Lowes Travels

Dec 5-10, 2023

Barcelona

The basilica of La Sagrada Familia is a famous work by Gaudí which has a unique style and is an important part of the city’s identity. Most people love it because it’s unique, but we thought it looked a bit “gaudy” on the outside. Construction began 142 years ago and is set to be completed in 2026 – we’ll see if that happens 😉

The interior may be gorgeous, but we had no time to wait in line for tickets to enter. I had to settle for a picture of the world’s tallest cathedral from a block away:

An interesting fact we learned is that the famous and respected architect was hit by a tram and later died. He wasn’t recognized for a couple of days because he had dressed poorly and people thought he was a beggar. Very sad.

After that Gaudi masterpiece we visited another unique public park that he designed called Park Guell. It is considered a perfect example of his integration of nature and architecture. The colorful mosaics, known as “trencadís” in Catalan, are elaborate and ostentatious:

Montserrat is a multi-peaked mountain range in Catalonia, Spain. Situated at the top of the highest one is the monastery Santa Maria de Montserrat. Inside is a statue of the Virgin of Montserrat, which is one of the few black madonnas in Europe. It is Catalonia’s most important religious retreat and offers fantastic views. There are also several hiking trails in the area that we wished time had allowed us to follow for more views of the range:

Lastly, our excursion took us to the top of a hill at the National Art Museum of Catalonia to enjoy stunning views of Barcelona below:

Valencia

The tour we wanted to take at the City of Arts and Sciences was full, so we only saw it from the outside during a sightseeing stop. It looked like a futuristic complex, with 6 imposing buildings towering over the area and dubbed the modern-day Valencia:

A highlight of our Valencia visit was the Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady Saint Mary of Valencia. It is known for holding one of the most important pieces of art from the first Spanish renaissance, and the keeper of the Holy Grail. We were told Valencia is a paradise for history buffs which is steeped in 2,000 years of history and culture:

The Central Market in Valencia is the largest in Europe, with a profusion of vendors selling fresh produce, meats and all things Mediterranean. It’s huge and filled with amazing colors and aromas. It was also packed shoulder-to-shoulder with locals and tourists – we walked through for a few minutes and then headed for the exit:

We continued our walk through the city:

Cartagena

There is plenty of well-preserved Roman history in Spain, particularly in the town of  Cartagena. Our excursion took us to the Roman Theater, which is believed to have been built between 5 and 1 BC:

Several layers of construction piled on top of each other throughout the centuries had buried the theater until its recent discovery in 1988. Archaeological excavation and restoration was completed in 2003:

Malaga

At the top of a hill we had panoramic views of the city with its many high rise buildings and beaches along the stretch of the Andalusian coastline. At the heart of the city is the La Malagueta Bullring, which to this day continues to host bullfights:

As we left Malaga that evening, we were informed that we’d be crossing the Strait of Gibraltar by midnight. The Strait of Gibraltar connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain on the European continent from Morocco on the African continent.

Cadiz

Our final port stop in Spain was the city of Cadiz, not only the oldest city in Spain, but in all of western Europe. Over 120 watchtowers dominate its skyline, the legacy of a former life as a busy trading port. Our tour took us through the heart of the city with its whitewashed Casco Antiguo (old town) and then a maze of narrow streets past plazas, baroque churches and elegant homes of 18th-century merchants:

We then headed straight for the most famous of the city’s monuments, the grandiose Cadiz Cathedral. It’s a combination of 18th century baroque and neoclassical styles, and once inside we viewed a gold-domed cathedral with highlights including vaults of the high altar and choir stalls:

When our tour guide offered us a climb to the top of the bell tower for dramatic views of the city we immediately accepted, but not before we visited the crypts beneath the cathedral:

We climbed up to the bell tower:

Given the time and our schedule, we had a great visit in Spain. It was cool, but sunny in all the cities we visited.

What’s significant for me is that growing up and learning from my country’s history is that the Philippines was discovered and claimed in the name of Spain in March 1521 by Magellan, a Portuguese explorer sailing for Spain. He named our islands, Philippines, after King Philip II of Spain. The Philippines was subsequently under Spain for over 300 years before we were liberated. The enduring legacy that Spain left was the introduction of the Catholic faith. This is proven by the presence of old Spanish churches throughout the country, including the church in my hometown in Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines.

Adios, España !

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Next up: Portugal