Spain on the Road 2015: Through Andalusia

Off we go again... Spain has by now entered our hearts, after last year's experience, and this year too our destination will be the Iberian peninsula. In 2014, starting from Barcelona, we visited, besides Barcelona, the cities of: Montserrat, Zaragoza, Madrid and Valencia, and finally, before returning to Barcelona, we stopped for six days at Ametla de Mar, a seaside resort. This year, however, we pushed further south, visiting much of Andalusia, namely the cities of Granada, Seville and Cordoba, as well as returning to Valencia. Moreover, as an initial stopover we stopped for just one day in Tarragona, and finally as a seaside stop we spent seven days in Canet d'en Berenguer, in the province of Valencia. The adventure begins at the port of Civitavecchia on the twenty-ninth of July, when at 22.15 our ship leaves the port.

I love travelling slowly, I love living every moment and contemplating every place I visit, so sailing too is part of the journey for me, and watching the land move away and then disappear, leaving room for an infinity of water, moves me. At 18.30 on the thirtieth of July we arrive in Barcelona and already the memories of the previous year begin to bloom again as if it were yesterday; we leave the port, heading south, and reach Tarragona, located on the coast 100 km from Barcelona. As I was saying, this is a "technical" stop, because having to go to Valencia, it is a must to stop in Tarragona for the night and resume the journey the next day. The following day, the thirty-first of July, we decide to visit the Roman Amphitheatre and the Cathedral; naturally this city offers much more, but the time available is not much.

We leave the car in the car park under the main market of Tarraco (as Tarragona was called in Roman times) and walk along the Rambla Nova, where there is a castellers sculpture entirely in cast iron depicting the human castles of Tarragona, groups of a few dozen people forming a castle, a tower towards the sky, placing the sturdiest men at the bottom and the children at the top; from 24 June to 24 September there are real competitions between families from different neighbourhoods (a bit like the Palio of Siena). At the end of the Rambla Nova there is the Balcony of the Mediterranean, so called because the road ends against a railing where, leaning over, you can admire the Mediterranean Sea; turning left you find the Roman Amphitheatre, also overlooking the sea.

The oval-shaped building was built in the second century AD; part of the tiers were carved directly into the rock; the amphitheatre measures 109 by 86 metres and has a capacity of 14,000 people; here in 200 AD gladiator fights were held, and public executions were also carried out, such as the one that saw the archbishop Fructuosus and his deacons burned at the stake in 256 AD (a grim story). We leave the amphitheatre and reach the Cathedral of Santa Maria; construction began in 1184 on the remains of an ancient Christian basilica which, in turn, had been built on a tenth-century Arab mosque. The church was built in a transitional style from Romanesque to Gothic; it has a Latin-cross plan with three naves, and at the crossing with the transept rises an octagonal dome. The three naves end in as many circular apses.

On the main facade a beautiful inlaid rose window and the two twelfth-century Romanesque portals stand out. The main door bears, on the small column of the mullioned window, the statue of the Madonna with Child. Inside, worth noting are the fifteenth-century high altarpiece, by Pere Johan, and the polychrome alabaster sculptures of the Madonna, Santa Tecla and Saint Paul. Among the finest expressions of the Gothic kept in this cathedral is the Archbishop's Tomb near the high altar, and the fourteenth-century Chapel of Santa María. Besides the Cathedral we also visit the diocesan museum, where you can admire the collection of tapestries, woven in Brussels, and the altarpiece by Jaime Huguet. We leave the Cathedral, and with it also Tarragona, and continue our journey towards Valencia, 260 km to the south.

We reach our hotel around 18.00 and, right after check-in, go to cool off in the pool (I should mention that we travel with two little girls aged 4 and 9, you have to keep them happy). The following morning, the first of August, we begin our tour of Valencia. This city was already our destination last year; we nevertheless decided to return and visit a few things we had skipped in 2014, as well as revisit the Bioparc and the City of Arts and Sciences (the Bioparc, the huge Oceanogràfic aquarium and the dolphin show fascinate the children, much less me). We head to the City of Arts and Sciences. The complex stands in the old bed of the Turia river and is divided into three thematic areas: Arts, Science and Nature; it covers a total surface of 350,000 m2.

