Thursday, 14 June 2012
Paella
Zarzuela, yummy!!!
Barcelona market
La Pedrera
What a lovely last day.....
Today is the last day of our holiday as tomorrow we go home.
We have really been blessed with a fantastic last day and could really not have asked for more.
The weather has been perfect which has enabled us to do all the things we still wanted to do.
We started the day with breakfast, churros for me and Heuvos rotos for Pete. From there we headed to La Pedrera (I'll post some photos) to see some more of Gaudi's unique architecture, it was like being on mars!
We then strolled down La Rambla visiting a local marker on the way, it was full of delicious fresh produce and deli goods like you would not believe, a real foodies heaven. We do love a good market!
After the market it was time for some shopping and I bought a couple of keepsakes for myself and a nice t-shirt to wear to fitness squad (must get back into it, I'm sure I've put on a couple of kilos!).
With shopping complete we decided to head down to the beach side area for a walk and whilst there we stumbled across a restaurant I had previously read about so we decided to have some lucky, this turned out to be a great decision because it was simply beautiful food. We shared a Zarzuela which is a Spanish style bouillabasseand and also a seafood paella. Both meals were super tasty with seafood so fresh, we could not have asked for a better meal to finish the trip, at this stage I don't think we will need dinner.
We took a long walk back to the hotel enjoying the sunshine.
Tonight we plan to head out and enjoy a little more Sangria prior to an early morning wake up to head to the airport tomorrow.
Adios for now :-)
We have really been blessed with a fantastic last day and could really not have asked for more.
The weather has been perfect which has enabled us to do all the things we still wanted to do.
We started the day with breakfast, churros for me and Heuvos rotos for Pete. From there we headed to La Pedrera (I'll post some photos) to see some more of Gaudi's unique architecture, it was like being on mars!
We then strolled down La Rambla visiting a local marker on the way, it was full of delicious fresh produce and deli goods like you would not believe, a real foodies heaven. We do love a good market!
After the market it was time for some shopping and I bought a couple of keepsakes for myself and a nice t-shirt to wear to fitness squad (must get back into it, I'm sure I've put on a couple of kilos!).
With shopping complete we decided to head down to the beach side area for a walk and whilst there we stumbled across a restaurant I had previously read about so we decided to have some lucky, this turned out to be a great decision because it was simply beautiful food. We shared a Zarzuela which is a Spanish style bouillabasseand and also a seafood paella. Both meals were super tasty with seafood so fresh, we could not have asked for a better meal to finish the trip, at this stage I don't think we will need dinner.
We took a long walk back to the hotel enjoying the sunshine.
Tonight we plan to head out and enjoy a little more Sangria prior to an early morning wake up to head to the airport tomorrow.
Adios for now :-)
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Hmmm, I think it's time to go home
As always with any holiday there comes a point that you actually want to go home, well I do anyway! As much as I love my travel, I do reach a point where I am at the end of my tether and I want to be in my own bed, use my own shower and have access to clean clothes etc.
I think I've reached that point and as much as I have had the most wonderful holiday, I am glad the end is nearing and that tomorrow will be our last day.
Today we have walked such a big distance and have got to see some different sights that we would not have seen had we just caught the metro, we always love to do this when we are away. We walked up to the Olympic stadium and back to the waterfront although it started to rain so we headed back through the old town and back to the area around our hotel for a bight to eat. We ate at a great tapas restaurant called Catalana Cevezeria and really enjoyed the food.
We also managed to buy some Spanish paprika which Pete had been looking for, it smells delicious.
Tomorrow we are going to go to see La Pedrera, a building designed by Gaudi and then we will do a bit of shopping.
We have checked in for our flight, just need to pack our bags and we will be ready to go. I'm sure in 1 weeks time I'll be wishing I was still on holidays but for now, I'll be glad to be back home soon.
I think I've reached that point and as much as I have had the most wonderful holiday, I am glad the end is nearing and that tomorrow will be our last day.
