Andalucia, Part 4

26th  November

After an early start, we set off for Cordoba, which was unfinished business for this area.  As the days were now much shorter, we felt we should take the fastest route, which was back to Malaga on the motorway, then north on the N331 motorway.    This is a remarkable road, hacked from the mountains, with steep gradients, tight bends and tunnels.  None the less, it was surprisingly busy and the locals attack it with great gusto.  After the climb, we found ourselves on a more gently undulating plain and took the single carriageway N331 onward to Cordoba.  Eventually we joined the motorway from Seville a little way from Cordoba and dropped down into the valley of the Guadalquivir.  It was surprisingly easy to find our way to the historic centre and, more remarkably, easy and free to park our car.  Officially free that is, because as soon as we stepped out of the car we were greeted by an elderly vigilante to whom we thought it appropriate to pay the customary fee.  From where we parked, we could see the old bridge, shown below left, leading into Cordoba. 

We made straight for the tourist office to acquire a street map and, after a circuit of the Mezquita Mosque, found our way to the entrance by the old minaret.    On entering the Mezquita, the effect is at first stunning.  We had never seen any building remotely like it, though of course we had seen many pictures, like the one we show above centre.  Its scale is a little overwhelming and we were bound to wonder at its purpose.  It does appear that, in the times of its construction, there was feverish competition to create places of pilgrimage which required enormous and spectacular accommodation for the pilgrims as well as an odd relic or two.  It would be nice to think that this competition was driven by pure religious fervour, but the economic benefits of centres of pilgrimage would have been at least as strong in those days as they are today.

The Mosque was, of course, converted to a Cathedral at the re-conquest and the amazingly ornate carved choir stalls are shown above right and the ornate display behind the altar below left.  The Cathedral occupies the centre of the Mezquita where the original Mihrab, or prayer niche, had been.  In the south-east wall of the Mezquita there remains an exquisitely ornate Mihrab, shown below centre. 

After the stunning experience on first entering the Mezquita, we were a bit surprised at how quickly we became used to its architecture and, as it was bitterly cold, we soon felt we had had enough and needed a little sunshine and so left after walking through the Orange Grove that had originally been the ablutions court, stopping only to look at the belfry, shown above right.

We searched for a sunny spot to eat lunch, but eventually settled for an indoor table in the old Jewish Quarter, after which we explored a little.  A call to prayer rather surprised us though as the Mezquita is considered the third most important Mosque, we should have expected that many Muslims would visit it.  We found the modern Mosque tucked away in the narrow streets and noted that it was topped by five balls as shown below left.  We walked on to find the old Synagogue, shown below centre, which is one of only three in Spain, but were disappointed to find it closed. 

We walked on to the modern town centre and snapped the picture above right, which we had found reminiscent of a building we had seen earlier in our travels.  As time was now moving on, we returned to the car, stopping by the Moorish water mill, shown left, which was built on earlier Roman foundations.  We left Cordoba and decided to return to camp via Granada, with possibly an overnight stay.

As we entered Granada we recognised the road from the previous time we had visited and thought we knew where we were going.   We had decided to look for a hotel in the centre close to the square where spent a pleasant summer afternoon.     However even if our recollections were true the place had changed and there was far more traffic.    Soon we well lost and then a guy on a scooter was tapping on our car window.    The usual instinct in this situation is to ignore him on the basis that he is either going to be remonstrating about our erratic course or trying to sell us some thing.   In fact he turned out to be a "Hotels Information" courier and persuaded us to to pull over where he could give us a map and advice on hotels.    When we gave him a tip he decided he would take to the hotel we had chosen which saved us a lot of time and aggravation.    The hotel was keen to get us signed up to a Flamenco night in a cave in Sacromonte which is the area opposite the Alhambra inhabited by gypsies.   Our guide book however warned us of these trips.   While the entrance fee of 3,500 Ptas sounds OK and includes the first drink there is no mention of the cost of subsequent drinks.  

Though it was now dark and cold, we went for a stroll to square and on up the road towards Sacromonte from where we could look up to the Alhambra.   This is the north facing side and we were not surprised to find quite a dusting of snow.      We returned via the old town and stumbled on an Internet shop from where we were able to catch up with our emails.     We looked for a suitable restaurant for dinner but were disappointed by the one we finally chose in the old Arab silk bazaar.

