Dalí Theatre Museum in Figueres Of all of our adventures in Spain, I would have to say that our trip to the Salvador Dalí Theatre Museum was one of the most unique. I don’t think … Read more
UPDATE: 2021 – This hotel was recently acquired by the Pierre & Vacances chain but still remains a solid choice for your stay in Costa Brava. The hotel will reopen in April 2021 and is … Read more
The ABCs of Travel begin with A for Alhambra. The fortress and Moorish Palace in Granada, Spain. The mos visited monument in Spain, you cannot miss one of the most beautiful structures in the world. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this is a guide to the Alhambra from @DownshiftingPRO
One of the most interesting things to do in Barcelona is to take a Gaudi architecture tour in Barcelona. A tour will actually tell you more about the entire modernisme movement which impacted Barcelona streets, … Read more
If you are a soccer (football) fan, does it get any better than a visit to FC Barcelona Camp Nou? A few years back I spent the day in one of the most iconic soccer stadiums in the world. If you are a futbol/football/soccer fan you know all about legendary FC Barcelona. Home of Messi and his Golden Boots and two time Golden Ball awards for the best player in the World Cup. This football club is legendary and has won… a lot. I have to admit a visit to Camp Nou was great but the highlight for me was seeing the UEFA Champions League Cup.
You walk into a bar. As you order your drink, you notice, that propped on the counter to your right, is a hoof. That hoof is attached to a rather large piece of ham. You watch as the bartender carefully shaves thin slices of ruby-red meat and places them side-by-side on a plate. You order your round of drinks and ask for a plate of Jamón Ibérico and Pan con Tomate. You’re in heaven now, and the place you’ve landed in is the Iberian Peninsula. This is your guide to Jamon Iberico or jamon serrano. This is Spanish ham and it is the best!
If you know anything about food from Spain, you know that they are obsessed with one thing: dry-cured ham. There is no bar, no restaurant or no self-respecting home which does not have a shoulder (paleta) or ham (Jamón) to offer guests. In North America, we often think of cured ham as Proscuitto but in Spain, it is called Jamón Iberico and it is spectacular.
As with a fine wine or a delectable cheese, in order to cure the perfect morsel, you need time. Plenty of time. Cured meat and ham are not unique to Spain, you will find some versions of cured ham throughout Europe. Italian cuisine has the glorious prosciutto, France its jambon de Bayonne and Portugal has presunto ibérico.
Costa Brava in Spain conjures images of sunny beaches on the Mediterranean with small fishing villages and tourist towns (Lloret de Mar) scattered along the coast. Although the literal translation of Costa Brava is the … Read more
It was my first trip to Spain and there were so many things that I enjoyed (and few that I didn’t). Barcelona was spectacular: the markets, the food, the museums, the architecture, the street art; it all had a very special, warm, almost magical feel to me. The Sagrada Familia was no different. If you are unfamiliar, the Sagrada Familia (Spanish for Sacred Family) is a very large Roman Catholic cathedral in central Barcelona designed by local Catalan/Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí. Despite Gaudí’s many works around the city (Casa Calvet, Park Güell, Casa Batllo), the Sagrada Familia is by far his magnum opus and reflects his unique style combining both Gothic and Art Nouveau forms of architecture. Though he did not live to see the completion of the cathedral (it isn’t set to be completed until approx. 2026, 144 years after the groundbreaking), his dreams and creativity continue to live on through the work of hundreds of workers throughout the years.
Upon arrival to the Sagrada Familia, you will first notice its sheer size. This is no ordinary cathedral! With eight enormous spires (and ten more in the works) reaching 170m, the cathedral towers over its surroundings and is surely visible from anywhere within a 15 km radius. With its size, it’s difficult to get a full picture without an aerial view. Next, you start to notice the strange, almost-alien like shapes that make up the building. This is Gaudí’s unique style with his preference of organic, flowing and soft shapes over sharp, concrete lines that are commonly associated with structures of this size. The Sagrada Familia looks as if it was carved out of an enormous tree in the middle of the city. This gives it an almost whimsical feel, similar to many others of Gaudí’s works.
