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Nancy and Doug Trips
Nancy and Doug Trips

Nancy and Doug Trips

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
Our lifelong travel bug has given us our most prized ‘possessions’ - the many memories from business and especially family trips.
 “Take only memories, leave only footprints.” Läs mer🇨🇦British Columbia
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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär

    Dal Horra Palace

    11 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Stopped here as it was included in our ticket of places to visit. We both felt it is not really a worthwhile stop unless on the way as it does not offer anything particularly unique. However, we were appreciative of the efforts taken in its historical preservation. As we were to learn the next day, this Arabic small palace and those of the Albumbra owe much to the lifelong work of an early conservationist and restorative specialist named Torres Balba.

    Palacio de Dar al-Horra, “Home of the Honest”, a, formed part of the large palace of Zirid King Badis,
    It was so-named for having been the official residence of Aixa la-Horra, wife of Muley Hacén and mother of the last Emir of Granada, Boabdil.
    After the conquest, it was transferred by the Catholic Monarchs to Hernando de Zafra, who made it his residence. Zafra tied to establish a convent of Dominican nuns in this building and adjacent buildings, although he did not succeed, it eventually being converted into a Franciscan convent by Queen Isabel, inhabited from 1507 to this day by nuns of the order of St Clare. The building is centered by a rectangular patio, with a small pool toward the south side, with porticoes on the north and south sides. Due to being a cloistered monastery, it has maintained its former Islamic forms and part of its former Nasrid decoration intact. The inscriptions carved into the plaster of the viewpoint enhance the private nature of the house with words and phrases of celebration such as “Blessing”, “Happiness”, “Health is perpetual” and “Joy continues”. The upper floor retains the style of Islamic houses and has wonderful views over the Axarea quarter, with its mosque converted into a church of San Cristóbal and the Zirid wall Its small garden is irrigated with water from the Aynadanar canal, from the large Aljibe del Rey cistern, located nearby, reaching it through the so-called Arch of the Nuns.    Läs mer

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär

    Albaycin

    11 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Walked from Sacromonte into the Arab "commoner section" which lies south of the Darro River/Valley with the fortress and palace (Alhumbra) to the north. Not much tourismos to be seen; relatively deserted, hilly, interesting Arabic cobblestoning, flowers predominating, uneven and at times slippery footing.

    The Albaycin is the old Arab Quarter. It comprises approximately the area between the hill of the Alhambra, the hill of San Cristobal, the Sacromonte and Elvira.
    The Albaycin is like a different world within Granada. This is due to the strong Muslim influence in this area. It was the place where the first Siri court was built in the eleventh century.
    At the height of splendour the Albaycin enjoyed in the last years of Nazarid dominance, the quarter comprised a population of more than forty thousand inhabitants and thirty mosques.
    The streets were very narrow and small with clean houses, plus numerous wells, some of which are still in the Albaycin.
    With the reconquest, the Albaycin was left for Muslims as their own place of residence. But soon the population dwindled.
    The constant revolts forced the monarchs to expel the Arabs who were practising Muslim. The mosques were demolished and on the same sites churches were raised.
    The Moors left behind their homes, which were used by wealthy Christians to build their carmenes.    Läs mer

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär

    Museo Cuevas del Sacromonte

    11 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Drop off close to this "museum" with a steep walk up cobblestoned steps to the top. Very much enjoyed this, very well done with references to various places in the world people have lived/live in caves. Of particular interest were the short films on the evolution of Flamenco Dancing and Singing. You leave with a clear understanding of how "baked in" this style is: old clips of children at a young age dancing and clapping; flamenco in the caves which is now part of the tourism industry.

    Sacromonte cave houses are a complex of whitewashed caves dug into the side of the hill. These caves provided safety for their inhabitants (mostly Spanish Gypsies) not only from the scorching Andalusian sun and winter rains but also from religious and ethnic prosecution.

