Spain Travel Diary #3: Seville

After feeling satiated with the chocolaté  con churros and other delicacies in Madrid, we headed all the way down to Southern Spain, to the city of Seville in beautiful Andalucía region. People rave about this city and I didn't know why until we reached there. According to me, Seville is one of the most charming cities in the world.  It didn't take me more than a couple of hours to fall in love with the city, almost like love at first sight! It is now easily among my top 3 favourite cities in the world :)

 

While in Seville, we stayed in the historic old town area which has the rustic look with ancient monuments, cathedrals, palaces, towers etc which give you a completely different experience compared to staying in the new town. The lovely Moorish architecture is definitely something to experience!

 

It's very easy to explore all major attractions in the town by foot and we loved walking through the narrow cobblestone streets and shopping on the way. One of my favourite places in Seville is Plaza de la Encarnacion. You can walk up the building in the centre of the plaza to get a 360 degree view of the entire city. It is breathtakingly beautiful and an experience not to be missed!!! I would easily rate this place as the MUST DO while in Seville. You get a free drink along with the ticket that you purchase to go up and you can enjoy a glass of Spanish wine soaking in the charm and beauty of the city. Go especially during sunset time and then wait up until it is dark to see the city in lights.

 

 

Another day was spent exploring the Cathedral, Giralda tower and the Alcazar Palace in the old town. The architecture of these buildings is simply stunning and you can stand there for hours admiring the beauty of it! While you are here, make sure you go restaurant hopping along the street by the cathedral, relishing Spanish tapas, Paellas and some local wine. They have outdoor seating and you get to enjoy a romantic dinner with the cathedral/tower view!

 

 

 

 

If you are in Spain, you would have heard of Flamenco dance. Did you know that it originated in Seville?! We made it a point to watch a traditional live Flamenco show here where it all originated!! It was truly an experience of a lifetime. The guitarist, singer, dancers everyone was extraordinary and I got goosebumps watching them perform with so much passion and energy. These shows get booked in advance, so make sure you purchase the tickets online and go early to grab a front seat..

 

 

 

The day we were leaving Seville we rented a car and we were so glad we did that 'coz there is no way you can drive around in the town in those narrow crowded streets and don't even expect to get a parking place! Even if you have a car, highly recommended that you leave it at the hotel and take a cab or walk around. You get to explore, enjoy and soak in so much more of this city by walk than by drive. Make sure you carry a map though while navigating as it is easy to get lost!

 

We had a few hours before heading out of Seville and Plaza de Espana popped out. Am glad we visited this place. It is one of the most beautiful plazas I have seen in all of Europe! The details inside are incredible and it also has a small river/ pond inside where you can go boating to see the plaza as well. Another must visit place in Seville!!

 

 

 

Last but not the least, if you are an adventure seeker/adrenaline junkie, then Seville has a dropzone nearby about 45mins from the city where you can skydive. We couldn't do it as the weather wasn't good during our stay but I would definitely go back here someday just to skydive to get a bird's eye view of this lovely, beautiful, charming city!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spain Travel Diary #2: Madrid

You cannot go to a country and miss visiting the capital city. Even though Madrid is fairly a new city compared to rest of Spain, it has rich culture and history. Not as big as Barcelona or exquisite as Valencia or lush with heritage as Granada but there is a charm to this city which no other has! It is chosen as the capital merely because of it's geographically convenient location, in the heart of Spain.

 

I expected an urban environment, with tall modern buildings, corporate crowd, heavy traffic etc, like most other capital cities in the world but this one took me by surprise. In the historical part of town, there are still a lot of ancient buildings with stunning architectures that are well preserved and they look like jewels of the city. We stayed on Gran Vía street, one of the most popular streets in Madrid and I could spend hours just looking at the buildings there and admiring them!! They are indeed extremely beautiful. No matter how many photos I clicked, I wasn't satisfied as you just cannot capture that beauty but only soak it in and experience it! So if you visit Madrid, I highly recommend staying on Gran Vía and no where else..