Today we have walked such a big distance and have got to see some different sights that we would not have seen had we just caught the metro, we always love to do this when we are away. We walked up to the Olympic stadium and back to the waterfront although it started to rain so we headed back through the old town and back to the area around our hotel for a bight to eat. We ate at a great tapas restaurant called Catalana Cevezeria and really enjoyed the food.
We also managed to buy some Spanish paprika which Pete had been looking for, it smells delicious.
Tomorrow we are going to go to see La Pedrera, a building designed by Gaudi and then we will do a bit of shopping.
We have checked in for our flight, just need to pack our bags and we will be ready to go. I'm sure in 1 weeks time I'll be wishing I was still on holidays but for now, I'll be glad to be back home soon.
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Oh, why not? More tapas?
Must say, the service in Barcelona is super friendly, clearly they get a lot of foreign tourists here!!!
Barcelona waterfront
Park Guell
We visited Park Guell today which is another Gaudi creation. This is one of the famous sculptures. The park was extremely busy and not exactly relaxing, which to me is a bit sad, seems everyone (including us) are there to take photos and don't really take time to enjoy the park, it really is a beautiful spot with amazing views over Barcelona.
We have been enjoying Barcelona but do feel it is a lot like home which obviously makes you start thinking of home and we both agree we are at the point where we are happy our holiday is coming to an end. Despite the fact we know we are going home to freezing cold weather.
Tomorrow we plan to visit Barcelona stadium and the Olympic area, Montjuic.
Tonight we are planning on heading out for a few tapas before a bit more of a substantial meal at a nice restaurant, there are plenty in the area we are staying which is great.
I will post some more photos of our day, I do hope you enjoy :-)
Monday, 11 June 2012
La Sagrada Familia
Sunday, 10 June 2012
Praktik Rambla
Saturday, 9 June 2012
The old town, San Sebastian
We head off to Barcelona to tomorrow, our final destination.
Friday, 8 June 2012
Bodejon Alejandro
Pinxtos
San Sebastian
San Sebastian, eat, walk, eat, walk....
San Sebastian truly is a beautiful spot, we have managed to spend the last two days seeing a lot of the city walking along the beautiful foreshore which reminds us a lot of places back home.
The beaches are picture perfect and the weather is a little like a Melbourne, nice for a bit and then it turns ugly. We have had a spot of rain today but not too much and we managed to walk up to Mount Urgell (more of a hill than a mountain) and get a great view from the top.
We also managed to sample a few more pinxtos, however we are soon losing interest in these bar snacks given the amazing food we have experienced through out Spain so far.
We have one more day here and will wind things up by heading up to a look out on the other side of the bay and will also try to sample dinner or lunch in a nice restaurant rather than just a pinxtos bar.
We head to Barcelona on Sunday which will be our final stop, it's hard to believe we still have a week until we go home, we have had a marvelous time and it has really not gone quickly at all.
The beaches are picture perfect and the weather is a little like a Melbourne, nice for a bit and then it turns ugly. We have had a spot of rain today but not too much and we managed to walk up to Mount Urgell (more of a hill than a mountain) and get a great view from the top.
We also managed to sample a few more pinxtos, however we are soon losing interest in these bar snacks given the amazing food we have experienced through out Spain so far.
We have one more day here and will wind things up by heading up to a look out on the other side of the bay and will also try to sample dinner or lunch in a nice restaurant rather than just a pinxtos bar.
We head to Barcelona on Sunday which will be our final stop, it's hard to believe we still have a week until we go home, we have had a marvelous time and it has really not gone quickly at all.
Thursday, 7 June 2012
The wind combs
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
A nice sea breeze
Today we have arrived in San Sebastian. San Sebastian is on the northern coast of Spain and is a popular holiday destinations for Europeans, it is well known for its pinxtos bars and beaches. I will no doubt be providing many photos of pinxtos as we make our way around town visiting the many bars that serve these tasty treats!
