Barca Barca Barca!

I really wanted to visit Seville during my trip to Spain. The one thing that drew me away was an opportunity to see a friend I haven't talked to since high school who is working in Barcelona. Also some people I know said it's a big deal or something, so what the heck. My favorite part of Barcelona was the Gothic Quarter. We headed straight there for a pleasant stroll after I arrived.

 

 

Took a detour from the Barri Gotic to check out the beach at Barceloneta.

Sweet street art

My dear friend Jessi was working 18-hour shifts or something like that during my stay. So though glad that she could show me around first, I was off on my own for the rest of the day and evening. 8 hours and 15,000 steps later (yes, I had a pedometer with me; long story), I found a few fine examples of Gaudi architecture. Here's one:

Casa Milá (or La Pedrera)

 I spent the evening, after touristy places closed, wandering around the center of town looking for photo opportunities and a place to eat. I happened to hang out in this plaza near a big church around twilight.

The second day of my stay, Jessi and I had some crazy adventures in Parque Güell. We sneaked into the back entrance using outdoor escalators, climbed the peak, frolicked in cacti in full summer bloom, found Jessi's dream home, hung out with a salamander, and rewarded ourselves with a big lunch in an eclectic residential neighborhood.

My last night in Spain, I made Jessi especially jealous by going to Parc Nou to watch a rally for FC Barcelona. I can safely say I'm a bigger fan than her now. Anyway, one more bonus post from Spain and a link to my full album coming up.

And on the Next Hill...

There's a ravine in Granada. I don't know much about it. I peered down from the Albayzin. The wide promenade and the river I saw below seemed nice, but like most other tourists (who were smart enough to book ahead of time), I was headed to the next hill.

On it was perched a palace built in the 1300s by the rulers of the Emirate of Granada called Alhambra. Suffice it to say, that a lot has changed since then.

Detailed inscriptions litter the walls

OMG it's Jeremy Lin!

Court of the Myrtles - the central courtyard

Hall of the Ambassadors

The Citadel - the lost GoldenEye level!

Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, had his own palace built in the middle of the complex, effectively giving the Moors the finger. He was nice enough to not knock down the rest, though.

By the way, I should mention that after hours of walking around the palace grounds, I got a snack and the coffee from the central square. That was the most satisfying coffee I've ever had in my life. I then walked over to the Generalife, which is actually a big garden, not a medical insurance corporation like the name evoked in my mind.