Spain 2023

July 2023
A 19-day adventure by Napoleon, Nadia Karina, Karina & Oliver Napoleon Read more
  • 39footprints
  • 2countries
  • 19days
  • 558photos
  • 2videos
  • 15.9kkilometers
  • 12.7kkilometers
  • 1.1kkilometers
  • 899kilometers
  • 79kilometers
  • 16kilometers
  • 2kilometers
  • Day 1

    Leaving our home

    July 4, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    We have been preparing for the entire week to get everything ready for the trip. We purchased new clothes, got online tickets, got new suitcases and even learned about which are the best mobile companies in Spain!

    We are super excited and completely ready to go!
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  • Day 2

    On the way to Portilligat

    July 5, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Our flight was delayed 5 hours, but in the end, we made it to Barcelona just after lunch! We were full of energy and ready to start our trip. We got a rental car and started to head to Girona to visit Dali's house. Karina has always been a Dali fan, and she will be able to see two of his exhibitions in the next 2 days.

    The road was gorgeous, and the roads were very well maintained. The scenery reminds us of Queretaro, except that instead of corn, we see wheat fields.
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  • Day 2

    Salvador Dali House Museum

    July 5, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    We finally got to Dali's house! It's in a very secluded corner of Portilligat, next to the beach. It used to be a fisherman's house. After some improvements and additions, the house ended up with very interesting and beautiful spaces in the gardens and inside.

    The town is small and beautiful, and we got a perfect sun to take pictures. We visited the gardens first and then entered the museum. The museum is kept the same as when Dali used to live there. Inside, there were AR features where QR codes would lead to quotes by Dali that go with the pictures.

    It was a really great way to start our trip!
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  • Day 2

    First dinner in Spain

    July 5, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    We were starving after the visit to Portilligat, so we drove back to Figueres and looked for a place to have dinner. We found this traditional tapas bar on the edge of Figueres and ordered tapas, fried fish, and an extremely refreshing sangria.

    Bon apetit!
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  • Day 3

    Dalí Theatre and Museum

    July 6, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    We woke up early today to get breakfast on a small coffee shop close to the museum which was next to our apartment. Coffee is not a luxury but a basic human need when doing road trips!

    We then arrived at the museum and got a guided tour. Everyone got a newfound appreciation for Dali, which led to a viral trend for the four of us to play with our mustache! 😅😜

    The museum was designed and laid out by Dali himself. His remains are in a crypt on the museum, as he wanted to enjoy the steps of the visitors. The main hall of the museum is based on the seating area of an old theatre that burned down, and where a young Dali showcased his paintings at 14.

    The visit to Portilligat helped all of us to understand his work better. Karina was especially moved as she had been a lifelong fan of Dali, and she enjoyed seeing his works firsthand. There are really unique pieces and spaces in the museum, such as the fly-eye dome, the treasure room, a living room on the head of Mae West, Galatea of the spheres and several pieces of jewelry that he designed himself.

    We ended the tour taking drinks (some PG-13 and some R rated) before leaving towards our next stop: Castell de Sant Ferran.
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  • Day 3

    Castell de Sant Ferran

    July 6, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Before leaving Figueres, we went to do a short visit to Castell de Sant Ferran, which is a large bastion fortress built in the 18th century and the largest fortress in modern times. Interestingly enough, a part of it's still in use by the Spanish military as residences.

    We did the self guided tour, which allowed us to see the ruins at leisure. The place was huge, and Nadia did an awesome job capturing some amazing pictures of the space. Once we were done, we left and headed out southwest towards one of the most magical places in Catalonya: Montserrat. ✨️
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  • Day 3

    Montserrat

    July 6, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Montserrat is truly a magical place 😊. Located on a very steep mountain that gives its name to the entire region, it houses an imposing abbey on its top. We arrived a bit later than expected and couldn't visit the cave or the monastery, but we got to do the Funicular, which goes from the base of the mountain to a few meters below the abbey.

    The scenery is breathtaking. It can hardly be compared with other places. Napoleon was extremely moved as he took in the place as we went up the mountain. But the best was yet to come as we got to squeeze a visit to the abbey last minute before they closed.
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  • Day 3

    Montserrat Abbey

    July 6, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    The last step of the day was the abbey on top of Montserrat. The building is impressive, and the church is truly an impressive sight. When we came into the abbey, there was a mass service where a choir of monks sang during the service. We stayed for almost 30 minutes, and it was amazing to experience the music and the church. It felt like we were transported to a different realm. There is a rule (and an enforcer inside the church) against taking pictures or videos during service, so we limited ourselves to taking pictures of the spaces outside the abbey and the plaza leading to it.

    To top off the night, we drove to Monistrol at the base of the mountain to get a tapas dinner and head to our first-floor apartment in town to have a well-deserved rest after a very active day.
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  • Day 4

    Barcelona Cathedral

    July 7, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    We left Monistrol in the morning and headed to Barcelona. We were able to get the apartment a bit early, and after returning our rental, we took the subway towards the Gothic Quarter.

    Our first stop in Barcelona was the Cathedral, considered one of the most beautiful from medieval Europe. It has the remains of Saint Eulalia and consists of a main body with many small chapels around it that were created by the different artisan associations of Barcelona that competed to have the most beautiful and adorned one.

    The catedral has an atrium with geese and a fountain, and where several famous Spaniards are entombed. Without doubt, the best part of the tour was to go up to the cathedral terrace to see the Gothic Quarter from a high point.
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  • Day 4

    Gothic Quarter

    July 7, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    We enjoyed a stride through the corners, corridors, and alleyways of the Gothic Quarter after leaving the cathedral. It reminded us walking through Queretaro, but it was different as the building's walls were very high and the streets were very narrow. Walking through the Gothic Quarter, it is easy to imagine people of medieval times walking on the same streets and the stores bustling with commerce just with a different kind of wares.

    The place we liked the most was the Basílica of Santa Maria del Pi. There is a very cozy plaza just outside of it where we found an Ecuatorian artist singing mexican songs in a heartfelt way. To top the day, we end up going to a very good tapas place near the basílica and headed home.
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