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Andalucía 6/21

June 2021
A slow travel trip to three favorite Spanish cities. Read more
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  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21
    Day 14

    Made it to O’Hare

    June 29, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    I am not really sure how the airlines allow people to buy a ticket with a 50 minute connection between our arrival into Madrid from Málaga and our flight out of Madrid to Chicago. Get off the plane, get to the train to get out to the international terminal, get off the train, go through Immigration, get to your gate. It was a bit much. I am definitely going to pay attention to my connection times more in the future, especially now that I sit here in O’Hare with a four hour layover!

    I think part of the problem with my bad connections is the reduced flight schedule, though things are definitely picking up. O’Hare is mobbed, seems like it is back to normal. But the Iberia flight was only about 20% full, I would guess.

    At several points along the way today, we were asked to show our covid test results or sign an affirmation that we had been vaccinated and/or had taken a covid test. Because the numbers of international travelers are so low, there wasn’t much of a wait at O’Hare — in fact, it was the quickest trip through immigration I can remember. They have removed all of the many touch screen automated immigration machines, though, maybe because of covid. So if numbers pick up, the waits could get much longer.

    So ends our trip to Spain. If you are vaccinated and want to go to Spain, my advice is to GO if you are vaccinated. No hassles getting in, just fill out a form with your vaccination data. Coming back home, you need a covid test, but there are many places to do it and it is quite easily arranged, There were a few things closed because of covid, but the absence of the group tour buses really makes being a tourist much more fun.

    I’m glad to be going home, but I have to admit I am starting to dream about the next trip!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21
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    Day 13

    Last Day in Spain

    June 28, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Another early morning walk. The city was still sleeping on Monday morning. As was Joe. But I made it back up the hill to the castle for my last views down on the city and the Alcazaba.

    There were only two things on the agenda. Picasso museum snd grandkids t-shirts. Why didn’t I get them earlier? Many of the touristy souvenir shops seem to be closed.

    Today is really the first hot day we’ve had. High in lower 90s. Till now, nights and early mornings have been sweater weather, so we are very grateful. I think our laziness today is a combination of heat and tourism saturation. Between 11 and 5 we spent a total of about three and a half hours sitting in different cafes!

    The Picasso museum is in a beautiful old residence and everything is very nicely displayed. Our guidebook says it houses all of Picasso’s “unsaleable stuff.” I thought anything by Picasso would be sale-able. I especially liked his sculpture of a warrior’s head —it reminded me of a 700 BC Phoenician helmet I had seen in the Malaga Museum.

    I am tired of restaurants. Home tomorrow. Usually I don’t write anything about our travel day home, but I know some of my friends are very interested to see how re-entry to the US goes. Going through immigration in Chicago is usually unpleasant even without Covid. So I don’t have much hope for a painless process.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21
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    Day 12

    Moors, Romans, and almost Picasso

    June 27, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    I did a quick walk up to the top of the hill again, to see things in the morning light. Then back to the hotel to pick up Joe. We had the best coffee of our trip so far. Then we headed up to the 13C Moorish Alcazaba. Not as spectacular as the Alhambra, but we enjoyed it a lot. Lots of those beautiful horseshoe arches and patios full of water and flowers, all hidden behind austere walls.

    The Roman theater was next and even though you can see most of it from the adjacent plaza, how can you pass up a chance to climb around a Roman theater?

    Lunch was a repeat visit to the really refreshing Avo. It’s a restaurant run by two young Germans (?) and their food is fresh and good.

    We had planned to go to the Picasso museum after lunch, but saw a huge line and learned that it’s free admission on Sunday afternoons. Luckily it’s open on Monday, so that will give us something to do on our last day.

    So plan B was a long walk along the quay and then along the beach. Late (for us) dinner at Gusto for good pizza. And jump for joy — our Covid tests came back negative so we can return home as planned.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21
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    Day 11

    Good day in Malaga

    June 26, 2021 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    While Joe slept in, I had time to buy some of the required stuff — olive oil, smoked paprika, and Manchego cheese. The huge municipal market is thrivng, in spite of the chain supermarkets not far away. It has a pretty impressive 14th century door that used to be part of a Moorish home. The old part of Málaga is really charming!

