5 Reasons to Visit Spain

May 5, 2015

Now that I’ve finished all the recap posts from our trip through Spain, I hope you’ve fallen just in love with the country as I did. It’s an incredible place and my love affair with Spain, I feel, has only just begun. Spain is one of those countries that you can’t quite get out of your mind after you visit and a place that offers so much for an amazing travel destination from being incredibly economical to gorgeous architecture. So in case you needed any more convincing, here at my top 5 amazing reasons to visit Spain.

And for your trip to Spain, here’s where to stay!

Sangria, tortilla española, potatoes bravas, paella, Ibérico ham, manchego cheese, churros con chocolate…need I say more? The food was one of our major driving reasons behind booking a trip through Spain and it did not disappoint.

The Spanish people were some of the friendliest, most patient locals I’ve met while traveling. Always a smile on their face, always helpful when I couldn’t quite find the right word in Spanish, the locals were a huge favorite part of our trip.

Within the cities and along the routes we took as we trained throughout Spain, the landscape and scenery is absolutely breathtaking. From the coastline of Barcelona to the hilly tree groves of the South, this country is gorgeous beyond belief.

From bull fighting to Flamenco dancing, Spain is full of rich history and culture that is still keep very much alive today is so fantastic to explore.

One of my favorite parts of Spain, the architecture and design throughout the country is incredible. From the Moorish influence in the South to the ornate designs of Madrid’s buildings to the whimsical features of Barcelona…Spain’s diverse culture lends itself well to architecture and design.

Traveling to Spain?

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Souks, Churros & Alleyways : Exploring Granada

May 4, 2015

Granada surprised me. Whereas the rest of our stops in Spain (Barcelona, Madrid and Sevilla) felt very European, Granada felt very Middle Eastern in nature. From the food to the architecture to the languages spoken on the streets, Granada is very much in close relation to it’s near neighbors, Morocco and Northern Africa. Being so far South, you can definitely see the Moorish influence here and I thoroughly enjoyed this unique Spanish/Moorish combination. We spent much of our time in Granada just wandering, buying lanterns and Moroccan tile and silver jewelry at the many souk-like shops that scatter the streets of the city. We explored the alleyways and steep steps of the ancient whitewashed neighborhood of the Albaicin and tasted some of the best churros of our entire trip at a cafe in the Plaza Bib-Rambla. We wandered down empty streets, took in the buildings that were in much rougher shape than the other spots in Spain we visited and meandered back to our hotel after our dinner of churros and chocolate (it was vacation after all!), finishing off our time in Granada with the sun setting over the Albaicin and the Alhambra high on the hill from our balcony. As the light fell on our time in Granada and our trip through Spain, we knew that it wasn’t goodbye, but an invitation to return again and see more of this insanely amazing country.

Don’t Miss while in Granada:

-Take the chance to enjoy lots of Arab food while here! We feasted on Chicken Bastilla (a favorite Moroccan dish) and schwarmas (an Arab staple that I grew up on).

-Don’t miss a visit to the Alhambra!

-Set aside time to just wander.

Traveling to Spain?

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And here are all my recs for where to stay!

Morning at the Alhambra

May 1, 2015

When we added Granada to our Spain itinerary, there was no question that one of the main draws to this ancient Southern Spanish city is the incredible Alhambra fortress high above the landscape. We found out quickly, that while the Alhambra is definitely the top draw for people coming to Granada, this area has a lot more to offer as well and we’d love to go back, take in more of the area and the countryside. Alas, this trip though, with only 2 days in Granada, we spent a large majority of our time at the incredible Alhambra.

We headed out of our hotel bright and early to make our entrance time of 8:30. We bought tickets ahead of time (which you need to…read below in tips for more information) and wandered from our Hotel Casa 1800, down little alleyways in the freezing cold morning air towards Plaza Nueva (wear layers, it gets cold at night!) to grab a cab up the hill to the Alhambra. You can walk up, but we chose the 5 euro cab ride over a 40 minute trek first thing in the morning. Upon arrival at the top of the hill, we headed to the kiosks at the entrance to get our tickets and made our way through the entrance gates. I had read before hand that while most of the grounds you are free to wander at your own leisure, the Palacios Nazaries can only be entered at your ticket time. So for us, that was 8:30, and immediately after entering the grounds we made the 5-7 minute walk to this famous building on the grounds to make sure we could see it. They let groups in every 30 minutes, so make you sure you head here first whatever time your tickets are. This building is the one you always see photos of, intricate details, incredible architecture and insane views over Granada.

