Lynn had been in her house in the south part of Charlotte for about 20 years. Over that time a lot of factors had made her area less desirable to her. Mainly the commute and constant congestion due to the amount of growth there. In the summer of 2018 She decided it was time to sell her house on the south side and move somewhere with a better commute. Also, it looked as if her neighborhood might be at peak time to sell, so she put the sign out and made the plunge.
She decided that when her house sold she wanted to take a trip somewhere abroad. Somewhere she had not yet been. Well, the house sold rather quickly and we started making plans. She had been to Germany and Italy, so those were out. I had never been to Europe other than Iceland so I was open to anything. My daughter had gone to Spain on her honeymoon and had really talked up how much she enjoyed it. She had visited the Basque country in northern Spain which is known for the food. The weather would be warm and we both had an interest to go there so we decided that Spain it would be. We would focus on Basque country and this trip would be all about food, wine, and scenery.
Next was to set dates. We wanted to go as soon as possible so we decided on a 9/19/2018 departure and returning on 9/29/2018, and we would fly into Barcelona. Turns out the most economical flights were out of Atlanta, not Charlotte. The difference was substantial so we booked from Atlanta with a 3 hour stop over in London on the way there, and a 2 hour stop over in Philadelphia on the way back. We would stop in at our friends place in Atlanta for a visit and leave our car at their house during the trip and just Uber to the airport from their house.
Excellent! Flights booked and to and from airport taken care of. We researched where we might want to go and made some hotel reservations ahead of time. We would spend 2 nights in Barcelona, then travel by car into the Pyrenees. Then travel the northern coast through Basque country. Lynn had a goal of getting to the west coast during this trip. Since neither of us had been there before we really had no idea what to expect but we love adventure and usually jump right in.
So the day finally arrived and we set off for Atlanta. Our flight was a 10:15pm departure, an overnight flight. We left home around 11:00am, stopped for lunch and to pick up some last minute items along the way, and arrived at our friend's house around 4:00pm. After catching up and visiting a while we were off to the airport for the start of our adventure.
I'm going to take a moment here and mention a couple of points that may be helpful if you decide to travel to Spain. We learned a few things and I'll share these up front:
- You need an international driving permit to drive in Spain. You can apply online, no real hassle
- If you rent a car, rent the small one
- Most people speak English. Rural areas less so.
- Electronic credit/debit payment is everywhere. Cash may be good to have but not critical.
- Don't forget about Siesta! If you are looking for a late lunch or early dinner you may not find it. Restaurants close for Siesta. Most folks in the cities dine at 10:00pm
- It is more economical than you would think. 10 days in Spain cost us less than 4 days in Bar Harbor, Maine.
Ok - on with the story
At the airport!
Porsche had an exhibit at the airport. I'm a big fan so this was of interest to me. They were to be holding an auction at the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta. This 1960 356B Cabriolet would be one of 70 vehicles presented at the auction.
So we had a light dinner and drinks at the airport, then it was time to board. We had never flown British Airways before so we were not really sure what to expect. One thing we noticed when booking was an option for "lounge" seating offering extra room. It was described as two exclusive seats (where there normally would be 3 across) and removable partition offering a love seat/couch type of experience. Umm... Ok. We booked it. Well it turns out that is really just 2 normal seats crammed in the very back in what is a two seat isle anyway. Oh, and the armrest in between would not fully retract! Whew. Live and Learn, as they say.
Fortunately our connecting flight was on time and we were soon on our way to Barcelona. From the airport we took a taxi to Hotel Del Mar near the harbor, about a 45 minute ride. Once we got checked in and settled we headed out on foot to explore the Gothic Quarter and surrounding areas. We dined at Sensi Tapas, which was excellent. The wine was fantastic. For a trip centered around food, wine, and scenery we were off to a good start. Our server had a "man bun" which Lynn typically is not a fan of. For some inexplicable reason there are multiple photos of him in our travel folder...
After dinner we set out toward the harbor and checked out some of the nightlife. Barcelona is a beautiful city with such rich history. We were loving it so far. The harbor is host to a plethora of luxury yachts and commercial vessels.
We headed back to Hotel Del Mar about midnight. Our room was small but it was on the top floor so it came with a private roof top terrace that offers views of the Gothic Quarter and the harbor. The weather was so nice we decided to pull the mattress out on the terrace and sleep outdoors. A wonderful experience!
