"I want to go to Greece - Greece - Greece - Greece" Are you guys listening? I,fuming with terrible anger of my last two days of 5 hours research ; rushed out my room in a fit.I assumed things would calm down a bit,my friends would bow down to my stubbornness until I quietly slept in my bed but the dreams still won't go - Those blue hues I was raring to touch - So obsessed with the idea that now any home which slightly resembled White and Blue of Santorini,my mind would immediately wander to that place.My dear College friends all of them tried to buy me out for Paris,Switzerland,Rome but I refused to listen.One of them after having failed attempt at trying to pursue me bluntly said "It's Goa but More Blue",watch the video - and added to it, "If Goa was painted more Blue in Color and if the Indian waters were more clean It would be Santorini dear.Plus these days the color of water can be changed virtually.Don't you know the DSLR's and the Special Effects.There's no point going there."But I always saw a point.The point was "Yes I wasn't going to Paris,I wasn't Going to Italy but a place where Hollywood comes for vacation,where Bollywood chant rhythms like "Khuda Jaane".



Disappointed and fairly heart broken , I took a refuge in three of my girl friends who had expressed interest in Greece a month back.I wanted Greece to be with my friends,with a gathering of people I knew or at least with people I have had met before.I was petrified if they would say no then I would have to go through another heart break.The girls said no as they had now made another plans.I understand.But how can they?Greece was my dream,I felt like saying "Understand" but I secretly knew that One day I will be in Greece and the world will hear my stories.

                                                       When one door closes,another opens.
             Refused by friends(I know It was my dream to be with them),but Hey I ain't dying down
                                    I can still make new friends,and swim and party in Greece

Over the next three months,I tried to forget Greece.Went to Spain and Switzerland over official trips,but still
thinking if I could just escape to Greece It'll be great.My bunch of new swimwear and shorts were longing to be soaked in sun-kissed beaches of Greece.That day never came.Till few days back,I got a letter from TBEX(Travel Blog Exchange 2014) where all the travelers from across the world meet in different locations,this time the chosen location is Athens.I checked my balance,may be all set.May be not so ready,but this year has to be Greece come what may - TBEX or non TBEX.The feelings oozed out of me "was Greece chasing me or am I chasing Greece?"Isn't it what we truly really want come to our hands,one day someday.And I shall wait.


Now talking of plans,Skyscanner is a great tool.So great that I have the Skyscanner App installed in my
cellphone.When the prices are low or high that what I have searched for,I am notified by mail.So this tool isn't entirely new to me.I have previously searched for Oman,Scotland and lot other destinations on Skyscanner,it consolidates from everywhere and gives the best possible rate direct/indirect.Earlier,things were like people would plan London and then they would search Dubai and then they would say you know Bangalore - Dubai - London comes out to be cheaper.Now no such hassle.

While searching for Skyscanner for the dates,I found that 17th Oct - 28 th Oct is around 41,271 return.If I book a day return prior,I would save around Rs 500 but I plan to attend the only festival in Oct we have that is National Anniversary of Greece called "Ohi Day" which is characterized by Military Parades.


My first choice definitely has to be Mykonos. Well I know that we have Acropolis in Athens,but that I can
conviniently cover it on first half day.

So after Landing in Athens on Day 1 and taking adequate rest from the Jetlag, I would head on to Acropolis.I will walk down the ruins,do some shopping around and would then perhaps head to National Ancheology Museum,Plaka Neighborhood(Old Town) or one of the great other museums.I might take a rental car or get into hop on hop off bus depending on how I feel for the day.But as the car rentals are cheap as listed,I might as well take a car.



Next day I take a flight to Mykonos which is also called Ibiza of Greece.The pictures of Mykonos from Google reminds me of beautiful beaches,vivid nightlife,picturesque villages and traditional windmills.If I ain't going to Venice,Little Venice in Mykonos will do the full justice to the plan.It is said to have one of the most colorful quarters at Chora.I would then dab into my favorite sunscreen before I head to beaches of Elia,Super Paradise and Psarrou.I would then take a boat from Mykonos to Delos where the open ruins of ancient Santuary and theater are found.


