Travelogue

Flamenco dancers in CordobaWhile the Alhambra is the most visited tourist attraction in Spain with over 2 million visitors per year, the Mezquita in Cordoba comes in second, with approximately 1.5 million annual visitors. Always intrigued by photos of its rhythmic series of giant red-and-white colored arches, we decided to add ourselves to the tourist tally.

As I have mentioned before, European cities are much more camper friendly than those in the states, so we were able to find a campground right in Cordoba, called El Brillante Municipal Camping, in walking distance (1.5 miles) to the Mezquita. Another difference between Spanish and U.S. campground is if you call ahead either a day before or same day and find out they have an available site, they will save it for you without taking down a credit card number. They just trust that you will show up or have the courtesy to call if not.

We arrived at the campground early enough on a Saturday to visit the Mezquita, as it was open until 7 pm on Saturdays. Unlike the Alhambra, tickets for the Mezquita do not have to be purchased in advance, but something made me check their website anyway. Lucky I did, because I found out that the hours for today were different than a normal Saturday because of a special festival in Cordoba. Rather than 7 pm, they would be closing at 2 pm today, which was in about an hour. However, they would be open tomorrow morning at 8:30 am.

The MezquitaIt was really hot, and the campground pool was not open yet (as it wasn’t technically summer - despite it being well over 90 degrees), so we decided to walk to the historic center near the riverfront, where we could at least enjoy the exterior of the Mezquita and wander through the old city.

Along the walk we saw several women of all ages, shapes, and sizes dressed in flamenco outfits. I don’t think they were actually flamenco dancers, but rather just dressed up as part of the festival.

Just to be sure, we went to the Mezquita first to confirm that it was in fact closed. It was. Still there was plenty more to see and do.

Before I describe our experience in Cordoba, I think it would be helpful to know a little more about the history of this incredible city. I wish I had done more homework before our visit rather than waiting until writing this afterwards. Anyway, for what it’s worth, here is my very, very brief history of Cordoba:

Roman bridge over the Guadalquivir RiverCordoba was first founded as a Roman colony in 152 BC, and served as the capital of Rome’s Baetica province (what is today Andalucia). There are several remnants of its Roman past to explore, such as the Roman bridge over the Guadalquivir River and the remains of a first-century Roman temple.

After the Roman Empire fell in the 5th century AD, the Visigoths took over the city for awhile until it was conquered by Muslim invaders in 711, who turned Cordoba into the Islamic capital of the entire Iberian peninsula.

Every good Muslim city, especially one of such prominance, needs an impressive mosque to show off its power, culture, and influence - hence, the Mezquita.

Construction of the Mezquita (Spanish for “mosque”) began in 785, under the rule of Abd al Rahman I, and lasted for about 200 years. Later caliphs enlarged the mosque, adding a new minaret, orange tree courtyard, outer naves, and other features.

Mezquite (Take 2)During the 10th century, Cordoba was the largest city in Western Europe, and also one of the most impressive, with dazzling mosques, libraries, a university, and highly skilled artisans in textiles and glazed tiles. During that time Muslims, Christians, and Jews in the city coexisted quite peacefully.

However, Christians were not just sitting idly by while Muslims ruled the Iberian peninsula. The Spanish Reconquista (Christian attempt to take back the Iberian peninsula from the Muslims) lasted almost from the time Muslims arrived in the 8th century until Grenada fell in 1492. Cordoba was recaptured in 1236 by King Ferdinand III, and the Mezquita began to be used as a church.

Fortunately for all of us today, the Christian conquerors did not destroy the Islamic features of the mosque, but simply built their own Renaissance cathedral inside it. As a result, the Mezquita is a remarkable example of both Moorish and Renaissance architecture.

The Mezquita's forest of Islamic red-and-white archesHopefully, that provides a little context for what we would be seeing during our wanderings.

From the Mezquita, we wandered downhill and walked across the Guadalquivir on an the ancient Roman bridge built in the first century AD that once was along the Via Augusta, which connected Rome to Cádiz. While the foundation is the original Roman construction, most of the present structure dates from the Moorish reconstruction in the 8th century. 247 meters in length, it now has 16 arcades. It has been renovated several more times over the last 12 centuries.

After crossing the bridge, we came to the Museum of Al-Andalus Life, which occupies a fortified gate that was built by Christians in the 14th century to protect what was then the Christian city. I looked sadly at the sign saying that it too was closed for the festival.

We made our way back across the bridge, past the Mezquita and along the narrow winding alleyways of the Jewish quarter, dating back to the late Middle Ages. It was so much quieter here, as somehow we had lost all the tourists near the Mezquita. Cordoba is an extremely hot city, but they had it figured out. There was almost constant shade (except high noon) because of the narrowness of the streets and the thick whitewashed walls kept the interior of the buildings relatively cool. Colorful doors and windows and pretty patios behind iron gates helped counter the boring whitewash.

Lolo in the cathedral portion of the MezquitaOn the way back to the campground, we passed the remains of a first-century Roman temple, which was discovered in the 1950s during a remodeling of City Hall. What remains today are the towering columns and base of what was once a massive temple.

Foolishly we thought that we could get a bite to eat on our walk back, but it was only 5:30, way to early for a proper dinner in Spain, especially on a Saturday. We finally gave up, and I am embarrassed to say, went to a McDonalds, just a short distance from our campground. My excuse was that I needed their free internet to load up photos. We had Big Macs and I had a cafe con helado (coffee with ice cream) and Herb had a McCerveza. It was fun - plus it was the only game in town at this hour, which at home is the Early Bird Special.

Cordoba was so hot that we wanted to get our walk and visit to the Mezquita done in the cool of the morning. If we could do that and get back to the campground before checkout at noon, we would move along on our journey north across Spain.

17th century Baroque-style choirWhen we got to the Mezquita around 8:30, I was a little nervous that it still wouldn’t be open, but there was already a crowd gathering near the entrance gate. The doors opened and we were let into the Patio de los Naranjos (Orange Tree Courtyard), where when this was a mosque, the Muslim faithful would wash before prayer.

After purchasing our entrance tickets for 10 € - best 10 € I ever spent - we entered the hypostyle prayer hall and were immediately immersed in the forest of red-and-white giant double arches that the Mezquita is famous for. Each of the arches is supported by a marble, granite, or jasper column salvaged from ancient Roman and Visigothic ruins. There are 856 columns in total. It was absolutely breathtaking.

As I mentioned in my brief history, when Cordoba was recaptured in 1236 by King Ferdinand III, they turned the Mezquita into a church. Thankfully, they pretty much left things alone, with the exception of eliminating part of the column hall to make room for a Renaissance cathedral right smack in the middle of the building, surrounded by the forest of Islamic red-and-white arches.

Mezquita horseshoe-arched Mihrab (prayer niche)It is an amazing comingling of the two religions. However, the nave’s towering Renaissance arches and dome were meant to emphasize the triumph of Christianity over Islam.

In the 17th century, a Baroque-style choir was added across from the alter, with 109 beautiful mahogany-carved choir stalls, each depicting scenes from the Bible - Mary’s life on one side and Jesus’ life on the other. Above was an incredible barrel-vaulted ceiling, also in the Baroque style.

Continuing on, we left the Christian worship space and once again entered the Islamic world and its equivalent of the church’s high altar - the Mihrab, a horseshoe-arched, beautifully decorated prayer niche set into the wall facing Mecca. It was from here that the imam would read scripture and give sermons.

Dome above the MihrabThe arch was adorned with shimmering gold tesserae with vegetal motifs and intricate calligraphic bands of quotes from the Quran. Unlike the Christian portion of the Mezquita, where the walls were adorned with paintings were of saints and Jesus, Muslims do not adorn their worship space with human figures.

Above the mihrab, was a dazzling dome, built of crisscrossing ribs that create pointed arches all lavishly covered with gold mosaic. It was all absolutely stunning.

We had wanted to climb up the belltower for views of the city, but tickets were already sold out. Just as well. This would allow us to walk back to our campground before noon checkout, so that we could move on to our next destination - Salamanca.

I have to confess to another stop at McDonalds for another cafe con helado and free Wifi to load photos.

Description

Let's hope the Mezquita doors will open for us todayCordoba was first founded as a Roman colony in 152 BC, and served as the capital of Rome’s Baetica province (what is today Andalucia). There are several remnants of its Roman past to explore, such as the Roman bridge over the Guadalquivir River and the remains of a first-century Roman temple.

After the Roman Empire fell in the 5th century AD, the Visigoths took over the city for awhile until it was conquered by Muslim invaders in 711, who turned Cordoba into the Islamic capital of the entire Iberian peninsula.

Every good Muslim city, especially one of such prominance, needs an impressive mosque to show off its power, culture, and influence - hence, the Mezquita.

Construction of the Mezquita (Spanish for “mosque”) began in 785, under the rule of Abd al Rahman I, and lasted for about 200 years. Later caliphs enlarged the mosque, adding a new minaret, orange tree courtyard, outer naves, and other features.