 

  

After enjoying long walks on Gran Via, shopping, eating, strolling, photographing (sometimes in rain), our next stop was to explore Plaza Mayor. The advantage of staying on Gran Vía is that it is very close to many of the city's attractions and they are all in walking distance. Walking is a great way to explore any city, in my point of view. The walk from Gran Vía  to the plaza is enjoyable especially if you go through the alley ways and some of the narrow streets. Plaza Mayor is a very touristy place so it can get very crowded so be wise in choosing what time you go there. We went there during sunset and it was raining lightly at that time so there weren't too many people. It is surrounded by several tapas bars, cafes and restaurants where you can indulge in Spanish cuisine to your heart's content.

 

 

Talking about food, one of the specialities of Madrid is 'Chocolaté con Churros' which is thick dark chocolate (with or without milk) along with salty churros. It is delicious and you should not leave Madrid without having this for sure!! And of course, there is the usual list of tapas you can try all over spain, one of which is Patatas Bravas.  There is a chain of Pizzeria called 'Papizza' where we loved eating. They have a good variety of vegetarian pizzas and pastas and it is an eye candy and mouth-watering to watch those pizzas in the counters with fresh cheese and tomatoes!

 

Chocolate con Churros

Patatas bravas

 

If you are a football fan, you will love visiting Santiago Bernabeu stadium which is the home for Real Madrid football club. I am not, so it was a no brainer for me to skip this one!

 

If you still have time left after indulging in tapas and pizzas, then Royal Palace would be a great option to explore. The palace itself from outside is nothing exquisite, but the gardens around are very beautiful and worth spending time. Once you go inside the palace, into the courtyard, the open space and the views are gorgeous and so are the paintings and artwork inside the palace building.
 

 

There is more to explore in the city but it depends on what you are interested in. I am not a museum person but if you are, then Prado museum is something you would want to consider. I was happy with the 2 days we spent there and what we explored because I could get a flavour of the city, which I loved.

 

Spain Travel Diary #1: Barcelona

Spain had always been on my list of countries to visit. Everything about that country has been very attractive to me - culture, language, cuisine, people and more! It was literally calling out to me this year and we finally made a trip there is month! The weather was just perfect, not too hot, not too cold, just pleasant and nice. I am so glad we didn't go there during peak summer or tourist season. Not that there weren't many tourists now but it would have been way more crowded in summer.

So according to me, the best time to visit is October/November.

 

As always, when I plan a trip I ask which places would be the most contributing to visit and I look at which one invites me energetically. So the itinerary started with Barcelona to Madrid, Seville, small towns in Andalucía mountains, Granada, Murcia, Valencia and back to Barcelona. The trip was a combination of trains and car. Driving around in southern spain has an advantage as you get to see these small villages which are not accessible by train or bus easily.

 

Started this awesome journey in Barcelona. Having spent just 4 days in that city I would still call it one of my favourite cities in the world. I loved everything about it. The city has it's own charm, even though it is seen as very touristy, you can get the local flavour of Catalonia everywhere you go. Apart from visiting the famous Sagrada Familia cathedral, we lived there like the locals, exploring restaurants, cafes/bars and relishing on the delicious tapas, shopping in La Rambla, strolling through the markets and the neighbourhood. This is a totally different way of enjoying a place when you travel, rather than visiting the museums, standing in long queues at the attractions, taking guided tours which most people do. Try it, at least in Barcelona and you will fall in love with the city for sure!

 

As we didn't visit all the touristy attractions, obviously I will not be listing all the places to visit, on this blog! ;-) You can find that on google or any travel book in the store. But what I am writing here is the way I experienced the city and hopefully that would inspire you to go there too!

 

What we did -

 

1) Sagrada Familia - is the famous Roman cathedral by Antonio Gaudi. This church is a UNESCO world heritage site and I didn't know about it until I visited. (There is something about UNESCO world heritage sites that always attract me!) You will find loads and loads of cathedrals all over Spain but this one is truly unique. The gothic architecture is extraordinary and stunning to say the least and I stood there just admiring the building from outside for a long time! This place can get very crowded, so if you want to go inside, then highly recommend buying tickets in advance from their website. They have limited/fixed slots too.