Slowly and slowly,I am realizing the fun of slow travel - i.e not rushing in to touch a place but knowing it in full details like "Why is Mykonos called Mykonos,what do they eat,what do people in villages believe in.And for next 4 days if you are wondering what I'll do,I would be in my search for the answers less known to the world.I might as well hire a bike or an ATV,but a car rental also sounds like a cool option.

On 22nd I leave for another favorite island of mine, Santorini.I will visit the numerous Caves and museums and visit Akrotiri which is recently opened Pre-historic city of 30,000 inhabitants.I might either rent a car or might take go on an excursion to Volcano island.One day will be my Scuba day..How many days left now?On 26th I fly out to Athens


On 26th Night,I dance and dance at the popular neighborhood of Psiri and sleep a little more till 27th.I take a quick glimpse of the parade and fly in back happily to India.

So as per what I have said,the itinerary is
17th - 17th(Afternoon) - Reaching Athens from Delhi
17th Night - Athens
18th Morning - Fly to Mykonos
Check in Mykonos
22nd Morning -Check out Mykonos - Fly Santorini
22nd - 26th - Santorini
Check in Santorini
26th Check out Santorini - Fly to Athens
26th Check in Athens
28th Morning Return 

And the total expenses are:
Delhi - Athens - Delhi Return = 41271
Athens Stay(17th) = 864
Athens Car Hire = 2372
Athens - Mykonos(18th) =  3444
Mykonos Stay(18th -22nd) = 8990
Mykonos Car Hire = 7030
Mykonos - Santorini(22nd) = 4411
Santorini Stay(22nd - 26th) = 2890
Santorini Car Hire = 6889
Santorini - Athens = 1938
Athens Stay= 1727
=81826(With Car Hire)

And for the remaining 20 thousand,I might head to Crete on 27th,stay there for a day and come back.It adds upto 7235 on my cost which comes out to be 89061.Adding onto Athens and Crete car hire we have the 1871 + 2372 = 4243 = 93304 .

I still have 7000 in my kitty which I'll use for food at the local food joints.Greece isn't as expensive in terms of food,I'll have Moussaka , Baklava and the Greek Salad. If the Skyscanner coupon is for Travel and Stay,I can choose Ifigenia Luxury Suites setting me back by 7000 in Crete but Crete is worth it all.That makes up for all the money I was given :)




I could have easily chosen three countries in Europe in the budget given to me.But I prefer to know a country in detail ,and for the country like Greece,I rather stay at pleasure at my own pace than just mark several places on my bucket list.


αντίο from my Greek Dreams.I hope I wake up and see myself in Greece someday.Until then,its just a dream I am waiting for.

This post is a part of Skyscanner travel wizard activity at BlogAdda.com

This is my last post on Dell Venue 8, hence I invite everyone to come and shoot up your queries if you have some. I would say Dell Venue 8 is also a great product for students because in App called Calculator you have sin, cos ,tan, log everything which a student requires. For office goers, who have extremely hectic time schedule, go to Calendar view App and just click on your dates and type in your event. It’s very very simple. It also has in-built features such as synchronizing from your Gmail account which if you are logged in through Wi-Fi will come by default. Also you can store All Contacts Birthdays and Events in the tab which says so. Another one is Holidays in India and when you click on it, on your Calendar it shows dates which are Holidays like for now it’s showing Rakshabandhan on Sun 10th August and Independence Day on 15th“I said you it reads your mind!”

