La Mancha is a short drive from Toledo; the windmills near Consuegra are there, but no sign of Don Quixote! We like Manchego cheese, but resist when offered “fuerte” because it looks so old and dry. Finally we try it and discover how really good and flavorful it is.
On to Cordoba, a major university and educational center during the about six centuries of Moorish occupation, and still known for its crafts of tooled leather work and silver filigree. The mosque-cathedral with its many pillars and red and white Moorish arches is a main tourist destination as are the flower pot covered walls of the old city.
The Moors preserved much of the knowledge and literature that Europe lost during the dark ages, bringing them back via Spain. With the long Moor occupation, southern Spain shows their influence in architecture, as seen in Cordoba, as well as in Seville and Granada.
Our next stop is Seville. It is a big city with many hotels and thus no Paradors, so we stay at the Hotel Alcazar. The beautiful Cathedral is the third largest in Europe, and has a tomb said to be Columbus’s. We climb to the observation platform (up 230’) of the Giralda tower, originally a minaret, via it’s sloping ramps and occasional steps, for a good view of the city. Seville was the port city for many of the expeditions of discovery and conquest of the Americas and there are many original documents, including signatures of Columbus and other explorers and conquistidores, one can see in the Indies Archives.
Other attractions to be enjoyed in Seville include the Moorish architecture of the Alcazar palace and its beautiful gardens, the Plaza de España looking all new, and the Torre de Oro which guarded the port entrance during olden times.
Leaving Seville, we stop at a winery in Jerez for a tour and tasting. They pour us a taste of all their wines, from dry to sweet, and give us a small bottle of brandy. We have to stop for lunch soon after leaving to counter the alcohol!
We drive through Cadiz and stay in Algeciras, which has a nice plaza and harbor. One can see Africa across the straits, and Gibraltar is very visible. It is a lovely drive along the Costa del Sol, with many high rise apartments. We go as far as Nerja, where we find a room in the parador. It is new and has very pretty grounds on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The caves are the reason for the parador; we see them the next morning. They are huge and impressive.
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