2011

 

Day 1

Rotterdam - Malaga - Jaén: 2:40 flight, 7 hrs door to door

We rise early (5.10am) because we are booked on a early flight from Rotterdam The Hague Airport. We get to the airport around 6am. We have already checked in online. We only have to drop off our suitcases, but there is no separate line for that at this airport. Once we have cleared security we have to wait another 45 minutes before we can board the Transavia aircraft. We have to walk the distance from the terminal. The plane takes off at 7.30 and our flight is fine. At 10.10am we are in the arrivals hall of  Malaga airport. While Erik waits for the luggage I go ahead to sort out the formalities regarding our rental car. That is dealt with quite efficiently. From Sixt we get a brand new Opel Astra (only 9km on the clock), that has just enough room for our bags. From the airport we drive to Jaén, about two hours’ drive north. It is getting more and more overcast, while we are driving inland. In Jaén our satnav guides us through narrow alleyways to the castle of Santa Catalina, that houses the Parador. Paradores are luxury hotels, for the most part based in old spanish castles, manors, monasteries or palaces. Jaén's Parador is a 14th century castle built on the remains of moorish stronghold. We have a room with a great view, but that makes room for some heavy clouds and showers. At 1.30pm the restaurants opens for lunch. We have a reasonable meal (croquets and duck leg). In the afternoon we go down town and have a look around. The rain is pouring down. We first go to a Vodafone shop to buy a sim card for mobile internet. That is not so easily done. I have to get registered and show my passport. Aparently you cannot get on the internet unnoticed. Next thing is to load 1GB worth of data valid for a week on the card balance. It costs us 19 euros. We carry on through the pouring rain to a café where we stop for coffee.
After a while the rain subsides and we hazard the walk to the cathedral. Inside the cathedral (5 euros entry) we get a audiotour and see the most important sights of this renaissance church, that has been finished in baroque style After the visit to the church we walk back and some more coffee at ice / tea room Corinto in the calle Bernabe Sorianio.  We get back to our car and make our way back through the alleyways to the Parador
The weahter has cleared up and the sun has come out. So we want to take some photos form the castle hill taking in the view. From the Parador we take a walking track along the old castle to a huge catholic cross, that we already spotted from below. It is a viewpoint. But the sun makes the newly fallen rain evaporated quickly thus forming a thick fog over the valley. No view! We cannot see a thing. Later that evening we have a reasonable dinner in the Parador. Accompanied by a good local wine.

Weather: (heavily) overcast and some heavy rain showers. Later clear and sunny. 16°C/61°F

Day 2

Jaén - Baeza - Carmona: 288km  (179mi)

After breakfast we want to take some pictures of the view but again the fog spoils our plans. We drive up to Baeza, a sleepy town, 40km north of Jaén. We have a coffee on the central square, Plaza de la Constitucion. Baeza has a beautiful historic centre and a 14th century cathedral, which we pay a visit aided by an audiotour. We walk around town for a bit. The tourist information centre is on Plaza de Leones (fountain with lion statues) and peek into the covered market. Lots of vegetable, meat and fish stalls. We grab a sanwich and then move on to Carmona. It is a little over 2 hours and 40 minutes drive on predominantly well kept motorways. We get there by 3pm. The Parador where we will be staying is well known to us. We were here already in 1999. It is a former Moorish castle dating back to the 1400s. We have a grand view of the surrounding farmlands. We have lunch in the Parador. The afternoon we spend leisurely at the pool side, at the foot of the hill on which the Parador is perched. Along side the pool are stretchers and a sunroof to protect us from the Andalusian sunrays. The pool water is on the chilly side, but once you are in, it is not so bad. After a couple of hours the sun disappears behind the mountains and we retreat to our room.

At night we have an aperitif at the bar. It is our complimentary wellcome drink for Amigo Card holders. After that we enjoy a first rate meal in the restaurant.