Follow them at: Dell India Facebook
Twitter: Dell India


Reading a free e-book on the go!
When we go to the Gallery, if we ever worked on Movie Studio for the video editing we could see three folders in the Gallery - Camera, Output, Movies.The Camera stores your pictures, Output the output from edited file and the Movies well the video files. Here is my second video on Dell Venue 8 with Front Camera and it’s pretty impressive because its HD. So this video talks about “Shopping While Travel”. You all know I travel quite a lot, so what makes me get things back from my travel. And no “I aren't a super saver ,I love shopping!”.
How To Shop Within Budget While Travelling

The third interesting thing about this Dell Venue 8 is we have Play Books and there are many many books you can read anywhere in the world. There is also an option called Voice Search which says “Say ok to tap mic” and then start talking to search, get directions and much more. So suppose you are driving a car and you do not want to type in location A,B.What you can do is just say on the mic and it does what it is told to do :) We can download movies, games, books ,etc.


Moving on ahead from App ,let’s talk about some of the Widgets which we have in Dell Venue 8.We have widgets such as Analog Clock, Book, Bookmarks etc. You can also view multiple windows at a time with just a touch on the screen. Whichever you choose gets highlighted in big, the same way our home laptop works.

The other options which we have on the right side of the Dell Panel is changing brightness, Auto rotate(You can also lock the rotation of screen if you want to),Airport mode which switches off the Both Bluetooth and WiFi.

Another interesting feature about it is it rarely hangs .I love it for that. It stays put as long the battery is. And the battery got a long shelf life after it is recharged once.
And what else? Have you used the new Dell Venue 8, what do you think about it?

I am no magician.But God is.The spontaneity with which the green changes to the bare sandy mountains of Leh,I was wondering if there is any other place in the world which highlights shift to such finesse.I kept staring with my eyes wide open,barely sleeping on the way,as if If I take a chance and blink,I would miss the transition from the small chunk of snow to the snow and the sand and the sand and the mountains and the snow and the grass and the horses and the Sheep and the caravans of Military.It's been 3 years since I have been.Well Leh-ed thrice and there's always something new coming up.I have heard now we have cuisines of different tastes in Leh,I have heard that there are new trekking routes,I hear there are new Sports.I hear it all the time,but Jammu and Kashmir truly is a trip of a lifetime.



This monsoon,we have got something lined up. Mahindra Adventure pairs up with Ceat Tyres and creates an epic trip just for you.All you have to do,is well well pen your Travel Stories or Share your favorite travel pics.And you could win a trip,you always had on your bucket list.


The Best Part about this trip is
"You would be celebrating Independence Day in Kashmir . What else do we want after we have just recently celebrated the Vijay Diwas in Kargil "

Hurry up fast,because this trip starts on 9th August and the contest entry closes on 31st July.Share it with your friends/family and who knows the winner might be the next you or your loved ones :)

The Link For The Contest is : Participate In The Ceat Adventure

I thought usually a Note is a Note, a Tab is a Tab, but a Tab which is just more than a Tab with an amazing graphics, isn't that cool! I thought that a Tab wouldn't have a mind of its own, but looks like the developers of Dell Venue 8  have thought beforehand each and every step.                  
Follow them on Facebook at : Dell Facebook Handle
Follow them on Twitter at: Dell Twitter Handle
                       


 “Even when we download Games and start playing, we have an option of Remove Ads” which I thought was cool for super annoying ads coming in between. There’s a difference in playing a game on your smartphone, and playing on Dell Venue 8 which has Android 4.3 and runs on Intel Atom Processor. Weighing just 372 grams with built in storage of 16 GB you can carry and play as long as you want to and with amazing colors on screen.

I downloaded two games for the start; one was Hill Climb Racing and Race the Traffic, both of which were free. A lot of games are in fact free. A lot more comes at a nominal cost. The advantage is the wide screen and the brightness which is suited to your eye. So you can play as long as you want to, without having to strain your eyes! Just don’t forget to blink now and then. You can choose the icon which says “Play Games” and download as many games as you want. Since Dell Venue 8 is touchscreen, things become easier and faster.