The last two days saw us spend our last day in Madrid where we did a few more tourist sights an planned including the fabulous Bernebau Stadium, home of Real Madrid. I have already posted a picture of this but it really is a case to see it is to believe. It is a massive stadium seating almost as many as the MCG but the shape is rectangular, so you can imagine how high the stands are, it was phenomenal. The tour is self guided and you get to walk onto the pitch, sit in the seats where the players and vips sit, walk through the change rooms (unfortunately no players were having a shower at the time!) and into the press area. There is also a really good museum housing all the trophies. It was a great experience and we both really enjoyed it.
Yesterday we visited the city of Segovia, which is not far from Madrid by fast train, as this was on the way to San Sebatian we had decided to spend the night to break up our trip.
Segovia is famous for it's aqueduct and it's suckling roast pig, of course we sampled this and were very impressed (although not as good as Magoolies son Ashley's pork). Segovia is quite a touristy town but we had a great day visiting the castle, wandering through the souvenir shops and of course having dinner. Our hotel room was quite nice but we did not sleep very well due to the bright security light and we also both have a slight head cold (too much beer, not enough fruit and veg!)
Today's trip to San Sebastian meant another early start and a 5 hr train trip. We both snoozed on the train and listened to music, it went quite quick really.
We arrived in San Sebastian just after 1pm and had only a short walk to our pension. The pension seems quite nice, it is clean and modern and hopefully quiet, although it has no air conditioning so we are hoping the room will not be too hot. It is cool today in San Sebastian, it is not known for its weather here, so we should be okay.
For now though it's adios from me, time to head out soon and check out some of these food spots this city is known for :-)
The last two days saw us spend our last day in Madrid where we did a few more tourist sights an planned including the fabulous Bernebau Stadium, home of Real Madrid. I have already posted a picture of this but it really is a case to see it is to believe. It is a massive stadium seating almost as many as the MCG but the shape is rectangular, so you can imagine how high the stands are, it was phenomenal. The tour is self guided and you get to walk onto the pitch, sit in the seats where the players and vips sit, walk through the change rooms (unfortunately no players were having a shower at the time!) and into the press area. There is also a really good museum housing all the trophies. It was a great experience and we both really enjoyed it.
Yesterday we visited the city of Segovia, which is not far from Madrid by fast train, as this was on the way to San Sebatian we had decided to spend the night to break up our trip.
Segovia is famous for it's aqueduct and it's suckling roast pig, of course we sampled this and were very impressed (although not as good as Magoolies son Ashley's pork). Segovia is quite a touristy town but we had a great day visiting the castle, wandering through the souvenir shops and of course having dinner. Our hotel room was quite nice but we did not sleep very well due to the bright security light and we also both have a slight head cold (too much beer, not enough fruit and veg!)
Today's trip to San Sebastian meant another early start and a 5 hr train trip. We both snoozed on the train and listened to music, it went quite quick really.
We arrived in San Sebastian just after 1pm and had only a short walk to our pension. The pension seems quite nice, it is clean and modern and hopefully quiet, although it has no air conditioning so we are hoping the room will not be too hot. It is cool today in San Sebastian, it is not known for its weather here, so we should be okay.
For now though it's adios from me, time to head out soon and check out some of these food spots this city is known for :-)
Tuesday, 5 June 2012
The aqueduct
This little piggy
Bernabau Stadium, Home of Real Madrid
Sunday, 3 June 2012
Madrid, you are still as charming as ever
We have 4 nights in Madrid and so far we are having a wonderful time.
Madrid is a charming city, the buildings are beautiful with gorgeous balconies overlooking the streets and the many plazas. There is plenty of parkland to provide respite from the heat although whilst we have been here the weather has been quite mild which has been a nice change.
The last two days we have enjoyed two vastly different art museums, the Reina Sofia museum and the Museo Nacional del Prado.
The Reina Sofia is a more of a modern art museum featuring artists such as Dali, Picasso, Juan Gris and some intriguing work by James Coleman who specialises in the use of audio visual media. There were some excellent examples of portrait photography which I particularly enjoyed and one of the most famous paintings was Pablo Picasso's Geurnica, which was painted following around the time of the Spanish Civil war.
