Chadi » Iberian Peninsula http://thechadi.com Reporting live from the centre of the Universe - My living room Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:59:23 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Sintra http://thechadi.com/2011/12/sintra/ http://thechadi.com/2011/12/sintra/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:56:21 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=614 A must see town and municipality for any visitor to Lisbon. A beautiful mountainous region dotted by royal gems and palaces including the Pena National Palace which, among other castles and palaces, allowed for Sintra to be classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Romantic architecture and beautiful landscapes make Sintra one of the most visited places around Lisbon.

Cabo da Roca is within this beautiful municipality. This is a cape which forms the westernmost extent of mainland Portugal and continental Europe  forming the westernmost extent of the Serra de Sintra (Sintra Mountains). It was described by the 16th century Portuguese poet Luís de Camões in his epic poem Os Lusíadas as “Aqui, onde a terra se acaba e o mar começa” (Here, where the land ends and the sea begins). That is something, I am afraid, you will have to see for yourself to believe.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2011/12/sintra/feed/ 0 Bioparc Valencia http://thechadi.com/2011/11/bioparc-valencia/ http://thechadi.com/2011/11/bioparc-valencia/#comments Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:16:20 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=598 Bioparc Valencia must be one of the coolest places I have been to in a long time. It is a zoo like none you have ever been to before. Everything seems to be very well thought of and planned to maximise the enjoyment for everybody, most importantly for the animals there. Ever wanted to see how different groups of species can live together in one space without any bars between you and them. There are no cages in this Bioparc and that makes it very unique. No visit to Valencia is complete without visiting this park.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2011/11/bioparc-valencia/feed/ 1 Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias http://thechadi.com/2011/10/cac/ http://thechadi.com/2011/10/cac/#comments Sat, 29 Oct 2011 23:01:13 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=591 Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias or the City of Arts and Sciences is a beautiful complex in Valencia, Spain. This wonderful cultural and architectural entertainment complex adds so much value and is considered the most modern attraction in the city.

The complex is made up of the following buildings:

  • L’Hemisfèric — an Imax Cinema, Planetarium and Laserium.
  • El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe — an interactive museum of science.
  • L’Umbracle — a landscaped walk with plant species indigenous to Valencia.
  • L’Oceanogràfic — an open-air oceanographic park. It is the largest oceanographic aquarium in Europe with 110,000 square meters and 42 million liters of water. It was built in the shape of a water lily and is the work of architect Félix Candela.
  • El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia — an opera house and performing arts centre.
  • L’Àgora — a covered plaza in which concerts and sporting events are held.
Below you will find a photo gallery of the complex and followed by a few videos taken at L’Oceanogràfic of a dolphin show and a few more videos of a seal show. All that’s left for me to say is enjoy the show!
]]> http://thechadi.com/2011/10/cac/feed/ 0 Valéncia http://thechadi.com/2011/10/valencia/ http://thechadi.com/2011/10/valencia/#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 08:43:09 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=587 The third largest city in Spain, home of the paella  and host to one of the most impressive futuristic museum complexes across Europe. It is also the home town for Pope Alexander VI or simply Pope Borgia. Once considered disconnected from the sea is now the biggest port on the Western Mediterranean coast and handles 20% of the traffic in Spain. It is a city filled with history and culture that one must not miss on a trip to Spain.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2011/10/valencia/feed/ 2 Belém http://thechadi.com/2011/07/belem/ http://thechadi.com/2011/07/belem/#comments Sun, 31 Jul 2011 12:24:10 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=572 Santa Maria de Belém or simply Belém is just at the mouth of the Tagus in Lisbon where all Portuguese discoverers set sail from. Vasco da Gama set sail from here before to open the sea route to India. There are two grand monuments Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jerónimos Monastery) and the Torre de Belém (Belém Tower) built in a beautiful architectural style. Belém is a beautiful and spacious green suburb with lots of museums and gardens. On a sunny day, this whole area gives you a feel of being just by the seaside. A nice part of town to be in to relax and indulge on a journey back on the discoveries of those brave mariners.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2011/07/belem/feed/ 6 Lisboa http://thechadi.com/2011/07/lisboa/ http://thechadi.com/2011/07/lisboa/#comments Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:56:51 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=567 When I first decided to fly over to Lisbon, I had the impression that it might be one of those cities that I would be bored with after the first day. After landing, I saw a lot of people waiting for their loved ones to come out of the luggage hall. It gave me this warm feeling that you never get in most parts of the world these days. The taxi driver was bragging about how beautiful his city is and how difficult it is for visitors  not to come back. I dismissed all that in my head because he is talking about his very own city, who wouldn’t say that. I was mistaken, very mistaken indeed. Lisbon must be one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen anywhere.

