The Joy Of Touring 09of13 Spain and Portugal
today the joy of touring has a two-for-one prepared for us we'll drive through two countries situated in a fantastically beautiful part of the world the mountain range of the first called the pyrenees form a natural border with france its coastline mostly faces the mediterranean sea the second country extends further west into the atlantic ocean it's a small country full of majestic rivers that flow from the mountains and empty into the ocean to the west both countries have long been major economic powers in europe especially as nations who sent out explorers to sail the seas and open up new routes to unknown lands their past is full of prestige and glory come along with us for an all-inclusive tour to portugal and spain on the joy of touring our adventure through spain and portugal starts on the eastern side of the border our first stop will be in the spanish city of seville which is in the southern part of the country about 140 kilometers from the portuguese border founded in the 8th century bc the city has both a prestigious past and a promising future as for the present we can see it for ourselves as one of the largest cities in spain seville is the economic driver of the andalusian region as well as its political and cultural capital this city has a population of just over 700 000 inhabitants who speak an andalusian spanish dialect getting to the city is simple with spain's sophisticated transportation system travel to other parts of europe is effortless but once we're there the best way to see the city is on foot our visit begins in the old town at the seville cathedral like many of the world's great cathedrals this wonder of seville took over a century to build and was finally completed in 1507 it's the final resting place of the famous explorer christopher columbus declared a unesco world heritage site in 1987 the seville cathedral is the third largest cathedral in the world after saint peter's basilica in rome and our lady of appenecida in brazil but long before the first stone of this cathedral was ever laid a great mosque stood here the mosque was destroyed in a terrible earthquake but its minarei survived when the cathedral was built the architects decided to preserve the minaret and to use it as the bell tower for the new cathedral ever since the tower called the geralda has been an architectural icon of the city a few meters away from the cathedral is santa cruz one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city now known as a major artistic center the area is actually the city's former judea or jewish quarter the area's steep narrow streets and shady plazas are a pleasure to walk through strolling through santa cruz is simply magical the neighborhood is friendly and the residents make us feel right at home we learned that the entire district had been slated for destruction to make way for two sprawling avenues that would have been a showcase for the city during the iberoamerican exposition in 1929 which was held here in seville the plan was quickly scuttled and the city decided to restore the neighborhood instead of tearing it down and it's a good thing too today santa cruz is the pride of seville however the 1929 exposition did galvanize the city to build its grandest square the immense plaza de espana the plaza is a huge half circle 200 meters in diameter contained on the curved side by an impressive palace built of brick and ceramic the structure took over 1 000 laborers and artisans 15 years to build the great palace is a unique building composed of two wings its brick and marble walls are divided into 48 sections each one representing a spanish province the provinces are depicted in beautiful painted ceramic tiles called azulejos we could spend days here admiring these works of art celebrate the history of spain over the centuries spain has been involved in many many wars and battles but one of the bravest combatants was in neither the army nor the navy a few streets away we visit the statue of kudo romero the pharaoh of seville born in 1933 the matador is legendary in the city extremely unorthodox in style he would at times refuse to kill a bull that he found to be unworthy he would even go as far as to refuse to fight which was punishable by a prison sentence at that time he always claimed loud and clear that he would never retire that it was the bull who would decide his destiny to this day no bull has ever gotten the best of him it's already late in the afternoon when we head to our hotel tonight we'll sleep at the air hotel a comfortable four-star situated near the plaza de espana when we arrive we are invited to partake in cocktail hour where we're served wine beer or a glass of the exceptional sangria but the aperitif is just the start of the evening the hotel puts on a dinner show that will plunge us into spanish culture in terms of both cuisine and dance as we indulge in an excellent meal flamenco dancers and musicians take the stage stories and theories abound about the origins of this style of dance some say that the flamenco style originated right here in seville and we can't speak for its origins but this show certainly convinces us of the skill of civilian dancers foreign um our adventure begins early today we leave seville in spain to cross the border heading for one of the most beautiful cities in portugal lisbon or lisboa in portuguese is the capital and the largest city in the country it was the tagus river that first attracted the phoenicians to the area around 1200 bc the greeks came soon