The Museo Nacio Del Prado houses more classical works by artists such as Rubens and a Spanish artist by the name of Goya, Pete was quite fond of his series of paintings known as the black paintings, quite dark and mysterious.
Aside from enjoying these museums we have spent a lot of time walking around the city, Madrid is such a wonderful city to take a stroll and despite looking big on a map it is surprisingly small and easy to get around.
It is a good thing too that we have been taking long walks because yes, yet again we have been enjoying the delights of Spanish food. It is too hard to say no to one more croquette or piece of jamon (ham) freshly cut from the bone. Today we enjoyed a specialty called Heuvos rotos which is broken eggs (fried) over the top of hot chips and either with jamon or chorizo. We also enjoyed some churros for breakfast!
We have one more day in Madrid and plan tomorrow to visit Real Madrid stadium, the bull ring and walk along Gran Via for a bit of window shopping. No doubt the day will start with some churros and end with a sangria, oh what a great time we are having!
Madrid is a charming city, the buildings are beautiful with gorgeous balconies overlooking the streets and the many plazas. There is plenty of parkland to provide respite from the heat although whilst we have been here the weather has been quite mild which has been a nice change.
The last two days we have enjoyed two vastly different art museums, the Reina Sofia museum and the Museo Nacional del Prado.
The Reina Sofia is a more of a modern art museum featuring artists such as Dali, Picasso, Juan Gris and some intriguing work by James Coleman who specialises in the use of audio visual media. There were some excellent examples of portrait photography which I particularly enjoyed and one of the most famous paintings was Pablo Picasso's Geurnica, which was painted following around the time of the Spanish Civil war.
The Museo Nacio Del Prado houses more classical works by artists such as Rubens and a Spanish artist by the name of Goya, Pete was quite fond of his series of paintings known as the black paintings, quite dark and mysterious.
Aside from enjoying these museums we have spent a lot of time walking around the city, Madrid is such a wonderful city to take a stroll and despite looking big on a map it is surprisingly small and easy to get around.
It is a good thing too that we have been taking long walks because yes, yet again we have been enjoying the delights of Spanish food. It is too hard to say no to one more croquette or piece of jamon (ham) freshly cut from the bone. Today we enjoyed a specialty called Heuvos rotos which is broken eggs (fried) over the top of hot chips and either with jamon or chorizo. We also enjoyed some churros for breakfast!
We have one more day in Madrid and plan tomorrow to visit Real Madrid stadium, the bull ring and walk along Gran Via for a bit of window shopping. No doubt the day will start with some churros and end with a sangria, oh what a great time we are having!
Churros con chocolate
Madrid, full of surprises that make you remember why you travel
Today has been a fabulous day!
More so our evening tonight has been unpredictable in a way that I
think I will struggle to describe.
After a siesta we headed out tonight with a plan to have a bit of a
walk before having a few drinks and having dinner with a bottle of
wine.
We walked along a street not far from Plaza Mayor (a major tourist
area) and as we walked along we spotted a restaurant with a bar inside
and decided to go in for a drink.
We decided to sit at the bar so we could see the action (being former
bar tenders from our London days we love seeing people work behind a
bar). We were served by an older man and ordered two beers, he then
proceeded to offer us, in Spanish, an array of tapas to accompany our
beer, we chose to have anchovies in vinegar.
With each round of drinks we were offered more tapas and on some
occasions he gave us an extra one mid way through our drink.
We were all set to pay the bill when along came the bar tender giving
us a free drink on the house.
We ended up sitting in the bar enjoying the amazing hospitality for
nearly 4 hours. And when we went to pay the bill (a mere €16) the bar
tender shook our hand like we were old friends.
It was really a wonderful night. I just love it when you can
communicate without sharing the same language. It was also so lovely
to receive such warm hospitality, it was not like we were paying
customers, it was as if we were being welcomed into someone's home.