Another interesting feature about Dell Venue 8 is the number of Apps which are pre-installed. For example, Google play music, all you have to do is connect with a USB Cable and copy the music or downloads it from the net and start listening. You can complete action of downloading using either Browser or Chrome. For each popup that comes as a selection we have an option such as “Complete Action Using - Browser - Chrome and Then Always - Just Once” Select Always or Just once, and you know where you Dell Venue is going to start from next.

Divisions like Computer if you wish to use it that way
In the App of Photo Editor we have an option of Crop (Puzzle), Compress to Zip, Create PDF, Animated GIF or webpage capture which in itself is very unique. So now you can compress your pictures, crop them into puzzles, animate them into GIF’s all that in a single Dell Venue 8.You can also delete all your recent photos by just a click. Another App which is pre-installed is the Facebook messenger that says reach friends wherever you are mobile or web. While chatting you can include your location or exclude it, it’s your own personal choice.

Then we have a Settings tab with which if you click you get all the settings on one screen starting from Wireless Networks to Sound to Display to Apps to Battery all in one screen. So that’s pretty impressive
too.

As my flight took off from Madrid,Spain to Zurich,Switzerland,I knew all the way I had to keep my eyes open at wide angles.I felt sorry for the people who had not got the window seats,poor they,because they can never estimate the surreal beauty of flying over the Alps.Hosted by Switzerland Tourism,this trip of mine was with Journalists from different countries including Korea,Ukraine,Poland and UK.I knew no body,just no body out there.But the excitement of being in Switzerland for next 6 days was showing on my face .I was as excited as it was my first trip.My mom when she heard,she said “Switzerland really,wow take me with you!”.That happens with Switzerland. We love it. 

A lot of us Indians,have fond memories of their honeymoon in Switzerland while many of us still dream of being there.But for me,it was my first time,and Switzerland turned out to be much much more than just touch and go or just Jungfrau or Mt Titlis which is popular with Indians.There is whole world of bare beauty,landscapes which are picture perfect,food which is cheese and chocolates (which by the way are my weakness),and there’s culture which when I will discuss,will surprise you.Because I don’t think many of us are even aware of any culture in Switzerland which is rather sad.How we underestimate Europe,and how we equally love it,is what makes Switzerland so special.Please and please do not make it like a stopover,many Indians love to go there,and I met Vikram from Kolkata,India who’s been there thrice and completely love it.So here’s what he has to say from Lucerne,Switzerland:




One of my friend when he went to Bern,Switzerland on a work assignment,I secretly dreamt that may be one day I will.After all the romantica in me always crave for that DDLJ moment,the epic cow bells .And I secretly thought that may be Bollywood had intentionally added the cows with the bells to add a musical touch,but when I reached Switzerland,I was amused to see the cows with the cowbells on open spaces,the loose "tring trings".Looks like,we have a perfect countryside waiting to be discovered.Many have already.Many yet to go.For those newbies,who have no clue,Switzerland is expensive,if you do not know how to travel.If you are a traveler like me,walking is the most convenient and of course the cheapest and then is the Swiss Pass.The people are really nice,for the first time,I had real conversation along the way,and people were kind enough to answer or help and even walk half way with me for an added along the way conversation.So getting lost in Switzerland is no chance,even without the maps,the systems are in place,the maps land you correctly,the trains are sharp on time,and the people take out their mobile phones to find your way or even call folks who might know the address you are searching for.That's a little step ahead,isn't it?But yes,that's Switzerland,where getting lost is fun.

 And by the time,I pen down more on my Swiss Adventures in the coming blog posts,I take you to a quick photo essay to tempt you to many more to come.Have you been to Switzerland,what do you love about it and why?

