Beautiful Barcelona

Posted in Travel & Adventure by listen2mama

While many first timers to Spain usually visit Madrid, its Catalonian counterpart, Barcelona, is just as magnificent. It is incredibly cosmopolitan, packed with interesting sights. There are churches around every corner, beautiful architecture on every street and Gaudí buildings hiding everywhere. It reminds me of a pristine, less compact, New York City.

Here are my Top 10 Must See Sights:

Plaça de Catalunya, generally considered to be both the city center and the place where the old city and the 19th century-builtEixample meet. Some of the city’s most important streets and avenues meet atPlaçaCatalunya;Passeig deGràcia,Rambla deCatalunya, LaRambla and Portal del’Àngel. The large plaza is especially known for its fountains and statues, its proximity to some of Barcelona’s most popular attractions, and for the flocks of pigeons that gather in the center.
Plaça de Catalunya
La Rambla is a street in central Barcelona, popular with tourists and locals alike. Walking on theRambla is perhaps the epitome of the Barcelona experience (but beware of pickpockets!). A tree-lined pedestrian mall, it stretches for 1.2 kilometers, connectingPlaça deCatalunya in the center with the Christopher Columbus Monument at PortVell. LaRambla can be crowded, especially during the height of the tourist season. The Spanish poet FedericoGarcía Lorca once said that LaRambla was “the only street in the world which I wish would never end”.
Gorgeous buildings housing McDonald’s & KFC on La Rambla

Vendor on La Rambla
Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, (often simply referred to as LaBouqueria), on LasRamblas, a typical market unlike anything you’ve probably seen before. There are hundreds of stalls here, selling fish, meat, cheese, fruits, vegetables, candies, snails, and more, something for everyone!
La Boqueria Entrance

Some of the many stalls at La Boqueria
La Sagrada Familia, one of the most famous landmarks in Barcelona, the towering, still-unfinished cathedral that stands as one of the most ambitious architectural projects ever attempted, is considered one ofGaudí’s most famous works. Born in themid-1800s,Gaudí’s work culminated in the development of this basilica but it was less than a quarter completed when he died in 1926, and it is still unfinished. The work is just now over half done, with funding coming from private sources, and is expected to be finished by 2026, the centennial ofGaudi’s death at 73. I have visited many churches, cathedrals and basilicas in Europe, but I have never seen anything quite like this, simply breathtaking!
La Sagrada Familia

Stained Glass interior of La Sagrada Familia

Interior of La Sagrada Familia
Parc Güell, another of Gaudí’s beautiful works, and my personal favorite. The park contains amazing stone structures, stunning tiling and fascinating buildings. At the top ofParcGüell is a terraced area where you get a wonderful view of the park and of Barcelona. Finding a seat in the multi-colored tiled mosaic benches can sometimes be tricky, as everyone is sitting down taking in the views, and non-stop picture-taking going on. The vibrant colors of the tiles are truly amazing.
Famous tiled benches in Parc Güell

Entrance to Parc Güell
Casa Batlló, my favoriteGaudí house. This building wasn’t designed byGaudí, but in the restoration he was commissioned to perform,Gaudí made it his own. The locals call it Casa delOssos, or House of Bones. Without any straight lines, CasaBattló is unique and beautiful at the same time. It’s considered by many to be one ofGaudí’s most important works. Make sure you visit the inside as well, it’s truly amazing!
Casa Batlló

Interior wall of Casa Batlló

Rooftop terrace of Casa Batlló
La Pedrera (aka Casa Milà) This is one ofGaudí’s main residential buildings and one of the most imaginative houses in the history of architecture. Known also as CasaMilà, LaPedrera translates to “The Quarry”, a name it was given due to the extensive use of stone in its construction. What sets this building apart from other Gaudí works is the curtained facade. This building is more a sculpture than a building.
La Pedreda

