Southern Spain Christmas trip

Since we have no family close enough to visit for the holidays we planned a trip with another American Family to Southern Spain between Christmas and New Years. 

Our first stop and meeting spot:

Consuegra, Castilla de la Mancha  

Consuegra is famous due to its windmills.  They became famous in the 16th century, when Don Quixote was first published.  When we had just moved here Morgan had to write a report on Miguel de Cervantes at school and was looking up "Donkey Hote" but not finding too much.  

Here is a closer view of some of the windmills used to grind grain and the 12th century castle.  It was a very windy day, it was a shame they stopped using these in the 1980's. 

 Banos de la Encina

As we traveled farther south, the looks of Spain changed with the whitewashed buildings and the fields of olive trees and orange orchards.

This was looking down from the castle at the rows and rows of olive trees which were quite a sight at this point but soon got monotonous.  Since we are on the subject, here are a couple of facts about olives: 

 

Spain produces more olives than anywhere else in the world in front of Italy 

who produces less than half of that of Spain.  

 

We found out the bitter way that you don't eat olives straight from the olive tree

with the exception of one variety.  

Olives are either fermented or cured before being palatable.  

 

Canned black olives are artificially/chemically turned black.

 

90% of olive production is for the oil with only 10% for the actual olives.

 

The Baños de la Encina Castle or Burgalimar Castle is also known as the “fortress of the seven kings” due to the number of monarchs who lived there, including Ferdinand the Catholic. 

 This castle is one of the oldest in Europe having been built by the Umayyad in the 10th century.

 Ecija

This seemingly small city has over twenty churches and convents.




Not much in this picture besides these two cuties.



A few of us went to this archaeological museum while the rest of the group went to the "Playmobil exhibit" with a Nativity and buildings/towns/ruins of Spain.





We went on a walking tour of this town and didn't see much that was picture worthy except this unusually distorted building.

Farmhouse in Ecija

This is the inner courtyard with a lemon and orange tree of the first place we stayed.  We had the entire house to ourselves for 2 nights.  Can you spot Mason and Kamree in this photo?

 

The kids had access to all the oranges they could ever eat!

Their yard was perfect for our kids to run around in, play ball and build fires in, It also included a pool for the summer, pomegranates in the front, olive trees, more orange and lemon trees in the back and to the far right was an old roman well.

 

This is looking down into the well.

 

Cordoba

We took a day trip to this beautiful rainy city of  Cordoba.  It has been estimated that in the 10th century Córdoba was the most populous city in the world, and under the Muslim rule of Al Hakam II it had also become a great center for education. 



 



 It is said Al Hakam II had a personal library with over 600,000 books.  He opened many libraries which included the largest library in the world on top of the many medical schools and universities which existed at this time. These universities contributed towards developments in mathematics and astronomy.    Córdoba became the intellectual center of Europe and was one of the most advanced cities in the world.

The Great Mosque of Cordoba

This 10th century mosque is often called the "Mezquita". It is a medieval Islamic mosque that was converted into a Catholic cathedral.

   The Mosque is regarded as the one of the most accomplished monuments of Moorish architecture.

This is the Patio de los Naranjos.

 

The building is most notable for its arcaded "hypostyle" hall, with 856 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite. These were made from pieces of the Roman temple which had occupied the site previously, as well as other destroyed Roman buildings.

 

These arches seemed endless in this incredibly huge masterpiece. (this was just one side)



There are many different styles inside and outside the mosque, due to the contributions of each new ruler which continued until the 18th century.

Here is the contribution of the Christians after the reconquista.  Kaiya, Clara, Molly, Kyle, Morgan and Isaac are reverently sitting in the front row. 

Alcazar de Cordoba 

This site originally occupied a Visigoth Fortress but in the 14th century this alcazar was built in the Mudejar style by Alfonso the XI. 

Isabella and Ferdinand lived here before conquering Granada in 1492.

In the same year, the monarchs met Christopher Columbus in this Alcázar as he prepared to take his first voyage to the Americas. 

 

 

The gardens of this Alcazar were most impressive.

 

 

Almodovar Castle 

This was on our way back to the house in Ecija.

After winding and winding through this labyrinth...

