"To dream the impossible dream, that is my quest."
Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote
On October 23, 2025, Melanie and I start our annual get-away-from-winter migration. This fall we are gone for a total of six weeks with my brother, Wayne, hooking up with us for one week. A total of five of these weeks will be spent in the European country of.......
Spain
Officially known as the Kingdom of Spain, this country is the 4th largest in size in Europe, and with a population of 47.4 million people, it is Europe's 6th most populous. When most travellers think of Spain they envision many different things, it may be: massive cathedrals or sunny beaches or whitewash villages or bullfights or cruise ship ports or lively nightlife or etc., etc., etc. Boasting more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other country, except Italy and China, this country is a mix of old and new, modern and traditional. It spans two continents (Europe & Africa), it has island territories in both the Atlantic Ocean (Canary Islands) and Mediterranean Sea (Balearic Islands) and it even has a small enclave within the country of France (Llivia - true story - check it out).
In 1977, while living in Goose Bay Labrador, I was fortunate enough to partake in a high school trip to Spain. It was my first ever overseas trip and it ignited a travel addiction that I've been trying to feed ever since. Melanie would also experience the same high school trip to Spain a few years later and we both had to question ourselves as to why we waited so many years to return. But alas, here we are!
Our first destination was to fly to northern Spain, rent-a-car and drive an hour to the tiny village of......
Cangas de Onis
Apparently, in the year 722, this village of 6,000+ was the capital of the Kingdom of Asturias, which became the sole centre of resistance against the invading Muslim Moors. Who knew? We didn't. So why did we end up here in this remote Spanish village where the main language spoken is Asturian, not Spanish? Simply put, its the proximity to Picos de Europa National Park home of one of the top 5 hiking trails in Europe!
But first lets get out-an-about town.....
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| The "Roman Bridge", which apparently isn't actually an authentic Roman Bridge, was constructed in the early 1,300's, which pretty much lines up to when it was part of the Kingdom of Asturias. |
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Cangas de Onis has a weekly market where one can get hundreds of varieties of cheeses, meats, wine and bread....lots of bread....and garlic, let's not forget the garlic!
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| Arriving at night, as we did, the town had taken on a much grandeur image; it's actually quite small with large buildings. |
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| There is a cidery directly below our apartment and apparently this is the correct way to pour cider. Who am I to argue on the proper ways of cider pouring, I was more than willing to drink it straight from the bottle. |
Since we had a car, we took a little trip up da' road.....
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| The Holy Cave of Covadonga, built in the year 733, (that's a big WOW). At the entrance at the top there is a tunnel..... |
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| ....this tunnel takes the leagues of faithful through the mountain and they exit...... |
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| .....in front of this. Now it's not for me to say anything, but there's not a town within kilometres of this place. Yet, here in the mountains, all by itself, stands the Basilica of Santa Maria la Real de Covadonga. No idea where the congregation comes from. |
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| We drove as high up into the mountains as we dared in our tiny rental car, and from there we walked..... |
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| ....we walked as far as it took so that I could see the iconic peaks of Picos de Europa. Damn clouds never got out of the way! |
After exploring Cangas de Onis and the surrounding area we opted to kayak down the Sella River. Why not I say! The trip is 16km downriver and you're on your own for the entire time. After reaching the designated 'put-out' area, you call the company and they come get you!!! Easy-peasy.
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| This is a very popular activity to do in these parts, but in late October, we pretty much had the river to ourselves. |
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| It was foggy and overcast all day, but the temperature was a pleasant 21C and the scenery was awesome! |
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| Living our best life! |
And now the moment everyone has been waiting for, the Picos de Europa National Park and the world famous Ruta del Cares Hiking Trail. Tada!
With no real reason to hang around Cangas de Onis any longer, we pack up and return our car and grab a 3 hour bus to the capital of Basques country.......
Bilbao
The Basque have a strong historic connection to Newfoundland and Labrador, dating back to the 1520's, when the Basques were among the earliest Europeans to exploit the rich fisheries. They established major whaling stations like Red Bay for cod and whale oil and left indelible marks in local place names (i.e. Port aux Basques). For us to come to Spain and not go to Basque country simply was not going to happen!
