Madrid, Spain, 2005

Madrid

For our second anniversary, Sara and I traveled to Spain. During our two week vacation, we visited Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Sevilla and Barcelona.

El Palacio Real (The Royal Palace) is a palace that is no longer used as a residence, but it has been kept intact since it last functioned as home to the king, primarily serving as a tourist attraction.
Jardines de Sabatini are located north to El Palacio Real. The gardens were named afte Sabatini whom built the palace's horse stables on this location.
It is considered the centre of the city and the centre of Spain. From its Km. 0 (at Puerta del Sol) originate all the main roads of the country. Plaza de España: The Plaza de España is one of Madrid's largest and most popular squares. The most popular sight at the Plaza de España is the monument to Miguel de Cervantes, writer of the world famous story of Don Quixote de la Mancha and his trusty squire, Sancho Panza. Visitors flock to the monument to get their picture taken in front of the bronze statues, and Oscar was not the exception.
Puerta de Alcala is One of Madrid's enduring symbols, it's made entirely of granite, with one central arch and two smaller passageways on each side. Carlos III had his Court architect Sabatini build the gate in 1778 as a monument to himself and to show visiting merchants from Aragon how important the city had become.
Sara Jane at the entrance of Campo del Moro: The Campo del Moro (Field of the Moor) was so named because a Moorish army camped here in the 12th century. It later became a hunting park.
Sara and Oscar at the entrance of Campo del Moro (Palacio Real in the background): In the nineteenth century was made into a public park, with a typical mixture of formal elements with gardenesque planting and curvey paths.
La Plaza Mayor has been the site of crowning of kings, executions, tornaments, weddings, bullfights and inquisition trials. This very large square is surrounded continuesly by one very large square building from which onlookers perched to view the festivities in the square
The Flea Market know as El Rastro can be found in Madrid on Sunday mornings. Starting at the Plaza de Cascorro the market runs down the section of road know as the 'Ribera de Curtidores'. Here vendors set up tables and booths to promote their wares.
Resturante "El Zagal" was recommended by our hotel receptionist. The prices were moderate, and the food was of good quality. We went there twice, so we recommend the "paella" dish.
Unfortunately, I have forgotten the name of the bar where Angela and her fiance took us to have some good sangria. The bar was small, and the walls were decorated with poems written by famous customers and other not so famous.
Palacio de Cristal (Crystal Palace) stands in the heart of the Retiro Park, reflecting charismatically in a small lake. The Palacio de Cristal is a glass pavilion inspired by The Crystal Palace in London and designed in 1887 by Ricardo Velázquez Bosco.
El Parque del Buen Retiro (Park of the Pleasant Retreat) is a large and popular, 140 hectare park in Madrid. So named because in the 16th century, the Royals used to go here for Christmas and Easter. Later Philip III decided to build Royal Gardens here. Parque del Buen Retiro: The Estanque located in the middle of the park is the original lake. Here people rent rowboats and spend the afternoon lazily drifting about the lake.
Parque del Buen Retiro: Throughout the park, you can find a place to buy a soft drink and enjoy it while people watching. At this location, Sara Jane's backpack was stolen eleven years ago.
Angela and her fiance, Ramon, are showing the views of Madrid from their roof.
This was the SJ's host family in Madrid while participating in a school exchange program eleven years ago, in 1994. We stayed at their place our last two days in Madrid. This was a great experience because I had the opportunity to experience real life in Madrid. While having a glass of porto, I plan with Santiago our second trip to Spain that would take us to the northern region of the country.

Sara and Maria Angeles. Maria Angeles cooked homemade paella Valenciana for us. She was very sweet, and we really enjoyed our meals with this energetic and fun family.

