2025 Holy Week in Andalucia

Holy Week is a period of profound reflection. For believers like me (and for practicing and non-practicing Catholics) we make good use of the Holy Week break to reflect on the Paschal Mysteries, the passion, death and resurrection of our dear Savior, Lord Jesus and to take the much needed time off from our busy schedule. 

Holy 2025 was very special. A good friend of mine based in Singapore came to Spain for a visit and we decided to spend our Holy Week in Andalucia! 

Andalucia is known for its deeply ingrained Holy Week traditions. Many tourists, including domestic tourism, flock to Andalucia to witness the Holy Weeks mostly made up of Church visits and the heart pounding, emotional processions. If you are in for fully packed processions, then Andalucia is your place to go for the Holy Week! 

Sharing with you the itinerary that my friend and I made. We did a little bit of everything: church visits, good food and tourism, but best of all, we spent a great deal of our time together! 

Duration and Itinerary: 5D and 4N; Sevilla: 3D, 2N/Cordoba: Day Trip and Granada: 2D, 2N 

Important Logistics: 

1. Accommodations: You have the option to stay either in a hotel (from budget friendly to high end hotels) and AirBnbs. This depends on your budget and we were in mid-budget range. Thanks so much to my friend for the accommodation. :) 

2. Transport: You have the option to travel by bus Alsa (more economical but can be longer the travelling time) or opt for high speed trains which are also economical and more time efficient Oigo Iryo Renfe

3. Secure Entrance tickets in advance, especially if you intend to visit the crowning jewel of Granada, La Alhambra 

Basically, Europe is very much a walking country. As we are in the spring, Holy Week 2025 was April 13-April 20, we were blessed with very good weather. There was some drizzle of rain, overcast clouds but it was definitely an outdoor, springy weather. But, we were prepared with our fleece jackets and umbrellas just in case it rain. 

Our Itinerary and Activities: 

1. Seville: We only took taxis/cabs from and to the train station. During our visit and to fulfill our itinerary, we just walked and walked!! So please make sure that you bring with you very comfortable pair of shoes to take you to these beautiful places. 

• Real Alcazar de Sevilla: We spent approximately 2.5 hours in this beautiful, tranquil. scenic, picturesque and lush gardens!! Who would have thought that these lushy and greeny gardens exist in the heart of Seville? It is advisable to reserve online to avoid long queues. 

• La Giralda: This the Cathedral of Seville, known for its tower where you will get a beautiful panoramic view of the city and its known for its prominent Gothic structure. My friend and I had a great time going up the topmost part to witness the bells and the panoramic view of the city. It was a great walk, may not be a walk in the park but our user experience was smooth! Kudos to the management and maintenance of the Seville Cathedral who removed the flight of stairs and instead installed ramps which are more user friendly and easier to walk on. If my memory serves me right there are 34 ramps and approximately 20 steps to go to the topmost part of the Cathedral. There are also benches in between to allow the visitors to rest and catch some breath! 

• Plaza de España de Sevilla: This is a must see and best of all, access is free! This is a breathtaking open space with well groomed trees and plants and well maintained lagoon. The Plaza de España is a spacious square with benches representing the different cities in Spain and organized in alphabetical order! 

• Torre de Oro and Rio (River) de Gualdalquivir: Walking in the city proper of Seville, enjoying its cobblestones will lead you to the scenic and serene Guadalquivir River and a few meters, is the Torre de Oro. If you want a quiet get away in the city proper, just search for a quiet nook with a view of the Gualdalquivir River. My friend and I even had our lunch in the riverside! Just wow!! 

• Processions in downtown: Seville is the core of Holy Week events. You need not worry about the processions schedules as they are major, much awaited, much anticipated and must see events during the Holy Week. You just have to be extra careful because the streets are filled, but filled of people, and without any exaggeration, you can´t drop a pin because of the crowd. So be extra careful of your belongings, of anxiety and panic attacks. There are paths intended for people who do not wish to participate in the procession and just need to pass by but you will need to wait for the procession, the images, the prayers and the march/songs to be completed before you can pass. But this was a whole new experience! Even if I had some anxiety bouts, it was all worth it! 

• Church visits to Basilica de Magdalena y Capilla de Montserrat 

2. Cordoba: As we had a day trip in Cordoba, upon arrival, our first order of business was safeguarding our luggages in the Cordoba Bus Station locker so we were able to freely move around in the city. Just like Seville, Cordoba is beautiful, covered by cobble stones and with lush greenery in its gardens. As the downtown proper is very much touristic, there are a lot of reliable and go to coffee shops, bar and restaurants which will satisfy your cravings and can be budget friendly as well. 

