Looking Back at Our Trip to the Beautiful City of Granada, Spain

On September 9, 2021September 9, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Spain3 Comments

Located at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Granada is a wonderful city located in southern Spain. For obvious reasons, the Alhambra Palace is a definite highlight of a visit to Granada, but there is more to see than just the fortress and palace. The narrow streets, beautiful cathedral, the Royal Chapel, and restaurants and stores make visiting the city worth at least a couple of days in order to see it adequately. The city is very walkable, although many of the narrow streets can be quite steep, so feel free to stop at a local bistro for a quick break to enjoy a glass of Spanish wine.

With an elevation over 2,400 feet (730 meters) above sea level and with roads that crawl up the sides of the Sierra Nevada mountains, there are wonderful views of the city from several vantage points. Some of the best are from the walls of Alhambra, but there are many from neighborhoods as well. Even though the panoramic views are amazing, the best views can be found by walking the side streets and discovering some of the many restaurants and shops that the city has to offer. One of our favorite streets wrapped itself along the sides of Alhambra and provided a different view of the fortress.

Looking Up at Alhambra from the Street Below

When planning a trip to Granada, or southern Spain in general, one should be prepared to be on a relaxing schedule. No one is in a hurry and even though the temperatures can be more mild than other parts of the region, people still go out for walks late into the evening. Granada is located about an hour’s drive from the coast and an hour and a half from the city of Malaga. It was closer to a four and a half hour drive from where we stayed in Estepona. It was certainly worth taking the time to get there. If you intend to go to Alhambra, as you definitely should, be sure to buy your tickets well in advance as they do sell out up to six to eight weeks ahead of time.

Walking a Narrow Street Near the Alhambra Complex

We really enjoyed our time in Granada and it was one of our favorite memories of the region. We also spent time in Seville as well as Ronda, but seeing Alhambra in Granada is a memory of a lifetime. We spent several days in Granada, making our time there very relaxing and enjoying many different restaurants with wonderful food.

Iconic Skylines and Cityscapes Around the World

On June 21, 2021June 21, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn BloggingLeave a comment

Traveling the world, there are places that you visit where the view of the skyline is entrenched in your memory. As soon as you see it in a picture or in a movie, you immediately know exactly where you are. It is amazing how the simple image of a cityscape can suddenly transport your mind back to a location and the sights, sounds, and even aromas are almost tangible in your mind. It helps that almost every major city has a location with an observation deck that allows you to get high above the city in order to see it in all of its grandeur. Whether viewing Paris from the Eiffel Tower or looking out at the skyscrapers of New York City from the top of the Empire State Building, the views will forever take you back to that moment when you first visited the city.

Empire State Building from the Top of the Rock in New York City

View from Piazzale de Michelangelo in Florence

How can one not see the Duomo in Florence and not immediately be transported to that amazing city. One glimpse of the Parliament Building in Budapest and you will find yourself standing on the walls of the Buda Castle District. Sometimes it is the view of the towers of a gothic cathedral like in Cologne and other times it is the uniqueness of the city landscape like seeing the canals of Amsterdam. Regardless of what it is that draws your eyes, these iconic views can bring back that sense of awe that you first experienced when visiting a location.

Arc de Triomphe in Paris from the Eiffel Tower

There are other times when it isn’t just the city, but the surrounding area that makes a cityscape iconic. Whether it is the ruggedness of a city sprawling on the hillsides like those of La Paz, the lush jungles surrounding Panama City, Panama, or even the peaks of Colorado looming over the city of Denver, these views make each location unique. Just like we can never pick a favorite travel location, we can also never pick a favorite skyline. Each are special in their own ways and will always remind us of our visit when we see their images on the screen.

View of the Roman Forum and Colosseum from the Rooftop

Bratislava Castle in Slovakia

On June 15, 2021June 15, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Slovakia5 Comments

Sitting on the hill above the city of Bratislava is the historic Bratislava Castle, the Bratislavský hrad in Slovak. The original castle dates back to the 13th century, but it was obviously modified many times over the centuries. By the early 1800’s, the castle was in a state of deterioration and was being used by the military for barracks. It was also damaged more during the world wars, but in 1953 the decision was made to restore the castle to its former glory and it is now a popular tourist site within the capital city of Bratislava.

We visited the Bratislava Castle in May, so the gardens were just beginning to bloom, but we can certainly can imagine what they must look like in the summer months. The castle itself is a rectangular building with four towers, one on each corner. Although there is apparently only a single window left from the original building, the castle is still quite beautiful. We spent about an hour walking the grounds and enjoying the wonderful views of the city below. There is also a statue of King Svatopluk that was added to the courtyard in 2010, which apparently caused some controversy.

Bratislava Castle as Viewed from the War Memorial

The history of the region, with its importance to Hungary and then recent gain of independence, the Bratislava Castle is a source of pride to the people of Slovakia. It is an interesting theme that we found during our tour of Bratislava of how the castle and the city were a seat of power for Hungary for centuries, which obviously is a frustration for Slovakians, but at the same time the country has recognized the importance of this period as part of their own history. Add to that the other occupations, including that of the Soviet Union, and the country has overcome a variety of historical obstacles. Needless to say, any visit to Bratislava should include going to the castle that overlooks the city.