We woke up to another beautiful day. The weather was absolutely fantastic. Our plan for the day was to explore as much of Barcelona on foot as we could, taking in the local vibe and sampling food, wine, and enjoying the architecture. Our first stop was La Fusta, a restaurant with sidewalk seating where we enjoyed coffee and a late breakfast. OMG! The coffee... I was happy.
From there we continued on foot enjoying the atmosphere and the scenery.
We made our way over to Las Ramblas, which is a street mall with vendors of all types. Art, food, beer. Kind of a permanent street fair.
We opted for the big beer...
The architecture is amazing throughout the city. Shops and restaurants on street level with residences above in buildings that in some cases have been standing for centuries.
This is Palau Guell, which is a mansion designed by the architect Antoni Gaudí for the industrial tycoon Eusebi Güell, and was built between 1886 and 1888. It is situated on the Carrer Nou de la Rambla. It is now a museum showcasing one of Antoni Gaudi's earlier works. There are tours available but we did not have advanced tickets so we moved on.
We stopped in the Mercat de la Boqueria, which is a fresh market. Wow. Quite impressive. Fresh meats, produce, local cuisine, everything you need. It has been open since 1836 and now offers over 200 vendors every day.
From there we made our way over to another well known land mark, the Catedral de Barcelona, which is the Gothic cathedral and seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The cathedral was constructed from the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries, with the principal work done in the fourteenth century. The cloister, which encloses the Well of the Geese, was completed in 1448. In the late nineteenth century, the neo-Gothic façade was constructed over the nondescript exterior that was common to Catalan churches. The interior was closed for an event when we were there so we took some time to tour the grounds and noted that we would want to come back before leaving for home.
After the cathedral we stopped in at Tapa Tapa, for umm, tapas...
We got back to the hotel about 6:00pm. Lynn had made reservations for a cooking class. I was reluctant at first but she talked me into it and it was a total blast. We would be making authentic Paella and then share a meal family style. So we got cleaned up and headed to the cooking class. The result was excellent! We have even made Paella at home since then with great success.
We got out of the cooking experience about 11:00pm so we headed back to the hotel for the night. Our plan for the next day was to pick up the rental car and hit the road. We were looking forward to exploring more of the country.
So the next morning I went to pick up the rental and the plan was to swing back and pick Lynn up from the hotel. Let's talk about rental cars for a second, as there may be some tips in here for you based on my mistakes.
First, you need to apply for an international driving permit to drive in Spain. I had researched this and had received said permit. When I got to rental counter, however, I realized I did not have it with me. All I had was my USA drivers license and passport. Well, they will not release the car without the permit so I had to call Lynn to bring it. So much for being efficient but that's on me. She checked out, loaded the luggage in a taxi and met me at the rental car office.
Next thing is what car to rent. I had reserved a Seat Leon, which is not available in the USA, but this thing is smaller than a Honda Civic. Small from my perspective but had a hatch back and fold down seats so room for luggage, etc. Perfect! Well when I was signing the rental forms the gentleman at the counter asked me if I was sure I wanted the "big" car. Big car? What? He replied that in his experience most Americans were not comfortable the big car on European roads. Umm, yes, I'll take the "big" one. We got all that wrapped up, he gave me instructions for how to get out of the parking garage, and we got on the elevator down to the parking levels.
When we located the car my assumptions were verified. This thing was definitely smaller than a Honda Civic. No worries. We load up and start out of the garage. The ramp circles up from the parking level to street level where there is a gate at the top. Pretty tight, actually (!). We get to the top and gate is not opening. Then I remember that he told to push the gate button on the parking level before going up the ramp in order for it to be open when I get there. This is on me again. Wow. Not a good start. The ramp is too tight to open the door and get out. It is even too tight to open a window and climb out. Maybe 2 inches on each side of the mirrors is all there is. I now have to back down the ramp to get to the exit button. I'm beginning to understand what the rental clerk meant. I crack up laughing which in turns makes Lynn laugh and we have a grand time of it getting back down.
Anyway, once we made it out of the garage we hit the road toward the Pyrenees. We had no real plan other than take in the mountain views. I'll put a timeline on here so you can see the routes we took. We enjoyed travelling the country side stopping anytime we see anything interesting and enjoying the scenery.
We were enjoying the countryside. We stopped for lunch in a small town at a cafe. We decided that going through the Pyrenees to France might be fun since neither of us had ever been. Lynn researched a place and made a reservation in Saint-Gaudens while we were on the road.
