Spectacular Spain

I recently wrote about Portugal, the first part of the “Iberian Adventure” package of Insight Vacations.  This is the second part of that wonderful tour.

The Spanish portion of our trip was shorter than the Portuguese itinerary but equally exciting. We crossed the border of Portugal and Spain where once the stalls of moneychangers and stores were abuzz with people. We journeyed into the green slopes of Sierra de Aracena where those prized black Iberian pigs eat nothing but acorns before turning these “pata negra” pigs into jamon Iberico de bellota (acorn-fed Iberian ham).

We first stopped in what would be the highlight of the trip for me — a visit to the Eirez Iberian pig farm and factory. Here we saw the famed black pigs being fed by the farmers. Apparently, these pigs were familiar with the farmer’s voice when he called them and got this giant stick to hit the acorn trees. The acorns fell to the ground and the pigs ate them. The farmer did this for several hours until the pigs were satisfied. We then had to wear our CSI-looking outfits to enter the factory that makes the jamon, chorizo, salchichón, lomito  and other delicacies from all parts of the black pig. We also learned about the process of salting, cellaring and, of course, slicing and savoring wafer-thin slices of this delicacy! I ended up buying more to eat during my duration in Spain. 

We then drove to Seville.  It had been 15 years since I last saw the beauty of Seville. The streets were lined with hundreds of orange trees as our local expert guided us through the narrow lanes of the Santa Cruz Quarter, dotted with small shops and restaurants. Here we shopped for souvenirs and saw that famous balcony from The Barber of Seville and the house of Spanish painter Murillo. We even stopped by for churros y porras con chocolate with the best purportedly coming from Seville.  Trekking further, we reached the walls of the Alcazar and in front is the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See, also known as the Seville Cathedral. This 15th-century Gothic cathedral, which was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, is the largest cathedral in the world and the third largest church in the world. A group photo was held here.

After a full day of enjoying the sights of Seville, Insight Vacations introduced another one of its innovations — the dine-around experience.  We were divided into smaller groups so that we could choose who we wanted to dine with at the restaurant of our choice (from a list Insight Vacations provided). Of course Insight footed the bill for this unique experience, which allowed its clients more free time with those they wanted to spend time with. I had a wonderful time with my group that feasted on Spanish delicacies like boquerones (white anchovies), oysters, calamares a la plancha (grilled squid) and of course, jamon Iberico! All groups met up after dinner and we decided to go out and paint the town red…well, not too red as we still had the next day as our remaining time to explore Spain.

After our hearty breakfast, we followed the valley of Guadalquivir to Córdoba. We first went to the mosque-cathedral of Córdoba (mezquita-catedral de Córdoba), also known for its ecclesiastical name — the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. It is the Catholic-Christian cathedral of the Diocese of Córdoba dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It originally was a Catholic-Christian church later converted to an Islamic mosque during the Middle Ages. After the Reconquista, it was made a Roman Catholic Church. We spent hours in this 8th-century structure as we marveled at the beauty of both the mosque and the church. Painters were fun to watch as they did their best to recreate parts of the mezquita. There was time to stroll the streets of the Jewish Quarter and cross the Roman Bridge before heading back to Seville on Insight Vacations’ First Class coach equipped with Wi-Fi and the all-important toilet!

It was our last night for the tour and emotions were high as we were all going to miss each other. For our group’s last night in Seville, Insight arranged a magical evening, touring us around the city on a horse-and-carriage ride. I had no words to describe the beauty of the fading rays of the sun as we rode this through Plaza de España. A flamenco show followed before our final dinner in a famous place known for tapas, El Rinconcillo.  After all this, there was no doubt in my mind that Seville was spectacular!

I flew to Paris the next day for a few days before heading home. On the day of the flight, I got a call from Etihad Airways saying there was a sandstorm in Abu Dhabi and planes couldn’t fly out. I had to stay in Paris (no complaining here!) for another day. I was impressed that Etihad took time out to let me know, and told me to extend my stay in the hotel, which they paid for. It also rearranged my transportation to the airport. I got to Abu Dhabi feeling tired as my flight was rescheduled in the morning but thankful that Etihad took care of me in ways other airlines would not. I slumped in its very comfortable lounge before flying back to Manila.

The whole Insight Vacations Iberian Adventure was indeed one of the best I have ever been to. I would gladly do it over and over again!

Call Rajah Travel if you’d like to experience the Iberian Adventure. Rajah Travel also arranges tours for Spain or Portugal alone.

(Rajah Travel Corp. is the general sales agent of Insight Vacations and other tour packages. For more information, call 523-8801 for its Manila office and 894-0886 for its Makati office. E-mail [email protected] or [email protected]. Visit www.rajahtravel.com or www.insightvacations.com.)

ABOUT ETIHAD. Etihad Airways was named the world’s leading airlines for the third year in a row at the World Travel Awards. It flies twice daily for a total of 14 flights weekly to Abu Dhabi. With its new partnership with Air Berlin, it will open new destinations within Europe and the rest of the world. From its hub at the Abu Dhabi International Airport, it serves 72 cities in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and North America, with a fleet of 61 Airbus and Boeing aircraft. It has more than 100 aircraft on order including 10 Airbus A380s. Etihad Airways is the official partner airline of Rajah Travel for Insight vacations. The airline office is located at 22nd floor, Tower 1, Enterprise Center, Ayala Avenue, Makati City. Visit www.etihadairways.com.

Photos by Pepper Teehankee on a Canon PowerShot S100 (Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)