Spain

A thread by @hafizsouzaaa

#BPspain

Okay so let's start day 3 topic. Other than Madrid, Spain ada banyak lagi negeri yang cantik cantik yang korang boleh visit.

Anybody here have been to other parts of Spain? Kalau ada, quote this tweet & share lah gambar tu. I'll retweet it

Jangan lupa #BPspain

Here are the list of Spanish cities yang i visited while i was there:

1. Malaga
2. Sevilla
3. Cordoba
4. Granada
5. Barcelona

Spain also have other major cities as well but i won't cover that, as i didn't visit there.

Okay let's start with first one, the one i visited during October of last year, the city of Malaga.

So most of the cities i visited in Spain are at the Andalusian region, Malaga would be the first one.

A seaside city filled with culture & history, especially Islam.

How to get there? There are 2 ways:

1. Take a high speed train. It's roughly around 3 hours from Madrid (40€-60€ one way)
2. Take a bus. It's roughly around 8-9 hours from Madrid (40€-50€ 2 ways)

High speed train was never an option, sebab mahal So we took the bus

Malaga is a beachside city & if you wanna experience beach life in Spain, Malaga has to be in one of your bucketlist

Okay the first thing i would recommend you when you are planning for a trip to Malaga, book an airbnb in the center, as shown in the map. While it'll be abit expensive, everything is in walking distance.

I made a mistake when i booked airbnb on the other side of the city.

Disebabkan benda ni, we had to fork out almost 20€-30€ per trip to go to the city. Dah lah susah nak dapat taxi cause it's 5 of us. Taxi sini mostly accept only 3 people je.

You can use the previously mentioned FreeNow app there.

I forgot to mention, bus & train tickets can be purchased using Omio. Reliable, easy & secure

Sometimes, you don't even need to print pon, tunjuk e-ticket je.

Dekat Malaga ni, the iconic landmark would be the towering Alcazaba, located right in the middle of the city center.

For you to enter the area, you have to purchase the tickets.

TIP 1: Come by on Sunday, it is free

Alcazaba ni unique sebab the structure was designed & built during the Muslim dynasty, so ada banyak Islamic motiffs.

Alcazaba is one of the most signifcant piece of Muslim works in the whole of Andalusia.

Next, you can roam around the city center, by walking ofcourse. We walk around during the night, sumpah meriah gila.

Halal food is everywhere, if you don't mind kebab & pizza lah

Also another landmark here in Malaga would be the Malaga cathedral. Boleh ambil gambar luar je, dalam only for prayers.

Kalau datang Malaga, you gotta go & take a photo at the Malagueta sign. It's on the other side of the beach, near Hard Rock Cafe.

Another reminder there, if you happen to see this kind of electric scooter there, jangan naik. That thing is a scam

We were charged more than 50 minutes extra sebab we couldn't lock our bike, as it is pay per use. End up spending more than RM100 on a scooter ride

Also, check out the port areas, this is where you can find Hard Rock cafe, for those Hard Rock fans.

Overall Malaga is a beautiful beachside city, where modern Spain meets old Moorish culture.

If you have the time & you are into Andalusian culture & architecture, don't miss out on Malaga

Okay next city would be Sevilla.

Sevilla is the capital of the Andalusian region. It is located in the south-west of Spain.

When i went there, it was an impromptu trip as i bought the tickrt a week before i go. And it was during Christmas, apa pon tak bukak

How to get there? You can go there either by:
1. High speed train (60€-80€ one way, 3 hours from Madrid)
2. Bus (40€-50€ 2 ways, 8 hours from Madrid)

As always, you can purchase it through Omio. Bus dia selesa okay? Jangan risau. Haha.

In Sevilla, i stayed in a hostel called Oasis Backpackers Palace. I booked it through an app called Hostel World.

The room is a 4-bed dormitory with a private bathroom. And during that time, ada sorang American Korean old guy, siap offer wine lagi

The price is 13€/night.

This are some of the food we ate in Sevilla. Don't worry semua halal.

Nak cuba, boleh try BBQ House & El Rincon de Beirut.

The first one is rice & shish Kebab. 2nd would be salted chicken rice. The 3rd one would be patatas with beef bacon

We walk the whole time here, as everything is walking distance. The Sevilla Cathedral, Royal Alcazar, Triana & Calle Santa Cruz.

The Sevilla Cathedral is a must visit if you're in Sevilla.

Also the boulevard in that area is a great place to roam around & sightseeing.

Check out homemade tea leaves concotion, Sevilla's famous nougat & delicious pastries

Kat Sevilla & maybe whole of Spain, you can find alot of stret performers, here you can see Flamenco dance performance, Spanish traditional dance. Tak sah pergi Spain if tak tengok Flamenco

Ofcourse Sevilla's iconic landmark would be the beautiful Plaza de Espana.

Here some more pictures of Plaza de Espana.

Kat sini RAMAI orang so make sure to always keep your belongings safe with you alright?