Then we came upon this. Road closed due to an accident. This was on the Autopista de Montserrat near Riu Demetge. This is a scenic mountain route we had picked due to the mountainous views. We sat for a couple of hours before movement and we were re-routed back south and had to pick another route. This added significant time to our travels but, no worries, this would put us on some rural routes we may never have seen otherwise.
Once we got moving again and had a route in mind it was back to touring mode enjoying the scenery and stopping along the way.
At this point it was getting to be late afternoon and we had not eaten since mid-morning. We stopped at this restaurant in Solsona. Umm... We forgot about Siesta. It was 4:00pm. Closed until 8:00pm. Lesson learned.
With our delays due to the closed road we were only half way to Saint-Gaudens. We knew it would be long day but did not mind. We were really enjoying the scenery.
About an hour later we came across a Hotel with a restaurant. Hotel Restaurant Cal Petit, in Oliana. Restaurant was open so we stopped on in. One thing you will gain appreciation for in Spain is the Bocadillo de jamón (aka ham sandwich). The ham sandwich is a staple here and delicious.
We feasted on Bocadillo de jamón, good local wine, and wonderful views.
From there we continued north over the Pyrenees.
We came into La Pobla de Segur, a small town along the way about 8:00pm. This town looked wonderful and had restaurants and accommodations. We were still a long way from Saint-Gaudens due to the road closure. We had little hope of cancelling our reservations in Saint-Gaudens but we gave it a try anyway.
I would like to point out here that the gentleman on the phone at the hotel had no issues telling us, in fluent English, that we had prepaid and cancellation was not an option. Ok, not a surprise. We considered just forfeiting that and staying in La Pobla de Segur anyway but thought hey, we haven't been to France so let's just keep the plan and go for it.
We rolled into Saint-Gaudens about 10:00pm. We made it to France! We arrived at the hotel and went to the desk to check in. Apparently the gentleman behind the counter only spoke French? Also there was no water, bottled or otherwise, available. Ok. We got our keys and went to the room. Now this place will remain unnamed but I will tell you that the online representation is nothing like the reality. Photos and text online indicated newly renovated. No. It was in the beginning stages of renovation and there was crap stacked everywhere. Dirty. The room was so small the door hit the bed when you opened it. Oh well, we could check the France box and move on. We were exhausted and just wanted to get some sleep and get going the next morning.
Here is a snapshot of Day Three travels. Since we are by car I thought it relevant to share our routes:
At check out the next morning we had the same gentleman behind the counter. After a lengthy check out process with us ignoring his French and making it clear we don't understand him we were finally ready to go. He wished us a good day and enjoy our time in France. In fluent English. Nice.
So the plan for the day was to head east to the coastal town of San Sabastian on the northwest coast of Spain. We had reservations at a B&B overlooking the Bahia de La Concha. Much of our drive would be through France, so we were looking forward to perhaps having a more pleasant experience before crossing back into Spain.
About an hour outside of Saint-Gaudens we stopped in Lannemezan where we had ham croissants and coffee. And once again, OMG! The coffee was so good. My opinion of France was warming.
The French countryside was beautiful and we were willing to put aside our distaste from the previous night and blame it on our hotel choice and the lone staff member. On to San-Sabastian...
We arrived in San Sebastian about 12:30, located our B&B and got checked in. Then we headed down into town to find a restaurant for lunch and check out the beach. This place was vibrant and beautiful!
Our B&B was a private residence in a hilltop condo complex. The view was awesome, and the pool was part of the package.
A storm rolled in a little bit later so our time on the beach was limited. We waited out the storm in our room and headed out to explore in the evening. Just the walk down to the bay from our room is beautiful. We were really liking this city. We walked along the Promenade to the other side of the bay.
The Miramar Palace is located on the Promenade. It was built in 1893 as a summer home for the Spanish royal family. You can see it in the background of this photograph. The tunnel runs under the royal gardens.
We stopped in for dinner at La Brasserie Marie Galant on the other side of the bay about 9:30pm. As I mentioned before, in the cities prime dinner hour is about 10:00pm so we were right on par.
After a fantastic meal we walked back to the B&B. The view of the bay from our balcony at night was awesome. A light mist falling.
A snapshot of Day Four travels:
The next morning our B&B host treated us to a homemade breakfast. Wow. How do I get coffee like this at home?
