written by Matt
We had our first visitors in Spain! Almost a month ago (wow does time fly) Katie’s college friend Jade brought her boyfriend Sasha to see Sevilla, Granada, and Barcelona over the course of 2 weeks. We were so happy to host them for the Sevilla leg and to join them in Barcelona, and now it’s time to share a little taste of the visit with you all!
We already met Jade in this blog on our way out of the US (if you don’t remember you can find that blog here) and we were overjoyed to see her again in Spain. This time, she brought Sasha along, which made the visit even more special. A little about Sasha: he’s finishing up med school in New York and is on his way soon to residency, he really loves foie gras, is a history buff, and can dance to techno music with the best of them.
In Sevilla we wanted to see the major landmarks and historical sites, some of which I hadn’t gotten to check out. We went to the Royal Alcazar, a Moorish palace that was converted into a Spanish one after the conquest. Because of its Moorish influence, the building is covered in beautifully complex, symmetrical designs. It also has a beautiful garden area with the oldest orange trees in Sevilla and peacocks roaming around.
Next we saw the Catedral de Sevilla, which is the most prominent building in Sevilla. Attached to the Catedral is la Giralda, a tower which spurts out far above all of the short buildings in Sevilla’s center and has ramps instead of stairs. We walked ramp after ramp (35 in total, I think) to reach the top and get some great views of the city. Back at the bottom, within the Catedral’s sanctuary, we saw a golden and intricate altarpiece and Christopher Columbus’s actual tomb before wandering out to the orange grove.
We had a lot of fun in Sevilla, and we even got to watch an impromptu flamenco show at the Plaza de España. But by Tuesday, Jade and Sasha were off via train to Granada for a few days. I hear Granada is amazing, and when I get a chance to visit I can’t wait to write about it. But when they returned Thursday night, we were busy getting ready for an early flight to Barcelona the next day.
Phew! Off to Barcelona! We landed at around 9am on Friday and got moving right away. We dropped our stuff off at the hostel, got a quick breakfast nearby, and then joined a walking tour of the famous Gothic quarter. I honestly don’t remember most of what the tour guide told us about Barcelona. He was not skilled at his job and mostly insisted on showing us pictures from a book instead of showing us the city itself. But the walk was beautiful and the history I did pick up was interesting.
After the tour, some food, some shopping, and a shower, we were off to drinks and dinner. Just like that, day 1 in Barcelona was over!
On Saturday morning we strolled around the neighborhood near our hostel, which featured a beautiful park, some neat vintage shops, and pretty buildings.
Intent on hitting a few key landmarks on day 2, we took the metro into Barcelona’s hilly section to visit Park Güell, one of the coolest spots in the city. The park was designed by Barcelona’s famed architect Antoni Gaudí, and it includes some funky design characteristics like wavy walls, fairytale-like houses, and a giant ceramic lizard.
Next up Jade and Sasha took the tour guide up on his recommendation to see the Sagrada Familia. Also designed by Gaudí, this building is an architectural masterpiece but with an awesome twist: at the right time of the evening, light streams through walls of stained glass, illuminating the room in gold and green and red. Thanks to the (mostly useless) tour guide from before, Jade and Sasha knew just when to arrive, and it looked absolutely gorgeous.
Katie and I, meanwhile, took our own path and headed to the Carmel Bunkers. The bunkers are from World War II and are still standing. They’re free to visit (if you can climb the hill) and draw tons of visitors, especially for sunset. A few beers and sandwiches in tow, Katie and I made part of the climb, stopped, admired the city, and, looking back up the hill, agreed that the full hike was unnecessary.
Later we met back with Jade and Sasha at the hostel where we met a fellow traveler from Bath, England named Liam who was eager for a night out. The five of us got some delicious tapas before going to a few different bars and clubs. I have to say the people in Barcelona know how to party – many don’t even arrive at the club until 3am, well after my typical night out ends.
Sunday morning came quick and we had our plane to catch back to Sevilla. We spent the next 2 days relaxing in Sevilla, and Jade and Sasha got to see some more sights around town.
All of the sudden our visitors were heading home! It was an amazing 2 weeks, and a big thank you to Jade and Sasha for being amazing guests and great friends. It was good times all around and I’m looking forward to our next trip 🙂
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