Granada is the tapas city. Named after the pomegranates (Granada in Spanish means Pomegranates), this city would serve your eating out for free if you pay your bill for any drink i.e wine/beer/coke/mango shake/just anything.For previous posts on Spain,click here




The story says that, Once upon a time a king of Spain was travelling around and he arrived in a bar very close to the city. That day was very windy day, so all the sand was entering inside the bar. So when the king ordered the wine, the waiter discovered that all the sand was coming inside the bar so he decided to serve one dish of ham on top of the wine glass to prevent the sand from going in the glass and also to not make it look awkward while serving. And when it arrived in front of the king, the king asked why it is the way it is, as he had asked for just the wine. And the waiter out of courtesy said "His majesty, this is the Tapa" (Tapa is Spanish means on Top) an offer from my bar because you are the king. So the king drank the wine and eats the ham. Of course he was delighted because he was very happy with the free food. All the people who were travelling with the king discovered that it was a very very nice area. So they always returned to this area asking for the tapa as offered to the king. After that, all the waiters from Granada, started to offer customers dishes (tapas) along with the drink.


This then started , and is still followed in Granada where along with your drink you get a free tapa which can be any small serving of a dish usually potatoes or meat to go along with.

Spain has high quality of water from the natural Springs of the mountains. So in Granada, wherever you drink water from, the water is pure. When thirsty,drink the water directly from Taps/Fountains and and that’s not unusual.In fact,that is done by everyone.

Granada and Muslim Influence


Al hamra palace is a fortress from the 9th century. The Muslim dynasty associated with it is al - hamar.Al - hamar was the first king of this dynasty and that’s how Al hamra got its name. The story of Granada started in 711 when a few commandants entered the Spanish territory and started to conquer areas from Spain. In 11 years, i.e in 722,they had the first battle in the history of Al hamra inside of Spain .This battle was between the Muslims and the Catholics. The Catholics were a small army of no more than 50 people so when the Muslims arrived to the north of Spain, the Muslim came to know about these 50 people inside of a cave, but these 50 people defeated the big Muslim army because the location of their hideout helped this small army. So this was the beginning of the Reconquista .Reconquista is the beginning of the era where the spied catholic people started to reconquer all the Spanish area. After which there were more fights in Europe but the Muslims lost the wars. However when Umayyads were defeated in one war, one Umayyad survived. He escaped and went to the coast and took a boat and sailed all the Mediterranean Sea and arrived in the coast of Granada. He arrived in 755,in Al Munegar.


Al Munegar is the first place in Granada, where he arrived from munegar to Antequerra.In Antequerra he was self-proclaimed mir.Mir is the political leader of the muslim but not the religious leader.So the muslims jewish and Christians were living together without any problem because the relationship between them were gud relationship.in 1031,as the caliphate was turning into kingdom ,these kingdoms started becoming not friends and so the Muslim kingdoms were fighting with Christians. Because the Christians coming from the north started reconquering the area starting 1031,because the Muslim kingdom didn’t have money to try to defend all the cities.In 1236,was the first king of Granada arrived to speak with Ferdinand 3 and they made an agreement and the Muslim king told ferdinand 3 – I will help you to defeat my neighborhood and help you defeat all the kingdoms but you are not allowed entry in my kingdom – i.e Granada. You have to let me in my kingdom and every yearI will pay you some amount of money.They had a deal with this and king Ferdinand 3 said yes. He thought it was a good idea for the king because he got a new army, with the help of Muslims. So the most important year are the last 200 year in granada, when all the Christian kingdom were trying to fight the control on the spain. Isabella signed a contract in 1942,with the king of Granada,and as per the agreement; all the Muslims were allowed to keep their religion, and they are free to stay inside of granada, but the problem with this was that Ferdinand 3 didn’t want this because all the population in granada was reconverted to Catholic. He didn't respect the Muslim tradition or the Jewish tradition.


This created  a new civil war.A civil war where all the muslims living in Granada went to al bukharas. Al bukharas in the small village inside of the mountains. The government send the army to the al bukhara to try to reconquer the area for them.So at the time the christians entered Al Bukharas and killed everyone in al bukhara and this was end of muslim story in granada area.But Granada has 900 years of muslim influence due to various factors and hence you will see the Muslim influence in the narrow street and the architecture everywhere in Granada.

