A Trafalgar Tour of Spain
We had wanted to visit Moorish Spain for many years. Tom had a special interest in it because of his long years of teaching non-western culture, religions and history. He was fascinated with how close Islam in Spain came to dominating all of Europe and the impact of Muslim culture on Spain. The trip more than lived up to our highest expectations.
This part of our world trip was the only organized tour we joined. Generally we avoid tours and travel on our own as we like to set our own pace, experience a more in-depth interaction with the people, and fend for ourselves. However, the Trafalgar tour that we found was just too good to pass up. It fit into our schedule. The price was right. It went to all the places we wanted to see and covered a lot of territory (more than 1,000 miles). And it would give us an excellent overview. Besides when traveling with a tour we knew we would stay in good hotels at discount rates and we weren't certain what other kinds of places we would end up in for the rest of our trip. So we made arrangements to meet up with our fellow tour members in Madrid.
We were not certain what to expect when we arrived at the airport, as everyone else would be coming into the international terminal and we would be the only ones arriving at the domestic terminal. We had no need to worry. Two Trafalgar agents were waiting to greet us, addressed us by name, and guided us to the correct meeting place. That got major points for Trafalgar in our book! They must know how important it is to start things off right and that no matter how seasoned a traveler is, first impressions are all important. They certainly got off on the right foot with us and that impression was underscored as the trip commenced. We were introduced to our travel guide, Maria, who was intelligent, humorous, informative, efficient, energetic, and honest throughout the trip. We could not have asked for more in the way of a guide.
Our tour started in Madrid and took us to Toledo, with an ancient synagogue, a beautiful cathedral and an El Greco masterpiece; through Don Quixote country to Granada, most famous for Alhambra Palace in its magnificent grandeur; Costa del Sol where we had our first glimpse of the Mediterranean Sea; Gibraltar, just like it looks in the Prudential ads; Seville, a fascinating city where we learned the basics of bullfighting and where we experienced a flamenco performance; Cordoba, with the Mosque of the Caliphs, a 14th century Synagogue, and the Mezquita; and back to Madrid for a couple of days.
Throughout our trip we were in the able hands of our bus driver from Portugal, Miguel, who handled the bus admirably and kept it spotless. He looked so young but the way he drove the bus -- negotiating incredibly tight spots and driving under a wide range of road conditions convinced us he had to be older than he looked. We were very impressed to learn that he was only 24 years old.
Our bus was very clean and comfortable. It was air-conditioned and featured a bathroom the size of a gun cabinet. The presence of the bathroom was comforting to Tom even if he was unable to stand up in it. It was interesting that the most tiring part of the trip was getting on and off the bus with its steep steps! When we commented on this, veterans of many such bus tours assured us that such was always the case for them.
In order to be fair to everyone, we rotated seats each day so that we weren't seated on the same side of the bus or had an obstructed view for the entire trip. The system worked well even when we forgot where we sat the day before. We all felt a bit like we were in kindergarten again, playing musical chairs, but it was good fun. And Maria had warned us ahead of time that for some reason the most difficult part of the trip is remembering where one is supposed to sit the next day!
On arriving in Madrid at the Gran Colon Hotel we were so tired that Marie fell asleep in the bathtub, a first! The hotel itself was the only disappointment of the tour. It definitely was not a 4* hotel like the hotels were advertised and it was dark and depressing. However, it was okay for just one night and we knew that we would be going to another hotel in Madrid when we returned to the city.
We were too tired to take the tour of the Prado Museum, featuring works by El Greco, with many of the others from our group. Later we were told that it was a great tour, guided by Maria herself and that we had missed something special. We, on the other hand, needed to rest from our tour of Rome, reorganize our suitcases so that we could leave one in Madrid while we toured Spain, and be bright eyed for our very early morning wake-up call.
Toledo, what a city. It is built on rock and surrounded on three sides by water which forms a natural moat. It is the ancient capital of Spain, preceding Madrid which has only been the capital since 1561. Here three cultures, Spanish, Arabs, and Jews lived in harmony and enriched the city's culture and each other until the expulsion of the Jews in 1492. (One of Queen Isabella's legacies.)
We were awed by the architecture in this city and throughout Spain as we traveled to other cities. Yolanda, our tour guide in Toledo, told us that the Arabs were the best architects and built the churches, mosques, and synagogues. The cathedral was too magnificent and large to capture in one photograph so we took several, trying to get it all in. We were not successful but maybe these two shots will give you an idea.
