Spain

1. Although the exact dates of origin of Catalonia are not clear, Emperor Charlemagne is widely credited for establishing the first Catalan counties centered on fortresses at the edge of the Muslim-ruled Iberian peninsula. They later unified as Catalonia in 1162. Barcelona was actually one of them. Following the death of Charlemagne, Catalonia merged with the kingdom of Aragon. It was brought closer to Spain when Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon married in 1649. Until the 18th century, Catalonia maintained its own identity, language and political institutions. Following which, Catalonia backed two losing sides in wars that ensued, first Hapsburgs and then Republicans which completely changed the trajectory of their path to self determination. The Bourbons and the Fascists retaliated by repressing the Catalonian identity. It was only after the second World War that General Francisco Franco relented a bit to help the Catalan culture grow and finally the democratic transition greatly helped the Catalan cause.

2. The Gothic Quarter is the cultural hub of Barcelona. It’s well preserved medieval era buildings make it special. The most important of all is the magnificent gothic Cathedral of Barcelona. It is a stunning piece of architecture dedicated to Eulalia, the co-patron saint of Barcelona. It is also the seat of Archbishop of Catalonia. Iglesia de Santa Maria del Pí and Iglesia de Santa Maria del Mar are other Gothic churches know for their rich facades and stained glass windows. La Rambla is a treelined street that forms the border of the Gothic quarter and connects it to the defacto city center,Plaça Catalunya. I found it to be a tourist trap. My experience was ruined by a failed pickpocket attempt. Apparently, it is one of the hotbeds of pickpocketing in western Europe. It was the brazenness of the attempt that bothered me the most.

3. Outside the old city, Barcelona has a very distinct building pattern. It wasn’t always like that. In order to cope with the growing population in the middle of the 19th century, principles of urban planning were applied to create the modern day Barcelona. The brain child behind all of this was Ildefons Cerda, an Catalan architect. He proposed a larger planned city by combining the old city of Barcelona and a few adjacent towns. As part of his research on ideal urban living conditions for the citizens of the city, Cerda conceived a unique urban building pattern. He aimed to create hundreds of small communities with clean air and enclosed garden spaces while allowing easy access and navigation for goods to be transported across the city. The newly built city extension (Eixample) was characterized by long straight streets, a strict grid pattern crossed by wide avenues, and octagonal city blocks – rectangular blocks with the corners cut off.

4. The city’s architecture is dominated by the creations of Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi was a son of the soil. He was born in Catalonia and studied architecture in Barcelona. He gained prominence for his modernista works in the late 19th century. Eusebi Güell, a local mogul commissioned some of his best work – Park Guell, Guell Palace, Guell paviollios and Colonia Guell. Park Guell is a popular tourist attraction. The architectural elements are quirky and unique. It felt like a modernist wonderland designed with a playful elegance. The Sagrada Familia Church is truly one of a kind wherein Gaudi has challenged the traditional architectural paradigms of a Catholic church. Gaudi took over from architect Villar in 1883 and worked on it until his death in 1926. It was said to only 20% complete at that time. Further interruptions during Spanish civil war and the destruction of the original Gaudi designs slowed the construction of the church. It still remains incomplete till date.

Park Guell

5. Football Club Barcelona is an integral part of the city’s identity. It’s fans are among the most passionate in the world. During the playing season, experiencing a Barca match is a must even for non-football fans. Camp Nou stadium tour is worth it for fans and non-fans alike. The stadium is the largest one in Europe with a capacity of 100,000.

6. At its heart, Barcelona is a beach town. So, it manages to maintain a relaxed vibe despite being a busy city otherwise. There is a beach for everyone. The younger crowd congregates at Barcelonata and Sant Sebastia for their endless entrainment and people watching opportunities. Barcelonata has a very South beach vibe to it. Bogatell, Mar Bella and Nova Marbella beaches are relatively quieter and mostly preferred by an older demographic.

