive to our next stop - Grazalema. The drive was beautiful through the mountains and the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. I had told my family, with the pueblos blancos, it's as much about the drive as it is about the destination.
I was giddy when I first saw the town of Grazalema all nestled in the crook of the mountain! It was exactly like the pictures and I was so happy to see it with my own eyes! Just before making the turn to head into the town we saw a gatepost leading to a long driveway and a sign for fresh goat cheese. In the middle of basically nowhere! Pit stop! We drove down the driveway to a small house with a parking lot in back, and an open door led to a small cheese shop in the back of the house. Several tastes later we were back on the road with our freshest snack.
We parked in Grazalema and did a short walking tour around the town. It was a Saturday and a festival of some sort was setting up in the main square. There was a basketball tournament going on and a DJ setting up. Down another street an older gentleman was up on a ladder trimming the spectacular flowers planted in window boxes outside his house. His friend stood on the street below offering advice - solicited or unsolicited? Couldn't tell. I wish we'd had more time there - there is a Michelin starred restaurant, so a meal might have been nice! - but as a general matter this part of the trip was a bit rushed, and after some strolling and picture taking we took our leave of Grazalema.
I typed our next destination - Zahara - into the GPS and off we went. I wasn't paying attention to the route the GPS was taking - we were already slightly worried about the time and when we would get to Seville. After 10 or 15 minutes we came to a "T" intersection. The road we were driving on came to an end - to the right was the road we had come on from Ronda. To the left was a bridge. The GPS said to go left to Zahara. Just one problem - the bridge was closed! Barricaded - no passage. There was no other road as far as the eye could see.
Now what? I had a map. Two, in fact. The Michelin map I'd purchased at home, and a map of the Pueblos Blancos I had gotten at an info station in Granada. I forgot to mention that this info station - in Plaza Nueva - had great maps not only of Granada but of all of Andalucia. We got a map of Ronda, one of the Pueblos Blancos (very handy at this point in time!) and a better map of Seville than any that we got when we were actually in Seville.
According to both maps, there were two options: head back along the road toward Ronda and turn off for the main highway to Seville, skipping Zahara, or go back the way we just came, towards Grazalema, and pick up a road that clearly wound like a snake through the mountains to Zahara. Dilemma. It was already late afternoon and even by the most direct route we had a 2 hour drive to Seville. Doubling back and going through the mountains would probably add at least an hour, plus the time to stop in Zahara. But I wanted to see it!
Suddenly something dawned on me - the mountain road was the one I had read you are supposed to take. That was the route we should have taken all along! The GPS just didn't know that and I wasn't paying attention to how we were going. That decided it - the drive is just as important as the destination, and that route was the intended drive.
We doubled back - even so the GPS kept trying to turn us around and take us back over the barricaded bridge. We tried to follow the map but got turned around a few more times looking for a road that didn't seem to exist, until we realized we had to actually go back THROUGH Grazalema, and up and over the town and the mountain above it!
It was an absolutely beautiful drive and we loved it. I don't regret it for a minute. By the time we reached Zahara it was proabably 5pm and we didn't have much time, but we parked and walked around, wandered into a church, stopped for a tapa, drove up to the base of the castle, chatted (via DD) with some local gentlemen, decided based on what they told us that we really didn't have time for the castle, and finally got back on the road, stopping on the way out to take pictures of the town wrapping itself around the peak of the mountain like a lock of white curls.
Then we were on our way to Seville - long anticipated, the place I most wanted to see, and sadly our last stop in Spain.
Jul 8th, 2014, 06:47 AM
#28
CGS - just found this - what a delightful report of what sounds like a great trip.
our only forays into southern Spain so far have been to Granada and Seville - i loved your description of your time in Granada so I'm very interested to see what you have to say about Seville, but we did go to Valencia at the end of May, where we had....paella, of course.
FYI paella is pretty ubiquitous in Valencia, where it also seems to be a lunchtime dish [which in Spain means from 2-5pm] rather than for dinner. They have several sorts which have different names, made with different ingredients and types of rice but we pretty well liked every one we tried, though I preferred the less "soupy" ones.
Lincasanova is the fodorite to ask about paella etc as she lives in Valencia.
our only forays into southern Spain so far have been to Granada and Seville - i loved your description of your time in Granada so I'm very interested to see what you have to say about Seville, but we did go to Valencia at the end of May, where we had....paella, of course.
FYI paella is pretty ubiquitous in Valencia, where it also seems to be a lunchtime dish [which in Spain means from 2-5pm] rather than for dinner. They have several sorts which have different names, made with different ingredients and types of rice but we pretty well liked every one we tried, though I preferred the less "soupy" ones.
Lincasanova is the fodorite to ask about paella etc as she lives in Valencia.
Jul 8th, 2014, 07:46 AM
#29
Fabulous! I looked through this quickly and can't wait to read this later when I have time to go through it more carefully. Wonderful report, great details of all the places I am planning to visit. I'm really savoring your trip report, and getting excited for next year's trip!
Paule
Paule
Jul 9th, 2014, 09:13 PM
#33
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Glad you are all enjoying the report!