  

2) Montjuic mountain - If you want a beautiful bird's eye view of Barcelona city and the coast, then definitely don't miss going on top of this mountain. It's extremely beautiful up there! You can either take a cable car up, a train or even a cab. We took the cab as it was the fastest. There can be an hour long queue to go up the cable car!

 

 

 

 

3) La Rambla - a very popular street in Barcelona, for food, drinks, shopping, artwork, galleries, flamenco shows  and more! Just taking a walk up and down the street is an amazing experience. Even though it gets very crowded, there is still an ease and joy in strolling through. It is beautifully lit, very lively even past mid night and so much to do and explore. There are people who do sketches by the street side and you can get some caricatures/ sketches of yourself done as a souvenir!  Do not miss the La Boqueria market on this street. Never been to a market which was this crowded! Watch your bags/wallets while you are here. You will find the best local fruits and fresh fruit juice here along with many other local delicacies and pizzas and tapas bars.

 

 

 

4) Eat tapas, tapas, and more tapas - yes, you heard it right! Spain has a popular tapas culture which is small portions of finger food/starters served along with your drinks. If you are a vegetarian like me, don't be disappointed, there are still good variety of them to try. Patatas Bravas, fried padron peppers, stuffed olives, croquettas, bread with tomato and olive oil, and so much more! Try them with wine /Sangria for sure.  I went crazy happy eating all of these. Just for tapas I would go back to Spain again. Simply loved this culture!!!

 

 

 

5) Plaza España - Barcelona has a lovely night life and it is best spent in Ramblas and Plaza España! There is a building called Arena at this plaza where you can go on the roof top to get a view of the entire plaza. Even the elevators going up here have great views. The fountain in the centre of the plaza is worth a look!

 

 

 

6) Take a day trip to Montserrat - When you have soaked in the city enough, consider taking a day trip to Montserrat mountains, which is about an hour by train from Barcelona. You can even do it in half a day but a full day is a better option. The serrated mountains, monastery, trains going on steep slopes, cable cars, hiking, shopping and so much more. It's truly a memorable experience, to be missed and you get to see the outskirts of Barcelona too. I will be writing another post with more details on this trip...watch this space!

 

 

 

7) Watch a live Flamenco show/Opera - We did this in Seville where Flamenco originated but if we hadn't planned it there, Barcelona would be a place where we would have watched it. There is a theatre in La Rambla which had great reviews. Flamenco is unlike any other dance form and gives you a great experience of Spanish culture! And if we had an extra evening we would spend it watching Opera on La Rambla for sure....

 

 

When in Barcelona, be a local and soak in the culture!!

 

 

 

Travelogue: Rome (Day 12- 15)

After 2 tiring days we headed from Florence to Rome, coz all roads lead to Rome ;-)

Rome, the capital of Italy, is supposed to be the 3rd most visited city in Europe with almost 2000 yrs of ancient history! So you need at least 3 days to barely see the city. If you are an art lover, then there are tons of museums and monuments to visit, so consider spending at least a week.. In a couple of days we were there, we managed to see almost all places of major interest, especially the ones mentioned in Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code/ Angels & Demons :)


Vatican City

This tiny country within a country is the world's smallest. It is the center of the catholic church and home of its Popes and popular piligrimage spot of its devotees. The first thing we saw here was St.Peter's square and Basillica which is truly incredible and a must see, whether you are a catholic or not. The next was a self guided tour in the Vatican Museum which we felt was way too expensive and not worth it. The only thing of my interest here was the Sistine Chapel, unfortunately at the end of the museum but completely worth it!! The paintings on the walls and the roof are extremely beautiful and breathtaking. But you are not allowed to take photos inside and have to maintain silence... The exit leads to the back of the museum from where you can tour the basilicas and tombs of the Popes..




Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain is my favorite of all the spots in Rome - stunningly beautiful, especially in the night!! It's a must visit and something you need to see both during the day and night. There is a belief that if you throw a coin into the fountain you obtain good fortune and will come back to Rome, to the fountain :)



Piazza Venezia
This piazza is in the central hub of Rome and almost any bus you take will pass through this lovely piazza. It takes its name from the adjacent Palazzo Venezia, the former embassy in the city of the Republic of Venice. It's worth a watch!


