ANDALUCIA: Seville Córdoba Málaga

     Every summer we migrate to the South of Spain in our thousands, we scatter along the Costa del Sol, Torremolinos, Estapona, Fuengirola, Marbella, as far as Gibraltar. We spread gallons of sun lotions over acres of white skin, eat tapas, drink sangria, beer and cold soup, our plumage turns red and brown, we stamp our feet on cool tiles in imitation of the local species and chant "olé olé olé", and then, return home for the winter. We've been to Andalusia and seen the beaches . It must be the most visited yet least know regions of Spain.

     In the winter months let's see what more Andalusia will offer.  For starters, it's always warmer and yet cool enough to enjoy glorious city breaks. On our travels we arrived in Seville, drove to Córdoba and on to Málaga, from there we flew home.  This involves car hire and some driving, which gives the added advantage of adding some extra visits to take in some of the smaller nearby towns such as  Aznalcázar, Écija, Huelva and Antequera.  You can, of course, do individual city breaks, and don't worry there is plenty to do and see in any one of these cities.  

Why should you go
     Saville is one of Spain's most flamboyant cities with with a patchwork of architecture, flamenco dancing and a mishmash of cultural influences pasted down by Celts, Romans,Christians, Moslems, Moors and from Spain's great colonial era including the discovery of America. See these influences and how they reflect the city's lifestyles.

     The Cathedral, one of the largest in Christendom has the final resting place of Christopher Columbus, or has it? It's even more complicated than the following shortish résumé. After his death in 1506 he had a quite a number of burials first in Spain then across the Atlantic again and buried in the cathedral of Santo Domingo in Hispaniola, now the Dominican Republic. Two centuries pass, and Spain lose Hispanola to the French, dug him upset again (or did they?) , took him to Havana, Cuba and found a new resting place for him.  Another century past and Cuba became a free self governing country. The Spanish left and shipped Columbus back to Spain, where we find him today in the cathedral in Saville.

Christopher Columbus' Tomb, Saville Cathedral

     But there are counter claims that he is still in the Dominican Republic and that the wrong body, that of his son Diego, was originally moved in the first place. The Dominicans refuse to acknowledge recent positive DNA test done on the Spanish bones but also refuse to allow a test to be done on theirs. Let's rest our case there for the moment and head for the the tower, it's a long climb, but offers a magnificent view of the city.

     The royal Mudéjar palace known as the Alcazar has beautiful gardens and the Old City offers an opportunity to wander the narrow streets of the Santa Cruz, the former Jewish quarter, with its decorated facades, flowered balconies and hidden patios. Enjoy this the most picturesque and delightful part of the city, with narrow cobbled streets and whitewashed houses, where you can take it easy, drink a coffee, a glass of wine or three, sample some tapas and simply watch the world go by- magic.

     Across the Triana bridge over the large Guadalquívir River you'll find the popular and unique quarter called Triana, sometimes called 'the independent republic of Triana', more narrow streets and a renowned refuge for sailors, bullfighters and flamenco artists. In the old days gypsies had to live here as they weren't allowed inside the main city walls. Then there was the Inquisition - a dark chapter in Seville's history at at the Castillo San Jorge museum - easy to miss - it’s tucked away by the north tower of the Triana bridge and next to the exceptional local food market.
     On your stroll also include Casa de Pilatos, Torre del Oro, the Town Hall, Archive of the Indies (where the historical records of the American colonies are kept), the Fine Arts Museum (the second largest art gallery after the Prado in Madrid)

     Hard to miss this new towering wood lattice construction, the world's largest. Locals call it Las Setas (mushrooms) and other names too, Gaping upwards it didn't take long before I heard an angry barrage of Spanish. I thought I had somehow offended someone until another passer-by told me the anger was directed at the wooden mushroom. I quite liked it, but silently.

Metropol Parasol: hard to miss

     Beneath, it houses the Antiquarium an archaeological museum containing Roman ruins, found when a car park was being constructed. There's a market and a high walkway offering panoramic views of the city and of the cathedral and the Cartuja Monastry. 

Seville: shopping

     We stayed on the mushroom for an al fresco lunch with a view at Gastro Sol Espacio Metropol Parasol. Plaza de la Encarnación. 41003 Sevilla. Contact: Lola Peón. Eventos. Móvil: +34 635 392 250.Tel. +34 954 217 225) Walkway opening hours: 10.00 hrs - 14.00 hrs and 18.00 hrs - 24.00 hrs Entrance: €1.35

Silken Al-Andalus Hotel  Avenida de la Palmera s/n, esquina Paraná, Sevilla 41012 www.hoteles-silken.com A very large, very busy, hotel with an excess of 15,000 Sq.M of landscaped gardens. 

