SEE SPAIN

If you wish to explore Spain outside of the conference locale, you will not have to go far to find interesting tourist attractions. Southern Spain is Andalucia, a timeless land of tradition, medieval villages, festive locals, flamenco fun, castles, passion, paella and Picasso!

GRANADA:

Granada is the capital of the province with the same name, situated in the eastern part of the region of Andalusia. Geographical and scenic diversity charactizes the land. There is the coastal area with its warm climate; the extensive, fertile Genil plain; and the mountainous regions with a colder climate, where we find the 3,481 meter Mulhacén, the biggest peak on the peninsula of Spain. The city of Granada is located at the foot of the sierra Nevada mountains at the confluences of the Darro and Genil rivers. Its unique history has bestowed it with an artistic grandeur embracing Moorish palaces and Christian Renaissance treasures. As the last Moorish capital on the Iberian peninsula, it also holds great symbolic value. The city of Granada has been shaped by the hills, where the old districts in the Albaicín and the Alhambra were founded, brimming with steep, narrow streets, beautiful nooks and crannies, and marvelous landscapes. The new part of the city is situated on the plain, crisscrossed by the large arteries of Gran Vía de Colón and Calle de los Reyes Católicos, and where the busy streets around the Cathedral are found. Visit the website http://www.aboutgranada.com/ for more information.

ALCALA LA REAL:

This delightful small town has a population of approximately 21,000 and is located on the N432 between Cordoba (85km) and Granada (47km) although, technically, it falls within the province of Jaen. The town has an impressive fortress and was a strategic stronghold during medieval times, and subsequently occupied by the Moors in 713. Thereafter, Alcalá was the scene of frequent battles between the Moors and the Christians. This tumultuous period lasted until 1341 when Alfonso XI gained control of the town. The crown established an abbey here which was deemed the headquarters from where to launch a major offensive on Granada. The magnificent LaMota Castle is an interesting place to visit, it dates back to 727 when the town was under Muslim rule. It was later expanded.

BAEZA:

Baeza is tiny, compact and provincial with a kind of perpetual Sunday air about it. At its heart is the combined Plaza Mayor and the paseo which is flanked by pavement cafes but delightfully low key and atmospheric. The Plaza de Leones is a particularly attractive cobbled square enclosed by Renaissance buildings and stands slightly back at the far end. Here on a rounded balcony the first mass of the Reconquest is reputed to have been celebrated, the impressive mansion beneath it houses the tourist office.

The finest palace is the Marquessa de Jabalquinto, now a seminary with an elaborate Isabelline front (showing marked Moorish influence in its stalactite decoration). Just above it is the C16th cathedral which, like many of Baeza's churches, has brilliant painted rejas (iron screens) done by a local 16th century craftsman. However, the cathedral's real novelty is a huge silver custodia cunningly hidden behind a painting of St Peter which whirls aside for a small donation.

Be sure to linger on a few days to discover its impressive monuments, visit the porticoed Plaza Porticada del Mercado Viejo, the Arco del Barbudo and the historic university where the poet Antonio Machado once taught. Carry on to see the paintings in the Church of Santa Cruz and don't miss the Palacio del Jabalquinto.

For more information about surrounding Andalucian citys please visit - www.andalucia.com