Spain - 5 Cities in 7 Days (Cities 1 - 3)
After leaving the British Isles, our travel plan only increased in ambition, and
looked something like this.
Thursday, October 30th – Barcelona
Friday, October 31st – Madrid
Sunday, November 2nd – Sevilla
Tuesday, November 4th – Tarifa
Wednesday, November 5th – Granada
Thursday, November 6th – Home to Milan
With only a few days (if that) in each Spanish pueblo, we entitled the week "The
Highlight Tour of Espana", acknowledging the fact that we could really only
touch down on the most famous aspects of each. But tragedy had befallen us.
On our way from Dublin to Barcelona, I realized that my trusted MTV Guide to
Europe was missing. Nooooooooo!!!!! It was a sad bus ride indeed, but one
should not cry over spilt milk, especially if you happen to be on a once in a
lifetime tour of Europe. I took a deep breath and decided to move on. No tears
were shed.
In Barcelona, Anthony and I reconnected with Analise, who had visited
Dublin with Binoy (who had returned to Milan for a midterm) and was now going
to spend time with us in Spain. Thankfully, Analise is an extremely organized
traveler, perhaps even more so than myself, and knew exactly where we needed
to go. That day, we traveled to some of the most famous points in the city. We
saw an apartment complex designed by world-renowned 20th century architect
Guadi, whose buildings remind me of both Dr. Seus and Tim Burton. There are
bright, cream-colored spiraling spires. Whip cream textured walls of light stone.
Windows where light ignites like white fires. Whoosies and whatsits and howsie-
maphones. You get the idea. His stuff was pretty radical and was spread
throughout the city. His most famous work is still under construction (he died
years ago), the Sagrada Familia, an enormous cathedral that looks like it's
melting and has a giant pine tree above the entrance. He also designed a park
for the wealthy aristocrats of the 1920s, which is kind of like a magical walk
through a wonderland - strange pillars and staircases, trees and fountains,
splendid views of the city below and sea beyond. At the highest point of the
park is a monument, an elevated plateau with two spiral staircases on each side
leading to the top, that holds three large, simple crosses sculpted in stone. At
this peak, you can see the entire city. We stayed up there for about 15 minutes,
appreciating the view with other park-goers who had found that special spot.
We left just after Anthony realized Barcelona is on the coast.
Aside from the fantastic designs of Guadi, Barcelona was the city in which I
saw my first Flamenco performance. The night we were there, we went on a
tapas tour organized by our hostel that ended in a Flamenco show. I suppose I
would describe Flamenco as intense, stylish, Spanish tap dancing. However, the
heart-shaking beats from the shoes of the dancer (a young, sexy, extremely
skilled woman) are in perfect unison with the band that support her – a fast-
fingered classical guitarist, improvising bassist, rhythmic drummer, and singer,
who belts harmonies that sound more like primitive chants than well-practiced
notes. The whole performance probably only lasted 30 minutes, but it blew me
away. Everyone left the theater (a small bar with a stage that seated less than
40) in a state of awe. Go see a Flamenco show if you can.
We took a flight on Halloween night from Barcelona to Madrid. After getting
settled into our hostel, one of the nicer ones that I have been to, it was already
11:00 PM. We got word of a Halloween party nearby that was free to enter for
those clad in costume, and so, we used our collective intelligence and limited
backpacked materials to find costumes for ourselves. I ended up wearing a tiny
pair of Analise's soccer shorts, a Florence shirt, sandals and face paint – I was a
soccer player. Not my best costume to date, but given the circumstances, I was
happy with it. Anthony was a rather unfashionable super hero and Analise a
beauty queen complete with toilet paper sash.
The next morning, we went to the two most famous museums in the city,
conveniently located in the area. I can't remember their names – I think Reyes
Sofia and ? – but they are well known for their Spanish art collections, including
extensive works from Picasso, Dali, Velazquez, Goya and El Greco. I really
enjoyed the 20th century collections of the more modern artists Picasso and Dali
(I think Salvador Dali might be one of my favorite painters) and liked the older
stuff as well, except that it reminded me of high school Spanish class. I actually
saw a painting, titled "The Drinkers", that I vividly recalled having to write a
three minute oral presentation for.
We also had a chance to go on a free walking tour of the city, which was
great because it introduced each of us to the main areas. Many times
throughout the tour we were convinced that we were in the "it" part of the city,
but then, only a few blocks later, we would be shown a new part of the town
that seemed to completely overtake our previous assumption. I suppose there
are just a lot of sections of Madrid that have an overwhelming, modern,
aesthetic appeal.
