Salamanca to Madrid .... Not so much

Today was a relatively short drive from Salamanca to Madrid with a short stop in between. Salamanca is a beautiful little city of about 190,000 residents. Lots of history here including a 1st century Roman bridge. The city is another Unesco World Heritage site seen on this trip. We could. easily have spent another night here as the 1.5 hours of free time here just didn't do it justice.

Our stop in the walled city of Avila was a sweet treat, figuratively and literally. The city is gorgeous but unfortunately we had only enough time for a few photos and a tasty Spanish treat called churros, with chocolate dipping sauce. Mmmm, mmmm, good.

Arrived in Madrid by 1pm and have done some sight seeing and exploring. Based on what we've seen so far, it's probably our least favourite city. The highlight here today, was a tapas dinner shared with a couple of the many wonderful people we've met on this trip. We apparently picked well because 10 minutes after we sat down, the place was hopping with locals and the food and wine were excellent.

Another day of touring Madrid tomorrow, capped with a finale dinner with the tour group. Thursday it's off to the airport for flights home. Time flies when you're having fun.

Fatima and Salamanca ...

Left Lisbon this morning, heading back to Spain with a stop at the shrine in Fatima Portugal. Quite moving actually. Today was our first taste of bad weather after leaving sunny Lisbon, driving through light rain and arriving to an overcast 4 degrees Celsius in Salamanca. Not much time to tour this city which seems unfortunate. We did find a spot which to this point has been our best tapas bar experience. Too bad we didn't have more time to enjoy. Cathedrals in this part of the world are unbelievable. Massive works of architectural and artistic masterpieces in my humble opinion.

Next stop, Madrid.

What day is it and where are we?

The days are starting to run together, but that's a good thing. I think it's Sunday and I know we're still in Lisbon. Spent today touring around the Lisbon area.

Do the names Vasco da Gama or Ferdinand Magellan ring any bells? The monument in the first photo was erected to celebrate Portugal's "age of discovery" during the 15th & 16th centuries, when many sailing expeditions were launched from the Tagus River here in Lisbon.

Cascais is located just outside of Lisbon and is a resort area referred to as the Beverly Hills of Portugal. Wonderful beaches, breaking surf and beautiful golf courses make this area a "destination" for the rich and famous of Portugal.

I've added a few random photos to give a taste of what we saw today.

Back to Spain (Salamanca), with a stop at Fatima tomorrow, where snow is in the forecast. Hard to believe after the great weather we've had since arriving.

That's Not a Pint !!!

Today was pretty much a travel day from Seville Spain to Lisbon Portugal. Time spent watching the landscape roll by, while keeping a keen eye for wild black pigs, cork trees and "fighting bulls" grazing in the fields.

One point of interest for me was when we blew by what was once a border checkpoint, while the tour director announced "welcome to Portugal". Apparently the EU is just one big happy family.

Arrived in Lisbon in time for a late lunch. The girls ordered wine to go with the meal, but Steve and I concluded that after several hours of hard work, viewing landscapes and trying to keep our heads from bouncing off the windows while napping, we deserved a cold beer. When the waiter asked large or small, the response was immediate and in unison... "Large". After all it was 2:30 in the afternoon and we'd worked hard for our pint.

I'm sure the laughter from our table could be heard across the city, when the 1 litre mugs arrived. It was good to the last drop.

What do the Year 1492 and the Seville Cathedral have in common?

Today was a walking tour day and boy did we walk. My feet are killing me and I'm sure my legs will be giving me grief in the morning.
Weather was perfect for a stroll and history lesson on Seville. One very impressive sight was the Plaza de España which was built for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition. It's a beautiful piece of work especially considering it didn't take 100 years to complete. (1st pic)

Next came a tour of the Seville Cathedral which did take over 100 years to complete. When you see the size and artistry of the place, you understand why it took so long. (2nd pic)
Oh ya, the 1492 thing. They're both famous for Christopher Columbus. His remains are housed in a crypt in the cathedral. (3rd pic)

We climbed 35 stories for the view from the bell tower. Only one set of stairs though at the top. The other 34 stories are ramped so horses could be ridden to the top. (4th pic)

The day was ended with a fine meal of tapas and wine, (5th pic), followed by yet more walking to view the city at night. (Last pic)

Off to Lisbon in the morning.

