Tag Archives: Spain culture

Spain

Oldest restaurant in the world in Madrid

We were in Madrid and exploring the streets when we came across the restaurant called Casa Botin. It is known as the oldest restaurant in the world and was founded in 1725. This is according to the Guinness Book of Records. 

Shelley Kathy and Dan outside of the oldest restaurant in the world Botin in Madrid

It was featured on several documentaries and was listed by Forbes magazine’s as third place of the world’s top 10 classic restaurants. It is renowned for its delicious suckling pig. 

We took a look at the outside of the restaurant and noticed a mockup model of the interior of the restaurant in the window. We stopped and checked out the layout of the nearly 300 year old restaurant. 

The Botin Restaurant model layout

Inside the restaurant was packed with patrons and it was very lively with lots of laughter and chatter..

We decided to ask on the off chance that we could get a table for dinner, even though we did not have a reservation. We were greeted by a friendly waiter who after looking for a few minutes found us a table. We were very fortunate to be able to be accommodated and had a table on the second floor. We walked along the main floor past the kitchen area which as we looked in we could see the wood fired oven and an array of meals being prepared.

The Botin restaurant wood fired oven
Suckling pigs and preparing area inside the kitchen area.

So upstairs we went for a meal at the oldest restaurant. We ordered several different meals including the suckling pig. We had some wine and enjoyed the amazing atmosphere of the restaurant.

Ray and Shelley at the Botin Restaurant in Madrid
Kathy and Dan at the Botin Restaurant in Madrid

 After enjoying our very tasty meals we mentioned to the waiter that we had seen a documentary on the Botin Restaurant. He was very friendly and we even were given a quick tour of the lower area of the restaurant which was quite interesting.

Dan walking down the stairs into the lowest level of the Botin restaurant in Madrid

Shelley, Kathy and Dan in the basement level of Botin Restaurant in Madrid

Down in the lowest level of the restaurant we could see the old curved brink walls of an ancient wine cellar. You could almost see the history come out of the walls. Earnest Hemingway was a regular at the Botin restaurant along with many other celebrities over the centuries.   It was truly a great experience to see and have a meal at the Botin restaurant.

“Disfruta cada día y la vida”

Spain

Vallodolid

We stayed for a few days in the city of Valladolid which is located in the autonomous region of Castile and León. This is also in the Riebera del Duero area. The city of 300 thousand is very beautiful with lots to see and do. 

Statue in front of the Calvary academy in Valladolid. Spain

There were lots of statues that appeared to be randomly placed throughout the city.

Statue of person wearing a pointed hood which hides the identity. Traditionally this is done on the holy week where their faces are covered in mourning, and also as a sign of shame for the sins they have committed throughout the year. .
Statue to honour a police officer
Statues in water fountains

Many times we would be walking along a street and come across a bronze statue of some kind.

Bronze statue of a walking man with umbrella, Shelley taking a stroll with him.

It was easy to see where people sat or touched the statues by the polish on the bronze.

Bronze statue of a person with suitcase and umbrella- Note the polish of the suitcase where people have used as a seat

One in particular that we came across was part of a fountain and was a little bit unexpected and surprised us.

As we got closer to this particular statues it was clear that they were naked men. It was not hard to see where the bronze was polished.

There was a beautiful park located in the centre of the city, so we decided to walk through and check it out.

It wasn’t long after we entered the park that we were being followed.

Peacock in the park in Valladolid Spain
We stopped to take a selfie at one of the fountains located in the park.

We explored some of the many different churches in Valladolid. They were very ornate and quite beautiful. 

Modern Church in Valladolid

We explored the streets of Valladolid and worked our way to the Plaza Mayor.  

Shelley and Ray in Plaza Mayor in Valladolid Spain

The Pisuerga River flows through the city and has beautiful trails on the shoreline. We walked the trail for a while exploring this area of the city.

The city of Valladolid was a great experience and we enjoyed our time very much. I can see us returning in the future to explore more of this city. 

“La vida se trata de las aventuras que tomas y los recuerdos que haces.”

Spain

Aljaferia Palace in Zaragoza

We went and explored the Palicio de la Aljafería located in Zaragoza Spain.

Shelley and Ray outside of the Aljaferia Palace in Zaragoza Spain

As we approached the palace it was obvious that this was a fortified palace build several centuries ago. We went through the main gate and into a beautiful inner courtyard. There were orange trees and the smell of orange was prominent in the courtyard. 

Centre courtyard of the Aljaferia Palace in Zaragoza Spain

There was an overwhelming islamic architecture design in the palace. 

From ornate islamic designed frames of doorways to unique ceilings.

Shelley in the Palace of Aljaferia checking out the islamic architecture

We soon discovered that the Palacio de la Aljafería palace was built during the second half of the 11th century in Zaragoza, Spain.  It was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2001 and known for its Spanish Islamic design.

Shelley and Ray in one of the palace rooms with an ornate ceiling design

We wandered through the different rooms and were amazed by the size of the palace even the staircase was massive.

Shelley on the large staircase
One of the staircases in the Aljaferia palace

The palace reflects the amazing details and ornate design during the period attained by the Taifa of Zaragoza. This history was preserved and today the palace is home to regional parliament of Aragon. 

Parliament room in the Aljaferia palace

It was a great place to explore and learn about the rich history of Islamic influence here in Spain. 