Lolo wandering along the forest of Islamic red-and-white archesDuring the 10th century, Cordoba was the largest city in Western Europe, and also one of the most impressive, with dazzling mosques, libraries, a university, and highly skilled artisans in textiles and glazed tiles. During that time Muslims, Christians, and Jews in the city coexisted quite peacefully.

However, Christians were not just sitting idly by while Muslims ruled the Iberian peninsula. The Spanish Reconquista (Christian attempt to take back the Iberian peninsula from the Muslims) lasted almost from the time Muslims arrived in the 8th century until Grenada fell in 1492. Cordoba was recaptured in 1236 by King Ferdinand III, and the Mezquita began to be used as a church.

Fortunately for all of us today, the Christian conquerors did not destroy the Islamic features of the mosque, but simply built their own Renaissance cathedral inside it. As a result, the Mezquita is a remarkable example of both Moorish and Renaissance architecture.

It is truly a fascinating building, famous for the forest of pillars and arches inside the main hall. It is the second most visited tourist attraction in Spain (after the Alhambra) with over 1.5 million visitors per year.

Travelogue

Ronda above the 300-foot deep the El Tajo GorgeNot wanting to waste a precious day in Spain, after being turned away from our scheduled El Caminito del Rey because of high winds, we decided to take a side trip to Ronda, one of Andalusia’s most beautiful white villages, less than an hour away.

There are a string of these lovely villages throughout the Andalusia region, painted white because of the scorching summer heat. Ronda is one of its largest and most popular, as we would soon learn.

Ronda’s main attraction is its dramatic setting, set atop the 300-foot deep El Tajo Gorge, which separates the village into two parts - the New Town and the Old Town.

Ronda's Puente NuevoAlthough our main interest was in exploring the Old Town, we had to park in the New and navigated our way through the crowded streets (much more people than we expected) to the Puente Nuevo, the iconic bridge which connects the new town to the old. Funny how although it was built in 1793, it is still considered the “New” Bridge. Spain, with its millenniums of history, has a different way of viewing time than we do in the much younger United States.

After crossing the bridge, we tried to walk down into the gorge, because that is what Rick Steve’s did in the YouTube video we watched, and it looked very cool. However, we were thwarted pretty early on by a locked gate - not exactly sure why.

Still it was interesting wandering around the winding lanes of the old town, which dates back to Islamic times when it was an important cultural center and fortified city filled with mosques and palaces. In its heyday, it was second only to Granada during the last years of Moorish rule in Spain. It fell in 1485, just seven years before Granada.

Young olive grove in RondaEventually, we crossed back over the Puente Nuevo into the other world of the new town, with its traffic, restaurants, bars, and up-scale shops. The New Town is also home to the Plaza de Toros, the oldest bullring in Spain (built in 1785).

Funny how most of the crowds stayed on this side of the gorge, although we found the other to be much more picturesque and interesting - all the better for our experience.
Before heading back, we stopped to have a cup of coffee on the terrace of the Hotel Hemingway - where I would like to think he did the same.

Hopefully, tomorrow the wind would cooperate so we could do our hike on El Caminito del Rey.

Description

Olive grove in the white village of RondaRonda, one of the most beautiful white villages in Andalusia, sits dramatically above the 300-foot deep El Tajo Gorge. The gorge separates, which was carved out by the Rio Guadalevin, separates the city in two.

South of the gorge is Ronda’s old town, dating from Islamic times when it was an important cultural center and fortified city filled with mosques and palaces. It was second only to Granada during the last years of Moorish rule in Spain. It fell in 1485, just seven years before Granada.

Herb wandering through Ronda's Old TownThe new town is perched atop steep cliffs on the northern side of the gorge. This is where you will find most of the visitors enjoying the many restaurants and parks. It is also home to the Plaza de Toros, the oldest bullring in Spain.

Three bridges cross the gorge connecting the old town with the new, the most iconic of which is the Puente Nuevo, built in 1793. Spain’s idea of new is definitely different than in the United States.

Travelogue

One of the lovely Embalses (Reservoirs) in ArdalesThis was probably the stop I was most excited about, as it is home to one of Spain’s most iconic and popular hikes - the Caminito del Rey. In fact, it is so popular that you actually need tickets for entry, which go on sale in January of every year.

Part of its draw is its legendary past as the most dangerous hiking path in the world, clinging to the sides of the sheer walls of the Garganta del Chorro, a 4-km long gorge that is 400 meters deep.

A brief bit of history to set the scene:

The Caminito del ReyThe original path was built in 1905, not as a tourist attraction, but rather as a means for hydroelectric plant workers to transport materials between two hydroelectric plants at either end of the gorge. Every day workers would precariously walk the 4 km along a narrow, concrete path attached to the walls of the gorge by steel beams. There were no railings or fences of any sort to protect them from falling down into the gorge. To make matters worse, the path deteriorated over the years, resulting in large gaps bridged only by narrow steel beams that the workers had to balance their way across. Add the wind that whips through this gorge to that, and you have some pretty challenging work conditions.

Looking down into the Garganta del Chorro gorgeIn 1921 the Spanish King Alfonso XIII crossed the walkway for the inauguration of the dam - in fact, that is how the route got its name, which means “the King’s little path.”

However, over the years, as more and more people lost their lives falling off the walkway, the local government closed it in 2000. Understanding the value and potential of this incredibly beautiful place, the regional government of Andalusia and the local government of Malaga agreed in 2011 to invest 9 million € in a joint restoration project.

The refurbished and totally safe El Caminito del Rey reopened in March 2015 and received over 3,200 visitors during its first few days. It has been a great boon to the local economy, with tickets (1,100 per day) pretty much selling out every day.

Fortunately, I remembered to go online in January and managed to get 2 tickets for May 30 at 9:30 am (the first group to be let on the path).

Camping Parque ArdaleOnce I had successfully gotten tickets, I booked a campsite for three nights at Camping Parque Ardales, mostly because they advertised that they were just 1 km away from the entrance of the Caminito del Rey, meaning we would not have to move the camper van to get to our hike.

The two hour drive from Grenada to Ardales was beautiful, leading us past groves of olive trees and awesome views of the aquamarine waters of the Embalse (Reservoir) del Guadalhorce, which we would be camping on - an added benefit I hadn’t realized when booking our campsite.

Tunnel to the Caminito del Rey trailheadAfter checking into our lovely campsite, we decided to scout out how to get to the Caminito del Rey, so that we would be sure to be on time for our entry the following morning.

The 1 km must have been measured by a crow, because the actual walking distance was 2 miles - still, perfectly fine. The walk took us through the campground, out along the road, through a very dark and long tunnel where Herb banged his head several times, and then a short distance along a trail to the kiosk. Ok,simple enough and accomplished in under a half hour.

After that we hiked back, somehow missing the turnoff for the tunnel (which is a shortcut back to the road), but that was okay because it brought us to the Mirador des Embalses, where there was a beautiful view of the Embalse del Conde del Guadalhorce, a huge reservoir that dominates the landscape - and the one we were camping on!

Lolo making sure the fencing looks soundEven without the Caminito del Rey, this area is a very worthy destination.

That evening after a humble dinner of salad and tortellini, we took a walk through the campground to a point that jutted out into the Embalse del Guadalhorce. It gets dark so late in Spain that we could still find our way along the trail at 10 pm.

The next morning we got up bright and early, and left our campsite at 8:00 in time to walk the 2 miles for our 9:30 appointment with the Caminito del Rey. When we arrived at the kiosk at 8:45, there were already dozens of people ahead of us anxiously waiting to get started. As 9:30 came and went, the crowd began to get a bit restless. Finally, one of the official gatekeepers announced, “Cerrado, demasiado ventoso,” and everyone started to grumble and walk away. It took me a few minutes, even with my 60+ hours of duolingo, to realize that she had said, “Closed, too much wind.”

Herb on the Caminito del ReyIn dismay, we went to the official who spoke English and asked her what we could do. She told us that we could go online to their website and change our ticket to any day in the next 30 days. The only possible day we had was tomorrow, so we tried to do it on our phones right there. When even she couldn’t get it to work, she walked into the office and came out with tickets for anytime the next day - however, adding the caveat that the wind could be an issue then as well. At least it was a possibility.

Not wanting to waste the day, we decided to take a side trip to the white village of Ronda (about an hour away), something that had been on my list of possible stops after this one. Rather than describe that excursion here, I thought I would give that lovely village the dignity of its own stop - see next page

Crossing the gorgeAfter we got back from Ronda, I figured I would take advantage of our prime location on the Embalse del Guadalhorce and spend some time on the beach just a short distance away. I set up my chair and blanket and spent the next hour reading and watching Spanish families happily recreating on the lake, in all sorts of watercraft, my favorite being the paddle boats with water slides on the back.

Feeling peaceful, I took a nap on my towel only waking up when a giant wind blew my chair away. Oh no. There was that damn wind that had thwarted our hike earlier in the day. I was not feeling particularly optimistic about the Caminito del Rey being open tomorrow.

