Tour de Spain
We have been living in Spain for almost six months now, but until a few weeks ago we hadn't yet traveled to some of the most notable cities in the country. Luckily, we were able to enjoy this journey a few weeks before the coronavirus chaos really hit the country. We had a break in the girl's school schedule and my volunteer responsibilities thanks to Semana Blanca, which is an annual week-off in late February. I am very envious of the Spanish school calendar: a week off in late October, two and a half weeks of at Christmas, a week off in late February, a week off at Easter, and a few other random holidays sprinkled in here and there.
Becky and the girls actually started the journey without me as I finished up my last day of volunteer duties. They met up with our good friends, the Loftus family, in Madrid. If you are interested in reading more about their experiences in the capital, check out Becky's blog at akukskitchen.com. A few days later, I took a bus up to Madrid and then caught another bus to meet my family and the Loftus' in Toledo. Before heading to Toledo, I did take a couple hours to walk around Parque del Buen Retiro in Madrid.
Our AirBnb apartment was in a very interesting location in Toledo, nestled within the old, windy medieval streets. Our family and the Loftus family both had apartments in the same building, which had a nice little courtyard between the apartments. During our first full day in Toledo, we went to the military history museum which was housed in the Alcazar of Toledo, a former palace with a rich history that had been built over time by the Romans, Moors, and Catholic monarchs. There were some interesting things to see, but by this point in our travels, Becky and Evelyn have learned that they are not really museum people.
We started our second full day in Toledo by going to a sword workshop where we were able to observe workers crafting daggers and swords. In the short time that we watched, it was clear that the process requires a lot of persistance and intricate work. After saying goodbye to the Loftus family, who had to return to Madrid to catch their flight, we crossed over a river on a Roman-era bridge to enjoy a picnic lunch on the banks opposite Toledo.
On the way back to our apartment, I split off from the girls to go the Cathedral of Toledo. I was able to recognize many of the people and events that were referenced during the audioguide tour since I have been watching Isabel, a series that chronicles the life of Queen Isabella. Two Archbishops of Toledo play prominent roles in the show and were also featured in the audiotour. Recognizing parts of Spanish history truly enriched the experience for me.
The next morning, we staggered down the windy roads of Toledo to catch a bus back to Madrid, where we then boarded a train for Valencia on the east coast. It was here that we were first able to put our new plan for traveling in European cities with young children to the test. Traveling with kids is very rewarding, but it is not always easy, and you don't always get to experience everything that you would choose as an adult. So our new theory is that it is best to spend at least three nights in a city, which gives two full days for activities and exploration. The first full day is a family day, during which we choose activities that we think the girls will enjoy and also scout the city to look for things that Becky and I would want to do without kids. Then, on the second full day, one of the adults is free in the morning to do whatever activities they want, while the other adult can explore freely in the afternoon.
On our first full day in Valencia, we started off walking to the City of the Arts and Sciences, an area of the city with a science center, aquarium, planetarium, and other attractions housed in very modern looking buildings. Our plan was to head to the science center. However, once inside, Evelyn was bothered by the odor of some chemicals in the building and Becky and Evelyn decided to leave. Lydia and I stayed, spending most of our time in an exhibit that explored the science behind several fairy tales.
When we finished at the science center, Lydia and I met up with Becky and Evelyn at the beach. The beach in Valencia is enormous, probabaly at least 200 meters wide, and has very fine sand. This was a nice change from Fuengirola, where the sand is so coarse that is almost difficult to build a sandcastle. After playing for a while, we found a restaurant where we could get an authentic paella. You can order a paella almost anywhere in Spain, but most of them are not authentic. Becky has an app that you can use to find restaurants that cook "real" paellas. Our order, a classic Valencian paella with chicken and rabbit, did not disappoint. The restaurant had a quote from Ernest Hemingway on the wall, singing its praises, which were well deserved.
For our second full day in Valencia, I was free during the morning shift and went to rent a bike for the day. I enjoyed riding through Turia Park, which is a nine kilometer long park that was developed in the bed of a river that was diverted to prevent flooding in the city. It was nice to be in a big park, with lots of trees, and lots of people doing different activities. On the way back, I parked the bike and wandered around the old part of Valencia for a bit, stopped to pick up an empanada at the beautiful central market, and then returned to meet up with the girls at a playground near the beach. I handed off the bike to Becky for her freetime, before taking the girls back to play by the sea.
The following morning, we said goodbye to Valencia and caught a bus to travel up the coast to Barcelona. When you pull into Barcelona, it is immediately obvious fromt the architecture that the culture is a bit different there, much more influenced by France.