Weather: chilly morning, 16°C/61°F . Warm afternoon 25°C/77°F

Day 3

Carmona - Sevilla - Carmona: 79km (49mi)

After a sumptuous breakfast in the magnificent dining room we take the car and drive to Sevilla. It is a good 30 km. We park the car in a underground car park underneath Plaza de Cuba, in the Triana district. We cross the bridge and find ourselves in central Seville. We first go for a coffe at a side walk café near the tourist office. We visit the Casa Lonja, where the Archivo de Indias is based, the archives of the Spanish colonial empire in the Americas.  Unfortunately the exhibition is not ready yeat (or has not completely removed), but the building is a sight in its own right. It is a real reseachers library, where historians do their research into the history of Spain's colonial past. In the half way built up (or torn down) exhibition we find a panel covering the capture of spanish silver transport by Dutch Corsairs led by Piet Heyn of Delfshaven in the early 17th century. According to the text this was first and only occasion the Spanish lost such a fleet and its bounty. At the time the Netherlands fought their war of independence against Spain and the captured silver helped financing the war effort.  We carry on to the cathedral of Seville, next to the archives. It is the third time we visit this enormous structure and it still impresses us. It is the largest gothic church in the world and its measures are mind bogling: 136m long, 86m wide en 37m high. The church was built after the reconquest of the city on the Moors at the end of the 15th century. The builders motto was: "lets build a church so big, that later they will think that we were raving mad". The construction took over a century. There is a mass going on in one of the chapels, so we cannot go and see all we want. The space inside is huge and so is the unique central altarpiece. The bell tower, Giralda is actually the former minaret of the mosque, that also served as a look out post. The tower can be climbed, via a wide winding track wide enough for two soldiers to march side by side. After the cathedral we have a refreshment at a sidewalk café. These days Seville has a tramline cutting through the center and even an underground railway. Developments go fast here. Neither were even under construction when we were here last time in  2003. We walk through the Juderia or Santa Cruz district - once the Jewish Quarter -  looking for a restaurant called  Juderia. But alas, it is under reconstruction. We are referred to Modesto in the same street, calle Cane y Cueto. The is of variable quality. My swordfish is fine, but Erik's lamb is greasy and salty. We walk to a park behind the Alcazar Palace towards the Plaza de España. We have been here before, but the buildings still keep drawing us here. They  date back to 1929 and served as the Spanish pavilion at a Spanish-American exhibition. In its facade are frescoes and mosaics depicting all the Spanish provinces. Rowing boat ply through canals around it. It has become quite hot now: 35°C/95°F. We cross the Maria Luisapark towards the river and then on to Plaza de Cuba. We drive back to Carmona.

Early evening we go out in Carmona for a drink and tapas. We are a bit early fot that a 6.30pm. We call on three bars. The restaurant we had in mind is closed on Sundays so we go back to the Parador. Food there is fine. Salmon with shrimps for me, Erik has lamb in brandy sauce. 

Weather: sunny and 35°C/95°F.

Day 4

Carmona - Ronda: 127km (79mi)

The view of the early morning landscape, as a backdrop to our breakfast, is fabulous. After breakfast we drive to Ronda. It 2.5 hours ride. We go via Seville and then on to smaller roads to Ronda. The scenery gets more mountainous, especially around Ronda. In Ronda we soon find the Parador, based in the former town hall perched on the edge of the canyon of the river Tajo, that run through Ronda. Actually it is part of the river Gualdaquivir. The landscape is dramatic. The gorge is aobut 150 metres deep and houses are built on or even over the edge. We have a spacious room overlooking the Plaza de España (not the gorge) and the reception is fine. We can park our car underneath the building. This costs 21 euro per night, but for Amigo card holders it is free. We break before we set out for lunch on the Plaza del Socorrro. At Doña Pepa we have a tasty lunch with a view on a awkward  traffic problem. A delivery van has become stuck in the entrance of the underground parking lot. Too high. In the afternoon we take a dip in the tiny pool of the hotel overlooking the gorge. The water is chilly, but that is fine as the general temperature has risen over 35°C/95°F. Later, early evening we go out to eat some tapas in a nearby neighbourhood bar. Our first choice is closed, but we find an alternative close by  (La Farola) and the food tastes great and costs next to nothing (7 euro for both of us). Later at night we walk across the gorge and enjoy the view and the sunset. Around 9pm we sit down for dinner in the Parador with mountain views. I take partridge liver and tuna Erik settles for Gazpacho and pork. It tastes well with the local Aroyo wine. For dessert we have mangosoup with fruit and cake and ice cream respectively.

