Madrid

Well once again it is time to say good-bye to Spain. I always start and end my Spanish trips in Madrid. In many ways Madrid feels like home and I tend to visit the same wonderful places here in the capitol city. This time was no exception, however I also wanted to explore some parts I don't usually visit. Here are three "Good-bye Spain" pictures.

The Almundena Cathedral in front of the Royal Palace Madrid

BMW Headquarters in Madrid

Plaza de Castilla

Toledo Spain

I decided to do a little day trip from Madrid and Toledo is one of the best options for day tripping. It also happened to be during the Corpus Cristi celebrations. In all fairness, Toledo deserves more than a day trip. It is such a great city to explore and it has several architectonic gems. I hope you enjoy these pictures from Toledo, La Mancha, Spain. The picture to the right is of one of the atlar pieces in the cathedral; in all its baroque glory.

Welcome to Toledo! - View from main gate

Banners on balconies in Toledo, Spain

Cathedral in Toledo, Spain

My favorite window and ceiling in the Cathedral in Toledo, Spain

Chairs waiting for the Corpus Cristi procession

Museum in Toledo with view of the Castle in the background

Street in Toledo, Spain

Supra - busing in style and comfort

I'm blogging while in a bus going to madrid! I love the 21st century! :) I don't have any pictures to share, but the view is very pretty traveling through Northern Spain. Wish you were here to see it with me.

Oviedo at night

One of my favorite things to do is to walk around Oviedo at night with my camera. Here are a couple new pictures of Oviedo at night. Let me know what you think.

Noche de San Juan - Oviedo Spain

Cathedral - Oviedo Spain

Plaza de la Constitucion with La Iglesia de San Isidoro

From the Mercado looking towards San Isidoro

Oviedo Spain - Noche de San Juan

Oviedo - This is the third summer that I've spent in Oviedo. It is beginning to feel very much like home. One of my favorite celebrations here is La Noche de San Juan. It has some wonderful Celtic roots and I find it very interesting with its bonfires, mythical creatures, changing of the seasons, nature worship, dancing and new beginnings. It also seems to be a great night for photography. Here are a few pictures I took that night. It is rare to get so many pictures I really like all in one night. I hope you enjoy.

La Gorda - Oviedo, Spain

Parque San Francisco - Oviedo, Spain

Statue in Parque San Francisco - Oviedo, Spain

Noche de San Juan in Oviedo Spain

Santillana del Mar - Comillas

As far as medieval charm goes you can't get much better than Santillana del Mar in Northern Spain. It is just such a charming village with an incredibly large quantity of old buildings, houses, shops and religious structures. A couple highlights are: the flower boxes on the balconies and windows (Charming!), the covered alley ways and cob stone streets (Charming!), and of course the Torture Museum (Charming! Ok so it really isn't so charming, but the suite of amour in front of the museum is pretty cool.)

Medieval Alleyway - Santillana del Mar

Armour at the entrance to the torture museum

Palacio de Sobrellano - Comilla, Spain

The Sea

The northern coast of Spain has some wonderful spots. There are lots of beautiful nature rocky beaches. There are charming sandy beaches. There are quite beaches, busy beaches, rainy and sunny beaches. Here are two places (among many worthy places) worth visiting. Cabo de Peñas (to the right) is one of the northern most points of the region of Asturias Spain. Llanes is a pleasant seaport town and I really like the Cubos de la memoria a collection of massive painted cement blocks.
Cubos de la memoria - Llanes Spain

Cubos de la memoria - Llanes Spain

Cabo de Peñas

Leon

One of the best cathedrals in Spain is in Leon. It is massive, beautiful and has some of the best stained glass outside of France. Here are a few pictures I took this year in Leon.

Cathedral of Leon

Stained Glass in the Cathedral of Leon

Tomb in the Cathedral of Leon

Stained Glass in the Cathedral of Leon

Cathedral of Leon

Stained Glass in the Cathedral of Leon

Interior of the Cathedral in Leon

Statue of Gaudi in front of his La Casa de los Botones - Leon Spain

Casa de los botones - Leon

Santo Domingo de Silos

Santo Domingo de Silos

Spanish Countryside near Burgos

Spanish Countryside near Burgos

Santo Domingo de Silos

Peñaranda

Puente Reina

Burgos

Burgos – Spain has so many wonderful cathedrals and churches. One of my favorites is the Cathedral in Burgos. The first time I went to Burgos (2004) they were finishing cleaning the exterior of the cathedral. I had seen pictures of the cathedral before the cleaning and it had 700 years of dirty and pollution from top to bottom. After the restoration the Cathedral looks at beautiful as it did the day they finished it. There are two other things that interest me about the Cathedral. First, El Cid is buried here. Ever since I read the epic poem about El Cid I have been interested in his history (both the legends and the reality). His tomb is in the floor under the main cupola. (see photo below) Basically, He and his wife, who is buried next to him, have a wonderful view to look at forever and ever. The second thing that interests me is the Cathedral’s collection of art, artifacts and books. They actually have one of the best collections of Don Quixote de La Mancha in all of Spain (it was donated by a wealth family when the family’s patriarch died). It would be fun to see what treasures they have stored away in the hidden recesses of the cathedral.

