Statues in Spain.

Wherever you go in Spain you will always come across some quite strange and elaborate statues. The ones seen here were taken in various parts of Spain with the 1st one from Baiona in the province of Pontevedra.

The 2nd is taken in the tourist resort of Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol.

The 3rd photo stands in the port of Vigo, another town in the province of Pontevedra.

Seville Cathedral

One of the greatest sights in Seville is the Cathedral. These photos of the interior show just how lavishly its decorated, in some places with large quantities of gold. Construction began in 1402 on the site of a former mosque and was not completed until more than 100 yrs later. It was declared a national monument in 1928 and granted World Heritage status by UNESCO in 1987.

The area of the Cathedral covers 11,520 square mtrs and the central nave rises to 42 mts high, making this the largest church in the world- even larger than St Pauls in London and St Peters in Rome.

Port Bou

The small Catalan town of Port Bou is the last stop in Spain before reaching the nearby border with France. Because of the lower prices for certain goods in Spain, Port Bou is a very popular week-end destination for quite a few French. The local shops here cater for the visitors by selling the most sought after goods, mainly tobacco, cigarettes, alcohol and clothing. Some foodstuffs can also be bought for much less than in France.

Owing to the location of Port Bou in a valley it will always keep its small town status, and with an excellent train service to get you there its a very worthwhile place to visit for a few days break.

Barcelona

One of the picturesque narrow streets just off the Ramblas in Barceona. Walking through these is almost like going back in time!

Barcelona Market

While walking round the Spanish markets you can always be sure of seeing a wide variety of fresh exotic fruits and vegetables. These colourful photos are from the indoor market just off La Rambla in Barcelona.

There's far more choice for your '5 a day' here!

Lloret de Mar - Gardens

Views of the Italian styled gardens in Lloret de Mar, Santa Clotilde is perched on the cliff tops overlooking the Mediterranean on the Cost Brava. Sadly this is a part of Lloret which many visitors seem to miss out on, and its only 10 mins from Lloret centre on the bus.

Thanks To All Readers!

Many thanks to all readers of this blog for making it reach into the top best 100 blogs in Spain. I was notified this morning, so I have placed the award in the side column. The same award has also be given to 2 of my other blogs...Makes it all worthwhile !

• Lloret de Mar Stuff
• Lloret de Mar Holiday Guide
  

Free Sunday Lunch

While we were out walking yesterday, we came across someone who had just been out fishing and he was showing off his catch....for Sunday lunch I expect!

Costa Brava - Tossa de Mar

Tossa de Mar is one of the prettiest resorts on Spains Costa Brava. Here you can have quite a relaxing holiday as its not exactly known for its nightlife, although there are many very good bars and restaurants.It has a very nice shopping area which winds down to the busy sea front from the town centre near the bus station.

To see the best views you must go up to the castle and view the town from the castle walls and pathways. To reach the castle there's a small train which will take you up to the top as it could be quite a difficult walk for the elderly.

Girona - The old town

The narrow streets of the Jewish Quarter of Girona date back to the 12th century, but then the Jewish community ended shortly before the end of the 15th century when they were ousted by the Catholics! Known as the Call, this area is one of the best preserved in Spain and one of the most visited in Cataloñia.
On the river Onyar are these homes from Medieval times that are still lived in today.

Weather conditions in Girona are quite variable throughout the year. With hot summers and temperatures that can be well below freezing during the winter.

Lloret de Mar - Tour de France

Lloret de Mar had a huge honour today as being one of the towns to host part of the Tour de France race for the first time. The bikes had set off from Girona to Lloret which was a 64km stretch of the race and they were then making their way down the coast to Barcelona.

The roads were closed from 12 noon and the crowds started gathering well before in order to find the best viewing point.

The weather in Lloret was the best along the route as some roads became very dangerous owing to heavy rain in parts.

Seville - Plaza de Espana

The Plaza de Espana in Seville is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city. The horse drawn carriages will take you on a tour of the plaza if the walk is a little too much in the hot Seville summer!

The last photo shows the famous Seville oranges which make the very best marmalade to spread on your breakfast toast!

Lloret de Mar Sights

Just two streets back from the beach front in Lloret de Mar is this very colourful church.

Sant Roma's parish church is one of the most famous landmarks in Lloret, and one of the most photographed. No matter what time of day you pass there are always several people competing for the best place from which to take their shots!

Before the construction of the church began back in the 16th century, the building which originally stood on the site was used to store coal, owing to it been so close to the sea for loading the ships.

Bet it looked quite different to the grand building which is standing here today!!

Seville - Spanish Ceramics

While walking around the streets of Spain you will come across some very 'tacky' souvenir shops, most of which will have come in from China! but this photo is the indoor display of one of the better class ceramic shops in Seville. Something like this would always make a nice present to take back for your family or friends!

Click on the picture to enlarge it and see the work that has gone into the detail of the different designs of each piece.

Mediterranean Diet

One of the main ingredients of the Mediterranean diet is fish. Which is eaten on a regular basis especially in the coastal towns and resorts. Many of the large coastal resorts of Spain were originally fishing villages so fish was and still is today fairly cheap to buy. The above photo shows a selection of fish and seafood ready to be cooked and served to the customers in a beach side restaurant on the Cost del Sol.

Isle de Cies - Vigo

The Isle of Cies are situated just on the Ria de Vigo, on the north-western coast of Spain. This area is considered to be the most beautiful view of the Rais Baixas.

In order to reach the isles a catamaran runs during the summer. Once on the islands you are allowed to stay overnight in the camp site, which has approx 800 places, but the maximum length of stay is 15 nights.

Seville - Plaza de Espana

Seville is Spains 4th largest city, and here you will find everything you might associate with Spain, such as bullfighting, flamenco, tapas bars and fiestas which last for days! Temperatures in Seville can often reach 50c in the height of the summer so it can be very uncomfortable.

This grand plaza was constructed back in 1929 for the Ibero/American Expo.

Note the fine decoration on the ceramic ware, this is continued all around the facade of the building and symbolises all the provinces in Spain.

 

Costa del Sol Beaches

On either side of the marina at Benalmadena are two excellent beaches, to the East is the beach of Torremolinos which stretches for almost 7 kilometers and to the West is Benalmadena beach. The photo above taken during the winter shows a nearly deserted stretch of the coast. A much different view to what you would expect to see during the summer, when there is hardly space for your beach towel!