It's time like these that make me remember why I love to travel.
Sent from my iPad
More so our evening tonight has been unpredictable in a way that I
think I will struggle to describe.
After a siesta we headed out tonight with a plan to have a bit of a
walk before having a few drinks and having dinner with a bottle of
wine.
We walked along a street not far from Plaza Mayor (a major tourist
area) and as we walked along we spotted a restaurant with a bar inside
and decided to go in for a drink.
We decided to sit at the bar so we could see the action (being former
bar tenders from our London days we love seeing people work behind a
bar). We were served by an older man and ordered two beers, he then
proceeded to offer us, in Spanish, an array of tapas to accompany our
beer, we chose to have anchovies in vinegar.
With each round of drinks we were offered more tapas and on some
occasions he gave us an extra one mid way through our drink.
We were all set to pay the bill when along came the bar tender giving
us a free drink on the house.
We ended up sitting in the bar enjoying the amazing hospitality for
nearly 4 hours. And when we went to pay the bill (a mere €16) the bar
tender shook our hand like we were old friends.
It was really a wonderful night. I just love it when you can
communicate without sharing the same language. It was also so lovely
to receive such warm hospitality, it was not like we were paying
customers, it was as if we were being welcomed into someone's home.
It's time like these that make me remember why I love to travel.
Sent from my iPad
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Granada, a grand day!
We arose early as our tickets to the Alhambra enabled entry from 8.30 until 2pm, it is best to get there before the crowds, before the heat and to catch the views in the early morning light.
We reached the entrance by 8.30 and visited a few different areas taking photos of the amazing views from the top before heading into the palace for our specified entry time of 10am.
The palaces of the Alhambra are just spectacular, so incredibly ornate with fine stone carvings reflecting the history over the centuries.
We ended up spending over 4hrs wandering the grounds, admiring the gardens and taking photos of both the intricate details and the broader views.
The weather today was quite warm reaching 37 degrees, we spent the afternoon after our visit in a small bar before heading back to the room for an afternoon break.
We are off to Madrid tomorrow and are looking forward to a possible visit to Real Madrid stadium and if we are lucky, we might also find a laundromat! What a highlight that will be.
We reached the entrance by 8.30 and visited a few different areas taking photos of the amazing views from the top before heading into the palace for our specified entry time of 10am.
The palaces of the Alhambra are just spectacular, so incredibly ornate with fine stone carvings reflecting the history over the centuries.
We ended up spending over 4hrs wandering the grounds, admiring the gardens and taking photos of both the intricate details and the broader views.
The weather today was quite warm reaching 37 degrees, we spent the afternoon after our visit in a small bar before heading back to the room for an afternoon break.
We are off to Madrid tomorrow and are looking forward to a possible visit to Real Madrid stadium and if we are lucky, we might also find a laundromat! What a highlight that will be.
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Our room in Granada
And now it's time for Granada
Today we have travelled via train to Granada. We had an early morning wake up as the train departed at 7am and we had to walk to the station. The pension owner let us out the door, he was still in his pj's, how cute!
The train to Granada travelled through some lovely country side, quite hilly and rugged. Fields of olive groves were abound as the train weaved it's way through to Granada. The journey was just over three hours and went quite quick thanks to my iPod drowning out the lovely ladies behind me who were clearly trying to break a record for speaking the whole way to Granada without taking a breath. Wow, those Spanish really love to talk.
We arrived at our hotel and have just checked in. We are here for two nights. The hotel is really pretty in a typical Spanish style. The room is small but extremely comfortable and we are glad to see the bed is queen size, the double beds were getting a little cosy!
Tomorrow we will go to see the Alhambra. I will post some photos tomorrow.
Until then, adios amigos xx
The train to Granada travelled through some lovely country side, quite hilly and rugged. Fields of olive groves were abound as the train weaved it's way through to Granada. The journey was just over three hours and went quite quick thanks to my iPod drowning out the lovely ladies behind me who were clearly trying to break a record for speaking the whole way to Granada without taking a breath. Wow, those Spanish really love to talk.
