Spain

January 4 — January 20, 2022

This trip to Spain was truly special. Our time in Spain was spent seeing historical monuments, dining at incredible restaurants and drinking delicious wine, something my folks, myself and a great friend all enjoyed. Spain deserves a visit and I should’ve visited earlier but I’m glad I finally made it to Spain. I can’t wait to be back and create wonderful memories with people who are special in my life.

Thoughts on Madrid

Madrid has a lot to offer

The shortest part of this photo set is going to be the section dedicated to Madrid. It was always going to be the case but after finishing the trip, it’s very apparent why this is the case. First, this trip was never about Madrid. This trip was about exploring Spain and more specifically the Comunidad Autónoma de Andalusia. However, Madrid can’t be ignored and I have some thoughts about Madrid.

I will be 100% honest here and say that Madrid is not my favorite European city. I had a poor experience in Paris but I thought Paris had more to offer, especially around the architecture. I found Madrid’s architecture to be boring. The city was also quite boring. There’s a lot of museums that I don’t care too much about and it didn’t appeal to me in that sense.

However, the restaurant scene in Madrid is phenomenal. Easily my favorite part of not just Madrid but Spain in general. My group and I ate at El Botin, the world’s oldest restaurant on record. El Botin was fantastic, delicious food paired with great wine. We also ate at El Paraguas and I’d pass on this one. It was expensive and not the best food. Actually it was among the worst restaurants of the entire trip. It was also very posh, with servers interrupting and correcting us, the guests. Not a fan of El Paraguas.

Concluding thoughts on Madrid

Madrid is a fine city to visit and one worth visiting. Your personal interest should dictate how long you stay there. For me, three days was enough. Three days is enough to eat at the incredible restaurants that Madrid has to offer. The restaurants are truly exceptional and priced well.

Toledo

30 minutes from Madrid ・ Two days as a minimum stay

Toledo is wonderful and you need two solid days to make your stay worthwhile. Our original plan was to stay in Toledo for a day and depart the following day. However, we opted against doing that, as our apartment was incredible and Toledo didn’t disappoint.

On our first day in Toledo, we bought a ticket for the bus that takes you around parts of Toledo and away from the city to the mirador. The mirador allows for fabulous views of the city, where — if appropriate, you can shoot a timelapse.

On our second day, we dedicated the day to walking Toledo and seeing historical monuments and eating throughout the day. I recommend you see the Spanish Cuisine photo-set, as the food in Spain was among the best in Europe. Italy still takes that one, but Spanish cuisine is not too far behind.

Thoughts on Toledo

Toledo was great, and a must in my opinion. It’s very easy to get to from Madrid and it’s a city you can’t miss. It wasn’t my favorite but it was my mother’s favorite, and that’s important to me. For my parents, it was their first time in Europe and my mother loved Toledo. It was small, unlike Madrid or Seville and they appreciated the tranquility.

Arabic influence in Spain

As you move south in Spain, the years of Arabic influence begin to shine around you. The architecture is a big one but also the names of streets and cities. My brother is a bit of a history buff and he mentioned all of this before our departure. I won’t go in-depth regarding the years of muslim influence in Spain because I simply don’t know enough to write something accurate.

Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba

The mosque in Cordoba is a must. It’s simply stunning and gives you an insight into what Cordoba once was under Muslim influence. I’m not religious myself but I can certainly appreciate a beautiful mosque like the one in Cordoba.

Conclusion

Spain was a different kind of trip but it was still an incredible trip. Most of my trips are trips where I can photograph nature and put together a really nice photo story for my website. This was different and something I hadn’t really done before. Being fluent in Spanish made this trip that much better. Sharing the experience of being in Spain with my parents was an important part of why this trip was so special.