Come travel with us on a wonderful trip through the region of Andalusea in southern Spain. You’ll find Zurich Mike’s complete travel itinerary below the fold.  The music accompanying Mike’s photos is called “Fantasia para un Gentilhombre” ( Fantasia for a Gentleman), by Joaquín Rodrigo,  and played by Andres Segovia.  I couldn’t think of a more appropriate theme for ZM.

Mike’s travel itinerary:

• VALENCIA – Located on the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, Valencia is Spain’s third largest city.
• LORCA – Home to Lorca Castle. In the Middle Ages Lorca was the frontier town between Christian and Muslim Spain.
• CARMONA -Built on a ridge overlooking the central plain of Andalusia, Carmona was made impregnable during the long occupation by the Moors, who erected walls around it, and built fountains and palaces within.
• CÓRDOBA – Home to the Mezquita-Cathedral. A Christian basilica (around AD 600), then a mosque (mezquita) under the Moors (8th-13th centuries), then a cathedral after the Reconquista.
• SEVILLA – Site of the Alcázar (Moorish palace), The Giralda and Cathedral of St. Mary in Seville, and the Metropol Parasol.
• RONDA – “El Tajo” gorge and Ronda New Bridge. The old town quarter called La Ciudad – famous haunt of Ernest Hemingway, Orson Wells, and Rainer Marie Rilke. And, the Festival of Ronda, near the area where Hemingway became a fan of bullfighting. and the Moorish baths.
• GRANADA – The Alhambra, the complete form of which was Calat Alhambra, is the Nasrid palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain.
• GIBRALTAR (UK) – Rock of Gibraltar, and the Barbary Apes.

Don’t forget to take all your travel gear to make the travel worth it, from the baggage, the right outfits, the camping gear and the survival cooking kit in case you’re planning staying days.