Fly to Seville from Dublin with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) Seville airport is around 15km from the centre of the city

Why should you go 
Cordoba, was the capital of Muslim Andalucia from 756 to 1031 and so it is an opportunity to explore and see glimpses of what was Islamic Spain. At that time Cordoba would have been a serious rival to the other great centres of the Muslim empire, up there with Baghdad and Damascus. During that period people from across the Arab world flocked here - poets, musicians, artists and they brought with them to Europe, all sorts of new expertise in cookery, fashion, even hairdressing.
It was also a time when Jews and Arabs lived in harmony, for example Cordoba was the birthplace of two of the greatest figures of medieval thought: two philosophers, one Jewish - Maimonides and the other Islamic - Averroes, both were born in Cordoba, lived here where they freely shared shared their theories and ideas.

The Cathedral may be Christian, but once inside, it doesn't at all feel like a Christian building. With its forest of red and white candy-striped arches, it was once one of the eminent mosques in the Islamic world exhibiting features and an architectural aspect, similar to the Great Mosque of Demascus. Spanish Muslims have lobbied to pray here. However, Spanish church authorities and the Vatican oppose the idea.

Córdoba Mosque (Mezquita)

Jewish Quarter or Juderia
A tangle of narrow streets and alleys, a small Synagogue, the Casa de Sefarad, a small museum devoted to the the Sephardic-Judaic tradition in Spain and the Casa Andalusi, a 12th-century house furnished with objects from Córdoba’s medieval Islamic past and a Roman mosaic thrown in. And of course, many places to stop for wine and tapas. A place to visit. 

Over thirty years ago Rafael Carrillo and his wife, Mari, opened El Churrasco Restaurante in Judería, the Jewish quarter of Córdoba, specializing in grilled meats (churrasqueadas) over Spanish oak charcoal. - all prepared in view of the customers. But the menu is now  wide-ranging with fish, seafood, vegetables -  locally sourced and seasonal. I enjoyed the churrasco, a barbecued pork fillet with a in a spicy tomato-based Arabian sauce. Oddly while the soup is cold (gazpacho blanco de piñones - made with pine nuts), the ice cream is fried ! 

 El Churrasco Restaurant (Calle del Romero, 16, 14003 Córdoba. Tel. +34 957 29 08 19). 

Originally the palace residence of the Count and Countess of Cabra dating from the 16th-century.
Restaurante Casa Palacio Bandólero,Calle Torrijos, 6  14003 Córdoba. Tel. +34 957 47 64 91). 

And here, for your cold soup, try a local one, salmorejo

http://restaurantebandolero.com

Flamenco show at“El Cardenal” (Calle de Torrijos, 10  14003 CórdobaTel. +34 957 48 31 12).

Alfaros Hotel, Calle Alfaros, 18, 14001 Córdoba,   Tel. +34 957 49 19 20  www.maciahoteles.com

Originally named "Malaka" - nobody seems quite sure why but most likely it was named after a deity worshipped by the Phoenician traders and fishermen who established the place sometime in the seventh century B.C.  Anyway, the fact is that Malaga is one of the oldest cities in western Europe and for that reason alone is worth a visit. Even Homer, the Greek poet (not Simpson), wrote of it's mild climate "and the gentle maritime Zephyrs that sweetly refresh."

In Malaga the official tour bus is easy to spot since it is the only red, topless, double decker  you are likely to see in the city. Your €15 ticket is valid for 24 hours any you can hop on or off at any of the 12 stops, starting at the Main Bus Station linking the main Post Office building (opposite El Corte Ingles ) with the Port, Malagueta Beach, the Bullring, Gibralfaro Castle, Picasso’s birthplace, the Alcazaba and the Cathedral.

The ticket also allows you to take another bus from the Main Bus Station and gain free entrance to the Botanical Gardens Finca la Concepcion on the north side of the city.(www.malagatours.net)

On a hill overlooking Málaga and the seafront, the ruins of Castillo de Gibralfaro, an ancient Moorish fortress, offer terrific photo opportunities. Incidentally a nice place for a relaxing al fresco lunch is the terrace of the Parador hotel on the hill.

