 Soft evening sunlight fell on the warm stone of Santa Maria Church, high above the Andalucían city of Antequera. I sat gazing at the view of red roofs, white walls and distant mountains as swifts performed joyful aerobatics above and below me. A few local families strolled on the terrace in front of the church, enjoying the sunset and the mild evening air.
That morning, a flight from our local airport had thrown us into the hustle and bustle of the Costa del Sol, then a pleasant hour's drive took us to this other world with very different scenery and culture. Antequera is a hilltop town with a relaxed pace of life and a truly Spanish feel. As we gazed out at the magnificent views we felt stress ebbing away, replaced with enjoyment of the beauty around us.
Antequera is rooted deep in history. Dolmens and megaliths on the outskirts date back around 5,000 years. Behind where we sat looking over the city from the 16th century Santa Maria Church, the ground rose again to a high summit topped with a fortress from Moorish times, the Alcazaba. A gateway nearby, the Archway of the Giants, was built of stones inscribed with Roman letters. Churches, thirty or so, and palaces bear witness to prosperous times in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The next morning the sun lit up San Sebastian square in the centre of Antequera, as we prepared for the day with a coffee. Pigeons drank from the fountain and local people gathered outside the church for a chat. There were plenty of destinations to choose from, but our first priority was to climb up to the top of the Alcazaba. The heavy wooden gates were open now, and the custodians welcomed us. Entry is free and we climbed the steep pathways, rewarded by ever-changing views over the Andalucían landscape. Hot and thirsty, we found a drinking fountain in the courtyard. After a long, cool drink of water we tackled the ramparts and climbed up into one of the towers. A great bell hung here and struck the hour, and clanged at other odd times when visitors pulled the rope to startle each other.
Cool narrow streets, evocative old churches, iron balconies, overflowing baskets of geraniums, little hidden squares with fountains and carved stone façades, all lay ready to explore as we descended the hill. Old Antequera was not built for cars, and after a couple of hours of walking my feet were sore. I spotted a small electric bus, which takes visitors on a circuit of all the sights, and happily got on it, while my partner valiantly continued exploring by foot.
As we compared notes that evening over a meal in the Calle Infante Don Fernando, the city's main artery, we talked with the restaurant owner about tourism in Antequera. He told us that the town is popular with Spanish visitors – people visit from other European countries, but it is a genuine Spanish town. He said that most people do not speak any English, and indeed we had already found that our few basic words for greetings and asking about food and hotel rooms had been useful.
Read the full article in our November 2009 issue. |