Weather: sunny and 35°C/95°F.

Day 5

tour around the White Villages near Ronda: 164km (102mi)

We have breakfast in the hotel. After breakfast and a coffee in a nearby bar we drive off for a tour around a number of white villages near Ronda. Most of them have Moorish origins and the winding streets and snow white cottages remind of Northern Africa. We first drive to Benaoján. It is a tiny settlement on a hill. The streets are narrow and most of them are being paved again. We have a short walk around and continue to Cortes de la Frontera. We pass a view point famous as a spotting point for vultures. But they don't reveal themselves to us. Cortes is a lot larger than Benaoján and also beautifully set on a hill top. We have a coffee on a side walk café and make some pictures of the centre and the bull fighters ring. A group of elderly men discusses the world's problems under big tree. We carry on to Ubrique. We drive through a very high mountain pass. Ubrique is yet a bit larger and very busy. Especially the shopping street is full of people. We do not see any tourists. The town is famous for its leather industry, be we don't find many shops or workshops. They are probably outside the town centre. We drive on into the mountains to Grazalema. Every now and then we see vultures circling above our heads. In  Grazalema we sit down for lunch at El Toreon in the narrow Calle del Agua. A gem of a restaurant in that narrow alley off the Plaza de España. The square itself is very nice too. After lunch we wander around the very hot village. From a  Mirador (a lookout)  on the Avenide Alcalde Vázquez we have unrivalled views of the area.

From Grazalema is another half hour to Zahara de la Sierra. We pass through the Puerta de la Paloma (1357m), the second tallest mountain range of Andalucia. At the top is at 1300 metres is a viewing point with breath taking views. Many vultures circle around us. Zahara is nicely perched on a mountain ridge. The village has many steep and narrow streets. We settle on a square near the church tower. It is quiet, but that is probably down to the hot weather. Painters are busy painting the houses whiter than white. After a drink we walk round a bit before we drive back to Ronda. Our route follows a artificial lake, the Embalse de Zahara. After some 40 minutes we are back in Ronda. We have some drinks on the terrace of the Parador. Tonight we eat outside at restaurant Albacara with grand views of the gorge, the Parador and the hills. The sun sets magnificently behind the mountains. The food is fine to, the waiter a bit slow and unpersonal, but the owner does his utmost to make us comfortable. After dinner we stroll back to the Parador. 

Weather: sunny and 35°C/95°F.

Day 6

After breakfast and coffee we drive to Malaga. Near Torremolinos we drive onto the toll road along the Costa del Sol to Malaga. In Malaga we park the car in the underground parking Marina, in the centre of town. We walk the wide shopping street Calle Marqués de Larios and have coffee at the grand café Lepanto.

We watch the shoppers go by and continue along some quieter streets towards the cathedral. The cathedral can be visited for 5 euros, including the audio tour. The church is big and has some interesting chapesl and a grand choir from the 16th century. After the cathedral visit we have lunch at a trendy restaurant in the Calle de la Bolsa. From there we walk to the Picasso Museum. Picasso was born here in 1881 and although he left town at the age of eleven and never returning the city saw fit to convert a city mansion into a museum. The collection has no world famous works but it does offer examples from all the periods and phases of Picasso's carreer as an artist.

After the museum we walk through the park along the port to the beach of the Malagueta district. We enjoy the view, the sun and a drink before we return to the car.

 We drive to the airport and hand in the car at Sixt. Returning the car was never easier. We just hand over the keys to the attendant at the parking lot. We walk to the departures hall where we find an enormous line in front of the check-in desk. for our Transavia flight back to Rotterdam. After 40 minutes we are all set to go. We have a fast meal at the airport and then quickly proceed to the gate as boarding begins way early than originally anounced. The flight takes off at its scheduled departure time of 7:50pm and we are back in Rotterdam around 10.30pm. We get our car. Parking costs are a staggering 55 euros for 7 days. We drive back home throug a rainy Rotterdam.

  

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