SPAIN
PLACES VISITED: MADRID, SEVILLE, BARCELONA
MADRID
First Stop: MADRID
Thanks to Saudi Airlines for my free RT ticket to Spain😊😊
I have always loved doing things alone, traveling is one of them. Though I perfectly enjoy our family trips, going to Spain on my own is such a refreshing, liberating (big word 😜😜) experience that I almost have always wanted to do.
Why Spain? Though Im not particularly a history buff, i've always wondered how Spain has influenced the filipino culture so greatly. Ahh, those more than 300 years of Filipinos under the Spanish rule certainly impacted on our beliefs, culture, language,etc. i found countless similarities that are both intriguing and amazing. Going around Madrid from my hotel in Gran Via to Calle Mayor to Plaza de Espana and then to Sol and back, I had realized that this open, multicultural nation offers so much of fascination in terms of history, architecture, art, food, wine (ah, i dont drink alone though) and culture. A capital so vibrant (and hyper)- everyone greets (or smiles) at everyone in the street. Locals and tourists alike are so cheerful, I felt safe and relaxed. Madrilenos are friendly, welcoming people too, in a way I feel like it's a mixture of Greece and Italy (or maybe its just me).
Thanks to Saudi Airlines for my free RT ticket to Spain😊😊
I have always loved doing things alone, traveling is one of them. Though I perfectly enjoy our family trips, going to Spain on my own is such a refreshing, liberating (big word 😜😜) experience that I almost have always wanted to do.
Why Spain? Though Im not particularly a history buff, i've always wondered how Spain has influenced the filipino culture so greatly. Ahh, those more than 300 years of Filipinos under the Spanish rule certainly impacted on our beliefs, culture, language,etc. i found countless similarities that are both intriguing and amazing. Going around Madrid from my hotel in Gran Via to Calle Mayor to Plaza de Espana and then to Sol and back, I had realized that this open, multicultural nation offers so much of fascination in terms of history, architecture, art, food, wine (ah, i dont drink alone though) and culture. A capital so vibrant (and hyper)- everyone greets (or smiles) at everyone in the street. Locals and tourists alike are so cheerful, I felt safe and relaxed. Madrilenos are friendly, welcoming people too, in a way I feel like it's a mixture of Greece and Italy (or maybe its just me).
SEVILLA/SEVILLE
I found Madrid nice but Seville is MAGICAL!
It's so beautiful, I can't weave words to describe it. As in sobrang ganda.
I took a RENFE train from Madrid to reach this Andalucian city. From Santa Justa Train Station to the old town by bus, I say it's a city of contrast and yet very colorful. I saw quite a lot more old people here which gave me an earlier impression that it probably is more laid back but I wasn't right. Seville is warm and pleasant in all aspects, and it exudes a character of its own. I'm in the old town, small streets (similar to Prague) and yet the details of the buildings are very pronounced and adorable. Seville is now officially one of my favorite cities in the world.
Finally been to the GoT's fictional region in Westeros --the castle of Dorne with its Water Gardens and even my favorite series didn't give enough justice to this fabulously luxurious place. I think I'll re-watch season 5 when I get back in Riyadh.
#realalcazar #gameofthrones #oldtownseville #solotravel #bucketlist
It's so beautiful, I can't weave words to describe it. As in sobrang ganda.
I took a RENFE train from Madrid to reach this Andalucian city. From Santa Justa Train Station to the old town by bus, I say it's a city of contrast and yet very colorful. I saw quite a lot more old people here which gave me an earlier impression that it probably is more laid back but I wasn't right. Seville is warm and pleasant in all aspects, and it exudes a character of its own. I'm in the old town, small streets (similar to Prague) and yet the details of the buildings are very pronounced and adorable. Seville is now officially one of my favorite cities in the world.
Finally been to the GoT's fictional region in Westeros --the castle of Dorne with its Water Gardens and even my favorite series didn't give enough justice to this fabulously luxurious place. I think I'll re-watch season 5 when I get back in Riyadh.
#realalcazar #gameofthrones #oldtownseville #solotravel #bucketlist
BARCELONA
Arrived in Barcelona thru Vueling Airlines before noon 2nd Sept.
Quirky and sophisticated yet quaint and chic, Barcelona is a mixture of classically designed yet modern cosmopolitan.
The streets exude such an atmosphere of luxury with so much character in (food), fashion and architecture. Gaudi's works are very unique and extravagant, his buildings are a must see in Barcelona.
