La Almunia del Valle

Three nights rest in a boutique hotel a few miles outside Granada. Only 16 rooms, and no corridors. All individual units each reached from outdoors

This was my room, with its own terrace

My front door to the left with sheltered terrace to the right

Not exactly cramped inside either for one person!

Don't normally get a seat in a bathroom, with small table between the seat and toilet. Maybe for playing chess with someone while sat on the loo???

And wonderful views

I said three nights rest. With wonderful 5 course meals every night. (Food photos courtesy of Clarissa)

 

And resident cat and dog

But during the days, well Thibault and I were inevitably going to do a bit of hiking. Our first hike involved Thibault driving to a picnic site a few miles down the valley. Which also entailed him getting our rental SUV down the narrow lane from the hotel. I think that was more effort than the hike

A chain of caterpillars is something you don't see in England

By the time of our return the sun had finally dispersed the clouds.

Next day's hike was from the hotel, without taking the car. Unfortunately we couldn't do the full loop going right down into the valley floor and crossing the river because several of the river bridges had been damaged in winter floods and were being repaired. But we were left with great views from the mountainside.

This was our hotel from a distance

We met a young French couple on the walk. 

More caterpillars

A lot of the pine trees had these (presumably) spider webs around their cones

 

Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija

I had never visited this palace in any of my previous visits to Seville, quite possibly because I had never noticed it. It has a quite unassuming entrance off a pedestrian street, and it isn't really a palace. More a city mansion. Part of it dates back to the 16th century, but it was extended in the early 20th century after being bought by the Countess of Lebrija, whose relatives still own it. Also you can only visit the upper floors on a guided tour, so having tried to get in earlier I then circled back after my sightseeing to join the 4:45pm tour.

It was well worth visiting. The countess was an early archaeology enthusiast and so the whole ground floor was remodelled to house her collection of antiquities, primarily mosaics that she got from the nearby Roman city of Italica.

While downstairs is the museum, upstairs was more the living quarters. Unfortunately photos of upstairs not allowed, so nothing to show you but the staircase

The redoubtable countess painted by the great Spanish impressionist Sorolla