My Favorite Thing in Spain by Jack

by guest blogger Jack

My favorite thing in Spain was probably Park Güell in Barcelona. One reason I liked the park was there was a giant lizard made out of smashed colored glass. Another reason I liked the park was the view. You could almost see all the buildings in Barcelona.

My favorite thing in Madrid is all the restaurants along the streets. All of the food was different from what I eat in North Carolina. There was a lot of seafood instead of burgers. My favorite food from Spain is paella, rice infused with saffron and cooked with seafood and vegetables.

My favorite thing in Seville was the mushrooms, the largest wood structure in the world. It is also called the Metropol Parasol. We went to the very top and I had to hold my Dad’s hand. The view was awesome. And that was my trip to SPAIN.

Instagrammin’ in January

We kicked off the new year in Madrid, Spain,  with day trips to Toledo, Ávila, and Segovia in the days to follow.  You’ll notice that some of my favorite big camera images of our travels in Spain also happen to be some of my favorite iPhone images that I posted on Instagram when we got back to our hotel each night in Spain.  I often found myself taking a picture on my phone and then my camera—and you know what, sometimes I like the phone picture better.  Pictures of me in Spain definitely show up more in the Instagram pics, though, because it was so hard to unstrap myself from the rented D750 that I was wearing under my coat with a theft-proof strap. We even got a family pic from our guide while we were in Segovia.  Sometimes these phone pics are just invaluable.

After Spain, as you’ll see, January was a pretty quiet month for us—no tennis or soccer, no major snowfalls this year…just back to normal life.   

holy toledo! | bridge to toledo | cervantes | alcázar | hilly toledo | trying to find the cathedral | we found it! | sampling the marzipan of toledo | us and the toledo alcázar | view leaving toledo, with the sun setting. | ávila with its intact medieval walls | a closer looks at the walls | what a view of the plains of spain. | our playground for the week. | knuckleheads | a peek into plaza de santa teresa. | the fairytale castle of segovia | the rare family photo | view of segovia from the top of the castle. | love my boy. | segovia—the cathedral and snow-capped mountains. | alcázar | the roman aqueduct of segovia | my cute family—thankful they indulged me and planned our big trip to spain! | churros con chocolate—last breakfast in madrid | ¡adios, españa! | a long trip home—even the panthers vs. eagles playoff game in the philly airport couldn’t keep him awake. | not yet…just watching a middle school basketball game. | running with my girl—she’s too fast for me. | finally checked out metamorphosis in charlotte…although it currently doesn’t move.

One Of My Favorite Things In Spain by Ella

by guest blogger Ella

One of my favorite sights that I saw in Spain was the Sagrada Família in Barcelona. I had seen a few other cathedrals but right as I walked in I was put in a state of awe. Unlike the other cathedrals that were build a little bit in the state of fear, the Sagrada Família was firmly and solely built based on the state of joy and hope. As soon as I walked in I was blinded by the rainbow of colors displayed from the stained glass as the sun shone through. The way Gaudí used the stained glass everywhere and in a rainbow sort of drew your eyes to the altar or wherever the stained glass was. One of the other many beauties in this cathedral was the columns leading up to the altar. They were designed to look like tree trunks so each one was a different type of stone and different shapes and sizes. Gaudí is famous for a love of nature so of course he incorporates it into his work. The ceiling is also in a way connected to the trees because as you look up it is almost as if you are looking up through a blossoming tree that is growing up from the roots of the pillars and up in the sky.

Another cool fact about the Sagrada Família is if you look on one side of the Cathedral you will see the nativity side where Jesus Christ was born. This side kind of has a sandcastle look to it. Also this side has so much detail and not one edge is flat. The other side looks like a completely different cathedral, it even is a different type of stone! This side is called the Passion, it shows where Christ was crucified on the cross. The Passion side has more of a modern look to it and has almost all straight edges and it was a lot plainer than the Nativity side.

The construction for the Sagrada Família started on March 19^th, 1882 and is still being built to this day. It is expected to be completed by 2026, 100 years after Gaudí’s death in 1926. He was buried in a crypt under the Sagrada Família. After Gaudí passed, a man named Domenech Suaranyes took over the construction until the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War when the construction was put to a halt. The Sagrada Família has a long and amazing history and I hope that if you ever go there you will appreciate it as much as I did!

