Blogs from Spain, Europe - page 7

That point in the trip had come, it simply was not possible to get up, have breakfast and hit our jam-packed day. Knowing that day would happen, it always does, we specifically designed a day about halfway through the trip that we would not mind if we did little or nothing on the itinerary. The original plan was close in sightseeing, including the cathedral, (Isabella and Fernando are buried there), lunch at the central market, then the bus up to the top of the Albaicin neighborhood with a walk down stopping at several sites along the way. Option 2 was lunch at the market, then the bus to the top with the walk down. We ended up with the third option, lunch at the market, a free museum and a bit of gift shopping. Then back ... read more

Today we are headed to what I feel is the heart of Spain, Andalucia. The home of Flamenco, gazpacho, sherry, and incredible Moorish history and architecture. We were up early to catch our 7:19 AVE to Granada. Since we were up to early for breakfast, the hotel was nice enough to pack us a little box of food to take with us on the train. The train ride was 6 hours but very comfortable seats, and naps were taken on and off throughout the trip. The countryside was rural, with the occasional city, but most noticeable olive trees as far as the eye can see. Upon arrival we took the taxi and straight to our hotel. The room was not quite ready, so we had lunch in the hotel restaurant. We both had what I will ... read more

No, I’m not a fugitive. But I have been running. Running through Spain, and Gibraltar, and a very short stint in Paris. Actually it’s been more like fast paced walking. But running sounds better. And it’s shorter to write. Why the rush, you might wonder? And rightly so. Well, I’m on my way somewhere, and I’m not flying. My destination is beyond Spain, and even Gibraltar. But since my road passed through the one, and near the other, I decided to at least see something along the way. Just passing through, taking one train and then the next, and the next, only ever seeing what passed by my window, isn’t for me. However, Europe is expensive, so lingering too long, comes with its drawbacks too. So a fast paced trot it was. My first stop was ... read more

Our train to Tarragona did not leave until noon, so we did not need to get up overly early. We took our time getting ready, went down for our last breakfast in Barcelona then back to pack and head out. We had booked our taxi the night before, since we are in a pedestrian only zone, so the taxi has to have permission to get in and out. The taxi arrived on time, but getting back to the road took a bit longer than expected, hitting dead end after dead end. Finally, we were back on the Rambla and off to the train station. The delay did mean we went straight from the taxi to the train, no time to explore the station itself. Interestingly, the train stations in Spain have airport style security, all bags ... read more

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