after followed by the romans the visigoths and the moors today more than 2 million inhabitants live on the banks of the river our visit begins on one of the seven hills surrounding the city at the top sits st george's castle built in the 5th century by the visigoths the fortress offers the best view of the majestic river numerous battles have been fought on its ramparts and several earthquakes have threatened its walls but the fortress still stands a historical encyclopedia of the city the castle has changed hands many times passing from one power to the next before being converted into a residence for the king of portugal don alfonso enriquez was the first king to live there in 1147. in 1511 manuel the first undertook major renovations building luxurious royal apartments as well as a theater after his death it was converted into an army barracks and a prison we continue on our tour of lisbon down in the lower town an area with a few more modern sites the best way to get around lisbon is by tram fast and economical the tram lines are a useful addition to our adventures once we're back at sea level we'll be able to explore the capitol on foot after a visit to the medieval castle we head toward a very different style of castle this one much more modern the park of nations is an immense souvenir of the world fair held in lisbon in 1998. the theme of expo 98 was the oceans a heritage for the future this theme was clearly an inspiration for the architects that designed the park of nations which occupies a five kilometer stretch along the shore of the tagus river featuring gardens theaters shopping centers and residences as well as a large number of bars and restaurants this district is extremely popular a major contribution to the vibrant life of the city the fashionable area is flourishing attracting 18 million visitors per year this prosperity is largely due to the oceanarium the largest aquarium in europe and the third largest in the world the aquarium is the most visited attraction in the country situated on the tagus river the structure is a true architectural marvel the aquarium is two stories high with its unique construction we can see the fish from all possible angles the central tank of the aquarium holds 5000 cubic meters of salt water the equivalent of four olympic-sized swimming pools we can observe over 15 000 marine animals and 250 aquatic plant species the different tanks in the aquarium hold fish and mammals from the antarctic coast the pacific ocean the indian ocean and of course the atlantic after taking in the wonders of the sea we've worked up an appetite and are eager to have a taste of portugal's most famous pastry renowned throughout the world the pastels de belem are small tarts that are eaten warm with cinnamon and sugar also known as nadas they are composed of an egg-based custard baked into a crisp flaky pastry shell the overall result is irresistible the delicacy was first made in the 19th century by catholic nuns living in a monastery in the malam district of lisbon often replicated but never duplicated these particular pastries are the only ones that can be called it's a strictly controlled appellation based on a secret recipe that is known to only three people an estimated 20 000 tarts are made here every day and not one of them remains at closing time although we don't know the recipe we can certainly appreciate the taste this little treat comes to us at a perfect time during the day giving us a little energy boost that we need to complete our tour of portugal's capital our tour of lisbon comes to its conclusion right on the shores of the tagus where it all began this is where the great maritime explorers set sail in the 15th and 16th centuries the belem tower is an imposing watchtower protecting the entrance to lisbon's harbor it was built at the start of the 16th century just after vasco de gama's expedition to india the tower was formally used as a defense post as well as a customs control post the site has seen many ships set sail from the shore in search of new lands and wealth close by the monument to the discoveries pays tribute to the many maritime explorers built in 1940 it represents the prow of a seagoing vessel on which stand many illustrious historical figures we are in a celebratory mood as our day in lisbon draws to an end we're once again invited to a dinner show that showcases the local cultural traditions our all-inclusive tour is a front row ticket giving us impressive cultural demonstrations in the places we visit it's still early in the morning but we hop on the bus after a quick breakfast and continue our tour today our final destination is on the other side of the border we plan to spend the night in salamanca around 500 kilometers away from lisbon but before crossing over into spain we'll stop at one of the most visited sanctuaries in the world our lady of fatima fatima is the name of an arabic princess who was captured by the christians during the moorish occupation of portugal converted to catholicism and baptized the princess married the count of urem for whom the nearby town is named our lady of fatima was built in 1917 to commemorate an apparition of the virgin mary three young shepherds witnessed the apparition of our lady of the rosary during which the virgin asked them to return to the spot six times on the 13th day of consecutive months news of the apparition spread like wildfire inciting great curiosity among the faithful an estimated 60 000 people came to witness the sixth and last apparition at which time the virgin