THE TRIP TO GRANADA

Sitting here at my computer in Crested Butte surrounded by these beautiful mountains with the snow coming down in big flakes I am reminded of Spain's different type of beauty.

Having heard for a week about the beauty of Granada, the home of one of our guides, I was anxious to see for myself. The bus trip that day was a sampling of what was to come.

We passed castles on hilltops,

Various types of orchards,

With mountains in the background,

And trees still in leaf by the roadside.

AFTERNOON OF OUR OIL DAY

Back on our bikes, we continued along the bike path to our lunch spot-Agroturismo Ecologico el Cortijillo.

It was beautiful on the inside where we were served a delicious buffet lunch,

and on the outside where we ate it.

After lunch, while we rode in the sag wagon, some biked up the long. long, steep hill to the white village of Zuheros, considered to be one of the most picturesque villages in Cordova.

There from the little square you can view the castle, built on a huge rock by the Arabs in the 9th Century.

Orginally names SUJAYRA, from which the town gets its name, it was reconquered by Fernendo III and underwent Renaissance remodeling in the 15th Century.

Back at our hotel that night there was time for relaxing,

and appreciating the beautiful tile work on the columns in the lounge before dinner.

Our group in the morning before the trip to Granada.

OUR OIL DAY AT MINERVA

We left our hotel in the morning to find our way back to the old Cabra Rail Station on the rails to trails to begin our bike ride.

We re-entered the trail at the station and enjoyed our ride along the path, under a tunnel to this entrance to the Hacienda Minerva.

Passing through the entrance to the Hacienda -

we met many of our biking companions who arrived there before us.

We were treated to a very informative lecture of the olive making process and how it was transported into the building for bottling.

Then we were given a tour of the old and very lovingly restored Hacienda with its swimming pool, views and nice rooms ready for visitors on this year's tour.

But the highlight of the morning was the olive tasting served on the upper deck of the Hacienda with the beautiful view of the olive orchard in the background.

Served with bread for dipping, we tasted the different types of oil use for different purposes in Spain,

And were able to see the variations in color of the different oils.

The olive trees made a lovely backdrop, and we were able to see the variety of olives growing on a single tree.

SPAIN - RUTA DEL WINO

Back on our bikes the next day we are taken by shuttle to begin our ride along the wine route from Aguilar de la Frontera to Morile, passing by typical lagares and bodegas selling local wines and goat cheese.

At lunch time we stopped at the most beautiful bodega in the area (where wine is aged not produced), Bodega Aragon Y Cia.

The large building was filled with barrels of wine stacked one upon another, in different stages of aging.

After lunch we are given a lesson on the process and are able to taste a variety of wines right from the barrel.

In the afternoon we rode the easy "rails to trails" path throught the beautiful countryside-

stopping occasionally to enjoy the scenery-

and frightening the local goats.

A group of us stopped by a sign in Cabra, near our hotel, to prove that we were in Spain.

Our hotel for the next two nights was the Fuente Las Piedras, a lovely modern complex.

It was a bit cool for the pool, but it was nice to look at.

The interion, while modern, still had lovely ornate ironwork and marble columns.

Before dinner we were treated to a cooking lesson by the chef, and several of our bikers participated in making this excellent Paella.

SPAIN-CORDOBA & THE ALCAZAR

From the shopping streets near the Mezquita you can still see its dome.

And the occasional chapel built on the outside of a building.

Nearby is another treasure, the Alcazar, or fortress built by the Christians in 1328.

The Alcazar is a popular spot for wedding with its many pools and groves of orange trees.

Climbing the steps of the tower,

leads to a walkway atop the fortress wall,

and a view of the continuing excavation.

Cordoba was originally built by the Romans as a port to transport Spanish wine and olive oil back to Rome. They built a great bridge across the river which is still a tourist attraction.

After a nice lunch, we concluded our tour with a long walk back to our hotel.

There we discovered a view of old Roman ruins beneath the glass floor of the dining room.

SPAIN-CORDOBA, JEWISH SECTION & MEZQUITA CATHEDRAL

In the old Jewish section of Cordoba one would find synagogues transformed into churches.

The old streets were narrow and winding, lined with shops and restaurants in places.

Rounding a corner one might encounter a lovely patio and home such as this one.

The last remaining Synagogue was built in a former Mosque and retains a lot of the old plaster decorations.

The Mezquita which was built on the site of a Roman temple, was started in 784 AD and took 200 years to build. It became the 2nd largest mosque in the world.

The Mezquita de Cordoba is most notable for its giant arches and its forest of over 856 (of an original 1,293) columns of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite. These were taken from the Roman temple which had previously occupied the site and other destroyed Roman buildings.

The ceiling is a maze of intricate angles where the arches are joined.

The entrance to the "mihrab" (Islamic prayer room) is adorned with Byzantine mosaics and bordered by Koran inscriptions done in gold.

In 1236, Cordoba was captured from the Moors by King Ferdinand III of Castile and rejoined Christendom.

King Alfonso X oversaw the construction of the Villaviciosa Chapel and the Royal Chapel within the structure of the mosque. The kings who followed added further Christian features.