We made it up to this amazingly well-preserved castle.  The castle’s origins date back to Roman times. The actual construction, however, was built by the Arabs in 760. 

Morgan is such a good example!

Isaac had a hefty decision, ....

Who could blame him?

Here are a few of the countless orange trees we saw on our drive back.

Aznalcazar

We stayed on this farm for the next two nights.  They also had a large yard and several animals to entertain the kids.

The day we arrived, we quickly unloaded the car and then loaded the kids back up and took them for an afternoon drive without telling them where we were headed.

Beach in Matalascanas

We finally made it to the southern shores of Spain and again to the Atlantic Ocean. 

Even though it was quite cold we rolled up the kids' pant legs in case they wanted to wade in the water.  We should have known it wouldn't end well.

and this is how it all began!

It didn't take long for the kids to become soaked and shivering! 






Sevilla

Torre de Oro- Golden Tower

Sevilla was our main destination for this trip.  The tower to the right is one of two towers used during the Golden Age.  Following the 1492 Christopher Columbus expedition to the New World, trade began to profit the city.

 

 Since only sailing ships leaving from and returning to the inland port of Seville could engage in trade with the Spanish Americas, merchants from Europe and other trade centers needed to go to Seville to acquire New World trade goods. The city's population grew to nearly a million people

Seville Bullring

The Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla is the oldest bullring in the world.  During the annual Seville Fair it is the site of one of the most well-known bullfighting festivals in the world and considered the most traditional bullfighting in Spain.  It is popularly dubbed as the "Cathedral of Bullfighting".

While we stood in a very long line for this "Huuuuuge" Gothic cathedral we were grateful there was a built in playground along our route. 

The Roman Catholic Cathedral of Saint Mary or better known as Seville Cathedral is the third-largest church in the world and the largest cathedral in the world.

The cathedral stands on the site of the Great Mosque of the 12th century. Today, the only part which remains of this structure is the minaret, the converted bell tower on the left and the Abluciones courtyard  (seen in this picture) .  It was converted into a Christian church when the city was conquered by Ferdinand III of Castile in 1248

Kaiya learned about Carlos IV in her science class recently which made seeing this cloak (which he wore during his coronation) more interesting.  Although Carlos IV kept up the appearance of an absolute, powerful monarch, as King of Spain he never took more than a passive part in the direction of his own government. The affairs of government were left to his wife, Maria Luisa, and his prime minister, while he occupied himself with hunting.  Soon after passing the crown to his son Ferdinand in 1808, Napolean forced them both to abdicate and installed his brother Joseph Bonaparte as King of Spain.

This is a shot of the Alcazar from the top of the bell tower.  The Alcazar is still currently used as a residence for the royal family and government.  The bell tower is unique in regards to how you ascend it.  There are ramps instead of stairs to allow horses to make the ascent.

 



Here lies Christopher Columbus (at least some of his remains), and a monument.  Christopher Columbus died in his 50's in Northern Spain (Valladolid). His remains were later moved to Seville then to the Dominican Republic, Cuba and finally Seville, Spain where they are said to currently lie.  The Dominican Republic claims they still have fragments of him in Santo Domingo. 

The Archivo de Indias building, barely in the picture to the left,  was constructed in 1585 to house the Casa Lonja.  It became the general archives of the Indias in 1785, and since then it has become home to the greatest collection of documentation concerning the discovery of and relations with the New World.  

The next morning we headed to our last stay in Merida...

and as usual we passed a few castles along the way.  (dang fuzzy moving car pictures)

 

Merida

We loved Merida for it's endless Roman ruins throughout the entire small city. Mérida preserves more important ancient Roman monuments than any other city in Spain. The town was founded in 25 BC, with the name of Emerita Augusta (meaning the veterans – discharged soldiers – of the army of Augustus, who founded the city; the name Mérida is an evolution of this

Monumental Portico

The municipal Forum of the ancient Roman city was surrounded by a portico of Corinthian columns, decorated with statues and carvings. While the originals of the remaining statuary are now on display in Merida's National Museum of Roman Art, a reconstruction of a small part of the Forum's portico has been created in the city itself, as seen here.

