A Trip To Spain.

Palacio de Fomento, Madrid

Next day we had breakfast sitting out on our balcony, then I went out sightseeing on my own again. This time, though, I must admit I felt really tired. It was our last full day and I had been active every day of the holiday so far. Although there were lots more areas of Madrid to explore, I really wanted to do something easy, so I decided to concentrate on Retiro Park. This was my favourite place in Madrid on our first visit and it wasn't very far from our hotel. I told Peter I would take him there later, too.

On the walk to the park I passed an open air market selling books. There were some attractive buildings around.

Book stalls.

Book stalls.

Attractive buildings.

Retiro Park was at one time the private grounds of the seventeenth century Buen Retiro Palace. After the Glorious Revolution of 1868 the Spanish royal family were deposed and Retiro became a public park. It's huge, covering around 350 acres and there are many things to see here.

I could see the entrance to the park in front of me, though Google Maps was telling me to go a different way. I ignored Google Maps. Inside the park there was 'do not enter tape' up everywhere. I actually wondered if I had come in a disused entrance or something, but it turned out there was tape up everywhere in the park. It looked really messy. I think there must have been a storm or something and it was necessary to check the trees for broken branches. Everyone was just going under or over the tape, so eventually I did, too.

At the top of the road I was walking on, I came to the fountain of the fallen angel, Fuente del Ángel Caído. Not many Catholic countries, or indeed, non-Catholic countries have a statue of the devil, but Spain does. This bronze and stone fountain, created by sculptors Ricardo Bellver and Francisco Jareño y Alarcón, depicts Lucifer at the moment when God is so angry with him, he casts him out of heaven and Lucifer hurtles down to Earth. Apparently this statue is located at 666m above sea level. For a while at any rate, groups of Satanists were said to congregate here. I was here all by myself and I'm definitely not a Satanist, so I can't vouch for that.

The Fallen Angel.

The Fallen Angel.

Walking further on I soon arrived at one of the Retiro's most beautiful attractions the Rosaleda, or rose garden. When we visited in December, I found one or two roses blooming here. In October there were lots. Apparently there are more than four thousand rose bushes here. There are also ponds, fountains and statues.

The rose garden.

The rose garden.

Pond in the rose garden.

Pond in the Rose garden.

Fountain

Monument to Benito Pérez Galdós, a Spanish realist novelist.

Monument to Dr. Manuel Tolosa Latour, a Spanish pediatrician who dedicated his life to children's medicine.

Pink rose.

Pink roses.

Cream and pink rose.

I took a look at the park maps and decided to make my way towards water. On the way I passed The Palacio de Velázquez, an exhibition hall covered in beautiful tiles.

Palacio de Velázquez.

Tiles.

The first pond I reached was next to the Palacio de Crista. This nineteenth century glass and iron building was inspired by London's Crystal Palace. Sometimes The Reina Sofía Museum hosts exhibitions here. Some parts of the Crystal Palace were being renovated. There were beautiful black swans swimming in the lake.

The lake.

Black swans.

Black swans.

The Crystal Palace.

Selfie by the lake.

I couldn't help but notice all the beautiful autumnal colours in the park. They were spectacular and I think Autumn has only just begun.

Autumn's glory.

Autumn's glory.

Autumn's glory.

Autumn's glory.

Autumn's glory.

Autumn's glory

Autumn's glory.

Autumn's glory

I continued walking until I reached Retiro's biggest lake, the Estanque Grande or Great Pond, which was built between 1634 and 1636 by the architect, Cristobal de Aguilera. When Retiro was a royal retreat, there were water shows and mock naval battles held here. The king and queen would sail across to an island in the centre of the lake where musical and theatrical performances were held. This island was later submerged in the lake waters.

The lake.

A Pigeon's view of the lake.

The lake.

In 1902 an amazing monument dedicated to Alfonso XII was built on the edge of the lake. It was designed by José Grases Riera and built by Teodoro Anasagasti. There's an equestrian statue of the king here that was created by Mariano Benlliure.

The Monument to Alfonso XII.

The Monument to Alfonso XII.

Close up of the monument.

Part of the monument.

It's possible to rent a rowing boat or go canoeing here. There were lots of people out on the water, or strolling around the lake, or posing for selfies. It really is beautiful here.

Embarcadero del Retiro, boathouse.

Boats on the lake.

Girl in a beautiful dress.

At this point I exited the park briefly, because I wanted to take a look at an archway called The Puerta de Alcalá, which used to be a gateway through Madrid's City walls.

The Puerta de Alcalá.

The Puerta de Alcalá.

After viewing the archway, I went back into the park and found the Fuente de los Galápagos or Fountain of Galapagos. This was designed by Francisco Javier de Mariátegui to celebrate the birth of the future Queen Isabella II of Spain. It was completed in 1832.

Fuente de los Galápagos.

The Fuente de los Galápagos.

There are some cafes between this fountain and the Great Pond.

Cafe.

Next I walked to the Paseo de las Estatuas, or Promenade of Statues, which is lined on one side with statues of kings, and on the other, with statues of queens.

Paseo de las Estatuas or Promenade of Statues.

Statue of Juana I of Castile, also known as Joanna the Mad, daughter of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon.

Berenguela of Castile.

Chintila, a Visigothic king who ruled Hispania from 636 to 639.

I found another statue sitting all alone in the middle of nowhere, apparently it used to be part of a fountain, and I came across another small pond with a fountain called the Fountain of the Ochavado Pond.

All by myself.

The Fountain of the Ochavado Pond.

The Fountain of the Ochavado Pond.

The final part of the park I visited was the Plaza del Parterre, a formal garden laid out according to geometric principles, featuring clipped hedges, statues and fountains.

Plaza del Parterre.

Looking across the Plaza del Parterre.

Looking across the Plaza del Parterre.

Fountain.

Monument dedicated to the Spanish playwright and Nobel laureate Jacinto Benavente.

Close up.

I walked back home to get Peter, but stopped to take a look at a few things on the way such as: The Palacio de Fomento - home to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Prado, the Conservatory of Music, Atocha Station, the Fountain of the Artichoke and a statue of Pío Baroja, a Spanish writer from the Basque region.

Palacio de Fomento.

Prado Museum.

Atocha Station.

Royal Higher Conservatory of Music of Madrid.

The Fountain of the Artichoke.

Pío Baroja, a Spanish writer from the Basque region.

