We round off our tour of Spain by visiting the three main cities of the Andalusian region then some relaxation in Barcelona.
Sevilla
07/22/12: We began our exploration of Sevilla enjoying a quick overview by horse carriage from Maria Luisa Park, through historic district around the cathedral with famous La Giralda tower and the Moorish Alcazar, along the river, ending up at Plaza de Espana setting for Queen Amidala’s palace in Star Wars. Had a lovely dinner at La Isla with traditional steamed clams, gazpacho, and paella. We’re glad to be back in Spain and kids are continuing their Spanish practice, ordering drinks & ice cream along with “gracias” and “adios”. We love the little 1 bedroom apartment home away from home on Conde Terrejon near Alameda de Hercules.
07/23/12: Spent a full day exploring historic district. Sevilla Cathedral is the 3rd largest in the world, after Rome and London’s. It was build upon the remains of a Moorish mosque dating from the 8th century. The minaret and garden of orange trees still remain. Learned about different parts of a cathedral, climbed La Giralda’s 34 ramps to bell tower, saw Christopher Columbus’ tomb, and other church treasures. After a quick refreshment break, we continued at Alcazar around the corner. Sevilla’s Alacazar is considered a little Alhambra and it was impressive in its own right with gorgeous geometric designs, horseshoe arches, and refreshing gardens. Kids enjoyed playing in the vast maze of greenery. Returned to Plaza de Espana for more photos. After a nice siesta, we watched a classic flamenco show with tapas then strolled along the river through the Vela de Triana festival honor Virgin Mary’s parent San Joaquin and Santa Ana.
Granada
07/24/12: Next stop on our Andalusian tour is to see the Alhambra of Granada, made famous by Washington Irving’s Tales of Alhambra. We arrived by train in the late afternoon, but reservations for the popular tourist destination were not until the next day. Tickets into the palace are limited and were sold out. However, we managed to obtain tickets to explore the gardens and for a late night visit of the palace. We began with Generalife, the sultans retreat, the cypress courtyard, and various water features. We then visited the palace gardens and Alcazaba castle towers. Climbed the Torre de Vela for top of the world view. Quick visit to Carlos V Palace. Enjoyed a fusion style dinner at viewpoint Mirador San Nicolas in Albaicin neighborhood. Returned at 10pm for the night tour of the amazing Nasrid Palaces. Most impressive intricate plaster work in 2 Sisters and Lion Courtyard.
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07/25/12: Woke up at noon to visit Royal Chapel with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella’s mausoleum and crypt. Near the cathedral, we purchased a bag of dried candied fruits that kept the kids sane through the whole day. The chapel had a museum with their crown & scepter. There was an elaborate golden altar but on closer inspection, we saw gruesome scenes of Juan Bautista’s (John the Baptist) head on a silver platter and the martyr of Apostle John. Had lunch at Pilar de Toro near Plaza Nuevo then took a short walk along the River Darro at the base of Alhambra. Had a relaxing afternoon then went to Alhambra at 6pm to stroll through the palace gardens and re-entered the Nasrid Palace at 7pm for our appointment. This time we were armed with audio guides. Walked through Puerta Justica down charming street back in Plaza Nueva. Ended our Granada Visit with lovely dinner at Carmen de Aixa with panoramic views of Alhambra from Albaicin neighborhood.
Cordoba
07/26-27/12: Finishing Andalusian tour with Cordoba for the Mezquita. Had a late lunch of tapas at Taberna Salinas. This is a reasonable small town, easily explored by foot. Visited the surrounding neighborhood of Jewish Quarters and the beautiful Mosque-Cathedral.
Barcelona
07/28-31/12: Barcelona is vibrant tourist destination and a refreshing change in pace to unwind and wrap up our tour of Spain. There’s the usual medieval castle and cathedral in the Gothic Quarter, just a hop away from the eternally busy Las Ramblas and plenty of charming alleys. Favorite restaurant find was Tapeo, a tapas bar on Montcada. We devoted a whole day to admire Antoni Gaudi’s architecture starting with La Sagrada Familia, his masterpiece, the church the that’s been under construction for over 100 and won’t be complete for another few decades more. The kids declared this to be their favorite church so far and even enjoyed the audio guide. Then we walked to Casa Mila or La Perdrera, 2 blocks of whimsical apartments. Just down the street, Casa Batllo is a private residence with a marine theme. Park Guell on the hill greets visitors with fun sculptures covered with colorful mosaics. Finally, the kids convince Dad to let them spend the last day at the beach, CosmosCaixa Science Museum, and even managed a quick visit to the yummy Chocolate Museum.
See more photos in the album.