    The museum features a total of 11 caves or houses, most of which are made up of a couple of rooms complete with some basic furniture and various tools of the trade. Each cave has a theme: a typical dwelling, a stable, a basket-weaving cave, a kitchen, a ceramics workshop, and a textiles workshop. Together, the caves paint an extraordinary picture of a life you could hardly imagine.

    While traditionally a Gypsy district, Sacromonte also took in moriscos (Moores converted to Christianity), freed or escaped black slaves and Castilians.
    Gypsies first arrived in Granada as camp followers to the armies of the Catholic Monarchs that marched victoriously on Granada after expelling the last Moor dynasty from Spain. They were allowed to remain outside the city walls on the condition that they abandoned their nomadic lifestyle and pick up a trade
    After the Civil War, in the 1940s and 50s, farmers from rural parts of Granada fled to the hills of Sacromonte, forced by famine to abandon their lands. The community swelled up to its maximum size.

    But in 1963, six months of torrential rains destabilized the soil, and the entire hill was in danger of collapsing. Probably not wanting the responsibility for inaction, the civil authorities forcefully evicted the residents of Sacromonte caves, ordering them never to return. And that was the end of the Gypsy history of Sacromonte caves.    Läs mer

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär
    North vs South facing hillside Darro

    Sacromonte

    11 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Our hotel is located at the edge of old town and very close to the bus stops. Very easy to get places in Granada. Buses are large sized vans that manage to make it down some very narrow streets.

    Sacromonte has for centuries been the home of gypsies, bohemians and Flemish artists. Gypsies settled in Granada in the eighteenth century, The Gypsies, like the Jews, are a group that has preserved its pure racial identity over the centuries. The gypsies are thought to originally belong to the poorest castes of people from India who were nomadic, offered skills in blacksmithing, basket weaving and sewing as they travelled through. Their "homeless ways" were of concern and they were forced eventually to "settle". A little known fact is that at one time these people were considered genetically unfit by the Nazis and they were the 2nd most "exterminated" group of people after the Jews in WW2.

    Of note is the difference in vegetation between the areas north and south of the river with the northing being lush and green (where the Alhumbra is located) and the south dry and relatively bare with prickly pear and large agave plants. This less desirable land became home to the "less desirables" of the society who were persecuted: gypsies, moristas, and negros (freed slaves of the Arabs who departed after the 1500s). The hills offered cheap housing (dug out of the sedimentary soil of smooth stones, sand and soil that the glaciers left behind).

    The Sacromonte offers views of indescribable beauty: the towers of the Alhambra, the white slopes of the Albaycin, the Valparaiso valley and the River Darro. The caves of Sacromonte are grouped around ravines, forming what amounts to streets, and the next stop is a visit to the cave museum.    Läs mer

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär

    Corral del Carbón

    10 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    The Corral del Carbón is the oldest Andalusian monument in Granada, dating from 1336 or earlier, and was a coal yard, a warehouse, and an Inn for merchants. Later in the sixteenth century, it was adapted for stage performances.

    The construction consists of an entrance pavilion and an inner body with a courtyard surrounded by galleries and craft rooms.    Läs mer

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär

    Drive the Costa del Sol

    10 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Nancy departed the lovely Casa Olina with some wistfulness, definately a 10/10 rating on this one. Left before 10 am with the intent to stop at Marbella and Malaga on our way to Granada - estimated total driving time about 3.5 hrs. Hwy A-7 is the Mediterranean Highway, over 1000 km along the Mediterranean Sea. As Doug noted, not really a highway in the sense that we know it as drivers basically area waiting full stop at yield to come on and in one case a bus was stopped in the Rt lane and it was occassionally punctuated with a round about. Busy all along this and we were concerned enough about getting on and off and lost in the process that we ended up bypassing both the big "Ms". Marabella is a "for the rich and famous types" and Malaga Nancy knows has a lot of interval timeshare availability. Extremely developed area all along the seaside hills with many many high rises and cranes from the ocean to the highway and then from the highway up the hillside. Shortly after Malaga we decided to take an exit as a rest and bathroom break was really needed and ended up on the beachfront in quite a charming place from the looks of things: La Cala del Moral. It has a quite a wide flat waterfront and city area with the highway set significantly back on a rise. Quaint cantina on the beach and and a nice looking boardwalk and curved protected beach. Very pleasant. So we decided to have an early lunch; it is hard to find any "fast food" in Spain although Burger King and MacDonalds are here - have not tried thus far, We can accuse no one of "rushing us" through a meal....usually we have to track down someone to get the "la cuenta" and this spot nwas no exception.

