Andalucia
Carol Fishman and I
took a 4 day Viator tour of Andalucia. While the hotels and food were only OK at
best, the tour guides were very good and it was an easy and efficient way to
visit this stunning region. The tour started with a drive south through La
Mancha, which still has rustic windmills visible from the highway. Vistas of
olive groves and scarlet-blanketed poppy fields also kept the long drives
interesting.
Our first stop was
Cordoba, where we walked through the twisty streets of the Jewish Quarter and
ended up at the Mezquita. This building was originally (8th century AD) a small
mosque that grew vast over the centuries. Today, the 850 columns and the red and
white arches that connect them look like they go on forever, like two mirrors
reflecting the same scene ad infinitum. In the middle, an incongruous large
ornate cathedral was erected in the 16th century.
We spent two nights in
Seville – not nearly enough time in this captivating city. On our first night,
we went to El Arenal for flamenco. Our table was right up against the stage and
the singing, guitar-playing and dancing were all riveting. Barrio Santa Cruz,
once Seville’s Jewish Ghetto, is charming. The Hospital de los Venerables (Old
Priests’ Home) is located there – a beautiful little building that is now a
cultural center. Its superb small church is a Baroque wonder, with an incredible
trompe l’oeil ceiling.
The Cathedral, on the
other hand, is almost overwhelming. Lots and lots and lots of gold from the
Americas went into the massive retablos of the main altar and side chapels. DNA
testing has proved that in this church lie the true remains of Columbus (as
opposed to all the other places that claim to have them).Unfortunately, La
Giralda was closed, so I couldn’t climb to the top for its famed view of
Seville. (The bright side – gives me an excuse to come back!)
The Real Alcazar is
aptly described as a jewelbox of Mudejar (14th century Moorish-Christian)
architecture. It is a maze of horseshoe arches, lacy wood- and plasterwork, and
gorgeous tiles. The terraced, fountained gardens are spectacular. We also had
time to visit the Plaza de Toros, where we had an interesting tour of the
bull-fighting museum, and the Basilica de la Macarena, whose Treasury houses the
elaborate wardrobe of the Weeping Virgin statue and several of the floats from
Seville’s Holy Week extravaganza.
Our next destination
was Granada, where we visited the Alhambra – a superb example of Moorish
architecture. More fabulous colonnades, elaborately stuccoed walls and ceilings,
colorful tiles, and reflecting pools. Our visit included the Generalife, with
its glorious “garden of lofty paradise.” That evening we went to Sacromonte to
watch a flamenco performance in a gypsy cave. We were very annoyed by the fact
that the bus sent to pick us up spent an hour picking up people at other hotels,
but at the end of the ride we were rewarded with a night walk through the
Albaicin (Granada’s quaint old town) and a spectacular view of the illuminated
Alhambra.
Our tour ended in
Toledo, a picturesque city atop a hill. We were visiting at a good time, as
Toledo’s buildings and streets were bedecked with multi-colored flags and
banners for the Feast of Corpus Christi. Our walking tour included a synagogue
and St. Tome, the church for which El Greco’s magnificent “The Burial of the
Count of Orgaz” was created to adorn a chapel.
Mimi Santini-Ritt 2010