However, the next morning we awoke to the beautiful sound of silence - no wind. Excited that we might have a chance to do our hike, we quickly got ready and headed over to the trailhead to be in the first group let out at 9:30.

Lolo crossing over the windy suspension bridgeThings looked promising. We were let through the first gate and handed hairnets and a helmet - not because they expected you to fall into the gorge, but to protect in case of falling rocks. A guided tour was let on the pathway first, and about 10 minutes later, our group of about 60 hikers was allowed to proceed as well.

Our strategy was to hang back just enough to lose our group and be able to take photos unimpeded, but not too slow so the next group would catch up to us. The strange thing was, no group every caught up to us. Only later did we realize why. We were the only group let on that day because right afterwards it was shut down again because of demasiado ventoso (high winds). We practically had the whole thing to ourselves.

It was wonderful. The new boardwalk that they built to replace the precarious concrete one was wide and had handrails - perfectly safe and not even a little bit scary. Hanging off the gorge walls 100 meters above the river, the path snaked around the dramatic cliffs, providing breathtaking views around every turn.

Lolo hiking on the new route, with the old deteriorated one belowWhen rebuilding the new path, they just built it above the old pathway, which allowed us to see how lucky we were that they had replaced it.

It wasn’t until the final stretch when we crossed a long suspension bridge over the gorge that we realized just how bad the wind was. It really whipped pretty fiercely through the gorge, causing the bridge to swing quite a bit. Still, there was no danger of falling as there were steel cables to hold onto. Plus, the incredible views of the ravine and the valley beyond were a good distraction.

It was a pretty awesome day. We were so so glad we were able to get on it before it closed.

Description

Lolo along the Caminito del ReyArdales is a town in the Andalusian region that lies on the beautiful Embalse del Conde del Guadalhorce, a huge reservoir that dominates the landscape and is a paradise for those looking for water recreation.

As if that isn’t a big enough draw to the region, Ardales is also home to the site of the legendary Caminito del Rey path that was once considered the most dangerous pathway in the world, as it goes along the sheer walls of the Garganta del Chorro, a 4-km long gorge that is 400 meters deep.

The original path, which was completed in 1905, was built to provide workers with a means to transport materials between two hydroelectric plants at either end of the gorge. The path, which was made of concrete resting on steel rails deteriorated over the years, resulting in large gaps bridged only by narrow steel beams that the workers had precariously walk across with the steep drop into the gorge below.

Lolo along the Caminito del ReyIn 1921 King Alfonso XIII crossed the walkway for the inauguration of the dam, giving the path its name with means “King’s path.”

Over the years, several people lost their lives falling off the walkway. After two more deaths in 1999 and 2000, the local government closed both entrances.

After a 9 million € refurbishment project in which 2.9 km of wide wooden boardwalks with handrails were installed, the newly safe El Caminito del Rey reopened in March of 2015. The new boardwalk that hangs 100m above the river, snakes around dramatic cliffs, providing breathtaking views all along the way.

Lonely Planet has listed it as one of its best attractions, so now it is so popular that you need to buy tickets in advance on their website.

Travelogue

View of Alhambra from AlbaicinThe 4-hour drive inland to Granada was beautiful, with olive trees as far as the eye can see. In fact, I learned afterwards that there are 250 million olive trees in Spain and that they produce almost half of the world’s olive oil. I used to always think Italy when buying olive oil, but Spain produces three times as much and makes some of the best in the world.

The scenery got even more beautiful and surreal as we got closer to Granada and passed through an area that I later learned is called the Barrio de Cuevas or the Neighbourhood of Caves, where homes are built into the red craggy hills. It was like a Hobbit village with front doors cut into the side of the rock and tiny white chimneys poking out of the hills. Known as troglodytes, people have been living in these caves for centuries.

The backdrop of the Sierra Nevada mountains behind them certainly didn’t hurt the view.

Lolo strolling up the steps of the AlbaicinSoon we were in Granada, home to Spain’s most visited tourist attraction. I had been warned by friends that have been there that it is a selfie-stick madhouse, but we figured we just had to do it. When I tried to buy 14 € General Admission tickets a month before our trip, they were sold out, so I bought 46 € tickets through Nhue tours for a 3-hour, small group (less than 20), English speaking tour of the Alhambra, Generalife, Alcazaba and Nasrid Palaces. Rick Steve had emphasized to make sure the tour included the Nasrid Palaces, as that is the highlight.

While doing my research, I had learned that campers can actually park overnight in the Alhambra parking lot. I was skeptical at first, but several non-official Alhambra websites seemed to confirm that it was possible. However, when we read how difficult it is to navigate through the streets of Granada, we got cold feet and decided to stay at an official campground called Reina Isabel on the outskirts of the city where we could catch a bus into the Granada Old Town, where all the tourist action is.

Pool at Camping Reina IsabelThe campground was lovely, and had a beautiful pool - minus the giant slides and fake alligators of La Marina - perfect for dipping into after a long, hot day of sightseeing. The Andalucian area of Spain gets very hot in the summer.

Our tickets to the Alhambra were for the following day at noon, but since we still had plenty of time today, we decided to take the bus and explore the Old Town surrounding the Alhambra. But not before taking a refreshing dip in the pool.

The bus dropped us off at the Palacio de Congresos, about a mile and a half from the Alhambra. Since that was tomorrow’s activity, we headed instead to the Albaicin, the old Moorish quarter of the city on a hill overlooking the Alhambra. Remember, Granada was under Islamic control until the Reconquista in 1492, and the Alhambra was the last stronghold of the Moorish kingdom in Spain.

Lolo enjoying her wine from atop the AlbaicinOur goal was to walk up to the top of the hill to the Plaza San Nicolas, said to be one of the most romantic views in all of Europe, especially at sunset when the Alhambra glows red in the evening light. Not knowing exactly how to get there, we started at the River Darro and just kept walking up along the maze of narrow, winding cobblestone streets.

Finally, we heard music and found a lovely plaza lined with cafes and restaurants at the top of the hill. The view of the Alhambra below with the Sierra Nevada backdrop did not disappoint.

Even better though was sipping wine on the terrace of the El Huerto de Juan Ranas with an uninterrupted view of the Alhambra and Generalife below. It was absolutely breathtaking. I tried to take tiny sips to prolong the experience.

Strolling in the AlbaicinAfterwards we walked back down through a different series of narrow alleys, through the Sacromonte, or gypsy cave quarter, where the best flamenco shows can be found. Unfortunately, we were a bit too early for that, so we continued down and along the River Darro stopping to eat at one of its many restaurants.

In retrospect, I enjoyed exploring the Albaicin even better than touring the Alhambra because it was uncrowded and felt more real. Besides the unimpeded views of the Alhambra’s exterior were in the evening light far exceeded looking over and around the hoards of people touring its interior. Still, they both are very much worth the effort.

The next morning, we took the bus back into the Old Town and wandered up the steep hill to the Alhambra ticket office where our tour would commence at noon. We had some time to kill, so we wandered around further up the hill, eventually stumbling upon a cemetery called the Cementerio de San José de Granada.

Cementerio de San José de GranadaFor some reason, and I don’t think I’m particularly morbid, I like wandering around cemeteries. They are very peaceful and often have very interesting art. One of the more noteworthy ones was a larger than life-size Jesus enclosed in a glass box.

At noon we met up with our tour guide and group and spent three very informative hours exploring the various parts of the Alhambra.

There are entire books about the Alhambra, so I am not going to even attempt to go into a detailed description of it, as I would in no way be able to do it justice. To really understand it, you have to experience first hand, which 8,000 people do each and every day.

However, very very briefly, the Alhambra is not just one building, but rather a palace and fortress complex of buildings perched atop a rocky hill overlooking the city of Granada. Built by the Nasrid sultans between 1238 and 1358, during the reign of Ibn al-Ahmar, the founder of the Nasrid dynasty, it served as the palace and fortress of the Moorish (Islamic) monarchs. Its name, which means “red castle” in Arabic, comes from the reddish color of its outer walls that were particularly vibrant when it was first built.

The Nasrids were the last Muslim Dynasty in Spain. They surrendered to the Christians during the Catholic Reconquista in 1492, ending almost 800 years of Islamic Rule in the Iberian peninsula.

Courtyard of the Palace of the LionsThere are four major sights within the Alhambra complex:

• Nasrid Palaces - exquisite Moorish palace and the stunning centerpiece of the Alhambra

  The complex was originally divided into 3 sections: the Mexuar, or royal offices, where justice was administered and state affairs were carried out; the Palacio de Comares, which was the official residence of the king; and the Palace of the Lions, which was the private area of the palace, where the Harem was located.

  My favorite parts of the Nasrid Palace include:

  Courtyard of the MyrtlesThe Court of the Myrtles, an elegant patio named for the myrtle hedges that surround the central pond and the bright green colour of which contrasts with the white marble of the patio. It was also called the Patio of the Pond or the Reservoir. The apartments of the sultan’s women looked over this courtyard: two apartments for wives on either side, and a dorm for the concubines at the far end.

