Day Trip to Granada to Visit the Alhambra

27 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by mrsselfish in Europe, Spain

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Alhambra, Granada, Spain

Mr. Selfish and I stopped in Granada to visit the Alhambra, which is a Moorish palace and fortress. It was built in the mid-10th century on a hill on the southwest border of Granada. It is an atypical example of Muslim art that is mostly uninfluenced by European style.

The drive from Murcia to Granada was beautiful. We even ran into a man herding dozens of goats. Once we got into Granada, we did get lost. Our GPS lost its signal, and the signs in the city directing us to the Alhambra were far and few between. Considering that it is one of the most visited sights in Spain, we were amazed that there weren’t more signs.

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A Short Time in Murcia

26 Wednesday Dec 2012

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It was a long drive from Valencia until Malaga, so Mr. Selfish and I decided to stop for a night in Murcia. There wasn’t much to do there but it was good to get out of the car.

First, we went to Monteagudo mountain, on which a Moorish castle sits. The castle was eventually converted to Christianity and an open-arms Jesus statute was placed on the mountain. I read online that you could walk to the top and touch Jesus’s toes, which are bigger than footballs. However, when we went, the path was blocked and looked a little hazardous, so we couldn’t venture to the top.

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Sights in Valencia

24 Monday Dec 2012

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Spain, Valencia

Other than eating paella, Mr. Selfish and I enjoyed our visit to Valencia. In particular, we visited the City of Arts and Science, which is located in the Jardin del Turia. It is very modern and contains museums and other entertainment complexes. It’s great for walking around and people watching.

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The Main Reason to Go to Valencia – Paella

23 Sunday Dec 2012

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Casa Roberto, Paella, Racó del Turia, Spain, Valencia

When Mr. Selfish and I left Barcelona and started our road trip around the south of Spain, our first stop was Valencia. The city has some interesting sights, which we’ll go over tomorrow, but those weren’t what drew us to Valencia. The primary reason that we decided to go to Valencia was for the paella since it was invented there.

As soon as we arrived in Valencia, we called Casa Roberto for a reservation. They gave us a reservation for 9pm, which was apparently when they opened. Yes, they eat quite late in Spain.

We learned from our cooking class in Barcelona that traditional Valencian paella consists of rabbit, snails, and chicken. Prior to this trip, I had always thought that seafood paella was traditional. Of course, we ordered the traditional Valencian paella from Casa Roberto. It took about 45 minutes for our order to come out. (If you order paella and it comes out quickly, chances are it is frozen.)

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Barcelona’s Park Montjuïc

22 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by mrsselfish in Barcelona, Europe, Spain

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Barcelona, Beach, Castle of Montjuïc, Montjuïc, Park Montjuïc, Spain

On our last full day in Barcelona, Mr. Selfish and I visited Park Montjuïc and the Castle of Montjuïc. Both are in the southwestern end of Barcelona and provide great views of Barcelona’s harbor.

We climbed the hill up to Park Montjuïc. There were great views along the way, and we tried to find a view with sangria but there was none to be had.

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Cooking Class with Barcelona Cooking

20 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by mrsselfish in Barcelona, Europe, Food & Drinks, Spain

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Barcelona, Barcelona Cooking, Paella, Spain

Mr. Selfish and I enjoy taking cooking classes during our travels. That way, we can make the recipes at home and reminisce about our trip. Since we were in Barcelona for an entire week, we decided to take a cooking class there.

We divided into four groups with each being designated a course. The five of us (me, Mr. Selfish, his mom and dad, and his sister) handled three of the courses.

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La Rambla, Barri Gotic, and Boqueria Market in Barcelona

19 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by mrsselfish in Barcelona, Europe, Food & Drinks, Spain

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Barcelona, Barri Gotic, Barrio Gothic, Boqueria Market, La Boqueria, La Rambla, Spain

Aside from Gaudi, Barcelona has some interesting areas to explore. First, there is La Rambla, which is a pedestrian shopping street. It was nice walking down the street with all of the Christmas decorations up. We didn’t buy anything on La Rambla, but we did people watch.

