Bilbao

Attractions
There are many attractions in Bilbao but the Plaza Nueva, the Guggenhiem Museum and the Casco Viejo are some the top attractions there are to see.
 The Plaza Nueva was built in 1821 and is called the New Square because of the existing Plaza Vieja (Old Square). Squares were enclosed by buildings and were entered by arches. In the arches there are gift shops, restaurants and taverns and the square is used each Sunday to host markets with stalls selling books, coins, stamps, birds and flowers. It is also used for festivals, concerts and folk demonstrations.

The Guggenheim Museum is a beautiful piece of architecture but it also has some of the best contemporary and modern art in the area. It was opened in 1997 and it was made out of limestone, glass and titanium. Bilbao was one of Spain’s largest ports and a place for manufacturing and shipping but in the 1980’s the government decided to reshape the city into a more modern and cultural city. This included an airport and a footbridge. It also meant that the Guggenhiem was refurbished in 1992. In 1997 a dinner and reception was attended by international guests and Spain’s Queen and King to celebrate its reopening.

 The Casco Viejo is a medieval part of the city which was walled off until the 19th century. Some of the names of this area mean the seven streets, which is the total number of streets it has. The Casco Viejo is the oldest part of the city with lots of narrow alleys connecting the streets. It is very colourful and has many shops and taverns. It is also home to some historical churches, a large food market and the Arriaga Theatre.

 They are all very unique and special places with their own styles and histories which makes this an interesting city to visit.

Arte

Hay muchos bellas artes en Bilbao y son muy conocidos. El Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao es en el medio de Bilbao. Es uno de lo más grande y más ricos museos fuera de Madrid. Muestra arte de la edad media a contmporánea. Algunas de sus artistas son El Greco, Cranach, Murillo y Van Dyck. Tiene más de seis mil obras incluyendo pinturas, esculturas, obras sobre papel y artes aplicadas.  El Guggenheim Museo de Bilbao es un museo de arte modern y contmporánea. Es diseñado por Frank Gehry y construido en 1997. Que costo 89 mil dòlar y aproximadamente 5,000 residentes asisterieron a la aperture. Son ambos bellas artes museos.

Seville

World heritage sites

The three world heritage sites in Seville are all linked as being major artefacts of the civilization of Christian Andalusia. They are the Cathedral, Alcazar and Archivo de Indias. They are all directly linked to the New World, discovered by Christopher Columbus.
His body is buried in the cathedral and it is the largest Gothic building in Europe. It is a glorious, imposing basilica with a beautiful tower. It was built over a mosque. From the tower the view over the city is amazing. Some of the main attractions are the golden altar piece and the paintings by Murillo.

The main part of the Alcazar was constructed by the Moslem governor as a palace in the 10th century. It is now used as a residence for the Spanish Royal family in Seville. Since the early middle ages it has been built and rebuilt up till this day. It is a strange mix of lots of different century’s architectural styles. It now has many different buildings, baths, gardens, courtyards, pools and tapestries. In the summer there are a number of events and concerts on in the gardens and courtyards. Some of the rooms still have original colours in the plaster and it is furnished to the time period it was built in. The gardens are amazing to explore as well as sit and relax in.

The Archivo de Indias was built in the 16th century and was used as a stock exchange but now has over 40, 000 maps and documents in relation to the New World. It was designed by Juan de Herrera and is a perfect example of the Spanish Renaissance architecture. A number of plans for the exploration of Latin America were made here and documents of the success of these colonies are able to be viewed.

Mercados

Hay muchos mercados en Seville especialmente en el verano. La Cosa allí vendía ropa, regalos, alimentos y mucho más. Mucho es en plazas y calles pero algunos es dentro. El Jueves es uno de los más antiguos mercados en Seville. Se vende cosecha cosas y tiene allí hace cien años. Es ahora muy atestado (de gente) y muy interesante. Mercadillo de Pintura es al lado de Museo de Bellas Artes. Artistas locales vienen a vender sus obras de arte y ellos son muy buenos. Hay ambos normalmente los domingos por las mañanas y son muy hermosos.

