I was so thrilled to see an article of mine published in VIVA this month. To see my name, my picture and my words along with articles by the writers who inspire me, make me think and often educate me, is really a source of pride and joy to me.

As a child, I have often dreamt of being a writer or a journalist. Growing up, my ambition steered me towards becoming an architect, and since then, I'd totally gaiven up on writing , till I was introduced to the world of blogging, one and a half years ago. Now, I can't claim that I write professionally, but I write to express myself, its' sort of therapeutic. I can't deny that I check my blog stats every now and then, I really care who reads my blog and what people think of it.Now, VIVA have given me a new and different audience, and for that I am quite grateful. Thank you Kinzi, for introducing me and my article to Laura Haddad, VIVA'S editor, and thank you Laura for finding my article worthy to be published in your great magazine !

 

Here's my article, hope it's scanned clear enough to be readable, and the lovely bride in the picture is of course, NOT me..(don't I wish !).

 

 

 

 

  

Now, about Espana.

 

WOW...lovely lovely country. We absolutely loved it. There's something about Spain that really touched my heart, and I can't exactly pin point it. It might be this feel it has,being European, yet mediterranean. I'm not sure. It might be the arab's traces you can not not notice inspite of the fact that we did not even make it to famous Arab remains, it might be this fusion between ancient beautiful architecture and simple yet brilliant modern buildings.  It might be all their great sea food and their yummmmmy Paella, and all that Jamon (cured ham) that was part of EVERY SINGLE MEAL  we had, it might be their greenery, which reminds you of ours, only much more intense, they have pine trees and other coniferous trees which I can't name..they even have difla trees,which just amazed me, and it might be just all that put together to create an amazing country.

 

We spent four days in Madrid, one on the road and one in Barcelona. It was supposed to be two in Barcelona, but EVERYONE was going there for the weekend, being Labor day long weekend and so all trains and flights were full we had to rent a car, which is like a six something hour drive from Madrid to Barcelona. It was fabulous.

 

Madrid is a modern city, with lots to offer.It is enough to wander the streets in the new or old parts of the city to enjoy its ambiance. It houses a lot of art attractions, The Prado Museum, the Queen Sophia art center, with its old building and its new extension. There's the fabulous botanical gardens and the Retiro Park, and of course lots of shopping to offer.

We visited the Real Madrid Stadium, which was walking distance from our hotel, AC CUZCO, they have a lot of local hotel chains that are excellent..very very modern designs, a feast to my eyes. The Stadium was something, even for a non football fan as me. I went along because my husband and the rest of the guys wanted to go, but I could not hide my appreciation to the grandness of such a structure. We took the stadium tour, right from the highest point there, till we ended in the players changing rooms. They actually have a Jaccuzi there! Who would have thought? We sat in the players seats on the fields, saw where they come in and where they leave from, saw where they get their massages and checked out all the trophies and cups they won over the years..And there it was: Jordan's flag, right in the middle of the Stadium Museum. Along with the picture of a Jordanian player, Thaer Bawwab, who plays for their second team. I was sooo proud. Of course, we did take pictures but some of them with someone else's camera, so will add them as soon as I get them.

The following week when a game of theirs was on TV we could not help but be amazed watching where we were walking and where we were sitting, it is something I tell you!

It was also wonderful spending afternoons in the old districts of Madrid, Plaza Mayor, and Plaza Espana, sipping coffee or having ice cream, under the rain, since it rained for the whole week we were there.

One thing I wonder about though, how can a country with this much incoming tourism not speak english? The way we got around places and things was hilarious. As I was buying linen runners from an old lady who spoke no english whatsoever, I found myself saying something like this:"Donnez moi la esta taille bass la otra design, per favore!" when I realized I just made up a sentence of french, spanish, italian, arabic, and english. Well I got the exact thing I needed at last . Speaking french in addition to english, and one course of italian in university did prove priceless afterall. We did catch quite a bit of spanish words in Madrid, which surprisingly , were not very useful in Barcelona. I did not know that in Barcelona they use Cataloniyan more than spanish. In fact, signs in train stations and in the airport were written in Cataloniyan, followed by english and then spanish!

 

The drive from madrid to Barcelona was awesome. You pass so many nice villages and cities on the way, and if we did not have to get in time for Barcelona we would have stopped in more places, but Barcelona was a dream come true to me and we had to find time to check it out. We did stop however in two places. First was the village of Santa Maria de Heurta, named after its Church which is being renovated for around 1 million euros.Amazing church, but the scent of cheese made by priests is not so welcoming.

 

We stopped again halfway to Barcelona in the city of Zaragoza, which I later learned was one of the upper most cities that Arabs conquered in their northern endeavours.It seemed like an industrial center with lots of big factories, but there was a mall on the entrance where we had an awesome Paella for lunch, enjoyed the free Wi Fi , stretched our legs and then headed back on track to Barcelona.

 

Barcelona, wow...it was a dream come true, did I say that already?

 

Staying in a hotel close to the airport, we had to pass new neighborhoods, lifeless meaningless disappointing areas. Residential buildings with absolutely no sense of identity. But the disappointment vanishes as you approach the old city. Romantic and lively all the same. And to be there on a long weekend, where it is jammed with locals and tourists. To be right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Las Ramblas. One could spend three days roaming these streets going down to the sea. But having such a short time, one night had to do. God..the ambiance is just out of this world..lovely buildings, huge trees, cafes trottoire, yummy food, live performances, great music, what could be better? The roads were jammed, we were warned that it might not be very safe with all these poeple around, one has to be careful not to get robbed, but it was much safer than I thought it would be. Among all the tourists there, no one stood out as much as the drunken Brits. There were loads and loads of young british men getting drunk and acting silly, I can't imagine how much they drink these guys!

 

So we enjoyed a great night there, had a feast of tapas and seafood, left there after midnight and the streets were still alive and kicking.

We fell in love with Barcelona even before visiting its other attractions.In fact we did not have enough time to check out half the things we wanted to. But at least we got to visit La Sagrada Familia cathedral. Words can not describe the beauty of this building, so geometric and yet so organic. One can only admire the great amount of work and articulate detaing put into it. The interior is still under construction. It was very educational to see the work underway firsthand . To see the moulds and the panels and the stones and to read about where different stones used come from. Truly amazing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Casa Mila was also something out of this world, just as beautiful in real life as it is in pictures. The streets around it, the houses the shops, everything has a lovely character. New buildings right adjacent to old ones, and yet they blend ever so nicely.

 

 

 

What can I say?   We loved Spain.    Absolutely loved it.

So,   Hasta La Vista, Baby!     We will be back, inshallah!!