Trip report: Christmas in Spain
Dec. 31st, 2011 12:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
izardWe are very unsophisticated tourists - usually we just follow a popular guide book. One of the items in a guide book about Spain was Corral de la Moreria, so we went there. That appeared to be one of the best things we've seen in Spain this time.
I have not seen a lot of Flamenko dances before and have to admit I know nothing about dances and music, so it is very easy to please me, same for Yulia.
12 more pics of Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza under cut...
We were lucky that I booked flight at Lufthansa, Spanish national carrier was on strike at the dates we've flown back.
Madrid from 5k feet.
Flying there early morning on 25th was cheap. Plane was full with Germans, there were no Spanish passengers on board, and all announcements were made in German only. On the way back there were plenty of Spanish and some Japanese, so we've heard announcements in Spanish, English, German and Japanese.
In Madrid it was very sunny, streets and parks in the morning were spacious and empty.
In Case de Campo park we have seen only couple of tourists from China.
It was only slightly busier in central streets.
First thing we've seen in Madrid next day was military parade few hundred meters from Prada museum (which was closed on 25th and 26th).
Than we went to Zaragoza. Many thanks to our friends who hosted us in their home there and shown us the inner city and tapas scene. Castle in Zaragoza was the only museum we've been to in Spain this time.
Mix of Christian and Muslim architecture was very interesting.
E.g. above is not a mosque but a church, and it was built as a church from a very beginning, not converted like many others.
Islam's influence on Spanish culture and history is enormous and visible, but we have not seen as many Muslims as we normally see here in Germany, especially in Zaragoza. May be part of the reason is that there are still 4 beheaded Arabs on Aragonese coat of arms.
Tapas were great. Some tapas places were very specialized: e.g. one only served tapas made of shrimps.
This one on a pic above had only tapas made of baked champignons. Tapas were was ok, but beer there was excellent. Last time I've tasted something similar was in my a village my grandmother lived. It was the first time ever my wife liked drinking a beer, so now I have to find out how to find/brew something similar.
AVE train we've taken was not punctual so already limited time we planned to spend in Barcelona shirinked even more. We only managed to see some shopping district and some of Gaudi's works including Sagrada Familia but only from outside.
Now Julia has a clear understanding of what is her dream destination for a shopping trip.
Next to a new shopping mall there were loads of seagulls and albatrosses fighting for food.
Food is abundant, next to a sign "don't feed seagulls" seagulls can get a lot of it.
One needs some determination and time to wait in a line to get in Gaudi's buildings.
We had neither this time.
Gaudi's buildings were not the only interesting ones: there were more very special including modern ones, I think just in one day we've seen more than in Munich for 3 years!
On the way back to Madird high speed train was exactly on time. It was the only time when sun was not shining:
Somewhere in mountains there was thick fog covering wineyards. It took our train few minutes to pass it at 300km/h.
All relevant pics are available in a picasa album
I have not seen a lot of Flamenko dances before and have to admit I know nothing about dances and music, so it is very easy to please me, same for Yulia.
12 more pics of Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza under cut...
We were lucky that I booked flight at Lufthansa, Spanish national carrier was on strike at the dates we've flown back.
Madrid from 5k feet.
Flying there early morning on 25th was cheap. Plane was full with Germans, there were no Spanish passengers on board, and all announcements were made in German only. On the way back there were plenty of Spanish and some Japanese, so we've heard announcements in Spanish, English, German and Japanese.
In Madrid it was very sunny, streets and parks in the morning were spacious and empty.
In Case de Campo park we have seen only couple of tourists from China.
It was only slightly busier in central streets.
First thing we've seen in Madrid next day was military parade few hundred meters from Prada museum (which was closed on 25th and 26th).
Than we went to Zaragoza. Many thanks to our friends who hosted us in their home there and shown us the inner city and tapas scene. Castle in Zaragoza was the only museum we've been to in Spain this time.
Mix of Christian and Muslim architecture was very interesting.
E.g. above is not a mosque but a church, and it was built as a church from a very beginning, not converted like many others.
Islam's influence on Spanish culture and history is enormous and visible, but we have not seen as many Muslims as we normally see here in Germany, especially in Zaragoza. May be part of the reason is that there are still 4 beheaded Arabs on Aragonese coat of arms.
Tapas were great. Some tapas places were very specialized: e.g. one only served tapas made of shrimps.
This one on a pic above had only tapas made of baked champignons. Tapas were was ok, but beer there was excellent. Last time I've tasted something similar was in my a village my grandmother lived. It was the first time ever my wife liked drinking a beer, so now I have to find out how to find/brew something similar.
AVE train we've taken was not punctual so already limited time we planned to spend in Barcelona shirinked even more. We only managed to see some shopping district and some of Gaudi's works including Sagrada Familia but only from outside.
Now Julia has a clear understanding of what is her dream destination for a shopping trip.
Next to a new shopping mall there were loads of seagulls and albatrosses fighting for food.
Food is abundant, next to a sign "don't feed seagulls" seagulls can get a lot of it.
One needs some determination and time to wait in a line to get in Gaudi's buildings.
We had neither this time.
Gaudi's buildings were not the only interesting ones: there were more very special including modern ones, I think just in one day we've seen more than in Munich for 3 years!
On the way back to Madird high speed train was exactly on time. It was the only time when sun was not shining:
Somewhere in mountains there was thick fog covering wineyards. It took our train few minutes to pass it at 300km/h.
All relevant pics are available in a picasa album