MiriamC, so you got to go after all! You mentioned on my other thread, from before my trip, that your DH hurt his back and you might not go. Glad you went and hope he was feeling better.
Maitaitom, I read about Juan on these forums in someone's trip report from a few years ago. I think it was ekscrunchy. She took a different tour with him in Granada, and gave him high marks so I emailed to ask him if he does Alhambra tours.
So, the last time you saw us we were on our way to Seville...
I'll just come right out with it: I loved Seville. I want to go back already. It was my favorite place on the trip, followed by Granada, Évora and Ronda, in no particular order.
By the time we left Zahara, it was clear we'd be lucky to make it to Seville before 9pm. For a hotel, this would not be an issue, but we had rented an apartment, and we had rented from an individual owner through HomeAway. I was a little stressed about arriving so late when we had to arrange to meet up with an individual person.
As it turns out, no worry was warranted. The apartment was managed by the owner's sister, who lives in Seville, and we had been in touch with her by cell phone to give her our ETA, and then to revise it as the day went along. We called when we left Zahara to say we'd be late and she said not to worry, they'd meet us when we arrived. It was helpful to have DD to be able to communicate all this in Spanish. The sister spoke English, but it was a bit limited.
When we arrived we met up with the sister's husband who showed us up to the apartment. It was perfectly located - just off the Plaza Nueva and Plaza de San Francisco and a few blocks from the Cathedral - and had AC and two bathrooms with showers. All of my criteria met! In retrospect, I wish it had had some nice outdoor space for morning coffee, and we were a bit dismayed to find no wi-fi. That surprised me. I had brought the iPad for any research, directions, etc that I would need to look up. In this apartment I had to rely on my phone, which was a bit of a pain. But otherwise the apartment was very nice and comfortable, with a full kitchen and not only a clothes washer but also a dryer! Very handy.
We arrived on a Saturday night, and would have Sunday and Monday in Seville, with plans to leave Tuesday morning. Those are not ideal days. Many restaurants are closed Sunday night, and many attractions are closed or have limited hours on either Sunday or Monday. Add that to the fact that nearly everything closes between 2 and 5, and it made it a challenge to see what we wanted to see in the days we had. It really wasn't enough time and I wish we'd had 2 more days. As it is we ended up spending part of Tuesday morning in Seville, which we hadn't originally planned.
First order of business was to get cleaned up and get dinner. By the time we got settled in and everyone got showered (which we could not skip - heat wave!) it was well after 10pm. OK, that's not so bad for Spain, but it's late for us, especially since we were just walking out the door, not already sitting down to a meal. To complicate matters, the restaurant I had chosen was a good 20 minute walk away, and I expected to find a line when we arrived. Gee, you may be thinking (if you know Seville), there are plenty of good restaurants closer to where you were staying. Why not just go to one of them? Yes, that would normally make sense, but here is where the days of the week came into play. I wanted to go to Eslava, based on reviews here on these forums and in Michelin, and it would be closed both Sunday and Monday nights. If we were going to go, it had to be now. Gave everyone my reasons, quick family vote: off to Eslava.
I won't leave you in suspense - it was the right choice. We set off into the hustle and bustle of Saturday night in Seville. We crossed through Plaza Nueva and joined the throngs walking along the parallel streets of Calle Sierpes and Calle Tetuan. What a great introduction to the city! We walked these two streets many times over the next couple of days and never tired of them. When I think of Seville, this is the area I think of, not for shopping (which we barely did), but just for the "feel" of the place. Loved!
We noticed two things right away: 1. Virtually every person in Seville was out and about, strolling the streets, especially in that district which is pedestrian only, lined with shops, and so near the bars and restaurants of Santa Cruz and 2. It was hot! At nearly 11pm! Not warm summer evening hot - daytime hot! Need another shower when you get home hot! It did not bode well for the next day.
We wound our way through the streets and the crowds thinned as we left the Santa Cruz and El Centro area. We passed a plaza where an outdoor play was going on on a temporary stage set up in the middle of the plaza, and a big crowd was standing around watching and laughing and fanning themselves. Ladies of my generation, remember those paper fans we used to have as toys when we were little girls? People in Seville actually use them! And need them! The next day we noticed vendors were selling them on every street corner. We should have bought some.
Soon there were very few people on the street until we rounded a corner and wow! It was like a party at Eslava! Loud, boisterous, people spilling out the doors and onto the street, everyone talking and laughing and eating and generally having a great time.
We muscled our way through the crowds to the bar and DD asked how long a wait for a table. Inside or outside, he asked. Either one, said we. 12 people ahead of you outside, 8 inside, come on in and start ordering at the bar. This was pretty much what I expected at a popular place at prime time on Saturday night, so we squeezed in tighter and started ordering.
I had read to order the honey glazed ribs and some kind of egg on pâté tapa, and this was confirmed by helpful people at the bar, all of whom were happy to tell us what a good choice we made in coming there and give recommendations on what to order. I ended up next to a guy from Norway who was in Seville on a 6 week stint for work and told me this was one of his favorite spots and what all his top choices were on the menu. Basically everyone in the place was happy as could be to be there, and thought everyone else in the place deserved to be congratulated on their good taste for choosing it too!
