Bon Voyage & Bon Appétit

  Yesterday we said hello Córdoba and hello to 39 degrees weather! We’ve officially started our road trip with my parents across Andalusia, so I foresee many hot days full of great food and great architecture. Last night we visited the Alcázar de los Reyes Christianos. An alcázar simply refers to an Islamic castle in Spain, built during Muslim rule, somewhere between the 8th and 15th century. The Cordoba Alcázar was built in 1327! Courtyard at the Alcázar Garden Unfortunately, a large portion of the gardens and towers were closed due to the heat and due to renovations, but the air conditioned rooms and shade was a welcome relief to the heat! On our walk back to the apartment, we walked across the Roman Bridge of Córdoba. This ancient bridge was built in the 1st century A.D, and is still used for pedestrian traffic today.  View of the Roman Bridge The annual Córdoba Fair is also on during our time here. Women and men in fancy dress can be seen all through the streets. Their tra...

 The last few days have been spent lazing around on the beach, swimming in the ocean, and enjoying the sunshine. But yesterday, we got back into travel mode to visit to beautiful city of Granada. Granada is rich with Islamic architecture and history as the Moors lived in this city up until 1492, when the catholic kings took over.  After a 2.5 hour drive, we started off our morning in Granada with a snack to fuel us for the rest of the day: chocolate con churros. These classic Spanish churros are not what you classically think of as churros, with sugar and cinnamon, but rather are plain fried dough. Served with them is a thick cup of drinking chocolate for dipping the churros… absolutely delicious and very filling!  Chocolate con churros from the Churreria Cafeteria Alhambra Next, we went to visit the Granada Cathedral, which was built in 1563 and was the first renaissance style building to be built in all of Spain.  Outside of the Granada Cathedral It is also known a...

  Today was a lovely warm day in the south of Spain. It was also quite windy, making the temperature perfect for walking around.  We spent most of our day exploring the small hilltop town of Mojácar. This white-washed picturesque town is a maze of streets, stairs, and shops… plenty to explore! This moorish town has had settlements since about 2000 BC. Mojácar from below Lots of boutiques Exploring the little streets A fun recent legend about the town is that it’s rumoured that Walt Disney was actually born here! This legend originated in the 1940s when some American businessmen came to Mojácar looking for the birth certificate of José Zamora, a man who was thought to actually be Walt Disney. Whether or not it’s true, it sure is interesting to think about! Sprinkled all over the town is the symbol of el Indolo. This  image of a man was originally found in a cave in the surrounding area and dates to 2500 BC. Over time, el Indolo has become associated with good luck, protec...

  The European Union leg of our trip has begun! On Thursday we landed in Almeria, Spain to meet up with my parents. Our flight was short and sweet, but we were surrounded by kids! I have never seen that many children on a plane in my life. I think they were all headed to the Spanish coast for the UK bank holiday long weekend. First views of Spain We’re staying in a small resort town called Playas de Vera, which is right on the ocean. Today was a cooled day, dotted with rain, so we haven’t gone swimming yet… Cloudy view of the beach We took a nice walk today along the ocean to the slightly larger town of Garrucha. Although this town is also mainly beachside resorts, bars, and shops, we found some small medieval fortifications to explore. Happy parents on the walkway by the ocean Exploring! On our way back, we stopped at a scenic beachside restaurant for some tapas and a refreshing drink. Tapas are a cuisine originating from the Spanish province of Andalusìa, and they are essentially...