Bilbao is full of charming streets and bars offering local Txakoli wine and pintxos - small, delicious bites of food. This area has more Michelin Star restaurants per person than any other area in the world.....true story! A Foodies Paradise!! The city, 10th largest in Spain, has a unique character that comes from combining avant-garde with the traditional feel of its old town.....and they speak Basque rather than Spanish!
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| Enjoying a plate of pintxos and a bottle of Txalkoli in the old town area. Like ya would! |
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| Iberico ham, strictly from the acorn-fed Iberico pig, it takes 5 years of hanging around like this for it to cure! |
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| Our neighbourhood for the next 5 days. |
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| Bilbao is a very walkable town with outdoor escalators for the steep hills. Jeeeeze, they still haven't mastered sidewalk snow clearing at home. |
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| Artwork around town reminding me of the old Rolling Stones song 'Under my Thumb"! |
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| The building that defined the city - the late Canadian architect Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum..... |
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| ......it is a massive building and it dominates the skyline with over 33,000 titanium plates reflecting a different colour depending on the position of the sun. |
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| We actually didn't visit the Guggenheim Museum, in my mind, most of the best art was scattered around the outside of the building - including the black widow (the spider not Melanie)...... |
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| .....and "Puppy", a giant topiary sculpture by artist Jeff Koons (I've seen his artwork before on the Greek island of Hydra). |
With northern Spain going through a heatwave (29C) we decided it was a good time to get out of Dodge; so we took a daytrip, first stop: San Juan de Gaztelugatxe.....
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San Juan de Gaztelugatxe means "castle rock" in Basque, but Game of Throne's devotees will know it as Dragonstone, the ancestral home of the Mother of Dragons, Daenerys Targaryen.
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| Gaztelugatxe takes a little bit of effort to reach. It's a kilometre walk from the parking lot, then there are 241 steps up a winding, manmade stone causeway from the Basque mainland to the rugged, wind-beaten chapel on top of the island. |
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| We didn't reach the top like Daenerys Targaryen, on the back of a dragon, but rather we did the steps. Without a doubt, the raw beauty of this place will dazzle you beyond belief! |
We did a short stop at the fishing town of Bermeo, one of the major port towns that sent Basque whalers to Red Bay, Labrador in the early 1500's.
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| The significance of this port and its people to the early years of discovery, has been recognized by a globe placed on the dock that shows various global routes taken by residents of this town. These days, instead of a fishing port the place seems to be one big pleasure boat marina. |
Right next to Bermeo is the village of Mundaka, where we stopped for lunch.
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| Mundaka's outside estuary is known as a surfers paradise (not this spot, its the inner port) and they flock here in the hundreds, however 2,000 years ago, it was the Vikings that settle in this area. Apparently, they were also surfers! |
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| The view of any town or village in Spain will almost always include a church. Lots and lots of churches. |
Our final stop on our tour of the north coast is the town of Guernica.
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| Guernica was founded in 1366 and became the seat of power for the Basque peoples, which includes regions in both France and Spain. |
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| In 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, Guernica was the scene of a massive aerial bombing attack by Nazi Germany. It was at the request of Francisco Franco, to aid in his overthrowing of the Basque Government. Spanish painter, Pablo Picasso, painted his famous Guernica painting to commemorate the horrors of this bombing....this is a tile reproduction of that famous painting. |
And with that, we are on the move again, this time we head for the Spanish interior and the UNESCO World Heritage city of.......
Segovia
Nowhere else in Spain is there such a stunning monument to grandeur - the soaring Roman aqueduct. Or for that matter, the Alcazar from which Walt Disney modelled Sleeping Beauty's castle after at Disneyland! Regardless; the effect is magical and it makes the city centre the perfect place to roam about.
We planned only two days in Segovia so our exploring time was limited to one full day. And that day was a dreary damp one with amble RDF, however, it didn't seem to have any effect on the number of daytrippers from Madrid, which flock here in droves!