We arrived at our hotel and have just checked in. We are here for two nights. The hotel is really pretty in a typical Spanish style. The room is small but extremely comfortable and we are glad to see the bed is queen size, the double beds were getting a little cosy!
Tomorrow we will go to see the Alhambra. I will post some photos tomorrow.
Until then, adios amigos xx
Jamon, a Spanish ritual
Our last tapas in Seville
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
The winding streets
The Giralda tower
Seville, sangria and siestas
Sorry for my delayed blogging folks, wifi is limited to outside our room here at Pension Cordoba, so have not been on the Internet very much, probably not a bad thing given we are on holidays!
It is our last day in Seville and I have to say we have had an absolutely amazing time here.
We were last in Seville in 1999 as backpackers on a budget and we both remember it very fondly although due to the confines of our budget we mostly ate sandwiches and an array of delights from the supermarket.
Well times have changed and we are still staying in humble accommodation, €60 per night, but we have ,a aged to venture beyond the sandwich shops and have been enjoying some delightful tapas.
Seville is a maze of streets just bursting with tapas bars waiting to be explored and explore them we have! Due to the heat the Spanish tend to have an afternoon siesta and then eat quite late, we have managed to get into the groove and have also been taking part in this tradition. Amazingly Pete and I have been staying up past midnight, and no, we did not turn into a pumpkin!
We have been loving the late night glass of sangria as well, it it very refreshing on a hot night.
Whilst in Seville in 1999 we did not climb the Giralda tower of the Seville cathedral and instead chose to have a pint in an Irish pub. The irish pub has since closed so we decided this time we would climb the tower, well unfortunately the gods were not looking down on us and are clearly punishing us for not visiting last time because today when we went to climb the tower we discovered it is closed for renovations for all this week! We will just a have to come back here again some time, it is a good excuse to ensure our return some day.
Today we visied the Real Alcazar, a beautiful palace from the 14th century. The gardens were amazing filled with flowering jacaranda trees and plenty of shade for respite from the 34 degree heat.
We also took a stroll around Plaza de Espana, one of my favourite attractions.
Whilst in Seville we also took a day trip to cordoba to see the cordoba mesquite, a mosque which has been converted into a beautiful church, truly unique and amazingly ornate.
I will post some photos to provide a bit more of an insight into the beauty of Seville.
Tomorrow we head off to Granada where we will see the sights of the Alhambra and enjoy a stay in a bit more of a luxury hotel, the beautiful Casa 1800, can't wait :-)
It is our last day in Seville and I have to say we have had an absolutely amazing time here.
We were last in Seville in 1999 as backpackers on a budget and we both remember it very fondly although due to the confines of our budget we mostly ate sandwiches and an array of delights from the supermarket.
Well times have changed and we are still staying in humble accommodation, €60 per night, but we have ,a aged to venture beyond the sandwich shops and have been enjoying some delightful tapas.
Seville is a maze of streets just bursting with tapas bars waiting to be explored and explore them we have! Due to the heat the Spanish tend to have an afternoon siesta and then eat quite late, we have managed to get into the groove and have also been taking part in this tradition. Amazingly Pete and I have been staying up past midnight, and no, we did not turn into a pumpkin!
We have been loving the late night glass of sangria as well, it it very refreshing on a hot night.
Whilst in Seville in 1999 we did not climb the Giralda tower of the Seville cathedral and instead chose to have a pint in an Irish pub. The irish pub has since closed so we decided this time we would climb the tower, well unfortunately the gods were not looking down on us and are clearly punishing us for not visiting last time because today when we went to climb the tower we discovered it is closed for renovations for all this week! We will just a have to come back here again some time, it is a good excuse to ensure our return some day.
Today we visied the Real Alcazar, a beautiful palace from the 14th century. The gardens were amazing filled with flowering jacaranda trees and plenty of shade for respite from the 34 degree heat.