    After leaving the seaside lunch, our drive got progressively easier with an impressive uncrowded four lane (divided) highway, multiple tunnelling through mountains and very large bridges, the longest being 1 km long: great highway: high level of engineering. A lot of agriculture reappeared as soon as we left the Costa Del Sol, many greenhouses and agriculture that had sun protective sheets on them. We saw the Sierra Nevada mountains as we came into Granada; Doug was preparing for some craziness getting into the city. First an almost 360 degree turn off the highway (?ie aren't we re entering the highway) into a round about to reach the entry into the gas station, then out into the round about again which was very crowded with cars going every which way.....and we saw why - tow truck loading a stalled vehicle. We then ended up doing two runs around the same circuit trying to enter a parking lot where we were to deposit the car. Mission accomplished! We formally returned the car to an office nearby, then had a 1+ km walk (30 deg C) through a leafy Granada University into the old town. Our hearts fell as we realized a demolition had been done right next to our hotel and there was a lot of drilling and noise. Reception was pleasant and informative. The room in this "quaint" hotel and it is quite small for the two us. There is always going to be accommodation that looks different than anticipated and thus far this is the one that is furthest from ideal for our needs as we really miss having a desk/chair to do our computer stuff. On the upside, check in was easy and the water and air conditioning works well. We had our missed packed lunch in the nearby Trinidad Park and then visited one of the oldest sites in Granada, basically a central square and two stories with balcony and rooms coming into that. We had some of our bottle of sherry and enjoyed the rooftop views and that ended a busy day.

    From Estepona by Marbella around Malaga. Stop in La Cala del Moral. Then past Nerja and Motril before heading up to Granada.    Läs mer

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär
    1

    Estepona Orchidarium

    9 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    There is a lot to know about orchids! This large temperature, humidity controlled greenhouse has 1,500 species of orchid from all over the world and 5,000 types of plants. The orchids nestle in amongst shrubs and semi-tropical perennials as they would in the wild. The structure was opened in 2015, and the plants have had time to establish themselves. We spent about an hour in the orchidarium, there were more leaves and plants in airy pots than flowers and the waterfall was closed for renovation but it was interesting to see what they grew the orchids in and how they supported them, many on the cork bark grown here in southern Spain.
    Some orchid plants can survive for over 100 years. Orchids grow in every country except Antarctica. They have been around for over 100 million years, and there are over 25,000 species with more being discovered every year.
    The bond between orchids and certain species of insects is tight and highly specialized. Petals have similar shape and color to imitate female insects to attract males and ensure pollination. The Bee Orchid, lures male bees with its enticing smell and bee-like appearance. Substances isolated from orchids are used in the perfume industry, as spices and in traditional Asian medicine. Vanilla comes from the pod of an orchid, It is difficult to grow, requiring high humidity, bright but indirect sunlight and warm temperatures, which is why it so expensive.

    The neighborhood around the Orchidarium shows many of the over 60 murals that Estepona has all over the city and some by the same artist who decorated the plaster garden walls at Casa Olina. The apartments in this area varied, some quite modest others quite modern; a constant theme is people here love their balcony and really use the space (much less square footage in most cases than we have on Lequime!) for growing flowers, storing bikes, drying clothes in addition to often being the location for the air conditioner (?what would strata think about that!). Today, an elderly lady was feeding pigeons from her 3rd floor apartment. Seemed to be a lot of seniors strolling or wheeling about in this quieter area. Not a touristic area, you could see individually owned small stores ie fruiterria (fruits and veg), carniciera (butcher) and people walking back home with their groceries of the day, often with company or in company of a small dog. Dachshunds and lower slung elongated dogs seem quite popular, along with chihuahuas here. Older people and dog walks generally go along with early in the day activities, so perhaps we were wrong in our perceptions as most restaurants and stores have yet to come to life at 9 in the morning!

