...Granada

This was probably one of our more spectacular fails when it came to organising and booking all the elements of our holiday, independently. We ended up in the middle of nowhere!  “Walking distance to small village with several bars and restaurants”, it said.  “Oh brilliant” we said.  Nothing better than having bars and restaurants within walking distance of where you’re staying.

It didn't mention the perilous walk along the river bank to get there and that the bars and restaurants were all either closed, pensionistas or looked dirtier than a dirty protest! Hmm, we’d be eating in or having the annoying option of driving somewhere and not being able to drink. Or at least me, the designated driver.

We had lots of BBQs.

Shade in Alhama

Surprisingly this turned out to be a great little holiday. Visit the Lake at Bermejales. Truly stunning

Great architecture in Alhama,
and places to cool off!

Where to stay:

Valenzuela is a tiny hamlet in Granada near Alhama de Granada.  We stayed in a lovely 2 bed cottage that is suitable for the winter months too. Although this is no modern abode, the red door that greets you is cheerful and as you enter you feel sheltered from the heat of the sun.  It’s comforting.  It’s a space you want to spend time in.  

Love this red door to the cottage

Views around Alhama de Granada

There’s nothing to do in Valenzuela. Nothing except soak up the sun and swim in the pool.  The outdoor space to this property is brilliant. If you need supplies, Moraleda de Zafayona or Alhama de Granada are your best bets.  There is a couple of shops in one of the villages close by, but to be honest, they’re not worth bothering with.

There is a health spa on the road that takes you to Alhama which you should visit. The town is called such after the thermal spa here,  al-hammam in Arabic  The waters here supposedly have medicinal qualities.  There is a nice walk here too.  You should also spend some time investigating Alhama de Granada, as this is the best place within striking distance of Valenzuela.  It has a very Roman feel to it and some of the architecture is quite impressive in a shabby ancient way. It also has some breathtaking views. Some are obvious others you just stumble upon.

Take a stroll along the stream at the hot spings

If you’re going to the Granada region, then you really do need to visit the Alhambra. Go early. You’ll avoid the queues (sort of) and the heat.  You don't want to waiting to enter a building at midday, in summer. Wear sensible shoes as their is a fair bit of walking involved.  The Alhambra is a marvel to behold.  You should also visit the City and take a tour bus as you won't find your way around otherwise.

Stunning buildings at the
Alhambra

When we left Valenzuela we both agreed that this was a holiday that would have been made all the better if we’d done it as a part of a fly drive holiday, and visited other parts of Andalusia. Tthe driving really isn't an issue.  The roads are good and not very busy.  It was a great feeling driving through the mountains.  You’d also do quite well to visit in the winter.  It snows here and I can only imagine the scenery looking fabulous in the white. I’d also consider staying in Alhama, just for the convenience.

The Alhambra is a must visit

Where to eat:

Now here’s the thing. You’ll struggle to find restaurants.  Or at least you’ll struggle to find restaurants with interesting menus.  Spanish food can be very simple. That’s not a criticism as i’m a huge fan of Spanish food. But what you will find is plenty of places serving food. Confused? It appears that in this region of Spain they still uphold a traditional way of life.  and that is giving you a ‘free’ Tapa with your drink. And the drinks are cheap!  We tipped reasonably well in percentage terms, just because we felt so bad at how cheap everything was.  And how good!

In Alhama our favourite place was in the main square before the big hill.  They cooked your tapas before your eyes and the beer was cold. There was always a selection. Well, meat, fish...

And this was our experience of eating out.  We did find one restaurant that seemed quite popular and frankly, the tapas at the bars was better. So when in Rome er, i mean Granada, do as they do, and drink and eat tapas!

That or stay in and BBQ!

 Useful Links

http://www.piccavey.com/alhama-de-granada/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhama_de_Granada

http://wikitravel.org/en/Alhama_de_Granada

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/spain/5278449/Alhama-de-Granada-Spain-my-kind-of-town.html

...Salzburg

What can I say about Salzburg at Christmas... It’s beautiful, romantic and full of festive cheer. Oh, and Gluhwein. I can see the attraction of Salzburg all year round but having witnessed it in the snow, I can’t imagine enjoying myself more in the summer. There’s something fantastical about the snow capped mountains and wrapping up to avoid the -5 temperatures.

I could list the countless attractions to go see but Salzburg is so small you’ll stumble across them them by yourself.  My main highlights were the fortress and the zoo.  I do like a good zoo and now I really like a zoo in the snow.  Lions frolicking in a snowy paddock and rhinos with horns white and frozen, add a slightly bizarre twist to your animal viewing pleasure. 

The bus stop by the zoo.

