Trevor Huxham

I step into my hotel’s elevator, hit button zero for the ground floor, and rub my eyes. I’m exhausted from jetlag , culture shock , and apartment hunting . When I open my eyes, I notice that a bullfighter has joined me. She’s a slim twentysomething sporting a bedazzled jacket and multicolored tights. The doors close and I ponder how in my first week in Spain I’ve already encountered not my first torero , but torera . Telling the receptionist “ hasta luego, ” I head south down Villanueva del Arzobispo’s main drag and am immediately confronted by a white-and-goldenrod Moorish Revival bullring where it seems half the town is pouring into. Posters advertise a Gran Novillada —a bullfight where novices face off against young bulls. My elevator companion meets up with her family and heads beneath one of the horseshoe arches that support this modern-day Colosseum. Iznatoraf I walk against the current of bullfight attendees and soon my destination comes into view: an imposing hill ou...

Of the eight provincial capitals in Spain’s southernmost region of Andalucía, Jaén too often gets short shrift in favor of historic cities that overwhelm you with their monuments— Sevilla with its gigantic Gothic cathedral, Córdoba with what remains of the Great Mosque, and Granada with the country’s crown jewel, the Alhambra palace—or in favor of coastal cities that entice you with their beaches and fresh seafood— Málaga , which needs no introduction, Cádiz, Europe’s oldest city, Almería , secluded away behind deserts and mountain ranges, and Huelva, where Columbus set off for the Americas. Jaén cathedral I ponder this as I grow more and more impatient with the intercity bus I’m on…and more and more nauseated. The air coming from the A/C vents smells like a dirty bathroom, the advertised on-board WiFi has ground to a halt, and that hot summer sun is really bearing down on the windows. I’m reminded of the bad first experience I had with Jaén (pronounced “khah-EN” [xaˈen]) ...

Peña de los Enamorados Antequera—an hour north of the Mediterranean metropolis of Málaga —is a mid-sized town smack dab in the middle of Andalucía. I came here for a daytrip around this time last year en route from being a beach bum in Málaga to taking in the beauty of the Alhambra in springtime . Since I had to catch the seven-o’-clock bus from Málaga, I had to dash from my hostel to the bus station without sitting down for breakfast. That ended up not being a problem, however, because I got to try a typical local treat to start off the day: molletes de Antequera . I first learned about these large, round, spongy bread rolls thanks to an article by Lauren of Spanish Sabores  that she wrote before I left. Slathering these toasted molletes with grated tomato, salt, and olive oil, I chowed down and slowly woke up, sipping a café con leche  in between bites. Ceiling of the Church of Santa María The city of Antequera has pretty, whitewashed streets, a handful of ce...

Córdoba is one of my favorite cities in all of Spain. The otherworldly Mosque-Cathedral with its endless rows of striped horseshoe arches…the medieval web of whitewashed, flowery streets…the savory emulsion of tomatoes and olive oil that is salmorejo …the endless season of spring festivals …the feeling of history you get while watching the Guadalquivir River flow by beneath the Roman bridge…the lost convivencia  of Christians, Jews, and Muslims visible in the old Jewish quarter…all of this combines to create an amazing atmosphere that I keep going back to. Flower-decorated courtyard But when I first visited Córdoba in December 2012, I left the city almost disappointed. Perhaps it was because I had built up too many expectations having studied the history of Islamic Spain in college, perhaps it was the cold weather, perhaps I stuck to the touristy side of town too much. Before coming to teach in Spain I had originally wanted to be placed in town here, but instead got next-d...

When I first applied to work in Spain two years ago, I knew I wanted to live in the southernmost region of Andalucía, not least for its warm and sunny reputation. I was also drawn by its treasure trove of Moorish architecture—from castles to palaces to mosques—and the infamous andalú  accent, which I hoped would be most similar to the Latin American Spanish I studied in school. In reality, my Andalusian winter turned out to be one of the rainiest and bone-chilling I’ve experienced yet, the province of Jaén where I got placed was a Renaissance exception to the Moorish norm, and the Andalusian accent may as well be classified as a separate language it was so hard to understand. But the food lived up to all my expectations: tangy marinated olives, spicy boiled snails, savory cured ham, and generous free tapas made for a belt-tightening year. One of my favorite parts of Andalusian cuisine was its ancient and varied tradition of cold soups, although perhaps the word “soup” in En...