Sacremonte: Digging Your Own Cave

Sacremonte is a neighbourhood in Granada,a popular tourist attraction where on the Sacremonte Hill you can find the White Wishes Cave.Most of the population in this area now is the hippy population and they live in the cave.What they used to do before was,they would dig the cave,paint it as their home and voila,that was their home.This way their own homes was very very cheap and would keep them warm in winters and cold in Summers.But now it is forbidden to dig these caves,so every time hippies now try to dig,the city counsel arrive and destroy.But the start digging their caves again.

Al Hambra Palace And Generalife


The Alhambra was a palace, a citadel, fortress, and the home of the Nasrid sultans, high government officials, servants of the court and elite soldiers (from the 13th to the 14th century). Today, the monument is divided into four main areas: the Palaces, the military zone or Alcazaba, the city or Medina and the agricultural estate of the Generalife. All of these areas are surrounded by woods, gardens and orchards.

Priego de Córdoba

The King's Fountain, Priego De Cordoba
When Walking through the old towns in Spain,each one,just each one is so different from another that the difference makes you feel good and non-repetitive. Just as before we were travelling to Cordoba,we made a quick stop to Priego de Córdoba for taking a walk through the Kings and the Health Fountain,Bypassing 8 Baroque churches from the 19th century,and finally tasting the variants of Olive Oil.


Home to around 23000 inhabitants and surrounded by national parks,there are many bars and restaurants in this area for those who want to enjoy local gastronomy as well as traditional places where Flamenco dance takes place.The Kings Fountain consists of 139 jets of water and has a statue of Greek god in the center. The second fountain is the Health Fountain. In the medieval times, the Christian kings came to the town of Priego de Córdoba to settle and because people from Priego in the past thought that this water had benefits for the body, it was considered as Health Fountain. The area around has lot of limestone, and with the rain ,the water goes down through them and pass through the spring. Depending on the quantity of rain, sometimes the water level in the fountain is lower or higher.In winter or first days of the spring, the level is higher ,in summer it goes down. Part of the water from the fountain goes to the Gym. Gym takes the water to other parts of the town and the Kings Fountain and then to the river street which is the main street of Priego.

For all posts on Spain: Spain Blogposts

Priego De Cordoba:Olive Oil 

The Laid Back Countryside @ Priego
From Priego,what is famous is the local gastronomy and the Olive Oil.The Olive Oil from this region is one of the best in the world,not according to their own opinion but according to many contests in which the first prize always come back to Priego. Olive Oil is the base of their economic development - a lot of people have Olive Trees in their countryside. There are 3 main varieties of Olive oil in Priego. And Olive oil acts as excellent Souvenirs to bring back from Priego De Cordoba.


In Spain,extra virgin Olive Oil and Vinegar is very popular with bread.It is eaten everywhere.

There are plenty of Olive Oil trees in Priego. One of the popular actor from this part of the world is a child artist,singer,actor  from  the last century and a movie was made in 1957 which  was shot in Priego which made Priego very popular.

The Patios
One of the main churches in Priego is of Baroque heritage.In 16th century Priego was very important due to the silk industry.In 16th century these small churches were built.In 18th century the silk industry rose,and all the small churches developed into big churches.So the Muslims and the Christians came to Priego to give the people an opportunity to work and to grow up the trees of silk.Narrow streets and white streets,is a tradition of the town.For example,another thing which is very traditional here is a sweet Turrolatte(chocolate made with almonds) chocolate cigar.


Royal Slaughter House where exhibitions were taking place
Built over the Royal slaughter house from the 16-17th century,is now a days a cultural place in Priego,where local exhibitions take place and the people of the town who used to participate in local workshops,their exhibits were on display.

Priego De Cordoba:Olive Oil Tasting


Since Priego is famous for Olive Oil,a visit to the Olive Oil tasting site is a must do.The production of Olive oil goes through 4 stages - i.e Harvesting,Extraction,Storage and Packing.When the Olives reach the stage of maturity,they are harvested directly from the trees without touching the ground.Then they are passed through conveyor belts where they are cleaned,then extracted and stored in storage tanks after which it goes for packaging.


