Very Cool Valencia - Spain

Our cruise on the Mediterranean in November had been going for over a week at this point. Believe it or not, living on a cruise boat can start to take on a tiny bit of monotony. Sleep in, buffet, lounge by the pool, buffet, take a nap, buffet, read a book, buffet, chat with friends, buffet, lounge by pool again, buffet. The days at sea are relaxing, but once the novelty of sitting around wears off, it borders on boring. At this point we had spent almost a whole month of 2013 on a cruise boat. I can hear what you are saying. "Po-or Kelly! She has cruised around Europe so much it has become boring!" I know, I know. I hate me a little bit too right now. 

On to Valencia!

We left the choppy seas of the open Atlantic behind us and sailed into the calmer waters of the Mediterranean with Spain's east coast in our sights.

One of our first stops in almost every new city is the large, medieval cathedral that dominates most European city-centers. Valencia's cathedral is dated to 1270 AD. I don't know how old the McDonald's is that shares this square with the centuries old cathedral. And for our group the McDonald's was more inspiring than the cathedral. They had WIFI after all. (Cut us some slack. We've seen a lot, I mean a lot of cathedrals.)

It seems like almost every old, cool thing we want to see in Europe is in some state of repair. I guess when things have been around for 800 years they need a little upkeep.

Valencia is the home of paella. That wonderful dish of spicy rice, vegetables, and sometimes meat. So of course we had to have some.

This tower looks misplaced among these modern looking apartment buildings. But this tower was likely here for hundreds of years before the apartments.

While we were here I wanted to get some pictures of orange trees. After all, isn't that what Valencia is famous for? Its oranges? Turns out the oranges that are so yummy, valencia oranges, aren't from Valencia at all. They are from California. They are just named after this town in Spain because oranges grow here. Bummer. So enjoy this picture of some non-valencia oranges in Valencia.

After some paella and non-valencia orange trees, we walked around Valencia enjoying the unique Spanish architecture.

Here is another side of the cathedral. If my describing Valencia seems a little ho-hum, that's because I felt a little ho-hum about Valencia. Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful! But it was our third stop in Spain and Valencia just didn't seem to jump out at me the way Seville, Cadiz, and Barcelona did. Maybe it was just that it was overcast that day. I should go back on a sunny day and see if it really grabs me.

We sat by this fountain and had ice cream. It was pretty good. As I sit now thinking back about our day in Valencia, I realize it was a fairly relaxing day. No rushing, no driving, no feeling like we missed something. So actually, a pretty cool day. Scratch that. Very cool.

We completed our circuit of Valencia and took one more chance to pose with flowers, palm trees, and oranges. What I've come to decided is that even a mildly boring day in Spain is still pretty darn good compared to any regular day. 

Up next - Rome, Italy!

Want to read about our day before in Portugal? Click HERE for part 1 and HERE for part 2.

Seeking Seville - Spain

Next Stop, Cadiz and Seville! Where were we last? Click Barcelona to read about our first stop.

Our next stop on our Western Mediterranean cruise was Cadiz, Spain. (Pronounced ca-dith. Sounds like everybody has a lithsp.) We really weren't into seeing Cadiz/Cadith so we rented a plethora of little cars to transport everybody up to Seville. Who is everybody? Oh, I forgot to tell you. We were with the Point Family and their four children and we had dragged along my brother, my brother's pregnant wife, and their toddler. 

We raced up the autopista from Cadiz to Seville. Isn't autopista the coolest word ever? It's what they call their freeways in Spain. So much better than auto-BAHN. I feel so much more sophisticated when I say autopista.

Upon arrival in Seville, we were greeted with flamenco dancers on the street. Flamenco dancing is native to this part of Spain.

Our first stop was the Seville Cathedral, built in the 1500's. Before there was a cathedral here, there was a Mosque here that dates to the 1100's when this area of Spain was under Muslim control. 