Roman Colosseum
I was suitably impressed with this ancient architecture. Hard to believe that a civilization thousands of years ago could actually create such an awe inspiring amphitheater like this! You can see where the emperors and the crowds sat and where the gladiators came to fight. Inevitably the first thing you think of is the movie Gladiator.. They also play visuals from the movie inside the colosseum.. :)

Piazza Navona
After reading about it in Angels & Demons, I was keen on seeing the Piazza Navona. It's probably one of the most beautiful of all the piazzas you can see in Italy. It is exceptionally long and features many fine old buildings, a beautiful church (of Sant'Angese) and 3 stunning fountains out of which the center one is Bernini's spectacular fountain - la Fontana dei Fiumi. Piazza Navona is an extremely lively place with a lot of open air cafes and artists painting public portraits... It's a great place to spend a perfect evening...

Pantheon
Pantheon is an ancient magnificient temple in Rome which was later converted into the church of Santa Maria. It is the burial place of several famous Italians and it remains an active church. It is also a major tourist destination and a popular place for weddings. The structure was under renovation when we visited and almost about to close. We were lucky to have got about 15mins to see inside of the Pantheon.

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Travelogue: Tuscany (Day 10 -12)

From the city of water, we headed towards the historic center of Florence - the capital of Tuscany region. We set up our base at Florence and in the next 2 days visited Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa and Chianti in Tuscany, all of which are designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO (excluding Chianti which is a green land with vineyards)

Florence (a.k.a Firenze)

The captial city of Tuscany is one of the most important artistic centers, rich in history & culture and is popularly known as the art capital of Italy. Though for me, all cities we visited in Italy looked very similar...the buildings, roads, architecture etc seemed very ancient but nothing different! We stayed just a few meters away from the train station, within the city and it proved to be very convenient. It's a good idea to do that especially if you want to travel in and around florence.

Florence has lots and lots of piazzas (elegant squares), renaissance palaces (palazzis), churches, museums, gardens and art galleries. However, the must see is the David statue by Michaelangelo. We went to Piazza Santa Maria Novella a few times as it was close to where we stayed....it looks absolutely beautiful during sunset. The remaining time was spent visiting the restaurants and walking around the city....

Siena

We reserved one full day for a day trip to Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti. The guided tour was a lot of fun but tiring at the same time. Our guide spoke 5 languages and was extremely patient, cheerful and knowledgeable..which made the trip more interesting. Siena is declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and it is well known for art, architecture & medieval cityscape. The cathedral of Siena (shown in the image below) is stunning and is a good example of the romanesque architecture. Another architectural treasure is the Piazza del Campo, the town square, which is famous for hosting the Palio horse race. We saw a lot more monuments, churches and walked through the small lanes and road of Siena for about 3 hours. You can see a strong influence of medieval culture and architecture everywhere around and it is definitely worth a visit!

San Gimignano

San Gimignano is another famous small medieval hill town famous for its medieval architecture, culture and especially the towers, which can be seen from several kilometers outside the town. It is said that, at one point in time, there were supposed to be hundreds of them! Most of them were brought down during wars, catastrophes and urban renewal with just a few left for people to admire. We climbed one such tower and I was absolutely thrilled to reach the top, given my fear of heights!! :)

Chianti

Chianti is famous for its wine and vineyards, especially the red wine which is one of the best wines available there. We reached Chianti in the early evening and the greenery all around was a treat to the eye! We visited the "Casanova SantaAgnese" winery and their vineyard. The owner took us around the farm and to the cellar where he had stored barrels of wine and balsamic vinegar. The next couple of hours were spent understanding his process of wine making and also tasting varieties of red, white and dessert wines, balsamic vinegar and cheese. This was my first visit to a vineyard and I loved every bit of it!

If you are in Florence, then a wine tasting tour is something you wouldn't want to miss and if you are a wine lover, then it is a must do!!