I took Peter out for a while, but the crowds, busy roads and hills meant it wasn't easy. One thing I would like to point out is that nowhere in Spain did anyone ever try to bother or hassle us. They tended just to leave us alone, which is fine by me, but every time I ran into difficulty with Peter's wheelchair, and that was quite often, people instantly rushed from everywhere to help us. I've read all these stories of how sick of tourists Spaniards are, but I still felt most people were actually very kind.

Peter out and about.

Peter out and about.

Peter out and about.

Peter out and about.

Peter out and about.

Peter out and about.

Peter out and about.

There were so many restaurants around our hotel. We selected one and I went in and attempted to order in Spanish. I made so many mistakes, yet the waiter understood everything I asked for and we were given exactly the right food. I was impressed.

Peter at dinner with cute baby in the background.

Our tasty but unhealthy food.

Cheesy ham fries and chicken strips.

Cheesy Cheetos.

Next day we had to check out and go to the airport. I realised I had forgotten to photograph our room or balcony. A staff member in the hotel helped us to get our luggage downstairs. We ordered an Uber and headed off.

Room and balcony.

View from our balcony.

View from our balcony.

Me on our balcony.

Me on our balcony.

View from the hotel.

At the airport, check in was fine, but passenger assistance was a bit chaotic. Madrid Airport is huge. Although we had arrived really early, we only made it to the lounge twenty minutes before boarding. I ran around mentally getting us food and drink, but it turned out the flight was a bit delayed and I could have relaxed.

Lounge.

Lounge.

I couldn't sleep on the flight. I watched documentaries about mysterious legends in The United States, such as haunted hotels, ghost towns, sea monsters and werewolves.

We had nine hours sitting around in Doha, which just about killed me, though since I had eaten nothing on the plane I had excellent lentil soup and chicken biryani in the silver lounge here.

On the next flight, I watched back to back episodes of 'Tracker' where a reward seeker hunts down missing people.

It was wonderful to finally get off the plane. We got a very friendly passenger assistance guy who was a Mainlander and lived in Zuhai. We remembered our bus left from Terminal 2, stance 8 now. We had both really loved Spain and want to go back, but it was good to be home.

Madrid Cathedral.

Next day it was time to leave Zaragoza and head to Madrid. Again we were travelling on an IRYO high speed train for €8 each with a wheelchair. This time we were confident that the tickets would work. Peter had received an email telling him to check in at the passenger assistance office in Zaragoza Delicias Station, so we did that and that meant that we got help taking Peter from the waiting room and putting him on the train and getting him off at the other end. It made the journey so much easier.

Peter on the train.

Us on the train.

We were on the train for about an hour and a half. It was very comfortable and I took lots of photos of the scenery. We seemed to go through all weathers on the way. We started out in sunshine, went through rain and blankets of fog and emerged in sunshine.

Scenery on the journey.

Scenery on the journey.

Scenery on the journey.

Scenery on the journey.

Scenery on the journey.

Scenery on the journey.

At Atocha Station our passenger assistance woman told us our accommodation was really nearby and took us to the correct exit of the station and pointed us in the right direction. We were staying in Hostal La Estacion Terrazas, instead of our usual Accor type hotel. We had received notification the day before from booking.com that our credit card had failed to pay the Hostal bill and were worried about losing the accommodation, but we had eventually managed to text the accommodation and had been promised that they would hold the room for us.

We knew very little about the accommodation except it claimed to have a lift. It wasn't a long walk to the Hostal, but there were lots of very busy roads to cross and that wasn't easy with a wheelchair and luggage.

When we arrived at the Hostal, we had to press a buzzer to get in. I didn't realize that at first and was staring hopelessly at a key pad without having any information about a code. Fortunately someone else was entering the building and they just let us in. Inside, the building was a building site. Walls stripped, new floor in the process of being laid, workmen everywhere. The accommodation was on the seventh floor and I couldn't see a lift. I was really starting to panic. The lift turned out to be one floor up, so I had to carry the luggage and the wheelchair, and Peter had to climb the stairs. It was a tiny lift and I couldn't get Peter, the wheelchair, the luggage and me in it. I had to go up with the luggage leaving Peter and the wheelchair downstairs. I pressed seventh floor and came out at floor six and a half. By that I mean I had to walk upstairs to get to floor seven and downstairs to get to floor six. What a ridiculous system!!!!

Because I hadn't pressed the buzzer downstairs, I couldn't get in upstairs. I needed a key card. I resolved this by banging on the door so hard I think the whole of Spain could hear me. The man in charge, Martin, came to let me in. I greeted him with a: "I thought this place would be accessible. You advertise a lift. My husband is downstairs in a wheelchair." I was really very upset. Whatever else I can say about this place Martin was very nice, very calm and very polite. He assured me he could understand my concerns and would help in any way he could. He took my luggage in, while I went back for Peter.

Our room itself was ok, a bit old fashioned with sheets and blankets, rather than quilts as bedding, but it had a safe, a fridge and a balcony. We didn't use the safe in the end, as it proved to be very temperamental. It would lock and unlock on around the third or fourth attempt at using it.

I told Martin that Peter wouldn't be able to use the shower as there was no seat to sit on in there, so Martin went out and bought a plastic stool for him. It was things like this that meant you couldn't stay mad even when you knew the stories about our credit card not working were inaccurate, the entrance to the building was a construction site and using the lift involved going up or down two flights of stairs. Martin kept saying things like: "Anyway you are home now, you can start to relax."

We both felt really really tired and decided the thought of trying to get Peter out and back in again was too much for us, so I went out and found a supermarket and we ate bread, cheese, cold chicken and beer on the balcony. The Hostal was quiet on our first night and we both slept well. Maybe the accommodation wouldn't be as bad as I had first feared.

Next day we ate breakfast on the balcony and I went out sightseeing. I would attempt to get Peter out later. This was where the Hostal turned out to be really good. It was located on Rotunda de Atocha and all the main sights I wanted to see were walkable from it. The furthest one was about forty minutes away, but on that forty minute walk I would pass everything else.

Basically we were just directly across the road from the Reina Sofía Museum. I keyed the first sight I wanted to visit into my phone and off I went.

I stopped to take a photo of a beautiful building very close to Atocha Station. This turned out to be the Palacio de Fomento, designed by architect Ricardo Velázquez Bosco and built between 1893 and 1897. It is now used as the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Palacio de Fomento.

I actually first wanted to see the fountain of Neptune, but on the way I passed by the Prado Museum. I think this is another place that has to be booked in advance, but I didn't intend to go in, just to look at the outside. The Prado started out in 1819. It houses mainly paintings and sculptures and is considered to be one of the best museums in the world.

