The Holidays in Spain: A Two-Week Adventure (Part 4, Reflection)

As I get this blog up and running, I'm posting summaries of our past trips, starting in 2011. This is the fourth and final post about our trip to Spain, December 2012 - January 2013.

Spain was a new kind of trip for us. While it was our second trip to Europe, it was the first to a country where neither of us knew the language at all. We also city-hopped more than we had on our first trip, and I had done more research (and booked tours and tickets) ahead of time.

What I Loved

Seville

Outside the naval museum
in Seville

Seville was definitely my favorite destination. While the city was not exactly small, much of it could be explored on foot. It seemed to have a strong local culture, and the history was fascinating (unfortunately, because of the time that has passed, I haven't detailed much of that history here). We never had a moment in Seville when we were bored. Rather, we were often too tired to stay out and enjoy the nightlife. I wish I would have seen more live music, had just a few more tapas, and explored every nook and cranny of Santa Cruz.

Spanish Food

Espanaca con garbanzo, jamon, vino...the food in most restaurants was excellent. We had not yet developed much of a taste for fine dining on this trip, so if we were to do it again, I would book one or two fancy dinners in an authentic, 4 or 5-star Spanish restaurant. I'd also do a little more research to know just what restaurants and bars were popular with the locals, instead of taking a guess based on the displayed menu.

Spanish History

Learning about the constant struggle between the Moorish and Christians, and its accompanying splendor of riches and amazing architecture, was something I did not expect to enjoy as much as I did. I had almost no recollection of Spanish history from college, so much of it was new to me. Reading up on it just a bit before we visited would have been wise, as it would have given me more context.

Spanish Art

Artwork in the cathedral in Seville

Between the Prado, Reina Sofia, and the art collections in the cathedrals and palaces we visited, I received a crash-course in Spanish art history. Again, either some reading ahead of time, or some art-related souvenir purchases would have given me context and helped me remember what I learned.

What I Didn't Love

Madrid

Sure, there were some redeeming qualities (art, food, and cocktails), but Aaron and I both felt like we had at least one day too many in Madrid. If I were to recommend an itinerary to someone, it would be just two full days in this city—one for art, and another for points of interest. We were there 3.5 days, and found ourselves bored towards the end. We seem to act this way a lot when we visit a big city, so that might have contributed to our lackluster enjoyment as well.

The Streets of Granada

This may have been because of the timing of our visit (between major holidays), but Granada was dirty and smelly. Some of my friends have told me they loved Granada, so maybe we just weren't looking in the right places. The Al Hambra was definitely worth seeing, and we loved the little wine bar... but two days there was plenty.

If We Went Again...

I wouldn't mind spending another day or two in Seville, and taking the time to explore the rest of Andalusia. The small cities in Southern Spain seem to appeal to us. I'd also go in the spring or fall, not the middle of winter. We'd probably also explore the option of visiting Barcelona, Valencia, and Gibraltar. A quick look at the map, and this trip pretty much builds itself. I expect we'd fly in to Barcelona, make our way down the coast to Gibraltar, and then hop to Lisbon or Morocco for a couple days before catching a flight home. However, given our current travel wish list, this trip isn't likely for about a decade. 

Want to read more about this trip? Check out part 1, part 2, and part 3.

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