Here is another shot of the cathedral. It was outside this cathedral that I was duped by my first street person selling/hocking/pushing whatever it is they are trying to give you. My family was walking past the cathedral when I stopped a couple of paces back to take some pictures. The gypsy women saw their chance. They ran up to me and grabbed my arms and started touching my face, my arms, my stomach, touching me almost everywhere with sprigs of rosemary saying they were giving me a blessing. I held still and waited for them to finish. They started smiling and demanding that I give them Euros. I shook my head no, and told them I didn't have any money. They then got very mad that they had blessed me and now they weren't going to get paid. So what do they do? They spit at me. So my advice to you is say "no money," before people touch you with herbs. Remember that phrase. "No money!" And decline all blessings. (It gets worse. In a couple of days from now in Morocco I was practically assaulted. Just wait!)

This fabulous tower is the Giralda. It was started when the cathedral was still a Mosque, but finished after the Christians moved back in. 

After taking some pictures I turned around and discovered that Matt had actually freaking paid the spitting gypsy women to give Andre a hocus-pocus rosemary blessing. Great. Just great.

On our walk through Seville, we passed stores like this one that sold gorgeous pottery and fans.

Soon it was time for lunch so we decided on tapas for a traditional Spanish meal. Tapas are basically appetizers like dried meats or crackers. They started out as something to cover your wine glass to keep fruit flies out and those crafty Spaniards thought, "Hey, if we are going to cover our wine with something, let's cover it with something we can eat! Like salty meat and crackers!" Boom. Tapas were invented. Luckily we had Mr. Point with us. Mr. Point is fluent in Spanish. To which I say "muy bueno!"

And here they are, the famous Point Family! (Look how the youngest Point has both his hands tucked in Mr. Point's shirt. That cracks me up.) 

After tapas it was time to head to the Alcázar of Seville. It is a wonderful palace that started as a Moorish fort hundreds of years ago. 

The Alcázar was amazing and definitely one of the best things we saw in Spain.

Me and my girl, Ashlenne.

As we turned corners and wandered around the Alcázar, we were surprised by lush gardens and gorgeous courtyards.

Marigolds remind me of home. My mom always planted them in our front yard when I was little. I found it strange, disheartening, and wonderful all at the same time that such little things like marigolds could remind me so strongly of home and make me miss it so much that it feels like a part of me fell out right on the pavement. 

Luckily for me that I have this guy right here to give me a big hug whenever I miss something from back home too much. 

The gardens and outlying courtyards of the Alcázar wind and twist and turn creating hidden and beautiful corners, like this gem of an outdoor hallway where the green vines shade everything in a beautiful cool hue.

This is the Patio de las Doncellas, or Courtyard of the Maidens. Legend has it that the Moors who used to rule from here would demand 100 virgin maidens every year as tribute. I can tell you that there are things I would like a lot more as a tribute than 100 virgins. How about 100 new cars? Or 100 pairs of shoes?

Here is a section of the courtyard where intricate tile patterns are inlaid in the walls. Gorgeous.

But not as gorgeous as this. There is just something about palm trees and blue skies at the end of November that really makes my heart sing out!

Or as gorgeous as this! This is the Mercury Fountain.

Right now I am smacking myself for not writing about this earlier. As we stood here, Mr. Point (who had the Rick Steves' Spain book) was telling me all about this fountain and the aqueduct that supplied it. It was really cool stuff. Fast forward six months and I've forgotten everything he told me. Except the part that I thought it was really cool. I looked up the fountain online and could only find pictures. So all I can do is show you this beautiful picture but tell you nothing about it. Sorry. (Bad blogger!)

I must now soothe myself, and you, by posting another picture of the spectacular gardens. It was at this point that I wandered off in the gardens by myself, taking a moment to relax and really let how special this place was sink in. Spanish sky...

But no matter how far I go or wander, I always find my way back.

After my garden wanderings we went down in the basement where it is nice and cool. They had tubs down here for the royalty to relax in in the blazing Spanish summer heat.

This impressive guy is built outside the... are you ready for this? Plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla. Or you can just call it the oldest bullfighting ring in the world.

I thought it was interesting that there were chains going around the outside of this building. Normally chains are used to keep something in, keep something out, or to keep something from moving. Maybe this bullfighting ring has to be chained down to keep it from doing the flamenco.