When the first round of tapas came out we all agreed - everything was fabulous! We especially like the ribs and the croquetas, as well as a chocolate dessert at the end that we had no room for but ordered anyway based on Norway-guy's recommendation and how good it looked when I saw him get it! We also had pork cheeks again, and several kinds of fish tapas that I can't recall. The award-winning egg on pâté one was good but not as great as I expected, but then I'm not a big fan of pâté.
One thing Eslava is not, at least on a Saturday night, is relaxing or elegant. When I say we were squeezed in, I'm not speaking with poetic license - you could barely move! And when our table finally opened up outside, guess what? It was a standing table with one stool for all four of us! Everyone else outside was in the same position (maybe they should buy more stools!), but as the night wore on and the crowd started thinning we were able to get a few more until finally only DH was standing. Then a table next to us got up to leave, and a crowd of Spaniards was waiting to take their table. DH darted over to grab a stool before the new group could sit down and got into an argument with one of the men - the guy shouted that they had 4 people. DH said we did too. The guy said it's our stool. DH basically said it's a free-for-all and we've been standing for hours. DH made off with the stool and we continued our meal (we still needed to get our cholocate dessert!) then when we were ready to go we brought them our stools before someone else could take them. Suddenly the guy was our new best friend! Oh, thank you, thank you - here have some wine! No, no, I insist, here, try it - he brings a glass of white wine over to me. Try it, try it! (His English was very good!). I try it - I love it. Here, write it down, it's good, you should get it! Their whole table is now giving me the wine information and encouraging me to get the wine. It was like the whole stool argument was over and forgotten! In New York, I'm sorry to say we probably would have gotten a different reception when we returned the stool. (I looked for the wine in restaurants and in the grocery store, by the way, and wasn't able to find it, although I did get a similar one the next night. There was a wine bar down the street from our apartment where I thought maybe I could get it, but it was literally never open at any hour of the day or night! It must have been a Sunday/Monday thing). In the end, this was one of our top two meals of the trip, and half the price of the other top one (which I will get to later). The consensus was that it was worth the walk, the wait, and the late night. If it had been open another night we would have come back.
Based on how hot it was at night I thought the best thing to do was to get an early start in the morning, but it was 1 am before we even left Eslava (full and happy!) so an early start was really not in the cards. Plus the next day was Sunday, so really nothing was getting going early.
We were out on the street by about 10 am the next morning. We expected a wall of heat to meet us when we stepped onto the sidewalk, and were pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually quite comfortable! That didn't last long, though.
Our top priorities for Seville were the Cathedral and the Alcazar, and I wanted to do them on separate days, since I knew each would take a few hours. The Cathedral had very limited hours on Sunday while the Alcazar did not, so we started with the Alcazar.
The first thing we noticed about it was that it was very much like the Alhambra. Turns out there's a reason for that: the Moorish king who built it was - cousins? friends? Something. - with the king in Granada and had some of the same artisans sent over to build his palace! We thought it was one of the highlights of the trip. We did the optional tour of the royal chambers, which are still used presently by the royal family when they are in Seville. We happened to be in Spain during the brief few days in between when the old king abdicated and when his son was crowned, so there was actually no king during our visit! But interestingly, that was never mentioned during the tour of the royal chambers. The tour was interesting but moved a bit too quickly for us - we like to linger a bit - but I would say it's worth doing.
We used both Rick Steves and Lonely Planet to guide us through the palace, and by the time we finished the palace itself and were ready to tour the gardens it was truly unbearably hot. We did a quick Celsius to Fahrenheit conversion and determined that it was over 100 degrees F! You could not be in the sun. We stopped at the cafeteria for a bite to eat, and then set off into the gardens, doing our best to stay in the shade. Because we were coming from the cafeteria instead of from the main part of the palace we saw the gardens somewhat in reverse, and ended up at the famous pool with the statue of Mercury last. That may have been good, because it was our favorite part, and it was cooler with some of the fountain spray blowing. We felt a bit refreshed and ready for more sightseeing.
What to do next? It was mid-late afternoon and we had a long awaited event planned for the evening: flamenco at the Casa de la Memoria with Pastora Galván ! I'm not an expert on flamenco by any stretch of the imagination, but I had done enough research to know that this was a lucky coincidence that she would be dancing the same night we were there. We booked in advance for the early show - 7:30 - with the plan to have dinner afterwards. Even so, we had a couple of hours available.
I wanted to see the Parque de María Luisa, but truly you could not - you would wilt in the afternoon heat. We wanted to see the Basilica Macarena, and we needed to go to the grocery store (it was a whole new city! We hadn't been to their grocery store yet! ) I looked at the map and came up with a brilliant plan: take a cab to the Macarena, which was pretty far away and certainly too far to walk in that heat, and then go by the grocery store on the way home. Geographically, this was perfect. Luckily, before we got too far in the execution something made me check the hours of the church. It was closed between 2 and 5! And we had flamenco at 7:30. Plan foiled.