• La Mezquita: The crown jewel of Cordoba. This is a mosque with church and it boasts of its beautiful, intricate architecture. Reservation is a must to be able to enjoy this treasure. 

• Roman Bridge/Puente Romano and Torre de la Calahorra/Museo Vivo Al Andalus: This is just walking distance from the Mezquita. It provides a view of the Guadalquivir River and access to the Tower of Calahorra/Museo Vivo Al Andalus. 

• Jewish Quarters 
• Cordobese Gastronomic Experience in the Michelin Star Restaurant  Casa Pepe de La Judería Food must try include their Oxtail, Risotto, Salmorejo and Aubergines/Eggplants 

3. Granada: I enjoyed Granada the most because it is the smallest of the 3 cities that we visited, is the least croweded despite having the processions in place and is the holiday where my husband my son joined us!! Our small family was finally complete!!  We were billeted in the city center where we had access to the best restos. It can get noisy at night time but it was controllable. 

• La Alhambra: A must see and so is the ticket reservation. Walk ins are not allowed and be prepared to walk! We spent the whole day walking on the different gardens until we reached the palace and fortress part which is a testament of the rich Islamic culture and Moorish architecture that once prevailed in the city. La Alhambra also boasts of the Spanish Renaissance architecture.

• Cathedral of Granada 

I won´t deny that with our age, we were exhausted with the sprint that we did in Andalucia but it was all worth it! Best of all, I spent this lovely Holy Week break reflecting, praying and in the company of my family and my good friend!! 

Japan 2024: Travel Tips and Guide in my optics as a tourist

Japan as a tourist destination has been the talk of the town. In this post, I would like to share with you our recent Japan trip, summer of 2024. We truly enjoyed our Japan summer holidays! It was magical and absolutely enchanting. I can say that it was indeed a dream come true. 

 

If you are planning for our trip/holidays to Japan, I hope this personal post will be useful to you; Japan in my optics as a tourist: 

 

1. My take aways as a tourist in Japan:  

• No metro nor train station is small in terms of crowd and of network. Even if we went to the suburds, outskirts of the city, the Madrid metro network and the passengers are still smaller compared to Japan. 
• Public transport infrastructure is efficient, easy, accessible. But while it is accessible and modern in terms of network, the stations are  not always PWD nor luggage friendly. You will have to locate the scalator or elevator if they are available or otherwise, you will have to carry your luggage via stairs 
• Regardless of the metro, subway and public transport that you have taken, expect to walk. Walking is essential to be able to see the city alleys, corners and visit the tourist attractions. 
• If you are visiting during summer, like us, HYDRATION is important. The heat is strong and humidity is high so you have a high feeling of suffocation. Water is easily available as there are vending machines and convenience stores in every corner, in every street. 

Snapshots of some of the convenience stores and vending machines that we have encountered in Japan. 

• Anywhere you go, food is great. This is one of Japan´s strongest points. You do not have to follow a bucket list to enjoy its gastronomic offerings. Even the mediocre izakayas, restos still offer really good food! And its value for money food!! 
• In our trip, we were able to debunk the myth that Izakayas are not tourist friendly. We were graciously attended to in all of the Izakayas that we entered! 
• Coffee shops have boomed in Japan 

Snapshots of some of the best food that we have eaten in the different Izakays and Coffee Shops 

• Japanese hospitality and tourism business can boast of a very respectful customer service  and treats the tourists well (no over pricing) 
• Japanese professionalism is commendable. Even the taxi drivers wear neat and crisply pressed clothing/uniforms. Even if there is a language barrier, the cashiers, the attendant, the service provider will explain and accompany with gestures their explanation to make sure that you understand their message. For example: opening a boxed item to ensure that it is not damaged, counting the bills that you paid and counting in front of you the change. 
• Garbage: There is barely available trash bins in public places and in the hotels/airbnb accommodation, litter segregation is a must. 
• Japanese fashion is amazing, bold and daring. Even if the beautiful Japanese women are wearing minimal design clothing, they have a strong sense of fashion. And the youngsters love to dress up!! 
• Japanese´s contribution to pop culture which the tourists and foreigners/globally have embraced: anime, capsule toys, claw machines, pet cafes, cosplay
• Travel light, minimal baggages to facilitate moving around and just buy an extra luggage when in Japan 

2. Our itinerary: We completed a 3 week holiday. We incorporated kid friendly attractions as we travelled with our 13 year old son. We did not go to DisneySea, Disneyland, Universal Studios, but instead, as requested by my son, we went to Tomica and Plarail shops in the Tokyo Character Street for a couple of times. We also went to the Studio Ghibli museum im Mitaka, Cup Noodle Museum in Yokohama and Cafe Plarail/Plataku.  