Cathedral of Burgos

Cathedral of Burgos - Cupola above El Cid's tomb

Cathedral of Burgos

Lower Claustro - Cathedral of Burgos

Painting by one of Da Vinci's students

Hondarribia Spain

Honarribia is a beautiful little fishing village. It is across the river and bay from France. We enjoyed some great Basque food and an evening stroll around town and along the waterfront. Here are a few pictures. I hope you enjoy them. To the right is one of the typical buildings in the "downtown" area. Below are pictures of the river and port.

Hondarribia Spain

Hondarribia Spain

Hondarribia Spain

An interesting building in Hondarribia

País Vasco - Basque Country

After spending the first week or so staying in city centers, I thought it would be a fun surprise to stay in a rural bed and breakfast in Basque Country. The house, Arotz-Enea, was built in the early 1500’s. It is nestled in the foothills near Hondarribia and the Cantabrian Sea. After being in the city for so long the beauty and peacefulness of the house and landscape was very impressive. Everything was fresh, cool and wholesome. The rooms were simply charming and it was an intriguing experience sleeping in a house that is about 500 years old. In the morning we had breakfast in the “new part” of the house. The “new part” was built in the 1640’s!

Arotz-Enea

Window in my room - Basque Country, Spain

My room in the 500 year old bed and breakfast

Alhambra

The Alhambra in Granada has to be without a doubt one of my favorite places in the world. There is a saying that basically says that there is nothing more terrible than being blind in Granada and I would add especially in the Alhambra. Honestly, it would be hard to put into world the wonders that await the traveler... I'm just going to let the pictures speak for themselves.

"Dale limosna, mujer, que no hay en la vida nada como la pena de ser ciego en Granada"

Alhambra - Granada, Spain

Looking into the Patio de los Leones - Alhambra - Granada, Spain

Alhambra - Granada, Spain

Alhambra - Granada, Spain

Tiles in the Alhambra - Granada, Spain

Palacio de Carlos V- Alhambra - Granada, Spain

Detail of the beautiful woodworking they do in Granada, Spain

Alhambra - Granada, Spain

Flowers in Granada

The roses in Granada were simply amazing this year. The variety was awesome. The quantity was incredible. The beauty was divine. The pictures hardly do the flowers and gardens justice. I'm only including two photos. The one above is of some of my favorite roses in the Alhambra. The flowers were so big and full (and smelled nice too). In the picture below, I narrowed all the roses down to the top 12. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. (Let me know if you want to see the full version of the roses below) Top 12 Roses from the Alhambra - May 2009

Granada's Cathedral

There are several places that I really like in Granada. One of them is the cathedral. The interior is very impressive. The shear size and scale of it forces you into an awed state where you can't help yourself from walking around with your head looking towards heaven and gazing at the ceiling, columns, windows, arches, etc. etc. It makes for a nice change from darker and more gloomy churches. Try to visit when the choir is practicing... it is worth. :)

Granada's Cathedral

Granada's Cathedral

The Alhambra as seen from San Nicolas - Granada, Spain

Marbella

Marbella (Beautiful Sea in Spanish) was a small quite town on the coast a couple decades ago. Now it has grown bigger and richer, but in many places it still has the same charm as it did years ago. The rich and famous like to park their million dollar yachts here. Those of us of more humble means like to park our rental cars here. :)

We had a great time walking along the beach in the afternoon and then again around sunset. There is something very appealing about the Mediterranean; the air, the life, the water, etc. We didn’t spend all our time on the beach though. Marbella has a very nice, compact, old part of town with narrow streets, beautiful flowers, fancy shops and old churches (not to mention the remains of a castle). In one of the many little plazas, we found a shop that had chocolate con churros. For those of you who have never had chocolate con churros it is hard to describe how nice it is to sit in a flower scented plaza, with lovely Spanish noise all around, after having walked the beaches, as the evening light starts filling the sky, and to sit down with your follow travel companions and enjoy a massive platter of churros dipped in thick creamy Spanish chocolate and know that live is good in Marbella. If you ever want to do experience this just let me know… I’ll be happy to tag along. :)

Sand Castle in Marbella, Spain

Beach in Marbella

La Villa Marbella - There are so many beautiful white houses with colorful flowers...