The next day Anthony and I had to catch a bus to Sevilla, which we did in
the late afternoon. Before that however, we walked back to some of our favorite
buildings, including the Royal Palace and its outlying garden. The palace, like
most palaces (listen to me, I'm writing as if I'm a connoisseur), is large and
extravagant from the outside; you know, lots of gold, marble and sculpted
stone. What I liked most however was its relatively small, adjacent garden that
had a number of statues along its border, statues that had at one point resided
atop the building. Apparently one night the queen had a terrible nightmare in
which all of the statues had fallen off of the building and killed innocent citizens
below; the next morning she woke up and had them immediately removed from
the structure.
Finally, before departing from Madrid, we took a stroll through the main
park, whose name I can't recall at the moment, but is famous for being
enormous and well kept. We walked casually, but were actually on a mission to
seek out a particular fountain. According to Analise, there are only three public
monuments in the world that explicitly depict Satan – one of which is in this
particular park. We found the fountain, titled, The Fallen Angel, that shows an
attractive male angel being ensnared and dragged down by venomous snakes
while wicked, monstrous faces spit water into a pool below. I thought it was a
very interesting.
From 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM we were on a bus traveling, and when we arrived
in Sevilla, all we could really do was try to find the hostel.
Sevilla was my favorite Spanish city. It was much smaller and less
boisterous than Barcelona and Madrid, but still very much a hub of activity.
There is a river that runs through the town, a number of piazzas scattered
throughout, a few picturesque churches, and orange trees lining every street.
What really drew me in were the orange trees.
Since we arrived late at night, we really didn't see or do much, aside from
check into our hostel and enjoy a welcome drink at the hostel bar. But in the
morning when we began to walk through the city, I really began to appreciate
the place. A lot of the streets are pedestrian only, and like Venice, are compactly
paved between two buildings, with stores and shops to each side of you. Then,
all of a sudden, you will turn a corner and there will be an opening, with cafes
and tables running along one side, either a fountain or statue in the middle, and
an impressive building, either a church or government structure, opposite you,
creating a rather pleasant atmosphere that can likely be found on postcards and
reprinted paintings in the gift shops of the village.
We saw the main cathedral where Christopher Columbus was buried,
although we didn't know this at the time (again, no guide book). But the church
was gorgeous and had the most impressive altar I have seen to date. At the
altar, an enormous wall of gold looms in front of you, with various
representations of holy figures sculpted into it. At the peak, you can just barely
make out a crucifix depiction, but it is so high up that it strains your eyes to
make it out. No small artistic work. Also in the church, there is a room of
Spanish jewels; rubies, diamonds, silver and gold, all put together in various
forms to make up crowns, dining sets, crucifixes, and weaponry. Again, the
Spanish spared no expense. For only a few Euro, we were also able to walk up to
the very top of the bell tower, where we went to gaze upon the rest of the city.
Metal bars on the windows disrupted the perfect view, but it was still a
wonderful opportunity to see the rest of the city.
From here we went to Plaze de Espana, in which they shot one of the final
sequences of the Star Wars movies. I don't remember which, I think it was one
of the new ones, and I'm pretty sure someone got married. Anakin maybe.
Anyway, this enormous area is comprised of a half circle of stone, with elegant
towers at each end, and a row of mosaics along the ground level, each visually
representing different areas of the country. There were bridges covered in
bright blue and yellow glassy sidings, and these ran over a moat that wasn't
filled, but would have been splendid if it was.
Another thing we made sure to check out in Sevilla was the bull-fighting
ring. Unfortunately, bull fight season ends with the conclusion of summer, so
we weren't able to catch an actual event, but for a few Euro we were admitted
into a museum with artifacts from famous bull fighters, as well as the stadium
itself. Anthony and I were the only English speakers on our Spanish / English
tour (I'd say around 15 people partook), so after the tour guide explained all of
the elements of the museum in detailed Spanish, she then half-handedly
explained what they were in English. Did you know that only three matadors
have died in Sevilla's bullring? Two of which were in 1992. Not a good year for
the bullfighters, but I suppose it's never a good year for the bulls.
At night Anthony cooked fajitas in the hostel's kitchen (our dwindling
budgets necessitated thriftier meal plans), and it was there that we met two
Australian sisters who we hung out with for the latter half of the evening.
The next morning we woke before sunrise, walked to the bus station, and
boarded a vessel bound for Tarifa, the southern most point of continental
Europe, and kite-surfing capital of the world. I will write about it soon.
looked something like this.
