(12/21/2007 – 1/1/2008)
This was a big family vacation with all the in-laws during the school winter holiday break. At the time, I didn’t keep a log. Therefore, this blog is not as detailed as my other more recent blogs.
Day 1: Paris Layover
We had a 23-hour layover in Paris on our flight from San Francisco to Malaga. We have been to Paris previously, so we just did some quick sightseeing to take advantage of the layover.
We took public transportation from the airport to Paris city center. The first stop was Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre, which we didn’t visit previously. Montmartre was a charming and vibrant artistic town.
After a quick photo stop, we continued to Notre Dame Cathedral. The place was full of tourists. Since it’s holiday season, there was a giant Christmas tree in front of the cathedral. We visited Notre Dame before; therefore, we didn’t brave the crowd to enter the cathedral.
For the rest of the day, we simply strolled the city. Then we checked into tonight’s hotel to rest.
Day 2: Marbella
We arrived in Malaga in the early afternoon. Upon arrival, we simply got the rental car to drive to Marriott’s Marbella Beach Resort. We were traveling with Rei’s family. It’s a big group of 18 people! The beach resort had big 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom apartments with living area, dining room and a kitchen. It’s ideal for big family vacations. The place was under renovation, so we got a very good discount for our stay.
It was already late afternoon when we checked in, so we simply stayed and enjoyed the resort.
Day 3: Ronda
Each family decided their plan for today. Rei and I were taking the kids to Ronda, which was about 1 hour’s drive from Marbella.
Upon arrival, we first went to Cueva de la Pileta, a cave with prehistoric cave painting. It required a bit of climbing to reach the cave mouth. The cave could only be visited with a guide who took no more than 20 or 25 people at a time. There were also other people waiting to enter. Fortunately, the groups were small enough that we could all enter. It was an interesting visit.
Ronda was famous for its New Bridge over El Tajo Canyon. This was an amazing site! The gorge and the surrounding areas reminded me of Hemingway’s famous novel “For Whom the Bell Tolls.”
Another famous site in Ronda was its bullring, the oldest in Spain. However, the bullring was closed for the day (today was 12/24), so we could only take photos from outside. Most other places in Ronda were also closed, so we only strolled around before returning to Marbella.
Day 4: Gibraltar
Merry Christmas!
Today was Christmas Day and most places were closed. Therefore, we decided to drive to Gibraltar for outdoor sightseeing.
It was a bit cloudy when we arrived in Gibraltar. Gibraltar was British territory, and therefore there was an entrance checking when we arrived from Spain. It was very quiet because today was Christmas and there weren’t too many other visitors around.
We simply walked around Gibraltar and took many photos. The cable car and the famous Saint Michael’s Cave were also closed for the day. Fortunately, some stores were still open, so kids could have ice cream.
Then we drove to Europa Point to see the lighthouse. One could see Africa from the Europa Point on a clear day. We could also see the nearby King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Mosque, which was a beautiful white building with a tall minaret.
Day 5: Granada
We were visiting Alhambra in Granada today. Alhambra required a timed entrance. We got the 11am reservation. Granada was about 190km (2 hours’ drive) from Marbella. The traffic was confusing and there were long lines everywhere; we almost missed our time slot! Therefore, it’s best to spend the previous night in Granada to avoid the chaos.
Alhambra Palace was exquisitely beautiful! It was one of the most famous Moorish monuments in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The place was a stronghold until Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella conquered it in 1492. The tour included a visit to the Nasrid Palaces. Because the weather was horrible today, we skipped the outside garden visit.
I bought a copy of Washington Irving’s famous book “Tales of the Alhambra” from a store. I always wanted to read this book. The book was difficult to locate in the United States, but it was sold everywhere in Granada!
It was cold and raining. Therefore, we decided to simply return to Marbella after lunch. We would have to wait for another time to tour Granada.
Day 6: Cordoba
Today’s plan was to visit Cordoba, which was another long drive away. Fortunately, the weather was better today.
The unique Cordoba Mosque-Cathedral (also a UNESCO World Heritage site) had beautiful “candy cane arches” with vivid colors. The inside of the building was huge with many columns and arches. It’s a strange mixture of Islamic Mosque with a cathedral inside.
