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Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

June 8, 2015 by David Herd

Ibiza

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

 Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid was a shock to me when I returned after 36 years since my last visit. I couldn’t believe the number of condominiums along the Costa Brava.

Please forgive the photo quality, my 1.2 mega pixel Canon was my first ancient digital camera.

Ibiza beach

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

It was the off season in April so the people were few and far between, consequently I thought Ibiza was fairly overrated.


 

Valencia

 Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

This trip was part of an around the world journey starting in Bangkok before moving to Spain then on to Venezuela, Cuba and Los Angeles.  

David herd in Valencia

  Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

Valencia was founded as a Roman colony in 138 BC. The city is situated on the banks of the Turia, on the east coast of the Iberian Peninsula, fronting the Gulf of Valencia on the Mediterranean Sea. Its historic centre is one of the largest in Spain.

Better shot of the same place.

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

 Found this on my friends Jean-Paul Facebook page. 

Benidorm, we hated it. 🙂

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

I think the average age of the English and German tourists was mid 70s, there were walking frames everywhere. We went to a couple of bars and restaurants that were copies of similar places in Blackpool.

Cold beers in Benidorm

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

  I was travelling with Les who was a friend from the Gold Coast.  

El Campella near Alicante

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

Revisiting this seaside village was full of nostalgia for me. I had great memories from way back in the late 60s when I was travelling around Europe in a VW Kombi with 2 Kiwi guys. Campella was one of our favourite places where we ate Paellas and washed them down with gallons of Sangria. In those days the men would go fishing off the African coast and the women would sit on the beach making and repairing the huge fishing nets. It was a different world then.

This was 1965

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

 This was Rosemary & Mary, two American girls we met in Campella all those years ago. 🙂

Here are the 2 kiwi guys

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

 Keith Wagstaff & Dick, the photo was taker in Konstanz in Switzerland.

 Deja vu

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

So here I am again 36 years later eating Paella and drinking red wine, the more things change the more they stay the same.

La Manga

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

  We stayed one night in La Manga, who knows why? Certainly nothing to write about here.  

On to Madrid for a little history

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

It was nice to leave behind the walking frames and pommies (Englishmen) drinking pints and singing songs from WW2.  

Madrid

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

I really need to visit Madrid again one day.

Palace Hotel

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

Thanks for visiting my very ordinary post  on Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid with poor quality photos, please have a look at some better efforts in the section below.

A-One hotel on Beach Road

Seven deadly Songkran days

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

 Soi Cowboy (5)           e1274c0c-cf4d-4406-b5dc-d9e8071e382e            8993ef02-ccf3-46a7-8b6d-fc11af9d93ad

 
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               Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
Free Cancellation. 
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 That’s all folks

1g Duck

Europe before Covid-19 & mass immigration.

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

December 23, 2013 by David Herd

La Rambla

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city is one of my favourite places in Europe, architecture, food people pigeons, Ok forget the pigeons.  😆

La Rambla is a street  popular with tourists and locals alike. A tree-lined pedestrian mall, it stretches for 1.2 kilometres connecting Plaça de Catalunya in the centre with the Christopher Columbus Monument at Port Vell.

Plaça de Catalunya

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Plaça de Catalunya is a large square in central Barcelona that is generally considered to be both its city centre and the place where the old city and the 19th century-built Eixample meet. The Eixample is a district of Barcelona between the old city and what were once surrounding small towns, constructed in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Plaza de Cataluña

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

The open top bus in the background is by far the best way to see the city, buy a 24 hour pass and jump on and off as you wish.

Without a doubt AGODA is the best online Hotel booking site.

Casa Milà

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Casa Milà, better known as La Pedrera, is one of Gaudí’s main residential buildings and one of the most imaginative houses in the history of architecture.  This building is more a sculpture than a building.  The façade is a varied and harmonious mass of undulating stone that, along with its forged iron balconies, explores the irregularities of the natural world.  UNESCO recognised this building as World Heritage in 1984.

 Old Customs building.

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Port Vell  literally in English ‘Old Harbour’ is a waterfront harbour in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, It was built as part of an urban renewal program prior to the 1992  Olympics. Before this, it was a run-down area of empty warehouses, railroad yards, and factories. 16 million people visit the complex each year.


 

Columbus monument

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

The Monument a Columbus was established in honour of the discoverer of America, Christopher Columbus. In 1493 Columbus was received in Barcelona after his return from America by King Ferdinand II. The monument is opened since June 1st, 1888.

In the background is Arenas de Barcelona

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

 Arenas de Barcelona, with its beautiful neo-mujedar architecture, used to be a bullfighting arena but has now been converted into a shopping plaza which houses an excellent Desigual store.

Gothic Quarter in Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

The Gothic Quarter is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. It stretches from La Rambla to Via Laietana, and from the Mediterranean seafront to Ronda de Sant Pere. This is where my hotel was, in fact I took the photo from the hotel window.

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

The Gothic Quarter  is the centre of the old city. It stretches from La Rambla to Via Laietana, and from the Mediterranean seafront to Ronda de Sant Pere.

Despite several changes undergone in the 19th and early 20th century, many of the buildings date from Medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Remains of the squared Roman Wall can be seen around Tapineria and Sots-Tinent Navarro to the north, Avinguda de la Catedral and Plaça Nova to the west and Carrer de la Palla to the south. El Call, the medieval Jewish quarter, is located within this area also.

The Barri Gòtic retains a labyrinthine street plan, with many small streets opening out into squares. Most of the quarter is closed to regular traffic although open to service vehicles and taxis.

Here is a link to book a popular two star hotel for around $90 per night.

Another link for a 2 star in a very good location.

Best food market I have ever seen.

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, often simply referred to as La Boqueria , is a large public market in the Ciutat Vella district, and one of the city’s foremost tourist landmarks, with an entrance from La Rambla, not far from the Liceu, the cities opera house. The market has a very diverse selection of goods.

Do you like lollies?

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Make sure Barcelona’s market is on your bucket list.

Sagrada Família

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família  Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family), is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in November 2010 Pope Benedict XVI consecrated and proclaimed it a minor basilica, as distinct from a cathedral which must be the seat of a bishop. Construction of Sagrada Família had commenced in 1882, Gaudí became involved in 1883, taking over the project and transforming it with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted his last years to the project, and at the time of his death at age 73 in 1926 less than a quarter of the project was complete. Sagrada Família’s construction progressed slowly, as it relied on private donations and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, only to resume intermittent progress in the 1950s. Construction passed the midpoint in 2010 with some of the project’s greatest challenges remaining and an anticipated completion date of 2026, the centenary of Gaudí’s death.

Sagrada Família

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Is there any other architect in the world who has a more recognisable style than Gaudí?

Super yacht really doesn’t do it justice.

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

What an unbelievable amazing example of wealth.

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean cityBarcelona is certainly one of my favourite European cities. Thanks for visiting my Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city photo blog.

 
 
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That’s all folks

1g Duck

Counter only started February 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos