Easter Week in Spain, 2023
A few weeks ago we spent our spring break traveling through Spain! It was a whirlwind, but it was great. 9 days, 4 cities, and only 1 carry on. This trip was extra special and had been a long time coming - my partner Patrick had planned to go in 2020 but it was of course canceled due to the pandemic. Now, years later, we took the trip together as a sort of pre-wedding honeymoon. So, I’d like to think it all worked out like that for a reason!
I had never been to Spain before and relished all the amazing architecture, food, and music we encountered. We flew into Madrid, then took a train south to see Seville and Granada. We were most excited to see southern Spain with all the ancient Arabic influences there. The Real Alcazar of Seville and the Alhambra in Granada are the must-see architectural gems; giant palaces that were once Moorish, then Catholic, with mind blowing mosaics, domed ceilings, serene courtyards and sprawling gardens. The geometric tiling was awe inspiring and the gears in my brain are slowly working out how to incorporate that inspiration into my own creative processes. Other highlights in Seville include watching a flamenco dancer at the beautiful Plaza de España, surrounded by water, and the giant modern installation dubbed the Setas, or mushrooms, of Seville. In Granada, we most enjoyed exploring the hilly Albaicín neighborhood we were staying in, where pretty much every cobblestone street was picturesque and offered amazing views of the looming red Alhambra towers. Of course I had to do a little shopping as well, buying some traditional suede Menorquina sandals (similar here) as well as a silk manton - the fringed, embroidered shawl probably made most famous by Stevie Nicks :)
After the southern part of our journey we took a short flight up to Barcelona where we visited numerous sites of Gaudi’s architectural work including Park Güell and of course La Familia Sagrada, walked down the bustling shopping street La Rambla, and quickly toured the giant covered market La Boqueria where I bought some saffron and paella seasoning. It was insanely crowded at these touristy spots so the more enjoyable parts of our stay came from lovely sidewalk tapas and strolling around lesser known streets while taking in the amazing non-Gaudi architecture, much of which was beautiful Art Nouveau work. A delightful surprise came from stumbling upon this hilarious shop of pooping figurines that is apparently a beloved Catalan tradition. I love learning about the weird little parts of a culture like that.
After our short stint in Barcelona we took the high speed rail back to Madrid where we would fly back home from. When we had first arrived we had seen the Plaza Mayor and the big royal palace, so on this return to the city we focused more on the giant beautiful El Retiro park and the Prado Museum. It was quite warm and we were fully tired by this point, so we only saw a fraction of the Prado’s giant renaissance collection. If you visit, do it when you are full of energy! It could easily take most of a day. Or, focus on the areas dedicated to Goya, Rubens, and Bosch (The Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch is wonderfully insane.) The park could also take up a whole day of leisurely wandering, parrot feeding, busker watching, and vermouth drinking. Definitely my highlight for Madrid.
We love to watch travel shows before we go anywhere and I definitely recommend the Spain episode of Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown. He visits during Semana Santa, or Holy Week, which coincidentally is when we were there as well. This was probably the most fascinating part of our trip - thousands of people dressed up and gathering to watch the procession of religious ‘floats’ carrying statues of Jesus and Mary that are hundreds of years old, carried on foot for hours through narrow streets. It gave the whole trip an extra layer of magic. Definitely a unique experience that I’ll probably never encounter again in my life!
All photos copyright Maris Kaplan & Patrick Richards, 2023