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| Segovia's cathedral - our apartment was on the other side of the cathedral, we were merely having a beer on this side. |
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| For a donation to God's Cause, we were able to take a tour of the bell tower. "I soooo wanted to ring that bell......I was THAT close". |
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| Segovia's Disneyesque Alcazar - they wanted us to take out a second mortgage to go in, so we skipped and went for a glass of wine instead. |
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| Walking down the narrow walking street was a real adventure with so many umbrellas - almost got me eye poked out twice. |
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| Here's an ironic combination, someone beat the nose off of the statute right in front of The Olphactory Perfume Store. |
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| I was here admiring the 2,000 year old Roman aqueduct, which is 2,500 feet long and 100 feet high, when suddenly a gaggle of umbrella-wielding zombies came up the road. Fearing for our lives, Mel and I ran......... |
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| ........but it was proving to be futile as they also gave chase..... |
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| ......as it turns out, this was Halloween Day and the marauding zombies were actually Rugrats looking for a treat. Phew that was close! |
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| To assist us in getting over what we thought was the zombie apocalypse, we treat ourselves to Segovia's culinary claim to fame, roast suckling pig - 21 days of mother's milk, into the oven, and onto your plate. It's so tender they cut it with a spoon! Yummmmmmy! |
Chris de Burgh starts one of his biggest hit songs with the following quote: "There's a Spanish train that runs between Guadalquivir and old.......
Seville"
In 2018, Seville was voted 'the best city in the world to visit'. Fast forward a few years and it's still a pretty good place to spend a few days.
Although Seville is the 4th largest city in Spain, walking is the best option for sight-seeing as the points of interest are in the compact old centre. Strolling and coming across fine old buildings, charming cafes and hidden plazas is part of the experience of being here.
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| Exploring Seville's back alleys. These areas are usually residential, so they are void of the gaggles of shopping tourists. |
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| The huge 1/2 moon-shaped Plaza de Espana, built for the Spanish pavilion in the 1929 World Fair. The moat has been drained for winter, usually there are rowboats in it whisking tourists around the grounds. |
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| The view from Plaza de Espana's central portico. |
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| The smooth, slow Guadalquivir River flows through Seville. It is from this inland port that Christopher Columbus set sail in 1492 and is credited with kickstarting the Age of Discovery and the formation of the Spanish colonial empire. You can take a river tour on a replica of his boat if you were so inclined. |
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| The Metropol Parasol, the largest wooden structure in the world, is known locally as las setas (the mushrooms). Its actual purpose is somewhat perplexing but it's five stories high and apparently you can go up to the top and walk around, although you got to be careful not to fall through the slates. |
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| The 15th-century Seville Cathedral was built on the site of a Moorish mosque. The minaret (the brown tower in the picture) is all that remains and it has been converted to the cathedral's bell tower. We climbed the 34 ramps to the top along with 10,000 other people. |
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| My raison d'être for making another large donation to God to visit the Seville Cathedral was to see this guy. The bones within are those of Christopher Columbus - celebrated as one of history's greatest navigators and central to the history of the discovery of the Americas. He didn't have anything to say while we were there....in fact, the four fellas carrying him were pretty mute as well. |
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| Horse-drawn phaetons line up in front of the Real Alcázar. Europe's oldest royal palace still in use. |
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| The problem with online customer ratings: we went looking for this "highly rated" restaurant which serve paella, a famous rice dish from these parts. The saffron-infused seafood rice dish is a one-pot meal that's not stirred after adding liquid, thus creating a caramelized crust on the bottom. Sounds sooo yummy......worst plate of foul food I had the entire trip and they charged us $80 for the pleasure. WTF. |
We are on the move again and this time it's to one of the 19 Pueblos Blancos, or 'white villages', a collection of whitewash towns in southern Spain. Our home for the next 5 days will be in.........
Ronda
The town of Ronda has been around since the 6th century BC, however modern-day Ronda is more known for its cliffside location and the deep Guadalevin River canyon that physically divides the town.
With a population of 35,000, Ronda is the largest of the Pueblo Blancos. Its spectacular location atop El Tajo gorge is only one of the many draws for tourists to this town. Even Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles (whose ashes are buried in the town) spent considerable amount of time here....actually, I guess you can say Orson Welles spent eternity here!
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| Ronda's most famous landmark, the Puente Nuevo, which spans a gorge over 100 metres deep. The "new bridge" was built in 1793 - things don't change too quickly in these parts. |
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| Ronda is built on the lip of a large cliff affording the occupants of these buildings some pretty awesome views. |
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| Ronda is a pretty town that is easily walkable, that is, once you get away from the walking street and the hordes that it attracts. |
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| The view from Ronda's municipal park, which isn't too shabby! |
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| The Ronda Bullring is one of the oldest in Spain, first opening in 1785. It is considered the birthplace of modern bullfighting, however the bullring is only used now once a year. Woohoo!! I got a full year to practice my matador skills - Olá. |
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| Setting sun over Ronda. No photoshopping here! |
If you want a better view of Ronda and the Puenta Nuevo bridge then a hike down the gorge on the Molinos del Tajo trail is a most do.