Prado Museum with a statue of Spanish painter Diego Velázquez.

Prado Museum with a statue of Spanish Baroque painter Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.

The Prado Museum.

Stalls outside the Prado Museum.

I noticed that the botanical gardens were just opposite The Prado. In the end I didn't visit these, but they are supposed to be nice.

Real Jardin Botanico.

I passed the Prado and continued on to the fountain of Neptune. The fountain of Neptune is made of white marble and was designed by Ventura Rodríguez. It's not that easy to photograph as it's located on an inaccessible roundabout surrounded by nonstop traffic. Whenever Atlético Madrid win any trophies, their fans gather here to celebrate.

The Neptune Fountain.

Walking a bit further on, I came to the fountain of Apollo and the Muses. This was also designed by Ventura Rodríguez and was completed in 1780.

Fuente de Apolo.

Further along the same road I came to the final fountain I wanted to see - the Fountain of Cibeles. This fountain depicts the Roman goddess Cybele on a chariot pulled by two lions. This fountain is also the work of the architect Ventura Rodríguez and was completed in the late eighteenth century. Like the Neptune Fountain it is located on a roundabout and surrounded by nonstop traffic. Real Madrid fans come here to celebrate their team's victories.

The Cibeles Fountain.

The Cibeles Fountain.

There are some lovely buildings around the roundabout such as The Palace of Cibeles and the Bank of Spain. The Palace of Cibeles was built in 1909 and was originally Madrid's main post office building, however since 2011 it has been home to the Madrid City Hall. The Bank of Spain was designed by architects Eduardo Adaro and Severiano Sainz de la Lastra.

The Palace of Cibeles.

The main headquarters of the Bank of Spain.

The main headquarters of the Bank of Spain.

From here I wandered along some of Madrid's finest streets like the Calle de Alcalá and Gran Vía. There were extremely impressive buildings everywhere. These included: the headquarters of the Instituto Cervantes, the Círculo de Bellas Artes, which is a cultural centre, the Metropolis Building designed in French Beaux-Arts architectural style, the Parish Priest's House (which is connected to the Church of San José), the Bank of Bilbao, the Four Seasons Hotel and the Academy of Fine Arts.

The Instituto Cervantes.

Círculo de Bellas Artes

The Metropolis Building.

The Priest's House and the Church of San José.

The Teatro Alcázar, Petit Palace Alcalá,Edificio del Banco de Bilbao.

The bank of Bilbao.

The Four Seasons Hotel.

The Four Seasons Hotel.

The Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.

There were buskers playing some very enjoyable music on this street.

Buskers.

I kept on walking towards the Puerto del Sol, which means the Gate of the Sun. This is the meeting point for six of Madrid's most famous streets. It's also Spain’s Kilometre 0, the starting point for all major radial roads in Spain. There's a building here called the Casa de Correos, it's the headquarters of the Madrid regional government. People assemble here to bring in the New Year. It's traditional to eat a grape on each chime of the Casa de Correos' clock for good luck in each month of the New Year.

The Casa de Correos was being renovated, but was covered over with a picture of how it should look.

Puerto del Sol.

Puerto del sol.

There are three statues on this square. One is the Oso y Madroño, the bear and the strawberry tree. This is the symbol of Madrid. Another statue that can be found here is a statue of a woman, known as the La Mariblanca. This dates back to the seventeenth century and was once part of a fountain. The final statue is an equestrian statue of Charles III of Spain. He is famous for making many improvements to Madrid.

The bear and the strawberry tree.

The bear and the strawberry tree.

La Mariblanca.

Charles III.

From here it was a short walk down the Calle Mayor to Plaza Mayor or Grand Square. This is a bustling lively square with beautiful architecture, restaurants, shops and cafes. It dates back to the seventeenth century and was once the site of bull fights, royal ceremonies and public executions.

Nowadays this square hosts markets, concerts and festive activities. On our first visit to Madrid we visited a Christmas market here.

Plaza Mayor.

Plaza Mayor.

Plaza Mayor.

There's a bronze equestrian statue of Philip III in the centre of the square.

Statue of Philip III.

I kept seeing Spanish clothing everywhere. I didn't realize at first that people pay to stand behind these and pose for photos.

Costumes to pose with.

Next I arrived at the Plaza de la Villa, one of the oldest squares in Madrid. It is home to the Lujanes House and Tower, which dates from the fifteenth century, the sixteenth century Casa de Cisneros Palace, and the seventeenth century Baroque Casa de la Villa, which was Madrid's City Hall from 1693 until 2007. There's a statue of Álvaro de Bazán, a Spanish admiral in the centre of the square.

Casa de la Villa.

Casa de Cisneros and Cascade la Villa.

Statue of Álvaro de Bazán.

Further on I came to a church, a palace and a monument.

The seventeenth century Catholic church I found here was originally known as the Iglesia del Sacramento. It has been used as the Cathedral of the Armed Forces of Spain since 1986.

The Cathedral of the Armed Forces of Spain.

Cathedral Church of the Armed Forces.

The palace is called Palacio de Abrantes and is now home to the headquarters of the Italian Cultural Institute.

Palacio de Abrantes.

The monument is dedicated to Alfonso XIII and Victoria Eugenie. On their wedding day in 1906 an anarchist hurled a bomb from his hotel window into the royal procession down below. The royal couple survived, but twenty-four bystanders and soldiers were killed and over a hundred people were injured.

Monument to the assassination attempt on Alfonso XIII and Victoria Eugenie.

There were some nice shops here, too, such as souvenir shops and a Caganer shop. I had no idea what a Caganer was until I looked it up. Apparently it's a small wooden figure that can be placed in a Nativity scene. The Caganer is always depicted with his pants down, having a poo. He is normally placed in a fairly hidden part of the nativity scene and children love to try and find him. If you do manage to find him, you will have good luck. Who knew such things existed????

I love Madrid

Caganer Shop.

Detail on building.

Just round the corner I arrived at Barcelona Cathedral. I think we went inside here on our first visit to Madrid. This time I didn't go inside. I photographed it from right next to it and from the viewpoint I reached by climbing the hill across the street from it.

The foundation stones of Madrid Cathedral were laid as early as 1883, but the plans for the cathedral kept changing and it wasn't until 1993 that it was actually complete. In 1993 the cathedral was consecrated by Pope John Paul II on his fourth trip to Spain.

Madrid Cathedral.

Madrid Cathedral.

Madrid Cathedral.

Madrid Cathedral.