Construction began in 1996 thanks to the project by the architects Candela and Calatrava; the latter also designed and planned the nearby bridge, called precisely the Calatrava Bridge even though its real name is Pont de l'assut de l'or. We reach the Hemisfèric, the 13,000 m2 structure that recalls the human eye; we book our show "The Mysteries of the Universe" and, after a quick snack, go in to enjoy it; the projection takes place on the 900 m2 maxi screen, practically the entire spherical ceiling. When the film ends we move to the science pavilion, a complex of three floors for a total of 24,000 m2 with permanent and temporary exhibitions, a true interactive museum with many experiments on electricity, home automation, kinetic force, gravity, etc. In this complex we really had fun as well as learning a few notions of physics.

Finally we move to the area housing the Oceanogràfic, one of the largest aquariums in Europe, an open-air park of 110,000 m2. Inside, all the different marine habitats of seas and oceans are represented through more than 40,000 different species, and there is also a dolphinarium where we stop to see the dolphin show, again for the joy of our children (I am against it). We leave this enormous complex at sunset and can only head back to the hotel. The following day, the second of August, we go to the Bioparc; this zoo is located on the north-western outskirts of the city.

The Bioparc is designed following the modern principles of zoo-immersion, so as to reduce to a minimum the visual impact of the barriers that divide visitors from the animals, often giving the feeling of being directly in the presence of the latter, almost as if the visitor himself enters the animal's habitat; in various cases you even find yourself below the water level and can observe aquatic animals through the wide windows that border the enormous tanks.

The Bioparc was inaugurated on 27 February 2008 on the same land where the old zoo stood, closed on 31 July 2007; it currently houses more than 4,000 animals of 250 different species from the African continent, and covers an area of 100,000 m2, where various African habitats are reproduced: dry savannah, wet savannah, equatorial forest and Madagascar, in large spaces that reproduce the environment in which each species normally lives. And it is precisely in this park that on 14 January 2013 the first aardvark of Spain was born (a mammal belonging to the taxonomic category).

We spend the whole morning at the Bioparc; in the afternoon we reach Plaza de la Reina in the old centre of the city, in the beating heart of Valencia, and after an "ice-cream stop" we visit the Cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, seat of the archdiocese of Valencia and since 1886 also a minor basilica; it was consecrated in 1238 by the first bishop of Valencia after the "Reconquista" and was built on the ancient mosque of Balansiya, which in turn had been built on the site of the ancient Visigothic cathedral. We leave the Cathedral and move to Plaza de la Virgen, where we admire and photograph the Fountain of the Turia River.

As the last stop of the day we visit the Royal Gardens, a splendid setting for numerous events; this garden hosts many varieties of flowers and plants, notably the Roselada, an enormous circular space with hundreds of roses of various colours, a pond with a waterfall and lush trees, naturally besides begonias, cacti, azaleas, cypresses, palms, etc. The gardens are embellished with various statues, fountains and facilities such as playgrounds; with its 187,000 m2 it is the largest park in the city. After visiting the Royal Gardens we stop at a place just past the Torres de Serrano, an ancient gate supported by two side bastions that, together with the walls, delimited the city; after dinner we return to the hotel.

On the morning of the third of August we leave Valencia to reach, 500 km away, the legendary city of Granada; the distance is considerable but the roads in Spain are fantastic, so the journey does not weigh on us too much. Granada is surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountain range, which in 1996 was declared a biosphere reserve by Unesco; to reach the city we take the A-91 and A-92N roads, which climb up to an altitude of 1,407 m above sea level, but the highest peaks of the Sierra Nevada complex go well beyond this altitude; indeed Mount Mulhacén, at 3,482 metres, is the highest mountain in the whole Iberian peninsula and the second in Europe after the Alps. We arrive in Granada around 17.30 and reach the Hotel Inglaterra in the heart of the old town; opposite the hotel is the Cathedral and behind it the famous Arab quarter of Albaicín.

After a refreshing shower we go out for dinner and make our way through the little alleys of the Arab quarter. The cuisine of Granada, as in all of Andalusia, is very varied; the dishes are rich in vegetables, salad, tomatoes, leeks, cucumbers, corn, onion, carrots, etc. With these vegetables, for example, pipirrana is prepared, in which the vegetables are diced and flavoured with oil, vinegar and salt; another typical vegetable-based dish is gazpacho, in which, however, the vegetables are blended — I recommend it because it is fresh and tasty.

