Tag: travel

La Ramblas – It is a very popular street in central Barcelona. It is lined by trees with a pedestrian mall and it stretches for 1.2 kilometers.

Catalunya Square (Placa de Catalunya). The square is a busy place. It is surrounded by shops and restaurants. This is where you pick up hop on hop off tour bus and other coaches which take you to different tourist sites.

Roof chimneys – work of Antoni Gaudi at Parc Guell.

View over Barcelona from Palau Nacional on Montjuic Hill.

Sagrada Familia (Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family). This is a large Roman Catholic church designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Although it is still a work in progress since 1882, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In November, 2010 it was consecrated and proclaimed a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI.

Casa Batllo – the building was restored by Gaudi. It seems that the goal of the designer was to avoid straight lines completely. Much of the façade is decorated with a mosaic made of broken ceramic tiles (trencadís) that starts in shades of golden orange moving into greenish blues. The roof is arched and was likened to the back of a dragon or dinosaur.

Casa Mila (La Pedrera) roof – work of Gaudi. The undulating roof top and shard-encrusted chimneys.

Alia, Sabiya, Noorali in one of the La Ramblas street restaurants enjoying lunch with sangria

We arrived in Barcelona, Spain, for a six-day holiday. We knew there is lot to see and enjoy in this beautiful city of 1.6 million people. So we wanted to take our own time. For us, Barcelona was also a time to get over the jet lag before embarking on a Mediterranean cruise.

Barcelona is the 16th-most-visited city in the world and the fourth most visited in Europe after Paris, London, and Rome. It has mild and warm climate and numerous historical monuments. Eight monuments have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Our hotel was along the famous La Ramblas. It is a very popular street in central Barcelona. It is lined by trees with a pedestrian mall and it stretches for 1.2 kilometers. It is a good relaxing walk with all kinds of street entertainers, vendors and outdoor restaurants to provide you with almost everything you need.

We walked La Ramblas every day. There is ceaseless flow of pedestrians. Our hotel was at one end of La Ramblas and we walked almost a kilometer to get to Catalunya Square (Placa de Catalunya). The square is a busy place. It is surrounded by shops and restaurants. This is where you pick up hop on hop off tour bus and other coaches which take you to different tourist sites.

We took a tour of Barcelona highlights. It includes, among many other sites and monuments, Sagrada Familia (Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family). This is a large Roman Catholic church designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Although it is still a work in progress since 1882, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In November, 2010 it was consecrated and proclaimed a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI.

It is a mind boggling and amazing structure. It is very difficult to describe it. One has to see it to understand the significance of the design and architecture. We also visited Park Guell. It is a garden complex with architectural elements situated on the hill of El Carmel in the Gràcia district. It is another of Gaudí’s masterpiece built in the years 1900 to 1914.

We went to Montjuic Hill to get a breathtaking view of Barcelona. It gave us an opportunity to visit The Palau Nacional which houses the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya and site of 1992 Summer Olympics.

One day we took The Gaudi Tour. You cannot go to Barcelona and not hear Gaudi’s name in every other sentence from the tour guide. You cannot walk around the city without seeing Gaudi’s work or his influence in almost every street. Besides Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell there are couple of other famous buildings designed by Gaudi – Casa Batllo and Casa Mila (La Pedrera).

Last two buildings were close to our hotel. So we spent a day visiting both places. The architecture is out of the ordinary. Looks like Gaudi was a man who was allowed to experiment with his ideas.

On our return from the cruise we picked a hotel in The Gothic Quarter for two nights before flying back. The Gothic Quarter is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. It is a couple of minutes walk from La Ramblas. Many of the buildings date from Medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. There are many eating and walking areas.

A short article like this does not do justice to the history, culture and architecture of Barcelona. The food, wine and sangria will make you put on some weight. But we found walking everyday is a good way to stay fit and trim. If you plan to go then have enough time to visit many other wonderful places not mentioned here including the beaches.

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Alhambra Entrance

Alhambra by Day

Alhambra by Night

Alhambra Gardens

Alhambra Interior

Noorali with Alhambra and Granada in the Background

View of Granada from Alhambra

When you travel through Spain, you find each city has beautiful historical and cultural monuments and architectural gems of immense significance. During our tour, the one place which stood out the most was the world-famous Alhambra in Granada, Spain.

To understand and enjoy the beauty and majesty of Alhambra, one has to understand the complicated history of Granada and Spain. There was a time when Muslims, Jews and Christians lived in harmony. That was a long time ago. But that is a historical fact.

Granada has a population of around 250,000.

The Moors (Muslim inhabitants of al-Andalus and North Africa) ruled Spain, Portugal and North Africa for about 800 years. Spain was re-conquered by the Catholic monarchs from the Moors and the conquest was completed in 1492.

A complete tour of the monument may take anywhere from four to eight hours depending on your mobility, the weather and how much time you want to spend in each area. There is much to see, learn and enjoy. My advice would be to buy your ticket in advance online (www.alhambra-patronato.es) and get there early by 8 a.m.

Alhambra is a 9th century Arabian palace. The palaces of Alhambra were originally built by Ismael I for judicial administration. It was modified by Mohamed III in the 13th century to be used as his private residence. From the 13th century to the 15th century, Alhambra had been a palace, a citadel, a fortress and home of the Nasrid sultans. It also housed high government officials, servants of the court and elite soldiers.

The name Alhambra (an Arabic word) means “the red one” or “red castle” and refers to the color of the mountain on which it is built overlooking Granada on the southeastern border of the city. From Alhambra, one can have a beautiful wide view of the city and plain of Granada.

After the Christian conquest of Granada in 1492, Alhambra suffered neglect and mutilation. But it was soon realized that Alhambra is a rare natural beauty and the buildings were extensively restored after 1828 and are still well maintained. Alhambra has become the best conserved ancient Arabian palace.

Alhambra covers an area of about 35 acres (142,000 m²). It has fortified walls and is guarded by thirteen towers. Alhambra is divided into four main areas: the Palaces, Alcazaba (the military area), Medina (the city) and Generalife (agricultural estate).

Entry to Nasrid Palaces is strictly limited to the times indicated on the ticket. If you miss your turn you will not be allowed to see these Palaces. Only 300 people are allowed in each half-hour. You have to be in the building within half-an-hour of the assigned time. Once you are in you can stay as long as you want.

Historians believe that Alhambra is a true expression of the once flourishing Moorish civilization and is the finest example of its architecture in Spain. In a short article it is hard to describe in detail the four main areas of Alhambra. But each area is worth seeing.

The halls and chambers of the Palaces are surrounded by a series of open courts. The interior of the building has many magnificent examples of honeycomb vaulting. The walls and ceilings are decorated with geometric ornamentation of minute detail and intricacy. The work is beautifully done with outstanding skill in marble, alabaster, glazed tile, and carved plaster.

There are number of beautiful gardens. There are places to rest, eat and relax. Once you are in you can stay as long as you want. You can visit Alhambra by night as well. After a visit the beauty and history of Alhambra will be hard to forget.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!