Renovating Splendor: La Catedral De Albarracín…

O.K.–so back to the Christmas vacay recaps!!…

Today, I take you back to the town of Albarracín, which is renowned as one of Spain’s most beautiful towns…Because I only had the late afternoon/evening there, I only had time to go to the Catedral there (well, I mean, not that there’s that much to see in Albarracín)–but that definitely did not leave me disappointed!!…

I visited the Catedral on a little tour hosted by the Fundación de Santa María, an organization that uses the profits from the various guided visits that they offer in order to preserve, protect, and promote (yay, alliteration!!) the town’s cultural and artistic heritage…Part of those funds go toward the the Catedral: At some point in the 20th century, someone discovered frescoes underneath the gray paint that had come to cover the walls, and since then there has been a painstaking effort to completely uncover and restore them–I’m so glad my 2.50€ is going towards such an awesome cause!!…

Completed in 1600, the Catedral is a shining example of late-Renaissance splendor, something that is apparent despite all the obvious visual reminders of the restoration in process…

Magic: Albarracín At Twilight…

O.K., so as I’ve pointed out before, I’ve decided to take a little break on my post series–after all, I need to find a lot more inspiring locales and amazing tapas before I can write about them and truly do them justice!!…So, for now, let me continue to captivate you all with more photos from my Christmas Break excursion, :-)…

This week, I take you to the steeply-inclined, cobblestone streets of Albarracín, the village in Teruel province that’s often cited as one of, if not the, most beautiful villages in Spain…During the day, it’s fairly obvious as to why it carries that reputation: As you walk down the steep, ambling pathways of this compact, mountainside pueblo, multiple varieties of pink and orange are emitted with a faint, warm glow from the rustic, Medieval-style buildings–something that somehow intensifies with the steady passage into dusk…

 

The Alleyways of Teruel…

O.K., so I’ve decided to take a little break from my “Zesty Zaragoza” series–after all, I have quite a bit of recaps to get through from my winter trips!!…

As indicated in my previous monthly recap, I had the privilege of visiting Teruel, a small city of around 35,000, and the capital of the province of the same name…

I came to Teruel because, as a huge admirer of mudéjar architecture–that is, the unique style of architecture inspired by the artistic flair of Moorish Spain…However, while ambling through the streets of this tiny town on that Sunday afternoon, my little smartphone just couldn’t get enough of the little callejones (alleyways), 🙂

Zesty Zaragoza: Plaza del Justicia…

Hey, lovely readers–I apologize for being A.W.O.L. last week, but considering that I only have ONE. MORE. DAY. of work until mis vacaciones, I’ve just been feeling really lazy…

However, here I continue with the “Zesty Zaragoza” series!!…Today, I take you to one of, if not my favorite plaza in the city–La Plaza del Justicia...

Zesty Zaragoza: Parque Grande José Antonio Labordeta…

Today, I take you to the Parque Grande José Antonio Labordeta–also known as the Parque Grande, for short…

Zesty Zaragoza: Las Murallas…

Today, I take you to a site that I often pass by doing my day-to-day doings–Las Murallas (The Walls)…

Zesty Zaragoza: Las Fiestas Del Pilar…

Sorry, lovely readers–I was too wiped last week to provide an entry for this lovely series, :-(…But, to make it up to ya’ll, here’s some lovely, never-before-seen-on-this-blog snapshots from Las Fiestas del Pilar!!…

In case you’ve missed my article on Las Morenas De España, the Pilares are an annual festival that commemorates ZGZ’s patron saint, La Virgen del Pilar (who, by the way, also has a cathedral in her honor!!)…

‘Tis a wondrous event, filled with tons of lights, concerts, theatrical performances, Zumba marathons, and gofres–lots and lots of gofres (waffles)…

Zesty Zaragoza: The Exterior of San Gil Abad…

Today, I take you once more to the Casco Histórico (Old Quarter), to a church by the name of Iglesia de San Gil Abad…

Zesty Zaragoza: La Aljafería…

For this week’s addition of Zesty Zaragoza, I take you to an exemplary work of mudéjar (Moorish-lite) architecture–which, coincidentally, is only 3 minutes away from my house!!–La Aljafería…

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Zesty Zaragoza: La Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar…

Taking some titular inspiration from a previously-written post, I’ve decided to start a regular [hopefully] post series dedicated to my adopted hometown: “Zesty Zaragoza”!!…The idea is to highlight a monument/area within ZGZ, just to show how special the city is!!…

In light of the Fiestas del Pilar that just ended here (there WILL be a post on this, I promise!!), I dedicate the first post in the series to the Basílica erected to honor the Virgen of the same name…

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Kingdom Of Heaven???…No–Just Loarre!!…

As I wrote the previous week, last Sunday, I took a trip with some Erasmus students based in Zaragoza that, unfortunately, ended with an arduous journey up a cliffside…However, the first stop of our little excursion was SIGNIFICANTLY more enjoyable–especially because it didn’t involve me risking my life!!…

That Time I Went To Riglos–Or, The Hike From Hell…

This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to take a little excursion to Huesca–Aragón’s northernmost province–with a group of Erasmus students based in Zaragoza!!…We had two main destinations: the first was the 11-century castle known as Loarre (which I’ll elaborate on in a future post!!); the second was a little pueblico known as Riglos…

Zesty Zaragoza In Photos…

Hey, ya’ll!!…As you might know, it’s been almost 2 weeks now since my *hem* less-than-smooth arrival in Zaragoza, and even though the whole “adjusting to adult living” thing in new surroundings continues to present challenges, I realize that I’ve developed a certain affection for this city that I now call home, :-)…

So, in honor of the #SundayTraveler series (hosted by the lovely Adelina from Pack Me To), I share photos of this place whose secrets I am continuing to uncover–slowly, but surely, as every good voyager should, :-)…

The Rocky Road To Zaragoza…

Hey, ya’ll–don’t worry, I haven’t died, it’s just that things have been CRAZY this week, what with me moving to Spain and all!!…I am happy to say that I now find myself in the marvelous city of Zaragoza–though, admittedly, the way here was less-than-marvelous…

10 Aragonese Towns I Wouldn’t Mind Visiting…

While my future city, Zaragoza, is indeed Aragón’s capital city and home to over half of the Aragonese population, that does not mean that there is no excitement to be found outside of its walls!!…

Indeed, Aragón is full of many picturesque, smaller towns and villages that have their own magic to offer–like these!!…