In Granada in particular, besides vegetables, you can savour the tortilla del Sacromonte, a type of omelette made with sweet bread and meat, whose name comes from the hill overlooking the Albaicín quarter; or the typical paella with vegetables, with meat, or the morisco one with fish; beans with ham; the "cazuela de habas" (broad beans with ham); las patatas pobres (a potato dish); and kid with garlic. We take a meat paella to share and a large mixed salad with egg.... Plus two very cold cervezas. On the fourth of August, after breakfast, we reach the Cathedral of the Incarnation; its dome is decorated with beautiful stained glass; inside we admire sculptures and paintings by Alonso Cano, particularly beautiful the painting of the Immaculate Conception, and also beautiful are the bas-reliefs depicting Faith and Justice. The main facade is Baroque.

The choir stalls are in Plateresque style. We leave the Cathedral and use a tourist train to admire the city; the train travels part of the centre of the Albaicín, goes around the Alhambra and cuts through the wood below. When the tour is over, backpacks on our shoulders, at 13.00 from Calle Cuesta de Gomérez we enter the great complex of the Alhambra; the whole area measures a good 100,000 m2. Before reaching the upper part we stop in the greenery for a snack, but more than eating we constantly need to quench our thirst; the over 40 degrees make themselves felt even though the climate is very dry. Having regained some energy, we reach the top of the Alhambra and begin our visits from the Palacio de Carlos V; this palace was in fact built by Charles V after his marriage to Isabella of Portugal in 1526; the imposing structure has a square plan with a circular courtyard inside.

We leave the palace and continue our visit; the Alhambra, being a true ancient city (Medina) autonomous from Granada, has inside it everything needed for daily life: schools, mosques, workshops, etc. Naturally much of what it was has now been adapted for tourism; indeed inside there are shops for shopping and two hotels. Step by step we arrive at the palace and its Generalife gardens; they were built during the reign of Muhammad III (1302-1309) and redecorated by Abu I-Walid Isma'il between 1313 and 1324. The complex is made up of the Patio de la Acequia (Court of the Water Garden), which contained a long pool surrounded by flowerbeds, fountains, colonnades and pavilions, and the Jardín de la Sultana (Garden of the Sultana or Court of the Cypresses). At first the palace was connected to the Alhambra through a covered walkway that crossed the ravine dividing them.

The Generalife garden is one of the oldest Moorish gardens to have survived. The present-day gardens were begun in 1931 and completed by Francisco Prieto Moreno in 1951. The paths are paved in the typical Granada style with a pebble mosaic: the white pebbles come from the Darro river while the black ones come from the Genil river. We retrace our steps and approach the Palacios Nazaríes (Nasrid Palaces); the complex is made up of two palaces, the Palacio de Comares and the Palacio de los Leones; entry to these palaces is regulated by time slot; our entry is for 18.00, so we queue and after a few minutes we enter.

Immediately after the access staircase is the Sala Mexuar, one of the oldest, used for important audiences; next come: the Patio del Mexuar or del Cuarto Dorado, the Patio de la Alberca or de los Arrayanes, the Sala de la Barca, the Salón de Comares or de los Embajadores, the Sala de los Mocárabes, the Patio de los Leones, all very beautiful, but describing each single Patio or room would be too long. Very beautiful is also the Fuente de los Leones; the latest studies say that the lions of this fountain come from the house of the Jewish vizier Samuel Ben Nagrela, who gave it to the Sultan. The lions are from the 11th century and represent the Twelve Tribes of Israel; two of the lions have a triangle carved on their forehead, indicating the chosen tribes: those of Judah and Levi. On the perimeter of the basin are inscribed the verses of the minister and poet Ibn Zamrak.

Finally we visit the Sala de los Abencerrajes and the Sala de los Reyes; this room occupies the whole eastern side of the courtyard and is named after the paintings decorating the vault of the central chamber; it is the largest room of the Harem, divided into 3 equal rooms and two smaller ones which, it is presumed, may have served as cupboards, given their position and lack of lighting. On the central vault, the paintings represent the first 10 rulers of Granada, from the foundation of the sultanate; the one with the red beard is presumed to be Muhammad ibn Nasr, known as al-Hamar (the Red), founder of the Nasrid dynasty.

On the side vaults the decorations depict knights and ladies, made at the end of the 14th century: during his reign, Peter I of Castile asked the Sultan of Granada for help to restore his castle (the Alcázar of Seville); this led to a genuine artistic exchange between the two kingdoms. The pictorial decorations are made with a very complex technique; the vault's framework was an ellipse made of well-brushed wood to make the surface porous; over the concave surface wet hide was stretched with glue and water and then nailed with small tin nails, to avoid oxidation; finally over the hide a coat of plaster was applied, then reeds and finally 2 cm of toasted glue painted red. On this prepared surface the design was drawn with an awl. After the Sala de los Reyes we leave the Palacios Nazaríes and the Alhambra, reach the hotel and after a refreshing shower go back down for dinner.