We repeated the same plan in Barcelona, spending the first full day together as a family. We were able to rent three bikes - two adult bikes and one kid's bike for Evelyn. Lydia sat in a child's seat on the back of my bike. Like Valencia, Barcelona has many protected bike lanes so we felt perfectly safe riding around with Evelyn. We picked through Ciudadella Park, where there was a creative play area with a bit of playground equipment, but also a lot of random items such as empty bins, matresses, blocks of wood. The girls enjoyed the chance for some creative play. I said to Becky, "This just goes to show, a city doesn't need to build a fancy new playground. They can just put out a bunch of junk!" From the park, we headed down the beach, always the girls' favorite place. It was a bit cool, but we still enjoyed playing in the sand and building sculptures with the large rocks that were plentiful in the sand.
This time, I was free in the afternoon on our second full day. We still had one of the bikes from the previous day and I first biked to La Sagrada Familia, the cathedral that was started and still inspired by the famous architect Gaudi and is scheduled to be completed in 2026. I expected La Sagrada Familia to be interesting, but thought that it would be a little bit quirky and eclectic. My expectations were shattered. It was amazing how beautiful it was inside the cathedral and incredible how every feature of the facades were designed for a specific purpose. I didn't even bother taking pictures because I knew my Kindle couldn't do it justice. So, full disclosure, I didn't take the picture below. Instead, I just enjoyed soaking up the experience.
From La Sagrada Familia, I biked up to Guell Park, which also has a number of buildings and scultures by Guadi. I didn't pay for entrance to the restricted area where most of Guadi's work can be more closely observed, but hiked up the top of the park to take in a great view of Barcelona and the Mediterranean. From there, I continued biking around the city to see a couple other famous buildings by Gaudi and to ride down La Rambla, a commercial strech that I did not find at all impressive.
The next morning, we caught a very early plane by to Malaga and then a commuter train to Fuengirola. As always seems to be the case, we thoroughly enjoyed our travels, but it was really nice to be home. I am glad that Fuengirola already feels like a second home for us.
Becky and the girls actually started the journey without me as I finished up my last day of volunteer duties. They met up with our good friends, the Loftus family, in Madrid. If you are interested in reading more about their experiences in the capital, check out Becky's blog at akukskitchen.com. A few days later, I took a bus up to Madrid and then caught another bus to meet my family and the Loftus' in Toledo. Before heading to Toledo, I did take a couple hours to walk around Parque del Buen Retiro in Madrid.
Our AirBnb apartment was in a very interesting location in Toledo, nestled within the old, windy medieval streets. Our family and the Loftus family both had apartments in the same building, which had a nice little courtyard between the apartments. During our first full day in Toledo, we went to the military history museum which was housed in the Alcazar of Toledo, a former palace with a rich history that had been built over time by the Romans, Moors, and Catholic monarchs. There were some interesting things to see, but by this point in our travels, Becky and Evelyn have learned that they are not really museum people.
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| Our apartment in Toledo was nestled within the windy streets of the historic city. |
We started our second full day in Toledo by going to a sword workshop where we were able to observe workers crafting daggers and swords. In the short time that we watched, it was clear that the process requires a lot of persistance and intricate work. After saying goodbye to the Loftus family, who had to return to Madrid to catch their flight, we crossed over a river on a Roman-era bridge to enjoy a picnic lunch on the banks opposite Toledo.
On the way back to our apartment, I split off from the girls to go the Cathedral of Toledo. I was able to recognize many of the people and events that were referenced during the audioguide tour since I have been watching Isabel, a series that chronicles the life of Queen Isabella. Two Archbishops of Toledo play prominent roles in the show and were also featured in the audiotour. Recognizing parts of Spanish history truly enriched the experience for me.
 |
| It was fascinating to see the Chapter Room at the Cathedral of Toledo, which has pictures of every Archbishop of Toledo, including two prominent characters from the Isabel TV series. |
The next morning, we staggered down the windy roads of Toledo to catch a bus back to Madrid, where we then boarded a train for Valencia on the east coast. It was here that we were first able to put our new plan for traveling in European cities with young children to the test. Traveling with kids is very rewarding, but it is not always easy, and you don't always get to experience everything that you would choose as an adult. So our new theory is that it is best to spend at least three nights in a city, which gives two full days for activities and exploration. The first full day is a family day, during which we choose activities that we think the girls will enjoy and also scout the city to look for things that Becky and I would want to do without kids. Then, on the second full day, one of the adults is free in the morning to do whatever activities they want, while the other adult can explore freely in the afternoon.
