Lubertadventure: Iznajar Cortijo La Loma

Iznajar. First you have to learn how to say it; Iznajar: three syllables, Ish Na, then you make a sound like you are clearing your throat, and add a Har at the end of it. So you end up with roughly ISHnakhar. Once you can say it, you then can start to love it.

We had been travelling for over three months by the time we hit Iznajar, with the last month or so being one or two night stops, so it was a lot of driving, a lot of packing and unpacking, navigating, finding parking, finding good places to eat, locating shopping when necessary; in short, it was, while being tremendously exciting and interesting, a lot of work! So we were delighted that we could relax a bit, and we had found the perfect spot to do it. Cortijo La Loma. http://www.cortijolaloma.co.uk/home.html
The views were some of the best we have ever seen, and our hosts, Gaynor and Martin, were absolutely terrific. We would unconditionally recommend this guesthouse to anyone. We even had a small kitchen, so we didn't have to source out a restaurant every night. The pool and the hiking in the area ensured that the battle of the bulge was not a complete rout.

We made a number of little side trips – most notably to The Alhambra in Granada, and to the Great Mosque of Córdoba (commonly referred to as La Mezquita).

The Alhambra takes its name from the Arabic al-qala’a al-hamra (the Red Castle). It is one of Spain's most visited attractions; part palace, part fortress, it welcomes about 6000 guests every day. As with other notable complexes, it shares an Islamic and Christian past, but was first built by Samuel Ha-Nagid, the Jewish grand vizier of one of Granada’s 11th-century Zirid sultans.
Courtyards, pools, carved wood ceilings, baths, honeycombed vaulting, - one ceiling uses more than 8000 cedar pieces to create its intricate star pattern representing the seven heavens. Another ceiling is painted leather. An absolute must-see if you are in Andalusia.

In Cordoba, the Great Mosque is another example of Islamic architecture appropriated by Christian conquest. The Great Mosque was begun by the Emir Abd al-Rahman I in 785, it is one of the largest mosques in the world, measuring some 250,000 sq. ft.). There is no other building like it in the world; a Great Mosque and a Cathedral, in effect two different buildings representing two major religions, sharing the same space. You can still hear local worshippers attending Mass say, “Voy a la Mezquita a oír misa “ (I’m going to the Mosque to hear mass) rather than to the Cathedral or Church!

Stunning artwork, mosaics and sculptures make this an all-day trip!

The incredible views, the quiet, the beautiful little hill-top towns, all had us thinking, for the very first time, that we could actually live here happily. (Providing, of course, that we had lots of room for all you visitors!)