Right next to the cathedral is Madrid's royal palace.

The Royal Palace of Madrid is the one of the largest palaces in the world, occupying over 135,000 square metres and having 3,418 rooms. It is necessary to book a visit here in advance. There was a huge queue to get in.

Royal Palace.

Royal Palace.

Royal Palace.

Between the cathedral and the palace there are views over Madrid.

View.

I watched the royal guards outside the palace. Unlike in The UK, they didn't keep still or silent, they kept chatting to each other.

Guards.

Guards.

Just across the road from the royal palace is the Plaza de Oriente, a statue filled park. There's an equestrian monument to Philip IV here.

Monument to Philip IV.

The Plaza de Oriente.

Plaza de la Platería de Martínez fountai.

Behind the Plaza de Oriente is the Teatro Real or Royal Theatre.

Teatro Real.

I wandered into The Sabatini Gardens, located on one side of the royal palace. Last time we were here we wandered all the way down to the river, but this time I just viewed the palace from the side and admired the layout of the gardens.The Sabatini Gardens were once the site of the palace stables.

The palace from the Sabatini Gardens.

The palace from the Sabatini Gardens.

The palace from the Sabatini Gardens.

The Sabatini Gardens.

The Sabatini Gardens.

Rose.

I decided to keep walking to the Temple of Debod. On the way I passed a beautiful church called The Church of Santa Teresa and San José.There was a fountain in front of this. It's called The Fuente de la Concha, or Fountain of Shells, and was built in 1969 by Manuel Herrero and Antonio Campillo.

The Church of Santa Teresa y San José.

The Church and the fountain.

Detail of Santa Teresa y San José Church.

Detail of The Church of Saint Theresa and Saint Joseph.

Fuente de Las Conchas or Fountain of the Shells.

Fuente de las Conchas or Fountain of the Shells.

Selfie with the fountain.

I didn't realize this whole area and the nearby Plaza de España had all recently been pedestrianized. I should have explored this area more.

All around me there were beautiful autumnal trees. I loved all the vibrant colours, statues and monuments and beautiful buildings. I didn't realize I was very close to the statue of Cervantes. I remember going to see that on our earlier visit.

Autumn colours.

Autumnal tree.

Autumn colours.

Autumn leaves.

Pedestrianized areas.

Autumnal colours.

The Senate Building.

Autumnal colours.

Casa Gallardo, a notable example of Madrid's Art Nouveau architecture.

This is a bronze statue of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a Mexican poet and scholar.

This is the Monument to the Heroes of May, which commemorates the Dos de Mayo Uprising of 1808, when the people of Madrid rose up against the French occupation.

The Temple of Debod was actually built in Ancient Egypt in the 2nd century BC. Then in the 1960's, Egypt was building the Aswan Dam and this temple would end up being underwater. Spain donated a lot of money to Egypt to help them save several precious buildings from the flood waters and were given the Temple of Debod in return. I'm sure we went inside the temple on our first visit, but this time it was shut and undergoing some restoration work.

The Temple of Debod.

The Temple of Debod.

The Temple of Debod.

The Temple of Debod.

The Temple of Debod.

Selfie with The Temple of Debod.

The temple is situated on a hill and there are great views all around it, especially back towards the cathedral and palace.

View from the temple.

View from the temple.

View from the temple.

View from the temple.

View from the temple.

View from the temple.

View from the temple.

From here I walked back home and took Peter out for a walk then we went to dinner in one of the many bars on our street. Peter had a pork and cheese sandwich and I had a tomato and serrano ham sandwich. They were both very good.

Me at dinner.

Peter at dinner.

Peter at dinner.

My sandwich.

That evening at around ten or eleven pm two Swiss people suddenly let themselves into our room with a key card. Apparently they had checked in earlier, lost their key, couldn't remember where their room was, had been let in by other guests and had phoned the emergency number on the office door, as no staff are present in the hostal at night. The member of staff they spoke to had explained where a master key was located and they were now using it to go in every room in an attempt to find theirs.

Honestly maybe we should just get a sign printed 'Pete and Irene's Room. All Welcome.' Once again I rammed a chair against the door to keep out the marauding hoards, so I could get some sleep.

The Aljafería Palace in Zaragoza.

We slept well and in the morning I went out to the supermarket across the street to buy us breakfast. After breakfast I went out to explore Zaragoza. I had spent some of the previous evening reading up on it. Zaragoza has a long and varied history and has been under the control of many different empires.

Zaragoza began life in the fifth century BC as a small Iberian settlement on the banks of the Ebro River. Later the Ancient Romans came here and took control of the settlement. They renamed it Caesaraugustus. Nowadays there are still several Roman remains here. Around 714 AD Muslim invaders gained control of the settlement and changed its name to Saraqusta. The settlement increased in size and was known for its many intellectuals and its religious tolerance, as it was home to Muslims, Christians and Jews.

It was during this period that the wonderful Aljaferia Palace was built as a home for the Sultan King Abu Jafar Moctadir. In 1118 Alfonso I, nicknamed The Battler, marched into town and drove the Muslim population out. Alfonso I renamed the city Zaragoza and made it the capital of Aragon.

In 1412 Ferdinand II, King of Aragon, married Isabella of Castile. It was this royal couple who funded the explorations of Christopher Columbus. They also drove Muslims and Jews out of Spain and began the infamous Spanish Inquisition.

After the death of Ferdinand II, Austria began to rule Zaragoza and the city expanded and prospered. In the 18th century the Bourbons gained control of the area. Later still Napoleon laid siege to the city, but was eventually driven out after several bloody battles with Spanish troops under the control of General Palafox. There was also fierce fighting here between 1936 to 1939, during the Spanish Civil war.

I began my explorations by seeking out the remains of the Ancient Roman theatre here. They were actually very close to where we had eaten dinner the night before.

The Ancient Roman theatre in Zaragoza was built in the first century AD during the reigns of Tiberius and Claudius. The theatre could seat around six thousand spectators. Nowadays you can enter the theatre through a museum or do what I did and just view it through its protective glass covering.

Zaragosa's Ancient Roman theatre.

Next I used my phone to show me how to go to the Aljaferia Palace. This was around thirty minutes walk away on the outskirts of the Old Town. I passed some beautiful places on the way.

One of the places I passed was another part of the El Tubo area known for its restaurants and bars.

El Tubo.

Restaurants.

I also passed a rather more modern theatre known as the Teatro Principal.

Teatro Principal.