It was while we were viewing an El Greco painting in St Thomas Church that one member of our tour was ejected for video taping, which was clearly forbidden. While we continued to listen to the guide tell us about the painting and the church, we could also hear a guard loudly berating this guy outside the church. This was when we first became aware of how passionate the Spanish are. They expressed anger, impatience, joy and a great sense of humor and we found that a pleasure and very contagious. (The guy who was ejected seemed quite unaffected by the experience while we would have been embarrassed to face the others after that experience. It also didn't change his picture taking style and he didn't mind standing in front of everyone else when they were trying to take pictures. Oh well, there is always one in every group.)
The grillwork and intricate detail of the architecture impressed us all over Spain. Everywhere we went we saw grillwork like this on the windows, flowers spilling over balcony railings, and impressive architecture of all types.
Don Quixote Country. When we left Toledo and headed toward Granada, we were traveling through Don Quixote country. We also began to see miles and miles of olive trees and miles and miles of vineyards. Had we been driving on our own we would have stopped for pictures as we found the olive trees fascinating. We learned that it takes 9 years for an olive tree to produce olives and that it takes 100 kilograms of olives to produce 20 liters of olive oil. The olive trees we saw looked ancient and reminded us of something out of the Bible. We never did get any pictures.
We had lunch on the spot where the fictional character, Don Quixote, was knighted -- according to legend -- in a restaurant in the town of Puerto Japice. That makes for good tourism doesn't it? It even had windmills in the distant hills -- the very same windmills that Don Quixote tilted at!!
It was also during this drive that we began to see the bulls along the roadside (at the top of the page). It seems that these bulls were at one time billboards advertising a particular brandy. When billboards were outlawed (a nice feature in Spain) the bulls were allowed to stay as a symbol of Spain and, in fact, are protected and have to be maintained and kept freshly painted by the brandy company. There are more than 20 of these bulls along the main roads in Spain. A similar story was about this guy which we also saw a few times. He was either an ad for a beer or wine -- we forget which.
During this drive and throughout the rest of the trip we became aware of the contrasts and variety of scenery in Spain. We saw the beautiful olive groves, rugged mountains, vineyards stretching further than the eye could see, Amish-neat ranches where the bulls for bull fights are carefully raised, and Mediterranean beaches, among other features. We never would have seen all of this if we had just taken a highlights tour or traveled on our own. It gave us a real appreciation for the country.
When we arrived in Granada and checked into the Hotel Carmen we were very pleasantly surprised. It is a true 4* hotel. We enjoyed the very long, very deep bathtub like others we have experienced in Europe. We could get spoiled with them very easily.
In the evening we enjoyed watching people strolling on wide sidewalks late at night. Families, couples of all ages, nicely dressed just enjoying each other. There was an easy affection among people and we noticed a big contrast with Rome, where people seemed frenetic compared to these gentle folk.
Alhambra. As we approached the Alhambra, we were informed that "It is better to BE than SEEM TO BE." Thus, the Alhambra is plain on the outside while beautiful on the inside.
The Alhambra began as a fort but over the centuries evolved into a magnificent palace for the sultan. Though nothing special on the outside, the interior is a testament to the art and architecture of the Moors. Areas of ornately carved arches and columns give way to the simple beauty of airy courtyards.
The courtyard pictured to the right is the most photographed part, and was the most private area where the Sultan enjoyed his harem. It is called the Court of the Lions.
The subtle colors used throughout the magnificent carved detail include red for unity, green for life, blue for religion, and gold for money.
Several times the Alhambra came close to destruction. Napoleon and his troops did major damage in 1812. The publication of Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra led to efforts to stop the deterioration that had set in for most of the 1800's.
The Alhambra is a site that requires time to absorb the atmosphere and to admire the work of the artists and craftsmen. Unfortunately, we were on a tour and we had to stick to our schedule. Having even such a brief exposure to the Alhambra convinced us that we will someday return and allow sufficient time to truly appreciate its beauty.
It was also in Granada that we saw the cathedral chapel where Queen Isabella, Ferdinand, their daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter were buried between the sanctuary and the altar! The chapel also contains Isabella's crown, her homemade tapestries and her Bible, along with the box where jewels to pay for Columbus' ships were kept. In the square of Granada we saw a statue of Isabella and Columbus in the posture of him trying to convince her that the world is round.