27th November

We had retired relatively early to our relatively warm hotel room but need not have bothered as the guests above returned from their Flamenco night about one in the morning and proceeded to practice their new new dance steps.   In the morning we took one look at the proposed breakfast (for which we were expected to pay) and decided to find a real breakfast.  The receptionist eventually pointed us in the direction of the Hotel Navas where for the same cost we had a proper (English) breakfast. 

It was very cold.    We walked up to the gate of the Alhambra shown below left at which a notice told us we had another kilometre walk to the ticket office.     We decided not to bother.   We had seen it on a warm summer's day and and did not have the enthusiasm for a long walk up the hill in order to freeze in the palace.    Instead we satisfied ourselves with  a few pictures including that below centre which shows the original wooden palace in the Casa Real which was not designed to last, but has somehow survived.  We walked back through the Plaza Nueva, shown below right, where an oriental gentleman was sketching a view of the Alhambra. 

We had a final look at the Alcaicería (or Silk Bazaar), the entrance to which is shown below left, and walked past the Cathedral and into a square, which is shown on the maps at Plaza Bib. Rambla, (below centre) from which we could look back at the Cathedral belfry.  The road out of Granada heading south climbs steeply mile after mile, with breathtaking views of the Sierra Nevada on the left.  At so often is the case, there was nowhere one could safely stop and we did not have the camera to hand.  The best we could manage, below right, was a glimpse between two hillocks at the summit.  The drive back to the coast was spectacular in places, dangerous in others and in parts quite tedious. 

We reached the coast just west of Motril and headed west towards Malaga.  The motorway has not reached this part yet and we got a taster for the journey eastward that we planned with the caravan.  Some of the views from the coast road out to sea are quite spectacular, but the road is narrow and winding and has to climb over some very high headlands.  For this reason, we thought it wise to hurry back and break camp with a view to pulling out next day, which was a Sunday.    We arrived in time for a late lunch after which David donned his waterproof suit and washed the car.

In some ways we were glad to be going.   The "over-wintering" continentals were a bit too fastidious for us.    A huge block of flats was being built behind the campsite and, like so many resorts, it had an unfinished look to it.      It had been, and still was, very cold (by our standards) for camping.     On the other hand we were just minutes from the sea and shops.    During the night we had a heavy downpour that convinced us that it was time to move on.

28th November

Our first plan was to go to Almería where we had been told it almost never rains.     After the arduous drive along the coast past Motril we finally reached the motorway at Adra.   The terrain was obviously getting drier.     We noticed an increase in the use of Polythene covered growing areas until in places it looked as though the whole place had been wrapped up by that artist that wrapped the Reichstag.    We stopped for lunch just north of Almería, from where the picture below left was taken.    Doubt as to the desirability of this area was beginning to set in but we decided to at least see the site Paul at Sarlat had recommended to us.

The customary navigational "cock up" took place at a small village called Barranquete and we disappeared it seemed into the Polythene.   While this was very interesting it was impossible to see any landmarks and we worried that we might never get out.    Eventually we did find the fabled camp and had a look around it.    We did not see another Brit.  In fact the camp was almost empty apart from a few hardy windsurfers.    The camp facilities were splendid but did not make up for the fact that it was situated in the middle of a desert and miles from towns and supermarkets.   At the time, the weather was overcast so it did not even have the benefit of bright sunshine.  We decided that our aversion to rain was not quite as overwhelming after all, and decided to move on.   Below centre and right are scenes shot through the car window as we headed towards Murcia. 

As we drove along the motorway, we crossed the border between Andalucia and Murcia provinces.  Our guide book has an interesting note that we were close to the site of the incident featured in the film Broken Arrow, in which an aircraft collided with its refuelling tanker and, as a result, four H-bombs fell, three of them on land.  Our guide book has more than a few prejudices and makes the point that no-one has ever convincingly explained why these bombs did not explode.  Hopefully, most sixth form physics students could tell them why.

                       Last updated: 18/03/01