  At the north end of the courtyard is the 45 meter high Comares Tower, the highest tower in the Alhambra. The Comares Palace was the official residence of the king and within it is the beautiful Hall of the Ambassadors, which functioned as the throne room. It was here that the sultan sat upon his throne receiving foreign emissaries.

  The Seven Heavens of the Islamic Paradise in the Hall of the AmbassadorsIt was the most majestic hall of the palace. Its ceiling is a representation of the Seven Heavens of the Islamic Paradise, with God's throne on the eighth heaven. The hall is completely covered by decorative inscriptions in Arabic script.Muslims avoided making images of living creatures, as that was thought to be God’s work alone. One particular phrase, “only Allah is victorious” is repeated 9,000 ties throughout the palace.

  According to legend two very significant historical events took place in this room in 1492: the last Moorish king surrendered the city of Granada to the Catholic Monarchs thereby ending the 700-year Reconquista, and Christopher Columbus convinced the Catholic Monarchs to give their approval for his expeditions to the Indies. Those are two pretty big historically game-changing events.

  However, my overall favorite part of the Nasrid Palaces was the courtyard of the Palace of the Lions, where 12 marble lions hold up a gurgling fountain. The courtyard layout uses the proportions of the golden ratio. Its 124 slender columns are placed in such a way that they are symmetrical on numerous axes.

• Generalife Gardens - the sultans’ summer palace and lovely manicured gardens and orchards

  Generalife Gardens of the AlhambraA simple one-way path leads through the manicured gardens, past ponds and fountains, to the sultan’s bright white summer palace. The gardens were irrigated by a royal aqueduct which diverted water from the Darro River into the Alhambra.

  In contrast to the decorativeness of the Nasrid Palace, the buildings in the Generalife are all quite solid and simple. The emphasis was on the fountains and the gardens.

  The Moorish kings considered this garden to be the closest thing on earth to the Quran’s description of heaven. The Generalife became a leisure place for them when they wanted to get away from the official affairs of the palace.

Alcazaba Fort in the Alhambra

• Alcazaba Fort - remains of the 13th-century citadel.

This is actually the oldest part of the Alhambra complex. Built in the 13th-century, it once defended a medina (town) of 2,000 Muslims living within its walls. A winding staircase leads to the top of a tower to Alhambra’s best viewpoint

• Charles V’s Palace - the Christian Renaissance palace built within the Alhambra after the Reconquista.

  Charles V very much respected the Alhambra’s beauty, so he built a modern Renaissance palace for official functions, but used the existing Nasrid Palaces as his royal residence. The palace, which was designed by Pedro Machua, a pupil of Michelangelo’s, has a unique circle-within-a square design. The palace is square, but within its center is a roofless, two-tiered circular courtyard ringed by 32 marble columns.

Our tour guide was very adept at steering us into less crowded areas of the complex during our tour making it a very pleasant and educational experience.

Lovely tilework and decorative Arabric script in the AlhambraHe also emphasized that if it wasn’t for two people, we probably would not be experiencing the history and beauty of the Alhambra today:

• A wounded Spanish soldier during the Napoleonic Wars - In 1812, Napoleon’s troops invaded Granada and seized the Alhambra, looting and damaging large portions of it. Their attempt to blow up the palace was thwarted by a wounded soldier left behind in the palace, who single handedly diffused the bomb saving this beautiful building for future generations.
• Washington Irving - the Alhambra’s remarkable beauty and historical significance were not appreciated until Irving visited the Alhambra, fell in love with its architecture and history, and wrote Tales of the Alhambra, a collection of stories which brought this incredible site to the world’s attention, thereby preserving it for future generations.

So often in history, it is the actions of a few brave and insightful people that change the course of history. Those are the stories I love to hear.

Exhausted from our full day of touring in the heat of a Granada summer, we caught our bus back to Camping Reina Isabel and sunbathed and swam in the lovely pool beneath the hot Andalusian sun. .

Description

While I will not attempt to do an in-depth description of all Granada has to offer -- there are numerous guidebooks to do just that -- the following are some of the interesting sites that we enjoyed:

Alhambra - Spain's most visited attraction:

View of Alhambra from Albaicin
• Monumental complex of buildings atop a rocky hill, overlooking the city of Granada that was once the palace and fortress of the Moorish monarchs. It was built between 1238 and 1358, during the reign of Ibn al-Ahmar, the founder of the Nasrid dynasty.
• Its name, which means “red castle” in Arabic comes from the reddish color of its outer walls that were particularly vibrant when it was first built.
• The Nasrids were the last Muslim Dynasty in Spain to surrender to the Christians during the Catholic Reconquista in 1492, ending almost 800 years of Islamic Rule in the Iberian peninsula.
• Today, the Alhambra attracts 8,000 visitors a day and tickets must be purchased well in advance: www.tickets.alhambra-patronato.es
• The Alhambra consists of four sights clustered atop the hill:
• Palacios Nazaries - exquisite Moorish palace and the stunning centerpiece of the palace complex
• Charles V’s Palace - the Christian Renaissance palace built within the Alhambra after the Reconquista
• Generalife Gardens - the sultans’ summer palace and lovely manicured gardens with pathways, patios, pools, and fountains
• Alcazaba Fort - remains of the 13th-century citadel. A winding staircase leads to the top of a tower to Alhambra’s best viewpoint

Albaicin - Medieval Moorish town dating back to the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada

• UNESCO site
• Located atop a hill overlooking the Alhambra
• Lovely narrow alleyways and small squares to wander through
• Plaza San Nicolas - great panoramic views
• Terrace of El Huerto de Juan Ranas - great place to sip wine with an uninterrupted view of the Alhambra and Generalife below.

Sacromonte - gypsy cave quarter with best flamenco guitarists, dancers and singers

Travelogue

We arrive at Camping La MarinaAlthough I do most of the trip planning, I always put Herb in charge of selecting ones along a beach, as he is definitely the beach aficionado in the family. Our plan was to ws continue meandering down the Mediterranean Coast and camp somewhere on a nice beach in striking distance to Grenada, where we had tickets for a guided tour of the Alhambra on the following Tuesday.

That criteria brought us to Camping La Marina, picked by Trip Advisor as the best campground on the Costa Blanca. The campground (more like a theme park) has facilities way beyond anything we have ever encountered at a campground in the U.S.

There is an Aquamarine Park with ten spectacular water slides, a play area with a giant tipping buckets that periodically dumps gallons of water on heads below, and a theme pool surrounded by tropical plants and a jacuzzi.

La Marina BeachIn addition to the water park, there is a lovely restaurant specializing in paella overlooking the pool, an extremely well-equipped fitness center and spa, a very well-stocked supermarket (with fresh bread every morning), an outdoor cafe serving ice cream and coffee, and more.

The pitches are pretty spacious by European standards and separated by hedges to provide some degree of privacy, and while not directly on the water, it is just a 10-minute walk along a boardwalk through a forest to a lovely sandy beach. Just a short walk to the right is the Playa Els Tossals, another one of Spain’s popular naturist beaches.

La Marina Aquamarine ParkUnfortunately, our La Marina stop overlapped a weekend, so the campground was very crowded with families and kids who were still in school. It pretty much cleared out Sunday night.

Unlike U.S. campgrounds where the quiet hours start at 10 pm, here in Spain, where people never seem to go to sleep, quiet time didn’t start until midnight, and kids took advantage of every last minute, riding bikes, kicking soccer balls, playing tag, etc. right up until the clock struck 12.

Our first day at La Marina was pretty overcast and windy, so we spent the morning running on a treadmill in the fitness center followed by my first paella in the upscale campground restaurant.

Although it was a bit too chilly and windy to just hang out on the beach, we took an afternoon walk along the Playa Els Tossals to the jetty where the Segur River flows into the Mediterranean. We also got our first sighting of Africa, just above the horizon.

The next morning we awoke to sunny skies, so we made our commute along the boardwalk to the Playa Els Tossals and spent the day sunning and swimming in the Mediterranean. It was very relaxing - good thing, because the pace of the trip was going to pick up from here.

Description

Beach by La MarinaBeautiful campground in Alicante, picked by Trip Advisor as the best campground on the Costa Blanca. The campground (more like a theme park) has facilities way beyond anything we have ever encountered at a campground in the U.S.

There is an Aquamarine Park with ten spectacular water slides, a play area with a giant tipping buckets that periodically dumps gallons of water on heads below, and a theme pool surrounded by tropical plants and a jacuzzi.

In addition to the water park, there is a lovely restaurant specializing in paella overlooking the pool, an extremely well-equipped fitness center and spa, a very well-stocked supermarket (with fresh bread every morning), an outdoor cafe serving ice cream and coffee, and more.

The pitches are pretty spacious by European standards and separated by hedges to provide some degree of privacy, and while not directly on the water, it is just a 10-minute walk along a boardwalk through a forest to a lovely sandy beach. Just a short walk to the right is the Playa Els Tossals, another one of Spain’s popular naturist beaches.

Travelogue

First night camping at Cala D'OquesWe thought that after the rush of picking up the van and stocking it, it would be nice to just chill on a beach for the first two nights.