The castle was the site of a three month stand off by the citizens of Malaga with the Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella. The siege ended when hunger led to the citizens' capitulation. Ferdinand occupied the site while Isabella took up residence in the town. What remains today are the still solid defensive walls which rise majestically over the city amid dense woods of pine and eucalyptus

Today's Malaga has developed a discernible sense of pride that can be largely attributed to Pablo Picasso. Picasso was born  here in Malaga in 1881 and spent most of his childhood in the city. But he grew to detest the dictatorship of Generalíssimo Franco and resolved never to set foot in Spain during his rule. In reciprocation, Franco declared Picasso persona non grata and banned his work as "degenerate art."

Now, the 20th century’s most famous artist has been reclaimed as Málaga’s favorite son. The airport and the main beachfront avenue have been renamed for Picasso, and the Museo Picasso Málaga, Palacio de Buenavista, San Agustín 8. (www.museopicassomalaga.org), housing a fine collection of his works,  has become the centerpiece of  a prosperous new surge in the city's tourism. Fundación Pablo Ruiz Picasso y Museu Casa Natal (Picasso’s birthplace), Plaza de la Merced 15, (www.fundacionpicasso.es) is also open to the public.

Malaga´s unfinished cathedral built between 1528 & 1782 was partly built on the site of a former mosque. Unfinished because the plan was for two towers but lack of money due to funds been redirected to help the American Revolutionaries in their fight with the British, resulted in the completion of only one, thus giving rise to the name 'La Manquita', loosely translated as "one armed woman". The city's residents are quite proud of their unfinished masterpiece and there are no plans to ever finish that second tower. )

Bullfighting is, of course, a controversial topic and the Spanish now also appear to be divided on the issue. Of course, you don't have to, but as I happened to be staying in Hotel MS Maestranza whose rooftop spa and solarium actually overlooked the bullfighting going on in the Plaza de Torres 'La Malagueta' alongside, I took a peek.  The ring also houses a bullfighting museum, Museo Taurino Antonio Ordonez. Outside the bullring there is a statue depicting the great bullfighter Ordóñez who became the inspiration for Pedro Romero, the matador in Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises. If interested, Spain´s bullfighting season, lasts from April to October.

Antonio Ordonez: the inspiration for Hemingway's Pedro Romero in 'The Sun Also Rises'

Churros con chocolate

Café Central, Plaza de la Constitución, (www.cafecentralmalaga.com) is the oldest coffee bar in Malaga and as good a way to kick start the day as any. In 1940 one D. Jose Prado, the proprietor invented a formula for ordering a coffee to suit all tastes starting with 'solo' (no milk) through 8 stages to 'no me lo ponga' (which is mostly milk).

Or you can slow start the day, with something the Spanish brought back from the New World over 500 years ago -chocolate - in the form of 'Churros con chocolate.' Churros" are fritters, doughnuts but  moulded into  long straight or slightly curled lengths, eaten while warm sprinkled with sugar or honey and dunked in a cup of hot chocolate made so thick that you can stand your churro in it!

Ok, so we came to see the city but who can resist grilled sardines on the beach? Head east along the coastal road from Malaga and just beyond the Baños del Carmen you'll  the small seaside promenade of Pedregalejo. The beach is popular with locals but the fresh seafood is the big attraction for outsiders.  Most of the restaurants overlook the beach and have been here for over twenty years. 

We had lunch at Restaurante Maricuchi. (Paseo Marítimo del Pedregal, 14 - 29017 Málaga. Tel. +34 952 29 04 12) I feasted on fried anchovies ("boquerones fritos"), fried squid ("calamaritos") and just-caught sardines skewered on a stick grilled over a wood fire), small clams cooked in white wine ("coquinas"). All washed down with jugs of refreshing sangria. Delicious!

I stayed at Hotel MS Maestranza, 4 star Hotel, Avenida Canovas del Castillo tel.: 0034 952 21 36 10 - great views of the city from rooftop spa and solarium (www.mshoteles.com)

Getting There
Fly to Malaga from Dublin with Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.com) and Ryanair (www.ryanair.com), from Cork with Aer Lingus, from Shannon with Ryanair, from Belfast with Easyjet www.easyjet.com
For more information
Spain  www.spain.info/en_IE/

www.spain.info/en_IE/

www.andalucia.org/en/

Córdoba english.turismodecordoba.org/index2.cfm

english.turismodecordoba.org/index2.cfm

Malaga Tourism www.malagaturismo.com/home.jsp