    After another café breakfast (this will be a part of the day I will dearly miss), we headed out to the airport for our pre-return Covid test. Everyone entering the US must have a negative test result from within three days of departure. We probably could have gotten a test in town, but I made the reservation for this test soon after Spain opened up for us, and I thought it would probably be less risky than finding some random lab somewhere in town. At the airport, the line for the test snaked around the airport, but a second window for those with reservations had no line, and that was our window! They did one of those painful nose swabs, which I have never had. Though I’ve probably had more than 200 covid tests, they have all been saliva, and I am now very thankful of that! We will get our results tomorrow, fingers crossed!

    Walking around town we saw the beautiful old customs building with a museum inside, so in we went. After lunch, Joe went to nap, and I headed up to the castle, which overlooks the Moorish fortress, which overlooks the Roman theater. The views from way up there were very nice.

    Our best meal so far in Malaga —La Barra de Zapata.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21
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    Day 10

    Took the bus to Malaga

    June 25, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    It is only a two hour bus ride to Malaga from Granada, and our bus was at noon, so we had time to go back to our favorite breakfast place. Half a short baguette each with crushed tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and avocado. Avocado toast meets pan con tomate. Delicious.

    The bus ride was not very scenic, but it was quick. Our hotel is on a pedestrian street exactly across from the Santiago church. It must be an omen. One of these years I will walk from Malaga—it’s a branch of the Camino Mozárabe, which is a great camino— in spring only, though!

    We had lunch at a very popular place —Pimpi— with a view over the Roman theater, with the moorish fortress above it.

    The weather continues to be perfect.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21
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    Day 9

    Last Day in Granada

    June 24, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    We took a local bus up to the Cartuja Monastery, with its overabundant, over-the-top roccoco church and chapel. One Spanish architecture professor is reputed to have described it as a “motionless architectural earthquake.” Pretty good. The information I read suggests that perhaps the order wanted to outdo the Alhambra. I don’t know anything about the Carthusian order, but I do know that the Camino Francés also has a Monasterio Cartujo - de Miraflores in Burgos.

    The monastery used to be on the outskirts of town, but now the University of Granada has a whole modern campus up there. It was fun to walk around. Back downtown in early afternoon, we decided to go to the Capilla Real to see where Fernando and Isabel are buried. I hadn’t remembered the anecdote about the very elaborate statuary showing them lying in state up on the floor above the alleged tombs. Her head sinks more deeply into the pillow than his, perhaps a nod to her superior intellect and “heavier brain.” Who knows.

    We won’t leave Granada without one more trip up to the Albaicín (moorish quarter) to see the Alhambra from afar in the late afternoon sun. And one more dinner in one more lovely little plaza somewhere. The food has not been great, but totally fine. I would take mediocre food in such a gorgeous setting anyday!

    Bus to Málaga tomorrow!

    Note to self: Make sure husband’s cap is affixed to his head. But hey, he walked 7 miles today!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21
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    Day 8

    La Etapa Reina

    June 23, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    On every camino, there is the Etapa Reina, the jewel stage of the route. Though I’m not walking, there’s no doubt that the Alhambra is just that.

    We took a little bus up at about 9, and got right in. Six and a half hours later we were on our way out, walking back to town on the shady pedestrian path with babbling water never far away. I had brought some fruit and yoghurt in my bag, but as we were eating breakfast in a cafe, the grandma brought out some freshly made empanadas. Tuna with sun-dried tomatoes. I brought two along and we found a beautiful (if not totally legal) picnic spot in the gardens.