Views of city from the rooftop of La Pedreda
Passeig de Gràcia, is my favorite main avenue in this city, located in theEixample district. If you’re looking for authentic souvenir shops, you won’t find any here. This picturesque, wide “promenade” houses some of the top designer boutiques, LouisVuitton, Zara, Loewe, Chanel, Mont Blanc, Yves Saint Laurent,Escada andHermès. The avenue is stunning and its beauty is enhanced by its trees and Art Nouveau street lamps, alongside decorated mosaic benches and pedestrian strips laid with hexagonal paving stones. During the 19th Century, this elegant boulevard was a showcase for Barcelona’s bourgeoisie and it also links thePlaçaCatalunya with the district ofGràcia. The presence of the city’s finest modernist buildings makesPasseig deGràcia an authentic open-air museum. It is also home to Gaudí’s LaPedrera and CasaBattló.
Passeig de Gràcia
The 5th Avenue of Barcelona

Passeig de Gràcia at night
Tibidabo The journey to Tibidabo amusement park starts with a short train ride from the center of Barcelona from there you will take the Tramvia Blau which takes you half way up the mountain. If you wish to go all the way to the top of Tibidabo, where the amusement park is situated, (and I highly recommend this if you’re traveling with kids), you will also need to catch a funicular train from the half way point. Once at the top of the mountain you will have the most magnificent views of Barcelona, a small amusement park for the kids, and the opportunity to visit a beautiful church, Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor. Both kids and adults will enjoy the charming little theme park,built in 1889 and a lot of the rides date back to this time, giving the park a whimsical feel.
Tramvia Blau

One of the rides at the amusement park

Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor

Incredible views of Barcelona form Mount Tibidabo
Tapa Bar Hopping While this is not technically a favorite “sight”, it was definitely a favorite experience for all of us. Pretty much you can find great food anywhere in Barcelona, however, our favorites were the tapas! There are thousands of tapas bars all throughout the city, and it’s probably a good idea to try as many different ones as you come across. Many locals like to go “tapa bar hopping”, where they can enjoy one or two tapas with a drink, and then move on to another tapas bar. This can go on for a few hours, depending how large your group is. One of our very favorite restaurants was Cervecería Catalana (Calle Mallorca, 236) which does not take reservations, and always has a line halfway around the block. You have to plan your visit there at an off time, but it’s worth it, the food is delicious!
Yummy tapas!

More yummy tapas

Typical Tapas Bar

In a nutshell, another one of my favorite large cities in Europe, I’m already looking forward to my next visit! Have you been to Barcelona? If you haven’t, make sure it’s on your travel bucket list, as I’m sure you will be delighted by this fascinating place!

12Jun2014

Paradise in Positano

Posted in Travel & Adventure by listen2mama

“Positano bites deep. It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you are gone.” – John Steinbeck

Positano, often referred to as the “Jewel of the Amalfi Coast” is in one word, idyllic. The landscape will completely overwhelm you. I first visited this magical, seaside town with my husband many years ago, because a friend recommended it to us. It was love at first sight…needless to say, we’ve visited quite a few times.

Beautiful Positano

After flying into Rome and picking up our rental car, we started driving south. Many folks prefer to take another flight to Naples and then a train into Sorrento. But my husband loves to drive in Europe, and we like having our own car which gives us flexibility to visit other nearby places, at our own leisure without schedules. The first time we drove there, I was a bit worried about hubby driving on these foreign highways where speed limits are mere suggestions. Well, the highway ended up being the least of my worries. Once you pass Naples and start approaching the Costiera Amalfitana, the roads become progressively narrow and begin to hug the coastline. I was happy that our rental car was super compact, as these are tiny mountain switchback roads with steep rocky cliffs, and the smaller your car is, the easier the drive (trust me). The roads twisted and turned and as we approached Positano, the switchbacks combined with the height of the coastal cliffs, the stress of the speeding Vespas cutting us off, and the questionably teetering tour buses, all on these narrow, two-way streets, made my heart stop a few times. If you don’t like stressful driving, do yourself a favor and DO NOT drive on the Amalfi Coast, especially at night. However, I must recommend that you experience this drive at least once, the scenery is priceless, something that needs to be seen in person because no photo can do it justice. Though it was truly stunning to take in, after a while I was glad to leave our car parked and check into our hotel.

