Week 5_Southern Spain...Where did we go again??

So it's been a week since we have returned from southern Spain, and let me tell you 5 cities in 8 days a lot to handle. Our itinerary went a little like this...BCN to Madrid, Madrid to Cordoba, Cordoba to Granada, Granada to Sevilla, Sevilla to Merida, and finally Merida to Madrid to BCN! It was a ton of traveling, but I definitely learned a great deal of history on Spain and saw amazing architecture, from the Alhambra to contemporary bridges by the famous Calatrava.

In Madrid we got to see famous works of art by Picasso in the Prada Museum, the largest in Europe. We also got to do some sketching at Placa Mayor, an interesting space as it is very ordered in nature, however it is inset in a very "chaotic" old city form and this can be seen by simply entering from the city context into the placa itself. We also got to do some "power sketching" at Renia Sofia and the Ciaxa Forum. Renia Sofia is an excellent example of successful "exterior circulation" experienced through its glass circulation towers.

In Cordoba, we were treated like royalty the first night in the Baths of Cordoba. The next day we visited the great Mosque of Cordoba, and learned how to formulate the proportioning system of the hundreds of horseshoe arches supporting the structure.

Moving on to Granada, we visited the beautiful Alhambra. The level of articulation and detail is surreal, especially for the time that it was completed. The idea of hierarchy and passage through space and emotion is also evident in the design. This had to be one of my most favorite places that I have visited since being in Spain.

Sevilla, a beautiful city, brought the Alcazar and the Cathedral of Sevilla. Both were amazing sites and as if the Alhambra wasn't amazing enough, the Alcazar paralleled it with its beautiful sequence of gardens and breathtaking architecture. I have definitely taken a liking to "Islamic architecture," in its detailing and its proportional geometries.

Merida was a city taken out of Rome and placed in Spain, so it felt...We got to see the Roman Ruins in Merida (a typical Roman theater and amphitheater) along with the Museum of Roman Architecture" and the famous Roman aqueducts, where we did some more "power sketching."

All in all, the trip was awesome and I would do it again in a heartbeat. And as for the food...Madrid takes the cake, no pun intended, but tapas hoping was definitely a good idea...