There’s a lot to love about Jaén, the Spanish province where I lived and worked for the 2012-2013 school year . From olive oil to Renaissance architecture, to free tapas and natural parks, Jaén is one of my favorite corners of southern Spain. I talked about all these things in a guest post I wrote on Young Adventuress a year ago, but I completely forgot to mention one of the biggest draws to Jaén, its castles! Castillo de Santa Catalina, Jaén Fun fact: the province of Jaén has the greatest concentration of fortresses and castles of any region in Europe! Due to its strategic location as the frontier between Christian Castilla and Muslim Granada in the Middle Ages, almost 90 castles in this province alone have survived to the present day. When I lived in Úbeda , I only had the chance to visit half a dozen of the myriad of castles this province holds. Most are within walking distance of major city or village centers, but a few are in isolated mountain towns that are difficult...

Cazorla Back home in the States, I’m really fond of cities that snuggle up to the foothills of nearby mountain ranges. Although cities like Hot Springs, Ark., Jackson Hole, Wyo., or Estes Park, Colo., all have a lot to offer, they still manage to keep a really cozy, comfortable mountain atmosphere about them. I was reminded of these kinds of towns when I took a daytrip last year from Úbeda to Cazorla, which sits at the boundary between the sea of olive trees that governs most of southern Spain and a triplet of mountain systems that range southwest to northeast. Pronounced “kah-THOR-lah” [kaˈθoɾ.la], this town of only 8,000 doesn’t feel like a sleepy, middle-of-nowhere pueblo ; instead, monumental reminders of the village’s past stand alongside busy streets filled with open-air patio bars and restaurants. Ruins of the Church of Santa María What would have been Cazorla’s major church is also, uh, open-air today. It was built in the 1500s as yet another work by local Renai...

Springtime in Andalucía is when the sun shines stronger, when people fill streetside patios, when festival season starts back up, and when the orange blossom perfumes whole cities. The most southern region in Spain is famous for its sunny stereotype and vivacious residents, but the powerful heat in the summer is legendary—think 40º C (100º F) as the daytime norm. Living in Úbeda last winter, it was cloudy and rainy most days, but once March rolled around, the weather underwent a transformation—and Andalucía came back to life. Cordoban women wearing traditional trajes de gitana The sun came out (and I wore shorts, thank you very much), it seemed like there was a festival happening every weekend somewhere in the region, and people flocked to bars and cafés to sit outside and soak up the warm, relaxing atmosphere. Let me share with you why I think the months of April and May in Andalucía are simply the best time to experience this exciting part of Spain. 1) Warmth ...

I have to admit, I’m extremely spoiled getting to live in Galicia, the Spanish region with perhaps the best food in the whole country. From fresh, affordable seafood to a variety of cheeses and sausages and even tasty almond cakes, my stomach is certainly satisfied with my decision to move up north this year. However, while living down south last year in the Andalusian province of Jaén, I grew very fond of several traditional dishes and snacks, some unique to the area and others shared across the south. If you’re ever passing through Jaén, make sure to try some of these for me when you stop for a bite to eat, because I miss them a lot! 1) Lomo de orza (Source: JJ Merelo ) Lomo de orza  or  pork loin confit  takes its name from the large clay jars— orzas —it was traditionally preserved in (it’s pronounced “LO-mo day OR-thah” [ˈlo.mo de ˈoɾ.θa]). Before refrigeration was invented, people would buy cuts of pork after the annual pig slaughter, cook them, place the...

In late October, I caught one of the last Ryanair flights of the season from Santiago de Compostela (where I’m living now) down to Sevilla , which is the capital of Andalucía—the southernmost region of Spain and my former home for a year. The last time I had been in the south was the early morning of June 1st, on my way north and west to begin the Camino de Santiago before heading back home to America. Thankfully, I was able to make my dream of returning to Andalucía come true this fall by flying down to Sevilla, where I got to hang out with Reina, one of my good American friends from Úbeda who is now living there. Carmona panorama While I was in town, she and I took a fun daytrip to Carmona, a small pueblo  (village) about half an hour outside the city. When I first visited Sevilla back in April, my bus there stopped at Carmona’s bus station, and I was immediately hooked: a lovely, whitewashed village crowned with a huge, ancient stone castle. There was no question—I...