Museo Del Prado, Madrid

The Madrid Prado Museum is considered internationally to be one of the world’s most significant art institutions.
The majority of the work by both Goya and Velasquez is housed here, along with many and notable works by El Greco, Murillo and Zurbaran. The galleries are similarly home to a substantial collection of Flemish paintings including work by Rubens, Van Dyck and Rembrandt.
Wandering through the hallways of this extensive museum is a lovely way to spend the afternoon. The work on display here is both eye-catching and interesting.
Diego Velazquez' monumental "Las Meninas" ("Ladies in Waiting") is not only the best painting in the Western world but it is also one of the most puzzling.

Plaza Mayor, Madrid

Plaza Mayor - Madrid is a vibrant and multi-cultured city, and it has activities and attractions to offer everyone. Many visitors to Madrid go to see such attractions as monuments, statues, and manor houses. One of the best places in Madrid to visit is the Plaza Mayor.
The Plaza Mayor is an extremely grand 17th-century arcaded square in the heart of Madrid. In the past, the square was the location of great festivals, ceremonies, plays, and even the crowning of Kings. Unfortunately, it has also seen some less than savoury events such as the public burnings of heretics. What can’t be disputed is that the Plaza Mayor has played a vital role in Spanish history.
The days of the past are now long gone, but this beautiful square still remains. It is decorated with eye-catching, kaleidoscopic-coloured murals and is surrounded by baroque architecture, providing a stunning array of images for tourists to soak in. Standing at the Plaza Mayor feels like standing on the life-pulse of Madrid.
Tourists are free to visit the many plaza shops and cafes surrounding the square and enjoy the calm mornings, the busy afternoons, and the lively evenings. Many of the best tapas bars in the city can be found at the Plaza Mayor or its surroundings.

Toledo, Spain, 2005

Toledo

Toledo is one of the most important centers of european medieval history. Fortification has always been an important parameter in its history, still evident to today's tourist for the monumental walls around. It was capital of Spain from the Gothic epoch until 1560.
Toledo is known as the "city of the three cultures", because Christians, Arabs and Jews lived together there for centuries, behind its walls Toledo preserves an artistic and cultural legacy in the form of churches, palaces, fortresses, mosques and synagogues.
We consider Toledo one of our favorites cities, and it is only a little over an hour away from Madrid.
The Alcazar: A fortification has been on this site since Romen times. In 1936 Franco's forces took refuge here and the Alcazar was almost completely destroyed. A museum today, it is a good place to start your visit to Toledo.
Academia Militar de Toledo (Toledo's Military Academy) .
Castillo de San Servando is an eleventh-century castle. When Alfonso VI took the city in 1085 he built the castle on the ruins of older buildings. The castle contains a youth hostel and is only open to members.
The narrow streets of Toledo are characterised by the mixture of artistic styles.
Toledo is an intact medieval city of narrow winding streets perched on a small hill above the Río Tajo.
Casa Telesforo sells the best marzipan, a candy made of almond-and-sugar, in town. It makes marzipan into such whimsical shapes as hearts, diamonds, flowers, and fish.
Catedral de Toledo - Toledo Cathedral was actually built on top of a Muslim mosque. King San Fernando and the archbishop began building the church in 1226. It is considered one of the high points of Gothic art.
La Catedral de Toledo riches are reknown. Possessing a valuable collection of Grecos, and his son painted its octagonal dome. The Choir, the Chapter Hall, the organ of the archbishop, the grating of Domingo de Céspedes, the major board, its many window panes make of this cathedral a museum of museums.

The cathedral is the center of the attraction of the great fair of Toledo, The Corpus, celebrated on the sixtieth day after Resurrection Paschal Sunday, when the monumental Custodia de Arfe (Arfe’s Custody) is paraded from its own chapel in the cathedral.
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Toledo is a branch of Santa Cruz Museum. The Toledo Museum of Contemporary art owes its collection of works loaned by the Madrid Modern Art Museum
La Casa de las Cadenas: 20th century art in a beautiful 16th century setting that houses the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Toledo. Central garden in El Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Toledo.
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Toledo.

Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Toledo.