Pisa
You cannot go to Italy and miss the leaning tower of Pisa! So on the second day, we headed towards the town of Pisa, which is about an hour's journey by train from Florence. Pisa is a small city, with the architecture quite similar to rest of the parts of Italy. The walk from the train station to the Leaning Tower was quite long and tedious! We had a slot reserved in advance, so once we reached the tower, we didn't have to wait for long. The climb up the Pisa tower was quite an adventure! The steps are worn out, with space just enough for one person to walk at a time and you actually feel like you are going to fall 'coz of the leaning tower :) The view from the top was truly amazing!

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Travelogue: Venice (Day 8 - 10)

After spending 5 days in the land of beautiful lakes & mountains we started our journey towards Italy, Venice (or Venicia) being the first destination. This time we managed to get the fast train (Eurostar Italia) and reached Venice from Luzern in just about 6.5hrs via Milan...

Venice is also called the city of love, romance, water, architecture and more! I had no idea what to expect there and I was completely taken aback seeing the entire city surrounded by water, water and more water everywhere!!! It has a group of islands around such as Lido, Murano etc, all of which are part of Venice. We landed at the train station and looked for a taxi to the hotel but figured that the only mode of transport there are boats! hmmm...it was really interesting, especially the street lights in water :) It took us 45 mins or more to reach Lido island... I kinda got bored in a day travelling back n forth on the boats to the city. Everyone there has his/her own private boats instead of cars/bikes and you can see them all out on the sea during weekends....

The next day morning we set out to explore the small city. We went to St.Mark's Square where we checked out St.Mark's Basilica. The weather was perfect, though it got too sunny towards noon. We checked out the surrounding places, the shops, markets and went for lunch. Our stint with the pastas and pizzas started here and we ate just that and ONLY that for the next 10 days!!!!!


We then went to the famous Rialto Bridge and took the Gondola ride from there which lasted about 30 mins. We also saw the Grand Canal and various small canals through the gondola ride which was a lovely experience and completely worth it! Though expensive, gondola ride is something that you should not miss if you visit Venice.

We went back to the Lido island and visited the beach in the late evening. The sun sets around 9.30pm during summer so the days are long and sunny and hardly any night life in this city. We had planned 2 full days and nights in Venice but figured that there is nothing much to do in the city! So we cut short the trip and headed towards Florence the next day....

Final thoughts .... Whenever I visit a city I usually end up thinking if I can see myself living there at some point in life. Paris, Interlaken, Luzern are places which I surely wouldn't mind going back to...Venice is definitely a gorgeous city, ancient, with lot of history, beautiful churches, buildings etc and very different but I definitely wouldn't want to go back, forget living there! I'll get depressed seeing water all around the place, day in day out! But it surely is one city you would want to see in your lifetime 'coz it's different ;-)


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Travelogue: Luzern, Switzerland (Day 6 - 8)

Switzerland has postcard-like views everywhere! It's a land of crystal clear lakes and snowy mountains.The route from Interlaken to Luzern (known as the Golden Pass route) is supposed to be the most scenic of all panoramic routes...extremely picturesque, there is no doubt about it!

The city of Luzern (or Lucerne) gets its name from the lake Luzern, to the edge of which the city lies. We reached there in the early evening, took a stroll to the lakeside and I was awed by the crystal clear brilliance of it. Staying within the city had its advantages. The public transport system (buses) is extremely efficient and easily accessible. So travelling within the city was very hassle free. The city is rich in culture, people are way too friendly and it has a pristine atmosphere...It became my favorite destination in the Euro trip. There is a lot to do at Luzern for people seeking adventure (venture to Mount Pilatus & Titlis) and an equally good spot for relaxation...

Mount Pilatus (7000ft)

The next day we took the Golden Round Trip to Mount Pilatus which includes a boat ride from Luzern to Alpnachstad - cogwheel train from Alpnachstad to top of Pilatus - aerial cable car from Pilatus to Frankmuntegg- gondola cableway to Krienseregg and back to Luzern by bus. The whole thing takes an entire day and is quite strenuous but worth it! The cogwheel train taken to the top of Mt Pilatus is supposed to be the world's steepest train and the views are breathtaking though very scary...