Hotel Poseidon

The famous luxury hotel in town Le Sirenuse, is the place to stay (it is amazing and our dinner at Ristorante La Sponda, was delicious with again, amazing town views). We stayed at the Hotel Poseidon, also recommended by our friend, and let me say, I don’t think it has much to envy, given rooms are one-fourth the price. It was beautiful, our room had a large outdoor patio with a balcony facing the famous Positano views, and there were plenty of amenities as well. Once you’re at your hotel, you might as well forget you have a car, unless you want to drive to nearby Ravello, Praiano or Amalfi, because everything you will do in Positano is by foot, it is an incredibly vertical town (get ready to have a daily workout).

Everyday we strolled the little streets and took in the shops, the food and the once again stunning sceneries. The first thing I wanted to see up close and personal was the very famous Positano landmark, the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta, with its green and yellow mosaic tiled dome. It’s even more stunning in person.

Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta

Positano has many good restaurants and cafes. We love to frequent Buca di Bacco, at the foot of the hill, right on the beach. My husband loves the fresh local seafood in this restaurant (well, in all of Positano) and I of course love the pastas…gnocchi, tagliatelle, fusilli, orecchiette, you name it, all deliciously prepared with yummy sauces. We also love their fritto misto di pesce, a delicious dish composed of several types of fish, shrimp and calamari, even my picky daughter likes it!

Fritto misto di pesce

Another great restaurant that we enjoy very much, not only for their amazing dishes, but also for the setting and views of the church dome, is Ristorante Al Palazzo located in the Hotel Palazzo Murat (another great hotel choice). We’ve enjoyed many dishes at this restaurant, but this is one place where we try to make room for dessert, they are just as amazing as their meals!

Dinner at Ristorante Al Palazzo

Shopping is another must in this cute little town, with the numerous quaint boutiques selling very stylish beachwear, custom-made leather sandals and plenty of beautiful ceramic and pottery stores. I highly recommend a quick visit to Umberto Carro (Via Pasitea, 30), they have amazingly beautifully crafted ceramics. Art lovers in Positano can find creations by young local artists who exhibit their works in the Galleria Idee d’Arte (Via Pasitea 76), which has a wealth of original collector’s items. We did some shopping here as well. Delikatessen (Via dei Mulini 5, 13, 15) is a gourmet haven to delight your palate. It sells local products, from wines to little marzipan fruits, biscuits and babas, but also lemon-scented handmade candles, artificial flowers, handmade dolls, limoncello bottles and table linens…something for everyone!

Galleria Idee d’Arte

Umberto Carro…beautiful ceramics shop

Positano will always be one of our favorite vacation destinations. Here are a few more photos from our various trips to this magical town…enjoy!

Following a bus on the drive out of town…can you tell how narrow the roads are?

Ristorante La Sponda
Photo courtesy of Le Siranuse

Umberto Carro ceramics

More ceramics and pottery

Having dinner at Buca di Bacco and enjoying the view…

Typical clothing shop in town

The drive on the coast, photo taken from our car!

View from our room in Hotel Poseidon…priceless!

Enjoying wine at sunset on the balcony…

One of the many sandal shops in town

Inside view of the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta

Fruit stand on the road

We love this delicatessen selling great souvenirs and food items

Ceramics with a view…

If you’ve visited Positano or have plans to, I’d love to hear what you enjoyed most. I guarantee you will fall in love with it just like we did!

19May2014

Marvelous Marbella

Posted in Travel & Adventure by listen2mama

Costa del Sol…just the name makes you want to hop on a plane and go there! I’ve had the opportunity to visit Spain several times, even lived in Madrid for a short while when I was very young. However, I had never truly ventured into the Costa del Sol. My husband and I have visited Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada and Nerja, but we had never stayed at any of the beach towns in Andalucía before. This past summer we finally decided to visit Marbella, and we were not disappointed!

