Travel stories | Madrid to Sevilla, Spain
Travel stories | Madrid, Guadix, Granada, Cordoba, Ronda, Cadiz and Sevilla
Our first time visiting Spain. Nearly 36 years later I finally made it! All I can say is Hot! Hot! Hot! We had no choice but to travel in the height of Summer as Adam has a teaching break in mid June/July. We worked in Vienna during that period but Spain was our reward. I’ve been travelling the world since I was 21 and pretty confident in providing travel tips to make your next destination a little easier to enjoy. Travel is fraught. I recommend you go with the flow and be prepared for the unexpected. It’s meant to be an adventure and even stubborn Taurean’s like me had to slow down, rest and embrace the hot weather.
Where to stay | This time we asked our travel agent (Maria Slater Travel, Canberra) to pick our accommodation. She didn’t let us down at all providing options to suit our budget. I won’t give up her secrets but let’s just say she loves her job and we love her!
Where to eat | oh! my! I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so many tapas in my life! It’s a shared experience so throw out your idea of ordering your own meal and embrace slow eating. Most locals go from Taberna to the next pacing themselves. They also eat late - we had many dinners at 9.30pm onwards. The heat is hard and trust me it’s worth the sleep in.
Madrid - Vegetarian at La Huerta Funky Castizo
Toledo - best Churros ever from a gentleman who was in his 80s and proudly showing us his machinery to make the churros!
Granada - best coffee/pastry at La Finca
Cordoba - best baguette with Iberian prosciutto and olive oil as well as her homemade ice creams
Ronda - tapas at Taberna La Parada and again homemade icecream at Black Coffee
Cadiz - dinner at Almanaque Casa De Comidas (Michelin)
Sevilla - best dinner at La Brunila, Bio Mio for lunch/brunch
Mercado - translates to markets - pretty much all of them were great for various reasons.
What to do | Okay, I’m a walker and can do up to 14,000 steps daily. But even I had to slow down. The heat was hard to handle. We had temps up to 41 degrees and rarely below 29. So, lots of water and returning to the hotel for several rest periods (in air conditioning).
Spain is an exciting mix of art, history, castles, palaces, olive oil plantations, foodie heaven, gardens, beaches and so much more.
Shopping | I prefer to buy artworks direct from the artist, their studio or a gallery. It takes a little research to find bespoke places to support local artists but worth it. Already I’ve bought a couple of handmade pieces in Cadiz and Sevilla.
Go to the parks to cool down | We found respite in many local and fancy gardens/parks to relax in. Here are a few out of too many to list:
Generalife at the Alhambra, Granada - allow plenty of time to see this as it’s a pretty big garden along with the citadel.
Alcázar, Sevilla - we spent 4hrs here as it’s a large place. If you love gardens and ceramic tiles this is heaven! We would have stayed longer but 41 degree heat pushed us to our limits.
Palace of Viana, Cordoba - thanks to family we were recommended to visit courtyards (patios) and I found this one. We loved it! Highly recommend the tour. Carlos spoke in Spanish (only option) but he was full of gestures we’d pretty much guess what he was saying.
What to wear | I normally don’t suggest this but given the heat, I’d recommend to pack light, loose clothing. Bring a wide scarf and broad brim hat to protect you from the sun - white is best as black absorbs the heat. Sunscreen and mozzie repellant is a no-brainer. It’s cheaper to bring it over as they charge like raging bulls as only tourists buy them. A lightweight cardigan for your hotel room as air conditioning can make it cooler.
Hidden Gems | I normally name places. This time I’m recommending two tour guides who were excellent. We had private tours and they were worth every cent. Anise guided us through the Alhambra in Granada. It was a long day and I was exhausted. I finally got that blister! I was happily exhausted from his generous knowledge of the citadel’s history. Javier in Ronda, was a gift given to us. He was incredibly welcoming, knowledgeable and I was ready to accept dinner at his Mum’s house ;)
Finally, if not going through your travel agent, make sure you go to official sites to book tickets online. Unfortunately, scammers are so sophisticated they replicate websites and it’s hard to tell the difference. I recommend you go through the official website of Spain as they then re-direct you to contact information. This is my personal thought and I sincerely wish you all the best with your travels.
Anne xx
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