All that is Worth Remembering
When we left the caves, the truth settled in. It was the last night of the trip. We walked the lively streets of Granada for a very long time until we found a restaurant with beautiful outdoor seating and ordered seafood and local white wine. We had talked for days about history and politics and …
Continue reading “Spain 10 – The Baths of Encina and Adios, Andalucía”
As I was reading about Alhambra last night, I remembered leaving the complex through the main gate, and when I read that it was built in 1368, a chill went down my spine. You look back at history and read about all the events and the people. You read about the bubonic plague and the …
During this trip, I constantly looked around and loudly praised my surroundings – it was either the beauty of Istanbul, the age of the structures in Toledo or the majesty of Cordoba – and all this time, my friend David reminded me that what I will see in Granada will surpass them all. The first …
Continue reading “Spain 8 – The City of Federico Garcia Lorca”
Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos is a 14th-century building right by the Guadalquivir river – Perfect place for a palace. The palace is small but with phenomenal, well-maintained gardens that have been in place for over 1,000 years even preceding the actual palace. The horses of the royal stable were out showing their beauty in …
One cannot talk about Andalusia without noting Andalusian cuisine. Let me rephrase that: One shall never talk about Andalusia without noting Andalusian cuisine, and why should one, if you are in Cordoba and you have already visited La Mezquita? Of the multiple places we reviewed, we settled on GastroTaberna La Albahaca, and what a choice! …
Islam originated in the Arabian peninsula in the 7th century. After the internal disputes settled and the entire peninsula was under a central government, the new Muslims started expanding their territory by attacking the lands that form the current day Syria, Iran, Iraq, and Egypt. If there was a news network back in the 7th …
Toledo Cathedral was a majestic place matching the beauty you see in the rest of the city. Unfortunately, it was also the only place in Spain where I was told that a professional camera cannot be used. I do not know if you have ever traveled as a photographer. When you see a frame that …
Toledo has two major historical synagogues. Synagogue El Transito was the one we were able to visit as Synagogue la Santa Maria Blanca was closed to visitors due to COVID. Synagogue El Transito was built in 1357 and was an active synagogue for 135 years before the Explosion of Jews from Spain. It was then …
My father owned an abridged version of “Ivanhoe” by Sir Walter Scott. As a kid, the picture of the knight on the cover attracted me but my English was not at the level to be able to read it. Finally, at 11, I read a few pages with difficulty and as a result, I bought …
There were two international graduate students who became close friends and made a pact to go around Spain together one day. That was 2005 and the trip happened 17 years later. Madrid was just a short stop and our destinations were Toledo, Cordoba, and Granada. However, we had enough time to stop by Calle del …
Continue reading “Spain – Pata de Jamon in the City of Kings”