Geo: 41.3769, 2.17476Very impressed after our long afternoon walk around the marina and gothic quarter of Barcelona. The city seems wealthy and the prices are certainly higher than Madrid and Lisbon. Despite this, we got a last minute hotel booking at a reasonable price in a great location.Coach tour tomorrow. A private guide was going to cost €725 plus entry fees and lunch, so we reconsidered.... read more

Geo: 38.7988, -9.38775Met our driver/guide at 9am and spent the day visiting the sights of Lisbon and Sintra. Michael had portable Wi-Fi in his posh BMW, which worked a whole lot better than the free Wi-Fi provided by the hotel.Highlights were the panoromas of Lisbon, the National Palace of Queluz, Sintra town, Pena Palace, Roca Cape (the westernmost point of the European continent), seaside Cascais and the Belem Tower. Our misgivings about Lisbon were mostly confirmed, but we did drive through some lovely areas and the out-of-town sights were terrific.Had roast goat, and cod fish for lunch. Goat was good but the fish too salty for our taste. We were warned that the dishes were so big that one between two would be more than adequate. As it was we had two between three and we ... read more

Geo: 40.9494, -4.11921Today a visit to two towns in the Sierra de Guadarrama, about 80km north west of Madrid.El Escorial's main feature is a massive monastery/royal palace built by Phillip II in 1584. Nearly all Spanish monarchs from that time to the present are buried in the basilica, after their bodies spend 50 years in the Puridero (decaying place). We only looked at the outside, but the guide books indicate that many tourist treasures lie within.About 10km from Escorial is the Valle de Los Caidos (Valley of the Fallen) basilica and monument, built in 1959 by Franco to commentate the 40,000 casualties of the Spanish Civil War who are buried there. The huge basilica (it's crypt is bigger than the one under St Peter's) is wholly excavated into a granite ridge and on the rocky outcrop ... read more

Geo: 40.4167, -3.70327Trained in to the city, bought a hop-on, hop-off bus ticket and saw the sights!Museo del Prado was a must to view the artworks. It's one of the world's 10 best museums, we read. I'm now reaching culture overdose, no more. Also saw an Egyptian temple - see pic.Was more than a little dismayed at the rubbish in the city streets. Everywhere we went the bins had not been emptied and heaps of rubbish were stacked around. It was a distraction from an otherwise beautiful, typical European city.... read more

Geo: 40.4469, -3.85959Had a moment when the cabbie couldn't find the security station for our apartment complex. Then had an extended moment when the security guard wasn't at his desk. But thankfully he turned up after several minutes and showed us the ropes. All good now��.The apartment is newly refurbished and is very modern and comfortable. Pablo and Cristina include their black Mini Cooper station wagon that is new and very upmarket. However, the parking space access under the building is diabolical - I sure hope it gets easier with practice! We went to the local mall this avo to get basic groceries and to get the lay of the land. Bummer - we turned up at the checkout with various fresh fruit and veg, but you have to weigh and sticker it before the checkout. ... read more