We spent the next few hours just wandering the grounds, taking in each building complex, admiring the ruins and admiring the insane views over Southern Spain. From the white washed buildings of the Albaicin, to the incredible snow capped Sierra Nevada mountains to the South, you could spend hours up there on the hilly fortress that is the Alhambra just admiring one of the most spectacular places I’ve ever seen. The views, the details, the history, our morning at the Alhambra was truly one to remember and after spending about 4 hours wandering the grounds, through orange groves and ruins, through old palaces and colosseum type rotundas, we meandered back through the gardens and water features toward the main gates and grabbed a cab back down the hill. Needless to say, this post is pretty picture heavy because the Alhambra is just too beautiful not to see every corner of it. Our morning there, especially being there at the first ticketed time with so few other people, made the experience all the more special. Standing at the top of the Alhambra’s oldest section, on top of a massive hill over Granada, looking out in the distance for miles over the breathtaking landscaping of Southern Spain, will always be a memory I’ll never forget.

Tips for your Visit to the Alhambra:

-Buy your tickets online in advance. Go to the Alhambra website and it will forward you to a link to buy tickets. We chose the first ones of the day (8:30am) which I would highly recommend to miss most of the crowds, plus the light for photos was amazing!

-Give yourself at least 15-20 minutes to arrive at the Alhambra entrance early to collect your tickets from the kiosks. We were running a bit behind and were hurrying to get tickets and make it to the Palacios Nazaries at our ticket time. The kiosks are next to the gift shop near the entrance.

-Head first to the Palacios Nazaries at your ticket time. We got there about 8:35 and they had just started letting our time slot in, but since that was the first of the day, I would make sure you get there before your start date during the later times. There will be a special line for this one building and they will need to scan your tickets so keep them handy.

-Keep your tickets handy throughout, as in most of the buildings throughout the grounds they will scan them again.

-Take your time. We spent about 4 hours wandering through, but if we hadn’t been really tired and the crowds were getting big, we could have spent a couple more easily. It’s a huge complex so take your time and just wander.

-No real food inside the gates, so bring your own. Since our ticket time was early, we didn’t have breakfast before thinking we’d grab something up there. Half way through we were starving, and other than a little coffee shop with small food and coffee, there is no real food up there. So eat before or bring snacks.

Traveling to Spain?

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And here are all my recs for where to stay!

Travel Tips : How to Get Along if You Don’t Know the Language

April 29, 2015

There are often times traveling when Nick and I don’t know the local language. Whether we know a little bit or none, sometimes it’s really hard to get along and figure things out. And while we might think everyone is going to speak English, the more places we visit, the more I realize that really isn’t true in lots of places, so it’s good to have a backup plan in mind on how to deal with language barriers. The last thing you want is to have a trip ruined because you don’t understand. Here’s some ways to help break that language barrier and get along if you don’t know the local language.

Google what you will need to say and take a screenshot.

I do this a lot and it works really well. It helps if I can speak a little bit of the language or know how to pronounce things, but either way, if you google a phrase you know you’ll be using a lot when you have wifi, take a screenshot so you can pull it up easily when you need to. For example, I do this a lot with directions or phrases that I know I’ll be using a lot on our trip and it’s really handy.

Carry a map at all times.

Even though we travel with service on our phones internationally, I never leave home with a map for each city we’re visiting. I personally love the Streetwise maps and I mark in sharpie on each one where our hotel is and where the major spots we’re most likely going to be heading are, that way in a bind we always have a map. If our phones die or we don’t want to use all our data, make sure you have a map in your language to navigate.

Keep addresses of hotels and other lesser known spots to show taxi drivers or ask directions.

Before we leave on a trip, I take a screenshot of every address we’ll need while gone. Whether it’s an apartment address or a hotel or restaurant, any place you know for sure you’ll be going and will need to get back and forth to, take a screenshot. This is particularly helpful in countries that might not speak English but at least share an alphabet, they will still be able to read it even if you can’t pronounce it. It’s harder in countries where the written language has its own alphabet, but still helpful all the same.

Try local ethnic restaurants at home to figure out what you like and remember the names.