After looking at the bullfighting ring, we got back in our three little compact cars and raced back to Cadiz/Cadith. This was our day in Seville. One of the most beautiful cities in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Thank you Seville.

Up next, our time in Morocco! (Yep, I've been to Africa.)

Setting The Bar In Barcelona - Spain

The first stop on our last Mediterranean cruise was beautiful Barcelona, Spain. We stepped off the boat to blue skies and crisp Spanish November weather.

Fall really is the best time to visit Mediterranean cities. The crowds are gone. The heat has settled into a nice weather pattern where you really only need a light jacket. Spain and Italy in the summer? Noooo. Spain and Italy in the fall? Yesssss. Through out our day in Barcelona, we had absolutely perfect weather.

Barcelona is located in the upper eastern section of Spain, right on the Mediterranean Sea.  

Close to the pier where we docked in Barcelona is this great statue of Christopher Columbus. Christopher Columbus was not from Barcelona, he was from the city of Genoa. This statue is here though to remember that he reported to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand IN Barcelona. It is said that the statue is pointing towards the New World. It's not. It points towards Africa, which (if you know your history) was already discovered.  

No visit to Barcelona would be complete without seeing the Sagrada Família. Or let me call it by its full name, the Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família. And believe me, this place lives up to its big name.

Check this out! Look at those spires! I was fascinated by how the whole thing looked like it was melting down into this gooey, drippy, bulbous mess! (Yes, that is how Gaudí designed it. It isn't a mistake, believe it or not.)

This monstrosity, or work of amazing art, depending on who you listen to, was started in 1886 and designed by Antoni Gaudí. Read more about Gaudí HERE. It only passed the midway mark in construction, that's right, MIDWAY mark, in 2010. They expect it to be finished in 2026. 

Construction is taking so long on the Sagrada Familía that the newer sections of the building don't match the old sections because so much weathering has taken place. No matter your opinion on the church, it is amazing to see. I haven't seen anything else in Europe that even can come close to how unique and imposing it is.

Next we strolled down La Rambla. La Rambla is a pedestrian walk way in the heart of Barcelona. Flower stands line the tree filled street. It is good for shopping, people watching, maybe picking up a sex worker or two. Seriously, our book warned us about the prostitutes. But fortunately (or unfortunately, however you look at the situation) we didn't see anybody soliciting "favors."

La Rambla is good for posing for a picture.

Or for buying a FC Barcelona scarf. Everywhere we went in Barcelona, my sons kept asking, "Do you think we will run into Messi?" or "Do you think Messi shops here?" Much to my young sons disappointment, we did not run into Messi, the captain of FC Barcelona. 

Off of the length of La Rambla there are all these little side streets that were decorated for Christmas. 

This picture shows one of my very favorite things about Europe. The mixture of old and new. I look at these towers, left over construction from hundreds of years ago, joined with the newer pink cement construction on the left. Where I grew up, old was always torn down to make way for new. Old of course being a shopping center that was built in the 1980's, not a stone settlement from 500 years ago. 

Here is the beautiful Barcelona Cathedral. Built in the 1200's, it holds the remains of a young saint, Eulalia of Barcelona. She had a pretty horrible time. If you dare, read about her HERE.

Here is a tip for getting good family photos. Always travel with a friend who can take your camera and snap good impromptu photos for you. (Thank you Mrs. Point!)

Here is my sweet nephew, Mr. Sun, who was with us for the day. His parents, Mr. Sun's Dad and Mr. Sun's Mom (aka my brother and his pregnant wife) were at a Barcelona hospital. They had had a baby scare on the boat and were getting all checked out to make sure everything was okay. It was! I now have another new nephew as of May 2014!

Along La Rambla there are all these great open air markets where you can pick up fresh produce, breads, and meats. 

The sun was setting in the beautiful Barcelona sky. It was a sign that we better book it back to the ship before we were left behind in Spain. I wouldn't mind that much being left behind here, though. Barcelona is beautiful. It is a city with such a great energy.

And even though we were in a hurry, we still had time to pose on a lion at the port because there is always time for a good lion pose. Rarrrrrr!