PART II: SCENES AND STORIES FROM OUR TRAVELS IN THE 1990s

I had toured Spain with my parents in ’52 and again with Bernie in ’78. But still, given my academic training, it was the ultimate European destination… so, naturally, we went back in the ’90s.

Unlike our earlier focus on Madrid and the classic medieval cities of northern Spain, this time we focused on Andalucía in the south. And what a fine experience it was.

Granada

▼▼Over three weeks, we hit all the highlights of what—1,000 years earlier—had been Moorish Spain, starting with the incomparable Alhambra in Granada. I had childhood memories of it from the ’50s, and (as expected) found it unchanged. What was new was my greater understanding of the history and culture that had created a unique place. Bernie’s first-time-visitor reactions to it were remarkable, too.

▼▼ Bernie took the photo below of me with the iconic Court of the Lions in the background. Just for fun, I’m juxtaposing it here with a shot my mother had made of me there 41 years earlier.

▼▼ We were lucky enough to spend several nights in a parador—one of a number of first-class government-owned hotel built into historic buildings around the country—on the grounds of the Alhambra, which gave us time to explore its glorious gardens.

Sevilla

▼▼ From Granada we headed to Seville—Sevilla in Spanish and another of southern Spain’s great treasures—where ancient Roman bridges, medieval waterworks, Renaissance buildings, and modern parks along the Guadalquivir River provided the backdrop for several days of happy explorations.

Sevilla continued

▼ Originally, I had booked us into a supposedly “picturesque” hotel in Seville’s old town, but after carrying our bags up four flights of narrow stairs to a room that turned out to be more than a little bit too “quaint” for our taste, we left and went looking for another.

We found sanctuary at the Hotel Los Seises (now a Marriott affiliate) that was brand new, lovely, and fresh in every way. As you can see from the photo below, Bernie was delighted with our improved local digs.

▼ As always, Bernie loved sketching in the famous “white villages” that are found in and around the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park near Seville.

Córdoba

▼▼ The third great Andalusian city that we focused on was Córdoba—known for its remarkable mix of ancient Roman, Moorish, Jewish, and Spanish historical relics and cultures.

Its world-famous and well-preserved Mosque—known in Spanish as La Mesquita de Córdoba and built between 784-786 AD—is a shooter’s delight, as my photos will attest.

▼▼▼ Cordoba’s moving Jewish quarter preserves the memory of Maimonides, a leading philosopher and scholar who lived and taught there in the Middle Ages.

▼▼▼ As the photos below show, we also found time to explore some of Spain’s protected natural areas.

Restaurants and Bars

In cities and towns all over southern Spain, we enjoyed sampling local wines, dishes, and creative tapas (appetizers); making friends in bars known as tascas; sketching (in Bernie’s case); soaking up the local atmosphere; and dining in picturesque places that offered traditional Spanish cuisine… which is not at all like Mexican or other Spanish American foods.