While eating lunch in this area, one of our fellow travelers, Richard, had his backpack stolen. He had it at his feet and didn't missed it until he got up to leave the small cafe. He lost his camera, all of his exposed film, his address book, recently purchased stamps and postcards, and his harmonica which he had used along the way to entertain us. We had been warned by Maria from the beginning of the trip, and reminded at every stop, to be cautious of pick pockets and others who would attempt to rob us. Each area seemed to offer its own particular modus operandi for accomplishing the robbery. In fact, Maria, herself had had a very bad experience in Madrid where thieves came up to her, ripped her purse, containing about $4,000, from her shoulder while she was helping a tour group board the bus. So just like in Rome we had to be very careful of guarding our belongings. We lent Richard our camera to use the next day.
When we arrived in Tormelinos, Costa Del Sol, about a 2 hour drive from Granada, we had our first glimpse of the Mediterranean Sea. It was gorgeous with many shades of blue and green. We checked into a beautiful 4* hotel right on the beach. This is the view from our balcony.
That evening we had a fish dinner at a wharf in an old fishing community with many local dishes, lots of wine, and good company. As with other restaurants all over Spain, the wine flowed more freely than water. It was as cheap or cheaper than soft drinks and automatically appeared on the table while we had to order water if we wanted it -- with gas (carbonation) or without! Foods included paella, roasted red pepper dishes, sardines, salted sea bass, mussels, and other fish and seafood dishes. A great evening.
We awoke to palm trees dancing and prepared for a tour of the picturesque white-washed village of Mijas. Here we had tried the highly recommended Pizza Margarita and wine for lunch after wandering through the narrow, twisting, hilly streets to stop at the charming shops and checking out the colorfully garbed donkeys that are used for riding up the hills.
Returning to our hotel, we settled on our balcony, washed clothes, read, wrote postcards and thought we would like to spend about a week here. It is a beautiful, beautiful spot. Tourism is the number 1 industry in Spain and Costa del Sol is the second most popular spot for tourists next to the Canary Islands.
And then we were on to Seville, or Sevilla, as it is spelled in Spain, by way of Gibraltar. It was during this drive that we saw the miles and miles of cork oak trees from which cork is harvested. Portugal is the number one producer of cork and Spain is second. It was interesting to see how the bark is scraped off the tree, without causing injury to the tree, in order to get the cork which is the layer between the bark and the inner part of the tree. The bark repairs itself in a matter of several years only to be harvested again.
Also during this drive we saw the huge ranches where the bulls for bullfights are raised with meticulous care and pristine surroundings. They are magnificent, stately, valuable beasts are are treated as such from the moment of their inception as they are raised, pampered and prepared for the ring. There is some irony in all of this.
Gibraltar is a story in itself and looks just like the Prudential ad. In spite of its historical legacy, Gibraltar is not much more than a tourist trap today. Upon arriving, we saw dozens of van and minibus drivers hustling to take people to see the famous monkeys or to travel up the rock. We decided to do neither and spent the time wandering around the city. It's definitely British with blocks of shops and restaurants catering to tourists. The most interesting aspect of our visit to Gibraltar was entering and leaving the area. There is no doubt about the animosity between the Spanish and the British. Spaniards harbor a deep resentment over the British presence and the British want the Spanish to know who controls the rock. Going into Gibraltar takes some time because the British are very deliberate about checking everyone's passport as they leave Spain and go into British territory. Departing Gibraltar, the Spanish required each of us to leave the bus and walk into their country. After having our papers checked we were cleared to board the bus. Standing in line to reenter Spain we noticed a woman carrying cartons of cigarettes. As we proceeded through passport inspection, she tried to become part of our group to get into Spain. She was easily spotted by authorities and made to stay in Gibraltar.
Seville where we saw a flamenco dance performance, learned about bullfighting, saw many interesting and massive buildings form the 1992 exposition celebrating the 500th anniversary of Columbus' journey to the new world had more than we could possibly take in in a couple of days and we decided we liked this city better than any other we had visited.
Our hotel in Seville was something to behold. It was built for the 1992 exposition and was all glass and marble. The bathroom was especially interesting as there were no doors to the bathroom - a weird feeling! The whole hotel felt cold to us and the hotel staff was not particularly friendly. It was here that our one traveling companion, Valentino, remarked, "They may smile at us, but their eyes are angry." In fact, throughout Spain we felt that they didn't like tourists very much even though it is there number 1 industry. We wondered if it was just the huge groups of tourists that they don't like and whether we would have had a different reception if we were traveling on our own. After all, we also have resented having to move out of the way of pushing tour groups from time to time when traveling.
