steveandbarb

We were up very early to catch a cab to the train station and arrived in plenty of time. The train ride was very smooth and did not seem to be travelling particularly fast for a ‘High Speed’ train. The cab driver in Madrid was very friendly and made quite an effort to get us as close as possible to our hotel which was on a pedestrian-only street. All of the can drivers in Madrid seemed to be exceptionally helpful. Our hotel (Best Western Hotel Carlos V) had a beautiful balcony overlooking the square which made us regret that we were only here for one night. We had a short rest then picked a nice long walking tour out of the guide book and headed out. We covered a remarkable area before noon then stopped for ... read more

This morning we had an early breakfast and started our drive to Jerez to visit the Royal Foundation for the Equestrian Arts. Our drive was uneventful until a large truck prevented us from seeing our next exit until it was too late. We continued on into the city of Cadiz hoping for the best but it wasn't long before we were lost. We stopped at a service station and asked for directions. While the attendant was explaining the way a truck driver came over and said that he was going to Jerez and that we could follow him. We followed him until we were back on the main highway and then waived a thank-you as we continued on our way. Once we arrived in Jerez we quickly learned that driving in Spain you need to rely ... read more

Happy Anniversary! We've been married for one week! Ahhh! To be married and in Spain. There's nothing like it. We attempted to see the sleepy town of Vejer. But unlike Canada everything is closed on Sundays. We had woken up to dark skies and had hoped that they would clear. Unfortunately it didn't and during our walk around down it decided to pour rain. We went back to our room and slept for a couple of hours. After our nap we decided to try and get some lunch somewhere. However, everyone in town had the same idea so sitting on dry patios were at a premium. We found a delightful place that served a variety of dishes, such as Crepes and Curry Dishes! We found a table under the umbrella, but the umbrella had a hole ... read more

Today we decided that we would have an easy going day with a dive up to the “Three Villages” in the hills and then a drive over to the Gaudix “Cave” village. After talking about our plans with Jeremy over breakfast he convinced us that the Gorge was a preferable option over Guadix. Plus the Villages and the Gorge hike where in the same general direction whereas the Villages and Guadix where in opposite directions. We finished another lovely breakfast and hit the road towards Las Alpujarras. Well, if Marilyn Munroe is curvy then this road is Marilyn doing power Yoga. Non-stop switchbacks with some of the curves feeling like you must have done several 360's before finally straightening out. Barb kept oohing and awing at the views but I couldn't take my eyes off the ... read more

Sept 22, 2008 Steve and I are sitting at Gate K in the Madrid Airport waiting for our flight to leave for Granada. Our 16:10 flight has been delayed until 5pm. Yikes! But at least we're in the right place. For the last hour we've been traveling between Gate M, as it states on our boarding pass to Gate K where our flight is actually departing from. Here at the MAD airport (Yes, that's Madrid's actual airport code) they don't post what gate number your departing from until about an hour before and it can take almost that time to get to your gate. This airport is so big that you need to take a train to get to the various gates, and the travel times between each gates is anywhere from 10 minutes to 29 ... read more