Andalusia, Folklore and History

August in Andalusia? Absurd...... That's a cliché to debunk: yes, it's hot (40 degrees) but the dry climate is more bearable than the humid 33 degrees of a muggy Bologna summer, and in the evening the Sierra Nevada, with the highest mountains in all of Spain, brings a pleasant cool breeze. What's more, August in Andalusia is low season, which lets you stay in high-level hotels for little. For the rest, Andalusia is as you'd expect: rich in folklore, history, culture and cheerfulness. Our trip began in Cordoba, an ancient Arab city and seat of the caliphate, traces of which survive especially in the stupendous Mezquita, the largest mosque in the whole of the West, now "reconverted" into a cathedral. We stayed at the hotel Conquistador ( 4 stars at 52 euros per room per night, very nice and opposite the Mezquita! Can't get more central than that....

Cordoba's other speciality is the patios, that is, the open-air inner courtyards, full of plants and flowers. The restaurants too have patios, which makes dinner even more pleasant. By the way, besides the Andalusian gazpacho, you have to try the Cordoban salmorejo, a typical dish similar to gazpacho but with the addition of grated bread and Iberian jamón. Also very good is the chorizo al vino, while the rabo de toro (oxtail) didn't enthuse me. As for wine, Rioja is Spain's equivalent of Chianti, and just as good. In Cordoba it's also pleasant to wander aimlessly through the alleys of the Arab quarter, full of souvenir shops, and if possible to try the hammam experience (24 euros), that is, the Arab baths; very pleasant. After Cordoba we went to Seville, the capital of the Arab kingdom and the current capital of Andalusia.

It's a very large and busy city, so it's better to stay in the central Santa Cruz district and then get around on foot. We were at the hotel Amadeus ( very well-kept, with a friendly atmosphere and a lovely panoramic terrace (70 euros). In 10 minutes on foot you reach the Cathedral and the bell tower with the Giralda, and the Alcázar, that is, the royal palace of the Arab sultans and later of the Catholic kings. Very beautiful is the Plaza de España, and pleasant the stroll along the Guadalquivir to the Torre del Oro. Seville is the ideal city to watch a flamenco show. From Seville we went to Ronda, a white village among the mountains, with a very high bridge joining the two sides of the old town, divided by a gorge, and the oldest Plaza de Toros in all of Spain.

In Malaga we had the pleasant surprise of "running into" the Feria del Verano: music and dancing in the streets, bullfights, and the frenzy of people in the Recinto de Feria, with the casitas, the music and rivers of wine all night long!!! Unfortunately, because of the Feria, we only found room for one (brief) night. The hotel was central but not memorable. After an excursion to Mijas, a white village in the inland area of Malaga, we then went to Granada, the city of the Alhambra, the stupendous palace of the Arab sultans that dominates the city from the top of the hill. To avoid hours of queues, you have to buy the ticket in advance ( The sultans really did live the good life.

To sleep, we followed the advice of Tony Quintili (gracias, tio!) and went to the hostal Veronica ( clean, central and cheap (40 euros); to eat, a true Andalusian institution for tapas is the Bodega Castañeda, where you eat standing up, chatting and socialising with the Spaniards, between a media racion of bacalao and a glass of "tinto de verano". Granada is the most Arab city in all of Spain, and the Arab quarter really looks like a souk in Istanbul, with its carpet and lamp shops, the tea houses, the crafts. After Granada we set off towards Madrid: a stop in Consuegra, with the hill where Don Quijote fought his battle against the windmills, and one in Toledo, an ancient city surrounded by medieval walls.

Finally the capital, Madrid, with the Royal Palace, the Almudena Cathedral, the Prado museum, the shopping area of Plaza del Sol, the grand tree-lined avenues and the stately buildings. The ideal place to have fun, to shop and to experience the city. Hasta pronto!!!

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