OCTOBER 28, 2019 Gate 1 announced that this last day of our tour would be a “free day” so I had booked the Barcelona in a Day tour (in advance) from Viator. Dave and I took a cab to our meeting place from our hotel. Kathleen from our Gate 1 troupe had decided to join us for the day. We met our first Viator guide Oliver who is an art historian, most appropriate for what we were planning to see: the Sagrada Familia. Crowds had already formed at 9am so Oliver scrambled to get our tickets. Oliver began outside the church by explaining the three doors to the church which represent the Nativity (Birth), Passion (Crucifixion), and the Glory (Resurrection). Currently there are only 8 towers completed but when fully built there will be a total ... read more

VALENCIA Oct 26, 2019 By 8am we had boarded the bus and were off to Valencia traveling North East on the Autovia A-92N. Vera announced that there would be two stops on this long journey from Granada through the region of Murcia to Alicante and finally Valencia. Adding beauty and interest to our drive, we passed through the spectacular mountainous region of Granada province with their famous cave houses (you can stay in a cave hotel or eat in a cave restaurant) and Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada. The cave dwellings were quite close to the highway so I was able to get a closer view of awnings, windows and clothes drying on lines, giving life to the unique homes here. It was fall and the poplar trees' yellow autumn leaves against the brilliant blue sky ... read more

SEVILLE 10/24/19 After breakfast we gathered to plan our day. Seville is the capital of Andalucia and of the province of Seviila. Located on the banks of the Guadalquivir River, the city is fabled to have been settled by Hercules. Founded by the Tartessians, Seville was later settled by the Romans. In fact two of Rome's great emperors, Trajan and Hadrian, were born here. Seville was occupied by the Moors from AD 711 until 1248, and many of its most beautiful monuments and architecture come from that period. The fourth-largest city in Spain, Seville is also renowned as the birthplace of flamenco and Don Juan. Mmmm sounds like fun! First stop: Plaza de España. In the early morning sun our assembled group passed through the Puerta de Aragon, an impressive tiled entrance to the Plaza de ... read more

TOLEDO, 10/22/19 After our last amazing breakfast in Madrid we were on the bus by 8:30am and headed to the city of Toledo in Castilla-La Mancha, an hour south of Madrid, passing large old homes and almond and olive groves. As we approached the first vista of Toledo, our bus had to jockey into position among the numerous other tourist buses so we might get out and get our first glimpse of ancient Toledo across from the Tajo River. This “first glimpse of Toledo” is the same view of Toledo painted by El Greco, which is why every tour bus was in line to stop here. Its natural moat explains why Toledo, which means top of the hill, was the first capital city of Spain before the capital was moved to Madrid in 1652. Under cloudy ... read more

MADRID 10/20/19 After an early morning landing in Madrid we taxied from the airport to the Hotel Catalonia Atocha located within walking distance of the famous Plaza Mayor. Our hotel is located in the historic Literary Quarter where Spain’s great literary giants once lived and roamed the streets. The remains of Miguel Cervantes and Lope de Vega are said to rest in this area. We were met in the hotel lobby by lovely Vera, our Gate 1 guide for the next eleven days. Vera provided us with maps, an overview of the area including shopping tips such as the large open air flea market and places where we might find a nice lunch. Under cool and questionable skies we were off to explore Plaza Mayor and beyond. With a reputed 300 days of sunshine a year, ... read more