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Last Gaudi Sight in Barcelona – Güell Park

18 Tuesday Dec 2012

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Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona, Gaudi, Guell Park, Spain

To complete our tour of Gaudi sights in Barcelona, Mr. Selfish and I visited Güell Park. The park was built in the years 1900-14. It was one of Gaudi’s earlier works and is not as out there as the other sights we visited. Nevertheless, it is a very enjoyable park.

The entrance contains the iconic mosaic salamander, and the main terrace is designed like a sea serpent.

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Gaudi’s Masterpiece: La Sagrada Família

17 Monday Dec 2012

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Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona, Gaudi, Guell Park, La Sagrada Família, Spain

Mr. Selfish and I went to La Sagrada Família with little to no expectations, but we were blown away by its magnificence.

La Sagrada Família is a basilica, on which Gaudi began working in 1883. When Gaudi died in 1926, less than a quarter of the basilica had been completed. In 2010, construction passed its midway point, and the Sagrada was consecrated as a minor basilica by the Pope. It is anticipated that the Sagrada will be completed in 2026 – the centennial of Gaudí’s death.

The day that we visited the Sagrada was beautiful and sunny. We saw the front and the sculptures adorning that area in full sunlight. It was spectacular.

Front of Sagrada

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Gaudi’s Casa Batlló in Barcelona

16 Sunday Dec 2012

Posted by mrsselfish in Barcelona, Europe, Spain

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Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona, Casa Batllo, Casa Mila, Gaudi, La Pedrera, Spain

Mr. Selfish and I really enjoyed Casa Milà, so we decided to go to Casa Batlló as well. It is another apartment building that was remodeled by Gaudi from 1904-06. Although Casa Batlló was a bit flashier, we enjoyed the views from Casa Milà more.

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Gaudi’s Casa Milà in Barcelona

15 Saturday Dec 2012

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Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona, Casa Batllo, Casa Mila, Gaudi, La Pedrera, Spain

Mr. Selfish and I spent the week of Thanksgiving in Barcelona. We stayed in a lovely apartment with his parents and his sister. It was nice to have some family time during our selfish year.

Barcelona is known for its Gaudi architecture. I found it interesting that Antoni Gaudi died from his injuries from a tram accident. He was dressed like a bum and no one recognized him at the hospital until it was too late. Gaudi was certainly a character, and his architecture showed his crazy way of thinking.

My favorite work of Gaudi is Casa Milà (better known as La Pedrera). It is an apartment building that was built from 1905-1910 and was designed for a married couple – the Milàs. It was innovative since the façade is self-supporting and an underground car garage was built. I particularly liked the wrought iron decoration of the balconies and windows.

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Making the Most of Monaco

13 Thursday Dec 2012

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Day Trip, Monaco, Monte Carlo

Mr. Selfish and I took a day trip from Nice, France to Monaco. It was a simple and cheap twenty-minute train ride from Nice. Monaco is the second smallest country in the world. The following photos are our first views of Monaco as we left the train station. Right away, I knew it was going to be a good day.

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Hello Portugal (since I don’t speak Portuguese)!

13 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by mrsselfish in Europe, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, United Kingdom

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Mr. Selfish and I have arrived in Lisbon. This is our 26th and last city on our European/North African tour. We are here for four days in Lisbon and then we leave for the States. We are quite excited to be going home. Can’t wait to see everyone for the holidays!

For those of you interested, here’s the map of our last four months:

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No Place Like Nice

12 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by mrsselfish in Europe, Food & Drinks, France

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Castle Hill, Fenocchio, France, Henri Matisse, Ma Yucca, Monastère de Cimiez, Musée Matisse, Nice, Place Rossetti

After our culinary adventures in Lyon were over, Mr. Selfish and I took the four-hour train to Nice. Nice sits on the French Rivera and, during the summer time, is the playground of the rich. Elton John and even Paul Allen own homes in Nice. However, when we were there, it was low season and pretty deserted, which is how we like it.

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Day Trip to Beaujolais and Perouges

11 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by mrsselfish in Europe, Food & Drinks, France

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Beaujolai Nouveau, Beaujolais, Domaine du Bois du Jour, France, Oingt, Perouges

Mr. Selfish and I wanted to explore the wine regions around Lyon, but we didn’t have a car. Instead, we had to settle on taking a day trip to the Beaujolais region. The drive from Lyon to Beaujolais was quite lovely.

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