TRIP REPORT - ANDALUCIA,
SPAIN----------------------for
the gallery click here
In an impulsive decision we rented a vehicle to explore more of Spain
and left Alicante in the late afternoon. We headed north into the mountains
of the Sierra de Salinas and enjoyed an amazing sunset at over 3000 feet
(1000 m). A series of thunderstorms moved in late at night which is quite
unusual for summers here; once the rain had cleared, we were rewarded
with incredible vistas in the morning (pic 01).
After a hike to the top of the mountain with a 360 degree view we pushed
on west along lonely country roads through sweeping hills and drove through
the Parque Natural Sierra de Cazorla y Segura with breathtaking canyons
and gorges.
From here we ventured along the country road that connects a series of
attractive little towns. We visited Úbeda, Baeza and Jaén
with their amazing old towns full of historic buildings and medieval walls
(pic 02).
One of the highlights was Córdoba, once the Moorish capital of
the region. The city offers a dazzling array of historic sights and different
building styles. The blend of Moorish and Christian architecture shows
all through the old town but is most apparent in the amazing column hall
of the Mezquita (pic 03) where a catholic church was built right into
the center of what was once one of the largest mosques in the Islamic
world. We also marveled at the medieval quarter, the Judería, and
the Christian fortress, Alcázar.
The people of Córdoba
are very fond of their many courtyards which are not only for the looks
but are also used frequently (pic 04).
We wrapped up our stay with a visit to the Medina Azahara, a city built
in the 10th century by a caliph to create a new administrative and residential
center. Unfortunately, only ruins are left of this impressive and extremely
luxurious palace.
Then our journey took us south-east towards the Sierra Nevada. Our plan
was to find a remote and scenic track through the mountains and see the
white villages of Las Alpujarras (pic 05), an area that is not yet spoiled
by heavy tourism. We began our trek at the first village of Lanjarón
where we climbed up the steep dirt road past active farms and several
ruins of abandoned farmhouses to almost 10.000 feet (2500m). The views
from up here were awe-inspiring. The track skirts the border of the Parque
Nacional de Sierra de Nevada and sees very little traffic. At night, we
spotted a wild pig, quite a popular animal in this region famous for its
mountain-cured ham (jamón serrano). Even the paved road wasn't
very easy on our vehicle as it winds up and down the mountain in impressive
hairpin turns and is certainly not for the faint-of-heart. Some of the
quaint villages still preserve their originality although others are already
ramping up for tourism.
It took us several more hours to leave the Sierra Nevada as the main drag
is under construction for expansion, which not only made our progress
slow and painful but will certainly take away some of the romantic flair
of the region. When we reached the highway, we made straight for Alicante.
pic 01
pic 02
pic 03
pic 04
pic 05
for more pics click here