(Disclaimer: I’m fully aware I’m about to step on approximately 11,920 toes with this post…) Patio de los Leones, the Alhambra Granada is… one of the biggest cities in the southern Spanish region of Andalucía home to the Alhambra, a beautiful Moorish palatial complex built in the Middle Ages during the last Muslim kingdom in Spain a center for generously large free tapas with your drink the burial place for the monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella a home base for going skiing in the snowy Sierra Nevada a great place to study abroad in the last city in Spain to be “re-conquered” from Muslim rule in the 1400s full of interesting neighborhoods like the winding, hillside Albaicín a popular place for the springtime Cruces de Mayo festival an essential stop for almost any trip to Spain Granada is nice and all, but… Tilework in the Alhambra Don’t get me wrong, the first time I visited Granada back in November of last year,  I loved  it. I...

Tranco Reservoir There’s a lot to love about the province of Jaén, a cozy corner of eastern Andalucía in southern Spain. You’ve got the lovely villages of Úbeda and Baeza , graced with Renaissance architecture, as well as countless other sleepy towns scattered among the endless olive groves. There’s the capital city of Jaén , with its charming, Moorish-style old town and free tapas scene. Although there’s no doubt that people here talk with a thick Andalusian accent, it’s not nearly as difficult to understand as that of Cádiz, for example, on the coast. And who could forget that the best olive oil in the world is made in almazaras  (factories) in every village’s industrial park? Sierra de Segura But while I’ve expressed my love for the region in many posts on this blog, I haven’t written yet about the sierra , that unmoving wall of mountains that serves as the eastern limit of the province and the region. Countless sunsets I saw from Úbeda’s eastern lookout poin...

Sabiote Castle Just a short 10km from the southern Spanish city of Úbeda , the village of Sabiote offers a lot despite its small size. You might be surprised to find a Renaissance-era castle and well-preserved set of medieval walls in this passed-over corner of Spain, but it’s no wonder; after all, the province of Jaén is the region with the greatest number of castles in Europe! Sabiote Castle I would have never even given Sabiote the time of day had it not been the hometown of my bilingual coordinator, Pedro. One afternoon after school, he took me and a group of teachers out for lunch to his  pueblo and afterwards led us on a tour of town in which we got to explore the inside of the recently restored castle. Standing upon the fortress’s battlements at sunset, I really enjoyed getting to survey the whole countryside, which was covered, of course, in gridded, green olive groves. Church of San Pedro silhouetted at sunset While training for the Camino de Sant...

Interior of Baeza’s cathedral I talk a lot about the Spanish town of Úbeda on this blog, and for good reason—I lived there for eight months, after all! But I have no reason for barely even mentioning next-door Baeza so far; forgive me! Pronounced “bah-AY-thah” [baˈe.θa], this village of a little over 16,000 is often thought of as Úbeda’s little sister mainly because of its shared Renaissance heritage. During the same time that idealized, stately palaces and churches were being built in neighboring Úbeda, similar structures were constructed in Baeza as well. For example, the soaring local cathedral (whose bishop shares his seat or cathedra with the cathedral in Jaén ) seems almost out of place in a village of this size, but its ethereal, light-filled interior will shoo away any misgivings you may have. Winding street near the cathedral Like any good Andalusian city, its old core will make you feel like you’ve gone back to Moorish times—tortuous alleyways and quiet, ar...

So far, I’ve written an homage to Úbeda —the city where I lived for eight months while teaching English in southern Spain—as well as a post outlining my favorite restaurants in town. To conclude Úbeda Week on the blog, I’d like to present a (free!) guided tour of this really nice village I once called home. Famous for its Renaissance architecture, its tradition of pottery that dates back to Moorish times, and its bottles overflowing with high-quality olive oil, Úbeda is a small city with plenty to keep you occupied. Holy Chapel of El Salvador So I’ve put together three itineraries in this post that you can follow, combine, or rearrange if you like. Obviously, opening and closing hours may not always correspond with the given path, but hopefully these routes give you an idea of what there is to see in town so you can put together your own personalized plan of attack. A Tourist Map of Úbeda by yours truly (click to enlarge) I’ve also drawn up a map of Úbeda (thanks Go...