Tag: UNESCO

Andalucía / Tourism

Competing courtyards? Yes, please!

Spain brings many images to mind. Bulls, maybe, or flamenco. Paella or sangria, even. Before she ever set foot in the country, Dreamer associated Spain with courtyards. However, when we moved to the Valencian Community, on the eastern coast of the country, we did not find tranquil inner courtyards in abundance. We learned these cool sanctuaries – which have traditionally provided respite from the brutal heat – primarily exist in the south, especially the city of Córdoba. When Dreamer learned the city has a two-week competitive festival devoted to courtyards (called patios in Spain), we couldn’t book train tickets fast

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Barcelona / Tourism

Barcelona 3.2: Gettin’ Sagrada

During our third visit to Barcelona, we finally saw one of the most iconic symbols of the city: La Sagrada Familia. Although we also discovered the works of another master architect during our April trip, we just couldn’t let a visit go by without seeing something created by our favorite Catalan modernist, Antoni Gaudí. And boy, was it something – many people (probably most) consider La Sagrada Familia his unfinished masterpiece. Construction of La Sagrada Familia, or The Church of the Holy Family, began in 1882, and Gaudí took over the project a year later. Even though he was completely devoted to

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