The Compact Renaissance in
Andalusia: Baeza & Ubeda, Jaén Province, Spain
Don't think that a visit to Andalusia has to be all Moorish this and Mudejar that. On your trip to Granada or Cordoba, do not pass up either a jaunt or a true stay in Ubeda, accompanied by a visit to Baeza, two small Renaissance cities in Jaén Province. These little breaths of fresh air break the hold that Mudejar and Morisco architecture has on Andalusia. Compact and picture-perfect, pause for an hour or two in Baeza on your way to Ubeda, walk around the old quarter, perhaps have lunch or a coffee.
Ubeda, 10 km on, is actually
worth a day or two to itself: a little hilltop city among the olive groves resplendent
with humanist architecture of the 16th and 17th centuries. As Cees Nooteboom,
the noted Danish travel writer, writes of Ubeda in his book Roads to
Santiago: "a fresh Renaissance breeze comes 
wafting from the princely towns of
northern Italy to the blaze of sixteenth-century Andalusian
Spain." A number of good accommodation options exists in a place off most
tourist routes, including a state-run Parador on Ubeda's most stunning plaza.
One outfit that provides local outings and a small gift shop offers an interesting roster of educational programs, including city tours, olive oil tours, and food-related programs. For information, visit www.artificis.com. The Granada Cooking School can also organize culinary tours that include this area.
Hotel Alvar Fanez: 11 room hotel in a former palace with a pleasant interior courtyard; the restaurant serves decent food, and breakfast is included. Tel. 953 752 140
Hotel Palacio de la Rambla: Perhaps a bit more upsacale than Alva Fanez, but similarly located.
Parador de Ubeda: Housed in a large former palace in the most scenic part of the city; excellent lunch and dinner menu, but reserve ahead.
We purchased local olive oils and
Jaen wines, expecting the former to be
wonderful and the latter to be less than noteworthy. Actually, both were good. 
Check out Torre de Hamdon from nearby Torreperogil,
made with a blend of Grenache and Cencibel grapes, or the Don Pedro Gil, same
grapes, same area. The blends appear superior to the pure Garnacha varietalsthat
you will also see.
A Restaurant Worth the Trip
If you're in the Ubeda area, or headed to the Sierra de la Cazorla Park, include La Sarga Restaurant in the town of Cazorla, east of Ubeda, on the itinerary. Deftly prepared and presented cuisine in a small, pretty restaurant (don't mind the ugly building) looking over the olive groves just out of town. Try the artichokes with rosemary sauce, the mushrooms with almond sauce, and the bacalao. Friendly, professional service. The chef has authored a cookbook as well. Tel. (953) 72 15 07