Herb had done some research and found a lovely little campground called Camping Cala D’Oques located right on the beach along the Costa Daurada (Golden Coast). The whole Mediterranean Coast of Spain from Barcelona to Gibraltar is divided into various Costas - Costa Almeria, Costa Blanca (White Coast), Costa Brava (Rugged Coast), Costa Calida (Warm Coast), Costa del Sol (Sunshine Coast), and so on.

Although we did have a reservation, there wasn’t much space left for us, and it was a bit of a free for all in that sites weren’t assigned. Fortunately, the van was small enough to squeeze into what was the last beachfront spot.

There were some ominous clouds on the horizon, and the forecast wasn’t particularly great, so we quickly got ready to go to the beach before things turned.

Platja del TornWhile getting stuff out of the front seat of the van, I somehow managed to closed the door on my fingers. Three of them, up to my knuckles, were literally stuck in the door, which somehow managed to completely close. Not wanting to make a scene, I sort of quietly yelled to Herb that I needed help. Jumping into action, he ran from the back of the van to the front to open the door, smacking his head into the overhead storage along the way. Once he had set me free, we assessed the damage. He had a pretty good-size goose egg on his forehead, but my fingers were miraculously not broken. However, when I bent them, they started bleeding across my knuckles.

I hoped that none of the other campers saw the crazy Americans settling in. We took a few minutes to collect ourselves and tape up my hand before heading out to the beach.

From our campsite we walked along a beach path to the Platja del Torn, a 3 km long, lovely, dark sand beach set against the dunes. Beaches are called “platjas” in Catalonia as opposed to “playas” in the rest of Spain. It is also Catalonia’s most popular naturist beach. Naturism is much more common and accepted in Spain, so on most beaches you will find a variety of attire (or lack of), from nudity to topless, to bathing suits. Everyone seems very comfortable with the concept.

Herb fell asleep almost immediately so he missed my first entry into the Mediterranean, which was probably good, because my hopping and whooping along the hot, dark sand to get to the water was not the most graceful.

Night time mountain bikers whizzing past our campsiteThe whole time we were at the beach, dozens of mountain bikers came speeding down the hill behind us. We figured we must be along a popular mountain biking route. Even later that evening after dark - which in Spain in the summer is after 10:00 pm, mountain bikers with headlamps sped by our campsite along the beach path. What we were to learn over the next few weeks is that biking is extremely popular in Spain - they were everywhere.

The next morning, we woke up to rain and a pretty bleak forecast for the whole day. However, things looked better further south, so we decided to shift down a “Costa” or two and arrive a day early at our next campground - Camping La Marina, in Alicante on the Costa Blanca.

Too bad, because this campground and beach would have been pretty phenomenal on a sunny day.

Description

Platja del TornFamily-run campground in Tarragona on the Costa Durado. The campground has 2 km of beach on the Mediterranean Sea and is adjacent to the very popular Platja del Torn.

There is a restaurant with two garden terraces overlooking the sea, with daily paella specialities.

Travelogue

First night camping at Cala d'OquesHaving gained experience two years ago with driving a camper van in Europe, we were much more knowledgeable about what to expect in terms of roads (they can get pretty narrow!) and the size of campsites to squeeze into. As a result, we wanted to go no bigger than the 6-meter van we had rented before. Although much less spacious than our Lazy Daze, it was comfortable enough and much less stressful to drive around a strange country.

We started the search and completed the booking process about 4 months ahead of our trip. We knew exactly what we wanted - a 6-meter long Urban Plus from McRent - just like we had in Munich. It was the perfect van for us - very efficiently designed with a big queen-size bed across the back, bathroom with shower, dinette, refrigerator and stove, and lots of storage space. Not cheap though. It cost us $2,833 for 25 days, which works out to about $113 a day.

Unfortunately, McRent’s Barcelona facility only has larger campers, but Herb was able to find the one we wanted at their facility in Tarragona (just an hour south of Barcelona by train).

So, after four wonderful nights in Barcelona, we took a taxi to the Barcelona Sants train station and from there it was only a little over an hour to Tarragona (8 € apiece). Trains are wonderful in Europe - on time, fast, clean, comfortable, and inexpensive.

One little glitch getting to McRent. Google Maps directed our taxi driver to an empty lot, which according to Google was McRent. We all sort of stared at each other blankly wondering what to do next. Although our driver spoke zero English, we were able to get the point across, and he was kind enough to call the McRent number and speak in Spanish to the receptionist, who gave us a different address for a place called Carvisa, that acts as McRent’s depot in Tarragona.

Things got a lot smoother from there. The people in the Carvisa office were great, and knew enough English to explain the details of the vehicle, which went fairly quickly because Herb was already familiar with the it.

Not wanting to stress about finding a place to sleep on our first night in the camper, we had booked in advance a campsite at Camping Cala D’Oques, right on the beach along the Costa Daurada, less than a half hour from Carvisa.

First Spanish superm ercado after picking up vanHowever, our first order of business upon hitting the road was stocking up the motorhome, so we stopped at a Mercadona, a supermarket chain in Spain that we came to love. Food shopping in a foreign country is always a bit challenging at first, but besides the different brand names, it was quite similar in quality and variety to our own - except there was a lot more jamon!!.

Herb did have a little problem selecting coffee, as the van only had a mocha pot rather than the drip type we were used to. He had taken a picture of it on his phone and stood looking at it somewhat pathetically in front of the coffee selection, until a woman took pity on him and pointed to what he wanted.

Wine was amazingly cheap - you can get a good bottle of white for 3 to 5 €. Beer was reasonable too, except for Lagunitas, an American brand which ironically is brewed right by our house. One bottle cost 3 €, which is practically the price of a six-pack in Spain.

Breakfast and lunch items were fairly easy, but cooking dinner in the camper is a bit tougher, since there is only a 2-burner stove - no microwave or oven like I am used to in our Lazy Daze. Besides, campgrounds in Spain have restaurants, so I wasn’t planning on having too many dinners in the camper. However, for those times we would, we bought salad ingredients, bratwurst, and tortellinis as easy to make dinners.

Amazingly the camper refrigerator fit everything quite nicely - very efficient design - and there was plenty of storage for the non-perishables.
Now, onto the vacation part.

Description

A motorhome rental service operating throughout Europe that offers all kinds of motorhomes. In fact, it is Europe's largest motorhome rental company.
Here is a link to their fleet, which ranges from small camper vans to larger Class C and Class A RVs: https://www.mcrent.eu/motorhome-rv/

You can currently find McRent motorhome rental in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Great Britain, Ireland, Estonia, Poland and Iceland.

Travelogue

Arc de Triomf de BarcelonaIt didn’t take us too long during our trip planning to pick Barcelona as our base city before venturing out in our camper van to tour the country. We decided that we would stay four nights as that would give us three full days to cover a lot of ground.

Location, location, location is the most important criteria we consider in selecting a hotel, without paying too much, so it was a pretty easy choice to book our stay at Motel One located across the street from the lovely Parc de la Ciutadella, and in easy walking distance to the Gothic Quarter and Las Ramblas.

We landed in Barcelona 4:45 in the afternoon after a 13 hour direct flight from San Francisco. From the airport it was an easy transport on the Aerobus shuttle to the Placa de Catalunya, which was less than a mile from our hotel. Somewhat foolishly, rather than call a cab, we decided to walk it, which wouldn’t have been too bad if we had had some sleep in the last 24 hours and didn’t have our luggage to carry -- although I must say that our luggage wasn’t as bad as it could have been if Herb hadn’t restricted me to one carry-on bag.

View from Motel One rooftop barWe were quite pleased when we arrived at our hotel. We already knew that the location was great, but the atmosphere of the hotel was awesome as well - beautiful, bright lobby, nice big dining room where a breakfast buffet is served every morning, rooftop bar overlooking the city, and a comfy (yet a bit small) room. Plus, the price was right considering its excellent location - about 130 € per night.

We were pretty exhausted, so we took a quick nap, but not too long because we wanted to be able to fall asleep at Spain bedtime (which actually is like 3:00 am) and get in synch with the local time as soon as possible.

Herb looked at Trip Advisor and found a highly rated pizza place called La Mezcla, less than a half a mile from our hotel.

It was the perfect choice for two tired old tourists on their first night in Barcelona.

Day 1 - Las Ramblas, Gothic Quarter, Barceloneta, and Montjuic

Lolo strolling along the wavy tile work of Las RamblasWe both slept quite well considering it was our first night and were ready for a big day touring the city. I kiddingly said we should walk 20 miles today, words I would later regret.

When we booked our room, we did not opt for the breakfast, which was an extra 9 € per person. However, when we saw the spread laid out, we changed our mind. There was fruit, eggs, Muesli, breads, cheeses, jamon (of course), croissants filled with various goodies including chocolate, and on and on. Herb easily ate 30 € worth.

We definitely needed to walk that off, so off we went, starting our day with a stroll along Las Ramblas, Barcelona’s most famous pedestrian mall. It begins at the Placa de Catalunya (where we arrived from the airport yesterday) and ends at the waterfront, a little over a mile away.