I wandered around the outside of the Church of San Gil Abad, which dates back to the fourteenth century and was built in Mudéjar or Muslim style. I'd have liked to look inside, but unfortunately the church wasn't open.

the Church of San Gil Abad.

the Church of San Gil Abad.

the Church of San Gil Abad.

I reached the Plaza de España, a public square with a monument dedicated to the martyrs of the Spanish Civil War.

The Plaza de España.

I found several more churches including The Church of La Mantería, which was once part of the Augustinian monastery of Santo Tomás de Villanueva and the eighteenth century Baroque Church of St Thomas Aquinas.

Iglesia de la Mantería.

St. Thomas Aquinas Church.

I saw the High Court of Justice of Aragon, also known as the Palacio de los Luna, which was once the headquarters of the Spanish Inquisition.

The Palacio de los Luna.

I eventually found a church that I could actually go inside. This was the Parish Church of Our Lady of Portillo. This was built between 1702 and 1731 by José Borgas and Gaspar Serrano and contains an image of Our Lady of Portillo.

The Parish Church of Our Lady of Portillo.

Inside the church.

Inside the church.

Inside the church.

Inside the church.

Inside the church.

Inside the church.

Inside the church.

Finally I reached the Aljafería Palace. I realised I could walk around the outside of the palace for free or pay €7 to go in. I thought I would walk round first then pay to go in, but when I got back to the ticket office the queue had become longer and I decided viewing the palace from the outside would do.

The Aljafería Palace.

The Aljafería Palace.

Originally there was a ninth century rectangular defensive tower on this site. Then two centuries later Muslim leader, Sultan King Abu Jafar Moctadir, decided he wanted a palace built here with the rectangular tower incorporated into the new building. This palace was home to the Muslim rulers of Zaragoza when they were at the height of their powers. When the Muslims were driven out of Zaragoza by Alfonso the Battler in the year 1118, the palace became home to the Catholic rulers of Zaragoza.

Although I didn't go inside the palace, I read that inside there is a Golden Hall with arches and pillars. This room has stars on its ceiling and geometric patterns on its walls. There's also a mosque which was later converted into a chapel and a courtyard with waterfalls and pools called the patio of Santa Isabel.

The Aljafería Palace.

The Aljafería Palace side view.

Apparently since 1987, The Aljaferia has been home to the Aragonese Corts, the regional parliament. I'm guessing this would be in the more modern looking back part of the palace.

It looks modern at the back.

The back of the palace.

Selfie with the palace.

The Aljafería Palace is surrounded by a beautiful park. I enjoyed having a stroll around here.

The grounds of the palace.

The grounds of the palace.

The grounds of the palace.

After exploring the park, I decided to walk back to the centre a different way to see more of the city. I came across an attractive looking building called the Teatro del Mercado, or Market Theatre. This building was built by Miguel Ángel Navarro Pérez in 1928 and originally served as a market place. Later it was converted into a theatre and nowadays hosts many performances.

Teatro del Mercado.

Teatro del Mercado

Outside this building was the fountain of the muses.

the Fuente de las Musas .

Fuente de las Musas

I passed by another impressive building called the Casa de Amparo, which is apparently now used as a home for senior citizens, but was originally the dormitory of the old convent of Santo Domingo.

Casa de Amparo.

I passed another interesting looking church which was unfortunately closed. Apparently nowadays this church is called The Church of las Fecetas, but it was originally The church of the old convent of Saint Teresa. Apparently this church is beautiful inside.

Church of las Fecetas in Zaragoza, Spain.

I also came across another palace.

Palacio de los Salabert-Sora.

There was street art all around this area.

Street art.

Street art.

Street art.

Street art.

Street art.

Street art.

Cars seemed to be painted on most garage doors.

Cars seemed to be painted on most garage doors.

Soon I reached another market and more Roman remains. The market was the Mercado Central or Central Market. I didn't go inside. Next to it there was a statue of the Roman Emperor Augustus and a stretch of Ancient Roman walls.

Mercado Central or Central Market.

Bronze statue of Roman Emperor Augustus.

Roman walls.

Roman walls.

At the end of the Roman walls I came to a little tower that housed Zaragoza tourist information office. I was allowed to climb up the tower free of charge to see views over Zaragoza.

Inside the tower.

View over the market from the tower.

View from the tower.

View towards Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar from the tower.

River View from the tower.

River View from the tower.

By this stage I was largely back in the main square of Zaragoza's Old Town. I had a look in the beautiful Church of San Juan de los Panetes. This wonderful Baroque church was completed in 1725. It stands on the site of an earlier church belonging to the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, which was destroyed in a fire. There's a statue of Saint John the Baptist on the facade of the church. One of the towers of this church is slightly tilted, making it the leaning tower of Zaragoza. I had a quick look inside the church, but could not stay too long as a service was about to start.

Church of San Juan de los Panetes, tourist office tower to the left, tall leaning tower to the right.

Church of San Juan de los Panetes.

Inside the Church of San Juan de los Panetes

Inside the Church of San Juan de los Panetes

Inside the Church of San Juan de los Panetes.

I was now back on Pilar Square. I had another look at the Fuente de la Hispanidad.

Pilar Square.

Pilar Square.

Fountain.

Naturally I had to take a look inside The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar. This is one of Zaragoza's two cathedrals. It is the first church ever built to honour the Virgin Mary.

The origins of this church can be traced back to a legend. The Apostle James, who is now Patron Saint of Spain, was trying to spread Christianity in Spain, but was getting disheartened at his lack of success. At this time the Virgin Mary was still alive and living in Jerusalem, but she appeared to James in a vision and offered him strength and encouragement to keep going. In his vision, James saw Mary standing on top of a pillar made of jasper and surrounded by angels. She left the pillar with James even when the vision faded and James built a chapel in the place he had experienced the vision. He placed the pillar with an image of Mary on top inside the chapel.

While the column and image of Mary still survive, the original chapel built by James was destroyed. The chapel was replaced first by a Romanesque Church, then this church was replaced by a Gothic one, which in turn was replaced by a church in Mudéjar style. Now the Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar is huge with many towers and domes.

I went inside the church, but was told there was a service going on, so I would have to go back out and visit another part of the complex further along.

I wasn't supposed to take photos inside the church, but everyone else was so I did. Entry to Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar is free, but there is a charge if you decide to climb up the tower to look at the views.

Inside The Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.

Inside The Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.

Inside The Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.

Inside The Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.

Inside The Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.

I took some more photos of the lions on the old stone bridge.

Lions.

Lions.