    We were back home by noon after Google and Nancy had us going around in a circle in an industrial area for 15 minutes after taking the wrong exit out of a roundabout. Of interest was a roundabout that had a stoplight at the entrance along with a cross walk (often a round about and cross walk co exist); usually roundabouts here have two lanes entering them and may have five exits....lots to watch out for! Made it home with only one honk from an annoyed local....there was a service vehicle parked in the right lane inside the round about forcing us suddenly into the left lane.....fun, right!!??    Läs mer

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär
    Plaza OrtizPasadena de Maruja Mallo

    Day 17 - Estepona AM Walk and PM Chill

    8 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We decided to drive into Estepona right after breakfast with the goal of walking the "old town" while it was cool and and seeing its Andalusian white houses decorated with flowers. Estepona is a coastal town (pop. 70,000) described as "bustling yet tranquil". It has a typical Mediterranean climate where summers are hot with temperatures averaging close to 35 degrees while winters are mild with highs touching 15 degrees. The boardwalk along the beach was quite impressive, lots of sitting areas, the city was still waking up in the cool of the morning, a tractor was smoothing the sand, 3 men and a truck were scrubbing down the main street, and there was also 2 women operating a small watering truck and hoses to water the many plants along the streets. The old town streets had "community feel" in that the pots on any particular street matched each other. Although we only spent two hours in town, it looked like a very pleasant place to live or visit and impressively organized (underground parking!) tidy and safe.Läs mer

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär
    Pass Summit
    GPX

    Day 16 Overview

    7 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Ronda to Costa del Sol via mountains. Up up to the summit (Puerto de Las Palomas 1190 meters above sea level; Doug just checked for the stat and found it on a search called dangerousroads.org!) and down down again safe and sound. Narrow roads, spectacular views. "Jean Claude Bourget" was glad he rented an automatic as a lot of things to watch for enroute - cyclists, motorcycles, other vehicles, the odd rather large RV plus the challenges when you got into the villages that were not planned around the existence of the automobile!Läs mer

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär

    Costa del Sol Arrival

    7 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    All of a sudden there it is, over a hill past some windmills...the Mediterranean Sea and Costa Del Sol! Rather suddenly we were on a four lane highway. Highways are interesting around here....speed limit 80 k/h and 15 sec later 40 k/h and then into a round about figuring out which car is going where and then figuring out which exit to take. Doug and I have a code now - exit according the the hours of a clock. Managed to find Casa Olina without a hitch (LOL) where we were met by Albert who is Danish origin, retired from a career in Vienna and bought this place where he lives on the upper floor and there are 3 spacious units he rents out. Lovely accommodations, extremely well equipped with many thoughtful details and an immaculately kept artistic garden surrounding a pool with views overlooking the Mediterranean. Given Sunday, all shops are closed so we are recommended a nice spot for dinner called LaSal by the ocean; it was very warm walking down to it in part because we needed to figure out how to get over the highway via a pedestrian bridge. This is a suburban area about 10 miles from the small city of Estepona; very different environment than the cities we've been staying in. The houses and condos are all built on a hillside so most people get a view of the ocean. After dinner a walk along the board walk and saw, yep, another Moorish ruin!Läs mer