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| Those abandon buildings hugging the cliff down there will be our destination. |
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| I thought it was such a weird and extremely inconvenient place to build some houses. As it turns out, I was right.....it was a weird and extremely inconvenient place to build some houses. |
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| The Puenta Nuevo Bridge soaring 120 metres above the river. The central chamber of the bridge was once used as a prison. True story. |
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| A broadside view of bridge and cliffside. |
With five days in Ronda and a rental-car at our disposal we head for the Pueblo Blancos village of Senetil de las Bodegas. This town is most famous for its dwellings being built under rock formations.
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| One of the most unique and picturesque villages I've been in. |
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| Setenil's buildings are built directly beneath large rock formations, using the natural landscape as a roof and insulation. The design provides a natural climate control system, keeping interiors cool in summer and warm in winter. |
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| Not much work for a roofer here. |
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| Setenil also has a castle, built in the 12th century by the Moors. We never got up there to see the place as the town had more than enough to explore. |
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| We drove there and spent 30 minutes trying to find a place to park, and we were there during the off-season! I guess the town's Founding Fathers never factored in the increase tourist traffic when they decided to skimp on the construction cost of their homes. |
On another day we drove for an hour to the Sierra del Torcal mountain range located in the El Torcal de Antequera Natural Park. It is one of the most amazing examples of karst landscape in Europe and we wanted to hike it!
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| The selfie miesters taking a hike among the weird and wonderful. |
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| The trail was a five kilometres loop among this type of rock formation...... |
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| ....and this type...... |
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| ....and these stacks of pancakes...... |
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| .....and yes, even this type!! |
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| Some places it is a tight squeeze! |
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| It was one of the most interesting hikes we've done. |
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| So much for posting signage telling people to stay on the trails! |
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| Trails End where we watched one of the two Ibex climb up the cliff face. Why it did that I cannot say (I expect the Ibex probably didn't really know either). |
For our final day in Ronda we drove in the opposite direction from the day before, and headed for a hike on the Caminito del Rey. The 8 kilometre trail was once considered one of the most dangerous in the world. Today the entire route has been restored and fixed up, however one thing hasn't changed - the unique experience of strolling along walkways hanging over 100 metres up a sheer cliff face.
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| We were late in booking a time slot to walk this extremely popular trail, so we were forced to take the 'guided tour'. Our tour guide was Alice - I know what you're all thinking: "Alice? Who the f**k is Alice?" Well that's Alice, right in front of Melanie walking through the gorge.....high up..... |
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| .....how high up you ask? High up! The 8 km. Caminito del Rei route is spectacular from beginning to end, running through cliffs, canyons, and a large valley. |
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| Much of the trail is perched on a metre wide wooden walkway a 100 metres above the valley floor. The old concrete walkway (the one that got labelled "world's most dangerous") is still intact and can be seen below the new walkway. |
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| The original trail was constructed to take workers to the hydroelectric dam. In 1921, to officially open this amazing feat of engineering, King Alfonso XIII walked the trail and hereafter the trail was known as "the King's little walk" - Caminito del Rei. True Story! |
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| The Spanish Bullet Train runs through the valley. |
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| If you suffer from vertigo OR have an aversion to heights OR can't see yourself suspended 100 metres from the valley floor OR you lack the 'crazy gene', then maybe this trail is not for you. |
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| The final stretch....but first a moment from our sponsors, the Selfie Miesters! |
We leave Spain behind for a couple of days and head for Gibraltar for an infusion of British culture (see my blog on Gibraltar). Afterwards, we board a ferry and cross the Strait of Gibraltar to one of the two Spanish exclaves in Africa......
Ceuta
Located on a peninsula jutting out into the Mediterranean, this fortified city of 84,000 has been part of Spain since 1578. This African Spanish city is serviced from Europe Spain by a hourly ferry from the Spanish port of Algeciras.