Bareclona

Food

The Spanish take food very seriously and are planning their next meal in the meal before that. For example planning dinner while at lunch. To eat like a local it’s worth visiting some of the restaurants on the outskirts of the city, known as the barrio. 

The Spanish eat their meals quite late with little snacks in-between. They normally start the morning with coffee and a snack. One of the top rated cafes in Barcelona is the Ll Forno. It is in the middle of the city and well known for its amazing service and quality food.  

The Spanish eat their meals quite late with little snacks in-between. They normally start the morning with coffee and a snack. One of the top rated cafes in Barcelona is the Ll Forno. It is in the middle of the city and well known for its amazing service and quality food. 

To then tide you over until a late dinner the best place to go is the La Boqueria. These markets have existed on this site since 1217 and the building that the market is in now was made in 1840. It is filled with amazing smells and colours of all the different foods for a very reasonable price. 

Then around 8 or 9 o’clock head to La Cholita. This is a very friendly and fun restaurant with amazing Spanish food. It is small which means that there is more of a local feel to it.  

Barcelona is full of amazing people with great rich and enjoyable meals. Food is a big part of their lives and from a very young age they are learning their own family recipes and dishes.  The food is delicious and it will be easy to find something you like as well as enjoying new experiences.

Grandes Eventos

Barcelona es una moderna ciudad con muchos grandes eventos. Uno grand evento se llama Festa Major, en la Gràcia distrito.  Es en el verano para una semana. El distrito es decora, hay música en vivo y muchas cosas que hacer en la plazas. Otro grande evento es la Merce Festival, hay música en vivo, un carnaval, fuegos artificiales y artistas callejeras. Esto se lleva a cabo en principal ciudad y la mayor plaza.  La Laia se lleva en febrero y es para los niños. ¡Hay muchas actividades para los niños incluso un fuego correr!

Granada

History

Granada has been occupied from 5500BC and has been under the rule of Roman, Visigothic and Muslim rulers. In 1238 Granada was officially called the Emirate of Granada under the rule of the Nasrids who were the longest lasting Muslim dynasty. 

A historical site that was made by the Nasrids was the Alhambra which was strategically placed so that it looks across the whole city which is a must see site. The rule of Granada changed in 1492 on January 2 when the last Muslim leader for the region, Emir Muhammad XII, surrendered Granada to Ferdinand II and Isabella I who were known as Los Reyes Catolicos (the catholic monarchs). 

 Both of their bodies are kept in the Royal Chapel in Granada along with their daughter, her husband and their oldest grandson. Part of the surrender treaty was that all the Muslim inhabitants of the city could stay and continue their culture and faith rituals. 

By 1499 the ruler had grown tired of the Muslim inhabitants and wanted them to migrate. The first archbishop of Granada, Ferando de Talavera forced non-Christians to get baptised and convert to Christianity. This caused a revolt by the Muslims in the Alpujarras region in the southwest of the city. The response to this revolt in 1501 was to repeal the treaty and say that all of Granada’s Muslims must convert to the Christian faith or emigrate.

The Jews in the same city were already forced to convert because of the threat of expulsion or even execution and they were called Marranos (pig in Spanish). Many Muslims moved to North Africa but the majority converted and stayed in the city. 

Over the 6th century Granada became more and more catholic and the cities mosques were either turned into churches or destroyed. The new buildings like the cathedrals changed the urban landscape with their unique architecture. From the Alhambra this all can be seen with it’s amazing views of the city.

Parque de las Ciencias

El parque sólo es quince minutos a caminar del centro. Hay exposiciónes del cuerpo, mecánica, física, química y geología. El parque es lleno de flores, pájaros, mariposas y laberintos. El pabellón es para filósofos, ingenieros y científicos de Al-Andalus. Hay un restaurante y una tienda de regalos a la salida. Es excelente para los niños por la tecnología y la diversion educaciónal. El planetarion es asombros con más de ciento diez proyectores y muestra siete mil estrellas. Los espacios naturales y pabellónes son hermosos, sobre el medio ambiente y protección de ellos.