Santiago de Compostela

The city of Santiago de Compostela has long been popular with pilgrims coming to see the grave of St James the apostle and for hundreds of years people have been walking the Camino de Santiago trail to get here.

Santiago is considered one of the most beautiful Cities in the world and its medieval streets lend a really warm charm to it. The Cathedral is absolutely stunning and walking around it is a real joy. The historic centre of the City is quite compact with most of the attractions, restaurants and places to stay within its heart and easy to navigate.

The Catedral del Apostel which is at the end of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail, is wonderfully beautiful and you could spend hours in there just taking in the atmosphere and architectural beauty, I took a whole day and felt it was a day well spent. Out of all of the Christian shrines, Churches and Cathedrals I have been to it is to me the most indulgent and splendid I have seen.

Over the years, millions of pilgrims have walked through the halls and prayed and as you walk through the Cathedral, you can almost imagine them through the ages doing the exact same thing that you are doing in the 21^st century.

Next door to the Cathedral is the Museo da Catedral, which is beautiful and worth a look in its own right and with all the exhibits and art on display is worth another day itself. In fact with all of the other attractions around the Cathedral you could spend three days easily walking around and soaking in the religious atmosphere.

Though it maybe hard to perceive there is more to Santiago de Compostela then the Cathedral and its peripheral buildings. There are some other museums well worth a visit like the Museo do Pobo Galego which has different exhibits on life in Galicia over the years. The Centro Galego de Arte Contemporanea has a great collection of modern art and can take a few hours to enjoy. One of the best ways to spend a few hours is just wandering through the narrow backstreets to discover the various shops, stalls, Churches and bars that sit hidden behind them.

Like San Sebastian (Donostia), Santiago has a variety of good eateries which can cater for most tastes. The best restaurants to find are the small local eateries which are hidden in the back alleys and which sell fresh Galician seafood. Absolutely exquisite! Recommended (but not to those with iffy stomachs) is the local Octopus and Lobster, which when done the traditional way is better than almost anything else that you will find on offer.

There is a huge choice of accommodation in Santiago de Compostela, with small hostels and guesthouses all the way up to the 5* deluxe hotels. Word of warning though as this is a major pilgrimage site rooms can be hard to come across in the dead heat of summer. It is always best to book ahead, but in the summer it is a necessity! Some of the little Casas in the medieval part of town are particularly lovely and can be as little as €30 per night.

Cordoba

Andalucia is probably the liveliest and most party hard region of Spain. It covers the entire south of the country and most visitors to the area come to lie on the golden sand beaches of the Mediterranean, meanwhile other places are left alone. Cordoba is one of these places and it is a real shame indeed; with its Islamic past, beautiful buildings and relaxing ambiance it is a charming place to take a vacation.

Cordoba was the capital of a Roman province back in the 2^nd Century, but it is its history as the capital of the Islamic Al-Andalus that really draws the visitors. The city’s Mosque, the Mezquita is a stunning building and many scholars believe it to be one of the most spectacular Islamic structures in the world. You will find it hard to disagree, though with the many alterations by Christians after the fall of the Muslim Moors it can be hard to picture what it must have been like in its heyday.

The Mezquita is a wonderful monument to Islamic building and although it has been altered over the years it still is quite intimidating, but in a good way. Parts of the centre were ripped out hundreds of years ago to make way for a Christian Cathedral and although this is in itself quite pretty, you just get the feel it is out of place and was just put there to mark the Churches territory.

You could spend days just walking around the arches and columns, it really is quite a warming place to be in too. Far too many Christian monuments seem to be quite hollow and a little to serious, while here it feels a lot more welcoming and relaxed. It really is quite unique in a country famous for its devout Catholicism.

Next to the Mezquita is the Jewish quarter, which comprises of some lovely old and narrow streets with white washed buildings and flowers blooming out of everywhere. It is in this district that some interesting sights sit. The fantastic Casa Andalusi is a museum that has exhibits showing off the Muslim culture of medieval Al-Andalus and is a real joy to walk around.

Another Museum in the Jewish quarter is the Museo Taurino which documents the history of some of Cordoba’s most famous Bull fighters. The Synagogue is another beautiful monument to religion, built in the 14^th Century and sitting amongst some lovely craft shops, it is one of the last remaining Synagogues from the Middle Ages in Spain.

There are many other places to see amongst the town and like a lot of Spanish Towns and Cities a highlight is just walking around the streets looking for bars and cafes. The Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos was built as a castle for the Christian monarchs after the defeat of the Islamic Moors and it was from here that the terrifying Inquisition was based. Walking around south of the Mezquita you will come across the restored Roman Bridge, the pretty little Islamic water wheel and the 14^th Century tower of Torre de la Calahorra. The Plaza del Potro is another pretty place to take a walk and was a meeting point for hundreds of years for traders and explorers; it also has a few decent art centres and is close to a partly restored Roman Temple.

There are some fine restaurants in Cordoba which have some great regional dishes like Salmorejo, a thick Tomato Gazpacho with grated egg and Rabo de Toro, an Oxtail soup. There are quite a few restaurants which overlook the Mezquita; unfortunately these are either really expensive or not very good at all. But hey treat yourselves!

Accommodation in Cordoba is plentiful and a lot of the options available are in the traditional style with balconies and patios galore. During the main festivals of summer it can get busy and pre-booking will be needed, though in the height of summer some Hotels lower their prices as the heat puts many tourists off visiting Cordoba. We here at Travel Llama recommend staying at some of the small guesthouses around the Mezquita and these can be as low as €25 per night. A great bargain!

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