View from the Fortress
 looking away from Salzburg

View from the woods by the
Museum of Modern Art

Where to stay:

We stayed in the Hotel Stein. We chose the Stein because our other options were fully booked.  Not a great endorsement to start with but I would recommend it.  Firstly, it’s on the wrong side of the river. That means it’s slightly cheaper but it’s right by the bridge that takes you to the old town so you’re still in the thick of it. We wanted to stay in hotel Am Dom but we were glad of our location in the Stein, as we felt that we had the best of both worlds. The room was clean and reasonably large despite being one of their cheaper rooms. There was ‘interesting’ fertility inspired  artwork in the room and elsewhere in the hotel.  The hotel had a Gothic chic feel to it. Dark colours, reds and dimly lit. It may not be to everyone's taste but it was different and I quite liked it.

The reason why i’d recommend the hotel though is the rooftop bar.  Here is where you can have a drink in the evening or have your breakfast in the morning.  And the breakfast was amazing.  One of the best I've had. Not only is the food good but the view is to die for.  Honestly, many hotels in Salzburg would pay a lot of money  and charge for it too, to have the panoramas the Hotel Stein offers.  You can stare down the river, towards the mountains or up at the fortress.  Stunning. The breakfast is as you’d expect, fruits, cereals, yogurts, scrambled eggs, speck, salamis, cheese, breads, cakes and tea and coffee an endless selection but tasty too. The quality of the ingredients was very good.  It was no wonder that the breakfast service was very popular with guests.

Where to eat:

The first thing I will mention is that smoking is a very popular habit in Austria, so popular that they haven’t banned it from restaurants.  Secondly, if like us, you enjoy going for a drink pre and or post dinner, you’ll struggle to find a pub.  It seems that the Austrians enjoy eating and drinking so much, they don’t see the need to separate them at all. So if you find a place you like for dinner, stay there.  You won't find somewhere else to go for a drink that isn't another restaurant.

The culinary highlight was undoubtedly Gasthaus Zwettler's Stiftskeller.  Seemingly well thought of by the locals too, the atmosphere here was fantastic, really lively, fun and friendly.  The food is typically Austrian, lots of meat. The house wine was very good and well priced.  The beer was 

A stein and a half pint at Stiftkellers

wonderful. The food is simple yet full of flavour, and I really would recommend the consume with potato. Consume seems very popular in Salzburg and was delicious everywhere I had it.

As you’ll soon discover from reading this Blog, my partner and I do like Italian food. So our trip to Salzburg was not complete without a trip to a little Italian restaurant called Pasta e Vino. This small restaurant is located nowhere special but don’t let that put you off. We sat by the meat counter which was no big deal as you could study the array of cured meats and smell the aromas coming from the kitchen.  They have a variety of pastas, and I imagine the ingredients change on a daily basis to create the meat, vegetable and fish pastas they advertise.  We shared an antipasti, which was huge,  Very fresh ingredients and extremely tasty.  Although I wasn't keen on the caper berries which seem to be a staple in Salzburg. The meat pasta was expertly cooked and rich. It was just pasta and a meat sauce but iI could have licked my plate clean.  The vegetable option was equally good.  The clean plates were testament to that. Again the house wine was more that suitable for the job.  No need to spend the extra euros on a bottle here! I should add that it is no surprise to find a good Italian restaurant in Austria, as in Salzburg there seemed to be a lot of Italians!

Now, the culinary experiences were not all brilliant.  Having scoured TripAdvisor I had my hit list and on that list was Gasthaus Wildermann. Good beer (as you would expect) and lovely food.  I had reindeer stew which was faultless.  The red cabbage that came with it was immense.  The flavour was unbelievable. Again, the consume was highly recommendable. I had one with a slice of beef strudel in it. Minced beef wrapped in pastry and it was odd to look at but worked so well as a starter. My partner had the same but with sliced pancake in it.  The texture to this was not to my liking but I can see why some people would like it. I have to confess, I can’t remember what the other main course we had was.  I can only assume that the reason for this is the reason I would be tentative about recommending Wildermann’s.  The atmosphere.  We didn't have to wait long for our, which was a god thing because we couldn't wait to leave.  The restaurant consists of a bar at one end of a room where the tables are round the edges leaving a large space in the middle.  The tables are large and you tend to have to share them with other diners.  Not hugely problematic but it seemed to stifle the hubbub. No one was talking or talking with any great volume. Although, i must confess when we’d found the place the night before, it seemed busier and slightly more vocal but there was something uncomfortable about it.  Perhaps it was to so with the sour faced waitress.  She and the male counterpart seemed hugely unimpressed with life. I know the Austrian language can seem quite stern but the faces we were shown did not show a hint of welcome to us.

If you do go to Wildermann’s you may well have a different experience to us but frankly I doubt it.  The only reason you should go here, is that perhaps it offers a real insight to Austrian life and you’ll see what I mean by that if you go to Salzburg and observe the demographic.