“Muchas flores diferentes hacen un ramo”. ~ Proverbio islámico

Spain

A few days in Zaragoza Spain

We spent a few days exploring Zaragoza, which is a beautiful city located in the northeastern part of Spain. The city has a rich history and was founded at the end of the 1st century. There are Roman ruins and reminders of its rich history throughout the city.

We walked through parts of the old section of the city admiring the old architecture and beautiful plazas. 

The bullring in Zaragoza which is called MIsericordia
Central Market in Zaragoza
Tram system with view of central Market in distance

We walked through the shops and restaurants towards the main plaza enjoying the sites and sounds. There was lots of things to see and the shops were full of interesting stuff. 

Eventually we reached the Plaza de la Seo which is truly stunning and has unique features.  The ground s of the plaza were covered in beautiful marble tiles.

There was the stunning Cathedral at one section of the plaza which gave the plaza a very grandiose feel.

We explored the plaza de la Seo and were amazed at all the features and unique statues and items in the plaza.

Shelley and Ray with waterfall feature in the main plaza of Zaragoza, Spain

We bought a ticket to go up the tower of the Cathedral of Zaragoza to get views of the city.  The tower was built on the site of the ancient Roman forum of Augustus and of the main mosque. The new tower, which was designed in Rome in 1683 by Juan Bautista Contini in the Baroque style, was started in 1686 and finished in 1704 with the placement of the spire. There are elements of the minaret that form part of the current tower. 

There was an elevator that took us up to the first level of the tower. From there we took stairs which made its way up to the very top of the tower.

When we reached the top the views were amazing. We could see entire city from the tower.

View of the Roman bridge and Cathedral of Zaragoza from the tower of Zaragoza
View from the tower of Zaragoza

The city of Zaragoza surprised us with its dynamic and vibrant city centre. There were lots of unique things to see, including Roman ruins, historic sites and architecture.

“La vida es un viaje, disfruta de las aventuras en el camino”

Spain

Jaén Spain

We decided to take a trip to the Spanish city of Jaén for our anniversary. It is the capital city of the province of Jaén, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. We decided to celebrate there and stay at the Parador of Jaén on the Santa Catalina hill. It is located beside the Santa Catalina Castle and has stunning views of the entire area.

Image of the Castle of Santa Catalina

We checked into the Parador and were struck by the beauty of the building. It is considered one of the best castle hotels in Europe. There were stone features throughout the Parador and it felt as if we were going back in time.

There was an amazing vaulted ceiling in the main dinning hall which was 20 meters high.

There were many features that reflected a medieval time throughout the Parador.

Shelley at the gate at one of the Parador passageways

We arrived at our room and were amazed at the beautiful views from our room. We had our own private balcony and a nice outdoor sitting area. We decided to go hiking before settling into the balcony area.  We changed into our hiking clothes and headed out to explore the area. We went down a path along the side of the ancient fortified walls of the castle.

The remains of the ancient fortified walls of the Castle of Santa Catalina
Shelley standing on the ancient fortified wall overlooking the city of Jaén Spain.
Door arch through the fortified walls
Shelley and Ray on the ancient fortified walls of Jaén

We walked for about two hours exploring the area. There was a natural park area alongside the wall which we decided to venture into and explore. There were olive trees and a nice trail that lead along the edge of the ridge that overlooked the city below.

We came across some beautiful views of the city that stretched out below us.

After hiking through the natural area we decided to head back to the Parador and relax. We set ourselves up on our balcony with a snack and a glass of red wine. We rested and enjoyed the vistas for a while.

We rested up and then headed out to explore the city of Jaén. We walked into the city centre and explored the old city centre. 

Cathedral of Jaén, which began construction in 1570 and is one of the most important Renaissance-style cathedrals.

We walked through the marble streets looking at the unique shops and architecture. 

Marble streets in Jaén old quarter

Some of the marble streets were almost like pieces of art. They were uniquely decorated and looked like carpets or hallways.

Marble street in Jaén

There were beautiful plazas located in the centre which had fountains and highlighted by lighting.

One of the plazas in Jaén

We decided to stop for something to eat and take a break. We found a nice quaint small plaza called Plaza Posito and located in the plaza was a restaurant called “Bar Del Posito ” 

We enjoyed some great tasting tapas and the service was so friendly and attentive that we came back to this spot several times during our stay in Jaén. After enjoying some tapas we headed back to the Parador for the night.

We explored areas within the Parador and we went to the lounge area for a nightcap. Ray decided to have his photo taken with a couple of medieval knights guarding the premises.

Ray with a couple of the locals

The next day we explored the 13th century Castle Santa Catalina and the area around the Parador.  We walked through large arches and walked towards the cross of Castle Santa Catalina. 

Archway in the Castle Santa Catalina
Shelley in one of the archways of the Castle Santa Catalina

We walked along the stone walkway towards the peak area. 

Finally we reached the end of the walkway and came to the Cross of the Castle Santa Catalina.

The views from here were spectacular and we could see the entire region.

We looked down on the city of Jaén and could see the Cathedral.

View of the city from the base of the cross of Jaén

The cross which stands majestically above Jaén towers up above the landscape.

It is a monument that was erected by Ferdinand III in the spring of 1246 after overtaking the fortress. There are so many historic interesting facts about this area including the fact that Napoleon’s troops turned the fortress into a stronghold  in 1808. The cross was originally made out of wood but it is now a stone replica. 

“Que tengas un buen día”