Spain Album

Summer 2012, we are undergoing an ambitious plan to spend 2 months in Europe. For most of July, we explored the Iberian Peninsula through Spain & Portugal, starting of off in Northern Spain: Bull Run in Pamplona, Guggenheim in Bilbao, prehistoric caves near Santander. Continued with Madrid with day trips to Toledo and Segovia. Took a quick hop to Portugal before returning to Southern Spain: Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba then finally Barcelona. Click links for travelogue of each region.


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Southern Spain

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.

Portugal

Took a side trip to Portugal from Madrid, in order to complete the Iberian Peninsula. We mostly stayed in Lisbon but did a day trip to Sintra and Cascais.

Lisbon
07/19/12: Started our city tour of Lisbon, Portugal in the Belém area with the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jeronimo Monastery) complete with exquisite architectural details and also saw with tomb of Vasco de Gama. Stopped by Tower of Belém nearby. After a seafood lunch, explored Castle of São Jorge (St George’s Castle). Archaeological museum displayed artifacts from iron ages through medieval period. Climbed up castle fortress before enjoying refreshments while watching resident peafowls.

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07/20/12: Half day tour to Sintra and vicinity. Visited Sinitra Palace with beautiful ceiling paintings of swans & magpies and moorish style chapel then explored charming town center. Tried traditional pastries. Stopped at Cabo da Roca (Cape Rock), westernmost extent of continental Europe. Passed through beach town of Cascais and casino of Estoril that inspired Bond series. Lovely seafood dinner at Gambrinar in restaurant district in Lisbon.

See more photos in the album.

Madrid

07/13/12: Arrived in Madrid after a 5 hour train ride. Took a nice afternoon siesta then at 10pm dusk, walked to the center of town Puerta del Sol (gate of sun) then back down the shopping district on Gran Via.

07/14/12: Started our official tour of Madrid at the Palacio Real (royal palace) visiting the opulent state rooms and armory with collection of medieval armors & weapons. Weather was blazing hot compared to the cool north. Explored Old Town with plenty of popsicle breaks. Lunched near Plaza Mayor at Sobrino de Botino, hailed as the worlds oldest restaurant by Guiness.

07/15/12: Madrid museum hopping day at the Reina Sofia for Picasso’s Guernica and the Prado for its extensive collection of Goya, Velazquez, and El Greco. Took a short break at the Parque del Retiro. Dinner and flamenco show at Corral de Morerio.

Toledo
07/16/12: Toledo is a well preserved medieval town with a 2,000 year history with influences from Roman, Visigoths, and Arabs cultures. It is famous for swords and marzipan. Took a bus tour for a nice panorama of Arab walls, bridges, Alcazar (castle), and the Cathedral. Started at Plaza Zocodover then explored cobble-stone alleys to the Puerta Viasgra. An easy day trip by train from Madrid.

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Segovia
07/17/12: Segovia greets visitors with its gigantic Roman Aqueducts. Explored the charming town through Plaza Mayor with Cathedral. Ended at Alcazar, fairy tale Arab castle with impressive collection of artillery. Another easy hop by train from Madrid.

See more photos in the album.

Northern Spain

We started out month-long tour of the Iberian Peninsula in Pamplona, Spain to coincide with the San Fermin Festival. We continued along of Basque Country to the Guggenheim Bilbao and prehistoric caves near Santander. Along the way, we got a sample of Spanish tapas and Basque cuisine.

Pamplona
07/07-10/12: San Fermin Festival is a week-long celebration in Pamplona, Spain from July 7-14 each year. Every morning starts at 8am with the Encierro (running of the bulls) where hundreds of runners join 6 bulls and 6 steer to run along crowded alleys to the bull ring. There are a few injuries daily. The same 6 bulls are engaged in bull fights with renown matadors at 6:30pm each afternoon and killed in a festive atmosphere, reminiscent of modern gladiator fights. There are family events in Plaza de Castillo and Plaza de Constitution such as the parade of Gigantes y Cabezudos (big heads), musical performances, and each day ends with fireworks at 11pm. Everyone dresses in white with red scarf & sash. The event has been held since 1591 in honor of Saint Fermin, patron saint of Navarre. A convenient legend claims he was dragged to his death by bulls in Pamplona. The festival was made famous to the English speaking world by Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. Otherwise, during the week, the town center is full of drunken, rowdy crowds and the streets are covered with broken glass, beer, and the stench of urine. Most locals leave town during the celebration. We won’t be in a hurry to return.

Bilbao
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Santander
07/12/12: Santander is a northern seaside town with plenty of fresh seafood. It was a beautiful, sunny day for the beach. We also took a quick half-hour ride to the charming village of Puente Viesgo to visit the paleolithic caves of El Castillo, which boasts the oldest cave paintings in Europe. The prehistoric art is believed to date around the time of Neanderthals. Charcoal black and iron oxide red were used to draw bison, horses, and outline handprints. Sometimes, the artists used the natural cracks in the rocks to define shapes.

See more photos in the album.