Lisbon – The Queen Of The Sea

Perched on the edge of the Atlantic, Lisbon is not only a city with an exciting history dating back to the Roman and Phoenician Empires, but boasts a modern vibrant culture. Lisbon is a global city as it is an important finance, commerce, arts, international trade and tourism hub. The metropolitan area of this capital city actually houses a whopping one-third of the country’s population.

One of the many pedestrian walkways of Lisbon

Of course, my only point of reference for Portugal before visiting in 2007 was Brazil. Silly, I know but there are some very interesting similarities to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo – besides the fact they speak Portuguese (wink wink). When you walk along the many pedestrian walkways and preciously manicured sidewalks, it doesn’t take much to imagine these same patterns that decorate the boardwalk of world famous Copacabana beach. Another common misconception is that Portugal as a whole is just an extension of its Iberian neighbour.

The city centre is quite packed in – for lack of a better explanation – and the advantage of this is that the main touristy locations are a short walk away from each other. There really is no better method to get a better sense of life in the capital. The churches are prime examples of a rich architectural history if you happen to overlook the Roman walls. The Sé Cathedral of Lisbon dates back to the Reconquista in 12^th Century and the Castelo São Jorge uses foundations from the Roman Empire but was originally erected in the 11^th Century, just to mention a couple of examples.

One of my favourite sites is the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, an immense Manueline-style monastery named after Saint Jerome, the patron saint of translators. This was very fitting as at the time since I was a translator and interpreter (as opposed to an “interpretator” which I am not sure exactly what they do). The building is lavishly decorated, as it was once a Royal funerary during Spanish occupation, noticeable by the many tombs (I have a keen eye for detail). Vasco de Gama is also buried here for all you discovery nuts!

The Monument to the Discoveries and the monastery of Saint Jerome in the background

Walking along the Tagus River, there are two more pieces of eye candy. The more obvious one (you’ll know what I mean when you go there or if you have been there) is the Golden Gate Bridge’s sister, the 25^th of April Bridge, connecting each end of the bay. The second, another personal favourite, is the Monument to the Discoveries, a proud display of heroic Portuguese ventures across the mean seas on raggedy boats. Discover this true sovereign of the Atlantic… I highly recommend it!

Barcelona – The City of Counts

My first trip to Barcelona was a recon mission. I was interested in taking a year to study abroad and like a proper investor, I consider research paramount to decision-making. I had done extensive research on Political Science programs offered in Europe prior to taking one giant leap across the pond and was impressed with the quality of higher learning the Universitat Pompeu Fabra had to offer.

Evening view from Montjuic

Barcelona is Spain’s second largest city, a major player driving the economy and it is a neat cultural hub. It is the beating heart of a completely different nation from the others within the borders of the Kingdom of Spain. Its truly distinct elegance and culture are infectious and you will soon be adopting words like “si us plau”. Mauro, an Argentine friend I made over there, probably said it best: “When you walk around this city it feels like you are travelling through time.”

Plaça Catalunya, a majestic city square wearing fountains and gardens like a royal sovereign, is considered by the locals as the centre of this metropolis. It is the place where old – el barri gòtic – meets new – l’Eixample. The city’s main thoroughfares meet in an organized embrace around this square, leading the Catalan out into the extremities of its jurisdiction whizzing past the many unique architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domenech i Montaner considered World Heritage sites.

The gothic quarter is by far one of the better-preserved historic centres I have visited. It doesn’t require much creative visualization to imagine life in 12^th Century, if it weren’t for the stylish Catalan people on the mobile phones and the legions of tourists snapping pictures. You will find the Cathedral of Barcelona continues to be a vibrant religious sanctuary as you make your way through the tight streets like Carrer del Bisbe Irurita.

Carrer del Bisbe Irurita, Gothic Quarter

Barcelona provides variety, so you are guaranteed to find something just for you. For your dining purposes, you can have traditional Spanish meals, world-class cooking or even Macdonald’s  - no Catalan would be caught there unless if it is for an ice cream. On Passeig de Gràcia, there are infinite shopping options that will leave you in tears when you check your bank account balance. Don’t forget to visit Camp Nou to take a tour of the Barça museum or if you are lucky, catch a clásico against Real Madrid.

Malaga – A Needle in a Haystack

Everyone has their own way of describing their friends and proceed to using labels, such as “best” to truly define and differentiate each specific relationship. When it comes to friends, I don’t often consider the time we have been friends. Easy for me to say as I have a long history of moving. Friends are those who stick around, regardless of distance and circumstances, which is where Alejandro fits in.

On that same trip to España, Alejandro and I travelled together from Seville to Malaga, one of Spain’s many coastal cities receiving hordes of tourists in search for a beach. That time of the season generally sees many British, German and other Northern Europeans looking to escape from the cold grip of Old Man Winter. In Canada, we tend to call those people Snow Birds, but let’s call these, Tundra Vikings.