Finally DDs decided to go back to the apartment for a rest and DH and I set out for the grocery store. Too bad my stroke of genius in checking the hours of the church didn't extend to the grocery store - we arrived to find it was closed too! We were flabbergasted! It never occurred to me the grocery store would be closed! I know, I know - I'm so American. I think it was actually closed all day Sunday, but I had never thought to check that.
So now we're hot tired and frustrated. We give up on the idea of being able to see more that afternoon and end up back at the apartment for a rest, to research which restaurants would be open on a Sunday, and to shower and change for the flamenco show!
You might recall that I had been very disappointed to miss the flamenco show in Córdoba, so I was especially excited for this one. Unfortunately, our experience was a bit marred by the heat. The Casa de la Memoria is a lovely venue, but there are no windows and certainly no AC and it was uncomfortably hot. More so, I'm sure, for the artists. The dancers were both excellent, and Pastora Galván in particular was so emotive! But I didn't love it as much as I had hoped, which I am sure was because of me and not because of the artists. I had wanted to be carried away. I'm sorry that I was not.
Our tickets entitled us to a drink and a tapa after the show for 3 euros, so we figured why not. They had paella!
It was not good. At all. It may have been the microwaved kind that Juan had warned us about. Not worth lingering over. We paid and headed out into the sweltering evening.
I had made a list of restaurants I wanted to go to that were supposed to be open on Sunday night. Enrique Becerra was on the list. We got our bearings on the map and trekked over. Doors shut, lights out, chairs up on tables. As in "closed." Hmmm. Not sure what went wrong, but luckily I had the list, so, next up: Casa Robles, recommended here and in Michelin. This one was open, but had a bit of a stuffy atmosphere. Something told me to check the menu - very traditional, which is not quite our thing. Nothing on there that anyone in the family would want. Discreetly slipped away.
Feeling frustrated, we headed into the heart of Santa Cruz to look for Cerveceria Giralda. This looked more promising - bustling, varied menu, lots of outdoor seating. A prospect. Let's check one more place, I say - it's right down the street. On the way we pass La Azotea! Wait, that's on my list of places I really want to go but that are not open today! Except it's open! (At this point we have lost all faith in any available information about opening and closing hours and days and start to wonder whether Eslava might actually be open! But too far to go check). Nevertheless we turn the corner just to peak at the last place on my list, Bodega Santa Cruz (also called Las Columnas). It's a crowded bar with basically no seating and we're not really in the mood. La Azotea it is!
No outdoor tables available but we can sit inside, which works for us. I see the menu has the cold garlic and almond soup that is traditional to Andalucia. I've been meaning to try it - maybe now is the time. The restaurant is supposed to be known for contemporary twists on traditional cuisine (which is what we like - it's what I didn't like about the menu at Casa Robles: seemed all traditional, no "twists") and the English version of the menu says the soup is topped with a dollop of frozen red wine and "pop rocks." We figure that has to be a mistranslation of some sort, but we better find out what it is so we don't end up with some horrible surprise. We ask our waiter (who, it turns out, spent three months living on the Upper West Side in NY). Pop rocks, he says. The candy. We stare. The kind that explodes in your mouth, we ask? We're still thinking something is lost in translation here. Yes, yes, he says, the candy. The soup is great, he says! One of our specialties! You should try it.
I'm game. Where else can I get traditional Andalucian soup with red wine ice and exploding candy? Nowhere else, clearly. I order it. It comes and everyone in the family has to taste. We are passing the bowl around the table and all laughing at the sensation of the popping candy! Dinner and entertainment! I have to say that the red wine ice really worked in the soup but the pop rocks went too far. Glad I tried but wouldn't get again.
I didn't mention, by the way, that younger DD also takes Spanish but it is not, shall we say, her favorite subject. I'm OK with that - she has many other strengths - but it pains older DD, who loves Spanish. She had so far spent the entire time in Spain pestering her sister with lessons, vocab quizzes, and forced repetition, to encourage her to start to use the language. As you can imagine, this was sometimes a bit irritating to younger DD (although she generally played along good-naturedly) but all of a sudden this day it started to pay off! Younger DD announced that from here on out she would do the food ordering. We were all in support of that, as a theoretical matter. Practically, it was a bit slow and painful, but she persevered. I wish we'd had more time in Spain for her to really get on a roll!
The rest of our meal at La Azotea was creative and delicious. Not as good as Eslava, but overall a great choice and, for our personal taste, the best option of all the places we'd looked at that night.
We finished around 11 or so and, even though it was Sunday night, Santa Cruz was in full swing. I wanted to stroll around the area. DH was too tired. Both DDs decided to come with me and we split up, DH heading back to the apartment.
