ultima viaje

Hi there Madridman. As you can see, I finally remembered my password.

Anyway--it's been a half dozen years since my last trip to Spain (Hmm. I sound like a guy confessing at an AA meeting. Oh well, Spain is addictive.)

I was happy to visit Spain first in 1956, with lots of trips in between. Seen most of the sights more than once. Now, in my declining years I find I would like to make a final visit to Spain, where I would probably be content to find a city ot town where I can eat cordero asado, drink lots of fino, and sit all night and listen to some fine guitar music--and maybe watch some good flamenco dancing. A chance to see a good bullfight would be a plus--alhtough as I recall that is always chancey.

I don't trust my own memories of where to go because the world changes so quickly and I'm sure I'm out of date. Old places fade, new ones evolve. If you had one city in Spain to visit where one might find the best of these things, and where the air is clean and fresh (probably rules out Madrid) for maybe a week or so, which town or city might it be?
Cantabene

Hi cantabene! Glad to hear you remembered your password. Note: you can have your password/username emailed to you through a link on the LOGIN page that says, "Forgot Password?".

I don't think I'm the best person to answer your question, I'm afraid. I do "specialize" in Madrid and, you're right, you won't likely fill your bill in this city although you could do MANY of these things you list in Madrid and the airs not THAT UNclean.

I've only been to Sevilla once and not sure of the air quality there either. I can really only guess at an answer so many the recommendations of others would be best.

I'd have to GUESS Triana, the town/village/neighborhood across the Río Guadalquivir from Sevilla. I'm not sure why I think this but it's an impression that it's a little less touristy than Sevilla itself.

I've also only been to ONE flamenco show and that was in Madrid. So if Flamenco is an integral part of your equation, the city you seek would likely be somewhere in Andalucía.

Sevilla also has one of the most beautiful bullrings which showcases world-famous bullfights too. GREAT food can be found in Sevilla (and throughout Spain).

Good luck! Let's open your question to other who may know Andalucía and other non-Madrid cities better than me.

Saludos, MadridMan

Thanks Madridmen, for your comments. I'm pleased to learn that the air in Madrid is cleaner than when I was there last, about 6 years ago. It was during rainy November, traditionally the month when Madrid air is usually both visible and almost tangible, thanks to the various exhaust fumes.

Seville sounds good. I've been there a few times in past years for brief periods. Perhaps now is the time to hunker down and really soak it in.

I recall having the best fino of my life there. A Spanish friend took me into a bar in the Calle Sierpes. Huge barrels lined the wall. My friend ordered finos and the barman reached way up on top of one of those barrels to recover a dust-covered bottle. The glorious liquid he poured from it remains one of the most memorable gustatory experiences of my life. The bouquet of that magical stuff lingered long after we departed the place.

Perhaps I can find that bar and a similar bottle again.
Cantabene

cantabene writes: I am a septuagenarian although I don't refer to these as "my declining years." So I cut back and just made 1-trip to Spain this year (July '02). Let me know when you find the place that meets all those prerequisites. Maybe it is el Cielo as in de Madrid al Cielo. I would be satisfied with everything but the bullfight; so I might suggest Bilbao - primarily for its cuisine and excellent wines. But Bilbao sits in a 'bowl,' in the valley of the rio Nervion and cold, polluted air tends to settle in the bottom of the bowl and stay there.

So you may have to do some travelling around Spain to find all those features, one or two at a time.
BTW
It's último viaje (not última).

Hola Cantebene,
If you are interested in Sevilla you might want to visit a wonderful site developed by Saraphina Mosey . She has wonderful photographs and is a good writer. Her site will take you all over Sevilla and other nearby towns.

thanks for sharing!!!!

Cantabene: We're glad you remembered your password, too. You may be interested to know that there have been some changes in Spain since 1956:

-Franco is no longer the dictator. In what many consider a shrewd political move, he abdicated his dictatorship and now lives in Marbella with Jim Morrison and Elvis.

-You can get a Snickers bar in places other than the PX at Alcalá or Rota.

-La Sagrada Familia is now complete. Oops...that will never happen.

Some things are still the same:

-País Vasco is still the best place to visit, followed in close second by Galicia and then Asturias to show. Giddyup!

Eddie: Bilbao is a possiblity--but Sevilla looks good too. Perhaps split weeks. I realized after posting that ultima should have been ultimo. But I have never been quite clear on all the gender aspects of the Spanish language. Perhaps that is why I get so many smiles when I attempt to speak Spanish with Spaniards. I think it notable that my error was brought to my attention by a fellow American (I presume.) I cannot recall my poor Spanish ever having been corrected by the always linguistically tolerant Spaniards.

Booklady: A most interesting site--deserving more study. Thank you.

Calibasco: I hope I did not leave the impression that my only trip to Spain was in 1956. I returned often through the years. I was resident in Madrid when Franco was buried, so was surprised to learn he had been resurrected and now resides in Marbella. Perhaps he will come to Baltimore and help to police it. This city of 650,000 is well on the way to its annual crop of about 300 murders.

I have to confess that I liked Spain best under Franco--for purely selfish reasons. The absurdly low prices (e.g. taxis started at 3.5 pesetas, about a dime American then). But most of all I enjoyed the personal safety when walking in the streets at any hour. I understand that the security restrictions were tough on the locals, but for an American it was a strange and wonderful sensation to be able to walk down an urban street at any hour without fear of being mugged.

Perhaps my quest for clean air goes back to memories of Madrid in those days. There were few cars in the city then. More people walked in the Gran Via at midnight than at 12:00 noon. The water had no taste of chlorine and the air was sweet--making al fresco dining and drinking a particular delight.

I'm gratified that Spain is so much more prosperous now. I realize that those low prices of the 50s came off the backs of pitifully underpaid workers. But I fear a price has been paid with the loss of some things like the clean air and water and the increase in street crime.

But I babble on. I'm sure this stuff is of little interest to anyone but me.

Thanks all, for your suggestions.
Cantabene

You know Cantebene, you have resurrected a memory that I had almost forgoten. You mentioned the freshness of the water. This reminded me of my visit to Granada in 1974, my mom and I had walked all over and we were very thirsty, we asked a local where we could get water and he pointed us to a running faucet that was on a wall and said this was the best water in the world, fresh from the mountains. We drank it, and to this day, I can still taste the freshness of the water. It was so pure that it was sweet.

STOP IT...You guys are KILLING ME!!! :p I can see myself lapping up that water like a puppy dog!!!!

Booklady:
Your comments reinforce my too-late observations that the best things in life really are free--or like water and bread--almost free. Franco had imposed a price ceiling on bread. One could always buy a wonderful, freshy baked "pistola" for the daily midday meal.
As I recall, it cost 15 pesetas.

The baker invariably made up for the low bread price by charging higher prices for almost everything else in his shop, like cakes and other sweets. That wonderful crispy bread, baked every day and which I have never seen replicated in the USA, remains a vivid gustatory memory of my own.
Cantabene

"-La Sagrada Familia is now complete. Oops...that will never happen."

You´re absolutely right, Cali. But it´s still SOOO fabulous and beautiful!

I visited the church for some days ago and climbed up the narrow stairs (like a corkscrew) up to 70 meters in one of the towers. The view is fantastic!

Cantabene: If I had to choose my 'último viaje' I would choose Granada. It has all those qualities that you discribe.

Thank you, Tia, for your suggestion. I've been in Granada twice, but a long time ago. Except for the Alhambra, I do not recall being overly impressed. But I was younger then and in a hurry. I probably overlooked most of its charms. Too, most places can be revisited profitably when added years have provided fresh perspectives and deeper understanding.
Cantabene