Now, who likes cake?  If you love cake then you’ll love Cafe Tomaselli’s.  Check the reviews on TripAdvisor and you’ll see a few people claiming that it lives off it’s reputation.  That may be so, but here’s a few pointers to ensure you have a good experience.  Don’t be afraid to wait for the right table.  And you will, as it gets very busy.  The right table is not in the main room. On the right there is another smaller room with wood paneled walls.  It is quieter in here and more comfortable. Order cake.  You’ll have your drinks order taken first, the tea is good, the coffee decidedly average.  The Prosecco eminently drinkable and by far my favourite way to lubricate before and during cake time. You pay for the cake separately.  I’m not sure why but you do.  A tray is brought to you so you can choose whatever takes your fancy.  We shared an apple strudel one day and a chocolate cake the other. Both were exceptional. Please do try Tomaselli’s it really does add a richness to your trip to Salzburg.  The history to the place really compliments your walk around the old town, as you imagine the streets in an era long gone but is hinted at by the number of people dressed in traditional styles. 

Christmas markets (taken from a horse and carriage).

Having gone at Christmas, I feel I must mention the Christmas markets. I imagine in years gone by there was real variety and wonder. Today, not so much. Many of the stalls were selling remarkably similar items. Mainly tree decorations, hats and tat.  But that’s not to say you shouldn't go there because you should.  people seem to come here to meet and be merry.  Hot drinks like Gluhwein and hot white Russians give everyone a happy glow. And some of the decorations are worth buying. But there’s also the food.  There are numerous stalls selling Haunsburgers (sp)  and sausages and deep fried dough with various toppings, sweet or savory. The smells were delightful and everyone seemed happy. The Austrians really do like their food and drink and I really like their food and drink!  

A quick mention on the Mozart balls.  There are good Mozart balls and there are bad Mozart balls.  Don’t buy the cheap ones.  They’re not so nice.

Useful Links:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/austria/8829062/Salzburg-Austria-a-cultural-guide.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/budgettravel/8119927/Five-free-things-to-do-in-Salzburg.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/austria/1934311/Salzburg-Austria-The-perfect-break.html

http://www.salzburg.info/en/

http://www.visit-salzburg.net/

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Tourism-g190441-Salzburg_Austrian_Alps-Vacations.html

...Seville

Aire de Seville

As city breaks go, you can’t beat Seville. And i’ll tell you for why. It has the most perfect blend of history and architecture at every turn. Stylish people lining every road, sipping coffee or refreshing themselves with a cana.  Yes, in the middle of the summer it is hot. Very hot, but this forces you to explore the cool and shaded side streets in which you can easily get lost.  You discover the most fantastic ice cream parlours and little cafes where the old wooden stools and tables balance dangerously on the cobbled street.

And if you’re really lucky you’ll discover Aire de Sevilla. A bath house from history, with moorish decor and music which transports you into a different time. I visit the bath house every time I find myself in Seville. It’s a must do.

Where to stay:

Roof terrace at Vincci La Rabida

The last time I was in Seville, we stayed in a boutique hotel.  It was nice enough and right in the centre of town.  But my preference would be to stay at the Vincci la Rabida

The hotel just feels like Seville and the terrace bar has some amazing views of the city, especially at night when the Cathedral is lit up. Ideal for a pre going out drink.

As drinks go, if you find yourself in the vicinity, as it is just out of the historical centre, there is a bar, la Fabrica, where you can pour your own beer and the bar snacks are good too.  It’s just a novel place but the beer is really good and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.

Bodega Santa Cruz

Where to eat:

Now for the food. We got ripped off one night when we ate out in Seville.  It can happen everywhere.  Unfortunately the owner who was eating on the table by us didn’t anticipate the fact that we understood Spanish, so we heard each time the poor waiter was ordered to add things to our bill, or ensure that we were given large glasses etc so we incurred higher charges.  I forget the name of the restaurant but it was tucked away in its own little square and had a large outside space at the front where they had tables.   

So here’s the trick. When in Seville, do as the locals do and hit the tapas. Most bars have their own speciality, so it’s worth asking and trying something new. You might expect that the street by the Cathedral is rip off central, but you’d be wrong. It’s where you find many locals and the prices are fair.  We tend to bar hop.  Order a cana or two and a couple of tapas and move on. You can’t go wrong (unless you order pickled mussels which are foul). You can explore countless streets and you’ll find good tapas bars on all of them, just try and look for locals.  It’s a simple theory but it seems to work.  But my favourite tapas bar and this is endorsed by rick Stein (we found it first!), is halfway up the road from the cathedral, Calle Mateos gago, and sits on the corner of a side street. It’s called Bodega Santa Cruz Las Columnas and the this is where you find the best flamenquines but all the Tapas is good here.  Your bill is chalked up on the bar and the staff are friendly in their own shouty way.  Tips are nonchalantly tossed over shoulders and into the trophy high up on the wall.  The bar itself doesn't look like much but the atmosphere is superb and all the patrons are friendly.  If you want to experience true Andalusian spirit, come here.

Links:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destination/spain/72346/36-Hours-in...-Seville.html

http://www.spanishfoodworld.co.uk/rick-stein-tapas/

http://www.airedesevilla.com/