Ceuta, along with Melilla, are the two Spanish cities located in North Africa. I have an interest in map oddities, so coming to Spain and not seeing at least one of these Spanish oddities wasn't going to happen! We came for two nights with no plan other than to see the place.
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| The first thing to greet you in Ceuta: The Pillars of Hercules (there's an identical one in Gibraltar). The statute is depicting Hercules straining to part the mythical pillars (the Rock of Gibraltar and Ceuta's Monte Hacho) to create the Strait of Gibraltar. Ancient Greek mythology said these two spots marked the limits of the known world. |
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| So how odd is this Spanish oddity? This is Ceuta's walking street; up there is a hotel with the name Ulises Hotel signposted on the front in very big letters. We are staying at the Oh Nice Hotel (which we couldn't find), but according to my map app, the hotel is right where the Ulises Hotel is. Odd? More odd was we spent near on 20 minutes to figure out that they were one of the same.... |
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| .....so to get over the oddness of it all we walked across the street and had a beer (or two)! |
Other sites around town.....
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| The Royal Walls, which separates Ceuta from the rest of Africa. They were built in 962 and apparently the moat is the longest navigable moat in the world. Contain your excitement! |
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| The locals are some friendly, always waving at you. "Hi...Hello...Olá" |
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| Daenerys Targaryen's summer home. |
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| Look Donald, even Ceuta has an arch! |
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| WTF? I'm lost for words. Looks like the KKK has come to take a child ?? And the statute is right outside a church! |
Our time in Ceuta was short so we were quickly on the ferry and back to Europe Spain and onwards to the city of.......
Granada
This historic city is famous for the stunning Moorish palace complex, the Alhambra, nestled at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The city is a major tourist destination known for its rich history, blending Islamic and Christian cultures, vibrant night life, free tapas culture and flamenco dancing!!
We arrive in Granada for three nights and it is here that I hook up with my brother, Wayne. He was just finishing up a few weeks exploring other parts of Europe and came to Spain to spend a few days with us!
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| Haven't seen Wayne since the last time so there was a fair amount of catching up! |
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| Right outside our BNB, in old town Granada, was one of the many town squares that this city has. Three or four restaurants set tables up here and when you purchase a beer you get a free tapas! Happy days!!! Today there's also a marching band that was assembling there, for what purpose I know not..... |
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| ......looks like we got us a party!!! Booghie-woogie-wonderland! |
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| The old town boasted wide (in European inner-city terms) tree-lined streets...... |
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| ......and the not-so-wide (in European inner-city terms) streets. |
The #1 tourist attraction in Spain is Granada's Alhambra - this fortified palace started life as a walled citadel before becoming the opulent seat of the Nasrid emirs. Their showpiece 14th century palaces are among the finest Islamic buildings in Europe. And did I mention that it is Spain's #1 attraction? Soooo, because it is so popular and tickets should be booked months in advance, we were unable to actually get into the Alhambra, but we did manage to see the out houses and such.....
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| Well that's just loverly. |
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| I have no idea what this building is, but it was round and that warranted a picture! |
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| I was here in 1977 when I was 16 years old. Looking at ancient palaces wasn't exactly the first thing on my mind at that time, so I remember very little of the place. |
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| I managed to sneak a picture in passing of the inside of one of the buildings. I think maybe Donald was a tourist here at sometime in the past. |
Granada's oldest neighbourhood is the Albaicín Arab quarter, a UNESCO World Heritage site, known for its narrow, winding cobblestone streets and middle-eastern type commerce. It is also the heart of Granada's flamenco scene.......Olá!!
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| Wayne looking for a fridge magnet. "Might find one in there Wayne." |
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| We splurged on a flamenco show and got prime balcony seats complete with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses to help quaff down the wine! |
This is a video.........enjoy the show!
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| After the show we stopped for some sweet Arabian tea....... |
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| .....and a sociable hookah! |
The next day we bid adieu to Granada and hop on a hour long flight to the Mediterranean.....
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands, like Spain's other archipelago, the Canary Islands, rely heavily on tourism. Fortunately for us, we were there in late November and the tourists masses were not! Comprising of four main islands: Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera and our home base......
Mallorca Island
Mallorca has the most varied landscape of any European island - ranging from flat fertile plains to the mountainous peaks of the Sierra de Tramuntana to over 260 beaches. We are staying in the archipelago's capital city .....
