A Week in Andalucia

Last week we flew out to Spain to stay in rural Andalucia for seven days. And when I say rural, I really do mean out in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but the mountains and countryside around us. The traditionally Spanish house we stayed in was about a twenty minute drive from the nearest town, and to get there we had to navigate the most twisting, narrow roads (in fact, we had to do this all over Andalucia, which did nothing for my travel sickness.)

How can you not love that view? And the sunsets here were incredible, when we finally had a break in the clouds from the stormy weather we had all week. The house itself was lovely too, with the owners being antique collectors, the interiors were eclectic and charming. Even the Sunday Dinner  table setting (yes we had a British Sunday Dinner whilst out there) was beautiful.

One of my favourite trips we took was on the second day, when we visited the magical Alhambra Palace overlooking the city of Granada. The grand, royal palace has an extensive history, starting out as a fortress built on the remains of Roman fortifications. It has had royal residents, both Muslim and Christian, from which its incredible art and architecture is inspired by. The world famous Moorish architecture is without a doubt breathtaking. 

We also took the long drive to the city of Córdoba. Córdoba itself is grand and historic, a mix of contemporary and old in a bustling city, complete with charming cobbled streets and magnificent architecture. Its historical sites bring interest from all over the world, especially the Mosque, the Roman Bridge (this was one of the filming locations in Game of Thrones), and the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos which we planned to visit but it was sadly closed on the day we visited.

Our next stop on the Andalucian trip was the mountain top city of Ronda, famous for the Puente Nuevo, which translates to 'New Bridge' even though its construction started in 1759. It's called The New Bridge because it's the newest of three bridges that tower over the expanse of the valley and river below. It's an absolutely beautiful view from the bridge and surrounding cliffs, and is what Ronda is most famous for. 

If visiting Andalucia, or Spain in general, I highly recommend visiting the historical sites. Although they are busy with tourists all year round, the traditional Spanish and Moorish architecture of the buildings are worth the visit alone.