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 wealthy 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