The following morning, the fifth of August, after breakfast we bid farewell to the city of Granada and reach the splendid Seville, located 250 km to the west and just 140 km from the border between Spain and Portugal. After two days of forced and continuous sightseeing, for the joy of our little girls we decide to stay in the pool all afternoon and, around 20.00, to go into the city centre for dinner. (Relax day) On the sixth of August, charged up like bulls, we reach the Plaza de Toros to visit the Maestranza arena, better known as La Maestranza; this arena is the oldest in all of Spain and can hold 12,000 people. Construction began in 1760, when on the Baratillo hill, replacing the rectangular Plaza de Toros, a circular ring was obtained.

The inner facade of the plaza (called the Palco del Príncipe) was completed in 1765, and it consisted of two parts: the entrance gate through which the winning toreros came out, and the Palco itself, reserved for the Spanish Royal Family. It took many years to complete the entire arena; indeed only in 1861 was the Maestranza finished. We visit the whole building which, besides the ring and the Prince's box, is made up of the infirmary where wounded toreros were taken, the stands, the stables, the corridors and also a chapel. Naturally the arena is no longer used for bullfights and since 2008 you can admire inside it the Bullfighting Museum, where all the pomp of what it once was is preserved, including all the trophies won by Francisco de Goya, the most famous torero of Andalusia.

After the Maestranza we reach the splendid and immense Cathedral of Seville; this Gothic Cathedral is the largest in the world and the third religious building by size after St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and St Paul's Cathedral in London. In 1433 the demolition of the Mosque began, and immediately afterwards the building of the present Cathedral of Santa María de la Sede of Seville began, completed 75 years later; the construction of this cathedral however involved several architectural styles: besides the Gothic period, in 1528, in the Renaissance period, the construction of some annexes such as the sacristies began, and the towers were enlarged; from 1618 to 1758, in the Baroque period, the Canonry of the Sanctuary was built; and finally in the Neo-Gothic period some works from the Gothic era were repaired.

Besides the splendour of the Cathedral we admire the Giralda, which, despite its autonomy, serves as the tower and bell tower of the cathedral. Since 1987 it has been a World Heritage Site. Each side measures 13.61 metres, and it is 104.06 metres high. We can only climb it; once at the top, after 34 ramps, the panorama over Seville is spectacular; in the construction ramps were used instead of steps to allow the muezzins (the person in charge at the mosque) to reach the top on horseback. The Giralda was built based on the appearance of the minaret of the Kutubia mosque in Marrakech, Morocco, although the upper termination and the bell tower are in line with the European Renaissance. We stop for a moment for a snack, regain a bit of energy and right afterwards head to the Alcázar of Seville; Alcázar in Arabic means Palace, and indeed this was one of the royal palaces of Seville.

Many of the modern alcázares were erected on the ruins of those of the Muslims of al-Andalus by Peter I of Castile (also known as Peter the Cruel) starting from 1364; Peter used Muslim workers to build his palace in Arab style. We enter this spectacular building; very beautiful is the Patio de las Doncellas, in the centre of which is a large rectangular pool surrounded by gardens; the name refers to the legend according to which the Muslims of al-Andalus demanded from the Christian Spanish kingdoms, as tribute, 100 virgins a year. Another very characteristic place of the Alcázar are the "Baths of Lady María de Padilla"; they are rainwater collection chambers located under the Patio del Crucero; these pools took their name from María de Padilla, wife of Peter I the Cruel.

It is thought that Peter I fell in love with María and that he killed her husband; María, however, resisted his advances and threw boiling oil in his face to disfigure herself and stop Peter's intentions. She later became a nun and moved to a convent; in the culture of Seville she is seen as a symbol of purity. After the Alcázar we reach the hotel to freshen up and right afterwards return to the centre for dinner.

