Andalucía, in the southern part of Spain, is one of the prettiest places I’ve ever visited. With its glistening beaches, hillside views, rolling fields, and voluminous mountains, Andalucía is a feast for the eyes. As part of a recent trip to Spain, Shelley and I visited multiple cities here. And while there are plenty more places to see amongst the mountains and valleys, here is a list of our favorite sites:
Seville
As I mentioned in my post about Barcelona, it’s especially great in European cities to start your time on a walking tour. They’re free and usually take you past many of the can’t-miss sites. Our tour in Seville (aka Sevilla) began at Seville Cathedral, a 16th century architectural masterpiece, complete with a minaret of the mosque that was once in that place. My favorite photo opp on the tour was at the Plaza de Espanya – this gorgeous semi-circular building constructed for the Americas Exposition in 1929.
We spent our nights in Seville at a crusty little hostel, so after each day of exploration (detailed below) we explored the city’s streets for beer and tapas. Seville is certainly a town I’d go back to just to laze around the streets and eat an abundance of jamon iberico (deliciously thin ham).
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If Spain is on your bucket list, then place Barcelona straight at the top. While touristy in some places, there are nooks and crannies where you can hide away from the bustling crowds with a cheap beer, tasty treat, or amongst the trees at a beautiful park.
On a recent trip, Barcelona was the first stop on a whirlwind tour of gorgeous Spanish cities holding famous sightseeing locations. There is so much to do and see in Spain, that four days in Barcelona proved to be the perfect amount of time. Whether you’re tacking on more of Spain or are traversing around Europe, a long weekend is just right for fitting in amazing churches, delicious dishes, and quaint gardens.
Things to Do
*The #1 can’t-miss, must-do in Barcelona is La Sagrada Familia, the architect Antoni Gaudí’s masterpiece cathedral. I know what you’re thinking – another church in Europe? No big deal! But you would be very wrong. La Sagrada Familia is unlike any church I have ever seen. With columns formed like trees reaching over 150 feet, stunningly translucent stained glass windows, and a grander façade than I’ve seen before, you will be in awe. Best tip I can give you here – get your tickets online first! Lines circle around the building and can last hours. Second best tip: do the audio tour. It’s a few bucks extra, but the fun facts are totally worth it.
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On a vacation, everything doesn’t always go as you’d planned, and sometimes, you make a wrong plan. Shelley’s and my recent trip to Spain was spectacularly beautiful, but we ran into a few snags along the way. Luckily, though, these misfortunes always had a bright spot.
Snag #1: Shelley and I were meant to arrive at the Barcelona airport 5 minutes apart from each other – perfect timing to meet at the immigration desk…unless you’re at two different terminals…which we were. Once we’d both figured this out, we went on the search for each other. We had no way to communicate since we didn’t have data or wifi, so I crossed my fingers and hopped on an airport bus to Terminal 1.
Bring Spot: Fate stepped in and made Shelley’s flight about 15 minutes late, which gave me just enough time to get from T2 to T1. I hadn’t even made it to the arrivals hall, when there was Shelley searching for the bus to my terminal. Thank you fate for making that easy!!
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Taking Chicagoland by storm…one date, one yoga class, one salsa lesson, one blog post, one trip, one drink, one meal, one new friendship at a time.
New City Life Adventure 