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Posts Tagged ‘romantic’

now that the sun is back on track it is time to enjoy a well-deserved break by the sea. and where better to hit the beach than in the charming town of sitges, located 35 km southwest of barcelona. this worldwide renowned city is most famous for its many beaches (there are 17!) and its vibrant nightlife. especially the waterfront with the numerous ´playas´ (beaches) is the perfect place to enjoy a delicious paella, play some volleyball with your friends or have a picnic while watching the magnificent sunset.

however, if working on your tan is not captivating enough, there is always the possibility to go and check out the fashionable crowd that strolls over Sitges´ endless boulevard. no doubt that you will encounter some interesting characters as many of Sitges´ visitors and inhabitants are gay. this aspect gives the city a special touch and contributes to the great variety of people and activities that create the open and friendly atmosphere. all caracteristic for this small town.

Sitges Boulevard

sitges´ boulevard

Sitges beach

sitges´ beach 

many people say that sitges has something for everyone and that is hard to deny! with its many festivals and local fiestas during the whole year, the cultural heritage of the city is celebrated and everybody is welcome to join the festivities. this past weekend was dedicated to the celebration of festa major and next in line is the international movie festival in october. 

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sitges´s old town

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festa major 

sitges is the perfect destination for a weekend break or a short getaway from busy barcelona. trains take you from barcelona to sitges in approximately 35 minutes and run every 20 min from barcelona’s main stations. below some more pictures of the stunning beaches, the beautiful old town and the endless boulevard of sitges. 

sitges 3

catedral de sitges

sitges beach 2

sitges´ harbour and boulevard

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when you think of mallorca, you think of the sun, beaches, sand, blue waters, and the heat heat heat. yet if you “dare” to visit the island any time between the end of january and the middle of february, you’ll have the chance to witness an amazing natural phenomenon: the blossoming of the almond trees in mallorca.

it is at this time of the year that mallorca becomes a paradise for painters, writers, photographers, artists who get inspired by this wonderful show of nature! if you´re into nature and photography, and have been looking for that perfect spanish self-made souvenir, then go hiking, biking or walking along the almond fields in mallorca, or take a train ride on the old sóller railway for some picture-perfect views.

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almendros en flor + from mallorca es asi tambien

painting by santiago rusiñol – almendros en flor en mallorca (1902), and the inspiration

 

the thought of an entire almond blossom island is truly romantic and ethereal. the thousands of almond trees have been reportedly planted by an arab king for his scandinavian-born love who missed her snowy homeland, what could be more romantic than that?

more pragmatically, it was probably the romans, who took it from the greek, who introduced the cultivation of almonds in the balearic archipelago. yet even in the greek mythology, the almond tree has a magical romantic story.

the beautiful princess phyllis was transformed by the gods into a leafless and bare tree after she had her heart broken by her fiancée, who left her at the altar. when the fiancée returned, he wept at the sight of such a sad tree that used to be his beautiful love. his tears turned into the beautiful almond trees that now cover many mediterranean regions.

from theory4 and flicktickr2009 from anieto2k and canalviajes

 

spain is the second largest producer of almonds, grown all over the mediterranean region, and are the base for favourite spanish sweets like the turrón and the marzipan.

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traditional turrón and marzipan figures

 

the almond blossoms cover mallorca at the perfect time to represent the new year and a new beginning, a rebirth, a sign of prosperity and good hopes for what the year will bring along!

 

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it is very general that people choose to visit large famous cities of spain, such as madrid and barcelona.

but there are also a lot of other wonderful cities which are not that big but very cute, friendly, and romantic. one which includes all these characteristics would be – segovia. it is located only 92km from madrid, 1 hour driving distance.

here we will show you how to spend a wonderful, enjoyable day in segovia. after this virtual tour, we are sure you will reschedule your trip so that you can have at least a glance at the beautiful segovia!

let’s get the trip started!

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1. go left from the station and suddenly the glamorous, breath taking view of unesco world heritage “roman aqueduct of segovia” will appear in front of you. but, we kindly ask you, please do not forget to breath! height 30m, length 728m, made by piled huge stones – exactly like a lego game! but  in a giant size…

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2. try the typical “cochinillo” (segovian grilled pork) for lunch. the chef will surprise you in the way he will cut and serve this specialty. the yellow circle at the map shows the main shopping street with a lot of restaurants.

Suckling Pig2

3. for a dessert or a cup of café con leche, we recommend to you the perfect place – “granier”. you can find pans, cakes, donuts and so many other homemade baked products which are incredibly tasty and amazingly cheap! 3 big donuts for 2,50€, 5 sweet pan sticks for 1€!

granier

4. if the escape from the cafeteria was successful, you should continue to see “the cathedral of segovia”. the entrance is very cheap, so we suggest to take a look inside too. then, you will noticed something very interesting inside. there is a pig standing just next to the saint anton statue. the pork was the pet of the saint and it is interesting the coincidence with the traditional recipe of the city. 

cathidral

5. the next point is the “km 0” monument. it is not mentioned often neither on the internet nor in guidebooks. like the more famous one in madrid, all streets have been made from this point called “km 0”.

km 0

6. the last, but perhaps one of the most famous place you will see in the very end of the city is, the “alcázar de segovia”. the exterior of the fortress makes quite an impact on the visitors, especially when they admire the panoramic view of the landscape from its marvelous vantage point. enjoy the views as if you were the main character of a fairy tale… does the sight look familiar? that is because this fortress is the real model of the famous disney movie of “snow white”

alcazar

alcazar2

we know you “like” segovia at the moment, but after visiting, everybody will fall in “love” with it.

just one small tip, because of its location, segovia is colder and windier than madrid in the autumn-winter, so be sure to wear suitable clothes.

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