Category Archives: Travel Logs & Excursions

Just Pictures, Travel Logs & Excursions

Weekend in Dallas. 40/41 Birthday Bash

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Happy Tuesday!
I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

 Hi folks, I hope you had a relaxing weekend and that your week is starting off great.  Around here for many of us school is starting this week! Luckily my twins’ school doesn’t start until next week, so I am soaking in all the relaxing time I have with them the next few days, and as a last hooray to the end of summer we just returned from a quick weekend trip to Dallas, Texas where my brother lives.  My bother Kiran and his wife Prachi turned 41/40 respectively and Prachi had planned a grand birthday bash for herself and my brother.  What an awesome weekend this turned out to be! Continue reading Weekend in Dallas. 40/41 Birthday Bash →

Just Pictures, Off the Beaten Path, Stories From Our Home, Travel Logs & Excursions, Wanderlust California

Rowing at Lexington Reservoir with the Los Gatos Rowing Club in the Santa Cruz Mountains

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I love driving to any destination that takes me towards Lexington Reservoir on Hwy 17 and the Santa Cruz Mountains.  Even after all these years of driving this road, the scenery here never seizes to amaze me. On any given day the mountains are gorgeous with clear blue skies or with the gentle mist of the Pacific Ocean Fog, the scenery is always awe-inspiring.  So you can imagine what a smile I must have had every morning at 8am when I had to take my daughter Rani to a rowing class right off Hwy 17  😊. Continue reading Rowing at Lexington Reservoir with the Los Gatos Rowing Club in the Santa Cruz Mountains →

Just Pictures, Travel Logs & Excursions

Picasso Museum & the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona, Spain

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Picasso, a Spaniard who became one of the most famous artists in the world.  Here in the beautiful Gothic Quarter of Barcelona is the Picasso Museum which showcases over one thousand of Picasso’s paintings from his youth to his adult life.  This museum is a great way to see the talent of Picasso from the age of 5 to the time he died in 1973 at the age of 91. Continue reading Picasso Museum & the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona, Spain →

Just Pictures, Off the Beaten Path, Travel Logs & Excursions

Palau de la Música Catalana. Barcelona, Spain

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If you like architecture and are a classical music lover, then this concert hall in the heart of Barcelona is a must see.  While the rest of us were focused on the famed Gaudi sites, the popular Gothic Quarter, Picasso Museum and Buqueria Market, our daughter Rani who plays the cello was most excited about seeing the Palau de Musica Catalana.  What an unexpected treat this concert hall turned out to be! The Pulau de Musica Catalana may not be Gaudi or Picasso but is a worthwhile “off the beaten path” visit in the heart of Barcelona. Continue reading Palau de la Música Catalana. Barcelona, Spain →

Just Pictures, Travel Logs & Excursions

La Boqueria Market. Barcelona, Spain

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For a colorful respite from your sightseeing excursions in Barcelona, head to this market for a fun-filled foodie experience. Think Farmer’s Market, combined with artisanal faire, combined with truck stop foods, combined with spice market. La Boqueria Market in Barcelona, Spain is a market for foodies. Any food one desires can be found at this market.  Be it cooked, raw or fresh, its here.  Spices, meats, cheese, olive oil, dried fruits, empanadas, ice cream, sangria, produce  – you name it, you got it.  What a treat for the senses!! Color, tastes, sounds, and aromas, every sense is on overload here.  Continue reading La Boqueria Market. Barcelona, Spain →

Flower Power, Gardening, Just Pictures, Travel Logs & Excursions

The Gardens of the Alhambra. Granada, Spain

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The Alhambra Castle and Fortress in Granada has to be one of the most visited places in Spain with five to eight thousand visitors a day from all over the world. This giant castle and fortress compound spans over 35 acres and is covered in the most stunning gardens I have ever seen. This spectacular Palace, Fortress and Gardens takes over five hours to explore but truly the most amazing aspect of this visit are the gardens of the Alhambra.  The flowers, the fountains, the reflecting pools, the kitchen gardens, the orchards, each and every part of the landscape at this thousand year old complex is awe-inspiring.  It is now one of Spain’s major tourist attractions, and showcases the country’s most significant and well-known Islamic architecture, combined with 16th-century and later Christian building and garden designs. I was so in awe of the gardens here that most of my photos are of the palace gardens and a few pictures of the palace itself.  Here is a look at the gardens of the Alhambra. Continue reading The Gardens of the Alhambra. Granada, Spain →

Gardening, Just Pictures, Travel Logs & Excursions

Real Alcazar Palace. Seville, Spain

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Happy Monday!
Hope you had a great weekend!

This week I ‘d like to continue my series of posts on our recent holiday in Spain with a look at the Real Alcazar Palace in Seville, the majestic and grand Alhambra Castle in Granada, and then end the week with a look at our fun-filled holiday in Barcelona. Continue reading Real Alcazar Palace. Seville, Spain →

Just Pictures, Off the Beaten Path, Stories From Our Home, Travel Logs & Excursions

Triana Square & Ceramics in Sevilla, Spain

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Across the bridge from the main city of Seville on the west bank of the Guadalquivir River sits the charming neighborhood of Triana.  This off the beaten path area is a discovery of our daughter Rani while she was researching places to see in Sevilla. What a cool find Triana turned out to be, as Triana is the most picturesque neighborhood in Sevilla.   Continue reading Triana Square & Ceramics in Sevilla, Spain →

Just Pictures, Off the Beaten Path, Travel Logs & Excursions

Bull Fighting Arena. Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza in Seville, Spain

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A bullring with over 240 years of history, built in 1761, Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza in Seville, Spain is today a landmark in Spanish bullfighting.  With all the controversy surrounding bullfighting, my kids weren’t keen on seeing this museum in Seville, but I on the other hand was excited to tour this historic arena, Why? Because this is such an integral part of Spain’s culture that it’s hard not to separate bullfighting from the fabric of Spain. And as with any cultural tradition this too is steeped in history and a story of how this sport came about in the first place is what can be understood at this historic museum and still working arena. Continue reading Bull Fighting Arena. Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza in Seville, Spain →