Medieval Madrid a must
IT IS early morning in Madrid and I wearily check into the 3 star Hotel Rafael. Having been on the go since 4am I am, to say the least, a smidgen tired. But as soon as I realise that tonight I won’t have to struggle through Winning Streak, a little ‘Viva Espana!’ cries out inside me.
So with bags checked I say ‘see ya later siesta’ and vamos straight for town. Madrid is a confident city and there seems to be no shortage of money, even though unemployment in Spain is at a whopping 20.6%.
Regal palaces mix with modern architectural atrocities and one thing that strikes you immediately is how clean the whole place is. There is no shortage of grit in the atmosphere, however, and a wander around the Barrio de la Letras gave us an immediate taste of what this city is all about.
One of Spain’s biggest fans, Ernest Hemingway, once said that “in order to write about life, you must first live it” and the Spanish capital dares you to do so. It is a vibrant, lived-in city with the swagger of a matador.
At 2pm I stumbled upon a restaurant called Vaca di Veronica. Finding it quite empty I assumed lunch had finished. But this being Espana, they were only getting started. The food was excellent, the wine was delicious and, at less than €35 a head, the bill was brilliant. No wonder this yellow walled gem was packed when I left.
I took a taxi back to the hotel (€10) for a meet and greet with our guide, Jorge who recommended the Barrio de la Latina for evening entertainment. It did not disappoint. It teemed with people but wasn’t intimidating and is almost exclusively based around food.
I took a punt on a tapas bar on the Cava Baja called La Camarilla and it turned out to be a great and inexpensive choice — I highly recommend it.
From there it was a short stroll to the magnificent Plaza Major, a huge 18th century square designed by Juan deVillanueva. The surrounding red brick apartments are still lived in but how any of the residents sleep is a mystery.
Sleep was not a problem for me that night, however, and the next morning, after a good and fruity breakfast, I set off at 7.45 for the hour-long trip to Toledo.
A commercial centre since the time of the Romans, it was conquered by the Moors in the 8th century but became a cosmopolitan centre renowned for its harmonious mix of Jewish, Muslim and Christian cultures. Taken by the Christians in the 11th century it was the capital of Castilla until 1561.
Starting in the Plaza de Zocodover our local guide Rufo walked us through narrow medieval streets as far as the most impressive Santa Maria del Toledo, a gothic cathedral, built between 1227 and 1493. The huge bell tower and intricate stonework are sure signs that in its medieval heyday this town had money; a wealth forged on the making of swords for European armies. Toledo was also the hometown of El Greco and it is here that you will see his masterpiece, The Burial of the Count from Orgaz.
By lunchtime we had returned to Madrid and I had just enough time to get to Reina Sofia, home to Picasso’s colossal Guernica, an absolute must-see.
With that particular canvas completed it was back to the hotel to meet Gloria, who talked us through the city and its history as we were slowly chauffeured past highlights such as the Town Hall, the Plaza Columbus, the majestic Bernabeu Stadium and the Palace of Congress with its extraordinary mural by Juan Miro.
That evening we watched flamenco, wearing short-sleeved shirts while eating seafood in the pulsating Tablao Villa-Rosa on Plaza de Santa Ana.
After two nights in the capital it was on to Seville via Cordoba. The bus travelled through some fairly flat but surprisingly green terrain until arriving to the foot of the Sierra Morena mountains from where we climbed into what the Moors called Al Andelus, meaning the west. Today we call it Andalusia, the biggest of Spain’s 15 regions and the one with the heaviest Moorish influence. Having wound our way down the mountains we started to cruise through olive groves at which point Jorge hit us with awful lounge music — flamenco covers of such classics as Strangers in the Night. Bring your iPod!
Having stopped in a very average roadside café for lunch we got to Cordoba at about 2pm. The Romans first settled this town about 2,000 years ago and amazingly, the first century bridge they constructed is still in use today.
Cordoba is a very pleasant little town, the sandstone used in the buildings was mined locally and somehow adds to the sense of dry heat. But it is the UNESCO protected Mosque-Cathedral that draws visitors.
Local guide, Gemma, is in love with this place and it is not surprising. Inside, the seemingly endless rows of candy-stripped double arches atop an assortment of Roman columns are beautiful in their strange uniformity. Before the Christians conquered Cordoba in 1236, this mosque could hold 30,000 worshippers who would kneel and pray on red sand. Unfortunately, some of the building was later removed and replaced by ostentatious Catholic decoration, a horrendous mish-mash of styles.
From Cordoba, our journey to Seville took about two hours so there was plenty of time to catch forty winks before arriving and checking into our hotel. The Tryp Macarena is a 4-star with a pool and terrace and is ideally located just outside the walls of old Seville. We had little time to sample its luxuries, however, as we were back on the bus within the hour for a short journey to the 17th century farmhouse of La Hacienda Los Miradores, a wonderful whitewash villa surrounded by olive trees. Endless plates of good food, including suckling pig, left us with the tastiest of sweet dreams.
But the highlight of this whirlwind tour was most certainly Seville. This is a special place, the home of Carmen and Don Juan, with an atmosphere and a quirkiness that is enhanced by the perfume of the gently intrusive orange trees. Our morning tour took us from the squares and side streets of the baroque Barrio de Santa Cruz to the Plaza del Triunfo from where the full impact of Seville’s impressive Cathedral can be seen. The interior is no-less impressive, if a little vulgar in its scale. It is worth going inside if only to see the tomb of Christopher Columbus and the huge altarpiece. But it is for the people, their shops, cafés and bars that Seville really sticks in the mind. And after a morning of touring we had an afternoon of discovery that was interrupted only by the need for a coffee in Bar El Roncocillio and later, a small €2 beer in the Barrio Arenal neighbourhood where we sat back in our chairs and said Salud Espana!
Jonathan spent four days on the nine-day Spanish Wonder tour which you can book for €1,467 through Sunway Travel. As well as Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba and Seville the tour goes to Granada, Valencia and Barcelona. The tour includes eight breakfasts, four meals and all entrance fees. Aer Lingus, Ryanair and Iberia fly to Madrid from Dublin every day.
Hotel Rafael Atocha near Spain’s largest bull ring is not far from all the things you want to see and is comfortable. In Seville the Hotel Tryp Macerena has a lovely internal courtyard with fountain and a pool on the roof.
Bear in mind that Seville gets staggeringly hot in the summer and is nowhere near the sea. In August you can expect the streets of any Spanish city to be quite deserted as the locals are away on holidays.
In Madrid be sure to visit the Plaza Major and at least one of the two wonderful museums Prado or Reina Sofia. In Cordoba the Mezquita is a must, while it is the atmospheric night life of Seville’s narrow streets that really appeal — but be sure to see the Cathedral.
In Madrid, the Barrio de la Latina comes alive at night and you can be sure to find locals, as well as more savvy tourists, seeking out the best tapas in town. Try La Camarilla, Cava Baja. In Seville the Barrio Arenal has a host of bars and restaurants to choose from.
The aforementioned Barrio de la Latina in Madrid is transformed into a chaotic market every Sunday. Everything and anything goes on sale here and you can be sure to see the Spanish equivalent of Del Boy knocking around.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