The Portuguese capital city sits on a hilly site on the Tagus. Such a beautiful city rich in history, culture and beautiful sceneries. Besides Belém, Alfama has to be one of my favourite quarters in this city. It comes to life in the late afternoon with its bustling restaurants and bars and music in the air of its alleyways. It is the oldest part of town with its picturesque houses just clinging to the hillside. I can write about this beautiful city a lot but I will leave you to enjoy the photos instead.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2011/07/lisboa/feed/ 2 Casa Batlló & More http://thechadi.com/2011/02/casa-batllo-more/ http://thechadi.com/2011/02/casa-batllo-more/#comments Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:36:48 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=529 Visiting Barcelona day after day keeps bringing up hidden surprises. There is so much to see that you just can’t possibly cover in just one trip. On a recent trip, among all the other places I have been through in Barcelona, I took some courage into standing in the queue for Casa Batlló. This fine house has been restored by the great Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. No words about this house can match the beauty of its arches, façade, colours or feel when you are inside it. The photos can speak for themselves. The rest of the photos in this post are of various other spots across Barcelona.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2011/02/casa-batllo-more/feed/ 2 Font màgica de Montjuïc http://thechadi.com/2011/02/font-magica-de-montjuic/ http://thechadi.com/2011/02/font-magica-de-montjuic/#comments Sun, 27 Feb 2011 22:19:24 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=518 A performance of  Font màgica de Montjuïc (The Magic Fountain of Montjuic) in Barcelona, Spain. It is indeed such a beautiful show that captures the heart. This is my tenth time seeing this and decided to capture this video to share it with you. I think the only words left to be said in the presence of such a performance is, do you dream? Merely this and nothing more!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part 1/2

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part 2/2

]]> http://thechadi.com/2011/02/font-magica-de-montjuic/feed/ 3 Parc Güell & Camp Nou http://thechadi.com/2010/06/parc-guell-camp-nou/ http://thechadi.com/2010/06/parc-guell-camp-nou/#comments Sun, 06 Jun 2010 11:05:53 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=388 Back in Barcelona for a short break right before the summer. This time the focus of the trip was relaxing and taking it easy :) Parc Güell was high on the priority list and hence spent most of the time enjoying its beauty. Parc Güell is a UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of a complex of gardens built on a hill and designed by the ever famous Catalan Architect Antoni Gaudí. It definitely is a must see for any visitor to the city. Photos of a few other places of the city has been also included in this album.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The next big thing on the trip was visiting Camp Nou, home to FCB. Futbol Club Barcelona is one of the most successful clubs in Spanish and European football. I won’t get into detail of their achievements but that can easily be checked out if you are interested to know :) It is worthy to note that it FCB has become a Catalan institution rather than just a club. This explains their motto “Més que un club” which translates to “More than a club”.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2010/06/parc-guell-camp-nou/feed/ 0 Tablao Flamenco Cordobes http://thechadi.com/2010/02/tablao-flamenco-cordobes/ http://thechadi.com/2010/02/tablao-flamenco-cordobes/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:31:03 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=309 One of the things I enjoy in life is a good live performance. Flamenco shows have been very good entertainment over the last few years for me and this show I attended in Barcelona lately is by far the best I have seen yet. I took a couple of video clips and will leave you to enjoy them now :)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2010/02/tablao-flamenco-cordobes/feed/ 0 Poble Espanyol http://thechadi.com/2010/02/poble-espanyol/ http://thechadi.com/2010/02/poble-espanyol/#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:14:25 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=221 Would you believe me if I told you that you can visit all of Spain in just one day? Poble espanyol is an open-air architectural museum located on the mountain of Montjuïc in Barcelona, Spain. I don’t want to go into the history of this place but I am sure you can easily look it up if interested. Enjoy the photos :-)

]]> http://thechadi.com/2010/02/poble-espanyol/feed/ 0 Barcelona Again & Again http://thechadi.com/2010/01/barcelona-again-again/ http://thechadi.com/2010/01/barcelona-again-again/#comments Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:29:46 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=219 Had to visit Barcelona again and will be going there again and again for sure. There’s something magical about that place with all the beauty that’s within. I leave you with the photos.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2010/01/barcelona-again-again/feed/ 0