Spain: Day 9, Madrid

We spent our final morning in Spain taking one last walk through the (now quiet) streets of Madrid—past Botín, through Plaza Mayor, and up to San Ginés for our last breakfast of churros con chocolate.  They were even better the second time.

¡Adiós, España! Gracias por tu hospitalidad.  Te queremos.

Spain: Day 8, Segovia

From Ávila we headed to Segovia, a city that made quite an impression on me when I was in elementary school and we lived in Spain.  The castle has quite a fairytale look, but it was the Roman Aqueduct that really struck me.  I’m not quite sure the kids believed us, or could fathom the significance, that the aqueduct was built over 2,000 years ago and without any mortar. 

We had such a nice afternoon exploring Segovia—beautiful vistas, Alcázar, Plaza Mayor, Catedral de Segovia, and finally the Roman Aqueduct before heading back to Madrid.  We didn’t partake in the famous Segovian suckling pig that they can cut with a plate, but we did enjoy the best plate of patatas bravas we’d had in Spain. 

{Ella and the Alcázar; methinks he’d rather be playing soccer than off to tour some old castle…he actually did play soccer in Plaza Mayor with some local kids later that day—they taught him the cheer, “¡Golazo!” when he scored a goal; me and my girl in front of the Segovia Alcázar—Segovia was one of my favorite field trips when I lived in Spain during elementary school; the perfect vista for the castle.}

{All of the regions of Spain; castle spires; view of Catedral de Segovia from Alcázar; thank goodness for railings (unique in Europe)…it was a long way down; view of Iglesia de la Vera Cruz from Alcázar; castle spire with the Iglesia de la Vera Cruz in the distance; more views from the castle.}

{Views from inside the castle; another view from up high at the castle—some sort of bridge; you’d have to ask them what was so entertaining; taking in the view; I wish I’d had a wider lens so you could really get a feel for how high up and treacherous the castle felt.}

{Exploring the grounds of the castle; love this face; love this face; and, love this face; a last look at the Segovia Alcázar.}

{Catedral de Segovia; exploring the Plaza Mayor in search of a spot for lunch; the cathedral and Christmas lights; tormenting more pigeons.}

{Iglesia de la Trinidad, on our walk from Plaza Mayor to the Roman Aqueduct.}

{The exposed section of the 9 miles of the acueducto romano if 2,500 feet long and 100 feet high.}

Spain: Day 8, Ávila

On our last full day in Spain we went on a guided tour to Ávila and Segovia, both northwest of Madrid in the Castile-León region.  In order to see both cities, and for the welcome break of letting someone else be the tour guide, we scheduled an excursion by van with Madrid Day Tours.  After driving out of Madrid, we drove through the rocky terrain of the plateau of Castile-León, by windmills and snow-capped mountains, on busy highways and winding roads through small villages—I was trying to take it all in, hoping to spark some memories from living in the area 30 years earlier. 

We headed to Ávila first, known for its fully-preserved 11th century walls and battlements.  At 1,132 metres above sea level, Ávila is nearly twice the elevation of Madrid and we admittedly felt it on that winter day.  It was chilly—gloves and hats stayed on during our walking tour of Ávila, but, you can see from the pictures, it really didn’t hold us back.  Our guide took us around the walls, through the Convento de Santa Teresa de Jesús (built on the birthplace of Ávila’s own St. Teresa), and on to the marketplace.  We had an hour or so to explore on our own as well, so first we warmed ourselves up with some hot chocolate and coffee and some of Ávila’s famous pastries.  Ávila might’ve still looked like a medieval city, but the shops and locals looked very cosmopolitan.  We loved exploring Ávila, however chilly—the murallas (walls) of Ávila are just a spectacular sight.  