We also took a stroll around Plaza de Espana, one of my favourite attractions.
Whilst in Seville we also took a day trip to cordoba to see the cordoba mesquite, a mosque which has been converted into a beautiful church, truly unique and amazingly ornate.
I will post some photos to provide a bit more of an insight into the beauty of Seville.
Tomorrow we head off to Granada where we will see the sights of the Alhambra and enjoy a stay in a bit more of a luxury hotel, the beautiful Casa 1800, can't wait :-)
Monday, 28 May 2012
Friday, 25 May 2012
Toledo: beer, long walks, sunshine and speaking Spanish
Today is our last day in Toledo. We got up early and after breakfast caught a bus up to the Parador to take in the views of the city. The bus driver was great, he understood we wanted to do to the Parador and advised in Spanish that he would let us know when to get off the bus, well we guessed that is what he said.
He dropped us off at the foot of the Parador and we proceeded to walk about trying to find the best view. We ended up taking over 60 photos, thank god for digital cameras, you can just click away and hope that one of the shots will be perfect.
We decided to walk back to the city, it was a long walk but probably needed after all the beer we consumed last night (we had a late night that ended in a quirky little jazz bar, so much fun!)
When we got back into the city we took a walk over to the Jewish quarter enjoying the sunshine on the way with few pit stops for a rest, one pit stop included a nice cup of ice cream!
We enjoyed some more beer and Tapas for lunch, found another great bar where there was a good mix of locals and tourists. The locals seem to think we speak Spanish and talk to us, we laugh and they continue to talk, I guess they don't pick up that we actually don't talk back, very humorous!
Tonight we are unsure of where to go for dinner but as the choices are endless I'm sure we won't struggle. We head onto Seville tomorrow and are looking forward to traveling on another fast train.
Until then, Cheerio :-)
He dropped us off at the foot of the Parador and we proceeded to walk about trying to find the best view. We ended up taking over 60 photos, thank god for digital cameras, you can just click away and hope that one of the shots will be perfect.
We decided to walk back to the city, it was a long walk but probably needed after all the beer we consumed last night (we had a late night that ended in a quirky little jazz bar, so much fun!)
When we got back into the city we took a walk over to the Jewish quarter enjoying the sunshine on the way with few pit stops for a rest, one pit stop included a nice cup of ice cream!
We enjoyed some more beer and Tapas for lunch, found another great bar where there was a good mix of locals and tourists. The locals seem to think we speak Spanish and talk to us, we laugh and they continue to talk, I guess they don't pick up that we actually don't talk back, very humorous!
Tonight we are unsure of where to go for dinner but as the choices are endless I'm sure we won't struggle. We head onto Seville tomorrow and are looking forward to traveling on another fast train.
Until then, Cheerio :-)
Pinxtos!
Basically you go into a bar, grab a plate, help yourself to the pinxtos from glass cabinets on the bar. Each pinxtos has a toothpick and at the end once you've finished they count the toothpicks and you pay per toothpick.
These ones were approx €2 each.
Next time I'll be sure to take a photo of the bar as well, it's such a great way to eat, I'm sure we will be going back for more soon :-)
Thursday, 24 May 2012
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
And onto Spain we go
Our flight from Istanbul departed at 8am so an early morning wake up was in order.
We arranged for a driver to take us to the airport because the metro does not start until after 5am.
Our flight departed on time, it was a nice flight traveling over the Italian alps I could see snow capped mountains and then into Spain the view became a rich tapestry of varying colors, just beautiful. Thanks to Pete for giving me the window seat :-)
Our arrival at Madrid went smoothly and we were out of the airport waiting for the bus in less than half an hour, wow, so unlike Tullamrine! We bought tickets at the Renfe ticket office at the airport so we could avoid buying tickets at Attocha station once we got into the city.
We caught the bus into Attocha station and then had to wait for our train, whilst waiting we saw some interesting sights which obviously reflect the current economic climate, one lady was so brazen she even walked into a cafe and picked up food scraps before the waiter had time to pick up the plates.
