An unabashed tourist and her family explore the world one holiday at a time.
The Real Alcazar, or royal palace, in Seville was one of the highlights of our Spain 2010 trip. While the Cathedral was bustling with tourists, the Alcazar was strangely deserted when we visited, even though the two sights are only a stone’s throw away from each other. Perhaps the €7.50 per person entry fee is to blame, but the moment...
Over the years it’s become tradition to climb the highest tower in a city (usually that of its resident cathedral or the local castle) to have a birds-eye view of the scenery. In Seville, we climbed to the top of La Giralda, before exploring the area around the cathedral on foot. This is what we saw: For more...
The Seville Cathedral, locally known as Catedral de Santa María de la Sede, is the third largest church in the world. With my penchant for Catholic churches, it was inevitable that it would feature as one of the two main attractions when we visited the capital of Andalucía. An earthquake in 1356 badly damaged the city’s mosque and the then...
On our way back to our hotel in Fuengirola on Spain’s Costa del Sol, we stopped one afternoon at Marbella’s marina to see all the expensive boats at anchor. This luxurious resort town is known for its popularity with the rich and famous and has been called Spain’s answer to St. Tropez. Although it’s the place to be seen if...
Much to my delight, Fuengirola has a castle. It’s called Castillo Sohail and was conveniently located along the seaside on our walk along the Costa del Sol. Naturally, we had to climb the somewhat steep hill, past fenced-off archaeological excavations, to explore the history it had to offer. I thought I was clever when I announced “Dos, por favor” at...
During our recent trip to Spain, we stayed in a town called Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol, which literally means Coast of Sunshine. It’s aptly named, because even though we visited at the end of November, the skies were blue and the temperature was mild. Sure, we had rain almost every second day, but it showered down and was...
I’ve always imagined myself retiring to a little chateau in the south of France one day. Somewhere where I can cultivate vineyards (even though I don’t drink wine) or breed horses (even though it’s been years since I last fell off a horse). My family are the descendants of Huguenots and as such, I’ve always been rather fascinated with France...
Along with paella, tapas is probably the most iconic foodie delight in Spain. Before we went, I had no idea what tapas was and was under the impression that it was a specific meal indigenous to the country. What it is, however, is the best idea since sliced bread and I personally think it should become a worldwide phenomenon. Exploring...
If there’s one thing I love more than cathedrals, it’s castles. I love everything about them. I love imagining myself back into times when they were occupied, walking through dilapidated buildings and seeing the ghosts of soldiers, peasantry and royalty in my mind’s eye. I love thinking about the history of the place, thinking of besiegers and burning pitch and...
I love cathedrals. There is just so much to see in every cathedral, that I gladly pay the upkeep fee and can spend hours wandering inside, gawking at the magnificent stained glass windows, the ornate ceilings, the embellishments of each nave or beautifully grand organ. I suppose it comes from a Protestant upbringing, spending each Sunday morning in church listening...