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär

    Grazalema

    7 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    After more hair raising travel (aka Nancy, Doug thought it was fine and enjoyable but agreed John should not take his F350 and RV along it!) driving along narrow roads with steep drop offs (intermittent concrete block barriers but the occasional chipped or missing which Nancy did not find reassuring) we reached this pleasant town which was quite tourist friendly. Walked around taking in the scenery including some fir trees mixed with palms (Grazalema receives the most annual rainfall of any town in Southern Spain and there was a picture of snow on the trees; there is a national park and hiking in this area) and stopped for our usually late AM coffee hoping to have a bite of lunch but no food served til 1 pm so back on the road. Next town that we passed through was Ubrique "spectacularly situated in front of the crag of the Cruz de Tajo". Unfortunately we did not get a chance to stop for lunch as given that it is on a crag, the roads are narrow and we did not come across any parking stops before we found ourselves headed out of town. This town was renowned for its leather industry supplying the likes of Louis Vuitton and Gucci. One last town: Cortes de la Frontera; in the area of cork harvesting. We saw some of the cork trees sans bark on the lower trunk. It replaces itself every 9 years. No trouble parking in this town - why? : basically all was shuttered for the Sunday. Not a touristic place. We had peanut butter on a cracker and the remains of our water and headed for the Mediterranean, continuing or descent down to sea level. Doug wondered whether there had been a miscalculation as we were still at a fairly high elevation given our 50 minute anticipated drive.Läs mer

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär

    Zahara de la Sierra

    7 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Doug unfortunately did not have a great sleep but was ready for a "scenic drive through the mountains". Up narrow roads with significant drop offs, cyclists, motorcycles and some RVs. We thankfully got an early start such that we were first to take up a parking spot near a mirador (viewpoint), the first of many. The lake is actually a reservoir and the 360 degree view was spectacular. The first so called pueblos blanco or white village, originally part of Arabic culture. Repeated pattern of Moorish ruins and a church on the hill then the town built around it and narrow streets through the town (usually with no parking available!).Läs mer

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär
    1

    Ronda

    6 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Ronda sits on each side of the 100 metre deep El Tajo gorge. Its most famous attraction is the “New Bridge”. Finally completed in 1793 after forty years of construction, the scary yet beautiful Puente Nuevo is Ronda’s most famous attraction. It connects up El Mercadillo (The Market), the newer part of town, with La Ciudad (The Town), the old Moorish quarter and is breathtaking. So dangerous was its construction that 50 workers lost their lives in the process.
    Ronda is the birthplace of the modern Spanish bullfight and the hometown of its greatest dynasty. It was here, during the 18th century, that Francisco Romero faced the bull on foot for the first time, rather on horseback. Today, two of the most famous practitioners of the style pioneered by Romero are Cayetano and Francisco Rivera Ordoñez, whose grandfather featured in Hemingway‘s A Dangerous Summer.

    We arrived in Rhonda uneventfully parking our car in an underground close to Rhonda Central Hotel. This was an accommodation that had a check in desk between 1600-2000 hrs approximately. Very pleasant young woman to check us in and this was the most modern and spacious accommodation thus far. We were right in the centre of Rhonda, near the "modern birthplace of the Bullring (Torres de Rhonda) that is 450 years young, now turned museum. Youtube videos and photos do not do justice to the dramatic setting of this town. It has all the charms of a small Spanish town and the river gorge it is built around makes every part of it truly spectacular. There are a lot of places to walk around, up and down including a part that is quite old that you can see from the top view and we had a bit of an explore. Nancy was taken by a large yellow stuccoed building, ripe for a major reno and one wonders when this was a last a lux place that those young people doing a tour of Europe during the time of industrialization in the 1800s. Overall, a lot of atmosphere and romance...who could not fall in love with the flowers, promenades, interesting and varied vistas and mix of old and evolving here. We left wishing we could stay at least another day. Ernest Hemingway especially loved Ronda and it served as an inspiration for some of his work; we can see why.    Läs mer

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär

    Setenil de las Bodegas

    6 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Setenil de las Bodegas, a picturesque town in white with red tiled roofs. The unique thing about Setenil de las Bodegas is that the settlement grew out of rock caves. The rocks overhang the settlement. Ancient Setenil could be thousands of years old but the modern part grew from 1484 onwards when Christian armies vanquished Moors then residing in the castle on the top.