After that, I went home and brought Peter out. We were so close to the historical centre and everywhere was so flat that it was easy to take Peter around.

I took him to some churches and the Cathedral La Seo.

Peter with the Church of Santa María Magdalena.

Peter with the Church of San Miguel de los Navarros.

Peter with the Cathedral La Seo.

Peter with the Cathedral La Seo.

I also took him all around Pillar Square

Peter on Pilar Square.

Peter on Pilar Square.

Peter on Pilar Square.

Peter on Pilar Square.

Peter with the fountain.

Peter with a doorway.

Peter with the Church of San Juan de los Panetes.

Peter with the Church of San Juan de los Panetes.

We went to the remains of the Roman walls and the statue of Caesar Augustus. Peter liked the Irish pub here.

Peter on an old street.

Peter with Caesar.

Both of us with Caesar.

Peter with the Irish pub.

Peter with the Roman walls.

Peter with the market.

Peter with the viewing tower.

I took him along the river where he had a walk holding onto the fence. We then went onto the bridge to look at the church from there. I found a statue of a horse when we crossed the road back towards Pilar Square.

Peter by the river.

Peter by the river.

Peter with Our Lady of Pilar.

Peter with Our Lady of Pilar.

Peter with the lions.

Peter with the horse statue.

We went back to the hotel and claimed our free drink. We both had white wine.

Peter with our free drinks.

Both of us.

We decided to go back to the same restaurant as the day before for dinner and we were greeted like long lost relatives. It doesn't take much to become a regular here. Our order went wrong though. I got pork, eggs and chips, which was right, but Peter ordered sausage and got a tuna omelette. Guess my ability to point at a menu in Spanish is a bit dodgy.

Dinner.

Peter's omelette.

My pork.

After dinner I took Peter home and had one last walk around the Old Town to see it lit up at night.

Night street

I discovered the fountain by the Cathedral La Seo changed colour at night.

Cathedral La Seo.

Fountain.

Fountain.

This was also true of the Fuente de la Hispanidad.

Fuente de la Hispanidad.

Fuente de la Hispanidad.

Fuente de la Hispanidad.

Pilar Square was beautifully lit up and so was the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar.

Pilar Square.

Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.

Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.

Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.

Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.

Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.

I also noticed several closed shops, restaurants and bars had art work on their shutters.

Gateway.

Bar.

Bar.

Zebra.

Leopard.

I was sad that this was our last night here. We had both really loved Zaragoza, but the next day we would be heading to Madrid.

Selfie in Zaragoza.

We were a bit nervous when we arrived at Barcelona Sants for our journey to Zaragoza. Why? Well, Peter had booked our tickets on trenes.com. The price had started out at around €120, but when Peter had ticked a box to say that he was a wheelchair user, it suddenly changed to €8 each. Sitting in HK weeks before the trip we were delighted with this, but nearer the time, we began to fear it had to be a too good to be true and that the ticket was fake.

To our immense relief, it wasn't fake and for €8 each we boarded a clean, comfortable, efficient, punctual IRYO high speed train and got fantastic passenger assistance thrown in. We had so much leg room, and really comfortable window seats. It was a really enjoyable journey and we travelled around 311 km in just one hour twenty-three minutes for a total price of €16 for two of us.

Naturally, however, we made some mistakes. We should have sought out the passenger assistance office at Barcelona Sants and got help right from the start. I didn't know this and made Peter step onto the train while I carried his wheelchair onboard. There was actually a special door just for wheelchair users and Peter should have been raised up on a lifting device while sitting in his wheelchair. We got it right when we were getting off.

Scenery on route.

When we arrived in Zaragoza, we got a really lovely passenger assistance guy who made sure he took us to transport to our final destination. I had intended to push Peter to our hotel, as it wasn't supposed to be too far, but getting a taxi was so much easier. The price was quite expensive though, it was almost as much as coming from Barcelona for a journey of around three minutes.

For our first night we were staying in the Zaragoza Zentral Ave Hotel. It had a strange curving wooden walkway as its entrance that was not good to push a wheelchair on. It was a bit like putting Peter on a rollercoaster. We checked in and got a nice big room with a safe and a fridge. Unfortunately, the safe didn't seem to work. We weren't bothered, as we weren't going to be here long before moving to a more historical area of Zaragoza. We didn't go straight to the historical area as for our first night the price there was extortionate.

Our room.

Our room.

I decided to go for a walk in the area around our hotel. I always scout out places to eat, where to shop for food and where I can easily push Peter. The area around the hotel was largely residential with several wide green parks. These parks weren't especially fancy, but they had play areas for children and places to sit. The nicest park was the one located on the banks of the River Ebro.

Park by the river.

Selfie in the park.

The river.

The river.

The river.

There was a walkway here that went all the way to the Old Town. In fact I could see the Old Town in the distance, but, as the hotel we would move to the next day was in the Old Town, I didn't walk there.

Looking towards the Old Town.

Looking towards the Old Town.

I found an attractive modern bridge across the river which took me to the former site of Zaragoza Expo 2008.

Bridge.

Bridge.

Expo 2008.

I loved the fact that there were so many autumnal trees in the park by the river. I really do adore autumn and spring.

Autumn colours.

Autumn colours.

I also came across quite a few examples of street art.

Art.

Art.

Art.

Art.

There were several places near the hotel where I could have taken Peter for dinner, but we decided just to go to the hotel bar for drinks and tapas.

We had a potato and minced meat ball which was very nice and a fish and pepper croquette which was also good. I also bought cheese and ham croquettes which the barman told me were really famous in Spain. We didn't like these as the ham was really gristly. I also got two olive and fish tapas.

Peter at dinner.

Tapas.

Tapas.

After dinner, we went to bed. I woke up at 3.45am, because someone was making a lot of noise in the corridor. In fact they sounded like they were trying to get into our room. I got up and started walking towards our door. I was still half asleep. Suddenly the door opened and a man and a woman walked into our room. I was so, so shocked, for a moment I couldn't even believe it. The man and woman looked equally shocked to see me.

They explained that they had just checked in and were told to come to room 114 which was our room. I just kept repeating: "No, this is our room" because I don't think my brain had even really started functioning. The couple apologized and went away. At this point Peter woke up and asked: "Were you just talking to someone?" I said: "Yes, to the people who just let themselves into our room." He said: "What people?" Not much point in relying on him to protect me!!!!

I phoned reception and said: "Two people just let themselves into our room with a key."

The receptionist said: "I'm sorry there's been a glitch with the computer."