He has a great sense of direction and I have zero, so I took the map. (We were only a short walk from our apartment, but that wouldn't stop me from getting lost! He, on the other hand, could find his way without a map even if he'd never been there before!) DDs and I set off down the street, wandering this way and that, enjoying the night and the people, and everyone out and about, eating, drinking and strolling. Somewhere along the way we headed down a less populated street, and then another, until we suddenly found ourselves alone and a bit lost with no other people in sight. Younger DD said "let's look at the map!" Here's where I taught DDs a little street lesson: when you are lost and alone on a dark street, you do NOT pull out a map and stand there looking clueless and vulnerable! You adopt a very confident air and stroll purposefully back the way you came, or otherwise in the direction of other people. THEN you pull out your map. In a well lighted area. With lots of people. Preferably by a restaurant or other commercial establishment. (You may be wondering why I've never had occasion to teach this to DDs before, since we are from NY after all! I should have explained that we live in the suburbs. I'm in the city every day for work, but the girls are not, and younger DD does not yet come in alone with friends. She only goes with us, and we don't get lost in NY! So, a good teachable moment in a foreign city.)
We retraced our steps to a well populated plaza that we recognized, pulled out the map, got oriented, and headed back to our apartment.
When we got there DH said that, funny coincidence, he had seen a guy on the street that looked remarkably like someone we know from our hometown - I'll call him John Smith. John must have a double, says DH. I'm amazed! Maybe it WAS John Smith, I say! No, he says, how could it really be John Smith? Because, I say, I've been on Facebook with John's wife - call her Mary - and they are in Spain too! Last I heard they arrived in Granada the day we left. Maybe they are in Seville now! Now DH is disappointed, because of course he actually HAD seen John and Mary Smith and family and was trying to lead me down the garden path before making the big reveal! Turns out he was walking back to our apartment and - lo and behold - there they are having dinner with their kids at an outdoor table as he walks directly past! What are the chances!
I want to see them too so we run back out onto the street and jog down to where they were eating, but sadly they were gone. Mary and I email and text several times the next day to see if maybe we can meet up, but unfortunately it never worked out. We agree to get together back at home and exchange notes.
The next day we would have a lot of ground to cover: the Macarena, the Parque de María Luisa, the Cathedral and the Feria Market. Too much ground, as it turned out. But that will be the next installment.
MiriamC, so you got to go after all! You mentioned on my other thread, from before my trip, that your DH hurt his back and you might not go. Glad you went and hope he was feeling better.
Maitaitom, I read about Juan on these forums in someone's trip report from a few years ago. I think it was ekscrunchy. She took a different tour with him in Granada, and gave him high marks so I emailed to ask him if he does Alhambra tours.
So, the last time you saw us we were on our way to Seville...
I'll just come right out with it: I loved Seville. I want to go back already. It was my favorite place on the trip, followed by Granada, Évora and Ronda, in no particular order.
By the time we left Zahara, it was clear we'd be lucky to make it to Seville before 9pm. For a hotel, this would not be an issue, but we had rented an apartment, and we had rented from an individual owner through HomeAway. I was a little stressed about arriving so late when we had to arrange to meet up with an individual person.
As it turns out, no worry was warranted. The apartment was managed by the owner's sister, who lives in Seville, and we had been in touch with her by cell phone to give her our ETA, and then to revise it as the day went along. We called when we left Zahara to say we'd be late and she said not to worry, they'd meet us when we arrived. It was helpful to have DD to be able to communicate all this in Spanish. The sister spoke English, but it was a bit limited.
When we arrived we met up with the sister's husband who showed us up to the apartment. It was perfectly located - just off the Plaza Nueva and Plaza de San Francisco and a few blocks from the Cathedral - and had AC and two bathrooms with showers. All of my criteria met! In retrospect, I wish it had had some nice outdoor space for morning coffee, and we were a bit dismayed to find no wi-fi. That surprised me. I had brought the iPad for any research, directions, etc that I would need to look up. In this apartment I had to rely on my phone, which was a bit of a pain. But otherwise the apartment was very nice and comfortable, with a full kitchen and not only a clothes washer but also a dryer! Very handy.
We arrived on a Saturday night, and would have Sunday and Monday in Seville, with plans to leave Tuesday morning. Those are not ideal days. Many restaurants are closed Sunday night, and many attractions are closed or have limited hours on either Sunday or Monday. Add that to the fact that nearly everything closes between 2 and 5, and it made it a challenge to see what we wanted to see in the days we had. It really wasn't enough time and I wish we'd had 2 more days. As it is we ended up spending part of Tuesday morning in Seville, which we hadn't originally planned.
First order of business was to get cleaned up and get dinner. By the time we got settled in and everyone got showered (which we could not skip - heat wave!) it was well after 10pm. OK, that's not so bad for Spain, but it's late for us, especially since we were just walking out the door, not already sitting down to a meal. To complicate matters, the restaurant I had chosen was a good 20 minute walk away, and I expected to find a line when we arrived. Gee, you may be thinking (if you know Seville), there are plenty of good restaurants closer to where you were staying. Why not just go to one of them? Yes, that would normally make sense, but here is where the days of the week came into play. I wanted to go to Eslava, based on reviews here on these forums and in Michelin, and it would be closed both Sunday and Monday nights. If we were going to go, it had to be now. Gave everyone my reasons, quick family vote: off to Eslava.
I won't leave you in suspense - it was the right choice. We set off into the hustle and bustle of Saturday night in Seville. We crossed through Plaza Nueva and joined the throngs walking along the parallel streets of Calle Sierpes and Calle Tetuan. What a great introduction to the city! We walked these two streets many times over the next couple of days and never tired of them. When I think of Seville, this is the area I think of, not for shopping (which we barely did), but just for the "feel" of the place. Loved!
