Pictured above are the Madrid Bullring, La Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas del Espiritu Santo, and a Monument commemorating Don Quixote, Sancho Panza y Miguel de Cervantes.
After a walking tour I headed to el Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena. Back in 2007 David and I visited the inside of the cathedral, and on this trip I got to climb up to the cupola of the cathedral to see Madrid from above.
The amazing view from the top of the Cathedral, of Madrid and el Palacio Real.
We spent the late afternoon of our first day in Madrid at el Parque del Retiro, where we went out in the lakes in rowboats to get close to the Alfonso XII Monument, and then walked around the park to el Palacio de Cristal.
On our second day in Madrid we went on a guided tour of El Palacio Real. Before our tour of the Royal Palace, I hung out in Plaza de la Armería with my students Sahirah and Raven.
Two enduring symbols of Madrid: Puerta de Alcalá at la Plaza de la Independencia and the statue of the bear kissing the tree.
The fearless chaperones, first enjoying tapas in Madrid and then the ladies posing in Córdoba.
On our way to Sevilla, we stopped in Córdoba to visit La Mezquita (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
The site of La Mezquita was originally a pagan temple, then a Visigothic Christian church, until finally being converted into a mosque by the Umayyad Moors.
When you walk to the center of the mosque, all of a sudden you behold a cathedral, right before you eyes. Unbelievable beauty, and inconceivable to find a cathedral inserted in the center of this large Moorish building. La Mezquita was definitely one of my most favorite destinations on this trip.
We spent one day in Sevilla. Pictured above are the Cathedral behind bountiful orange trees and the Alcazar.
The Opera "Carmen" is set in Sevilla. David and I saw "Carmen" at the Met Opera House this January. Pictured above is Plaza de España and Bullring where Carmen ultimately meets her fate.
First view of the beach and Mediterranean on our trip south to Costa del Sol.
I woke up early to see the sunrise at Torremolinos, one of my favorite places visited on this trip.
Next trip destination was Granada to visit La Alhambra, a palace and fortress complex constructed during the mid 14th century by the Moors and the greatest example of Islamic architecture in Spain (and a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
Photos of the exterior and interior of La Alhambra.
The beautiful reflecting pool in La Alhambra, and the view of Granada from La Alhambra.
We saw amazing flamenco at Cuevo de la Rocio in Granada, where we were in a cave and mere inches away from the dancers.
From Granada it was off to the City of Arts and Sciences, the very modern and forward looking part of Valencia.
We spent the afternoon at Oceanografic, the largest aquarium in Europe.
On our first day in Barcelona, we walked along Las Ramblas, where there were many tempting treats on display.
We went on a guided tour of Barcelona, and our first stop was Park Güell, designed by Antoni Gaudí. David and I have visited the park before, though I have never seen it so empty - usually there are huge crowds of tourists.
Pictured above: the main terrace, surrounded by a long bench in the form of a sea serpent, with gargoyles on the outside, and the two buildings at the entrance of the park (prototypes of the homes that were never built despite the dreams and desires for a Spanish garden city movement by Count Eusebi Güell).
A monumental work of staggering genius by Antoni Gaudí: La Sagrada Familia (scheduled to be completed in 2026).
I am a huge fan of Antoni Gaudí. Back in 2007, when David and I visited Barcelona, we visited two Gaudí landmarks: Park Güell (pictured) and Casa Batlló. This year I got to visit and take a tour of La Pedrera, another private residence designed by Gaudí.
The best part of the tour of La Pedrera was going up to the roof, to see the amazing Gaudí sculpture and innovation: Gaudí was the original environmentalist, recycling broken glass bottles in his sculpture and architecture.
We spent our last day in Barcelona. Pictured: my senior girls at Park Güell, and myself (their advisor) at Montjuïc. This was a phenomenal trip, and I am looking forward to one day taking David and Alexi to the places I visited with my students in Spain.
