Georgia

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Georgia

So many places, so little time



Europe » Greece » Pelopennese April 6th 2009

Kalavrita is a peloponnesian village famous for its ski center and for its so-called Odontotos Train, that connects it with the coastal town of Diakopto. "Odontotos" comes from the greek word "donti", which means "tooth" as well as "cog". Apparently the trains owes its name to the second meaning, since its cogs helps it climb the mountain, all the way through the steep canyon of Vouraikos River. The route Kalavrita-Diakopto by train is spectacular itself, you can see waterfalls, tunnels, forests and traditional villages, but there are also two spectacular facts about it. Firstly, the railway was completed in 1896 and, of course, it was a technological miracle (though a very expensive one). Secondly, it is regarded as the narrowest railway in the world, since its width is no more than 75 cm. I travelled by ... read more
Vouraikos River
An old station
The train & the river

Europe » Spain » Valencian Community » Valencia March 4th 2009

I know I missed a day (28/12/08). That's because we did almost nothing except for driving from Granada to Valencia with a short stop in the melancolic town of Almeria. The 29th, on the contrary, was full. It was something like those Sundays when you are a child and your parents take you to the park and you feel like they would last forever, not because you get bored but because you get to know so many new things. It was practically our last day in Spain and we had planned to spend it in Valencia. Since the old part of the city is like the old part of many other spanish cities more or less, we decided to visit the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciencies (City of Arts and Sciences, www.cac.es). A futuristic ... read more
Sea turtle
Oceanographic Park
The City of Arts and Sciences

Europe » Spain » Andalusia » Granada February 10th 2009

It was one of the best, if not the best, days of this trip. First of all, we visited Albaicin. Secondly, four spanish friends came from Valencia to meet us in Granada and we had a great time. Let me introduce Albaicin: It's the old town of Granada, founded in 1228 by the Moorish. Built on a hill, it seems like a village in the middle of the city, since it's full of white houses and typical villas with gardens (I think they are called carmenes). It's better to discover it on foot, since driving through its narrow streets is an extreme sport. When we visited Albaicin it was so empty that we could almost hear our steps while we were climbing to the top (Mirador de San Nicolas). I could imagine these streets during summer, ... read more
Mirador de San Nicolas
Bodega

Europe » Spain » Andalusia » Granada February 4th 2009

I know it's a cliche, but if you have not seen Alhambra and Albaicin, you haven't seen anything in Granada. So, the second day in Granada in the morning we went to Alhambra, which has three main parts: the fortress Alcazaba, the summer palace Generalife with its gardens, and the Nasrid Royal Palace. Actually we didn't go in the morning but in the midday, because we had made a reservation via internet (recommended, http://www.alhambra.org) for the afternoon visit. Tip: Be there at least half an hour before your reservation time, because there is always a queue. For example, if you have planned to go for the afternoon visit (the entrance time is at 14), make sure to be there before 13:30. Generalife was not anything impressive at this time of the year, I suppose that the ... read more

Europe » Spain » Andalusia » Granada February 4th 2009

My first memory from Granada is not a pleasant one. After a 7-hours trip we spent 1 hour more looking for the hostel. The city is like a labyrinth! Never do the same mistake, never visit it without a good map, you will regret it. Anyway, when we finally arrived at the hostel (http://www.hihostels.com/) we were starving to death so we went to dine in a small tavern, its name is El Cordobe. And that's where I forgot everything, even my name, thanks to my friend, one of the best white wines I have ever tasted; Antonio Barbadillo, your majesty! I ordered a sea food salad, too, "salpicon de marisco", it was delicious. After a difficult day this dinner was the best thing (ok, one of the best things) we could have wished for. ... read more




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