We noticed two things right away: 1. Virtually every person in Seville was out and about, strolling the streets, especially in that district which is pedestrian only, lined with shops, and so near the bars and restaurants of Santa Cruz and 2. It was hot! At nearly 11pm! Not warm summer evening hot - daytime hot! Need another shower when you get home hot! It did not bode well for the next day.
We wound our way through the streets and the crowds thinned as we left the Santa Cruz and El Centro area. We passed a plaza where an outdoor play was going on on a temporary stage set up in the middle of the plaza, and a big crowd was standing around watching and laughing and fanning themselves. Ladies of my generation, remember those paper fans we used to have as toys when we were little girls? People in Seville actually use them! And need them! The next day we noticed vendors were selling them on every street corner. We should have bought some.
Soon there were very few people on the street until we rounded a corner and wow! It was like a party at Eslava! Loud, boisterous, people spilling out the doors and onto the street, everyone talking and laughing and eating and generally having a great time.
We muscled our way through the crowds to the bar and DD asked how long a wait for a table. Inside or outside, he asked. Either one, said we. 12 people ahead of you outside, 8 inside, come on in and start ordering at the bar. This was pretty much what I expected at a popular place at prime time on Saturday night, so we squeezed in tighter and started ordering.
I had read to order the honey glazed ribs and some kind of egg on pâté tapa, and this was confirmed by helpful people at the bar, all of whom were happy to tell us what a good choice we made in coming there and give recommendations on what to order. I ended up next to a guy from Norway who was in Seville on a 6 week stint for work and told me this was one of his favorite spots and what all his top choices were on the menu. Basically everyone in the place was happy as could be to be there, and thought everyone else in the place deserved to be congratulated on their good taste for choosing it too!
When the first round of tapas came out we all agreed - everything was fabulous! We especially like the ribs and the croquetas, as well as a chocolate dessert at the end that we had no room for but ordered anyway based on Norway-guy's recommendation and how good it looked when I saw him get it! We also had pork cheeks again, and several kinds of fish tapas that I can't recall. The award-winning egg on pâté one was good but not as great as I expected, but then I'm not a big fan of pâté.
One thing Eslava is not, at least on a Saturday night, is relaxing or elegant. When I say we were squeezed in, I'm not speaking with poetic license - you could barely move! And when our table finally opened up outside, guess what? It was a standing table with one stool for all four of us! Everyone else outside was in the same position (maybe they should buy more stools!), but as the night wore on and the crowd started thinning we were able to get a few more until finally only DH was standing. Then a table next to us got up to leave, and a crowd of Spaniards was waiting to take their table. DH darted over to grab a stool before the new group could sit down and got into an argument with one of the men - the guy shouted that they had 4 people. DH said we did too. The guy said it's our stool. DH basically said it's a free-for-all and we've been standing for hours. DH made off with the stool and we continued our meal (we still needed to get our cholocate dessert!) then when we were ready to go we brought them our stools before someone else could take them. Suddenly the guy was our new best friend! Oh, thank you, thank you - here have some wine! No, no, I insist, here, try it - he brings a glass of white wine over to me. Try it, try it! (His English was very good!). I try it - I love it. Here, write it down, it's good, you should get it! Their whole table is now giving me the wine information and encouraging me to get the wine. It was like the whole stool argument was over and forgotten! In New York, I'm sorry to say we probably would have gotten a different reception when we returned the stool. (I looked for the wine in restaurants and in the grocery store, by the way, and wasn't able to find it, although I did get a similar one the next night. There was a wine bar down the street from our apartment where I thought maybe I could get it, but it was literally never open at any hour of the day or night! It must have been a Sunday/Monday thing). In the end, this was one of our top two meals of the trip, and half the price of the other top one (which I will get to later). The consensus was that it was worth the walk, the wait, and the late night. If it had been open another night we would have come back.
Based on how hot it was at night I thought the best thing to do was to get an early start in the morning, but it was 1 am before we even left Eslava (full and happy!) so an early start was really not in the cards. Plus the next day was Sunday, so really nothing was getting going early.
We were out on the street by about 10 am the next morning. We expected a wall of heat to meet us when we stepped onto the sidewalk, and were pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually quite comfortable! That didn't last long, though.
Our top priorities for Seville were the Cathedral and the Alcazar, and I wanted to do them on separate days, since I knew each would take a few hours. The Cathedral had very limited hours on Sunday while the Alcazar did not, so we started with the Alcazar.
The first thing we noticed about it was that it was very much like the Alhambra. Turns out there's a reason for that: the Moorish king who built it was - cousins? friends? Something. - with the king in Granada and had some of the same artisans sent over to build his palace! We thought it was one of the highlights of the trip. We did the optional tour of the royal chambers, which are still used presently by the royal family when they are in Seville. We happened to be in Spain during the brief few days in between when the old king abdicated and when his son was crowned, so there was actually no king during our visit! But interestingly, that was never mentioned during the tour of the royal chambers. The tour was interesting but moved a bit too quickly for us - we like to linger a bit - but I would say it's worth doing.