Once you reach the Pilatus Kulm peak, there are a lot of restaurants to eat and chill out. The food is nothing great, but who cares, coz you will never forget the views! There are different hiking routes to the peaks at Pilatus which are quite easy and short. You get stunning views of miles and miles of swiss alps in the crisp air in addition to the panoramic views of the lakes of Central Switzerland.

The adventure park of Frakmuntegg offers a lot of adventure sports like tight rope walking, sledging, toboggan runs etc during summer and snow sledging during winter. So if you are looking for a bit of adrenaline pump, stop over at this town on the way down from the mountain top.

With stunning lakes and mountains, adventure sports, soothing atmosphere, lovely buildings & art, easy to navigate streets & friendly people, Luzerne is one place that every traveller needs to add to his list!

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Travelogue: Interlaken, Switzerland (Day 4- 6)

Going to Switzerland had always been one of the MUST DO things in my bucket list. Well, who wouldn't want to go there?! Friends who had visited the place had gone ga-ga over it and now I know why exactly! It is beautiful beyond words can describe! Switzerland is known as the land of skiing, chocolates & private banking.. but there is MUCH more to experience than just that..

So from Paris we headed towards Interlaken which is a small town between 2 lakes (hence the name) and is incredibly beautiful surrounded by soaring mountain peaks (the snow clad swiss alps). Though a small town, it wont fail to captivate your heart by its beauty! I loved it the first minute I stepped out of the train..

This was our first trip on Eurail and the journey took almost 1 full day as we couldn't get tickets on the fast trains. But if you take one of the TGV or Eurostar it takes just about 4hrs from Paris...

The hotel we stayed (Hotel Beatus) was a bit away from the city and close to nature, and the view of the lake and swiss alps from our window was simply amazing!! Imagine waking up and seeing the snow clad alps the first thing in the morning... It was truly blissful!! So always look for a room with a view, even if you have to pay a little more it is totally worth it.

Mount Jungfrau (13, 642 ft)

The next day we went on a trip to Mount Jungfrau, the top most point of Europe. Jungfrau is one of the main summits in Bernese Alps. Together with the Eiger and Mönch, the Jungfrau forms a massive wall overlooking the Bernese Oberland and considered one of the most emblematic sights of the Swiss Alps. The best time to visit is during the Summer of course.

To reach there, you have to take a train from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen and then the Jungfrau railways to the top of the mountain. The whole journey is about 2.5hrs. The train stops twice on the way, within the moutain tunnel where there are 2 view points and through the glass window you get to see the snow mountains. It gets EXTREMELY cold as you go up, so carrying layered clothing is a must! Once you reach the mountain top, you can trek upto the viewpoints and explore different places where it is snowing and admire the beauty of the majestic swiss alps, while you create snow angels in fresh ice! :) It feels like a heaven on earth and was one of the Out-of-the-world experiences for me!

Ice Palace

The Ice Palace is on the top of Jungfrau and is completely made out of ice - the floors, ceiling, walls and a whole bunch of sculptures!! It is something very unique and fun to see, though it is freezing cold inside!

Adventure Sports

Interlaken is also the adventure sport capital of Europe. If you love adventure then this is the place to be. They say that even if you have done sky diving before, you should do it here again coz diving down to the mountains in swiss alps is a breathtaking experience! Paragliding, canyon swings, rafting are among the other things that you can do.

People & Culture:

The Swiss have 3 official languages - German, French & Swiss. Which part of the country you are in will determine which language is used more. Interlaken is kinda in the middle, so there is more of French/German. The official currency is Swiss Franks and they accept Euros too.

Swiss people were the friendliest among the 3 countries we visited. They are so warm, helpful and welcoming! Not once do you feel intimidated. We had absolutely no issues in finding our hotel or figuring out the day trips and schedules...It actually feels good being in that country!

After admiring the snow and the lakes, we headed northwards to Luzern...

P.S: The images displayed here are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without due credits or my consent.