asked one of the young shepherdesses to build a chapel in her honor this is how the sanctuary of our lady of fatima came to be built the sanctuary was originally a small simple chapel but when the apparitions were officially recognized by their religious authorities the decision was made to enlarge the site today the immense plaza in front of the church can contain almost 300 000 pilgrims built in the classical style the imposing basilica features a central tower reaching 65 meters up toward the heavens the sanctuary is also the final resting place of the three shepherd children who witnessed the miracle during the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the apparitions four million visitors made their pilgrimage to the church over a period of six months the chapel of the apparitions has become a prominent venue for meditation and prayer the church is the fourth most visited site for catholic pilgrims after our lady of guadalupe in mexico the vatican in rome and the cathedral in lourdes after our visit to the basilica we get back on the road ready to cross the border into spain we want to get to salamanca early so we have time to look around after four hours on the road we arrive at our destination known for its university salamanca is situated to the northwest of madrid the first establishment of higher learning in spain the university of salamanca was officially founded in 1218. today almost 30 000 students from all over the world attend the school the professors are extremely reputable meaning that both the teaching and the general environment are of exceptional quality the university is located in the historical part of the city which was designated a unesco heritage site in 1988 in salamanca every street corner is magnificent every house a work of art one of the central gathering places in the city is the sumptuous plaza mayor commissioned by king felipe v it was constructed over a period of 26 years medallions depicting such famous figures as christopher columbus miguel de cervantes and el cid are visible above the stately porticos all of these individuals have contributed to the history of the city in one way or another plaza mayor is surely the culmination of the city's intellectual and cultural energy great writers have described the square great explorers have told of their adventures at this spot and now it's time for new explorers to continue the legacy of discovery cameras in hand close to plaza mayor is la casa de las conchas or the house of shells this is one of the best known buildings in salamanca built when the first explorers were setting sail for the americas it took 20 years to complete the house with the 300 molded shells that adorned the facade while it was once a noble palace it has been converted into a library a tourist office and a venue for artistic exhibitions a day in salamanca wouldn't be complete without a visit to the cathedral the cathedral is in fact two cathedrals built side by side the first was started in the 12th century and completed in the 14th century then in 1513 the decision was made to build a new cathedral and to tear down the old one the old cathedral would be preserved as a place to hold mass during the construction period however when the new cathedral was completed the old one wasn't destroyed and the two now form a beautiful and inseparable hole after our visit we leave the city using the old roman bridge that crosses the tormez river historians estimate that the bridge was built in the 1st century a.d 176 meters long the bridge is composed of 26 arches 15 of which are originals from the first century at the time it was part of the silver route the main roman road connecting southern spain with the north it runs from seville to santiago de compostela over a distance of 900 kilometers once again our itinerary for the day will take us to some exciting places leaving salamanca we have two goals ahead of us we'll drive to the fortified city of avila before heading on to end our day in splendid madrid avila is the beautiful capital city of the spanish province of the same name the city has a very special charm perched at 1100 meters above sea level avila is completely surrounded by a perfectly preserved medieval wall around these parts the city is called avila of the nights a villa of the king and even avila of the loyalists these titles are of course a reference to the city's history and to its fortifications built in the 11th century the walls feature nine doors that allow access into the city as well as no less than 82 towers even the city's cathedral was built into the city walls avila known as the city of stones and saints is the final resting place of the grand inquisitor torquemada this city was declared a national historical and artistic monument in 1884.