    There are four separate sections and to enter each one you have to show your passport. At the entrance to the Generalife (summer palace), I witnessed Spanish bureaucracy at its finest. Two young people, from Hungary I think, got up to the gate. Each one has a passport and a ticket in hand. But oh no, the bureaucrat says— both tickets say “Ella Blabla” but only one of the passports has that name. Ella spoke up —I guess I put my name on both tickets when I bought them online, but you can see that the passport numbers correspond to the two of us. Oh but I’m sorry, says the guard, this is impossible. So after a few minutes back and forth, finally the guard calls his superior and explains the whole thing two or three times with much emotion and consternation. The line gets longer and longer. Finally, just as we always knew would happen, the guard waves his arm in a huge arc and says—pasen Uds. I love Spain!

    Rather than describe the many incredibly beautiful rooms, patios, and gardens, I’ll just add some pictures. And a popular refrain — Give alms to the beggar, sir, for there is no pain worse than being blind in Granada.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21
    Day 7

    Museum Day

    June 22, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We spent most of the day in two different parts of town. First, the Albaicin, where we visited the Inquisition Museum (let’s just say the guillotine was the most humane thing I saw-truly shocking). Much more enjoyable were the Moorish baths, a morisco house ( 13 th century house of a convert to Christianity) and the Archaeological Museum. Even after reading a detailed explanation, I still don’t understand how a 13th century Muslim astrolabe could have announced the times of prayer, the start of Ramadan, as well as indicate the direction for the faithful to pray.

    Lunch in an outdoor cafe with views over to the Alhambra. It never gets old.

    Post-nap time was spent in the area near the Cathedral. It’s not one of my favorite cathedrals in Spain by a long shot, and the ticket office was closed when we got there anyway. It was much more fun to watch the several demonstrations going on near the Town hall. One had to do with domestic violence, and the other was some very confusing protest against the church. Very loud but very peaceful.

    Alhambra tomorrow!!!!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21
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    Day 6

    Travel Day to Granada

    June 21, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    A short two hour train ride through olive groves. Oh, the nostalgia, I always love walking through olive groves when on camino. Some people find them boring, but I just love them. Riding on a train through olive groves just isn’t the same. I couldn’t even do my normal loud camino rendition of Andaluces de Jaén, a song by Paco Ibañez of a slightly subversive poem by Miguel Hernández. I love it and sing it every time I walk in an olive grove!

    It was a nice walk down promenades from the train station to our hotel, which is on the Gran Vía. It’s in the Renaissance monastery of Santa Paula. Great location, very comfortable. Good fitness center. :-) The reception guy was very nice and put us in a room in the old part overlooking the courtyard. When I told him it was great except for the step up to the bathroom (night-time fall alert went off), he put us in an even nicer little suite with a similar view. No complaints.

    Joe decided to nap on arrival, since he hadn’t been able to sleep in till his normal decadent wake-up time. And his stomach was a bit off. So I went to exercise and walk around a bit. I thought that Fanta de Limón would be just the thing for an upset stomach, and once again I was transported back to the camino. It’s my favorite post-walking refreshment, nowhere near as sweet as US soft drinks.

    After a quick lunch, we walked up to the Mirador San Nicolás, the iconic viewing spot in the Albaicin (moorish quarter) back over the Alhambra. Dinner in the hotel, nothing great, but it’s convenient. Temps are still ridiculously low, and the sun is brilliant. So lucky.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21
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    Day 5

    4Ps - Palace, Patios, Plazas and Parks

    June 20, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    This was not a day of 5***** attractions, but in slow travel mode, you always need an extra day in case you would otherwise miss something you wanted to see. And that uaually leaves lots of time for wandering and watching the world go by.

    Today we started at the Palace of the Marqués de Viana, a mumble jumble palace inhabited from the 15-19 century, with a beautiful ring of adjacent patios around it. After that, we just meandered, sitting occasionally in a little café in a neighborhood, or in a park (Córdoba has a lot of parks). And one big ice cream in the beautiful Plaza Tendillas. But we weren’t always sitting — my phone tells me we walked 5 miles. I found a few churches that could claim some romanesque-like features, but since the Moors were in charge till 1326, most of the post-Reconquest construction is gothic forward.

    Tonight one last good meal in a spot that had no reservations till Sunday when the hotel called on Thursday. So it sounds like a good last night spot. Tomorrow we have a 10 am train to Granada,    Read more

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