We used both Rick Steves and Lonely Planet to guide us through the palace, and by the time we finished the palace itself and were ready to tour the gardens it was truly unbearably hot. We did a quick Celsius to Fahrenheit conversion and determined that it was over 100 degrees F! You could not be in the sun. We stopped at the cafeteria for a bite to eat, and then set off into the gardens, doing our best to stay in the shade. Because we were coming from the cafeteria instead of from the main part of the palace we saw the gardens somewhat in reverse, and ended up at the famous pool with the statue of Mercury last. That may have been good, because it was our favorite part, and it was cooler with some of the fountain spray blowing. We felt a bit refreshed and ready for more sightseeing.
What to do next? It was mid-late afternoon and we had a long awaited event planned for the evening: flamenco at the Casa de la Memoria with Pastora Galván ! I'm not an expert on flamenco by any stretch of the imagination, but I had done enough research to know that this was a lucky coincidence that she would be dancing the same night we were there. We booked in advance for the early show - 7:30 - with the plan to have dinner afterwards. Even so, we had a couple of hours available.
I wanted to see the Parque de María Luisa, but truly you could not - you would wilt in the afternoon heat. We wanted to see the Basilica Macarena, and we needed to go to the grocery store (it was a whole new city! We hadn't been to their grocery store yet!
) I looked at the map and came up with a brilliant plan: take a cab to the Macarena, which was pretty far away and certainly too far to walk in that heat, and then go by the grocery store on the way home. Geographically, this was perfect. Luckily, before we got too far in the execution something made me check the hours of the church. It was closed between 2 and 5! And we had flamenco at 7:30. Plan foiled. Finally DDs decided to go back to the apartment for a rest and DH and I set out for the grocery store. Too bad my stroke of genius in checking the hours of the church didn't extend to the grocery store - we arrived to find it was closed too! We were flabbergasted! It never occurred to me the grocery store would be closed! I know, I know - I'm so American. I think it was actually closed all day Sunday, but I had never thought to check that.
So now we're hot tired and frustrated. We give up on the idea of being able to see more that afternoon and end up back at the apartment for a rest, to research which restaurants would be open on a Sunday, and to shower and change for the flamenco show!
You might recall that I had been very disappointed to miss the flamenco show in Córdoba, so I was especially excited for this one. Unfortunately, our experience was a bit marred by the heat. The Casa de la Memoria is a lovely venue, but there are no windows and certainly no AC and it was uncomfortably hot. More so, I'm sure, for the artists. The dancers were both excellent, and Pastora Galván in particular was so emotive! But I didn't love it as much as I had hoped, which I am sure was because of me and not because of the artists. I had wanted to be carried away. I'm sorry that I was not.
Our tickets entitled us to a drink and a tapa after the show for 3 euros, so we figured why not. They had paella!
It was not good. At all. It may have been the microwaved kind that Juan had warned us about. Not worth lingering over. We paid and headed out into the sweltering evening.
I had made a list of restaurants I wanted to go to that were supposed to be open on Sunday night. Enrique Becerra was on the list. We got our bearings on the map and trekked over. Doors shut, lights out, chairs up on tables. As in "closed." Hmmm. Not sure what went wrong, but luckily I had the list, so, next up: Casa Robles, recommended here and in Michelin. This one was open, but had a bit of a stuffy atmosphere. Something told me to check the menu - very traditional, which is not quite our thing. Nothing on there that anyone in the family would want. Discreetly slipped away.
Feeling frustrated, we headed into the heart of Santa Cruz to look for Cerveceria Giralda. This looked more promising - bustling, varied menu, lots of outdoor seating. A prospect. Let's check one more place, I say - it's right down the street. On the way we pass La Azotea! Wait, that's on my list of places I really want to go but that are not open today! Except it's open! (At this point we have lost all faith in any available information about opening and closing hours and days and start to wonder whether Eslava might actually be open! But too far to go check). Nevertheless we turn the corner just to peak at the last place on my list, Bodega Santa Cruz (also called Las Columnas). It's a crowded bar with basically no seating and we're not really in the mood. La Azotea it is!
No outdoor tables available but we can sit inside, which works for us. I see the menu has the cold garlic and almond soup that is traditional to Andalucia. I've been meaning to try it - maybe now is the time. The restaurant is supposed to be known for contemporary twists on traditional cuisine (which is what we like - it's what I didn't like about the menu at Casa Robles: seemed all traditional, no "twists") and the English version of the menu says the soup is topped with a dollop of frozen red wine and "pop rocks." We figure that has to be a mistranslation of some sort, but we better find out what it is so we don't end up with some horrible surprise. We ask our waiter (who, it turns out, spent three months living on the Upper West Side in NY). Pop rocks, he says. The candy. We stare. The kind that explodes in your mouth, we ask? We're still thinking something is lost in translation here. Yes, yes, he says, the candy. The soup is great, he says! One of our specialties! You should try it.