7. Barcelona has a gazillion tapas places that serve the typical dishes like Spanish Tortilla, Patatas Bravas and Crema Catalana. It has also co-opted some regional dishes like Paella (originally from Valencia), Pa amb tomàquet and made it its own. Bombas (potato croquettes) is one dish that is steeped in Catalan history. It is made to resemble crude bombs used by anarchists in early 1900s. However, the city truly shines in its innovative culinary offerings centered around molecular gastronomy pioneered by Ferran Adria of the legendary El Bulli (closed in 2011). Molecular Gastronomy allows chefs to reconstruct known flavors in playful ways. Some common techniques used are flash freezing, dehydrating, foams and sous vide cooking. Disfrutrar and Tickets are more accessible versions from the El Bulli alumni who still want to keep the movement alive.

1. The origins of Seville data back to the 8th century BC when it was an island on Guadalquivir river. It was called Hisbaal by the Phoenicians and by the Tartessians who predated Romans on the Iberian peninsula. It later flourished as a market and an industrial center under the Romans and was referred to as Hispalis. The Moors(Muslim rulers from the Barbary coast) conquered Hispalis in 712 and made it the capital of the Cordoba Caliphate which was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty who had their origins in Mecca. The Muslim rule continued under the Almoravid and Almohad dynasties who were both from North Africa. King Ferdinand of Castile led the conquest of Andalusia in 1247 and finally took over Sevilla after a 15 month long siege.

2. 500 years of Moorish rule left a lasting impression on Seville. Most notably, in terms of architecture referred to as Mujedar art. It was characterized by ornamental elements like calligraphy, intricate geometry and vegetal forms. The term Mujedar was used to refer to Muslims who remained after the Christian reconquest. The most notable example of Mujedar art can be seen at the Alcazar of Sevilla. Alcazars were residential fortresses built by the Moorish kings but the Christian kings like Pedro I, Isabella and Fernando embraced the architecture style and built their own palaces in the complex. The patios and gardens in the Alcazar complex are absolutely breathtaking. Filled with verdant trees, orchards and fragrant flowers, these gardens also serviced the needs of the royal kitchen.

3. Seville Cathedral was commissioned to celebrate Sevilla’s growing wealth and power after the Reconquista led by King Ferdinand. Upon inauguration, it became the largest Gothic church in world. So, every characteristic of Gothic architecture like large stained glass windows, vaulted ceilings, pointed arches, ornate decorations can be found in abundance. However, it was built on top of the Almohad mosque which was christianized after the Reconquista. So, some of those aspects have survived. The mosque’s courtyard was converted to a stunning tree lined courtyard called Patio de los Naranjos. The mosque’s minaret was extended and made into a bell tower called Giraldi.

4. Plaza de Espana is one of the iconic buildings in Spain. Believe it or not, it was built to host a trade fair, Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. The building consists of tall towers at both ends and a canal along its perimeter. Colorful tiles dedicated to each of the 49 provinces of Spain are embedded in the front facade of the building. Being adjacent to the city’s planned green belt in Maria Luisa park, it is an easy stop for a great photo-op.

5. Bull fighting seemed to have been derived from gladiator contests from Roman times. But it not only managed to survive but also thrive in Iberia. Moors, Catholic, Bourbons all banned bull fighting under their rule but eventually relented and let the tradition continue. Costillares, a bullfighter from Sevilla is considered the father of modern day bullfighting which is staged as performance as much as a blood sport. Incidentally, he was also one of the first performers at the Plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza in Seville. Maestranza is an impressive bull ring with a capacity of 12,000. The color palette (yellow, white,brown) of the ring is also aesthetically pleasing. The ring is worth a visit even outside of the fighting season which runs from March to October.

6. Flamenco is a beautiful art form that is a combination of guitar music and an evocative dance performance. Known to have originated from the nomadic Roma tribe, flamenco is now an important part of Andalusian identity. The high pitched strumming by the guitarist combined with the intense dance moves with foot stomping and clapping can propel the audience through a wide range of emotions. There are a number of performance centers in Sevilla but the shows at Museo del Baile Flamenco are both intimate and affordable.

7. Food was simple, local and seasonal. A lot of dishes centered around beans, cheese and cod fish. More than standalone restaurants, bars were the place to grab a meal. They were happy to serve tapas as full plates on request. On the sweeter side, Bar Del Comercio serves solid churros con chocolate but the Fiorentina Heladeria is known for their Andalusian ice-cream flavors. My favorite flavor was the roasted chestnut which is also a popular street food in this region.