{From left to right, top to bottom: viewing Ávila from Cuatro Postes; Ella and Jack at Cuatro Postes; the view of the other side of the wall around the city; the Convent of St. Teresa; an up close look at the walls; I love the signs and view.}

{Christmas lights; a view into Plaza de Santa Teresa; Plaza de Mercado Chico; more medieval architecture; checking out St. Teresa’s finger…you read that right (she died in 1582); so many details in everything; the front of the Convent of St. Teresa.}

{The walls and battlements; the Cathedral of Ávila; statue of St. Teresa of Ávila; the Cathedral; the perfectly intact medieval walls of Ávila.}

{Exploring the Paseo del Rastro along the walls of Ávila and enjoying the beautiful views across the plains.}

{Views from the Paseo del Rastro of Ávila.}

{A little rock climbing along the walls of Ávila.}

Spain: Day 7, Toledo

Toledo is just a 30-minute train ride away from Madrid, so, although we knew most of the major sights would be closed on New Year’s Day, we decided to make the day trip as the city is a national monument itself.  Toledo is like a time capsule—narrow streets, fortressed walls, architecture that hasn’t been touched in 500 years.  Exploring and, quite honestly, getting lost on the streets of Toledo made for what I think was one of our favorite days while in Spain, the quiet exploration of such a historic and distinctly European place. The weather was gorgeous which was fortunate because we spent nearly the entire day outside, walking around and enjoying the views.  Enough shops were open for us to buy some beautiful souvenirs unique to Toledo, which is part of the essential experience: damascene earrings, simple pocket knives for the kids (only in Toledo), and marzipan (eaten at a park overlooking the river and rocky hills).  And, after a little searching, we even found a little restaurant for yummy lunch.  So, holiday or not, we thoroughly enjoyed our Toledo experience and we’re glad we made the time for it during our time in Spain.

{From left to right, top to bottom: our walk up from the train station; first view of Toledo; pretty close to how El Greco saw it; checking out the Tajo River and the walls of the city; Ella in Toledo; the gate on the bridge.}

{Tossing stones into the river, far down below; this is the only place on our trip that made my heart skip a beat with the kids—Jack at one point wedged his foot into a crevice to help hold him as he leaned far over the edge of the bridge to get a better look; it’s a long way down, over 30m; Toledo is surrounded on 3 sides by the Tajo River; crossing the Puente de Alcántara.}

{Stepping through the Puerta de Doce Cantos; and into Toledo; Convento de Santa Fe; checking out the view from within the city; Convento de la Concepción.}

{Toledo’s own Miguel de Cervantes; view of the Alcázar of Toledo; checking out the famous swords of Toledo; Don Quixote; the Alcázar.}

{Exploring the grounds; and trying to get a better view; Iglesia de San Miguel; we honestly had trouble finding the large cathedral among the winding and labyrinthine streets of Toledo; interesting metalwork and doorways were everywhere; Toledo is very hilly; getting closer.}

{The streets are so narrow, you find most sights framed by other buildings when you viewed them; we had such a fun time just walking around, getting lost, and exploring the old streets of Toledo; Toledo’s Cathedral—we made it; construction on the cathedral began in 1226 and finished in about 1463; Toledo’s cathedral was High Gothic; and more narrow streets and alleyways…we got lost more than once.}

{Near the cathedral; another doorway’s detail; we found a marzipan shop that was open (most were closed for the holiday) near the cathedral (mazapán has been made in Toledo since the 13th century); more exploring; quite often we had the streets to ourselves—it was definitely the quietest day, which was kind of nice after days of holiday crowds; like all of the cities we visited, Toledo was thoroughly decked in holiday lights.}

{The rocky terrain of La Mancha; checking out their new pocket knives from Toledo; trying some mazapán; we all agree—yummy in small amounts; snack with a view; I like this view even better.}

{Unstrapped myself from my camera to actually get into a few shots and enjoy the view of the beautiful terrain of Castile-La Mancha.}

{Before leaving Toledo, we climbed the stairs along the city walls to get a better view of greater Toledo.}

{Back through the Puerta de Doce Cantos (the Door of 12 Songs); hard for him to stand still for long for a picture; finding some wildlife (“take a picture, mom”); there are Moorish influences in the architecture in Toledo, too; on the bridge; a look at the Puente de Alcántara (Alcántara Bridge).}

{The gate on Puente de Alcántara; view from the bridge; Ella took quite a few pictures on her iTouch; crossing back over the Puente de Alcántara; last view of Toledo.}

{Café con leche at the train station; enjoying a drink at the beautifully-tiled train station before catching our train back to Madrid; the bar at the train station.}