On the following morning, the seventh of August, our main objective is the Plaza de España; first, however, having the car with us, we visit a few attractions on the outskirts of the city; we begin with the Pavilion of Navigation, located on the banks of the Guadalquivir River; this pavilion is part of the 92 world exposition; inside, various models of boats are exhibited, from the oldest to the most modern, and there are also beautiful interactive games, such as a simulator for steering a ship; besides the museum we go up the Belvedere Tower, 65 metres high, and enjoy the view over Seville. We leave the Expo 92 area and reach the Museum of Modern Art (which disappointed us); at the end of the visit we move to the eastern side of the city and visit the Seville Aquarium, which, contrary to what we expected, is really nice (although I would leave the fish free)……..

we reach the Parque de María Luisa where we stop for refreshment; these gardens are the ideal place to find shelter from the Andalusian sun; among other things they are practically the continuation of the Plaza de España, our next destination; this green area was in fact part of the private gardens of the Palacio de San Telmo; in 1893 the duchess María Luisa of Montpensier donated them to the city. In 1929, on the occasion of the Ibero-American Exposition, they underwent considerable modifications and, for this event, the exhibition buildings, the Plaza de España and the Plaza de América, were built by Aníbal González, forming one of the main attractions of the exposition.

We come out of the greenery and here before us is the majesty of the Plaza de España, one of the most spectacular architectural spaces of the city and of Neo-Moorish architecture; the total surface is 50,000 m2, of which 19,000 m2 are built. The square, semi-circular in shape, has a diameter of 170 metres, and is meant to represent the embrace of Spain and its ancient colonies; it faces the Guadalquivir river and symbolises the road to follow towards America. The square is decorated in exposed brick, marble and ceramics, which give a Renaissance and Baroque touch to its towers. It was naturally the most expensive work of the exposition and the only element extraneous to the original project is the central fountain, a fountain at the centre of criticism because, according to many, it broke the sensation of emptiness of the square.

The canal, more than half a kilometre long, that crosses the square is spanned by four bridges representing the four ancient kingdoms of Spain. Leaning against the walls there is a series of benches and ceramic ornaments forming spaces that allude to the forty-eight Spanish provinces, arranged in alphabetical order; on them are represented maps, mosaics depicting historical events and the coats of arms of each provincial capital. At the end of the exposition the square was destined to become part of the University of Seville, but shortly afterwards it passed into the ownership of the military government, becoming the seat of the Captaincy General of Seville. Years later it housed the delegation of the Central Government in Andalusia and at the same time the Military Museum of Seville.

After an intense day of visits we can say we are satisfied and have quenched our thirst for culture; now we can only delight our palate, and the Seville cuisine, so refined, light and rich in fresh products from land and sea, is for us. The recipes are simple and genuine, very often enriched by a skilful use of spices, a habit left by the Muslims during their eight centuries of rule over Andalusia; cumin, coriander, garlic, parsley and fennel are present in many traditional dishes, but by now we are used to it since in Granada too spices rule. After dinner we return to the hotel. We are almost halfway through our adventure in Andalusia; the next day, the eighth of August, we leave Seville and, heading back east, reach at 140 kilometres' distance the spectacular city of Cordoba.

We stay in a hotel a few kilometres from the centre, in a delightful residential area surrounded by greenery; our hotel too is immersed in greenery with a fabulous pool, English lawn and tall palms, so we can only relax. In the late afternoon with our car we reach the Jewish Quarter of Cordoba for a reconnaissance tour; the intention was to return to the hotel for dinner, but once immersed in the old town of Cordoba we immediately change our minds: those little restaurants carved into the patios of old Arab houses, painted white, ochre, turquoise and purple, no longer let us leave, so we stay for dinner.

On the ninth of August we return to the Jewish Quarter of Cordoba; we pass through the walls via the Puerta de Almodóvar and walk along Calle de los Judíos; we are heading towards the Cathedral of Cordoba, the famous Mezquita, but first we visit the Synagogue located right on this street (calle), built in 1315, one of the three synagogues still existing in Spain (the other two are in Toledo). Until 1492, the date of the decree expelling the Jews, Spain was the centre of Jewish life in Europe. The synagogue of Cordoba was built in Moorish style by Isaq Moheb to serve the needs of the local Jewish community. Inside we notice an inscription giving the dates of the start of construction, 20 September 1314, and of the end of works, 1 September 1315, practically less than a year.

Besides the prayer hall, the building is made up of other rooms that probably housed the ritual baths and a Talmudic school. After the Synagogue we visit the Bullfighting Museum, where since 1952 all the glories of local bullfighting are preserved. We continue our pleasant walk among the little streets of this wonderful quarter and, without realising it, find ourselves on Calle Cardenal Herrero, before us the majesty of the Alminar Tower, that is the minaret that now serves as the bell tower of the Cathedral.

