From the worst to the best: Nirvana at Minerva


Hacienda Minerva
We woke up this morning itching to leave…..literally! When we checked into our hotel last night it seemed fine. The view off our balcony was beautiful, although the room was so-so. However, as the night progressed, we became increasingly aware that we were staying at the Spanish Bates motel. Upon closer inspection, the room appeared unclean. The beds (not one but two twin beds) - Disgusting! Jane found a hair in hers. In the middle of the night the room began to smell horrible. The plumbing in the bathroom spewed awful brown water no matter how long you let it run. Both of us barely slept. As soon as day light hit, we left. We couldn't even stomach the idea of a free breakfast since the coffee was undoubtedly made with the same brown water we refused to brush our teeth with. We threw our clothes in the car and got out of there as quickly as we could.


One of the many courtyards
Realizing that we were starving, we started looking for somewhere to eat. Oops! We had forgotten that it was Easter Sunday. Everything was closed! We drove along the beaches barely noticing the views. Compared to the coast near Tarifa, this area looked like the Jersey Shore. We were both feeling a little despondent, thinking that perhaps we had experienced the best of Spain. Was it all downhill from here? We have three days left and we could not decide where to go next. We had intended to go through Portugal on the way back to Madrid, but looking at the map we realized our time there would be very limited. At best, we could make it to the coastal areas in the south. However, checking the map and hotel selection in that area, we saw that it was one large beach resort after another. Not our scene! We contemplated going back to Tarifa, but that seemed to defeat the purpose since it was now familiar. Extremadura looked interesting at first, but further investigation revealed an area with limited sights to see and few hotels.

The view from our window

Our original itinerary had included the city of Cordoba. Cordoba is a family name on Luis’s Mother’s side and we were interested in seeing where that part of the family hailed from. On a whim, I searched for hotels near Cordoba. One of the first ones I came across looked interesting. It was located in a rural area surrounded by olive groves and was once an old olive mill. The deal was sealed when I read that the hotel was owned by a man named Luis, whose father was also named Luis. How could you go wrong with two men named Luis. (After all, the two that I know, are of the highest caliber.)

Quesos
We drove a good part of the day back tracking to Seville. The traffic was as busy as we have seen so far. Most days we have only passed a handful of cars on the road. Today, everyone was returning from their Semana Santa holiday. At 2:30 we left the main freeway. The road began to clear and the scenery became more interesting. Fields of olive trees started to fill the horizon. Around 3:30 we pulled into the hotel. As we drove down the narrow drive a man popped out of the building entrance. As he helped direct us into a very tight parking space, Luis asked if he was the owner named Luis. He was shocked that we knew his name and looked mortified when Luis asked in Spanish “don’t you remember me?” Realizing we were teasing him he smiled broadly and welcomed us. Upon check in, we asked to extend our stay another night- before even seeing our room. This place was just what we had been looking for. The building is surrounded by olive groves, with a small hilltop town and castle ruins within walking distance.

So many choices (well at least for Luis)
All that remained of the lamb
After checking in we explored the roof top terrace and neat little courtyards with old olive mill presses scattered about. It turns out that this little hotel has one of the best restaurants in all of Spain. Since we have spent a lot of time eating on the go and picnicking, we decided it was time to eat and eat well. We had a wonderful lunch. I was happy to have an entire plate of local cheeses. Some of the most delicious we have ever tasted and Luis was finally able to get that leg of lamb that he has been craving. So tonight we sleep comfortably, with thunder rumbling in the distance and an awe inspiring view from the window to wake up to. Ahhh!!! If only we had another week to spend in Spain.

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