Book Reviews About Andalucia

Tales of The Alhambra

If you are planning on visiting The Alhambra Palace or have already been, this book brings the palace to life in a way that a guide book never could, by recounting stories or real people and events which took place during Washington Irving's stay there in 1829.

Long after the golden age of The Moors and the subsequent re-conquest by the catholic Kings, the then deserted palace became a ramshackle home to a welcoming bunch of eccentric characters who took it upon themselves to become caretakers, guides and historians of The Alhambra.

The writer recalls the tales that he was told, evoking images of the classic "Arabian Nights", of enchanted treasure tombs, ghostly Moors and incarcerated princesses.

Possibly it is best to read the book after you have been to The Alhambra so that at first you can be struck by the imposing style and elegance of the Nazrid palaces and the sacredness of the monument as one of Spain's most precious buildings and then enjoy the humble scenes created by Irving as he dines in a makeshift terrace next to the Patio of the Lions, and spends hours just sitting and watching the daily comings and goings of the inhabitants of the Albaicin, from a palace window that today is cordoned off by rope.

The book is written as a selection of short stories that can be picked up and put down whenever you feel, and as well as describing beautifully the palace and its people, it tells much of the history of the Moorish rulers of the Nazrid Dynasties and the local people of Granada in the 19th century and earlier.

Driving Over Lemons

I read this book before I lived in Andalucia but had already been struck by the possibility of upping sticks and living "the good life" in Spain.

Chris Stewart was not the first and by no means the last to make the move from the city to the side of a mountain, or the first to write about it, but his heart warming story is an astute and funny account of the trials and tribulations that go with adapting to a new culture and the often unorthodox way of life in rural Andalucia. The colourful local characters that he accurately describes can be found in one form or another in almost any rural village here, apparently he was a bit nervous when the book was printed in Spanish, hoping that he would not offend any of his neighbours.

This, and it's sequel "A Parrot in the Pepper Tree", are good books to read if you a planning a trip to The Alpujarra region of Granada as they give you a good taste of the area, its people, places and culture. You can have fun picking out the places described in the books when you are here, try some of the local delicacies that he mentions (maybe not the chicken's head though) and even get "off road" and drive over some lemons!

Don Quixote de La Mancha

Spain celebrated an important anniversary in 2005 as it was 400 years since Miguel Cervantes wrote and published the first part of the satirical romance novel "The Ingenious Gentleman, Don Quixote de la Mancha". It is a world famous book and Cervantes is said to have been equalled only by Shakespeare for his works, however it is also said that not many people have actually read the novel in full and that the greatest tribute you could pay to the writer this year is to read it!

In Spain Quixote is a national hero and many locals believe that he actually existed and that the book is not fictional but a true account of his life. Something that Cervantes clearly wanted to achieve when writing it.

This is the Edith Grossman translation into English which has been highly praised for capturing the humour and darkness of Quixote to a tee. The book follows the first adventures of the knight errant as he sets off in search of wrongs to right, on his trusted steed "Rocinantes with his side kick "Sancho Panza". The satire is delightful throughout the whole book, even down to the setting of Quixote in the culturally void & barren Spanish province of La Mancha. Writing a book about a great knight from La Mancha is like having a great prince of Luton! The name of his horse translates into English as "an old nag before", before he had the prestigious title of the mount of Don Quixote that is, and the name of "Sancho Panza" refers to his trusted squires rather large belly.

The next book continues the adventures of Quixote, but unfortunately Cervantes decided to leave the hero dead and buried at the end of the second book so that no one else could decide to tell more tales about him as he thought that the ones said in the past were quite enough.

Client's Comments

Neil Holloway UK March 2007

I want to thank you very very much for your excellent assistance. I am sure of two things: 1. You are in love with Spain 2. Your are in love with your job! Congratulations, your "package" was extremely well done and exhaustive, I have never felt so well looked after by a guide, although an invisible one!

Augusta Lazzati Italy October 2006

What can I (and my friend Yvonne) say except a great big THANK YOU for everything you have done to make a dream holiday come true. Everything was so well organised and so well thought out that everything went without a hitch. The bus times, train times, the wonderful hotels which we never would have experienced without your knowledge, the guided tours and even the weather was perfect!!!