Old Town

Marbella is typically associated with millionaire beach mansions, crowded beaches and celebrity sightings. My Marbella experience was quite different…a maze of typically Andalusian streets with palatial facades, intricate wrought-iron balconies and a series of shrines and chapels, especially the old town (Casco Antiguo). Marbella’s old white washed streets and cobbled squares are among the most beautiful on Spain’s Costa del Sol. You can spend hours just wandering through the little pedestrian streets, full of boutique shops, cafes, and gorgeous buildings with balconies full of beautiful, colorful potted plants. It’s definitely an area suited for long strolls, and as always, do not forget your camera!

We stayed at the Marriott Marbella Beach Resort, and I highly recommend this hotel, especially if you’re traveling with kids. The rooms are spacious, clean and comfortable, we actually had a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment, with a large balcony. The outdoor area is beautiful, with several restaurants, and a very large pool with slides. Our daughter made several friends during our stay, and we all enjoyed all of the amenities throughout the property. The resort is about a 15 minute drive into the old town, but we had a rental car and there are various parking garages in town. The resort also provides a shuttle into the old town various times a day.

Marriott Marbella Beach Resort

Buttered pasta for Carolina, pan-fried codfish with potatoes, calamata olives, cherry tomatoes, and white wine for hubby and risotto with stracchino for me!

At the heart of the old town is Plaza de los Naranjos, very picturesque, and full of shops and restaurants. We got caught up in the liveliness of the plaza and decided to have dinner there one night. Big mistake…as with most main squares in these towns, the food was not great, and the service even worse. Marbella does have a great selection of diverse amazing restaurants, but make sure you do your research, and stay away from all the tourist traps. The cosmopolitan nature of Marbella means you will encounter people from all parts of the world. Dinner at Stuzzikini, a little Italian restaurant, was amazing with great food and very friendly owners. They actually came by our table and chatted with us, telling us all about their family business! We also had another great meal at Tempora Restaurante, right around the corner.

Stuzzikini Cocina Italiana

In Marbella, as with most European cities we have visited, residents praise the quality of life. One afternoon, I was shopping in a little jewelry store with my daughter, just as the famous “siesta” was about to start. The store owner was practically rushing me, because he had to close up for his 4 hour rest, and then proceeded to tell me that Europeans were not like Americans in that they work to live, not live to work (not the first time I have been told this in Europe). I realized at that moment, that these are some of the reasons why we travel abroad. We like to experience the differences in cultures, and in Spain, that includes getting your shopping done in the morning, as they will close the town down between the hours of 1-5PM! So, we happily headed back to our hotel and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon by the gorgeous pool area. Later that evening we returned to town for some more strolling and dinner.

While staying in Marbella, it is also very easy to take day trips to the other nearby towns of Torremolinos, Mijas, Fuengirola, Benalmádena, Puerto Banús, and of course, Málaga, which has the nearest international airport.

Here are some more pictures of our Marbella trip. Have you been to Marbella? I’d love to hear what you enjoyed most…

Tiled bench at Parque de la Alameda

Typical street in the old town

Typical square in the center of old town, with the beautiful Iglesia de la Encarnación in the background

Square in the center of the old town, with the beautiful Iglesia de la Encarnación in the background

Typical souvenir shops selling Sevillana dolls and cermaics

Souvenir shops selling Sevillana dolls and ceramics

Ermita del Santo Cristo de la Vera Cruz

Sevillana dresses hanging from the balconies on Plaza de los Naranjos

Beautiful potted flowers

More beautiful balconies

Dinner at Plaza de los Naranjos

A street named after me…

24Apr2014

I Heart Rome

Posted in Travel & Adventure by listen2mama

I often wonder if in another life I was Italian? I recently took one of those silly Facebook quizzes, which told me the country I belong in is Italy. This wasn’t surprising to me. I have been blessed with many opportunities to travel, but my love affair has always been with Italy.

