Book Review - One Year in the World (Andalucía chapter)

So I decided to take the travel book plunge. Fair enough.

The most preparation I have done for any trip was to read travel guides, not travel books. I still have to figure out if a travel book such as One Year in the World by Frances Mayes is targeting people who are about to travel abroad, people who have visited some of the places depicted in the book, or just people who enjoy this type of literature?

I definitely fall in the second category, as I was drawn to this book by the first chapter, on Andalucía. Since during my recent trip to Spain I spent quite a few days in this region, it only seemed fair to start reading it.

Here's the author's itinerary in beautiful Andalucía:
Seville
Italica (first Roman town to be settled in Spain)
Carmona
Ronda
Marbella and Puerto Banus
Antequera – Archidona
Granada (town of Frederico García Lorca and famed Alhambra)
Ubeda
Baeza
Córdoba

After reading this chapter, I wish I had planned my trip more thoroughly. However, Spain is so rich in history, that a 10-day trip is not enough to cover everything. One must focus, pick a theme. I find myself drawn more to the Roman and Moorish heritage of Spain - which means Andalucía and Extremadura would probably be worth exploring in detail. More on how to plan a trip to Spain>>>


I found the chapter extremely informative, and I certainly admire the author's attempt to catch the essence of Andalucía, no matter how hard it is to capture the soul of this region in writing. It made me instantaneously desire to revisit Spain. The second time around I will probably make time to visit the towns of Ronda, Italica, and Granada. The book convinced me.

So you've never been to Spain...

...where do you start?

Spain is overwhelmingly rich in historic sites, having preserved quite well buildings/ruins/sites going as far back as the Romans and even before them.

Having said that, you will find everywhere a good mix of well maintained Roman, Jewish, Moorish, and Christian sites. It is purely amazing and you will need probably years to visit everything Spain has got to offer.

A good way to go about this is to divide and conquer - focus on the big cities, for example - Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, etc. Or take the Roman's Route for example. Or go for the Way of Saint James - which is a good way to revisit famed Christian sites and pilgrimage attractions. Visit the birth place of conquistadores in Trujillo. Or the castles spread all around the country.

It also depends on how much time you have. If you have less than a week and you have never been to Spain, focus on the big cities, and travel by fast train. If you have 10-14 days, it is worth picking a theme and renting a car to see everything at your own pace (see below my suggestions).

A good way to start is by reading the guides offered by http://www.frommers.com, http://www.lonelyplanet.com, etc. They are usually rather good at giving you a snapshot of everything Spain has to offer, although the amount of information can be a bit overwhelming.

Also try http://www.spain.info - the official Spain tourism website.

For prepackaged suggestions, go to the Spain page and look for the following themed-packages (they all get you to drive, which I think it's a better option if you have the luxury of time):

Northern Spain and the Green Coast;
Magic Triangle
The Way of Saint James;
Dreamy Andalucia;

Or for quick train packages - try any of the following combinations: Madrid - Seville - Cordoba - Granada - Barcelona, etc.


My personal experience: a 10 day trip including Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Merida, Trujillo, Caceres, Salamanca, Medina del Campo, Coca, Segovia, La Granja de San Ildefonso, Avila, and Toledo - which included a good mix of Roman, Moorish, Jewish, and Christian heritage. We also visited many castles and many past and present cultural centers (such as Salamanca). Trujillo was certainly impressive and we took the obligatory shot with Pizzaro.