The Great Mosque of Cordoba, today the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Mary Most Holy, is one of the main expressions of Arab-Islamic art and of the Gothic and Renaissance architecture of Andalusia; together with the Alhambra of Granada, the Aljafería of Zaragoza and the Giralda of Seville, they are the most prestigious testimony of the Islamic presence in Spain from the eighth to the thirteenth century. Unfortunately for us the visit is postponed; indeed today, Sunday the ninth of August, the Cathedral observes a break between 11.30 and 15.00. Nothing serious anyway: we continue our walk towards the Guadalquivir river and arrive at Plaza del Triunfo, where the Arch of Triumph is located, also known as the Puerta del Puente; nearby there is also the monument dedicated to Saint Raphael, one of the many testimonies of this saint in the city of Cordoba.

The legend tells that in 1600, when the plague devastated the city, the archangel Raphael appeared in a dream to Father Andrés de Roelas, who was gravely ill, and in one of his many apparitions revealed that he would save the city from the plague. It is 13.30; we stop nearby to eat something and at 15.00 we go to the Mezquita; we buy our two adult tickets at 16.00 euros (children under 10 do not pay) and enter. The building stands on the site where the ancient Visigothic church of San Vicente stood, not far from the Guadalquivir river. When the Muslims occupied Cordoba in 756 the church was initially divided and used at the same time by Muslims and Christians.

Later the emir Abd al-Rahman I had the Christian church demolished and undertook the construction of the great mosque; over the centuries it was enlarged three times by his successors: 833-848 Abd al-Rahman II; 926-966 al-Hakam II; 929-958 Abd al-Rahman III, ending up covering 23,000 m² and becoming the largest mosque of the Muslim world of that time, second only after the building of that of Samarra in Iraq. Today it presents itself in the form of a great quadrilateral about 180 m long by 130 m wide, with 19 naves and 856 columns topped by capitals in different styles; on the columns rest double arches in brick and white stone superimposed on one another with an intermediate space that allows for a very high ceiling and gives the building an impression of lightness.

The mihrab, a semi-circular structure and place of prayer that in a mosque always indicates the exact direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, should in this case face south-east; instead it points south. To save it from the accusation of such a large error, legend has it that Abd al-Rahman, nostalgic for the city of Damascus from which he had been driven out by the Abbasids, had deliberately wanted to orient the mihrab of the mosque of Cordoba in the same direction as that of the mosque of Damascus. The initial building, begun in 785, included a courtyard, the Patio de los Naranjos, surrounded by a perimeter wall on which the prayer hall opened in all its splendour, rectangular in shape, made up of 11 naves, each with 12 arches, arranged facing the courtyard; the naves were separated by elegant marble columns. Next to the perimeter wall, on the opposite side of the prayer hall, is the minaret.

Hisham I had several internal renovations carried out: the galleries intended for the women who came to pray and a pool for ablutions. The length of the arches was later doubled by Abd al-Rahman II in 848 and extended one last time by al-Hakam II in 961. In both cases the lengthening of the naves took place on the side opposite the main entrance and for this reason the mihrab, also located on that side, had to be rebuilt each time. The present one, assembled with the help of Byzantine artists, is an enormous monolithic dome in superbly decorated white marble.

In 987 Almanzor wanted to increase the surface of the hall further, but the proximity to the Guadalquivir river prevented the continuation of the lengthening of the 11 bays in the same direction; therefore 8 additional arches were added on the eastern side of the building, almost doubling its extension, and the mihrab was placed in a central position. At that moment the mosque counted as many as 1293 columns. In 1236 Cordoba was reconquered by the Christians of Ferdinand III of Castile, and the mosque was converted into a cathedral. The opening between the courtyard and the prayer hall was walled up, keeping a single entrance door, the Puerta de las Palmas. In addition, some rows of columns were demolished to leave space for the Royal Chapel. In the 16th century the clergy of Cordoba decided to provide the city with a much more sumptuous building, in keeping with the fashion of the time.

The project consisted of demolishing an important part of the centre of the building, breaking the perspective of the forest of columns, and inserting a Christian cathedral in its place. The project was initially opposed and the subject of strong controversy, and only after the intercession of the emperor Charles V was its construction begun. The result is an architectural marvel that blends Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles with magnificent decorations, although the construction caused the loss of the continuity of the marble columns and reduced their number from 1293 to today's 856. It seems that later even Charles V said: "you have built something that can be seen everywhere, destroying something that instead was unique in the world". In 2010 the Spanish mint dedicated a €2 commemorative coin to the great mosque of Cordoba.