My husband and I are avid House Hunters International junkies, and every time we watch an episode with a family relocating to Florence or buying a vacation home in Amalfi, I secretly wish it was mine! I simply love everything about this country, the beautiful rustic countryside, the architecture, the history, the people, the language, which I hope to one day master, the shopping, the food…

The first Italian city that my husband and I visited together was Rome, so I am dedicating my first travel blog post to the Eternal City…

Fontana di Trevi

Rome is as beautiful as all of the travel books, websites and blogs will tell you it is, but as with most things, seeing is believing. It’s a very busy, lively city, with a lot of activity going on everywhere you look. On the same block you will find an old ancient ruin alongside a modern building housing a chic boutique or a tiny car dealership! My favorite areas are the open “piazzas” such as the Fontana di Trevi, Piazza della Rotonda, Piazza Navona and the Piazza di Spagna (the Spanish Steps). You can spend hours just sipping a drink (or in our daughter’s case having a gelato), and people watch.

I could go on and on with this blog post, as Rome is one of my favorite spots in Europe, and I‘ve visited many times but I will only highlight a few things that I feel I must share with you. The rest of the journey will be yours to discover on your own.

Hotel Albergo del Senato, Piazza della Rotonda, 73, Roma A few years ago, we found a hotel located on Piazza della Rotonda, called Albergo del Senato. One of the best features of this hotel is its location, literally in the center of Rome, within walking distance to almost everywhere, located on a pedestrian square. We always book a triple room, so our daughter has her own bed, and most of these rooms face the square, with a view of the Pantheon out your window (however, be sure to request your room facing the square, as it is not guaranteed). Needless to say, you can just open your window, and you become part of the scenery. The first time we stayed here, our daughter was fascinated with the sounds coming off the square, and all of the people sitting around just talking and having gelatos! Speaking of gelatos, there are a few places right downstairs, two steps away from the hotel’s entrance. Not that we ever spend much time in our hotel rooms when we travel, but whenever we were in our room, we would find her hanging out of the window, just taking it all in, this was her favorite spot! And as far as most European hotel rooms go, the rooms here are not small, and they’re very comfortable and clean.

View of the Pantheon from our room window…priceless!

One of the family rooms we’ve had, very spacious.

A stroll around the neighborhood of Trastevere is another must. Hubby and I spent one entire day on one of our trips just getting lost on the winding streets and experiencing a more typical neighborhood, away from the tourist crowds. The district has become somewhat popular with the nighttime crowd as well. The beautiful main square, Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, houses one of the oldest churches in Rome, and it is beautiful. Make sure you bring your camera. You will also come across some traditional eateries that are not in any tourist books, be adventurous and try one. These off the beaten path restaurants are usually the best meals you will have on your trip.

Trastevere

In the heart of Rome is Piazza Navona, a charming area where painters sell art and street performers sing opera. The main attraction here is the trio of fountains that adorn the square. I wouldn’t recommend any of the restaurants right on the piazza, as they are mostly “tourist traps” and as such, very pricey for mediocre food at best. However, you can sit for coffee, wine or gelato and enjoy the scenery.

Piazza Navona

Regardless of your religious beliefs, a visit to Vatican City and St. Peter’s Basilica cannot be missed. Years ago, my husband and I attended a Papal Audience with Pope John Paul II on St. Peter’s Square. This is something I had wanted to do for a while and it was very special. You can get tickets (free of charge) in advance if you prefer to get good seats, as it can get quite crowded at certain times of the year.

Papal Audience with Pope John Paul II

If you’re planning on visiting the Vatican Museums, and seeing the priceless works of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel, it is strongly recommended to purchase tickets in advance online, as the lines outside can sometimes wrap around the entire wall of Vatican City, and the wait can be as long as 3 hours. Especially in the summer months, the heat can be unbearable while waiting for entrance to the museums. It’s usually best to go as early as possible, to avoid the crowds.

View of St. Peter’s Basilica from Via della Conciliazione

Ristorante la Rosetta ,Via della Rosetta, 8-9, Roma We’ve had many good meals in Rome, but we always return at least once every visit, to Ristorante La Rosetta. This is a very good seafood restaurant and we love it. On one of our visits we had a prawn and shrimp appetizer, hubby had seared grouper and I had the sea bass. Carolina had buttered pasta, as usual, but her favorite part of the meal was of course, the dessert!