It used to be a place where locals hung out, but unfortunately, it has now been taken over by tacky souvenir shops, so-so restaurants, pickpockets (mostly at night), and hordes of tourists, stripping it of much of its charm. Still, it is a very nice walk, especially in the morning when it is quieter, with many interesting sights along the way, such as:

• Fountain of Canaletes - ornate black and gold lamp post with a fountain at its base. Legend says that a drink from it ensures you will return to Barcelona one day
• Wavy tile work - represents the stream that once flowed here
• Chairs fixed to the sidewalk at jaunty angles
• Betlem Church - 17th century Baroque church with sloping roofline, ball-topped pinnacles, corkscrew columns
• Rambla of Flowers - flower stands
• La Boqueria Market - Barcelona’s iconic produce market, with a maze of stalls selling fruits and veggies, fish and seafood, meats and mushrooms, and spices and candy
• Plaça de la Boqueria - here you will see the Joan Miro mosaic in red, white, yellow, and blue
• Plaça Reial - dotted with palm trees and surrounded by yellow buildings with white trim this placa has old-fashioned taverns as well as modern bars with patio seating
• Palau Guell - apartment building designed by Antoni Gaudi. This was the first of his Modernista buildings, and you can see his emerging nonlinear style in the arches and doorways
• Christopher Columbus monument
• Rambla del Mar - wavy wooden walkway along the waterfront

La Estrella Herida and vendor wares along Barceloneta BeachOnce we got to the waterfront, we headed north along the city’s lovely man-made beach, which extends for several miles, with many seafood restaurants and bars along the way.

Despite the signs warning no street vendors allowed, the entire promenade was lined with people selling their wares. I loved watching them meticulously, and obviously with a great deal of pride, set up their items in the most appealing manner possible. For example, those selling shoes placed one shoe down, and the other on a diagonal across the first. And they did this for 30+ pairs of shoes.

The item I was most tempted to buy was one of the large beach blankets with intricate patterns on it. Some looked like oriental rugs. Others had elephants (like the kind you find on Thai elephant pants). However, by allowing me only a carry-on bag, Herb had pretty much cut off any possibility of shopping, as my bag could not even have fit another pair of underwear in it. Very clever of him.

Frank Gehry's Peix (Fish)Of course, you can’t go too far in Barcelona without encountering contemporary art, so it wasn’t long before we came upon La Estrella Herida, a 33-foot beach sculpture of four stacked leaning steel cubes, with windows, by the artist Rebecca Horn.

Continuing our beach promenade, in less than a mile we met Frank Gehry’s Peix, a 56 meter long and 35 meter high golden fish, built for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. It’s constructed of intertwining gilded golden steel strips and is held together by a metal structure. Its shiny gold surface, which gives the appearance of fish scales, changes appearance depending on the weather and the angle of the sun.

Montjuic CastleAfter the fish, we turned around and retraced our steps along the Barceloneta with the intention of taking the cable car up to Montjuic. During the entire walk south along the Barceloneta, the famous W Hotel loomed over the beach. Even the hotels in Barcelona are artistic masterpieces. This one, which was designed by Ricardo Bofill, is in the shape of a sail, very appropriate for its location on the sea. It’s huge, and I am sure much more expensive than our humble abode at Motel One.

We continued on to Transbordador Aeri del Port, where we had planned to be whisked in style to the top of Montjuic. However, the line was long and about an hour wait, so we decided to just walk to the top instead. After all, it was only 3 miles. What we didn’t factor in was that it was mostly uphill, it was hot, and we were hungry, and there were no restaurants along our route. I confess to getting a wee bit cranky.

Halfway up the mountain, we stopped on a bench near a fancy hotel, so I could whine for a bit and eat a Cliff Bar that I found at the bottom of my pack. Why wasn’t Herb suffering as much as me, which made me even crankier.

View of the Port of Barcelona from MontjuicFinally, we got to the Montjuic Castle on top, which did have great views of the city and the port. We also went inside for a tour where we learned that this 17th century fortress has had rather a dark history of being used as a political prison and killing ground. Well, that was a real mood picker upper.

We walked back down the mountain towards our hotel, but I wasn’t done yet. I still wanted to see the Gothic Quarter, which we had to walk through anyway to get back home.

I had Herb key in a few key stops on my list of things to see there, but with the narrow alleyways, our GPS just wasn’t working. We couldn’t even find the Barcelona Cathedral. In retrospect, it would have been much better to have had a physical map, because Google Maps won’t help you when satellites are blocked. It was very frustrating.

We decided to go back to the hotel for a nap and then go out again for another go at the historic Gothic quarter, where Rick Steves suggested we should lose ourselves along its old Medieval cobblestone lanes. I had written down some interesting things that he suggested seeing.

Barcelona CathedralOne of the main things I wanted to do was to see the Barcelona Cathedral. Just to make sure, I checked the website to confirm that entry for tourists was until 7:15, as worship services started at 7:45.

We found it quite easily this time - not sure how we missed it before, but when we approached the church to enter it at 6:45, we were turned away and I have no idea why as the explanation was in Basque. Still, the exterior of the church is absolutely breathtaking, so we satisfied ourselves with that. It was built in the 14th century in the Gothic Flamboyant (“flame-like”), style, characterized by pointed arches and spires, and stained glass windows elaborate “flame-like” tracery.

Herb had been much more fortunate on a visit here over 30 years ago, as he got to see Barceloneans joining together for a Sardana dance, where they link hands and dance in a circle. This dance is performed on Sundays at 11:15 and many Saturdays at 18:00.

Adjacent to the Cathedral is the Casa del Ardiaca , an old mansion that now functions as the city archives. From the courtyard, we climbed up to the balcony for views of the Barcelona Cathedral steeple and gargoyles.

Shrapnel wounds from the Spanish Civil War in the Placa Sant Felip NeriWe continued wandering through the Gothic quarter and eventually stumbled upon the tiny Placa Sant Felip Neri, a small shaded square with a fountain in its center, which is now the playground of an elementary school. However, this place was not always so delightful a place to be. During the Spanish Civil War, in 1938 Franco’s fascists bombarded this area, killing 42 people, mostly children. You can still see the shrapnel wounds in the facade of the old Baroque church, a haunting reminder of this Spain’s horrific past.

Although infinitely more peaceful than during the horror of the Civil War, there is still much political unrest in Barcelona, as the Catalonians continue to seek their independence from the rest of Spain. “Free are political prisoners” is painted on many walls throughout the city and the Catalonian separatist flag, La Estelada hangs from many a balcony. So, history forges on.

Dinner at Els Quatre Gats, Picasso's old hangoutIn addition to being able to take a journey through Barelona’s Medieval and Spanish Civil War past, there are also Roman ruins dating back to when the Romans founded the town of Barcino in 12 BC. The Playa Nova is flanked by two Roman towers that once guarded the entrance to the city and there are ruins of an ancient Roman Temple of Augustus. Unfortunately, it was closed for restoration.

Amazing how we strolled through millenniums of history in such a small distance.

We ended our very full day with dinner at Els Quatre Gats (or Esl 4Gats), a circe 1900 cafe and restaurant that was once a popular hangout for Picasso and other Modernista artists. It was quite cozy. We sat in the bar section having tapas (salt cod, bravas, mozzarella and sauce) and wine, and talking about all that we had seen that day in our 20 miles of walking around this wonderful city.

Day 2 - Full Gaudi Day

Rooftop of Gaudi's Casa BatlloHappy Gaudi Day! Today, was going to be another full day of walking and exploring, with our goal of seeing as many examples of Gaudi’s works as possible, and, believe me, there are many in Barcelona.

Gaudi and the soccer player Messi are probably the two most popular and well-known names in Barcelona, and rightly so, as they both have done so much to draw attention to this wonderful city.

Gaudi's Casa Batllo on the Block of DiscordHowever, Gaudi’s skills were of a different sort. Born in 1852, he studied architecture in Barcelona and went on to a long distinguished career building a number of innovative works throughout the city. He is considered to be the master of Catalan Modernism, a style characterized by asymmetry, the predominance of wavy curves over straight lines, the use of vegetal and other organic motifs, intricate decoration and detail, and brightly colored glass and tile - elements not commonly used in architecture up to this time.

We began our exploration in the Eixample, a neighborhood of Barcelona just beyond the Old City that was at the heart of the Modernista movement. At the center of this neighborhood is the Block of Discord (Passeig de Gràcia), where we saw two of Gaudi’s colorful Modernista works.

The first was the Casa Batllo, one of the largest residential buildings in Europe, located on Passeig de Gracia, 43. It is one of Gaudi’s most famous and photographed works. Although he didn’t actually build it, he did do extensive renovations to it in the early 1900s, which brought it to its current innovative form.

Gaudi's Casa Mila (La Predera)The exterior of the building is sprinkled with bits of blue, mauve, and green mosaic tiles and studded with wave-shaped window frames and protruding balconies. There wasn’t a straight line to be found. The rooftop resembles the back of a dragon and has four colorful chimneys.