Palma
Known as the "Pearl of the Mediterranean", it is a major cruise ship port and package holiday destination, fortunately not this time of year. With nearly 1/2 million residents, Palma is Spain's 8th largest city. Due to a reservation error on my part, we'll be here for 6 nights, whereas the original plan was to spend 4 nights here and 2 nights on Menorca island.....c'est la vie.
Our first day on the island we hike up to Bellver Castle, Spain's only circular castle (not sure what that building in Granada's Alhambra was??).
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| Old King James II, who built this place in the 14th century, had a 'circular' fetish......circular tower attached to circular castle. Yup, definitely a circular fetish! |
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A view from the roof into the circular inner court.
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| "Did I do that?" |
On another day we went exploring Palma proper......
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| Palma's harbour with every shape and size yacht that can be found. |
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| One thing Mallorca has no lack of are windmills, with an estimation of over 3,000 on the island, most of them are now derelict or converted to other uses. |
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| It can be a bit of a quirky town...... |
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| ....when the buildings aren't historic they're usually colourful! |
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| Palma is a walled city, surrounded by a moat....this moat. |
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| A former Moorish casbah (which we won't rock), Palma's Old Town is an appealing maze of narrow streets that are best explored (like all Spanish old towns) on foot! |
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| Wayne looking like he just came ashore from one of them yachts in the harbour. |
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| Roman Baths, the only thing surviving from the time when the Romans were here. Them Romans they were clean people. |
Wayne was feeling a bit under the weather, therefore Melanie and I were on our own for exploring. We decided a day trip was in the cards to the rural village of Sóllar, a typical old Mediterranean town. Set in a lush valley of orange groves between the mountains and the sea, it is popular with day trippers arriving on the 'vintage train' from Palma, as we did!
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| The vintage train, dating back to 1912, will allow you to step back 100+ years in time. Unfortunately, the cost to ride it whips you back to the present real quick. |
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The view of Sóller as the train pulls in. The Sierra de Tramuntana mountain range, in the background, is a UNESCO World Heritage site so designated as an area of great physical and cultural significance.
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Now what? We got 4 hours before the final train back to Palma. I expect that will be more than amble time to see it all!!
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| Sóller, like most Spanish towns, is filled with narrow streets where the pedestrian is the only vehicle. |
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| Brian, forgetting he had his trusty water bottle with him, opted instead to take his chances with cholera at the town trough. |
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| The town square where it all happens...... |
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| ....it all happening. |
Back in Palma we head for the city's showpiece, the Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma.....
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| The Cathedral predominantly towers over just about everything else in the city. |
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| Building the place started in 1229 and was completed in 1601. It's a massive building, measuring 120 metres long and 40 metres wide. The naive is an impressive 40 metres high, the eighth highest in the world. |
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The cathedral innards!
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| We paid a little extra for God's good graces and permission to climb to the rooftop..... |
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.......for an awesome view of the city.
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From the rooftop we could see the Bellver Castle (top left corner), the Royal Palace (directly in front of us) and the yacht-choked harbour.
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On our last day in Mallorca we walked the waterfront promenade, this time leading away from the city, and happened upon an excellent little bar within an excellent old castle that was looking out over the Med on an excellent day. It was all excellent!
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| It appears that it was amateur art day at the castle! |
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| Some guy practicing yoga at the castle. Looks like he's been there awhile. |
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| We were in Mallorca for six days; it rained, it was colder than normal and Wayne was out of commission for a few days with the flu, but on our last full day on the island........sunny bliss! |
If you've taken a cruise of the Mediterranean Sea, there is a strong chance that you started that cruise from.......
Barcelona
This cosmopolitan city of 5.7 million (Spain's 2nd largest) overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and is famous for architect Antoni Gaudi's masterpieces. It is the regional capital and the residents speak more Catalan than they do Spanish.
We part company with Wayne (he's on is way to Turkey and Cambodia) and settle in with 5 days to spend in the Barcelona area. We have no agenda but our hotel is situated in the old city quarter close to many of the sites, so we'll just take it from there!
We spend a couple of days simply exploring the area. First up the is the iconic 2 kilometre-long walking street, Las Ramblas....