a short distance away from the walls on a hill overlooking the city we visit los cuatro postes according to legend this is where an uncle caught up to his seven-year-old niece who was running off to battle against the moors thereby saving her from certain death after our visit to the beautiful avila we're back on the road and driving the remaining 100 kilometers to one of the main cities of our itinerary madrid the spanish capital attracts almost 7 million visitors every year their residents are extremely proud of their city and with good reason the cosmopolitan spanish capital offers a wide range of cultural activities and has a highly developed public transport system it's the largest city in spain with over three and a half million residents it has been the national capital for 450 years at 667 meters above sea level it's the highest capital in europe and its climate is continental mediterranean with an average temperature of 14 degrees celsius for a better understanding of the city we start our visit at the central point of the country this is the puerta del sol one of the most important landmarks of madrid right in the middle of the city it's also the geographical center of spain on the ground we can stand on the spot that marks kilometer zero in spain's radial network of roads we start our tour of the city with a step on that very point we only have to look around to see that the pedestrian zone surrounding the puerta del sol is a great gathering place a magnet for locals and tourists alike the mazdalenos come here to socialize and the tourists come here to meet the mazdalenos it's like an intricate dance and the two groups are teaching each other the steps everyone comes together here every new year's eve this is the clock that announces the beginning of the festivities on the stroke of midnight those who wish for extra luck in the coming year eat a grape for each of the 12 strikes of the bell further along we can see the symbol of the city right in the middle of this snack the bear is a symbol of strength and power and was once a common sight in the forest surrounding the city the church had once given an order to hunt the bears of the region but the people of madrid refused and their wishes were upheld to mark this victory over the church a strawberry tree was added next to the bear and since the 13th century it's been the symbol of the city we also see an equestrian statue of king carlos iii who ruled the country for 29 years he was considered to be an enlightened ruler and left the people with memories of a philosopher and a philanthropist king we leave the puerta del sol to continue our tour of the city walking through the city streets a small plaza attracts our attention it's the plaza de la vila location of madrid's old city hall at the center of the square stands a statue of don alvero de bazan the most brilliant admiral of the invincible spanish armada today both the main square and madrid city hall have moved elsewhere the city's main square is now the sumptuous plaza mayor at 120 meters by 90 meters its size alone is awe-inspiring it's one of the most popular squares in spain and puts the energy and spirit of madrid on display its buildings stand as proof of the city's splendor bearing witness to madrid's glory days that have lasted from the 16th century right up to the present this is where the inquisition carried out its brutal judgments by fire it has also been a venue for both fights and other public demonstrations the arcades lining the square are filled with shops and cafes to replace the old city hall at the plaza de la villa the madrillenos decided to renovate the sibeles palace located on plaza de cibeles built in 1904 the structure took 14 years to complete and is built in the neo-gothic style this magnificent building is our last stop of the day we're not doing any more traveling today our hotel is located right in the capital tomorrow we'll continue our exploration of this magnificent city on our second day in madrid we're heading for a meeting with nobility in the early morning light we head for the cathedral and the royal palace both buildings are situated on the plaza de la almeria unlike the other cathedrals we have visited on our tour this one doesn't have a long history behind it in truth the building was begun only 130 years ago and was completed less than 20 years ago so it's a spring chicken in the grander scheme of things however its relative youth makes it no less impressive it was pope john paul ii that consecrated the cathedral at a celebration in june of 1993 at 102 meters it's as wide as a football field and was built using various architectural styles including the neoclassical style that borrows elements from greek and roman architecture the building is awe-inspiring the cathedral sits on the plaza de la ameria across from the royal palace which was the official residence of king carlos iii who ruled spain in the 18th century measuring 135 000 square meters and comprising 3 400 rooms it's the largest royal palace in europe in fact the royal palace is somewhat under-occupied as it's only used for official functions even the present king and his family no longer live there adjoining the royal palace is the majestic plaza de oriente it was inaugurated in 1844 and is dominated by an equestrian statue of felipe iv he was considered to be a subpar statesman and the spanish monarchy underwent a marked decline under his rule because of the successive wars that he waged however he is still considered to be one of spain's greatest supporters of the arts and was the greatest patron of his day it was he who assembled the collection of stradivarius violins that is found inside the palace as well as a vast collection of paintings by the masters the surrounding gardens are dotted with 20 statues of visigoth kings these statues were once installed on the palace's roof ledge but due to their weight they had to be moved down to the garden after this royal visit we decide to go for a wander through the streets but our encounter with royalty isn't over yet we're heading for a place that is widely considered to be the king of madrid restaurants the museo de jamon whose name means the ham museum is an extremely popular chain of restaurants the establishment has been making a name for itself in madrid for over 30 years and