We do this a lot before we head somewhere a little more exotic so we know what to expect from the food. Have dinner at a local ethnic restaurant and look over the menu, try a few things and remember the names of what you liked. Then, when you’re traveling in those countries, you won’t be lost reading the menu, you’ll have some idea of what they items are.

Download apps like Word Lense that translates on the spot from an image.

Word Lense is an amazing app that basically hovers over an image and shows you the translation. We used it a lot in Spain when we weren’t sure of things on menus and such and it’s super easy and works so well. There are a lot of translation apps out there, but that’s my favorite.

Over the River : Triana District in Sevilla

April 28, 2015

On our last day in Sevilla, we really only had the morning as our train to Granada left mid-afternoon so we headed out after sleeping in toward the Triana district of Sevilla. This area right over the canal is a more local area and we were curious to see it. We wandered the little alleyways over the bank, took in the white and yellow buildings complete with orange and lemon trees out front, then stopped at a little cafe overlooking the water for some cafe con leche. For our final hours in the city, we sipped slowly and took it all in, the colors, the feeling, the magic of Sevilla.

Traveling to Spain?

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Orange Trees & Cobblestones : Sevilla’s Old Town

April 27, 2015

After our morning spent taking in Sevilla’s tourist attractions like the Giralda Tower and the Real Alcazár, we wanted to get a better taste of the rest of the city, so we headed out that afternoon (after a siesta of course) to see the rest of Seville. The city is really walkable and really not that big so it’s easy to cover a lot of ground in just a few hours. We wandered down to the Plaza Nueva, down cobblestone streets lined with orange trees. We took in the scenes of plazas and locals heading home from work, then down toward the Canal de Alfonso XIII, stopping to take a look at the famous bull fighting ring, taking in the Torre del Oro, the last major Islamic building in the city, and then found a spot along the banks of the water to take in the sunset. It was one of those magical travel afternoons, with no real place to go in mind, no time to worry about, just wandering, taking in the city and ending up where we ended up. We found a great spot near the Puente de Isabel II bridge and watched as the colors began to spill across the sky. It wasn’t a great sunset but it was magical all the same, in a city I love, in a moment that seemed pretty much perfect.

Don’t Miss in Sevilla’s Old Town:

-El Patio Bodega – some of the best tapas we had our entire trip

Traveling to Spain?

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Moorish Charm at Sevilla’s Real Alcázar

April 24, 2015

Spending my childhood in the Middle East has created a lifelong love affair with Arabic design. My favorite architectural designs and patterns always stem from a Middle Eastern influence and so it’s safe to say that I knew I would fall head over heels in love with the Real Alcazár in Sevilla. After our morning at the Sevilla Cathedral and the Giralda Tower, we headed right across the plaza, bought our tickets and entered this famous monument. This royal palace is complete with Moorish architecture, intricate designs and details, lush gardens with water features and groves of orange trees abounding. Wandering through the grounds felt like our own slice of paradise, an oasis in the middle of beautiful Sevilla.

The Real Alcazár is in one way totally in sync with the city, the colors, the feel, the lushness and yet also completely unique, made to feel as if you were wandering through a foreign, exotic land all at the same time. The tiles, the archways, the wooden beams, it’s truly spectacular and not a site to be missed when visiting Sevilla. I fell more and more in love with this place as we wandered through, taking our time and looking at every detail. It’s truly a remarkable and breathtakingly beautiful spot in the middle of Sevilla.

Traveling to Spain?

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Views and Windy Stairs : Sevilla Cathedral + Giralda Tower

April 23, 2015

After taking in the dawn in Sevilla, we headed back to the hotel, slept a bit more and then got going to explore the city during the day. Our first stop: the Sevilla Cathedral and Giralda Tower. Our fantastic hotel was only about a 5 minute walk from this area, so we wandered the tiny streets until it let open into the lovely plaza in front of the cathedral. We waited in line for about 10 minutes to buy tickets into the church and the tower, then took our time wandering through the incredible cathedral and its grounds. Taking in the masterpieces of art and design as we went, we meandered our way to the entrance of Giralda Tower. (Side note here: It was a heck of a climb to the top.)

