Another holiday season, another travel destination to choose. It was easier for us to choose a place to celebrate Christmas this year. We decided to leave behind the grey skies of Dublin and head South to get as much sun as possible in December. Plane tickets to the Canary Islands were too steep and we found decent tickets to Malaga so that’s where we decided to start. This week long trip started in Malaga and ended in Barcelona with a few nights in Seville in between. I’ve traveled to all three of these cities before but it was just as exciting to visit them again with Matt.
Having stayed on the outskirts of Malaga in my early twenties with a new Australian friend I met in Portugal, I knew I wanted to stay in city center to experience more of the city this time around. We actually arrived late on a Friday night and stayed in the airport hotel to avoid the hassle of getting to town and to take advantage of 24 hour hotel service for our late arrival. As soon as we stepped out of the airport we felt warmth on our skin. It only took me a few minutes to forget about the cold Fall weather and the damp of Ireland. My limbs felt lighter and my joints less stiff. My mind excited to not worry about whether or if I have enough layers on to stay warm when I go outside for the next week.
Our three days in Malaga were total bliss. Looking back I wish we would have split the trip between Malaga and Barcelona but hindsight is 20/20. We stayed in cute BnB right in city center which was very convenient but very noisy due to Spain’s nightlife which was to be expected. The Christmas lights were full on and the holiday cheer was in full swing. Families crowded the streets at most times of the day enjoying each other’s company and the tapas bars were packed with excited friends home for the holidays.
We spent our time walking the promenade at Malagueta beach, eating tapas, and cruising through the port. We went and marveled at Picasso for a few lovely hours, visited Malaga Cathedral, and walked up the steep path to Castillo de Gibralfaro to enjoy the view of the city and ocean. Malaga is a perfect, warm escape and we couldn’t get enough of the sun and seafood! We enjoyed eating at Casa Lola, El Merendero on the beach, and lots of iberico ham cones.
Seville ended up being a leg of the journey that we still have a hard time looking back on. We only got to be tourists for a day really before getting very ill. We ate our way around the neighborhood we were staying in and enjoyed tapas at a few different bars. We can’t say exactly where or what got us sick but it was definitely food poisoning. We managed to make it through a bike tour, barely! That was all we saw of Seville unfortunately…it was a painful Christmas Day. We were pretty much in agony trading turns for the bathroom for two days after our little tapas adventure. I’m glad we made our flight to Barcelona (again, barely!).
Barcelona…such a fun city! The food, the sun, the beaches, Sagrada Familia, the port. We absolutely loved this BnB we stayed in and highly recommend the Gothic Quarter for a place to stay in the city. It was close to the beaches, the port, and tons of great restaurants. We couldn’t believe the size and extravagance of some of the yachts tied up in the harbor for the winter.
After one more day of recovery, we were able to eat again. Our host gave us some recommendations and El Pachuco was by far the stand out. We are always down to try Mexican food no matter where we are and Pachuco did not disappoint. Salty, STRONG margaritas-check! Fatty, avocado filled tacos-check! Such a little gem in a semi seedy area where you’ll be lucky to find two stools. We also ate some amazing paella at La Fonda del Port Olympic.
Sagrada Familia is spectacular. Definitely the #1 must see in Barcelona for good reason. It’s one of a few places I’ve been in the world that brings tears of awe to my eyes. It’s hard to comprehend the exact feeling I get when I have a moment like this when I’m traveling but it always feels like a crystal clear moment in time where everything slows and I know in my bones I’ll remember the moment forever. I remember looking up at the incredibly high ceiling, pillars like trees reaching into what feels like the sky. The color, oh my, the stain glass colors. The reds, blues, purples, streaming through the windows. It was the second visit for me but it was just as memorable as the first. Thank you Gaudi. I can’t wait to go back and see the it completed someday.