We didn’t get to see the interior of Casa Battlo, because it is currently undergoing renovations. They still do allow visitors, but since we couldn’t see everything, we chose instead to buy tickets to enter La Pedrera (Casa Mila), one of Gaudi’s trademark works and a Modernisme icon. It is located at Passeig de Gràcia, 92. It is very popular, so it’s a good idea to buy a timed-entry ticket in advance: http://www.lapedrera.com/es/prepara-la-visita/tarifas

The building was commissioned in 1906 by the wealthy industrialist Pere Mila i Camps. That is why it is sometimes called Casa Mila. However, its official name is La Pedrera, which means “stone quarry,” because of its rocky, jagged facade. La Pedrera was actually a pejorative name given to it by the wealthy neighbors who thought it looked like a dirty and ugly stone quarry. Well, they got that one wrong.

Atrium of Gaudi's Casa MilaSince we had tickets, we got online for our 9:30 timed entry. The building is considered to be the purest of Gaudi’s interiors and to have been designed at the height of his abilities. It was also the last civil engineering project he would undertake in his career. Most of the rest of his life would be spent on his religious devotion and the building of the amazing Sagrada Familia, which we will get to later.

Our first stop in the building was a large open-to-the-sky courtyard, 16 floors high. This was very innovative for its time. Not only was it aesthetically beautiful, but it served the function of improving the lighting and ventilation on all 16 apartments (there was one apartment per floor).

We got to see a replica of one of those apartments. Wow! What it must have been like to live in this elegant and unique building. There was so much natural light flooding in from the courtyard into each of the rooms that circled it. Gaudí actually designed some of the decorative elements, such as the mouldings, door knobs, and flooring.

Rooftop of Gaudi's Casa MilaHowever, by far my favorite part of the tour was the bizarre rooftop, covered with weirdly shaped chimneys, reminiscent of Star Wars figures, and rightly so, as it was these chimneys that inspired George Lucus’ stormtroopers’ masks. There are 36 chimneys in total, some of them decorated with mosaic, stones, marble, and glass. The 6 largest ones have staircases inside and 2 of them are ventilation shafts - always coming form and function.

Since Gaudi did not like straight lines, even the floor of the roof was uneven so we had to watch our step. We spent a good deal of time up there enjoying both the chimneys as well as the panoramic view over Barcelona. We could even see the Sagrada Familia!

Next stop on the Gaudi Tour - Park Guell, a public park designed by Gaudi, located atop Carmel hill, just a little over a mile and a half way.

Park Guell's monument zoneMost of the park is free, except for the very popular Monumental Zone, where most of Gauid’s iconic creations are. Only 400 visitors are allowed in each hour, so it’s a good idea to buy a timed-entry ticket in advance: https://parkguell.barcelona/en/planning-your-visit/prices-and-times

We had some time to kill before our 1:00 entry, so we wandered around the free part of the park for awhile, before lining up like cattle with the other 398 lucky ticket holders to enter the Monumental Zone.

Park Guell's monument zoneThe Zone made me feel a bit like I had entered the board game Candyland or some other bizarre fanciful land. There are two Hansel and Gretel gatehouses, a multicolored mosaic lizard named “El Drac” guarding a whimsical staircase, long serpentine wavy benches, and a panoramic view terrace supported by a forest of columns. It was pretty whimsical.

The original intention of Guell was to build 60 single-family homes here, but that didn’t work out, and the project was stopped. In 1923 the park became city property, and in 1926 it opened as a public park. it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

One of the model houses was bought by Gaudi, and he lived in it from 1906 to 1925. You can visit the interior of this home, but the line was much too long, so we decided to move on to our final stop on our Gaudi tour - the Sagrada Familia, for which we had 3:45 entry tickets.

Gaudi's Sagrada FamiliaThe Sagrada Familia is Antoni Gaudi’s magnum opus, a creation so incredibly beautiful and innovative that it must be experienced in person to truly appreciate. Words cannot do it justice. You simply must see it for yourself.

But first some logistics:

The church is open to the public, but since it is the second most visited site in Spain (the Alhambra in Grenada is the first), you really have to buy timed-entry tickets well in advance: http://www.sagradafamilia.org/en/. I highly recommend getting the audio guide or taking a guided tour as there is so much so see and learn in this massive church.

If you are interested in visiting the towers, note that these require a special ticket as tower access is not included in the main tickets. You can book a tower entrance ticket along with your main ticket on the same website.

View outside the windows of the Nativity TowerWhen purchasing our tickets, several months before leaving, we agonized for some time over what time of day was best to go, and which, if any, tower to go up. We chose the Nativity Tower because that was the only one completed during Gaudi’s lifetime, so it was purely his work. As far as the timing, the consensus seemed to be that the light streaming through the beautiful stained glass windows was most heavenly between 5 and 6 pm. Although, there were plenty of people suggesting other times of day would be preferable for photographing the exterior. Personally, I think any time of day would be incredible. Anyway, we purchased tickets for a 3:45 entry (with audio guide), where we could have access to the Nativity Tower at 4:00. That way we could just hang out in the basilica afterwards and photograph the interior for as long as we wanted.

A little background:

Gaudi did not do the initial plans for this church, nor was he its first architect. However, when the first architect, Francisco Paula de Vilar, resigned in 1882, Gaudi took over the project and made radical changes to the original plans. To say that his design was unconventional is a gross understatement, but we had seen enough of Gaudi’s works today to expect nothing less.

Interior of the Sagrada FamiliaGaudi was only 31 when he took over the project, and he continued in that role for 43 years until his tragic death in 1926, when he was hit and killed by a trolley car on his way to confession. From 1914 until his death he abandoned all other projects and completely devoted himself to this church, even moving into the workshop on site.

At the time of his death, less than 25% of the church was complete. However, he knew he would never live to see the basilica completed, so he left his vision of the building for future architects in the form of models and sketches. Construction of the church is still in progress -- hence all the cranes and scaffolding - and is expected to be finished in 2026 (a century after his death).

The building, which is a combination of Gothic, Catalan Modernism, and Art Nouveau styles, combines all of the elements that Gaudí used and experimented with in his earlier works - the predominance of wavy curves over straight lines, parabolas instead of circles, the use of vegetal and other organic motifs, intricate decoration and detail, and brightly colored glass and mosaics.

One last view of the Sagrada FamiliaThe exterior:

Currently there are eight 330-foot spires topped with crosses. When the church is completed there will be 18: 12 representing the apostles, (over the three entrances), 4 taller ones representing the evangelists, an even higher one designated for the Virgin Mary, and the final 18th one, which will be the highest one in the middle, representing Jesus Christ.

There are three facades, each depicting a phase in the life of Jesus: nativity, passion, and glory. Only the Nativity Facade was completed during Gaudi’s lifetime. The Passion Facade was completed in 2006, and the Glory Facade is still under construction.

Sagrada Familia stained glass windowsThe interior:

Like most basilicas, the Sagrada Família has a cruciform (Latin cross) plan, with a five-aisled nave, a transept with three aisles, and an apse with seven chapels. It is 300 feet long and 200 feet wide - large enough to accommodate 8,000 worshippers.

The main nave rises far above the other naves and is connected to the transept, beyond which is the apse and the altar, lit by light filtering through the stained glass windows. Gaudi is buried in the crypt below the apse.

Suspended from a canopy above the altar, is an Expressionist depiction of the crucifixtion, in which Jesus hangs on a cross, looking upwards - an unconventional pose as Jesus is usually depicted looking downwards or sideways. This was done deliberately to represent Jesus looking upwards to ask for support from God.

Using nature as his inspiration, the roof is held up by 56 tree-like columns, complete with branches and leaves, creating the effect of a forest canopy. The columns are made of materials of different hardness. The longest and thickest columns are made of red porphyry, a very hard volcanic rock; the dark, somewhat smaller pillars are made of basalt; and the outermost row of columns are made from a relatively soft granite from Montjuic in Barcelona.

Climbing up the Nativity TowerIn contrast to the Gothic style, Gaudí’s design requires no supporting side walls, so he had the freedom to incorporate large stained glass windows to let in natural light. The stained glass windows are absolutely breathtaking. The sunlight filtering through them creates a magical and effect. Morning light shines most heavenly through the blues, greens, and other cool colors of the windows on one side of the church, while evening light performs its magic flowing through the reds, oranges, and other warm tones on the other.

Bell Towers:

Lolo finishing her tour of the Sagrada FamiliaAs I mentioned, you can purchase tickets to climb up the towers in either the Nativity or Passion facades. We chose the Nativity Facade, because that was the only facade completed before Gaudi’s death. It involved climbing up 504 steps (no railings), which coiled round and round the tightly closed walls, like a snail. Looking down could be a bit scary for those uncomfortable with heights.

Along the way, we had views out the small windows of the sculptures on the rest of the Nativity facade. From the top there was an excellent view of eastern Barcelona and the mountains.

