Oh my Gaudi!
~ Unknown
Highlights from our trip to Spain, August 2023:
Barcelona:
- Panoramic Barcelona: from the Waterfront to the 1992 Olympic Ring of sports stadiums to Montjuïc Hill with its art galleries and museums.
- Park Güell, which was commissioned by Eusebi Güell in 1890 to be a stylish garden city for Barcelona aristocracy. Designed by Antoni Gaudí—the leading architect of Catalan modernism—it is now a public park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Guided Tour of La Sagrada Família. Antoni Gaudí’s huge basilica that began being built in 1882. A Gothic-Art Nouveau masterpiece that is still under construction, this extraordinary temple with its fantastical shapes and spires has become the enduring symbol of Barcelona.
- Barcelona Coastline Tour.
- Picasso Museum: the world’s largest collection of the influential Spanish painter’s works.
Madrid:
- Royal Palace and Armory. Europe’s largest palace—Palacio Real.
- Museo Nacional Del Prado.
Segovia:
- Alcázar of Segovia. A soaring 12th-century royal palace.
- Segovia Cathedral. 16th-century, Gothic-style cathedral that stands proudly in Plaza Mayor in the heart of Segovia where Isabella I was proclaimed Queen of Castile.
- Segovia’s 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct, which has been patronized by kings, queens and modern-day celebrities alike.
Córdoba:
- Mosque (La Mezquita) Cathedral of Córdoba. a breathtaking combination of Roman, Gothic, Iberian and Islamic design.
Seville:
- Plaza De España. It was built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 and is a popular tourist destination with its Moorish-style buildings, beautiful gardens, tiled fountains, ponds and grand canal.
- Paella-Making and Lunch at Taberna del Alabardero Sevilla.
- Cortijo El Esparragal (ranch). A large, authentic Spanish Hacienda with over 400 years of history.
- Museo del Baile Flamenco (Museum of Flamenco Dance) which is housed in an 18th-century building in the Santa Cruz quarter of Seville.
