Tag: travelblogger

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Sagrada Familia

The Basilica Sagrada Familia (Holy Family Basilica) in Barcelona is the most over-the-top cathedral in the world. And it’s still under construction!

Designed mostly by the inimitable Antoni Gaudí, it is Seussian on the exterior and equally fascinating inside. The way Gaudí plays with light with the stained-glass windows boggles the senses with its natural exuberance. Don’t miss it if you travel to Barcelona! And make sure you go to the Passion Tower. (Stay through the video to the end, and you’ll enjoy a concert in the bell tower.)

We also discovered a couple of hidden museums in the bowels of the basilica, and even a bust of the architect, Gaudí.

The guided tour with the tower included cost about 40 euros each, which included an English-language audio tour and a trip up one of the towers. There are cheaper options available, and we did leave the tour and just use the audio guide, which was more our style. We spent at least three hours there.

TIP: Reserve your tickets well in advance of your trip, because the Basilica is very popular and sells out. And it’s best to buy them directly from the cathedral’s website, because other distributors jack up the prices.

INFO

Basilica de la Sagrada Familia
Map

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Flamenco is Weird

Everywhere you go in Madrid, you are inundated with opportunities to see a flamenco show. Various fliers, posters, and websites describe it as “a world-famous Spanish tradition,” “upbeat,” and “iconic.”

Bob would describe flamenco as “scary as f**king sh*t.”

Maybe it’s because we saw it in a cave. Come watch the show with us and tell us what you think of flamenco!

Photos

Info

An Introduction to Flamenco
Info 
Essential Flamenco
Map

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Riding Lisbon’s Famous Tram 28

No trip to Lisbon is complete without a ride on iconic Tram 28, an old-fashioned tram that takes you through the city’s most famous neighborhoods in a vehicle so narrow it almost brushes the historic buildings.

The classic yellow trams retain original 1930s features like brass dials and polished wood interiors. It squeezes in and out of unimaginably narrow alleys.

It’s a great introduction to the city, and a unique experience no one should miss!

Info
Map

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Taking a Tour to Sintra, Portugal

Bob took a bus tour to Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage site north of Lisbon, Portugal, that hosts the National Palace and many other magnificent 19th and 20th century royal residences in the Romantic style. Come along and find out what is special about this charming coastal town.

Sintra is a pioneer work of European romanticism, bringing together incredible botanical richness and a diversity of monuments and buildings from a long period of history. Bob’s favorite was a deep, winding stone well called the Quinta de Regaleira.

INFO

An Independent Guide to Sintra
Sites and Attractions in Sintra
UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sintra
Map

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Hamlet in Prague

We went to a fascinating art exhibition called “To Be or Not To Be” the Clam-Gallas Palace in Prague’s Old Town. The first is called Hamlet, and the bust is a study of the contrast and struggle between life and death. The last image in this series has the names of the artists.

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Paratrooper Heroes in Prague

We just visited a Czech Orthodox cathedral where seven Czechoslavakian paratroopers hid after assassinating Himmler’s sadistic right-hand man, Reinhard Heydrich, in Operation Anthropoid in 1942.

They resisted proudly but paid with their lives, as did their collaborators and many others. The attack set off a wave of far-reaching recriminations . I have never seen such courage on display.

Don’t miss this free museum when you are in Prague! Learn more at https://prague.eu/en/objevujte/national-monument-to-the-heroes-of-the-heydrich-terror-narodni-pamatnik-hrdinu-heydrichiady/

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Lisbon: Boat Tour on the Tagus River

Lisbon’s lovely Tagus River beckoned, so of course Bob hopped on a boat! He was a little underwhelmed.

It was a fine tour, nothing spectacular. Bob enjoyed a relaxing couple of hours seeing Lisbon’s main monuments, such as the 25th of April Bridge, Praça do Comércio, and the Tower of Belém, among many others. The one-and-a-half-hour round-trip tour cost 26 euros, or about $28 US. You can also choose to go just one way for less.

We don’t recommend it if your time in Lisbon is short.

Info:

Portugal
Lisbon
Tagus River Boat Tour

Map

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