Zaragoza

After spending one full day in Barcelona, we caught the Renfe train from Barcelona-Sants to Zaragoza-Delicias. The ride took about an hour and a half and was pretty easy! Once in Zaragoza, we caught a bus to our hotel (Hotel Palafox Zaragoza). A couple of local ladies talked to us on the bus ride over and provided a few recommendations for places to go during our stay.

We stopped for some lunch in "El Tubo" which is the main food district in Zaragoza. Our first stop was Vinos Nicolas, where we ordered two dishes to try. While we were attempting to get a small bite, we accidentally ordered two appetizers meant to serve 4 people... so we did the best we could. We had a little room left, so we went to Taberna Doña Casta to try their famous croquettes. They were delicious, but we don't know exactly what we ate.

Next, we did some sightseeing around old town Zaragoza. El Tubo is very close to the Plaza and Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar. The basilica is quite impressive in size and was built using several different architecture styles. "La Seo" is also very close and is the other large cathedral in Zaragoza. There are twelve pillars supporting the vaults of the nave and aisles which are topped by domes. The Basilica started as a church, then became a Romanesque church, and then became a Gothic-Mudejar church. Then, during Baroque times, it became the basilica it is today. 

We also crossed the Puente de Piedra (Stone Bridge) over the Ebro River to get a nice view of the Basilica from the other side of the river.



We had a fantastic dinner at Parrilla Albarracin! We tried their seasonal tasting menu, which came with artichokes (which quickly became a favorite appetizer), croquetas, cured meats, and a very delicious creamy Basque cheesecake.

The next day, we went to the Aljafería Palace. The palace is a UNESCO-listed 11th century palace now used as the seat of the Aragonese Parliament. We strolled around the palace, enjoying the intricate details throughout. We also got to see the seat of the Parliament since it was not in session the day we visited. Then, we walked around the palace's walls to get a view from the outside. 

We spent some time exploring downtown Zaragoza afterwards, including getting a coffee near the central market and Roman walls.

We then stopped for lunch at Bodegas Almau before exploring a bit more around the city.

After exploring, we were ready for another snack and stopped into Capricho Food & Tapas for a quick snack and happy hour. I tried their Gin & Tonic since there were several signs advertising those as the special drink.

We got dinner at Udon near our hotel since we wanted to save our appetite for tapas for the next legs of our trip (San Sebastian and Bilbao).

Hasta Luego!

Amy