Here is the night view at Plaza de Espana! Just look at that!

Here are night photos of some building & towers i don't know the name off but it is all near the Plaza de Espana.

This is another iconic structure in Sevilla. It is known as Las Setas or Metropol Parasol. It is a wooden structure & there is actually a viewing platform up top.

Another landmark you can go would be to the Plaza del Toros. If you interested in bullfighting, boleh datang tengok sini. Kena bayar ofcourse. Me? Tak nak tengok sebab kesian.

Okay so overall, Sevilla is a beautiful city, it has been modernized alot but still retain its moorish & mudejar influence.

I would recommend you visit Sevilla, maybe a day trip will suffice. After all, if you wanna complete your Andalusian trip, tak sah if tak pergi Sevilla

Next in the Andalusian region would be Cordoba. Cordoba ni dekat je dengan both Sevilla & Granada. You can visit there by:

1. Train (25€-30€ one way, 45 mins from Sevilla)
2. Bus (25€ 2 ways, around 2 hours from Sevilla)

Went there twice, with friends & with family

People usually akan plan an Andalusian trip involving this 3 cities (Sevilla-Cordoba-Granada) sebab dekat dekat with each other. This 3 is famously known as the Golden Triangle of Andalusia.

You can actually do a night at each cities, i'm sure you can cover everything.

Cordoba's iconic landmark will have to be the magnificent Muslim architecture, La Mezquita.

It used to be a former masjid & then when Christians conquered & converts it into a church. But you can still see it in its Moorish glory.

The square is known as Patio de los Naranjos.

In order to get into Mezquita, you have to purchase tickets beforehand through online sebab queue panjang gila

The price would be 10€ for adult, 8€ for students.

It has been converted into a fully functional church now.

Tapi ada one section of the Mezquita where its muslim influence hasn't been removed, it's the Mihrab.

Next locations would be:

1. Plaza de la Corredera (kat sini ada kebab halal, portion besar gila)
2. Palacio de Viana (during spring ada flower festival, have to pay to enter)
3. Roman Bridge (GoT fans should know this bridge)

Semua ni walking distance with each other

This is one of the doors of the Mezquita, it is known as the Golden Door, sebab time sunset, dia punya sunlight will reflect on the door.

Next, Puerta de Almodovar, the main entrance of the town.

The third picture would Puerta del Puente, next to the bridge.

Don't forget to try Spanish gelato dekat dengan Mezquita, cost around 2€ je.

This sign can be found near the Roman bridge.

Sini takde tip sangat, what i can say is that i hope you wear the most comfiest shoe sebab banyak uphill walking.

Overall, Cordoba is a very scenic town, the sunsets here is spectacular (make sure ambil gambar dekat dengan Golden Door)

Dah sampai Andalusia, Cordoba shouldn't be missed, pergi ye!

Jangan lupa kat sana kirimkan doa untuk Al-Ghafiqi, a celebrated Muslim oculist (pakar mata)

Next location is Granada.

Granada is also located in the Andalusian region. As always you can go there either by:

1. By high speed train from Atocha (40€-50€ 1 hi way, around 3 hours from Madrid)
2. By bus from Estacion Sur, Madrid (45€ 2 ways, around 8 hours from Madrid)

Among all of the airbnbs we stayed, Granada's has to be one of the most beautiful. Just look at that view.

Tapi nak ke rumah tu,1km from main road, dengan kena jalan on cobbled streets.

Granada ni famous for its Moorish architecture, a common theme among Andalusia.

Their most iconic landmark would be the Al-Hambra. This was a palace & a fortress by the Muslim rulers in Andalusia.

In order to enter here, you gotta go & purchase your tickets online, kalau boleh beli seawal yang boleh cause the tickets tend to sold out easily. The tickets include entry to Nasrid Palace, Alhambra grounds & Generalife.

General entry: 14€
Guided tour: 45€

For Nasrid Palace, you need to book a slot, sebab diorang limitkan visitors to come in. So if you prefer to go in the morning, book the morning slot.

You can also do night entry of the Palace. But it is only limited to certain areas of the Alhambra grounds.

This are some of intricate designs on the walls of the palace. Cantik kan?

The view from the Palace is breathtaking

From up top the palace, you can actually see the whole of Granada

Also, if i see cats, i take photos, it's simple hahaha.

This one pula is Generalife, or Jannat al Arif, is the summer palace for the rulers.

Looking at this buildings & imagine how they lived during that time. Just wonderful.

The summer palace was used as a retreat for the rulers, they can observe Alhambra from here.

There is actually another Islamic location, known as Meddina Azzahra, but we didn't had time to go there. If you happen to have extra time, please go. It's actually a former city, but has became a ruin, buried under the sand. Cool kan?

The design even looks the same as Mezquita.

