Viva Barcelona!

We did a week along Disney Mediterranean cruise a few years ago - and the port of departure was Barcelona. We got there a few days earlier to soak in some Spanish culture before the cruise - when you think of Barcelona, Gaudi comes to mind - but there are these hidden gems in and around the city that makes you want to come back for more! As soon as we landed from Toronto on the red eye, we were famished - and we were determined to find a local tapas joint. On the way to Taller de Tapas, we were caught some of the gorgeous architecture that Barcelona is so known for.

The sights of Barcelona

 

The next item that HAD to be ticked off the list was Parc Guell. This park is a public park that contains some of the finest works of Gaudi. The actual park itself is on top of a hill, allowing amazing views once you make the trek - making the trek is the hard bit! But, don't worry there are tons of little cafes and gelato shops along the way to give you the much needed energy boost. It can get crowded, but really the people watching is part of the charm of heading out to this little park.

 

 Classic Gaudi - the architecture reminded me of real life gingerbread houses!

 

We were tired out from the excursions of the day and the trans Atlantic flight - so decided to call it a day and start afresh to visit Sagrada Familia - another Gaudi landmark. The church was undergoing extensive renovation - and though the church was open to the public, we decided to skip the long line up and instead spend more time people watching along the Ramblas.

 

Sagrada Familia

 

My favourite spot in Barcelona was the Gothic Quarter which is old Barcelona. The Barcelona Cathedral is in this area and it has gorgeous stained glass windows. In the area, there are also quiet courtyards and old bookstores which can provide a convenient venue to get lost in :-)

 

No trip to Barcelona can be considered complete without a pitcher of sangria and a bowl of olives at hotel Murmuri. This is a chic boutique hotel - best known for their décor and oh-so-yum sangria. It is a little bit hard to locate - but locate it we did.

 

 

What made the stay in Barcelona that much yummier was the fabulous W - I will admit I am a bit of a hotel snob - and one of the items on my bucket list is to stay in every W in the world - that is going to make for some interesting travel budgeting :). W Hotels are trendy and fresh and really a nice place to come "home" to after a day of hard sightseeing :)

 

 

Viva Barcelona!

 





And then there was Tavira...

Doesn't the name Tavira evoke romance? Maybe a pretty girl enveloped in a sense of mystery? Perhaps someone yearning for a long lost love?

It maybe so there is a girl named Tavira somewhere - maybe she is running a gelato shop, a flowershop, a blog, or a Fortune 500 company - but that remains to be seen!

The Tavira that I am referring to is a quaint little village just outside of Albufeira, in the Algarve in Portugal. We stopped over and spent a little bit of time in Tavira - exploring the ruins of the old castle, eating gelato, drinking Sagres, and people watching.

Tavira is a village that is easy to miss - perhaps you are your way to Seville and you really want to get there before siesta. But, take a detour and savour the sights, sounds, and smells of a little Portuguese village and you'd be glad you did.

The whitewashed buildings and the wrought iron railings have eons of stories to share. As does the castle that is crumbling down - where the grounds are surprisingly well maintained - and the view from the top is well worth the hike.

Look through the below and tell me it doesn't whisper to you to slow down and spend some time in this town?

 

 



The town of Tavira

 

 



 The castle grounds

 

 

View from the top

 

Happy and smiling!

Magical Lisbon - and an even more magical Alfama!

Lisboa in Portugal is a treat for the senses. As the capital of Portugal, it truly lives upto its expectations. The best part about Lisbon is the various little districts that make up Lisbon. We didn't have a ton of time in Lisbon, since it was our final stop in Portugal - so we decided to maximize what we hand in the districts of Alfama, Belem, and Chiado - and let me tell you Alfama - by far will leave you mesmerized! Lisbon is a relatively small city and we familiarized ourselves with the Metro system pretty quickly.

In the heart of the town, there is an enormous arch that welcomes visitors from the port into the downtown core - this pretty much serves as the entry point into the city

Lisbon Gate

 

This area is serviced very frequently by the yellow trams that criss cross Lisbon. These are as quintessential to Lisbon as are the famous streetcars in San Francisco.

Iconic yellow trams

 

Hopping onto one of these trams took us to Alfama nestled between the banks of the Tejo river and the San Jorge castle. Spending an afternoon in the Alfama truly introduces you to old Lisbon! Its iconic red tiled roofs, quaint balconies with bird cages and potted plants, and Fado buskers leave you yearning for more! Fado is a type of soulful Portuguese music perhaps with roots in Sufi music! In the district of Alfama, you will find street performers with steel drums playing Fado and folks - both tourists and locals alike breaking into a dance! My little guy, who was 4 at that time, certainly didn't seem to mind that his Fado dancing was more closely resembling a herd of wild animals prancing than actual dancing per se :-)

 

 The streets of Alfama

 Aah! To be that young again!

A typical balcony in Alfama

 

The other attraction in Alfama - apart from the people watching and the Fado is Castelo de Sao Jorge. This is an old castle on top of a hill - which gives you a fantastic birds eye view of Alfama. Lining up the climb to the castle are little souvenir shops and gelato places - of which I made ample use of :)

Castelo de Sao Jorge

I will leave you with the below! Some brave soul had climbed up the statue in the town square in Alfama and decided that this gentleman looked incomplete without a bottle of Sagres ;)

 

I hope this inspires you if you are planning a trip to Portugal - which can be somewhat neglected, but another hidden gem!





Of fairy chimneys...

In Goreme, Capadocia, there is indeed a magical land. A land whose landscape has been carved out of years of volcanic activity and resembles almost a moonscape. We had the fortune of stumbling upon this hidden gem on our visit to Turkey in 2010. While Turkey's Istanbul and the Grand Bazaar are what tourist dreams are woven around, when in Turkey DO NOT miss going to Goreme and specifically the Kismet Cave House. Owned by the friendly Faruk, this is the stuff of dreams and mysteries. Faruk has built the cave hotel himself - literally carving into limestone and rocks weathered by the winds.

The Kismet Cave

Faruk, who started off as a stranger has become a good friend - even if we haven't met up with him since our stay in 2010! His warm hospitality oozes through in the cups of apple tea that he will lavish on his guests, the sumptuous breakfasts up on the terrace, and the hours spent conversing with his guests! Below - a peek into where we would eat our breakfasts prepared by Faruk's wife.

Breakfasts on the terrace

Goreme and Capadoccia are meant to be a respite from the bustling city of Istanbul. The tourism is nature inspired and you have the option to participate in a breath taking sun rise hot air balloon ride and/or hike the Rose valley and discover the underground cities. We did them all! :) At the end of the hot air balloon ride, you land in the middle of a field and are treated to bubbly by your flight crew!

 Our pilot, Nuri, in action :) - after getting us back on terra firma!

 



Entrance to the underground city of Derinkuyu

 

Scrambling around underground cities can leave you dusty and tired! So...you stop for lunch in a picture perfect Ilhara valley. In this picturesque spot, your canopied lunch tables are set in the running stream - how magical does that sound!

The magical Ilhara valley and my little boy (who is not so little any more!)

 

When our stay ended, we felt we had spent too little time in this gem of a place - but we left with a song in our heart and a friendship to treasure for years to come!