Marbella, Spain

Gibraltar

We drove down to Gibraltar for the morning and lunchtime. It is a little piece of the old British Empire dangling at the bottom of the Iberian Penisula. It offers more fish and chips then you could stomach in a lifetime. Honestly though, I didn't have fish and chips. I had some yummy shepherd's pie with veg. The main thing I like about Gib (as the locales call it) is how close it is to Africa. You can see Morocco just across the straight. It was a little misty over there as if it were an enchanted landing full of adventure, magic and excitment... (Right: The Rock of Gibraltar)

View from the Rock of Gibraltar looking over the straight towards Africa... Can you hear it call?

Almodovar del Rio

I really enjoy a good castle and Almodovar del Rio has a great one. The oldest parts of Almodovar Castle date back to the time of the Moorish kingdoms of Andalucía (most likely 8th century). It saw its fair share of battles and changed hands several times. It even saw some action in the 1930’s during the Spanish Civil war; at the time it was already over a thousand years old! At the turn of the 20th century, the castle’s owner, the Count of Torralba, started extensive restorations of the castle. It is thanks to him that the castle is in the condition it is in today. I’ve always wanted to build my own castle and I think the Count of Torralba did a great job deciding what to change and what to keep. It is now on my list of my favorite top ten castles in Spain. If you are in Cordoba you really should take the time to visit the Castillo de Almodóvar del Rio.

Almodovar Castle

Almodovar Castle

One of the many gates in Almodovar Castle

A Knight in Almodovar Castle

Butterfly Battlements - Almodovar Castle

Almodovar Castle

Cordoba - Mezquita and Patios

Cordoba has a long and varied history. The Romans were here. The Moors made it their capital. The Christians re-conquered it. The experienced traveler still marvels at its wonders. In the 10th century, when London and Paris were still dirty little villages, Cordoba had running water, palaces, universities, religious tolerance, and streets lined with gas lamps. It was the capital of the Umayyad dynasty whose greatest remaining work is without a doubt La Mezquita (the mosque). The building has seen a lot of history. It was first a Visigoth church and then in the 8th century it was “converted” (LOL) into a mosque. It had its heyday in the 10-12th centuries and the later in the 13th century it was “converted” back to a Christian church. It is definitely an awesome place even if in the 16th century they built a large renaissance cathedral in the middle of what was a massive forest of pillars and arches. Though, more likely than not being “converted” into a cathedral may have saved the building from the fiery and unforgiving forces of the Spanish Inquisition. No matter what way you look at it, La Mezquita is an impressive building.

Since we are in Cordoba during the Patio Festival the city is very crowded. If you get a chance to visit La Mezquita try going in the early afternoon when all the large groups are eating lunch. The place is big enough to hold thousands of people, but it is oh so sweet when you get lost in the forest of columns and arches and have to stay there in the sweet coolness and think about the glories of ages past.

La Mezquita - Cordoba

La Mezquita - There is nothing quite like it in the world

La Mezquita - Cordoba

The Choir in the Cathedral/Mezquita - Cordoba

La Mezquita - Cordoba

The Cathedral that was built in the middle of the Mosque

Cordoba - Festival de los Patios 2009

Due to the timing of our trip to southern Spain, we were able to be in Cordoba for their Spring celebration and the Festival de los Patios. During the festival 100’s of families open their patios for 1000’s of people to see. Each patio is different and the families take great pride in having the best patio in the neighborhood. If you are near Cordoba in May, it is worth braving the crowd to get a peek at the beautiful hearts of these charming old houses; truly a sanctuary and oasis for the people who live in Cordoba. (Even if you aren’t here in May many houses keep their front gate open so you can get a glimpse of their patios.)

Patio - Cordoba

Patio - Cordoba

Cordoban Ceramics

Pink Flowers in Cordoba

La Mancha - Tierra de Don Quijote

La Mancha is possibly one of the most famous literary lands in Spain and yet, apart from Toledo, it is one of the least visited. That of course is part of the charm and intrigue of La Mancha, to be out in the countryside, to be out there with the people who work the land, to see the patchwork of fields and farms, to be in the land where Don Quixote had many of his adventures, to be in La Mancha. Obviously, windmills are infamous in La Mancha and one of the best places to see some is the city of Consuegra (which also has a castle). The windmills in Consuegra are on top of a very large hill (with the castle on one end) that overlooks the city and surrounding countryside. They have been restored and make for some fun photography and daydreaming. (Window looking out of one of the windmills in Consuegra - upper right)

In a village of La Mancha, the name of which I have no desire tocall to mind, there lived not long since one of those gentlemen thatkeep a lance in the lance-rack, an old buckler, a lean hack, and agreyhound for coursing...

17th Century Windmills

21st Century Windmills

Aranjuez Palace

Aranjuez is a lovely palace south of Madrid. It is one of my favorites and I’ve been here several times. I really wanted to show my parents this palace and so it was the first stop on our road trip. All the other times I’ve been there it has been during the week and there have been very few other visitors. This time we visited on a holiday and a Friday. Basically, we had to share the palace a little bit. :) It was still as charming as ever.

Palace of Aranjuez - Rose garden

Aranjuez - Spain