Hotel Alcazar de la Reina is located in Carmona, Spain. This sprawling facility abounds in common areas which make it a strong candidate for wedding parties, reunions, or family outings. From the moment you enter the lobby you’ll notice the open spaces as you can see here.
The interior areas are separated from the exterior ones by columns and glass walls, which accentuates the largeness. There is a patio, seen here:
And a large swimming pool only a few steps away.
Both of these were transformed for weddings while we were there. Lots of work but also spectacular results. You’ll find the rooms comfortable with the usual fittings as you would expect in a place at this price point.
I appreciated the desk and fridge because I needed to do some work on the netbook and prefer my Coca-Cola ice-cold.
Another plus for Alcazar de la Reina is the underground parking garage. Be warned, only a smaller car will fit in the spaces, but that’s typically what you’ll be driving. There is also outdoor parking directly across the street from the main entrance. Service here is a bit formal from what I’m used to, but very consistent with this type of establishment. And let’s not forget the onsite restaurant and Irish pub. More on that in another post.
Alcazar de la Reina
Medieval Methods, Construction
This photo essay takes a look at some medieval construction methods that I noted in Spain. These methods are still used in various places, at least in terms of post and beam methodology. For example, take a look at the first photo here.
You see the timbers running horizontally and vertically, forming a framework which is then filled in with brick and/or plaster. I would guess that initially it was more like woven areas of lighter wood plastered inside and out. The brick is much heavier, although so long as it starts from the bottom up, can be as solid as anything else, as seen in the next photo of a building on the corner.
Actually, what remains of the building. In this part of town, people were busy restoring these buildings. I suspect some might not make it as they looked rather unsturdy. One fellow went the distance as you can see here.
Turned out a rather nice place to stay, didn’t he?
There’s more to sightseeing than museums and monuments. Things like those shown above are a sort of living history. The marks on those timbers were left by craftsmen hundreds of years ago. Best of all you can get up close to gain a better understanding of how things were and might be again. Furthermore, if you get there at the right time, you might be able to speak with people who still know how to do things that way. First hand knowledge is always the most reliable. Fascinating, too.
Usual Fare, Usually Good
From the start of this post, let me ask for forgiveness from my Spanish speaking friends. I don’t remember the correct terminology for the food I enjoyed in Spain. Thus, I’ll use English words and let the pictures show the dishes.
In general, I found the usual fare to be usually good. That is to say regular meals, nothing fancy or expensive, were generally tasty and well presented. For example, at the Molino de Santillan, where we stayed for a night, we ordered supper from the menu of the day. For appetizers we started with a field green salad as seen in the next photo.
Note the vivid freshness of the contents above. The other appetizer is a pair of fried eggs with fried bread crumbs. This was unusual for me as I normally eat eggs for breakfast. The flavor couldn’t be beat because they used sausage or something mixed in with the breadcrumbs for extra flavor. Take a look.
Those grapes were a nice touch, too, adding a bit of sweetness to the plate. For the main course we both ordered the pork medallions with potatoes. As I said, a regular dish which is shown below.
Let me say that it was filling and fortifying, two things you need when your days are filled with activity. But it doesn’t end there. Molino de Santillan offered a breakfast spread that I found in most of the small hotels where I stayed. There’s meats and cheeses, coffee and juice, fruit and cereal. Take a look.
All in all, this is what you can expect when gallivanting about Spain, staying in small hotels, and eating accordingly. Don’t miss any meals!
Hotel Cortijo La Alberca
Hotel Rural Cortijo La Alberca is located in NÃjar, Spain. I describe it as handsomely comfortable because this place abounds in details. It is very well thought out in terms of the interior design of the rooms and other features on the grounds including the patios and swimming pool. My stay here was in April, so it was not warm enough to use the pool, but the water feature made the place that much more appealing. The location is at the very edge of town, deep in a gorge in the mountains as you can see in this photo.
That gives you a perspective on where you are as in how close to nature. Moving along, you’ll note the swimming pool next.
One of many, the iron lamp casts subtle light in the evening. The water feature continues from the pool in a narrow trough that carries the flow down past the rooms providing a touch of white noise that is very pleasant.
The rooms are grouped in a couple of buildings with patios that front the doors. Here’s the one where I stayed.
Great place for a gathering with friends, maybe a glass of wine with your significant other, or just yourself and a book. Inside you’ll find a comfortable bed when its time to finally get to sleep.
Of course you prefer a bathroom with class and this one fits the bill with the custom walk-in shower, ceramic tile counter, and lovely handmade sink.
That photo gives a good impression of the details I mentioned at the outset of this post. When choosing a hotel in Spain, or elsewhere, I always search for those with a personal touch as opposed to the corporate low-bidder design specials. Back to La Alberca. If you had a corporate outing or were traveling with a group, you’ll find the rooms close yet separate as they are in a couple different buildings, which gives everyone a chance to be together yet escape for a bit of privacy. The next photo shows one of the buildings.
Finally, you don’t have to worry about losing the key.
That hunk of wrought iron is about 8 inches long and weighs a pound. Like I said, this place has a unique character with plenty of handsome details.
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