LIFE AT CASA UNO
CASA UNO was built on the site of a 200 year old farm-house. It is an enchanting place to stay - `magical’ and `paradise’ are words we often hear exclaimed about it by new arrivals. But CASA UNO is also at the centre of a web of lovely places to visit – starting with its own home village of Las Pinedas. Here is just a short summary of some of the pleasures it can offer you.
* CASA UNO itself is made for outdoor living during at least 9-10 months of the year (Andalucía boasts 320 days of sunlight per annum). There is an all-day-sunlit patio, a roof terrace with a shady awning, built in BBQ and eating area, covered colonnades to all the downstairs rooms and a fully-shaded outdoor dining area round a magnificent Moroccan table, overlooking the walled and gated 8 metre pool. Internally the house is proofed for all weathers: double-glazed and double-walled, with full air-conditioning for high summer, which also heats the rooms in the short winter. There are ceiling fans in all rooms and a wood-stove for the seasons in between. There is a large family kitchen/dining room, a sitting room with Terrestrial and Worldwide Internet TV from around the world -including sports and movie channels. All 4 bedrooms are en-suite and independent, with 3 accessed from the pool colonnade. The pool can be floodlit by night. Moroccan lamps light up the outside dining space for supper.
* LAS PINEDAS is a small working village founded some 200 years ago as part of the re-colonisation of Andalucía, consisting essentially of two parallel streets and a village square with a simple Church – CASA UNO is in the square, looking across to the Church. The village has a small shop, Paquis, which sells locally produced ham, cheese, fruit and vegetables, frozen meat and fish, soft drinks, beer wines and spirits. Bar Gran Parada is Las Pinedas' bar, central to village life. The village lies on the Southern foothills of the Guadalquivir valley and there is invariably an evening breeze even on the warmest days. Las Pinedas lies at the heart of a network of local dirt roads for the walker, giving access to an open countryside of olives and orange groves, fields of wheat and stands of tall sunflowers.
* The local market town is LA CARLOTA about 3 miles away, where all the normal necessities of life can be obtained in abundance. There is a large Mercadona supermarket, several smaller self service stores and excellent locally owned butchers, fishmongers, greengrocers, ironmongers, shoe shops, clothes shops and general stores - plus cafes, tapas bars, restaurants etc. Taxis from Las Pinedas to La Carlota costs around 10 Euros each way and can be booked in advance. There is also an excellent emergency medical service with helipad.
* La Carlota is by-passed by the main SEVILLE-CÓRDOBA motorway (freeway), providing rapid southwards access to Jerez, Cadiz and Portugal, and northwards to Madrid (however the AVE trains to Madrid are quicker than any motorway - the journey to/from Cordoba takes under 2 hrs). A new A45 motorway also now runs all of the way down to Málaga and the Mediterranean coast.
* Using the excellent motorway network, Córdoba is 25 minutes from Las Pinedas, Seville airport 1 hr, central Seville 1 hr 20 mins, Málaga 1.5 hrs, Málaga airport 2 hrs, Granada 2 hrs (add 20 minutes for the Alhambra).
* Each of the great Moorish cities has its ancient wonders: CÓRDOBA has the Mezquita, an immense mosque dating from the 8th century which effortlessly swallowed the Catholic Cathedral later built within it; SEVILLE's Alcazar is a Moorish palace built for a Christian king with glorious Moorish gardens. The nearby Cathedral rivals in size that of Mexico city and contains the tomb of Christopher Columbus; the Alhambra at GRANADA is the last and most exquisite of all Moorish palaces - but access is nowadays rationed and you need to book well in advance for an entry time.