Granada, Spain, 2005

Granada

A-4: Autopista del Sur(via Madrid-Granada). There is nothing better to do while in a roadtrip than stopping to enjoy some great local food. The blue car shown in the picture took us from Madrid to Granada and Sevilla.
Andalusia's farming consists of olive plantations. The Andalusia region produces over 70% of Spain's total olive oil production.
A familiar sight alongside Spanish Autopistas.
Granada is located on one of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range and was a stronghold of the Nazeri Dynasty, the last great Moorish kingdom in Spain. On leaving Spain the Arabs had to leave behind one of the most fabulous medieval palaces ever built, the Alhambra of Granada.
Fountain at Plaza Campillo in Granada's Centre.
The charming Hotel Juan Miguel is located in the city centre of Granada. We stayed at this hotel for 3 nights, and we really enjoyed it. The Hotel Juan Miguel is close to the Cathedral, the Congress Palace, and the city’s finest shops.
Sara in front of Plaza Campillo's fountain(across the street from our hotel).
Calle San Anton in Granada. This street is located behind the Don Juan Miguel Hotel.
Monasterio Cartuja: This 16th-century monastery, off the Albaicín on the outskirts of Granada, is sometimes called the "Christian answer to the Alhambra" because of its ornate stucco and marble and the baroque Churrigueresque fantasy in the sacristy.
Napoléon's armies killed St. Bruno here, and La Cartuja is said to be the only monument of its kind in the world.
Oscar taking a breather in the very nice Gardens inside El Monasterio La Cartuja.
Jardines Triunfo: During the Napoleon invasion of Granada at the beginning of the eighteen century, this site was utilized to executive prisioners. In 1831, Mariana Pineda, whom fought for the freedom of her people, was executed here by Napoleon's troops. The monument behind Oscar was built to commemorate her death.
Plaza Nueva(New Square): Despite its name, the oldest square is the Plaza Nueva. The square was built to cover up the River Darro which flows underneath in order to create more space in the city.
Vie of the east wall of La Alahambra from the Alabaicin. The Albaicín is the old Arabic quarter located on the hill opposite the Alhambra.
The Albaicín is characterised by cobble stoned streets with white washed houses. It still retains a a strong Arabic feeling.
Carrera del Barro is the most-walked street in Granada. This little road is sandwiched between the Darro River and the Albaicin. The old bridges and remains of Arabic archways make it really pretty.
After a long day of sightseeing, we stopped at one of the many coffee shops on Acera del Darro to have a drink.
On the background, you can see Sierra Nevada considered the best place to ski in Spain. Sierra Nevada is Spain's highest mountain range
La Catedral de Granada: like many other Cathedrals in Spain, it was built on the site of the former Mosque. Work on the cathedral began on 15th March 1523 and it was not completed until 1704, 180 years later.
La Catedral de Granada: This was the last gothic church to be built in Spain as Isabel and Fernando did not like the new renaissance style of the time. La Capilla Real: Royal Chapel is connected to the Cathedral. It was commisioned by the Catholic Monarchs, Queen Isabel and King Fernando whom are buried here alongside their daughter Queen Juana La Loca (Juana the Mad) and King Felipe. The original idea was for all future Spanish Kings and Queens to be buried here.La Sacristia (the Sacristy): In the sacristy, you can see a figure of Christ by Martinez Montañes, an Annunciation and a valued image of the Virgin Mary by Alonso Cano.
La Cupula (dome): The dome is adorned with stained glass windows. During the day, the dome radiates a golden light making it even more impressive.
This is one of the many Capillas (chapels) in the Cathedral honoring different Spanish and regional saints and virgins.
Throught the Cathedral, Sacristy and the Royal Chapel, you can see works by Roger Van der Weyden and various Spanish and Italian masters as Botticelli.Some Chapels are utilized for prayer or to conduct mass.
The Cathedral is acclaimed for its beautiful facade and gold-and-white interior.
It’s difficult to comprehend the enormity of this building until you step inside. We consider La Catedral de Granada the most beautiful Cathedral that we have seen so far. Notre Dame in Paris is amazing, but La Catedral de Granada is truly a wonder.
La Alhambra: The name Alhambra means "the red one" and refers to the color of the mountain on which it is built. After having been built in the 9th century by the Zyridian rulers and later into a fortress in the 11th century, the Nasrid King Ibn al-Ahmar reconstructed what had been left, adding outer walls and innumerous towers, being completed in 1238.
Tower of the Seven Floors (la Torre de los Siete Suelos): It is famous in the neighborhood as the scene of strange apparitions and Moorish enchantments. La Puerta de los Siete Suelos is so called because it was originally protected by a larger external gate which had seven "steps".
Palacio de Carlos V: Emperor Charles V began the construction of the palace in 1526 but never finished; it perhaps seems more out of place than any other building in theAlhambra.
There are numerous gardens with maze-like hedges, various topiaries, and running water flowing throughout. It's truly a magical place.
Water fountains were built in all over the Alhambra with interesting small canals that provided the water necessary to irrigate the gardens and for the community living in the palace.
In the early 1820's, American writer Washington Irving lived in La Alhambra. He made the Alhambra popular with his famous novel "Tales of the Alhambra" after it had fallen into ruins and had been used by gypsies, vagabonds and even as a prison.
Gardens in the Palacio Nazaries.
View of the Gardens in the Palacio Nazaries from inside the palace.Throughtout the Palace you can see the elaborate work adorning the walls and ceilings.
The dome of the Hall of the Abencerrages. The "Hall of Abencerrages" is a room which is a perfect square crowned with a high dome containing latticed windows in its lowest part. The roof is painted with bright blue, brown and gold and the columns supporting it spring out into the arch form in an exquisite manner. Opposite to it is the hall of "Two Sisters" which contains a fountain in the centre.
The Patio de los Leones (Court of the Lions). At its center is Andalusia's finest fountain, which rests on 12 marble lions. The greatest architectural achievement of the Alhambra is the Patio de los Leonares (Court of Lions). The patio was constructed by Muhammad V. This courtyard is lined with arcades supported by 124 slender marble columns.
This was the heart of the palace, the most private section where the sultan enjoyed his harem, which included both male and female beauties.
The twelve marble lions supporting the fountain represent the hours of the day, the months of the year, and the signs of the zodiac. Legend claims that water flowed from the mouth of a different lion each hour of the day.
The walls and ceilings are decorated with geometric ornamentation of minute detail and intricacy, executed with surpassing skill in marble, alabaster, glazed tile, and carved plaster.