The Temple of Diana

This temple was a sacred site constructed by the Romans in the early first century AD, after the conquest of the area by the Emperor Augustus.  The temple is incredibly well-preserved, probably due to its incorporation into a sixteenth century palace that you can see in the back of the temple.  The Temple of Diana’s Corinthian columns still stand in their original rectangular formation.

 

The palace for the Duke of Corbos was built in the back of the temple in the 1500's.

Aqueducto de San Lázaro

This is one of the three aqueducts in Merida which passes through the city.

Aqueducto de los Milagros

 This is just a small part of the relatively small stretch of this aqueduct that still stands.   We just ran out of time to stop at this to see more of it.   It is thought to have been constructed during the 1st century AD, with a second phase of building (or renovations) around 300 AD.

The Puente Romano is a Roman bridge in the background. It is the longest surviving bridge from ancient times, including the approaches, the structure totals 790 m.  Currently it is only used for foot traffic.

 

Annexed to the bridge is the Alcazaba of Mérida, the first Muslim alcazaba which was built in 835 to command the city that had rebelled in 805.  This is from on top of the castle walls.  Morgan was making an arrowhead the entire time we were here which truly kept him out of trouble.

  The alcazaba was built re-using Roman walls and Roman-Visigothic edifices in granite.

This moorish tunnel to an underground well with pool of water and goldfish was completely reconstructed. 

 

This is outside of the alcazaba built by emir Abd ar-Rahman II of Córdoba.



What a cute sculpture!!!

Roman Amphitheatre

 Construction for this began in the year 8 B.C. This was intended for gladiator combats with men and beasts.

 

This is just past the amphitheater which leads to the theatre.

The Roman Theatre of Merida

The theatre was constructed in the years 16 to 15 BCE and underwent several renovations throughout the next few centuries.  Following the theatre's abandonment in Late Antiquity, it was slowly covered with earth.

Until the late 19th century, the only visible remains of this theater were the so-called "Seven Chairs", remains at the top of the bleachers.  The excavations of the theater began in 1910 and ...

still continue today. The Roman Theatre is Europe’s best conserved and the only one which, after being reconditioned, continues to be the setting for theatrical performances and recitals.

This view is from the back of the theatre on top of the hill that extended over this before being excavated. 

 

The kids had a great time exploring this amazing monument.

The next morning we headed for home with a couple of stops along the way.

 

A few....

more...

castles.

Caceres 

The city of Caceres was founded by the Romans, and remains found in the city suggest that it was a thriving center as early as 25 BC.  Some remains of the first city walls built by the Romans in the 3rd and 4th centuries still exist, including one gateway.  Cáceres flourished during the Reconquista and the discovery of America, as influential Spanish families and nobles built homes and small palaces there.

Unfortunately there was no parking inside the old city and it was too rainy to get out and walk. 



After making several rounds through these streets....

we finally found an exit!

 

Trujillo 

Most famous for being the birthplace of Francisco Pizarro (Spanish conquistador of Peru and the Incas) and his brothers.

 

Pizarro's equestrian statue stands to the left in the Plaza Mayor across from this 13th century church. 

 

Across the plaza is the Pizarro palace (in the center) that was constructed on the orders of Pizzaro's Incan daughter after he was killed in Peru.   She married her uncle Hernando Pizarro.

 

 

Here we are headed out into the rain to walk up to the old Arab fortress/castle. 

 

I think we are following Kamree here?

 

 

Morgan always triumphs in finding something to climb.

It was really, really cold and I'm amazed we got anyone to smile. 

This is in the background of the former picture.

 



Morgan and Kyle

 

Oropesa

 

Oropesa is famous for it's 1402 Castle.

We stopped here for just a few minutes with just enough time to walk (climb) around the castle.



Vibrant wall murals surrounded the castle.

Mason was supervising Brent, Kirsten, Kamree, Kaiya, Kyle, Morgan and Isaac.

....and here is where we said our goodbyes, parted ways
and headed home from an amazing trip!

...with one last castle picture from the road.

 

 

And One Last Stop

We ended with a surprise Taco Bell dinner in Madrid.  It must have been a really long time since we last had Taco Bell, because the food tasted soooo good!