    This was very interesting and Nancy had not seen anything like it although Doug had seen Cappadocia in Turkey where there was a whole civilization living in caves. It is uncertain the exact first inhabits of these recesses in stone but people eventually built (not too deeply) into the rocks on both sides of this canyon. It is completely tourism that runs the town but it was in a pleasant and interesting way. As it was about 1430 hrs and washroom and a bite were in high order, we actually stopped at a little tapas bar frequented more by locals than tourists before heading down into the main area on the south, over a bridge and then up the shady side. Stopped to buy a "Torta De Sentenil" which is a 1/2 inch flat bar type cake with fruit filling and sesame seeds, caraway seed and almonds sprinkled on it; tasty. We stopped for a coffee before heading back on to the road.    Läs mer

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär

    Olvera

    6 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Next stop, Olvera. We just viewed this from a far as going in and out of these small towns with their narrow streets can be rather stressful for us. We also did not want to do another hike up a hill.

    With its huge church and even bigger castle, both dominating the skyline from the tall hill at the top of town, Olvera in Cadiz appears dramatically on the horizon as you approach, rising up to nearly 650 metres above sea level like something out of a movie.
    The countryside and surrounding hills, valleys, olive groves and even nearby white villages are very scenic as well.    Läs mer

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär

    Arcos de la Frontera

    6 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We got up later than expected; took Uber (5 E) to the nearby rail station to pick up our rental car (an automatic this time). Biggest task was "getting out of Dodge" and we missed a turn (Nancy's interpretation of Google directions not always the best but there is one time she caught Google misdirecting us down a one way street...things are not always as they seem with Google either walking or driving!). From Seville to our first stop an hour later at this town, there was a lot of agricultural land: some vegetable crops giving way to fields of sunflowers, wheat, olive groves and vineyards. Initially the land was flat, then undulating. Highway was two lanes each way with the median planted with plumeria which were flowering, very pretty. Road was initially fairly busy no slow downs except for the posted speeds which varied frequently from 60-120 km/h. We parked at the edge of this first town and ended up walking to the hilltop where there was a church and the remnants of an Arabic castle (the theme of southern Spain!).

    Arcos de la Frontera is beautiful, picturesque village on the banks of the Guadalete River with the typical whitewashed look. The village sits on top of a limestone ridge and the most interesting landmarks here are the stone castle and the Church of San Pedro. Acros de la Frontera traces its history back to the times of the cavemen. The Romans lived here and so did the Moors after them. The Christians ruled the region and the Gothic cathedral is its legacy, famed for its ten bells. The Castillo de Arcos, is a medieval castle with Moorish influence. Calle Neuva is the main street. It is charming with a typical village flair.    Läs mer

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär
    GPX

    Day 14 Overview

    5 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    Dinner was on the rooftop terrace of UNUK hotel. We were the first there at 1930 hours and when we left it was pretty much full. Menu Nancy thought was a bit odd - upper gourmet stuff; Doug enjoyed his chateaubriand and ?fries (is that not odd) and Nancy settled on fresh pasta and sauce. Lovely temperature as it cooled off and memorable views.

    One palace, one museum, one cathedral, one dinner and one hot day with 14 055 steps!    Läs mer

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär
    Rosinas Balcony

    Barrio Santa Cruz

    5 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    This was our neighborhood in Seville through which we passed on many of our outings. We really enjoyed it; classical Spain: wrought iron detailing, yellow and dusty pink, wood, old world charm, tapas bars that stayed lively well after we had gone to bed. Every corner was a feast for the eyes and camera! Felt very safe. The odd person asking for money, often outside a church but overall there appeared to be less homelessness than in Toronto or Kelowna; not sure if that is true or they are in another area or what.....Läs mer

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär
    Altar MayorChoirSilver AltarTomb of Columbus

    Cathedral

    5 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    After a lunch back at the apartment we headed back to the same area as we had on line tickets for 1500h to enter the Seville Cathedral. Very large and impressive from the outside and inside and out. The audioguide was not very helpful as it was difficult to figure out where you were in this massive structure. We viewed the main altar and the tomb of Cristobol Colon (Columbus) and a few of the chapels and then were told they were closing early and we had to leave. We would have liked another 30 minutes but on the other hand we were actually feeling rather tired and when we got back to the apartment and out of the 32 degree heat we both relaxed and rested up for our dinner out which Doug had arranged for our 44th Anniversary.