After this marvel we stay in the centre for dinner, then return to the hotel. The next day, the tenth of August, we return to the Arab quarter, cross the Roman Bridge located beyond the Puerta del Puente and reach the Torre de la Calahorra, a fortress of Islamic origin conceived as the entrance and protection of the bridge itself. The tower, which stands on the left bank of the Guadalquivir river, was modified on the orders of Henry II of Trastámara to defend himself from his brother Peter I of Castile, adding a third tower to the two existing ones.

In 1931 the tower was declared a Conjunto histórico-artístico and later was ceded to the Institute for Dialogue between Cultures, which since 1987 has installed there an audiovisual museum that presents a cultural review of the period of Cordoba's greatest splendour, when it was the capital of al-Andalus and a meeting centre of Christian, Jewish and Muslim cultures. We buy our tickets and begin the visit; at the entrance we are also given headphones to listen to the explanation of what can be seen in each of the 8 rooms of the museum, spread over two floors; finally we go up to the terrace to enjoy the view of the city.

We leave the Torre de la Calahorra and walk along the Guadalquivir river, crossing it via the Puente de Miraflores (a modern road bridge) and going up Calle San Fernando until we reach Plaza de Don Gome and the Palacio de Viana, stopping first to admire the Roman Temple (at least what remains of it) located on this street. The 1400s palace was kept as such by the last Marchioness of Viana who lived in it, the Marchioness Sophie Lancaster; the building develops around 12 magnificent courtyards and a garden. The palace, now used as a museum, preserves inside numerous collections of every kind, such as paintings, plates, tiles, carpets and firearms.

We leave the Palacio de Viana and retrace our steps; ideally we would spend this last evening in the heart of Cordoba, but our little princesses ask us to be merciful and express the wish to spend a few hours in the pool; we can only please them, so we fetch the car and return to the hotel where we relax. We have dinner at the hotel (which is not bad anyway) and then reach our room. On the eleventh of August we bid farewell to this splendid city too and set off to reach Canet d'en Berenguer, 550 kilometres away, heading north-west. Canet is only 30 kilometres from Valencia; we reach the AGH Hotel where we will stay for seven days, hoping for sea, sun and relaxation. Honestly I did not know this resort, which turned out to be truly exceptional.

Canet d'en Berenguer has absolutely nothing historical; the old town is less than a kilometre from the coast and covers only 4 km2 with just 6,300 inhabitants, but moving to the coast there are many modern homes, villas and accommodation facilities that in summer host thousands of tourists; the beach is 1.2 km long, completely free but kept very well, with little fountains, showers, bar kiosks, etc., and a stretch of the beach is fully equipped for the disabled. We can only enjoy ourselves, sure that between the beach, the pool, the gardens, the hotel restaurant and the evening shows organised both by the hotel and by the municipality in the town's central square, the days fly by. On the afternoon of the fourth day (14 August) we decide to visit the nearby city of Sagunto, and in particular the Roman Theatre and the Castillo "the Castle".

The city is divided in two: the old part keeps the layout of a village with a medieval structure, surrounded by walls and characterised by sinuous, narrow streets; and the new area, where the main route in the days of the "Reconquest" became the main artery around which recent urbanisation developed, gradually absorbing the former suburbs. We immerse ourselves in the little streets of the Judería, the old Jewish quarter, through an arch in Calle del Castillo; it is easy to get lost among the narrow, winding streets while remaining enchanted watching the whitewashed houses. We leave the Jewish quarter and reach the Roman Theatre; its construction dates back to the first century; semi-circular in shape, it is partly carved into the mountain and many of the tiers were obtained by digging into the ground; the theatre was recognised as a national monument as early as 1896.

After centuries of abandonment, the architects Giorgio Grassi and Manuel Portaceli, under the patronage of the Valencia department of culture, carried out a project of restoration and consolidation of the monument, so as to make it suitable for public cultural events. Right after the Theatre, just behind it, immense and mighty, is the Castillo; the fortress had a drawbridge at the main entrance that allowed the crossing of a deep moat; the walls are testimony to the Greek presence and the Carthaginian siege and run for about a kilometre; they have seen the succession of Romans, Barbarians, Arabs and Christians. The historic site is divided into seven areas. The Plaza de Almenara, which the Arabs called Saluquia, contains remains of Roman-era buildings: the forum, cisterns, temples, columns. The Plaza de la Conejera was once the Arab fortress.

