Malaga is a little gem situated approximately one and one half hours south of Barcelona by flight .We picked this city originally because it had great approximated tours to Morocco and Gibraltar ( we didn’t make it to Morroco due to weather constraints). We arrived via Vueling Aitlines which was pleasant and cost effective ( Hand luggage only). We took the Renfe train from Malaga Airport right into the middle of everything via Maria Zambrano station. This was fabulous as our spectacular hotel , The Barcelo Malaga had its own private entrance off the station . The hotel was fabulous with a great price through Amoma. Friendly, helpful staff , good restaurant and a fantastic breakfast made to order ! Proximity to wonderful restaurants and great public transportation routes just outside the doors. Our tour to Gibraltar started at 7am with Julia Tours and the meeting point was a short 15 minute walk from the hotel . The Maria Zambrano Station is home to some fast food eateries and a small supermarket with fresh baked breads , squeeze your own orange juice, cheeses fruits and chocolate bars with hazelnuts! These supplies were added to our hotel mini fridge that served us well to keep supplies cold . We also took Renfe Trains for our adventure to Ronda a couple of hours away which was the highlight of our Malaga connection. I loved Malaga for many reasons not to mention I got engaged while we visited in March 2018! Of course our favorite restaurant is Los Mellizos where the question was popped ! The food was awesome ,especially my favorite the fried cod and the house salad. A visit to the Alcazaba and the Gibralfaro Castle topped off our stay in this Andalusian City. Follow me as I lead you through our time here via pictures . Remember there are many more pictures in the gallery section on my blog!

My first trip to Spain was via Barcelona ,a beautiful , diverse, interesting meca of endless sites ,sounds and tastes! Follow me in my capture of the city in photos.

Visiting Barcelona is not complete without a visit to the Gothic Quarter( El Gotic). Wandering around this area in Barcelona is exciting as it is intriguing , an awesome collection of shops,eateries,museums, galleries,churches and history to absorb. Come with me as I show you some of the interesting sites of this interesting area of Barcelona!

The centerpiece of Barcelona has seen has seen five generations since its inception in 1866. This spectacular church while still under construction is a beautiful and awesome Church to experience the works of Antoni Gaudi and the importance of worship in Spain . We visited in March , opting for the self guided tour with the audio guide and an addition of a visit to the passion tower . We arrived at a pre-selected time printed on our tickets which we purchased online before arriving in Barcelona. The ticket had a special entrance gate and the line was minimal compared to the lines for people buying tickets . The passion tower was accessed via elevator only about three people at a time ,decent was by foot some seventy-five meters down! Before your ticket purchase for any of the towers it advises that you will have to be limber with no ambulatory or visual deficiencies to be able to do this part of the tour. The view from the tower was absolutely fabulous and the adventure descending was memorable as well. The Church was the architectural brainchild of Gaudi and is said to be fashioned the Temple off of a forest .All the columns and upper tresses are reminiscent of trees in the forest and gives a feeling of openness . The centerpiece of course is Jesus on the cross and is magnificently displayed under a canopy adorned with lights. There are also tributes to Matthew, Mark,Luke and John in the form of prominent emblems adorning the upper columns in the main vestibule of the church . There is a section on the left side behind the pulpit area for praying at your visit , no photos can be taken here, just solemn reflections .The stained glass windows captures the light allowed into the Church in such a spectacular way that can only be fully appreciated by visiting ! You are able to wander as much as you like , repeating your steps to listen via your audio guide again and again. The front of the Church is a masterpiece of sculptures adorning the facade of the building and tells a story in it’s intriguing display. To appreciate a tour of this fabulous creation of Gaudi and UNESCO World Heritage site, plan your visit for no less than two hours . Go see it!