    Catedral de Santa María de la Sede is the third largest church in the world, after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

    The Cathedral was built on the site where once a Moorish mosque stood. This mosque was taken from the Moors in 1248 and was then used as a cathedral. In the 13th century, the mosque was destroyed, except for the Patio de los Naranjos (the orange court), and the Giralda tower. Construction of the cathedral began in 1403. The cathedral was finally completed in 1507.

    Tomb of Christopher Columbus. His remains were transferred from Cuba to Seville 1898 and now rest in this tomb. It is adorned with a bronze coffin, carried by four figures symbolizing the kingdoms of Castile, León, Aragon and Navarre

    The minaret of the Cathedral, La Giralda, is the tower of the mosque that was preserved after the demolition of the mosque when it was replaced by a cathedral. On top of the Giralda Tower is a four-metre high bronze statue. This statue, representing faith, is nicknamed the Giraldillo. The statue turns with the wind and, consequently the tower got its nickname (Giralda = weather vane).    Läs mer

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär

    Archivo de Indias

    5 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    This building was almost next to the Real Alcazar and Doug was interested in seeing it as it contains the many documents having to do with the age of Discovery and more. Impressive building but the amount you actually can see of the documents is limited; it is largely the building itself which is large and spacious with shelves lining just the perimeter. It was free and we were done in about 30 minutes and headed home noting now hot it was getting.

    The Archivo General de Indias is an archive in Seville that contains more than 10 kilometres of bookshelves with documents from the colonial history of 'Las Indias, or the New World', from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. This stately building was originally the trade fair from 1584 for the Consulate of the merchants (Consulado de Mercaderes) for the trade of gold, silver, spices and cocoa between Spain and the 'New World'.

    In 1777, historian Juan Bautista was appointed by King Carlos III to describe the history of the New World. Since the opening in 1785, the archive contains 80 million pages of documents from Columbus, Pizarro and Cortés. The museum's collection includes documents, photographs, drawings and diaries.    Läs mer

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär

    Real Alcazar

    5 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We were off to an early to the Royal Alcazar, Seville’s Royal Palace was originally a Moorish fort built in the 10th century by the first Caliph of Andalucía. Quite a lot of people but this place is huge so it sops them up. we were booked for tour of the upper floor apartments which are currently used by the current monarchs when they are in town/wanting to use it. We were allowed in with a small group and a security guard after undergoing basic screening and putting our backpacks in a locker. It really is an amazing place, Although the Moors mosque was destroyed and the palace built, the detailing is very much from the Arabic world with intricate lacy carvings and a lot of tiling. There was a history of the evolution of tile and porcelain and the interaction between the style and colouration of china between cultures eg Spanish, Oriental, Netherlands (evolution of Delft, always attempting to replicate the fine porcelains of the Orient). Gardens very large and beautiful, years in the making, impossible to capture the castle and gardens in pictures.

    The construction of the current Royal Alcázar began in the 14th century. It is the best example of Mudejar architectural style in Spain, although Islamic, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements can be found as well..

    The site was initially a Roman settlement, later used by the Visigoths. In 712 Seville was conquered by the Arabs, who transformed the building in a palace-fortress. When Fernando III of Castile regained the city in 1248, the Alcázar became the Royal Palace. His son, Alfonso X, initiated the first works and ordered the construction of the Gothic Palace.