I'm game. Where else can I get traditional Andalucian soup with red wine ice and exploding candy? Nowhere else, clearly. I order it. It comes and everyone in the family has to taste. We are passing the bowl around the table and all laughing at the sensation of the popping candy! Dinner and entertainment! I have to say that the red wine ice really worked in the soup but the pop rocks went too far. Glad I tried but wouldn't get again.
I didn't mention, by the way, that younger DD also takes Spanish but it is not, shall we say, her favorite subject. I'm OK with that - she has many other strengths - but it pains older DD, who loves Spanish. She had so far spent the entire time in Spain pestering her sister with lessons, vocab quizzes, and forced repetition, to encourage her to start to use the language. As you can imagine, this was sometimes a bit irritating to younger DD (although she generally played along good-naturedly) but all of a sudden this day it started to pay off! Younger DD announced that from here on out she would do the food ordering. We were all in support of that, as a theoretical matter. Practically, it was a bit slow and painful, but she persevered. I wish we'd had more time in Spain for her to really get on a roll!
The rest of our meal at La Azotea was creative and delicious. Not as good as Eslava, but overall a great choice and, for our personal taste, the best option of all the places we'd looked at that night.
We finished around 11 or so and, even though it was Sunday night, Santa Cruz was in full swing. I wanted to stroll around the area. DH was too tired. Both DDs decided to come with me and we split up, DH heading back to the apartment.
He has a great sense of direction and I have zero, so I took the map. (We were only a short walk from our apartment, but that wouldn't stop me from getting lost! He, on the other hand, could find his way without a map even if he'd never been there before!) DDs and I set off down the street, wandering this way and that, enjoying the night and the people, and everyone out and about, eating, drinking and strolling. Somewhere along the way we headed down a less populated street, and then another, until we suddenly found ourselves alone and a bit lost with no other people in sight. Younger DD said "let's look at the map!" Here's where I taught DDs a little street lesson: when you are lost and alone on a dark street, you do NOT pull out a map and stand there looking clueless and vulnerable! You adopt a very confident air and stroll purposefully back the way you came, or otherwise in the direction of other people. THEN you pull out your map. In a well lighted area. With lots of people. Preferably by a restaurant or other commercial establishment. (You may be wondering why I've never had occasion to teach this to DDs before, since we are from NY after all! I should have explained that we live in the suburbs. I'm in the city every day for work, but the girls are not, and younger DD does not yet come in alone with friends. She only goes with us, and we don't get lost in NY! So, a good teachable moment in a foreign city.)
We retraced our steps to a well populated plaza that we recognized, pulled out the map, got oriented, and headed back to our apartment.
When we got there DH said that, funny coincidence, he had seen a guy on the street that looked remarkably like someone we know from our hometown - I'll call him John Smith. John must have a double, says DH. I'm amazed! Maybe it WAS John Smith, I say! No, he says, how could it really be John Smith? Because, I say, I've been on Facebook with John's wife - call her Mary - and they are in Spain too! Last I heard they arrived in Granada the day we left. Maybe they are in Seville now! Now DH is disappointed, because of course he actually HAD seen John and Mary Smith and family and was trying to lead me down the garden path before making the big reveal! Turns out he was walking back to our apartment and - lo and behold - there they are having dinner with their kids at an outdoor table as he walks directly past! What are the chances!
I want to see them too so we run back out onto the street and jog down to where they were eating, but sadly they were gone. Mary and I email and text several times the next day to see if maybe we can meet up, but unfortunately it never worked out. We agree to get together back at home and exchange notes.
The next day we would have a lot of ground to cover: the Macarena, the Parque de María Luisa, the Cathedral and the Feria Market. Too much ground, as it turned out. But that will be the next installment.
Jul 10th, 2014, 12:42 AM
#35
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Yes, CGS, we got to go. We decided at the very last minute because, besides my DH having back problems, I was still recovering from pneumonia. I have suffered from the heat in Córdoba and in Granada but it was worth every cent! So sorry you didn't get to see the flamenco at Arte y Sabores. It was magical.
Jul 10th, 2014, 02:21 AM
#36
Absolutely wonderful report, CGS! Following every step of the way! Many thanks for sharing all the details, warts and all!
<<Here's where I taught DDs a little street lesson: when you are lost and alone on a dark street, you do NOT pull out a map and stand there looking clueless and vulnerable! You adopt a very confident air and stroll purposefully back the way you came, or otherwise in the direction of other people. >>
"
And I love this lesson to your daughters -- "spoken" like a true NYer!
Paule
<<Here's where I taught DDs a little street lesson: when you are lost and alone on a dark street, you do NOT pull out a map and stand there looking clueless and vulnerable! You adopt a very confident air and stroll purposefully back the way you came, or otherwise in the direction of other people. >>
"
And I love this lesson to your daughters -- "spoken" like a true NYer!
Paule
Jul 10th, 2014, 11:15 AM
#38
CGS - we got hopelessly lost on our last night in Seville and did indeed stand around with our map looking witless until we were rescued by some celebrating matrons who pointed us in the right direction. Without them, i think we'd still be there now. it certainly stretched out Spanish to the full understanding their directions.
loving the TR, BTW.
loving the TR, BTW.