Our train to Toledo departed at 13:50, it was a fast train and we arrived into Toledo at 14:23, pretty quick given it is 89 km's between Madrid and Toledo!
We caught a bus up to the main square and then walked to our hotel. Times have changed because we used my iPhone to make our way to the hotel, you just have to love satellite navigation systems! Although I think Pete prefers the good old days that would often seem us arguing about which direction to take.
We checked into our hotel which is cosy but very nice and then headed out for a stroll.
Well Toledo is certainly impressive and I think I have fallen in love. It is a maze of streets dotted with small bars and restaurants, the buildings are just gorgeous.
We visited a few tapas bars for a drink and enjoyed the fact when you buy a beer you get given a small tapas, just love it!
We went to a nice restaurant for dinner and got to put our Spanish to use, quite funny but we got by, I'm sure we will pick up a bit of confidence as we travel through the rest of Spain.
We arranged for a driver to take us to the airport because the metro does not start until after 5am.
Our flight departed on time, it was a nice flight traveling over the Italian alps I could see snow capped mountains and then into Spain the view became a rich tapestry of varying colors, just beautiful. Thanks to Pete for giving me the window seat :-)
Our arrival at Madrid went smoothly and we were out of the airport waiting for the bus in less than half an hour, wow, so unlike Tullamrine! We bought tickets at the Renfe ticket office at the airport so we could avoid buying tickets at Attocha station once we got into the city.
We caught the bus into Attocha station and then had to wait for our train, whilst waiting we saw some interesting sights which obviously reflect the current economic climate, one lady was so brazen she even walked into a cafe and picked up food scraps before the waiter had time to pick up the plates.
Our train to Toledo departed at 13:50, it was a fast train and we arrived into Toledo at 14:23, pretty quick given it is 89 km's between Madrid and Toledo!
We caught a bus up to the main square and then walked to our hotel. Times have changed because we used my iPhone to make our way to the hotel, you just have to love satellite navigation systems! Although I think Pete prefers the good old days that would often seem us arguing about which direction to take.
We checked into our hotel which is cosy but very nice and then headed out for a stroll.
Well Toledo is certainly impressive and I think I have fallen in love. It is a maze of streets dotted with small bars and restaurants, the buildings are just gorgeous.
We visited a few tapas bars for a drink and enjoyed the fact when you buy a beer you get given a small tapas, just love it!
We went to a nice restaurant for dinner and got to put our Spanish to use, quite funny but we got by, I'm sure we will pick up a bit of confidence as we travel through the rest of Spain.
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Apple tea and a beautiful view
It's our last day in Istanbul and we've enjoyed some shopping in the Grand Bazaar and a bit of a peruse at the spices in the spice market.
We head off early tomorrow morning to fly to Madrid and will the catch a train to Toledo.
Last night in Istanbul
The food here has been challenging, great if you were hungover and needing to ease a hangover, but these days we are after something a bit more appetizing!
Tonight's meal was at a restaurant called Passezade. They specialize in ottoman style food and it was a real treat.
We finished the meal with a lovely dessert and the total bill came in at under $60. Pretty happy with that!!
We are off to bed now because we have an early flight to Madrid. Adios!!
Monday, 21 May 2012
Istanbul - fishing on the Galata Bridge
The sun was out today so we took the opportunity to head over to the other side and climb the Galata tower. It was quite hazy but the views over the water were beautiful.
Yesterday the weather was poor so we mainly visited attractions that were indoors, we went to Hagia Sofia, the blue mosque, the underground cistern and the Topaki palace. In typical Meg and Pete style we visited all the major sights in one day!
Today after our visit over the bridge we have sat back to relax and enjoy a few beers whilst watching the crowds go by. It's been a pretty good day.
It's our last day tomorrow so we must head to the bazaar for a bit of shopping and photo opportunities. Must also have some apple tea!
Sunday, 20 May 2012
The new mosque
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