The climb itself is not easy, curved uneven cobblestone stairs all the way to the top coupled with groups of school children pushing and shoving their way through the crowds climbing the stairs, but the views, oh they are oh so worth it. Along the way up, there are little alcoves with incredible spots for views and a spot for a respite from the climb, so take advantage of those. They are actually better views because you’re in these small areas alone, without the mass of crowds like at the top. But truly, the views from the top are really incredible too. Looking out over Sevilla to see the white and yellow city emerge, with its bull fighting ring, the many apartments we remarked we would love to call our own, complete with iron balconies and flowers flowing over the sides; the views are simply stunning.

After we made our way down again, we were hungry and tired, so we stopped at the Estrella Dorada Bodega across the street for some of the best churros con chocolate we had our entire trip; the perfect way to rest and refuel for our adventures at the Real Alcazar later that afternoon.

A couple notes about the Seville Cathedral and Giralda Tower:

-You can buy your tickets ahead, which I would recommend if you’re going during peak times of the year. We bought ours at the door and had to wait in line for about 10 minutes but could have skipped the line if we had bought ahead.

-Be careful climbing the tower, the steps are curved and uneven and we had groups of school children pummeling through us, so take your time and walk carefully.

-After your visit, don’t miss Churros and chocolate across the street at Estrella Dorada Bodega.

Traveling to Spain?

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Moments Before the Dawn in Sevilla

April 22, 2015

We arrived in Sevilla in the evening and upon seeing the city a bit as the night was falling, we knew we wanted to start exploring bright and early the next day so we got up before the dawn in Sevilla to see the city. Nick always loves getting up for a few sunrises while we travel, to capture the city in the quiet early morning hours and take in the gorgeous daybreak light. So we woke ourselves bright and early the next morning, I threw on leggings and a big scarf and we headed out of our lovely Corral Del Rey hotel. First we wandered the empty and totally peaceful windy cobblestone streets in our neighborhood, wandered a little farther to find a little plaza and a quiet church and finally made a loop back to our hotel to check out the rooftop right as the sun was rising. We climbed the narrow little stairs to get up to the top and watched as the dawn colors spilled across Sevilla’s sky. I was so tired but standing up there on that rooftop will be a moment I will always remember from our trip to Spain, a moment when you look around and can’t quite believe how fortunate you are to experience it. Those are the moments I live for, the moments that make you feel so small and yet so in sync with the world around you. Traveling brings many of those moments but sometimes, there are moments while standing on top of a rooftop in Sevilla, watching the sunrise alongside the person you love that just seem all beyond perfect.

Traveling to Spain?

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Sevilla : An Ancient Paradise

April 20, 2015

Ahh Sevilla… we’re finally talking about this incredible city that I’ve been waiting to share with you! You know those moments somewhere in a foreign place when you completely fall in love with your surroundings? When you are immediately picturing yourself living there, wandering around with a basket on your arm, collecting fruit from the local market and enjoying long dinners at your local bodega? Yea, that was Sevilla for me.

I can’t tell you how much charm and magic exists in this ancient city, from the windy cobblestone streets to the white and yellow buildings surrounding by orange trees bursting with fruit. From the Moorish influence to the ornate balconies, from the incredible food and bustling cafes at every corner to the hours spent drinking sangria and cafe con leche. Sevilla is one of those places in the world that seems way too good to be true. The ancient buildings should be falling apart, the white washed walls should be dirty…but they’re not. The orange trees should only show a couple pieces of fruit, but they are full to the brim. The sky shouldn’t be that shade of blue, but it is. The people shouldn’t be so nice and cheerful, but they are. Sevilla is in essence an ancient paradise, a place that just exudes a calmness, a serenity, a very specific kind of charm. When I used to imagine what it must be like to live in a small town on the Mediterranean, I imagined exactly what it felt like in Sevilla and it’s not even on the Med.

Some places just stick with us; Sevilla will stick with me for a long time. As we wandered the streets Nick and I spoke many times about someday having a little apartment here on a windy cobblestone street, with an iron balcony overlooking the surrounding area. We could wake up late, wander to the market, ride a Vespa through the tiny streets, spend our evenings drinking sangria and eating tapas for hours. It’s a place that seems like the perfect place to escape the craziness of normal life, the perfect city to long for when you need a bit of sunshine and rest. And I know in the years to come, it will definitely become that place for us. I can’t wait to share more of this magical city with you in the days to come! We fell hard for Sevilla and it will always be an ancient paradise we will long to escape to.

Traveling to Spain?

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And here are all my recs for where to stay!

5 Reasons to Visit Spain