I was furious and slammed down the phone. I moved a chair against the door in case anyone else tried to get in. It took me ages to calm down enough to go back to sleep. In the morning, I was still mad.

We were travelling with a small travel kettle. When I plugged it in to make coffee, I fused all the electricity in the room. I went downstairs to complain we had no electricity, avoiding mentioning that that was actually my own fault. Then I complained again about having people walk into my room in the middle of the night, because I still wasn't over it. When I went back to the room, my key card had stopped functioning. I went back down to complain again. The staff could see I was so angry that they apologized profusely and gave both of us a free buffet breakfast. I accepted this as at least it was something and I didn't want the incident to ruin our stay, so I went back to the room and got Peter and dragged him down for a free breakfast. It was actually very good. My brother-in-law said in the same circumstances he'd have expected more than a free breakfast, but I guess I can be easily bought.

Peter at breakfast.

The day before all this happened the screen of the phone I broke when I fell over in Bangkok went weird and now my phone just wouldn't come on at all. Fortunately I had brought a spare phone, but I lost everything that was stored on my first phone, including my photos and all the research I had done on Zaragoza.

I took Peter for a short walk to the parks near our hotel and showed him the nearby Lidl and restaurants.

Peter outside our hotel.

Peter in the park.

Peter in the park.

We checked out and the staff apologized again. I had decided by then just to try and get over it, but it had been really scary to have someone walk into our room in the middle of the night

We booked a Freenow, which turned out to be an Uber, as there are no Freenow in Zaragoza. From this point on we began to realize that Uber was cheaper than Freenow, so we switched allegiance.

Our car took us to The Ibis Styles in the city centre. Our room wasn't ready, so we had to sit and wait in reception for around an hour. When we finally got the room, it was big and clean and comfortable. It was quite dark though with opaque windows.

Our room.

Peter told me to go out and find my way around Zaragoza, then take him to the sights the next day, so once again I set out in pursuit of places to eat, shop and an idea of how to get around.

We were located right on the edge of the Old Town.

First I wandered into an area known as El Tubo which is famous for having many many tapas restaurants. In fact there seemed to be restaurants everywhere so we wouldn't have any problems with food here.

Open air cafe.

Restaurant.

El Tubo area.

Restaurant.

El Tubo.

There was lots of colourful street art around the restaurants and some interesting shops.

Street art.

Street art.

Street art.

Street art.

Street art.

Street art.

Street art.

I liked this colourful shop.

I liked this colourful shop.

Then I wandered towards the historic centre of town. I just intended to have a quick look and explore properly the following day. I kept passing lots of beautiful churches.

The Church of the Seminary of San Carlos Borromeo was close to our hotel.

The Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Iglesas. This houses the Museum of Lanterns and the Crystal Rosary.

The Church of Santa María Magdalena.

The Church of San Juan de los Panetes.

There were lots of old narrow streets, as well as some wider ones. It was all pretty flat so good for getting Peter around.

Street.

Narrow street.

Street.

I found palaces, statues, squares and an archway.

The Arch of Dean.

San Bruno Square.

San Bruno Square.

Palacio de la Familia Palafox, now a hotel.

The Eagle Shepherd by Spanish artist Pablo Gargallo.

Monument to the Argensola Brothers.

I reached the beautiful Cathedral of the Savior of Zaragoza, also known as La Seo de Zaragoza. This has beautiful Moorish walls.

La Seo.

Moorish wall.

La Seo from the front.

La Seo is located on Plaza de Pilar, a massive open square with lots of wonderful historical buildings including The Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, the most famous building in Zaragoza.

Plaza de Pilar.

On the Plaza de Pilar I saw many statues, a fountain, the Zaragoza City Hall and a historical building called La Lonja.

The City Hall of Zaragoza.

La Lonja.

Doorway.

Lion.

There's a monument to Goya, the Spanish romantic painter who was born in Aragon. This monument was sculpted by Federico Marés in 1960. It features a statue of Goya on a pedestal, with people sitting on the ground all around him.

Goya.

The Monument to Goya.

The Monument to Goya.

The Monument to Goya.

The Monument to Goya.

The Monument to Goya.

There's an unusual fountain called the Fountain of Hispanicity. It's supposed to look like the Spanish parts of South and Central America. I think you may need to view it from above to get this effect. This fountain was created in 1991.

Fountain of Hispanicity.

There are also two statues of children with fish.

Statue.

The Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar is huge and very, very impressive. It occupies most of the square. It's possible to photograph parts of it from the far side of the square or from down a side street.

Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar from the square.

Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar from the square.

Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar from a side street.

Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar from a side street.

However, I found the best way to photograph it was to cross the River Ebro and view this magnificent cathedral from the other side of the water. Many viewpoints were blocked by trees and there were some extremely steep paths down to the water. The view there would have been better, but the paths were so steep I was sure I would end up in the river if I had tried to go down them. However, I did find an easy place to get down to. This was near the old stone bridge across the river - the Puente de Piedra.

View from across the river.

View from across the river.

View with reflection.

View with reflection.

Selfie.

There were also good views from the Puente de Piedra itself.

View of The Basilica Cathedral from the bridge.

The Puente de Piedra was an old arched stone bridge guarded on each side by lions.

The Puente de Piedra.

The Puente de Piedra.

View from The Puente de Piedra.

View from The Puente de Piedra.

Lion guards.

I took Peter out later that night and we headed to the area of town that was well known for tapas. We found an excellent bar that did food and had a very pleasant meal sitting outside.

Peter with a beer.

I had pork in a baguette.

Peter had a burger.

That night I caught up on some much needed sleep and felt ready to explore Zaragoza properly the next day.

The National Palace of Barcelona.

The next day I took Peter out to the park for breakfast again, then afterwards I took him back home. I had decided to venture into Barcelona again. I felt more comfortable about doing so this time as I was on the same R4 line I had used from Sant Joan Despi. I was just two stops further away, but at least I felt like I knew what I was doing.

This time I bought a return ticket to Arc de Triomf. I wanted to revisit The Park of the Citadel, because I remembered liking it on our earlier visit.

The Arc de Triomf itself was a little disappointing as it was being renovated. The Arc de Triomf is a memorial arch built by architect Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas as the main entrance to the 1888 Barcelona World Fair.

The Arc de Triomf.

The Arc de Triomf.

On the walk from the Arc de Triomf to the park I passed several monuments. One honours Francesc de Paula Rius i Taulet, who was the mayor of Barcelona at the time of the 1888 Universal Exposition. I also passed the Palace of Justice.

