- a pickled combo (Basque chili pepper, green olive, anchovy and octopus)
- Wasabi chips with salmon dices and mango vinegar
- red endive with mussels, bacon and mustard, and
- teriyaki crunchy bean candy
- brioche toast with guacamole, sardine, wakame and soy & yuzu pearls
- pastry bags filled with pear and gorgonzola, cheese cream and parmesan slices, and
- pan with artichokes fried with Iberian pork jowls, poached egg and foie, truffles and mushroom sauce
- sheet of bread with baked turbot, baked apple cream, caramelized onion, pea shoots and samphire
- beef and mushroom 'brownie' with sweet potato cream, sweet potato chips, a Padron pepper, currant and chive sprouts
- cheesecake with Torrija ice cream, red fruit coulis, raspberry and mint leaf.
- although the servings were (very) small we were stuffed by the end
- our favourites were the pastry bags (aka pasta) in cream cheese and the cheesecake dessert
- the cooking of the poached egg was very unique and interesting
- there were a number of unique touches e.g. samphire; yuzu pearls, pea shoots etc.
- in spite of our frustration with our lack of Spanish smiles go a long way
- all the guests seemed engaged and enjoying themselves
- it was a unique and fun experience
osé
cooking the pastry bags Gayle in her Spanish dress.José
.- the historic center of Cordoba,
- the Caliphal City of Medina Azahara,
- the Festival of the Cordoba Patios, and
- the Mosque-Catedral of Cordoba, including the historic centre that surrounds it.
The weather was better today - the dust had for the most part cleared with bluer skies and warm enough temperatures that we were able to enjoy breakfast outside. After eating and packing we chatted with Nick, said goodbye to Simon and took a number of final photos. And then we were on our way for the 210 km drive to Cordoba, our next stop.
For the most part we drove the highway until 30 km or so south of Cordoba when we took a rural road to the east along which the ditches were full of wildflowers. It was hard not to stop around nearly every turn as the colours were so vibrant. No doubt too many photos below but only a small portion of the number we took.
We arrived in Cordoba, a city of 325,000 with more UNESCO world heritage sites than any other city in the world. After finding the parkade and experiencing a scare when Gayle could not find her phone (on the third trip back to the parked car we finally found it wedged between the seat and the side of the car) we eventually (after going one street too far and having to circle back) found Hotel Madinat, a beautifully renovated hotel in the heart of the old medina of Cordoba.
Our room, Ras Lain, takes its name from an Arabic toponym whose literal translation is 'head of the fountain', the name of a remote Moroccan town with which the Hotel Madinat feels twinned. The room maintains the original hydraulic floor from the 19th century.
For my birthday dinner I wanted traditional Spanish paella. We asked the hotel to suggest / book a restaurant where paella was available. They did a great job, booking us in to nearby (< a 2 minute walk) MacSura. We were very pleased with the ambiance of the restaurant, the level of service, the quality of food and the very enjoyable Spanish guitar / flamenco music being played.
We started with a traditional Cordoba 'soup' - Salmorejo cordobes accompanado de jamon Iberico huevito duro y aciete de oliva (cold cream soup garnished with hard boiled egg, cured ham and oil) - a thick cold soup of mashed bread, tomatoes, olive oil, and garlic. The starter was followed by paella - de verduras / vegetable for Gayle and marisco / seafood for Norm. Our meal was accompanied by a nice Albarino wine - Adega Pazos de Lusco. Everything about the meal was perfect - 10 out of 10 - a great end to a wonderful day.
The front of El Amparo (where we enjoyed dinner the first night).
Just past Montilla we took a country road, along which there was a wealth of wildflowers, especially poppies, east to Santa Cruz. From there it was north to Cordoba where we found the recommended parking garage.
Not every wildflower here is a poppy - Chrysanthemum indicum and daisies all being captured by Gayle.
MacSura turned out to be an excellent choice for a special meal.
- the Bunuelo de puerro a la sarten con crema fresca, or Leek fritter with cream was light and tasty but not quite as wonderful as yesterday's avocado roll
- the starter Esparrago tradicional con tirabeques y habas - traditional asparagus with snow peas and broad beans was an excellent combination of vegetables
- Gayle had a stuffed aubergine / eggplant - very attractively presented but again not creamy risotto
- Norm, not being a fan of sea bass, tonight's dish, asked if there was an alternative and was served delicious Iberian pork with cherry tomatoes and potatoes - an excellent main course (albeit a bit salty)
- finally dessert was a Bizchochito de zanahoria y especias morunas, crema de brownie y helado (Moorishly spiced carrot cake with brownie cream and caramel ice cream)
- an appetizer of Canutillo de aquacate (avocado roll) - 10 out of 10,
- the starter of Champinones cremosos alajillo romeo, vino de Jerez y espinacas (creamy mushrooms with rosemary, garlic, sherry and spinach) - another winner.
- then the main courses - risotto with spring vegetables including leeks for Gayle and Albondigas caseras de ternera con salsa jardinere y verduritas al vapor (homemade beef meat balls with garden vegetable sauce and steamed vegetables) - both also excellent, and finally
- the meal ended with a Tarta fina de almendras y helado de yoghurt artesano (fine almond cake with artisan yoghurt ice cream) - light and delicious.
A long day / two to get here to Spain - not that we're complaining.
The Cortijo del Marques is set in the countryside more or less 30 km north of Granada and its famous Alhambra. It's history has been traced back 500 years through the Roman columns in one of the hotel rooms. After the conquest of Granada in 1492 the remaining Moors were forced to hand over two thirds of their property to their Catholic victors. In 1532 such a transfer was made of a large agricultural property at the base of the Pozuelo mountains to the Marquis (Marqués in Spanish) of Mondéjar - henceforth becoming known as the Cortijo del Marqués.
The full name of the Marqués was Luis Hurtado de Mondoza, captain of the general of the kingdom of Granada and alcaide of the Alhambra. Luis was an early supporter of Charles V with whom he became a close friend. His closeness to the Emperor earned him high profile jobs such as overseeing the construction of the renaissance Cathedral of Granada as well as the Palace of Charles V in the Alhambra.
In the early 19th century the Cortijo del Marques passed to a local family, continuing its role as an outsized agricultural property. In 1878 the sizeable chapel and the tower of the Cortijo were built resulting in the property coming to look more like a small village than a farmhouse. The chapel received its full church rights by means of a papal bull dated 1880 with the seal of Pope Leon XIII.
During the Spanish civil war the Cortijo served as barracks for the Republican forces, with the chapel being damaged when hit by a Nationalist artillery round.
Toward the end of the 20th century the property was abandoned and quickly deteriorated. Despite its glorious past nobody but the locals were aware of its existence until it was carefully restored at the beginning of the 21st century. Restoration work and adaptation to its use as a small country hotel were carried out. Many original features have been maintained and for this reason the property still has the air of a historical Andalusian manor house.
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We chose the Iglesia room, or more accurately a small apartment of 80 sq m. A bedroom, large living space and a huge bathroom with a beautiful claw-foot tub (along with a shower).
- 3 nights at Cortijo Del Marques north of Granada, where we have stayed twice before, then
- 3 nights at El Ampero, near Santa Cruz del Comercia followed by
- 3 nights at Hotel Madinat, in the city of Cordoba, after which we continue north for
- 2 nights at Hotel Rural las Tejuelas near the village of Valdecaballeros before finishing with
- 3 nights at Entre Dos Aquas in the city of Toledo