After checking out we drove up to Parque de Atracciones Monte Igueldo. This is an amusement park at the peak of the mountain overlooking the bay. The amusements were closed but the park offers fantastic views of the bay and the city.
We had no reservations for the night so our plan was to travel west along the coast and stop when and where we saw anything interesting, with an end goal of staying somewhere on the coast.
We stopped in the small coastal town of Deba and found a cafe right on the beach for lunch. This town seemed to be in economic decline. There were a lot of boarded up oceanfront mansions. The food was delicious and the people were friendly.
Wine is a big part of the culture and everywhere we went there were local wines to be enjoyed. Our stop in Deba is when Lynn realized we had no portable, or to go, wine glasses so she made some out of our water bottles. Problem solved!
We continued along the coast through the town of Mutriku, then on through Ondarroa to Bilboa, and eventually to Santander.
We arrived in Santander about 3:00pm and were taken by the beauty of this city. We found a waterfront hotel and checked in for the night.
So this is where the whole small car / big car thing came into play again. The hotel had underground parking with a vehicle elevator to take you to the parking level. This elevator obviously was not designed for anything bigger than smart car. So we squeezed in without scraping anything but had mere mm clearance on all four sides.
Our room was fantastic with ocean views.
Once we got settled in we set out on foot to explore the city. Beautiful homes, scenery, and people.
We had asked the hotel staff for recommendations for dinner. Marucho is a family owned restaurant specializing in seafood dishes. Definitely off of the tourist radar. Sounded like our kind of place. It is a small place so they recommended we get there early before it fills up. We got there about 7:30pm and they were not open yet. Siesta, reopening at 8:00pm. There was a little cafe just up the street so we stopped in there for a beer and I bought some coffee to take home.
Restaurant Marucho would definitely be an authentic local experience. We came back at 8:00pm and were seated right away. This would be considered an early dinner.
Our waiter, Roberto was also the owner. He was fantastic and had no trouble making recommendations. The menu consists of traditional Spanish seafood dishes. A three course meal is standard.
Our waiter/owner, Roberto...
This was one of the best dining experience we have ever had. The food was fantastic, the vibe was upbeat, artsy, and definitely local. Now up to this point we haven't talked about how cheap it is to travel in Spain. This 3 course meal for two, including a bottle of wine, was €52.00. At the time that was like $56 USD. And like in most European countries, you do not tip here. Awesome!
After dinner we headed back to the hotel for the night.
Snapshot of Day Five travels:
We awoke the next morning to the sunrise over the water. Our room had an eastern view.
We were enjoying Santander so much we decided to book the room for another night and spend the day exploring the city and surrounding area. We basically spent the day walking, eating, drinking, shopping, and site seeing.
One of the historical sites we wanted to see is Palacio de la Magdalena. This is another summer home of the royal family built in 1909 and located at the tip of the peninsula on the northern side of the bay.
Once you enter the grounds you can take a tram or do a self guided tour on foot. We opted for self guided.
Also on the grounds is the Museo El Hombre y la Mar, an outdoor museum celebrating the Spanish age of discovery. The museum is a single exhibition of three boats donated by the Cantabrian sailor Vital Alsar, which recalls the voyages of Christopher Columbus and his use of caravels. One of the boats is a raft that Vital Alsar used to travel 8,565 miles from Ecuador to Australia in 161 days of travel.
Also there is Parque Marino de la Magdalena, a marine park that is host to marine mammals. There were sea lions swimming when we were there.
Our next stop was Terrace Lounge BNS for Tapas. This is a rooftop restaurant overlooking the beach. Excellent food, brews, and views.
We continued to walk, eat, drink, and shop our way around the area. Our stay in Santander was focused mainly on the areas near the Magdalena Peninsula. Everything we did that day was walkable from our hotel. Kind of our preferred mode when in a city like this.
At this point it was about 6:00pm and we had made our way down to Darsena del Melnedo de Puerto Chico, which is a port in the Bahia de Santander. This place is a wonderful port with water front restaurant, shops, art, and beautiful scenery.
We stopped in at a waterfront bar and restaurant called Vors for a drink. The bartender was having a rough day and he tipped over Lynn's drink and broke the glass before he could serve it to her. Needless to say he more than made up for it with excellent service after that. The place had a really nice ambience and menu. Since it was only 6:00pm the restaurant was not open yet so we decided to come back later that night for dinner.