"Give him alms woman because there is nothing as bad as being blind in Granada."
The city of the Alhambra - medina al-Hamrat - was excavated in the 19th century, revealing the foundations of luxury homes, some of which had their own baths.
View of the the outer wall of the Alhambra and part of the Albaicin neighborhood. The residential district of the Albaicín is a rich repository of Moorish vernacular architecture, into which the traditional Andalusian architecture blends harmoniously.
The Generalife (pronounced "heh-neh-rah-lee-feh") was the country estate of the King of Granada, and it was built in the 13th century. Located only a walk away from the main residence, it is located just outside the northern fortifications of the Alhambra. It’s thought that the name of the Generalife is derived from the Arabic for ‘the garden of the Architect’ alluding to God. The Generalife was always meant to be a retreat, even from the splendors of the Alhambra. The sultans used to spend their summers in this palace safely locked away with their harems.
The Generalife was built to overlook the Alhambra. The highlight of the Generalife is its gardens that include Escalera del Agua (The Water Staircase), El Patio de la Sultana, and El Patio de la Acequía, constructed around a long pool, with rows of water jets making graceful arches above it.

"According to the leyend, this is the cypress that witnessed the rendezvous of an Abencerraje gentleman and the wife of Boabdil."

El Patio de la Sultana (also called the Patio de los Cipreses) was the secret rendezvous point for Zoraxda, wife of Sultan Abu Hasan, and her lover, the chief of the Abencarrajes.