The highlight of our day was visiting the breathtaking icon of Barcelona- the Sagrada Familia. Absolutely stunning inside and outside. Such a wonderful masterpiece and knowing the story behind it, Gaudi being commissioned to do it and his untimely death is very inspiring and humbling.
We spent our second day in Barcelona walking around starting at the Park Guell. It is located up the mountain and on top presents a nice viewpoint of the whole city and the ocean. At 9am, it was already crowded with tourists. We actually went there a day before but they are allowing only 400 guests every thirty minutes, so when we arrived at 4pm, the next available slot was 6:30pm then we decided to take the reservations for next day and we got the 9am slots. Park Guell is very big and there are lots of trails that take you into different parts of the mountain but the main highlight is the impressive architectural works of Gaudi from stunning colorful mosaics and lizards and dragons and fantasy-like gingerbread houses and other whimsical buildings.
After a calorie-burning tour around Park Guell, we headed towards the city center to Plaza Catalunya and along Las Ramblas, passing by the memorial for the recent terrorist attack in Barcelona. This unlikely and elaborate tree-lined boulevard runs through the heart of Barcelona has a massive amount of so many activities all crammed in- shops, diners, exhibitions, street performers, living art, flower stalls, craft stalls, fashion shops, museums, theatres, etc. Tourists and locals are everywhere, I found it a good place for enjoying Barcelona and just watching people. Every corner of the street has its own character which is very Spanish. I think this part of the city shows very least Arab influence in the buildings. We went into some back streets and we found a Cathedral where popular European guitarists will be having a concert so we booked seats too.
From La Rambla, we headed to the Marina and then to the beach late afternoon. It was a good walk, seeing another part of the cosmopolitan. The beach area was generally clean, lots of street sellers, local shops and sun bathing tourist. Nice place to chill out after a day of strolling around the city.
Quirky and sophisticated yet quaint and chic, Barcelona is a mixture of classically designed yet modern cosmopolitan.
The streets exude such an atmosphere of luxury with so much character in (food), fashion and architecture. Gaudi's works are very unique and extravagant, his buildings are a must see in Barcelona.
The highlight of our day was visiting the breathtaking icon of Barcelona- the Sagrada Familia. Absolutely stunning inside and outside. Such a wonderful masterpiece and knowing the story behind it, Gaudi being commissioned to do it and his untimely death is very inspiring and humbling.
We spent our second day in Barcelona walking around starting at the Park Guell. It is located up the mountain and on top presents a nice viewpoint of the whole city and the ocean. At 9am, it was already crowded with tourists. We actually went there a day before but they are allowing only 400 guests every thirty minutes, so when we arrived at 4pm, the next available slot was 6:30pm then we decided to take the reservations for next day and we got the 9am slots. Park Guell is very big and there are lots of trails that take you into different parts of the mountain but the main highlight is the impressive architectural works of Gaudi from stunning colorful mosaics and lizards and dragons and fantasy-like gingerbread houses and other whimsical buildings.
After a calorie-burning tour around Park Guell, we headed towards the city center to Plaza Catalunya and along Las Ramblas, passing by the memorial for the recent terrorist attack in Barcelona. This unlikely and elaborate tree-lined boulevard runs through the heart of Barcelona has a massive amount of so many activities all crammed in- shops, diners, exhibitions, street performers, living art, flower stalls, craft stalls, fashion shops, museums, theatres, etc. Tourists and locals are everywhere, I found it a good place for enjoying Barcelona and just watching people. Every corner of the street has its own character which is very Spanish. I think this part of the city shows very least Arab influence in the buildings. We went into some back streets and we found a Cathedral where popular European guitarists will be having a concert so we booked seats too.
From La Rambla, we headed to the Marina and then to the beach late afternoon. It was a good walk, seeing another part of the cosmopolitan. The beach area was generally clean, lots of street sellers, local shops and sun bathing tourist. Nice place to chill out after a day of strolling around the city.
BACK TO MADRID
Next day, we took an early train going back to Madrid. We stayed at my first AirBNB reservation which went well. We joined a walking tour around Madrid in the afternoon thru Sandeman's which was really good coz we got to know more about the history and politics of Madrid in less than 3 hours.
Overall, my trip in Spain and Portugal has been a really good and memorable one. Spain is the 29th country I have visited and Portugal is the 30th. It was the first time I traveled solo again (after I got married) until my super duper best friend cum sister from another mom H came to join me in Lisbon.
Overall, my trip in Spain and Portugal has been a really good and memorable one. Spain is the 29th country I have visited and Portugal is the 30th. It was the first time I traveled solo again (after I got married) until my super duper best friend cum sister from another mom H came to join me in Lisbon.