Over all we felt that Seville is another city that is best experienced while not part of an organized tour. It is a beautiful city rich in history and architecture. The tour included a bus tour of the city, a river cruise, a visit to Spain's second oldest bullring and a short time at the Institute for Science and Technology. The river cruise was not very good, but when you realized that this was the same river that Columbus and Magellan used during their expeditions, there is a sense of excitement. In addition, the galleons carrying the gold from the Americans sailed up the same river.
Our feisty guide for Seville gave us a spirited talk on bullfighting, after announcing that she personally finds the whole experience repulsive. In spite of her own feelings, she gave a balanced and detailed account of the entire spectacle, as Tom sat in the stands of the bullring trying to imagine the atmosphere of a bull fight and wondering if he would attend one if he had the opportunity (probably not!).
Marie had taken the day off to rest from the rigors of the trip and worrying about Tom. Tom went on the tour and in spite of cold and rain took neither a jacket or an umbrella. Fortunately, a considerate and understanding member of the group, Andy from Maine, offered him a nice warm jacket which allowed him to enjoy the tour in much more comfort. Meanwhile, Marie slept until noon and was much refreshed. We found out from veterans of bus tours that everyone reaches a time when they have to take a day off or feel that they want to "just go home." This was that point for both of us, but after a good night's sleep we were ready for the couple of days remaining in the tour. Meanwhile, we knew we definitely wanted to return here on our own.
The next morning we headed back to Madrid by way of Cordoba where we were able to see the other attraction in Spain that Tom had wanted to see for many years. It is the Mezquita-Catedral de Cordoba, a mosque that was converted into a cathedral. It seemed like a desecration of and an affront to the mosque. The contrast in styles was striking. The clean and open design of the mosque was violated by the ornate style of the church. We also saw a synagogue, the home of Maimonides and a Roman bridge built by Hadrian. The whole city was overrun with tourists but it was definitely worth the visit. We just wish we had more time to linger in the Mezquita.
Back to Madrid, where we spent most of the time on our own. We were ready to wind down a bit and try to buy the couple of things that we wanted to get for people back home. We were able to find the famous black glycerin soap and saffron that we wanted and we also found some silk goods and other items in regular shops, which we prefer to the tourist areas. We also found our favorite restaurant of the whole trip and had the best meal that we experienced, which included the croquettes (chicken/potato filled) that we had come to like so much, eggplant in almond sauce and salad, with vino, of course!
During our personal walking tour of the city we took time to see the numerous and magnificent fountains, the Plaza Major, the palace, the lovely architecture of the buildings, and the interesting train station located close to our hotel. We weren't able to see the Prado, the number one attraction in Madrid, because the lines were just too long. We would add that to our list of "next time" things as we returned to our hotel. We found that we could not buy stamps or shop for food for our dinner because everything was closed at 2:00 PM for the rest of the day because it was Saturday. Generally shops are closed for several hours in the middle of the day for the siesta, all over Spain, but on week days they reopen in time for dinner. So we decided to eat in our hotel restaurant and get ready for traveling the next leg of journey.
Preparing to leave Spain we jotted down our overall impressions to keep them fresh in our memory. We found it very clean except for the dog feces on the sidewalks. We saw many people walking dogs (which we hadn't seen in Rome) and no pooper scoopers were visible. The public restrooms were clean but often out of toilet paper. However, we never had to pay for toilet paper (as we did in Rome) or for use of the bathroom. (Check our Bathrooms around the world site for more on that subject.) Dinner is very late compared to other places we have visited and the hotels were all very hot and dry, as well as previously been smoked in. In fact, the amount of smoking all over Europe is a major problem for people with any kind of sensitivity to smoke. (Many in our group experienced sinus problems and colds before the trip was over.) Sidewalks were wider and much easier to walk on than Rome and people did not seem to be in so much of a hurry. Pedestrian crossings clearly marked and we found crossing the street easier than in Rome. Throughout the country we enjoyed the easy affection among people, the good sense of humor of the people, and the wondrous variety of terrain, with distinct regions.
After a good nights sleep we awoke to rain, after being particularly blessed with nice weather through most of our tour of Spain. After a breakfast and farewells among our new friends that we met on this tour we get ready to board the bus to return to the airport for the next leg of our tour. We again reflected on the relative merits of tours versus traveling on our own. When on a tour we spent much of our time getting to know these really neat people from our group and acquired a great overview of the areas we visited. The downside is t
hat we missed mingling with locals as much as we would have liked and lingering in special places.
So as we leave Spain, a place they will hold fondly in our hearts, and which we hope to come back to before too long, we say, "Adios."
Please join us in London for the next leg of our journey.
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