The Plaza de la Ciudadela was once called Plaza de Hércules after a tower of the same name; and also the Plaza del Dos de Mayo, the Plaza de San Fernando and the Plaza de los Estudiantes. The Castillo was proclaimed a national monument in 1931. Once the visit is over we return to our Hotel. On the following morning, the fifteenth of August, the weather is not the best for staying on the beach, so we decide to reach Valencia and more precisely the Albufera Natural Park. The name "Albufera" has Arab origins and means "the little sea"; it currently has an extension of a little over 21,000 hectares and is separated from the sea by a small sandy coastal strip and a pine wood; it was named a "natural park" in 1986.

The Albufera of Valencia is a shallow lagoon (average of about one metre) located on the Mediterranean coast south of the city; it holds great eco-environmental interest and is a wintering place for many species of birds. Its waters have always served to sustain fishermen and the neighbouring populations, as well as being fundamental for irrigating the rice fields nearby. The Albufera is also defined as the cradle of paella; indeed it is said that the origin of the famous Valencian dish is precisely from these areas. Besides paella you can savour the typical dishes of Valencian cuisine such as "arròs a banda", "all i pebre", a sauce that accompanies the dish of eels fished in the same lake, and much more.

Fishing in the lake was legally recognised only in 1250, when a group of inhabitants of Valencia (from the area now called "Barrio de Ruzafa") settled in the area, which today corresponds to the village "El Palmar", in order to fish comfortably. It is handed down that the concession of fishing in this area by the empire had one condition, that of paying a fifth of the catch. In 1865 the lake and the coastline became property of the State, after about six centuries of ownership by the Royal family; between 1911 and 1927 the ownership of this natural space of great ecological, environmental and landscape value passed to the city of Valencia. For lunch we stay in the built-up area of El Palmar, where a great number of restaurants are concentrated, and as tradition dictates we order a mega Paella Valenciana. (delicious).

We return to Canet, and considering that the weather has decidedly improved, we spend the afternoon in the pool; after dinner the hotel, given the Ferragosto holiday, organised an evening show different from the usual with guests from outside the facility: dancers, magicians, etc. (an excellent evening) The following days, the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth of August, we spend in total relaxation between the Beach and the Pool. On the last day melancholy sets in; on the nineteenth of August we start packing our things. We could stay in the hotel until the afternoon and leave after lunch, but considering the distance to cover to reach the port of Barcelona (about 330 km) we decide to leave the hotel right after breakfast, even though we know very well that a little over three hours are enough to cover that distance; we set off all the same.

Shortly before 14.00 we arrive in Barcelona, and we realise that the real reason for such an early departure was to return to some places we had liked so much on the previous year's trip. We reach Plaça Catalunya, leave our car in the car park beneath the square and walk along the famous Rambla, where we enjoy some Tapas and sip two excellent cervezas; after the snack we visit the Cathedral and finally head back towards the port and reach Montjuïc, a hill 177 m above sea level south of the city, right above the port. The name comes from the medieval Catalan Mont dels Jueus, meaning "hill of the Jews", probably due to the presence of a Jewish cemetery on the side of the hill.

On the hill you can admire the Olympic stadium built in 1927, the Castell de Montjuïc, built on the highest part of the hill at the end of the 17th century, and the Palau Sant Jordi, built on the occasion of the 1992 Olympics and used for sporting events and concerts. Montjuïc can also be reached by cable car and a funicular; we reach it with our car, but even so we only have time for a panoramic photo of the city and to return to the Grimaldi terminal to get our boarding passes ready and leave. What can I say: from the day of departure, when our ship had its bow turned towards Spain, a good 22 days have passed, flying by as if they were minutes.

We leave with suitcases full of things to wash but with a soul full of fabulous things to carry with us; all the places we visited left an indelible memory in us, from the modernity of the City of Sciences of Valencia to the ancient Cathedral of Seville, from the imposing Castle of Sagunto to the small Synagogue of Cordoba, but above all the memory of all the people we met on this fabulous adventure: travellers like us or staff at accommodation facilities, bars, restaurants, hotels, etc. Thanks also to all those who will read this travel diary and above all thanks to God for accompanying us over all the more than 3000 km travelled. THANK YOU.