Monument to Francesc de Paula Rius i Taulet in Barcelona.

Antoni Viladomat i Manalt, a Catalan Baroque painter.

Palace of Justice.

The Park of the Citadel is a beautiful place to wander around. It's the largest green space in Barcelona, but its history has not always been idyllic. In 1714 King Felip V destroyed a significant part of the Ribera Quarter of Barcelona in order to build a citadel here. The Citadel represented everything the Catalan people were opposed to, such as: The Bourbon rulers and the government in Madrid. Later on the Citadel became the site of a prison for political prisoners. The much loathed citadel and prison were later razed to the ground and a park was built in their place.

Nowadays inside the park there is a zoo, the Catalan Parliament, The Museum of Modern Art, The Zoological Museum and the Museum of Geology.

The first building I saw when I entered the park, was the Castell dels Tres Dragons or Castle of the three Dragons, which houses the Zoological Museum.

Castell dels Tres Dragons.

Castell dels Tres Dragons.

Nearby there's a cast iron and glass pavilion called L'Hivernacle, which houses many plants. A little further along the wooden and brick Umbracle houses many shade loving plants.

L'Hivernacle.

L'Hivernacle.

The Umbracle.

One famous place in the Park of the Citadel is the cascade. This was designed by Josep Fontsère and the then unknown architect Antoni Gaudi. The cascade has many statues of dragons in it. Unfortunately, like so many places in Barcelona, it was being renovated, so it had no water in it.

The Cascade.

The Cascade.

Dragons.

Near the cascade there's a statue of a mammoth.

Mammoth.

Mammoth.

It started pouring with rain when I was visiting the Park of the Citadel I wasn't bothered as I had brought my cagoule. I was delighted to see many beautiful green birds enjoying the puddles in the rain. I believe these were parakeets. Later I realized that many people had tamed these birds. They kept placing them on tourists so they could take a photograph then charged them for doing so.

Pigeons and parakeets.

Parakeets.

Parakeet man

There are also lots of statues in the park. My favourite is the fox and the stork from the Aesop fable.

Fountain of the Children.

Fox and stork

There are lots of monuments to famous Catalan people. One is to General Prim who destroyed the hated citadel.

General Prim

This is the Monument to Lleó Fontova, a Catalan actor.

Goddess by Catalan artist Josep Dunyach.

Joaquim Vayreda, a Catalan painter.

The Monument to the Catalan Volunteers.

There's a beautiful lake in the Park of the Citadel. It's possible to hire row boats here. Some of the trees around the lake were turning autumnal.

Autumnal colours by the lake.

Autumnal colours by the lake.

Boats on the lake.

Selfie by the lake.

There are museums in the Citadel Park and the Catalan Parliament building, which also houses an art museum. There's also a military church.

Museu Martorell.

Military Parish Church.

Military Parish Church.

Palau de la Música.

The Catalan Parliament.

There's also a zoo. I walked past this, but didn't go inside.

Zoo

Of course there were beautiful flowers, too.

Flowers.

When we visited Barcelona before, I absolutely hated the Sagrada Familia and swore I never wanted to see it again. Yet it's one of the most famous buildings in the world, so I decided I had to go back. My objections before were that it was a building site and surrounded by cranes, but I had read that this building may finally be finished in 2026, so I decided to give it another chance.

I decided I would walk there using Google navigation to guide me. I passed some nice buildings on the way, but on the whole the walk wasn't that interesting.

Hostalin Barcelona Diputación, a guest house located in Barcelona, Spain.

the Casa Ramon Franquesa.

Fountain I passed on my walk.

When I arrived at The Sagrada Familia though, I was glad I had come. It was much more beautiful than I remembered it and there was only one crane still working on it.

Construction of La Sagrada Familia or The Basilica of the Holy Family began in 1882. It was originally the project of architect, Francesc de Paula Villar, but Antoni Gaudi took over in 1883. He changed the project into a more ambitious one involving five naves, a transept, an apse, an exterior ambulatory, three facades, and eighteen towers. The towers are dedicated to the twelve apostles, the four evangelists, the Virgin Mary and the tallest one to Jesus Christ. This one will be topped by a cross that will reach 172 meters in height.

Gaudi dedicated forty-three years of his life to building La Sagrada Familia. He died in 1926 having been run over by a tram. It is hoped that La Sagrada Familia will be finished next year to mark the hundredth anniversary of Gaudi's death.

I've never been inside La Sagrada Familia. To go in it's necessary to book quite a while in advance. It's not possible to just turn up and buy a ticket.

La Sagrada Familia.

La Sagrada Familia.

La Sagrada Familia.

Another angle.

Detail.

The statue is of "Miliu," a character created by José Torres Vilalta.

After looking at La Sagrada Familia, I took a train to Espana Station to see the Plaza de España. Somehow we managed to miss this on our first visit to Barcelona.

Plaza de España was built during the 1929 International Exhibition. At 34,000 m² it is the second largest square in Spain. There's a fountain here, which was designed by Jujol who designed all those buildings in Santa Joan Despi. There's also a shopping centre called Las Arenas which is housed in a former bull ring.

Fountain and Arenas.

There are two towers which look like the towers in Saint Mark's Square, Venice.

Venetian towers.

Venetian Towers.

Venetian Towers.

Venetian Towers.

The square is very beautiful, especially when observed from the hill next to it.

Looking down on the square.

Looking down on the square.

Selfie.

There are exhibition centres, trade fair centres, cultural centres, lots of fancy buildings.

The Fira de Barcelona, one of Europe’s biggest trade fair institutions.

Palau de Congressos de Catalunya

CaixaForum Barcelona, a cultural center

In one area I noticed restaurants had been set up for October fest

October fest.

A short walk away, overlooking the square is the National Palace of Barcelona which nowadays houses the Art museum.

I think there are fountain shows in this area in the evenings.

The National Palace of Barcelona.

The National Palace of Barcelona.

The National Palace of Barcelona.

The National Palace of Barcelona.

Selfie.

That evening we went out for dinner in Molins de Rei. We had a lovely meal consisting of a pork dish and thinly sliced pieces of pork. I felt sorry for the waiter/ owner though as he seemed to be run off his feet and doing everything by himself: serving, cooking, cleaning up and the restaurant was packed.

Peter in the restaurant.

Pork sandwich.

Pork dish

Next day we left Molins de Rei. It wasn't easy to get a free now to come for us, but thankfully one came eventually. We went to Barcelona Sants Station to catch a train to our next destination - Zaragoza.