Spain 2008
- Spain was the second leg of a three month European journey taken in 2008. We spent three weeks there during May, using Eurail passes to get around by train.
- We started with five nights in Madrid checking out its fabulous museums as well as the major churches, palaces and gardens. This included a day trip to Segovia that was simply fantastic.
- From there we headed south to Toledo for a couple of nights. It’s an elegant city, beautifully situated and known for its polygot history.
- We then spent a week in Andalucia soaking up Moorish architecture and art. Cordoba was the first stop. We marvelled at the Mezquita (Great Mosque), checked out the Alcazar (castle), joined the festivities of the Feria de Mayo (May Fair), and took a day trip to Seville. Granada was our second stop in Andalucia. The Alhambra more than lived up to its hype, and we enjoyed exploring other parts of the city and day tripping to the Las Alpujarras region.
- Barcelona was our last stop in Spain. We rented an apartment and took our time marvelling at the works of Antoni Gaudi and just enjoying being in this very chic city.
- We loved our time in Spain. Other places have exerted a stonger pull on us since this visit, but we are planning to get back there one day.
Madrid
Madrid was our first stop in Spain. As a capital city it doesn't have the pull of Paris, Rome, or Athens, but we found it a worthwhile destination. The city had little historical significance before 1561 when King Felipe II moved his court from Toledo. To establish Madrid's position as...
Toledo
We left Madrid to spend two nights in Toledo before heading south to Andalucia. Toledo is an ancient city, beautifully situtated in a bend of the Tagus River and on a hill that rises above the plains of Castile-la Mancha in central Spain. It is known as the "City of the Three Cultures",...
Cordoba
Cordoba was founded by the Romans in 2 BC and became an important provincial base in Hispania under the Emperor Augustus. It was occupied by the Byzantines then by the Visigoths before it was captured by Umayyad Moors in 711. It was under the Moors that the city rose to its greatest...
Seville
Seville is Andalucia's capital and largest city, and is highly rated as a travel destination. Its Cathedral, Alcázar, and Archive of the Indies (Archivo de Indias) form a World Heritage site in the heart the city. On this trip we prioritised Cordoba and Granada as our focus in Andalucia,...
Granada
We spent four nights in Granada on our tour of Andalucia. It's a charming city located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains and the confluence of four rivers. We were attracted here to visit the famous Alhambra and the day we spent exploring this remarkable site was a highlight....
Barcelona
Barcelona was our last stop in Spain. We rented an apartment for five nights in a residential area near Placa de Catalunya, with the aim of slowing down and taking time to enjoy being in this legendary city. It worked a treat. One day we visited the Picasso Museum, wandered down to the...