• Tokyo: we spent a total of 9 days in Tokyo, 1st leg was upon arrival 4 days and 2nd leg was prior to fly back to Madrid. In both occasions, we stayed in Taito, Asakusa.  
• Senso-ji temple and as it was summer we watched the light festival 
• Side trip to Yokohama where we went to experience the Cup Noodle museum experience 
• Akibahara (we visited this place 2x): A haven for character shops, capsule machines and specialized products on manga and anime
• Shibuya (we visited this crossing 2x). You will also see the monument of Hachiko on the other side of Shibuya 
• Shinjuku
• Ginza (we visited this place 2x). On Sundays, the streets are converted to pedestrian to give the tourists the opportunity to walk more freely
• Meiji Jingku temple 
• Mt. Fuji tour: you have to allocate a full day tour
• Tokyo Skytree 
• Cafe Plarail: plataku, a haven for all Plarail and train lovers kids and kids at heart 
• Mitaka/studio Ghibli museum 
• A walk in the sumida river 
• Ueno for shopping and for the Sanrio Giftgate shop 

Some snapshots of our Tokyo escapade 

• Kyoto: 4 days and 3 nights 
• Kiyomizu shrine and gion village 
• Kenji museum and Fushimi Inari shrine 
• Kinkakuji (Golden shrine/Pagoda), Arashiyama Bamboo Forest,  Kyoto city walk and Arashiyama Monkey Park

Kyoto Snapshots

• Osaka: Dotonboori Street
Osaka Snapshot




• Miyajima: Itsukushima Shrine. We were able to see the complete experience, from low tide in the afternoon, to high tide in the evening and early in the morning when we were able to access the shrine. We also stayed in a Ryokan, a traditional Japanese abode and we dove into the private onsen of the Ryokan. 

Miyajima Snapshots

• Hiroshima: 4 days and 3 nights 
• Hiroshima Downtown 
• Okonomimura: Okonomiyaki place in Hiroshima downtown
• Commemoration of the Atomic Bombing: Early ceremony at 9am, Children´s Peace Monument, Museum Peace Park, Lantern Festival during the evening, Atomic Bomb Dome 
• Hiroshima Castle 

Some snapshots of our Hiroshima visit

3. Packing Considerations:  

• Consider the season/weather that you will visit. Pack clothes according to the season. Summer is very hot and humid. It is strongly recommended to wear loose, cotton, airy clothes and shirts. Also, portable mini electric fans, umbrellas, thermal water, caps and sunscreen are very handy and helpful!  
• Pack comfortable, walking shoes. Forget about ballerinas, flip flop or heels. If possible, bring a couple of sneakers, rubber shoes so you can alternately use them. 
• Pack light as you will be mobile. You will move from one train to another, one station to another and one big city to another. 
• Typically, hotels provide toiletries and sleepwear/yukata and airbnbs/apartments provide toiletries. If you don not have special considerations, the shampoo, shower gel and conditioner provided are pretty decent.
• In our case, due to our health considerations, we have to bring our own toiletries.
• And if applicable, do not forget your medicines/vitamins/supplements and medical, travel insurance as you´ll never know when they will come useful. 

4. Practical tips and links to the services and platforms that we used:  

• It is advisable to have a local sim to avoid excessive roaming charges. We bought ours from the Haneda airport and they were reasonably priced and the staff were all friendly and accommodating 
• Suica card: this is a multi purpose debit card that can be used as a tap/transport card all over Japan and is widely used in the restaurants and convenience stores. Sucia card can be purchased from any station and can be recharged at any station, though only in cash. 
• If you are a resident of Madrid, please come and visit Naomi. She’s our tour consultant and helped us prepare by giving us an overview on the Japanese culture and habits. These are the links to her business: https://arganzueladigital.com/sakigake-madrid/ and her Sakigake Madrid Facebook page
• Klook app: travel, tourism guide which we used to buy Shinkansen tickets in advance and organize our unforgettable Mt. Fuji day trip 
• Nissan/cup noodle museum   Note: Reservation can be made 3 months prior to your scheduled visit.  
• Airbnb: Search engine for accommodation
• Mitaka: to reserve the studio ghibli visit. Note: Reservation is open only every 10th of the month, 10am Japan Time. Even if this is a very busy site, it is fast and efficient. However, in our case, we endured the 7 hour time difference; we were connected as early as 3am Madrid time to reserve our tickets. The whole transaction, from logging in to finalizing the purchase lasted a total of 55 minutes. 
• Hotel Mystays Haneda airport: overnight accommodation upon arrival as we arrived midnight 
• IP City Hotel Osaka: