Christmas Break: Spain

Over the Christmas break, I managed to take a short get-away to Spain. It was my first time there and after hearing so many anecdotes about the beautiful country from my friends, I was excited to finally be able to travel there. Over the course of a week, I went to Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid with a dear friend from back home, who is also studying in the UK. While I was only in Barcelona for 2 days, I managed to soak in the country’s amazing architectural sites and visit their famous markets. Being able to tour the La Sagrada Familia, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, was definitely a treat. The building is a large unfinished Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, which was designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. Admiring the stained glass while the evening light was shining through was a moment I’ll cherish forever. While walking to the church, we got to view another of his famous buildings- The Casa Milà, is a modernist building and there was an art installation occurring on the day we were there. As someone who has been practicing an art form, theatre for the past few years of my life, seeing the legacy of his works was inspiring. His dedication to his art and consistent focus is something all visitors can appreciate and take away, regardless of their backgrounds.

In Valencia, I got to visit the markets, which were especially busy leading up to the festive season. Walking around and soaking in the busy environment was so much fun on its own. Of course, no visit to Spain would be complete without eating their food. While visiting the markets, I got to try their fresh produce. We also had tapas and their seafood dishes were mouth-watering. One of the highlights of the trip for me was trying octopus for the first time! While we were in Valencia only for a few days, I was glad to be able to soak in the sunshine and blue skies before heading off to Madrid.

Madrid was our last stop- While I got to enjoy the Christmas markets and usual treats like churros, visiting the Sabatini Gardens was awe-inspiring. Following a Neoclassical style, the gardens had well-trimmed hedges and trees in symmetric geometrical patterns that look like a maze! The garden, which was adorned with a pool, statues and fountains, are part of the Royal Palace in Madrid. I enjoy being in green spaces during my trips so spending an afternoon just walking around was so relaxing.

My week in sunny Spain away from the chilly winter in UK was filled with beautiful memories of learning more about the country and trying their local cuisine. It also allowed me to catch up with a dear friend I rarely get to see and made me appreciate how much we’ve grown as individuals. The trip was a perfect way to end the year and reflect on the past year, 2018, before ushering in the new year!

Iffah Azman : 23 Mar 2019 15:14 |  Comments (0) |  Report a problem