Kat sini halal food is everywhere. Check it out

This is near the Granada mosque. Granada mosque can be found at an area known as Albayzin, which is a touristic route you can go. Prepare your shoes tho, it's uphill

The view from the masjid

Near the city center, you can find various souvenir shops yang jual murah murah. Kat sana, make sure to get very cheap pouches,1€ each

Overall, Granada is magical, Alhambra is something you CANNOT miss. You need to go to Alhambra if you happen to be there. Pergi ok?

10/10 should go, no excuses.

Tamat akhirnya siri Andalusia, so we have one more city to go. Boring Andalusia je, kita pergi Catalunya pulak lah. Any idea where?

The final city on the list, the icon of Catalunya, the city of Barcelona.

Ofcourse Barcelona is more than a football club Barcelona is like a different city altogether, they have a slight difference in their language, their architecture, the people.

As always, how to go there?

1. By bus, which we took, almost 9 hours, nak mati woi, dah lah hampir tertinggal (64€ 2 ways)
2. By budget flight, less than an hour (50€-150€ return, depending on the time you purchase)
3. By train, paling tak berbaloi

We wanted to take a flight, tapi sebabkan beli lambat, terlepas promo Ryan Air, naiklah bus ye

Budget airlines can be very very cheap. My suggestion? Always survey on Skyscanner. Survey other airlines + other dates. Some dates could be cheaper. Rajin rajin survey ye

The bus ride was tiring, nak dekat 9 jam dalam bus

If you took the bus, dia akam berhenti near Barcelona Nord, their main bus station.

Okay we start we the iconic landmarks here.

1. Sagrada Familia.

Ofcourse the icon of Barcelona, the unfinished church designed by Antoni Gaudi, a famous designer/architect.

This building is massive. You can actually enter it with a fee. Tapi the queue panjang gila

2. Casa Batllo

Another Gaudi's architecture. Gaudi uses alot of nature theme in his buildings, with the usage of colourful tiles & mosaics. This one also can enter, but pepaham jelah kenapa kitorang tak masuk (Read: look at pic 3).

3. Parc Guell

Also another Gaudi's masterpiece. It's also an unfinished park he designed, semua benda tak siap.

Hey look, that is me with Antoni Gaudi

4. Montjuic Cable Car

In order to get the best view of Barcelona, you gotta go up.

Montjuic Hill is the best viewing point. For you to go up, you can take a cable car which cost us 12.70€ for 2 ways. Quite expensive worth it!!

5. Montjuic Castle

You have to pay to enter, only 5€ je. But hey hey hey, on Sundays after 3pm, it is free!!

Pantang benda free, siapa yang nak ambik gambar ala ala sunkiss tu, sini cantik!

A few more pictures on top of Montjuic castle.

6. La Rambla

The most famous street on Barcelona. You can find almost everything here. Food, souvenirs, shopping, bars, even street performers. You can spend the whole night here, just jalan the whole stretch from one end to the other.

Street performers scary af

7. La Boqueria Mercado

Near La Rambla, you can find this unique market, selling various stuff, from food to fruits & even tapas

8. Gothic Quarters

Here, you can check out all the gothic architecture & influence, including the famous Barcelona Cathedral.

9. Camp Nou

Ofcourse tak sah lah kalau pergi Barcelona kalau tak visit sini. Eventhough i'm not a fan of Barcelona, sini wajib pergi!

You can purchase their official merchandise in the Megastore. But hey, it's DAMN expensive

10. Arenas de Barcelona

Okay at first glance, i thought it was a stadium, rupanya shopping mall

TIP 2: While you can pay to go up to the viewing platform, you can actually reach up there for free. Just enter the mall, go to level 5 via elevator & then take the escalator

There supposed to be a light show at the Montjuic fountain tapicsebab we went there on new years eve, dia tutup in preparariom for new year

So mampu ambil selfie je hahaha.

Ok if you are wondering "Hafiz makan kat sana senang tak?"

Huhu, ofcourse senang, there are actually 2 Malaysian restaurant

Restaurant Malaysia & Rasa, 2 different restaurants, same owner, different price.

Rasa is the cheaper among the 2.

Sedap weh, sebab dah lama tak makan makanan Malaysia & minum teh tarik

Hello, sanggup jalan 2 km in cold, rainy weather demi teh tarik.

We ate there for the whole duration of our trip (6 kali )

Tip 3: If you are wondering how do we travel around the city. Barcelona's metro is actually quite efficient & can reach most places.

If you wanna use the metro, i recommend purchasing Hola Barcelona pass, they sell it in 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 days.

We bought the 3 day pass for 24€.

Overall, Barcelona has to be one of the best Spanish cities i've been.

Modern, scenic, various activities & places you can go. No wonder why most Malaysians LOVES going here.

Kita kasi 10/10, recommend you visit here.

*Mini love for Barcelona*

Okay so we are actually done. All the cities in the list, all covered up. Wow! Great job

So i hope my threads boleh kasi some insight of the cities in Spain, kalau nak plan plan tu, boleh lah refer sini #BPmadrid & #BPspain

Selamat membaca!