Thursday, October 30th – Barcelona
Friday, October 31st – Madrid
Sunday, November 2nd – Sevilla
Tuesday, November 4th – Tarifa
Wednesday, November 5th – Granada
Thursday, November 6th – Home to Milan
With only a few days (if that) in each Spanish pueblo, we entitled the week "The
Highlight Tour of Espana", acknowledging the fact that we could really only
touch down on the most famous aspects of each. But tragedy had befallen us.
On our way from Dublin to Barcelona, I realized that my trusted MTV Guide to
Europe was missing. Nooooooooo!!!!! It was a sad bus ride indeed, but one
should not cry over spilt milk, especially if you happen to be on a once in a
lifetime tour of Europe. I took a deep breath and decided to move on. No tears
were shed.
In Barcelona, Anthony and I reconnected with Analise, who had visited
Dublin with Binoy (who had returned to Milan for a midterm) and was now going
to spend time with us in Spain. Thankfully, Analise is an extremely organized
traveler, perhaps even more so than myself, and knew exactly where we needed
to go. That day, we traveled to some of the most famous points in the city. We
saw an apartment complex designed by world-renowned 20th century architect
Guadi, whose buildings remind me of both Dr. Seus and Tim Burton. There are
bright, cream-colored spiraling spires. Whip cream textured walls of light stone.
Windows where light ignites like white fires. Whoosies and whatsits and howsie-
maphones. You get the idea. His stuff was pretty radical and was spread
throughout the city. His most famous work is still under construction (he died
years ago), the Sagrada Familia, an enormous cathedral that looks like it's
melting and has a giant pine tree above the entrance. He also designed a park
for the wealthy aristocrats of the 1920s, which is kind of like a magical walk
through a wonderland - strange pillars and staircases, trees and fountains,
splendid views of the city below and sea beyond. At the highest point of the
park is a monument, an elevated plateau with two spiral staircases on each side
leading to the top, that holds three large, simple crosses sculpted in stone. At
this peak, you can see the entire city. We stayed up there for about 15 minutes,
appreciating the view with other park-goers who had found that special spot.
We left just after Anthony realized Barcelona is on the coast.
Aside from the fantastic designs of Guadi, Barcelona was the city in which I
saw my first Flamenco performance. The night we were there, we went on a
tapas tour organized by our hostel that ended in a Flamenco show. I suppose I
would describe Flamenco as intense, stylish, Spanish tap dancing. However, the
heart-shaking beats from the shoes of the dancer (a young, sexy, extremely
skilled woman) are in perfect unison with the band that support her – a fast-
fingered classical guitarist, improvising bassist, rhythmic drummer, and singer,
who belts harmonies that sound more like primitive chants than well-practiced
notes. The whole performance probably only lasted 30 minutes, but it blew me
away. Everyone left the theater (a small bar with a stage that seated less than
40) in a state of awe. Go see a Flamenco show if you can.
We took a flight on Halloween night from Barcelona to Madrid. After getting
settled into our hostel, one of the nicer ones that I have been to, it was already
11:00 PM. We got word of a Halloween party nearby that was free to enter for
those clad in costume, and so, we used our collective intelligence and limited
backpacked materials to find costumes for ourselves. I ended up wearing a tiny
pair of Analise's soccer shorts, a Florence shirt, sandals and face paint – I was a
soccer player. Not my best costume to date, but given the circumstances, I was
happy with it. Anthony was a rather unfashionable super hero and Analise a
beauty queen complete with toilet paper sash.
The next morning, we went to the two most famous museums in the city,
conveniently located in the area. I can't remember their names – I think Reyes
Sofia and ? – but they are well known for their Spanish art collections, including
extensive works from Picasso, Dali, Velazquez, Goya and El Greco. I really
enjoyed the 20th century collections of the more modern artists Picasso and Dali
(I think Salvador Dali might be one of my favorite painters) and liked the older
stuff as well, except that it reminded me of high school Spanish class. I actually
saw a painting, titled "The Drinkers", that I vividly recalled having to write a
three minute oral presentation for.
We also had a chance to go on a free walking tour of the city, which was
great because it introduced each of us to the main areas. Many times
throughout the tour we were convinced that we were in the "it" part of the city,
but then, only a few blocks later, we would be shown a new part of the town
that seemed to completely overtake our previous assumption. I suppose there
are just a lot of sections of Madrid that have an overwhelming, modern,
aesthetic appeal.