So we explored the port area some more and came back a little after 8:00pm when the restaurant was open for dinner. With 8:00pm being considered early dinner we had no issues getting seated right away. It only got busy as we were finishing our meal.
Our meal was fantastic! The octopus appetizer surprised me. It was so tender and grilled to perfection. Anytime I had ever tried it previously it was a bit tough but this was really good. I had a filet and Lynn had a scallop dish. As usual a local wine was offered and it was also excellent. For a trip that is focused on food, wine, and scenery I think we were doing alright.
After dinner we headed back to the hotel for the night. We had an outstanding day in Santander and could make it a vacation destination by itself. There was much more to see, however, and we were looking forward to the next day of adventure.
The next morning we enjoyed another sunrise over the water.
We had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel and checked out about 10:30am. We realized a couple of things at this point. First, we wanted to spend some more time in Barcelona before going home. The city is amazing and there was so much more to see we really wanted to experience it. Second, that meant Santander was the farthest west we would travel. Our goal of making it to the west coast would have to wait. We needed to work our way east towards Barcelona.
When we left Santander we set our sites on Zaragoza. We started east along the coast with the intent of turning south toward Zaragoza after that.
We stopped in Castro Urdiales for lunch, at a place called Verivan. Again, excellent food and wine. We had an issue finding parking and I got a parking ticket for where we parked. Yeah, no worries. Not sure that will catch up with me in my lifetime. Oh, wait. Turns out I had to pay it at the rental return. They don't fool around with that stuff. Ok.
From there we continued along the coast and turned south at Bilboa, enjoying the scenery along the way.
Made a detour through a little town called Sarria. I'm a little fuzzy on the timeline here as I am writing this after the fact, but you get the picture...
From there we headed on to Zaragoza. Our hotel in Santander was the Gran Hotel and we were impressed by it so we had called ahead to the Gran Hotel in Zaragoza and confirmed rooms were available. We did not make a reservation based on previous lessons learned (France). We would just check in when we got there and if they were full by then we would make an alternate plan.
Zaragoza is a Beautiful city. It is also much more urban that Barcelona in the sense that there is much more vehicle traffic, congestion, etc. So much so that this became an issue for us. Now, I have driven in Manhattan, LA, and many other congested USA cities, but the European equivalent is quite different. In order to get to the hotel we had to access a one way street. No biggie, right? In order to access that one way street we had to go through a roundabout, then basically turn across a sidewalk access then the street began on the other side. So, this one way street began by crossing a sidewalk. Ok. Also, the roundabout was 3 lanes and the Policia directing traffic insisted that we exit where from my point of view we did not need to exit. Ok. Also, the Policia in heavy traffic that was stop and go insisted I basically drive right on up into the rear end of the bus in front of us to allow room for more vehicles.
We did this song and dance for about an hour going through the roundabout, missing the sidewalk turn, repeat. Then we finally figured out another way to get there via the long way around and coming back down a block over. When we got there the one way road was closed by the Policia due to some traffic issue. We were just not meant to get to this hotel. Wow. Lynn and I had both reached our limit. Beautiful city. Nice hotel. I'm sure we would have loved it but we looked at each other and both of us just said get me out of here. So glad we are on the same page with this kind of thing.
We left Zaragoza about 7:30pm and headed southeast. While on the road Lynn was looking at possible places to stay. The scenery was wonderful and we were enjoying the drive. We stopped at a roadside cafe in Bujaraloz about 9:00pm. This was an interesting place. Basically a truck stop. Although the meal was not as impressive as we were used to up this point it far surpassed any expectation that you may have for a truck stop in the USA.
From there we set our sites on Lleida, which turned out to be a marvelous town with a lot to offer. We were glad that we pivoted in Zaragoza as we may not have stopped in Lleida otherwise. We had confirmed rooms available at Hotel NH Lleida Pirineos right downtown. We checked in about 10:30pm, got settled and went downstairs to the cafe for a glass of wine, then called it a night.
Snapshot of Day Seven travels:
We had been looking at places in the area we may want to visit and knew our first stop the next day would be Castell de la Suda, a castle with history dating back to 882, and the adjacent La Seu Vella, a cathedral dating back to 832. We checked out of the hotel and headed over to the castle. It is visible from all around the city as it is situated on a high hill top. Once there the hill top offers fantastic views.
From there we headed east toward Barcelona, where we had reservations for the night at Hotel Eurostars Ramblas on Las Ramblas. Along the way we stopped at a an area with a view of Montserrat for our own little siesta. Lynn's homemade wine glasses really came in handy here.