Wrap-Up

After 15 miles of walking and three tours of Gaudi’s works, I think we had accomplished what we had set out to do - immersing ourselves in the full Gaudi experience. It was an exhausting but very satisfying day. Time for a glass of wine and a toast to Antoni Gaudi, a truly unconventional and inspirational artist.

Speaking of unconventional, Herb's favorite photo of the Sagrada Familia is me exiting a porta potty, with a toilet in the foreground. Immature or genius? Who is to say?

Description

While I will not attempt to do an in-depth description of all Barcelona has to offer -- there are numerous guidebooks to do just that -- the following are some interesting sites that we enjoyed:

Las Ramblas pedestrian mall - one hour stroll from Playa de Catalunya to the La Rambla del Mar on the waterfront

• Broad pedestrian boulevard with souvenir hawkers, street artists, mimes, living statues, cafes, and shops
• More charming in the morning - grab breakfast at a market cafe
• Along the way:
• Fountain of Canaletes - ornate black and gold lamp post with a fountain at its base. Legend says that a drink from it ensures you will return to Barcelona one day
• Wavy tile work - represents the stream that once flowed here
• Look up to see the city’s characteristic shallow balconies with floor to ceiling windows
• Chairs fixed to the sidewalk at jaunty angles
• Betlem Church - 17th century Baroque church with sloping roofline, ball-topped pinnacles, corkscrew columns
• Rambla of Flowers - flower stands
• La Boqueria Market
• Plaça de la Boqueria - here you will see the Joan Miro mosaic in red, white, yellow, and blue
• Plaça Reial - dotted with palm trees and surrounded by yellow buildings with white trim this placa has old-fashioned taverns as well as modern bars with patio seating
• Palau Guell - apartment building designed by Antoni Gaudi. This was the first of his Modernista buildings, and you can see his emerging nonlinear style in the arches and doorways
• Christopher Columbus monument
• Rambla del Mar - wavy wooden walkway along the waterfront

Barri Gotic (Historic Gothic Quarter) walk - 1.5 hour self-guided tour from Placa de Catalunya to Placa del Rei

• Stroll the narrow Medieval lanes of Barcelona’s enchanting old quarter
• Relics of ancient Rome, 14th century Gothic churches, cobblestone lanes lined with shops, bars, and restaurants
• Along the way:
• Avinguda del Portal de l’Angel - once a major city gate. The angel statue atop the gate was said to keep Barcelonans safe from plagues and bid voyagers a safe journey
• Church of Santa Ana - 12th century Catalan Gothic church
• Els Quatre Gats - circa 1900 bohemian artist hangout, where Picasso had his first one-man show
• Playa Nova - flanked by two Roman towers that once guarded the entrance ate of the ancient Roman city of Barcino
• Barcelona Cathedral - 14th century Flamboyant-style (donation entrance 7 euros)
• Sardana dances, patriotic dance in which Barcelonans link hands and dance in a circle - on Sunday at 11:15 and many Saturdays at 18:00
• Casa del Ardiaca - old mansion that now functions as the city archives
• Carved mail slot (right of door) carved by a 19th century Modernista architect
• From the courtyard, climb to the balcony for views of the cathedral steeple and gargoyles
• Jewish quarter (El Call) - walk along the narrow passages and alleys where 4,000 Jews were forced to live
• Ruins of Roman Temple of Augustus - site where Romans founded the town of Barcino in 12 BC
• Placa del Rei - reminders of Barcelona’s medieval Golden Age

Barceloneta

• Traditional fishing neighborhood with gritty charm and good seafood restaurants
• Gorgeous man-made beach several miles long
• Stroll 4.5 km promenade - from La Estrella Herida to Peix
• La Estrella Herida - Contemporary 33-ft. beach sculpture of 4 stacked leaning steel cubes with windows, by Rebecca Horn.
• Peix (Fish) - giant copper-like Peix (Fish) sculpture by Frank Gehry glitters in the sunlight

La Sagrada Familia - Antoni Gaudi’s grand masterpiece

• Located in Eixample residential neighborhood, 1.5 miles north of Placa de Catalunya
• Hours: Mon - Sat 9:00 am - 8:00 pm; Sun 10:30 am - 8:00 pm)
• Timed-entry tickets - buy in advance: http://www.sagradafamilia.org/en/
• Gaudi labored on the Sagrada Familia for 43 years, from 1883 until his death in 1926. Work continued after his death and the church is expected to be finished in 2026 (a century after his death)
• Exterior
• Currently there are eight 330-foot spires topped with crosses. When completed there will be 18 - 12 representing the apostles, (over the three entrances), 4 taller ones representing the evangelists, an even higher one designated for the Virgin Mary, and the final 18th one, which will be the highest one in the middle, representing Jesus Christ
• The three facades - Nativity, Passion, and Glory, will chronicle Christ’s life from Birth, to crucifixion, to resurrection. Only the Nativity Facade was completed during Gaudi’s lifetime. The Passion Facade was completed in 2006, and the Glory Facade is still under construction
• Interior
• Floor plan is that of a Latin cross, 300 feet long and 200 feet wide - large enough to ultimately accommodate 8,000 worshippers
• The roof is held up by 56 tree-like columns, complete with branches and leaves, creating the effect of a forest canopy
• Sunlight filtering through stained glass windows creates a hypnotic, magical effect of a dappled rainforest canopy. Morning light shines in through blues, greens, and other cool colors, while evening light flows in reds, oranges and other warm tones.

Park Guell - Gaudi’s most ambitious project after Sagrada Familia

• 30 minute walk from Sagrada Familia
• Fanciful and playful space - two Hansel and Gretel gatehouses, dragon guarding a whimsical staircase, wavy benches, and a panoramic view terrace supported by a forest of columns
• Located 2 miles (uphill) to the northwest of Sagrada Familia
• Much of the park is free, except for the Monumental Zone where all the iconic Gaudi features are
• Zona Monumental (open daily 8:00 am to 8:30 pm)
• 400 visitors allowed in each hour
• Timed entry tickets - buy in advance (€ 10)
  https://parkguell.barcelona/en/planning-your-visit/prices-and-times

L’Eixample - heart of Barcelona’s Modernista architectural movement

• Located north of the Old City
• Modernista - Free-flowing organic style that lasted from 1888 to 1906. It is characterized by wave-like curves, asymmetry, brightly colored glass and tile, and vegetal and other organic motifs
• Block of Discord - two of Gaudi’s colorful Modernista facades on Passeig de Gracia near the Metro stop)
• Casa Batllo - designed by Gaudi at his hallucinatory best
• Wave-shaped window frames and balconies, mushroom-shaped fireplace, and roof topped with a fanciful dragon-inspired roof
• Open daily from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm (but currently under renovation)
• Timed entry tickets - buy in advance
  (€25)https://www.casabatllo.es/venta-entradas/
• La Pedrera (Casa Mila) - one of Gaudi’s trademark works and an icon of Modernisme
• Half hour walk from Park Guell
• Purist Gaudi interior in Barcelona
• One of the most notable elements of the building is the roof, crowned with skylights, staircase exits, fans, and chimneys.
• Open daily from 9:00 am - 8:30 pm
• Timed-entry ticket - buy in advance http://www.lapedrera.com/es/prepara-la-visita/tarifas

Montjuic - Large hill overlooking the city with Romanesque art, a fort, beautiful gardens, and art galleries and museums

• Fundacio Joan Miro (closed Mondays) - Barcelona’s best-looking gallery, set among gardens overlooking the city
• Tues - Sat 10:00 - 8:00, Sun 10:00 - 3:00
• Tickets: €13 https://www.fmirobcn.org/en/visit-us/opening-hours-and-prices/
• Montjuic Castle - at the top with great views of the city
• Dating from the late 17th century, for most of its dark history it has been used as a political prison and killing ground
• Tickets - €5

Picasso Museum - (closed Mondays)

• Set in five contiguous medieval stone mansions
• The collection, which includes more than 3500 of his works, concentrates on his formative years (from age 14 to 23) in Barcelona (pre-1904)
• Tues - Sun 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
• 12 € for timed-entry ticket (buy ahead of time on the museum website)

Parc de la Ciutadella (Citadel Park) - located in La Ribera section of the city (across the street from Motel One)

• Site of the 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition, Spain's first International World's Fair
• Barcelona’s largest park - its 70-acre grounds include a small lake with rental rowboats, an ornamental fountain (which Antoni Gaudi helped design), the city zoo, a greenhouse, a winter garden, and plenty of green areas to sit and relax

Travelogue

One problem with getting back to the Bay Area from the Eastern Sierra in winter and even into spring is that most of the passes can become impassable in inclement weather. The only alternative in that case is making the long journey south to Bakersfield and then up I5. It adds 2 hours to the journey, but is always dependable. A forecast of possible snow in the morning was enough to send us south. The first part of the drive south from Bishop to Route 58 is highly scenic. I5 gets a bit monotonous, but it gets the job done.

The trip was great, but it certainly felt great to be sleeping in our own bed again.

Description

Our home in Sonoma Valley