The next day Anthony and I had to catch a bus to Sevilla, which we did in
the late afternoon. Before that however, we walked back to some of our favorite
buildings, including the Royal Palace and its outlying garden. The palace, like
most palaces (listen to me, I'm writing as if I'm a connoisseur), is large and
extravagant from the outside; you know, lots of gold, marble and sculpted
stone. What I liked most however was its relatively small, adjacent garden that
had a number of statues along its border, statues that had at one point resided
atop the building. Apparently one night the queen had a terrible nightmare in
which all of the statues had fallen off of the building and killed innocent citizens
below; the next morning she woke up and had them immediately removed from
the structure.
Finally, before departing from Madrid, we took a stroll through the main
park, whose name I can't recall at the moment, but is famous for being
enormous and well kept. We walked casually, but were actually on a mission to
seek out a particular fountain. According to Analise, there are only three public
monuments in the world that explicitly depict Satan – one of which is in this
particular park. We found the fountain, titled, The Fallen Angel, that shows an
attractive male angel being ensnared and dragged down by venomous snakes
while wicked, monstrous faces spit water into a pool below. I thought it was a
very interesting.
From 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM we were on a bus traveling, and when we arrived
in Sevilla, all we could really do was try to find the hostel.
Sevilla was my favorite Spanish city. It was much smaller and less
boisterous than Barcelona and Madrid, but still very much a hub of activity.
There is a river that runs through the town, a number of piazzas scattered
throughout, a few picturesque churches, and orange trees lining every street.
What really drew me in were the orange trees.
Since we arrived late at night, we really didn't see or do much, aside from
check into our hostel and enjoy a welcome drink at the hostel bar. But in the
morning when we began to walk through the city, I really began to appreciate
the place. A lot of the streets are pedestrian only, and like Venice, are compactly
paved between two buildings, with stores and shops to each side of you. Then,
all of a sudden, you will turn a corner and there will be an opening, with cafes
and tables running along one side, either a fountain or statue in the middle, and
an impressive building, either a church or government structure, opposite you,
creating a rather pleasant atmosphere that can likely be found on postcards and
reprinted paintings in the gift shops of the village.
We saw the main cathedral where Christopher Columbus was buried,
although we didn't know this at the time (again, no guide book). But the church
was gorgeous and had the most impressive altar I have seen to date. At the
altar, an enormous wall of gold looms in front of you, with various
representations of holy figures sculpted into it. At the peak, you can just barely
make out a crucifix depiction, but it is so high up that it strains your eyes to
make it out. No small artistic work. Also in the church, there is a room of
Spanish jewels; rubies, diamonds, silver and gold, all put together in various
forms to make up crowns, dining sets, crucifixes, and weaponry. Again, the
Spanish spared no expense. For only a few Euro, we were also able to walk up to
the very top of the bell tower, where we went to gaze upon the rest of the city.
Metal bars on the windows disrupted the perfect view, but it was still a
wonderful opportunity to see the rest of the city.
From here we went to Plaze de Espana, in which they shot one of the final
sequences of the Star Wars movies. I don't remember which, I think it was one
of the new ones, and I'm pretty sure someone got married. Anakin maybe.
Anyway, this enormous area is comprised of a half circle of stone, with elegant
towers at each end, and a row of mosaics along the ground level, each visually
representing different areas of the country. There were bridges covered in
bright blue and yellow glassy sidings, and these ran over a moat that wasn't
filled, but would have been splendid if it was.
Another thing we made sure to check out in Sevilla was the bull-fighting
ring. Unfortunately, bull fight season ends with the conclusion of summer, so
we weren't able to catch an actual event, but for a few Euro we were admitted
into a museum with artifacts from famous bull fighters, as well as the stadium
itself. Anthony and I were the only English speakers on our Spanish / English
tour (I'd say around 15 people partook), so after the tour guide explained all of
the elements of the museum in detailed Spanish, she then half-handedly
explained what they were in English. Did you know that only three matadors
have died in Sevilla's bullring? Two of which were in 1992. Not a good year for
the bullfighters, but I suppose it's never a good year for the bulls.
At night Anthony cooked fajitas in the hostel's kitchen (our dwindling
budgets necessitated thriftier meal plans), and it was there that we met two
Australian sisters who we hung out with for the latter half of the evening.
The next morning we woke before sunrise, walked to the bus station, and
boarded a vessel bound for Tarifa, the southern most point of continental
Europe, and kite-surfing capital of the world. I will write about it soon.
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