Entering Spain by train from France was gorgeous. Although the lands seemed scorched with the summer’s heat, the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains stood bold and green while the coastline glittered in the sun. We even saw a flamboyance of flamingos perched in the wetlands south of Narbonne. Once in Barcelona, we easily found our rental apartment, stashed our bags, and wandered the neighbourhood streets in search of a cold treat. Wandering is sometimes the best way to see a city, especially if you’re wandering areas where people live rather than areas where tourists frequent.
In our two-day wanderings, we found a stadium, a lovely park full of parakeets, numerous paintings and statues on street corners, and a market with all sorts of fruit juices. For dinner, we ordered some paella from the neighbourhood diner, enjoying this Spanish dish for the first time.
We spent the next morning taking care of administration, doing some homework, and taking time to relax. In the late afternoon, we made our way to the famous Sagrada Familia. If you aren’t familiar with this structure, it is a church; the largest unfinished catholic church in the world. But more than that, it is an architectural piece of art. I knew very little about the building, its story, and its creator. The site has a wonderful audio guide that taught us so many things, including why one side adorns many quirky and child-like designs while the opposite side is gloomy and gothic. We learned about the materials used, the colours chosen for the windows, and why the interior is so simplistic in design. The church is scheduled to be officially finished in 2026.
From the church, we went to a vegetarian restaurant for some delicious food before finding our seats at a flamenco show. It wasn’t a large show, just a tourist-focused demonstration with both male and female dancers as well as musicians. We were given a free glass of sangria to sip while taking in the colours, sounds, and variable rhythms of this style of dance and music.
We spent a total of two full days plus an afternoon in Barcelona – not nearly enough time to really get to know the city. Erik went for a run to explore further and returned with an appreciation for the city that he hadn’t expressed in other cities. Perhaps we’ll need to return for a longer stay.
We caught the fast train to Madrid, switched trains, and took a slower train to Grenada. This destination was our planned “down time” and we booked a large spot with a bedroom each for a whole week! The house was very unique – built within a 400-year-old building. The décor was eclectic and the house was unlike any we’d stay in before. We also marvelled at the changing landscape as we rode south. Orchards, or fields of rows of bushes/trees, started dominating the landscape. We didn’t know what they were until later in our trip – olives!
Grenada is a very lovely town. It has an older area and a new, modern city. We stayed close to the older part of the city and were within walking distance of many interesting spots. It was the summer holidays in Spain and many small businesses were off spending that time with their families. It was quiet and felt as though the city was resting. We rested too. We also found some yummy spots to eat, some lovely parks, and lots of churches.
Our main tourist activity was to visit the Alhambra, a palace and fortress complex that remains one of the most important and best-preserved monuments of Islamic architecture. Additionally, the site hosts examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture. We pre-booked our tickets, thankfully, and you must too should you choose to visit! It is a large complex with many lovely corners to explore. Spend a whole day. You won’t be disappointed.
We first walked around Charles V’s Renaissance palace which was constructed in the 1520s. Like many palaces, this one was a large rectangle of three or four levels. Once inside, however, we were treated to a perfectly circular courtyard!
Next, we did our timed entry into the Nasrid Palace, the main palace constructed in the 1200s that is today a UNESCO site for its Islamic and Moorish architecture. The whole place is incredible. Words and pictures won’t do it justice. Every room was adorned with mosaic-laden walls, floors, and ceilings, or covered in finely carved motifs. Central courtyards held fountains connected to irrigation and filtering systems (non-mechanical). The gardens were gorgeous. The stories and pictures on the walls and ceilings create feelings of mystery and wonder for those of us unable to read the writing and symbols. It was busy with people, but so unique to any palace we’d seen that we barely noticed the crowds with our eyes always up.
The final spot we visited was the area called Generalife. It was the country estate for those living in the palaces. It’s slightly separated from the complex by a valley and is surrounded by gorgeous gardens and forests. We walked through the gardens and took in the views. There were many other things to see – the citadel buildings, other palace homes, and places of worship – but we were ready to escape the sun and the heat so we headed back to our place satisfied with the experience.
Erik and I took a tapas tour with a local guide who was able to take us to five different restaurants offering wonderful tapas that paired well with their spirits. Having a drink and a tapa is unique to Spain, but in Granada, restaurants will let you choose your tapa from a small selection. This is unique to the Granada region, or so says our guide, as the rest of Spain will offer a single type of tapa to their patrons. Every spot was excellent! We even had snails at one place with a lovely white wine.
The week went by very quickly. We enjoyed our downtime but we had one more European spot to see before heading to Africa. We rented a car in Granada and drove to the small town of Albufeira, Portugal. It was a very short visit. We found a condo in a vacation resort that seemed to be in its off-season. We checked out the main beach for a quick, cold swim, found a Mexican restaurant on the beach, and hit the hay.
Our second day was another beach day, but this time we walked along the jutted coast and found a secluded spot to swim and play. The tide started to rise so we left after a few hours, but we quite enjoyed the uniqueness of the spot.
That was all for Portugal – not at all long enough to have much to offer other than to say, “great beach”. This country remains on our must-visit list!
Back in Spain, we settled into a glamping spot for a few nights as our final time in Europe. The campground was close to the ferry terminal and along a stretch of beach along the Strait of Gibraltar. Our timing wasn’t awesome. Our stay coincided with holidays and festivals which meant that the on-site restaurant would be closed for all meals. We had to do some unplanned food sourcing without the benefit of a vehicle. It wasn’t the most nutritious of days, but we found enough calories to fuel our beach time. We also discovered an open restaurant down the beach that served an excellent seafood paella!
Although not as extensive as hoped, we finished our tour of Europe with this Spanish glamping spot. Upon reflection, we are very happy and fortunate to have seen all the spots that we did. Our year in London alone was full of opportunities and new experiences. There’s much more to see and do in Europe. We will be back!!
Next stop, Morocco.