    Later on, in 1364, Pedro I of Castile, decided to build the Mudejar Palace, definitely the best building of this architectural style in Spain. It’s characterized by being a mixture between Muslim and Christian elements, resulting in a unique design that can be found only in Spain and, to a minor extent, in Portugal.

    The Alcázar has been used in many occasions by the Kings of Spain. Even Juan Carlos I, used it in 1995 for the reception and wedding dinner of his eldest daughter, Elena.    Läs mer

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär
    Selection of Andalusian specialitiesEvening walk in the park.GPX

    Day 13 Overview

    4 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    Started with bus ride then a morning walk, stopped for lunch (sangria and beer, the charcuterie plate was sausage heavy :( and we decided Iberian Ham (pigs that only eat acorns imparting a special quality) is not worth the hype in our humble opinion; had dinner at home and an evening walk. Pleasant weather so the 15,500 steps were goodLäs mer

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär

    Plaza Espana and Maria Luisa Park

    4 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    After dinner at home, we took lovely walk up our street to this large park where the Plaza de Espana is located....it is amazingly large as is the park. We barely touched the inviting pathways with the islands of green and flowering trees (many bluish/purple ones) and palms. It was turning dark so we had to leave but as we left, about 10 horses and carriages carrying tourists clip clopped by, a contrast to the busy road with its tapas bars in full swing that we walked by on the way home.

    Plaza de España was built for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929
    This is a larger than expected semi-circular brick building, Renaissance/neo-Moorish in style, with a tower at either end (tall enough to be visible around the city). In front of the building, following the curve of its façade, is a 500-metre canal crossed by four bridges, and in the centre of it all is the Plaza itself.

    All along the wall by the canal are 48 alcoves with benches, one for each province of Spain, each with a relevant tableau and map, all designed on colourful azulejos (painted ceramic tiles). The four bridges represent the four ancient kingdoms of Spain: Castille, Aragon, Navarre and Leon.    Läs mer

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSW Europe 2023Resenär

    Casa de Pilatos

    4 maj 2023, Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    After lunch we went to see what Doug indicated was the first "Andalucian Style" palace. We arrived just in time for the English guided tour which included the upper level which was furnished with personal belongings of the family (including an extensive collection of ornamental pigs!). The lower levels consist of empty tiled rooms and that no doubt were filled at one time. We were told that the tapestries in the upper levels help keep the rooms warm in the winter and the tiles kept the rooms cool in the summer and the family would move between levels with the seasonal change. There were numerous interesting comments made during the tour although we could not always understand our guide due to her Spanish accent. For example, there was one painting showing a woman using a fan, there was a non verbal language between men and women involving the fan. For example, interest could be expressed yes or no about meeting up; if a woman wanted to meet at 3:30 she would tap her right shoulder 3 times and the left once. If a man was engaged he would hold his hat a certain way. As she said it was "the old Facebook"! The gardens were special, both beautiful and had an "old world charm" that you can not replicate without many years going by. Everywhere we look, people make use of even 12 inches of balcony space and that is their outdoors. Upper floor patios are well planted (pots) and covered. After our visit, Nancy bought a Seville Christmas ornament tile as a souvenir.

    Casa de Pilatos was built in the 16th century by order of Don Pedro Enriquez and later by his son Fadrique Enriques de Ribera. This is the most beautiful palace in Seville, after the Alcazar, and it is one of the most best-preserved buildings from the 16th century. The "House of Pilatos" is named after the house of Pontius Pilate, by whom Fadrique Enriques de Ribera was inspired during his pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

    Different styles were combined in the construction of this palace, such as Gothic, Mudéjar and Italian Renaissance styles. The Casa de Pilatos has a beautifully decorated patio with a well and fountain. The palace has many marble columns and floors, long corridors, ceiling paintings, large wooden doors, mudéjar tiles (Azulejos), chapels and especially a beautiful and colourful palace garden in Italian style.

    Nowadays, this palace is still partly inhabited and is the residence of the 18th Duchess of Medinacelli and her family.    Läs mer

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