We arrived in Barcelona about 3:30pm, got checked in and then headed out on foot onto the Las Ramblas mall where we stopped at a cafe for a late lunch. Our plan for the afternoon was to visit Park Güell. This is a park designed by Gaudi and developed in partnership with the industrialist, Guell. It was originally conceived as a housing development which proved unsuccessful and later became a park. Much of the aesthetics and symbolism that are imbued in Gaudi's works are represented here.
This is actually a street artist. A person, not a statue. Took us a minute...
After Park Guell we headed back to the hotel, got cleaned up for the evening, and walked over to the Somorrostro beach, which is just on the other side of the harbor in the Gothic Quarter and where we had not visited before. We found an ice bar, which is a tourist trap but fun nonetheless so we went for it. It is underground on the beach front and a lot of fun.
From there we made our way through the Gothic Quarter and ended up at Placa Reil. This is a plaza with restaurants, shops, art, etc. Beautiful. We found an outdoor table for dinner and took in a Flamenco Dance show as well.
What a fantastic day! From the cathedral in Lleida to Park Guell in Barcelona, followed by a wonderful dinner in Placa Reil. We were excited about what might be in store for the next day.
Snapshot of Day Eight travels. There is some data missing so it is represented by straight lines, but you get the gist. Lleida to Barcelona by car. Rest of the day in Barcelona:
The next morning first thing we headed back over to the Catedral de Barcelona. This time it was open and we took the opportunity to tour inside. Wow! the religious history is rich and architecture awe inspiring. Flying buttresses, ornate stonework, stained glass...
From there we continued to tour Barcelona on foot.
This is Casa Batllo Gaudi. A home renovation commissioned in 1904 by the Batllo family. Gaudi was given free reign on design and budget. It was completed in 1906 and the family remained in residence until the 1950s.
At this point we grabbed the car and headed over toward La Sagrada Familia.
This is La Sagrada Familia. It is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world. Construction began in 1882 and was taken over by Gaudi in 1883. It is expected to be complete in 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death. It is considered his masterpiece and he devoted the rest of his life to this project. He is buried in the church's crypt. There is a long history both religious and political surrounding the 140 year construction of this church. It is a labor of love as it has been mostly funded by private donations. In 2010 Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church and proclaimed it a minor basilica.
After La Sagrada Familia it was time to turn the rental car in and prepare for our last night in Spain. We had reservations for the night at Masd Mediterráneo Hotel Apartments Spa on Platja Gava, which is a beach not far from the airport and a popular destination. Since our flight was at 1:00pm the next day we did not want to be rushed to get to the airport. This would also afford us the opportunity to experience another destination before heading home.
At the car rental return we once again experienced that small car ramp to the parking level. Then we took a taxi south to Platja Gava, about an hour in traffic. We checked in and found this to be a wonderful hotel and beach.
We went to an open air restaurant on the beach for what would be our last dinner in Spain. I have mentioned before how economical it is to travel in Spain and here is another example. This meal was fantastic! We enjoyed a 4 course meal for two including a bottle of wine for about 80 Euros, or less than $100 USD and that was the most expensive meal of our entire trip, and it was wonderful dining experience.
After dinner we walked back to the hotel and had a night cap at the hotel bar.
So the next morning was all business. Time to get back home. We checked out, grabbed a cab, and arrived at the airport about 11:00am for a 1:00pm flight. I got flagged for additional screening in the security line. Good thing I had consumed all contraband prior to then...
Our flight back was uneventful, thankfully. Our connecting flight in Philly was on time and we made it into Atlanta about 9:00pm local time. We spent the night at our friend's house and then home the next day.
Our experience in Spain was wonderful. We had a fantastic time. We learned a lot about some of the Spanish historical sites, sampled local food and wine, and really got into local scenery and the small town experience as well. If you have been thinking of Spain as a destination we highly recommend it.
Our mode of travel may not be for everyone. We have no issues hitting he road without a solid plan. We find that we see more things off the beaten path that way. At one point I mentioned to Lynn that we had really packed in a lot that day. Her response was, "have you travelled with you?". LOL. Well we hope this helps if you have been at all tempted to travel abroad.
"TRAVELING - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." lbn Batutta
Please feel free to leave a comment in the comment section below. Also, I can be reached at Rocky@Rocklyns.com should you feel the need to reach out.
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