The Rock

Today's highlight was a half day visit to "The Rock".
Gibraltar is a much disputed British territory of military significance straddling the Mediterranean and the Atlantic and on a clear day, you can see some 20 KLM across to Morocco (first photo).

Total area is 2.6 sq. miles with a population of 30,000, most of whom live on the Atlantic side of what really is a huge rock.

The driving tour was quite an experience as the driver weaved his way around the steepest and narrowest streets I have ever seen. Eventually arriving at the nature reserve which is home to some 230 Barbary Macaques monkeys and St. Michaels Cave.

The monkeys seem to like the human interaction, but don't touch or maintain eye contact. Apparently that is threatening and they are likely to bite.

The caves are very impressive. Seen this kind of stuff on tv and in magazines, but never up close and personal. The pictures don't do it justice.

Loved The Rock, but our final destination today was Seville where I think we just a saw very peaceful march of several hundred locals voicing displeasure over the news of a new high 27 percent unemployment rate.
All is quiet now. Touring the city tomorrow. More to come.

The Alhambra & Costa del Sol

Quick entry tonight. The day started off with a tour of the Alhambra in Granada, a palace and fortress who's original construction began in 889, was conquered by the Moors and converted to an Islamic palace in 1333, the retaken by the Christians in 1492. What a spectacular place. It's a Unesco World Heritage site.

Then a drive into the Cost del Sol region with its beautiful beaches and resort towns.
Wait, did I just see what I thought I saw? Somehow, Steve and I were not allowed to wander the beaches to take photos of the scenery. I'll let you figure that one out.

Staying in Malaga and visited beautiful village of Mijas which is apparently famous for its donkey population. Guess what purpose the donkeys serve now... Yup... Tourist rides through town.

Another fine day topped off with a great seafood dinner and lots of vino blanco.

What Day is Today?

It's late and after a long coach ride from Valencia to Granada, a nice evening meal and a couple of local Granada brews (ok - three to be exact), I'm not sure but I think it's day 4 of our tour.
Traveled somewhere near 500 KLM through regions of orange, lemon and olive groves, and finally to a region known for having been the film sets for numerous spaghetti westerns like "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly". Interesting landscapes and a tour of a "cave house" in a small town near Granada. The town near Gaudix was amazing. Most of the houses are built into the hills of the area usually with nothing more than a front wall exterior exposure. The rest is an excavated cave in the hillside. Talk about a step,back in time and the owners of the house we toured actually live and are raising a family there.

The four Kopysh's did a quick walk around central Granada (actually it was almost a run), before sitting down again for dinner.

Off to Alhambra in the morning...

Not a Typo

Today was a lot of travel from Barcelona, through "Peniscola" (not a typo) to Valencia. The Decemberist song has been going through my head all day.

First stop was an "evil bridge", which apparently have quite a following and are found throughout Europe. Not sure what is evil about it, but it's quite majestic and is really an aqueduct.

Peniscola was beautiful. Old castles and sandy beaches. I ordered "vino tinto" (red wine), at lunch for 6 euros and was surprised when the whole bottle showed up for that price. Needless to say, it was a sleepy ride from there to Valencia. Glad I didn't have to drive.

Valencia, an exercise in contrast. One of the most modern cities in the country while maintaining its old world character. Too bad it's such a short stay here. This city is beautiful. And nowhere near as crowded as Barcelona.


Pajala for dinner tonight and great conversation with fellow tourists.

Buenos nachos from Valencia.