Andalucía – Exploring Southern Spain

Andalucía

the Andalucía region of SpainEarlier this year, we took a trip to the south of Spain, to visit Andalucía. This region is responsible for many of the stereotypes associated with Spain. E.g., flamenco, bullfighting, and the Moorish influenced architecture (it was under Moorish rule from the 8th-15th centuries). As we traveled though Andalucía, we began to feel a better sense of this amazing country. We saw olive orchards that seemed to go on forever. Green pastures with the famous fighting bulls (toro de lidia). Snowy mountains of the Sierra Nevada, with their views of the shore of northern Africa in the distance. Continue reading

4 Days in Madrid & Toledo

Last weekend was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception holiday in Spain, and we took advantage of the 4-day weekend to take a quick trip to Madrid. Thanks to the AVE high speed train, which goes up to 310 kph (192 mph), we made it from Valencia to Madrid in under 2 hours.

  • AVE high speed trains from the front in Madrid Spain
    High-speed AVE trains between Valencia and Madrid

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First Impressions

Plaza Ajuntamiento view from above
The view from our apartment in Valencia

We moved to Valencia about 2 months ago, so I thought I’d share some of my first impressions, both the good and the not so good. Keep in mind that we’ve only lived here for a short time, and much of that time has been spent finding an apartment, and setting up our household. We’ve been eating out a lot during this time, and since it was summer, TJ was not in school and we were working hard to try and keep him entertained. (Note: We now refer to our home in San Jose as “Home Sweet Home” and our apartment in Valencia as “Home”. It just makes it easier in conversation so we can distinguish one from the other). Continue reading