now has a dozen locations in the city the display cases overflowing with cured meats are not just mouth-watering they could be called works of art it doesn't take much more than that to convince us that we're in a royal palace of charcuterie and tapas we sit down to lunch here which we wash down with a nice glass of spanish wine coming out of the restaurant we witness a display of mexican culture right in the middle of spain but these mariachis make it clear that music knows no borders today we'll leave madrid and head out in search of new adventures our destination is the city of granada located just over 400 kilometers south of madrid on the road we'll follow in the footsteps of one of the most famous characters in spanish literature don quixote before leaving madrid we'll stop in the plaza de espana to meet the hero himself in the middle of the plaza it's miguel de salvantes writer of the ingenious gentleman don quixote of la mancha a former soldier cervantes published on quixote at the beginning of the 17th century the book has been labeled the first classical novel ever written and its main characters don quixote and his trusty companion son chopanza have become literary icons in their quest to fight evil and protect the oppressed in the book don quixote is a gentleman in his 50s who's losing his grip on reality as a result of reading too many books about chivalry and knighthood the medieval parody is the second most published book in the world after the bible the story in the novel unfolds in la mancha the homeland of the fictional night that region is the next stop in our adventure we leave madrid and head south toward granada looking out our windows at don quixote's scenic la mancha la mancha is a region that encompasses five spanish provinces we have to cross the region on our way to granada in the south here we are on the don quixote route which runs through 148 cities and towns over a distance of 2 500 kilometers our first stop is in consegura a small city with a population of around ten thousand but this town is famous throughout the world thanks to its 12 windmills in the novel by cervantes don quixote mistakes the windmills of consegura for ferocious giants sent there by an evil magician sancho panza his faithful companion knows quite well that the giants are windmills but nothing can keep don quixote facing them down since the novel was published the village has been swarmed by fans of the book wishing to visit the ferocious giants of don quixote in fact the windmills are quite real and have long been used to mill grain and press olives at each one of our stops along the route the silhouette of the literary hero is there to greet us while he may have been a dreamer and just a little crazy don quixote always sought to do the right thing the trail that we follow is a fabulous way to learn more about the illustrious and eccentric character even as we head further south toward our destination and then we reach granada completing the final leg of our journey tomorrow we'll visit one of the most famous sites in the region the alhambra it's already the last day of our adventure on the roads of the iberian peninsula today we'll visit one of the largest islamic fortresses in the world the alhambra the complex sits on a plateau overlooking the city of grenada from the fortress the city looks to be one of the most beautiful jewels in spain this unique fortified palace complex was built by several successive rulers each of whom undertook to improve and renovate the residences in the 13th century sultan muhammad bin nazar built the first palace on the site a few years later his son fortified the residence each succeeding sultan made various improvements that together have resulted in this magnificent palace each building in this massive complex is an impressive achievement while elsewhere in the islamic world many sultans palaces have been left in crumbling ruins here in andalusia the alhambra has escaped pillaging and has been preserved as is with no modern renovations in the 15th century when the christian kings conquered granada they didn't have the resources to replace the existing palaces the alhambra was therefore used as their royal residence when the court came to granada at the height of its splendor the complex was surrounded by over 30 guard towers many of which have been torn down when it passed through the area napoleon's army destroyed the largest towers to prevent the fortress from being used as a defense post despite the destruction of the fortifications the palaces are still awe-inspiring today as we visit the site we are immersed in over 600 years of history from the period of islamic rule through to today it's a wonderful way to end our tour through spain and portugal to share our memories and impressions of our trip we have planned one last meal together this time we will indulge in one of the most famous dishes of spanish cuisine paella it's an excellent meal to share with friends but while the food is hearty and extremely tasty the pleasure that we take in its abundant flavors cannot match the pleasure that we have experienced on our adventure through spain and portugal the iberian tour is a special treat for history buffs if you like relaxing in the comfort of a bus with ample time to get to know the other passengers this trip is custom-made for you giving you the chance to see madrid lisbon seville and grenada all in the same tour but don't tuck your suitcase away just yet you may just be tempted to join us on our next joy of touring you
2021-06-21 17:32