After lunch, we visited Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, which was a Moorish castle with a magnificent water garden. The architecture style was pretty close to Alhambra. It’s actually more enjoyable than the Alhambra because you could explore on your own without following a group.
We were able to do some shopping this afternoon because the weather was much nicer. A famous souvenir from Andalusia was a chess set with Catholics on one side and Muslims on the other side.
Day 7: Seville
Some in-laws decided to join a tour to Tangier, Morocco today, but Rei and I were taking the kids to Seville.
We had clear weather today. The first place we visited in Seville was the Cathedral. This was another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The inside of Seville Cathedral was spacious and opulent. The Cathedral was one of the largest in the world. There were around 80 chapels inside, each with its altars and religious artwork. It also had the ornated tomb of Christopher Columbus.
The cathedral had a famous bell tower, La Giralda, which was “repurposed” from a mosque minaret due to its exquisite beauty. We all climbed La Giralda to the top, which awarded us with an excellent view. The climb wasn’t difficult.
In the afternoon, we visited Royal Alcázar of Seville, which was a historic royal palace. The architectural style was also like the Alhambra Palace. It also had a verdant garden. The Royal Alcázar was later became even more famous because it’s a primary filming location of Game of the Thrones!
Talking about filming sites, some Star Wars scenes were filmed at Plaza de España and the adjacent Parque Maria Luisa. We visited the places after the Royal Alcázar and took many photos there. We also passed the Golden Tower (Torre del Oro) on our way back to the parking lot.
Day 8: Marbella to Barcelona
This was our last day in Andalusia, so we simply enjoyed ourselves inside the resort. We had an afternoon flight to Barcelona for additional 2 days of sightseeing there.
We arrived in Barcelona in the late afternoon, which still gave us enough time to go to the Harbor and to visit the Aquarium (which had a late closing time). The kids really enjoyed the aquarium visit.
Day 9: Barcelona
We visited Barcelona Cathedral and the nearby Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar this morning. Both were impressive churches. The Cathedral was in the famous Gothic Quarter. Gothic Quarter was a neat area with many historical buildings, museums and shops. It’s a pleasure to walk around the place.
The famous Picasso Museum was also in the area; we visited the museum afterwards. The museum had many Picasso’s artworks from various stages covering an extended period of time. However, his more important artworks were acquired by other major museums around the world.
Then we stopped by the Chocolate Museum (Museu de la Xocolata) so that kids could have their share of fun and treats.
In the afternoon, we went to La Pedrera, one of the famous buildings designed by the renowned architect Antoni Gaudi. The most recognizable symbol of La Pedrera was its “alien” chimneys on the rooftop, which was surreal to say the least.
Day 10: More Barcelona
Today was Gaudi Day. After walking through Las Ramblas, we took a Metro ride to reach La Sagrada Familia, the most famous Gaudi site in the world. The place was under construction since 1882. It would have been many years before it’s completed. (Note that our visit was in 2007.)
There was a long line in front of the ticket office. Our group had 18 members. We “recruited” two other visitors on spot to purchase the group tickets for 20, which afforded us with fast access.
La Sagrada Familia was very unique. It had an intricate Nativity Façade with a traditional church style, and an austere Passion Façade with a more modern style. The colorful nave had many columns resembling trees and branches. There’s an elevator to take visitors up to the towers, but we skipped that. It goes without saying that we spent a huge amount of time taking many photos.
The next Gaudi site we visited was Parc Güell with beautiful, tiled decorations and a giant mosaic salamander. (At the time, we were still able to get very close to the salamander to take photos.) Kids also found a wall inside the park where they could do some rock climbing.
The last site was Casa Batlló, another of Gaudi’s masterpieces. The building had a colorful front façade and “skeletal” balcony railings. The place was also full of visitors.
This ended the Spain 2007 family vacation. We were flying home early tomorrow morning.
(Barcelona was an amazing city. We were glad to visit the place in 2007 before they turned against tourism.)
More Information
When we visited Andalucia back in 2007, we only needed to book the Alhambra entrance in advance. A friend recently visited the region. She informed me that now advance booking is required in all major attractions if you don’t want to wait in a long line.
Amy 'n Rei 