Again, Malaga was not a city I was incredibly familiar with. Alejandro on the other hand, visited frequently as he had cousins and uncles living in the city. Another of his uncles, this time on his mother’s side, left us with his apartment for our long weekend, which was ideal to cover as much as we could of the city on foot. This is the best way to really take in most European cities, as their radius is much smaller than those in North America due to the demand of family homes in the suburbs.

Malaga in March (sounds like a Hemingway novel) is a relatively quiet place. Alejandro and I walked the waterfront, looking for his favourite restaurant: El Palo. We literally walked all the way across town to the end of the beach, probably a good 10 kilometers, which under the hot sun (28 degrees or so) felt more like 900 clicks. Most of the culinary treasures are seafood, and most of it is deep fried, but still fantastic.

Malaga is known for some Picasso Museums, it is bull-fighting central and while we visited, they had Spain’s cinematic awards. Malaga has earned a special place in Spain’s modern culture, evolved into a key tourist destination on the Costa del Sol and is a small Mecca for high tech. All of the history from the Roman and Carthaginian Empires with a blend of Moor makes it a true gem on the Mediterranean.

Let The Holy Week Begin!

New York City may have picked up the nickname, the city that never sleeps, Rio de Janeiro is known for its Carnaval and Kentucky for its fried chicken, but Seville is definitely in a league of its own when it comes to Holy Week. Sure, some people may be thinking that religion is not “groovy” anymore, but many of our traditions find their roots in our spiritual heritage, such as the Semana Santa de Sevilla, one of Spain’s most amazing celebrations.

Holy Week kicks off on Palm Sunday (today) and ends on Easter Domingo. Seville definitely gives this week a truly unique and special spin unlike any other town. During this week-long celebration, visitors and residents in the city have the privilege of observing a unique tradition that can be traced back hundreds of years. The procession of pasos, massive floats with sculptures detailing events of the Passion and other interesting religious characters we have grown to respect throughout our upbringing come out of the woodwork to delight us all.

The processions are organized by hermandades (religious brotherhoods). As these groups march through the tiny streets of the city centre, members precede the pasos dressed in penitential robes and in some cases, their attire includes curious hoods. For those of us growing up with Hollywood blasting out of our living room television set, we find a similarity to those infamous Klu Klux Klan ruffians, aside from the different colour of the wardrobe. These processions can have a neighbourhood brass band trailing alongside them and locals throw flower petals at the passers-by. Spaniards are truly musical and festive people.

The route that these processions follow move along a designated path, starting from their home churches and chapels, all the way to the Cathedral in the casco antiguo. The Cathedral of Seville is one of the largest in Europe, if not the biggest of them all. Even the neighbourhoods on the outskirts of the city actually make the trip, hauling their heavy floats and return them to their home parish. Their run can last up to 14 hours so I am sure those men must be in fantastic shape as they pay their yearly homage to Christianity and tradition.

The processions conclude early Easter Sunday morning. I suppose there aren’t any bunnies leaving chocolate shaped droppings for little Spanish kids to enjoy. The most important night is Thursday, when the most popular processions arrive at the Cathedral to tip off Good Friday under faint dawn sunlight. If you have the time, do arrive early, pick a spot and camp out to enjoy this amazing way of celebrating Semana Santa. ¡Olé!

Valencia, The Orange Blossom Coast

During my Spain trip in 2007, I visited Valencia in the company of my good friend Alejandro. He was kind enough to take some leave from work during my vacation and his uncle was generous enough to open the door of his home to us. All I knew before heading over was that it was Spain’s third largest city, it sports a great football club and that their oranges are delicious – although most Valencia oranges I have ever had were from Florida.

Little did I know that we were actually arriving in time for the Falles (pronounced Fah-yahs), a wonderful traditional celebration involving every single barrio of the city. Every city intersection seemed to be involved in the event. The people honour Saint Joseph building magnificent monuments out of a papier maché material that can be as tall as a five storey building. A number of towns in the Comunitat hold similar celebrations, but the capital of the region inspired the original tradition.

The neighbourhoods have divided themselves into groups over generation, holding fundraising activities often featuring Spain’s most famous dish, the paella. The principal simple ingredient is rice bathed in water with a tinge of saffron and can have a mix of various delightful additions: chicken, artichoke, chorizo, seafood… the sky is the limit. During the festival, you can find scattered throughout the downtown core of the city numerous tables to enjoy Valencia’s finest cooking. ¡Moltes gràcies!

The Valencianos are fond of this tradition and it is observed almost as a national holiday lasting about a week. If you arrive here during this time, you may mistake the city’s ambient sounds for those of a civil war or shoot out, as you will hear firecrackers and fireworks blowing off at all hours of the day. This is not a time for a meditative trance and you are guaranteed to lose quite a bit of sleep. The purpose is to be out and visit these magnificent effigies.

The closing ceremonies include people dancing in traditional outfits and people climbing on top of each other, forming a human pyramid, decorating a three-storey wreath with colourful flowers. After this is completed, the statues are burnt while everyone cheers. I was explained that the statues represent what the Valencianos dislike about society and burning them releases the troubles of the past. I suggest large quantities of Red Bull to get the most out of the trip! ¡Amunt Valencia!