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| I have no words. |
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| We stumbled across an olive oil market. There were a total of twenty tents with four oil producers per tent. That's a lot of different types of olive oil. I didn't even know there were that many types out there. |
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| The very touristy El Mercat de la Boqueria (market), charging the highest prices I've ever seen in a central market, in any city, in any country. Not where the average Spaniard buys meat and vegetables. |
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| This chain store only sells figurines of people taking a poop.....nothing else. True story. You can even buy a Donald Trump figurine for €25. |
Just off the Las Ramblas is the winding cobblestone streets and medieval buildings of the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter). This neighbourhood has been the heart of the city since Roman times. It was a fun place just to explore......
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| Melanie checking out the most photographed iconic archway in the Gothic Quarter, the image appears on all the tourist sites. |
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| Just bring in your empty and fill'er up. €2.50 a litre! got to love that! |
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| There are a lot of tourists in this city, but they stick mainly to Las Ramblas area. Deep within the Gothic Quarter, it's more a residential area so there isn't much for tourists to see, which equates to less of tourists and more of Spain. |
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| Jeeezily big cathedral in the Gothic Quarter. |
Some of the other places around Barcelona......
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| Outside of the tourist area the city is not much different from any other Spanish city, except Barcelona seems to have more graffiti and visible poverty. |
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| Big empty building. No idea what it is supposed to be? |
Barcelona's all-star native born son, without a doubt, goes to Antoni Gaudí (1852 - 1926), one of the world's most renowned architects. His unique unclassified style, led him to design some of Barcelona's most emblematic buildings - the type of architecture that stops you in your tracks. Collectively, seven of his projects have been designated UNESCO World Heritage sites...that's a very big deal. The following are some of his creations.....
 | | Casa Battló |
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| Park Guell, was originally envisioned by Gaudí to be a private residential development for the rich but in the end only two homes were ever built. It's the common spaces, such as this terrace, that became the basis for the park. This is the top view...... |
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| ....and this is the bottom view. |
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| A Guadí gingerbread house! |
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| Gaudí was equally competent in garden design. |
"My ideas are indisputably logical; the only thing that makes me doubt them is that they have not been applied before."
Antoni Gaudí
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| Barcelona's most famous landmark, the iconic Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world. It is also Gaudí's most famous building. Construction started in 1882 and they are still building it. They need a good union to get them to pick up the pace. |
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| The cost to enter was $75 per person....WTF. It's not even finished for God's sake. Imagine the entrance fee when the building is finally built. Actually it's kinda brilliant when you think of it - get the tourists to pay for the construction. |
After overdosing on Gaudí, we decided to do a day trip to the Santa Maria de Montserrat, a historic abbey on Montserrat Mountain. It is most famous for its spectacular setting, the revered Black Madonna statue (we didn't see) and the Escolania Boys' Choir (we didn't hear).
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| Montserrat literally means 'Serrated Mountain', describing the mountain's jagged saw-toothed appearance. The monastery, locagted 720 metres up the mountain, was built in 1025, making this year their 1,000 year anniversary.....WOW. |
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| That cross over yonder is our destination..... |
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| .....it was sunny and warm in Barcelona, here it was only sunny. The wind was howling coming off of them snow capped mountains in the distance. |
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| I climbed up the hill to get a better shot of the monastery - look closely for the Ibex. Afterwards I went back down to the road that I left Melanie on but I couldn't find her.... |
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| ....I assumed that Melanie had receded to the monastery area where it was warmer and therefore that was where I headed..... |
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| ....after nearly 30 minutes and not seeing Melanie anywhere, I walked back up to where I thought I left her, and there (froze-da-det) was Melanie, still waiting for me to come down from getting a better shot of the monastery. How we originally missed each other remains a mystery to this day |
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| We originally came here to do some hiking but it was too bloody cold and an executive decision was quickly made to retreat to a warmer climate. We decided to get off the mountain by hiking dwon rather than taking the funicular train back. |
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| Saint Someone guarding the trail. |
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| It's 5 km and a 600+ metre descent to the town where we have to find the train station. |
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| After 1.5 hours of knee crunching and ankle twisting we reach the town! |
All good things must end. Our trip to Spain is over, but we won't wait another 48 years to return. We head back to Newfoundland for Christmas before journeying to India for 2 1/2 months!
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