Olive oil is a completely natural product and there are three different types of Olive oil - Lampante Oil(Obtained from naturally fallen Olives.This oil is not fit for consumption hence needs to be refined), Virgin Olive Oil(An oil with slight defects) and Extra Virgin Olive Oil(with no sensorial defect and all flavor and aroma from the fruit).Tasting is very similar to Oil tasting where as in this one,a small amount of Oil is poured into dark colored glass,the glass is held in the palm and rubbed to generate heat and aroma,and then taken in the palate gently .A good oil will have smell of apple,herbs,tomato etc and taste of sweetness,bitterness or pungency.

Cordoba


In Cordoba you find more than 40,000 orange trees and that’s why the main income in the city is by making Orange Marmalade. Speaking of incomes ,now a days its much more through Silver and Gold smith factory.In olden days the  leather industry was much more prominent.The Patio Festival was going on in Cordoba and by the time we reached,there were 3 winners who had queues outside their home because theirs were awarded as the most beautiful patios.

       Mesquita Cathedral - Only standing Cathedral with a Mosque and Cathedral inside together

The most important building in Cordoba is of Mesquita Cathedral. The Mesquita Cathedral is a cathedral with a mosque and a cathedral inside. The interior pillars of the mosque are stunning, and the Christian church, built within, doesn't take away from the original interior at all.Just teeming with geometrical art. Later it was converted back into a church by adding on a strikingly different style of architecture, beautiful in its own right, but awkward right next to the mosque.The Cathedral of Cordoba (the Mezquita) is one of the most magnificent religious places of worship I have ever visited because of the rare blend of Roman, Christian (Renaissance, Baroque, Gothic) and Muslim architecture and the long complicated history surrounding its existence in Spain. There had first been a temple to the Roman god, Janus, on this site in ancient times. The temple was converted into a Christian church by invading Visigoths who seized Cordoba in 572. Next, the church was converted into a mosque and then completely rebuilt by the descendants of the exiled Umayyads—the first Islamic dynasty from 661 until 750. Each one making more fabulous improvements.
We knew that Cordoba was where Columbus convinced Ferdinand and Isabella to finance his voyage to the new world, but did not know what else to expect. The Catholic Cathedral inside the Great Mosque blew us away. First built in the 8th century, the size and scope is immense. Although we enjoyed the Alhambra, the great cathedral and mosque is unique. Don't miss it.

                                                         
                                                             Where to  Eat in Cordoba
                                                                Restaurant La Tinaja
                                                       Restaurant Casa Palacio Bandolero.

I stand still in the middle of the street adjusting my camera shutter to the frame that looked so infinite,uninterrupted.A thought crossed my mind, What was that that in the big city like Malaga, I could hear no honking anywhere around me. Little did I know that I was at the Larios Street, the pedestrian only street in Malaga.For previous posts on Spain,click here ; To know more about Spain Tourism click here


Malaga's Swanky Shopping Street
Capturing the essence of Malaga is very difficult. Who knows there might be an artist hidden anywhere. Just as you walk along the narrow cobblestone street from the 1950’s next to Larios, you would see doors and windows creatively done, with doors on the opposite almost touching each other(it is as narrow!) and you would think why? Well the grand genes of the renowned painter Picasso who was born in Malaga is found in bits and pieces in the locals of Malaga. Everyone is an artist here, inspired by the grand artist himself. In Malaga, it is traditional to have Churros in the morning. Malaga is also 5th largest city in Spain and you have the hop on hop buses too running on the street for your travel. For your fun times, there are 2 casinos in Marbella and one outside the town of Malaga.


Picasso Museum Malaga



Opened in 2003, Picasso Museum is one of the most visited places in Malaga with over 400,000 people coming here from all over the world to view his art. There are 8 galleries out of which 155 work of art has been exposed, something which has never been represented in any other city. Since Picasso was born in Malaga, it was his wish to represent his art from the city he was born in. So when he died at the age of 93 in the South of France, his family approached the Governor who willingly offered them the old art museum in the city which was transformed to Picasso museum. The house where he was born in 1881 was not far away.

