Much has already been said about Marbella and its beautiful location on the Golden Mile on the Costa del Sol.  But, just a little north is the religious and cultural heart of Spain.  There are several towns here that warrant several days each – but, this Smithsonian tour gave a glimpse to just whet the appetite and return.

It was truly a whirlwind weekend with a base in Carmona visiting Osuna, Seville and Cordoba!  Buckle your seatbelts, as the sights are unbelievable.  Ease in with the quaint town of Osuna and the base for two nights – Carmona.

Osuna might be familiar to some today as a site of scenes from Game of Thrones.  But, it was once a Roman town, then a Moorish hold and in the 16th century brought to prominence by the powerful dukes of Osuna, who founded the great collegiate church (different from a cathedral as it does not have assigned priests) – Colegiata de Santa Maria.  The artwork inside includes many masters as well is beautiful craftsmanship.

The Collegiate of Osuna.

Several shots of the interior of the Collegiate, many indicating Moorish influence.

Walls were completely decorated with frescos, which have been partially restored.

View of the Colegiata from Town Square.

A nice lunch – stomachs full – time to move on to the home away from home for the weekend.  Carmona is a lovely little town mostly inside Moorish walls.  Imposing ruins of Alcazar del Rey Pedro dominate the town.  Unfortunately, it is mostly ruins except for the portion rebuilt by the government and turned into one of their famous Paradors;-)  And, unfortunately our group did not stay there as usual but the Alcazar de la Reina, which wouldn’t be a recommendation;-(

Our hotel in Carmona…our least favorite on the trip so far.

A very fun little red bus with a lively guide gave us a quick tour of the surroundings in order to get us acclimated.  Very fun!

A portion of our fun group on the tiny electric powered bus that barely fit in some of the streets.

The original entrance to Cremona, as modified by a series of subsequent rulers. Yes, that’s our little red bus;-)

The San Pedro church outside the gate.

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After a hard day of sightseeing, checking out the Parador seemed appropriate.  It has beautiful surroundings and a fabulous patio with spectacular views.  What a nice way to end the day —

What a view from the bar in the Carmona Parador Hotel.

Even though there were a couple of tours throughout the day, this was in essence a day off.  Two days of phenomenal sights are to follow.

E & G with NO idea of what is to come