On our first full day in Valencia, we started off walking to the City of the Arts and Sciences, an area of the city with a science center, aquarium, planetarium, and other attractions housed in very modern looking buildings. Our plan was to head to the science center. However, once inside, Evelyn was bothered by the odor of some chemicals in the building and Becky and Evelyn decided to leave. Lydia and I stayed, spending most of our time in an exhibit that explored the science behind several fairy tales.
 |
| The City of the Arts and Sciences in Valencia |
When we finished at the science center, Lydia and I met up with Becky and Evelyn at the beach. The beach in Valencia is enormous, probabaly at least 200 meters wide, and has very fine sand. This was a nice change from Fuengirola, where the sand is so coarse that is almost difficult to build a sandcastle. After playing for a while, we found a restaurant where we could get an authentic paella. You can order a paella almost anywhere in Spain, but most of them are not authentic. Becky has an app that you can use to find restaurants that cook "real" paellas. Our order, a classic Valencian paella with chicken and rabbit, did not disappoint. The restaurant had a quote from Ernest Hemingway on the wall, singing its praises, which were well deserved.
 |
| Along with Ernest Hemingway, we were singing the praises of this authentic Valencian paella. |
For our second full day in Valencia, I was free during the morning shift and went to rent a bike for the day. I enjoyed riding through Turia Park, which is a nine kilometer long park that was developed in the bed of a river that was diverted to prevent flooding in the city. It was nice to be in a big park, with lots of trees, and lots of people doing different activities. On the way back, I parked the bike and wandered around the old part of Valencia for a bit, stopped to pick up an empanada at the beautiful central market, and then returned to meet up with the girls at a playground near the beach. I handed off the bike to Becky for her freetime, before taking the girls back to play by the sea.
The following morning, we said goodbye to Valencia and caught a bus to travel up the coast to Barcelona. When you pull into Barcelona, it is immediately obvious fromt the architecture that the culture is a bit different there, much more influenced by France.
We repeated the same plan in Barcelona, spending the first full day together as a family. We were able to rent three bikes - two adult bikes and one kid's bike for Evelyn. Lydia sat in a child's seat on the back of my bike. Like Valencia, Barcelona has many protected bike lanes so we felt perfectly safe riding around with Evelyn. We picked through Ciudadella Park, where there was a creative play area with a bit of playground equipment, but also a lot of random items such as empty bins, matresses, blocks of wood. The girls enjoyed the chance for some creative play. I said to Becky, "This just goes to show, a city doesn't need to build a fancy new playground. They can just put out a bunch of junk!" From the park, we headed down the beach, always the girls' favorite place. It was a bit cool, but we still enjoyed playing in the sand and building sculptures with the large rocks that were plentiful in the sand.
 |
| Biking through Barcelona on our famiy day |
This time, I was free in the afternoon on our second full day. We still had one of the bikes from the previous day and I first biked to La Sagrada Familia, the cathedral that was started and still inspired by the famous architect Gaudi and is scheduled to be completed in 2026. I expected La Sagrada Familia to be interesting, but thought that it would be a little bit quirky and eclectic. My expectations were shattered. It was amazing how beautiful it was inside the cathedral and incredible how every feature of the facades were designed for a specific purpose. I didn't even bother taking pictures because I knew my Kindle couldn't do it justice. So, full disclosure, I didn't take the picture below. Instead, I just enjoyed soaking up the experience.
 |
| The columns in La Sagrada Familia are designed to look like different trees and the light in the cathedral is amazing. If you ever visit Spain, this is a can't miss experience. |
From La Sagrada Familia, I biked up to Guell Park, which also has a number of buildings and scultures by Guadi. I didn't pay for entrance to the restricted area where most of Guadi's work can be more closely observed, but hiked up the top of the park to take in a great view of Barcelona and the Mediterranean. From there, I continued biking around the city to see a couple other famous buildings by Gaudi and to ride down La Rambla, a commercial strech that I did not find at all impressive.
 |
| Enjoying the view from the summit of Guell Park. |
The next morning, we caught a very early plane by to Malaga and then a commuter train to Fuengirola. As always seems to be the case, we thoroughly enjoyed our travels, but it was really nice to be home. I am glad that Fuengirola already feels like a second home for us.
" a commercial stretch that I did not find at all impressive" - a very Justin Kuk phrase
ReplyDeleteWishing the Kuk family a safe quarantine time abroad. Your travel advice is great. -The Muher Family (Mount Royal)
ReplyDelete