The best thing about this museum is the children are always given top priority as told by Picasso himself – so the kids are the first ones to get in everywhere in Picasso’s world of Art.

Picasso's Art is a masterpiece. Picasso drew for himself and so all the meanings of his paintings are either interpretations by connoisseurs of art, his near and dear ones, his stories of work written or findings .He used to make very natural "faces", each of them painted differently, he just have to draw on whatever came to his mind.

Picasso's Style of Art: Cubism



Some of the interesting creations which we saw (of course we couldn't photograph) were based on his own life story. One such was a picture of his sister who died at the age of 14 who was ill and sad and that's how he remembered her last. As life transformed for the better, Picasso's art gradually changed its depth, taking in more meaning. So when Picasso was a father for the first time, he made a painting style called Cubism, depicting Maternity where you could see 2 but in reality it will be 3 people.

Cubism is a type of art where another person is in the shadow but you never exactly see them fully so you will have to think about it. He was the only artist of that time who created this type of work which is showcased in his all creations further ahead. We all know how romantic are usually the story of painters. Officially Picasso was married twice, once to the Russian Ballerina he met in Paris at the age of 28, and another to a friend writer at the age of 65.However his art was way ahead of its time, and the love and fondness for many women and life in general in depicted perfectly in all his art.

2 years before he was dying, he painted a women as a shadow that is remembering him, or thinking about him. She was thinking in him. Another is such that a women is nude and underwater, she is swimming but on her mind is Picasso’s eyes. So that is how she is thinking in him. His paintings each of them had a meaning, while the one(above stated) in depth says that what will her love do, she will have nowhere to go, so she is swimming in eternity after he dies thinking him all the time. Picasso's father was an artist himself in old type Motif, so you will see Picasso has done a motif of Bull Fighting which is very particular of Spain. His paintings have time and again had hidden meanings - on one he himself is a soldier a pigeon a skeleton, but the artwork is very impressive and one of its kind.

Roman Theatre and Alcazaba



After watching Picasso's Museum and the art, we proceeded forward towards the Alcazaba at the foot of which was the ancient ruins of the Roman Theatre. Local artists were performing in front of Alcazaba highlighting the stories of era gone by.


Further ahead, we could see 2 Toned weight of Silver float, that is used in the month of March when Holy week is celebrated in Malaga where floats are carried and this tradition has remained unchanged for generations. The life of the festival then is represented on the street, and normally it is more than 250 men carrying it by shoulder for 8 hours. Malaga is one of the highlights of floats.

The Most Photographed Carving in Malaga Alcazaba
We take a lift to reach Alcazaba, where the best preserved Moorish fortress belong to the 11 th century.200 Years ago, the enemies used to bomb from/to the sea for any intruders. From Alcazaba you could see the sea and the Jacaranda trees down and of course the overall 360 degree views. Usually the the color for the intricate artwork is by use of color from the flowers. Spring water is from mountains, the architecture by moors.

Automobile Museum,Malaga


Started in the beginning of the 20th century, the Car Museum has the largest collection of vintage cars in the world having 96 vintage cars . This was earlier supposed to be an old tobacco factory until the early 90's when they stop producing Cigar and Cigarettes. The building was abandoned until the Malaga city hall restored the building and opened the building again in sept 2010.



The fashion part highlights the fashion of the rich people who owned such cars. The car museum is divided into 10 different sections, and  the oldest car from the collection is from 1898 - The evolution of a carriage, so this was actually a carriage, and need horses to pull it. We saw one of the cars only used for picnic which was the picnic car - car only used for picnic.



The owner of the museum (his father started collected all the cars, and had even once exchanged a fridge for a car) had passion for collecting vintage cars and this museum is very interesting. At the time when we were there, there was an exhibition running which had costumes matching the vintage cars on display together.