Welcome to Spain - Monday, Sept. 22
After a breakfast of pastries and Spanish coffee, we rode the metro to the western part of Barcelona. As Metro newbies, we were ably assisted by a resident of the city. We walked through the park where the Museum of Catalonia is located (took a picture but did not visit). Along the way, Barbara took a nasty spill with just a cut lip and some bruises. We would discover that our entire trip was looking to kill us with uneven streets, hidden steps and other walking hazards. We walked back to the area where our hotel was located and Jim had a beer and Barbara had a Sangria at Cera 23. as we passed from the park through La Ribera, an area on the other side of La Rambla from the Gothic Quarter.
At 5pm the tour group (29 including our guide Robert) gathered in the hotel’s breakfast area for our to "Welcome to Spain" get-together. Robert introduced himself and we then introduced ourselves. You might have thought that Jim would be the beer guy but that honor went to Dave at our introductions. He embraced the nickname by ordering beer every time the wine was flowing freely over the next two weeks. Then at 7pm we gathered in the hotel’s courtyard for some more information about Spain from Robert such as their housing problem. We then joined with the locals in their nightly ritual and head out for an orientation stroll through our neighborhood. We finished the day at with a tapas-style dinner together at Onofre. We were served about a dozen different tapas dishes such as olives, cheeses, crackers, small tomatoes on crackers, sardines on crackers, jamon, foie gras, cheese, pickles, dessert, and wine. Delicious! Delicious!
Lively, Artistic Barcelona - Tuesday, Sept. 23
While we were paying for our room, we avoided the hotel breakfast, opting for a pastry and cafe at the many bakeries. Now that were were officially on the tour, we found the hotel buffet breakfast was excellent (potato omelet, pastries, fruit, juice, and coffee). There were rumors of made to order omelets but it would not be until later that Jim would get his omelet and a sister property later in the tour. We met our walking tour guide, Sònia Crespo following breakfast. She took us through Barcelona's stylish and modern Eixample neighborhood, home to many of Gaudí and his contemporaries' elegant homes. (This neighborhood is Barcelona’s most easily recognizable neighborhood due to its geometrical pattern grid). On one block, in Eixample is the block of discord. Several homes were side by side, with very different architectural styles. Then we rode the metro to the towering, dizzying Sagrada Família. Sònia explained more about the building before we said good-bye to her and snuck into the Sagrada Familia. Usually we would have group tickets but alas we all had individual tickets and staggered our entry to disguise our group.. Everyone was on their own until Wednesday morning. Jim and Barbara spent about an hour exploring the S agrada Familia and 10 minutes in the museum before we took the metro back to the hotel. Barbara purchased a book on the building of the Sagrada Familia. A few weeks after we arrived back in Virginia, the Sagrada Familia was certified as the tallest Catholic church in the world. We opted for the Metro to get back to the hotel as Jim’s knees were feeling the walk. Once we reached the hotel Jim rested in the room while Barbara went to the courtyard to read and to enjoy a glass of Sangria. We had dinner at the 4GATS. Jim had Iberian pork ribs lacquered with creamy causa limenya potato and roasted onion with a glass of Palomo Cazador Copa Vino. Barbara had grilled wild sea bass supreme and creamy cava with vegetables and clams with a glass of Ferre I Catasus Gall Nege. Delicious meal!
Masterpieces of Madrid - Wednesday, Sept. 24
A ll aboard! After another buffet breakfast at the hotel, we boarded the bus to take us to the train station to take one of Europe's speediest trains to Madrid. Once we reached Madrid, we boarded a bus to take us to one of Europe's premier art museums - the masterpiece-packed Prado - where we saw paintings by Velázquez, Goya, El Greco, and others. Marvelous paintings. We boarded the bus again for our trip to our hotel - Hotel Europa Madrid. Robert pointed our several buildings on our way – National Library, the Park, The National Archaeological Museum. On our rumble - the Rick Steves rumble is a characteristic of his tours. We were dropped off for a short walk to the hotel, something that happens often, and without our wheeled suitcases rumbled along. It was here Jim had a bottle of beer in a bag hanging off his suitcase that was dragged over the cobblestones, eventually leaving a trail of spilled beer. A moment of silence for a bottle of new beer undrunk. After checking into our room and rearranging our clothes, we went for a short walk before orientation. We saw a line for a lottery store and later learned the Christmas lottery was a big deal and stores that sell a winning ticket do a brisk business. This was one of those store. We regret not getting a ticket for the upcoming lottery but it is likely we are 20 euros better for it. One of the interesting facts that Robert told us that Spanish painter, Juan Gris, was born in the area of our hotel that is now the reception room. On our way to dinner, we walked to the Puerta del Sol a public square, and he told us some history of Madrid; showed us to stores (one that sells candy that tastes like violets (the name of the store is La Violeta) and then to dinner at Prada a Tope where we were served 8 to10 dishes of Tapas dishes such as cheeses, bread, beef Russian salad, pork with roasted red peppers dessert, wine and more wine. Another excellent Tapas meal! Later in the tour we went back to get a tin of purple candies from La Violeta with the tin headed to Jim’s sister for here collection and candies for the apartment back in Blacksburg.
Madrid and the Royal Palace - Thursday, Sept. 25
After a buffet breakfast in the hotel, Robert took us on a walking tour to the Royal Palace to meet our local guide, Inés Cariedo who took us on a for a tour through the sumptuously decorated Royal Palace. With 2,000 rooms, acres of luxurious tapestries, and a king's ransom of chandeliers, this is truly one of the great palaces of Europe. All of the rooms were decorated beautifully. Barbara’s favorite was the Queen’s waiting room. Jim preferred the lighter rooms like the yellow and blue. On the walking tour to the Royal Palace, Robert gave us more information about Spain before Franco and after his death Juan Carlos became king again. He abdicated and his son is now King Felipe VI. Our walking tour then continued through Madrid's bustling Puerta del Sol (is a public square in Madrid, one of the best known and busiest places in the city) to its elegant Plaza Mayor.
Since we were on own for the afternoon, Jim and Barbara explored the National Archaeological Museum and the National Library of Spain. The last place we visited was the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia Museum which houses Picasso’s harrowing masterpiece, Guernica. This piece is not housed in his museum in Barcelona which concentrated on his early works. Barbara wanted to see this painting after reading about it in our Spain tour book.
Dinner was at Calle Atochia where we shared a pitcher of Sangria and two tapas dishes – Tortilla de Patatas and Torreznos de Sor. Calle Atochia is the name of the street in Barcelona with s everal restaurants lining the street.
Day Trip to Segovia - Friday, Sept. 26
After our buffet breakfast, we ride a bus to the history-rich town of Segovia. Segovia city in the autonomous community of Castile and Leon with a beautifully preserved Roman aqueduct that took up to two decades to build, bringing water in from the mountains. After a walking tour of the aqueduct and the town with our tour guide, Leticia, we were on our own for a few hours. We then had free time to wander and visit Segovia's medieval Alcázar fortress which Jim and Barbara did not do, but we did spend a few minutes in the room containing the armor. Barbara spent about 15 minutes touring the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption and of Saint Fructus
while Jim had a beer in one of the outside cafes. About 4pm we, regrouped to savor a Segovian specialty, roast suckling pig at José Maria. The menu included Ventresca salad with tomato an onion, home-made Iberian ham croquettes green asparagus with grilled zucchini and Maldon salt; milk-fed suckling pig and for dessert – the restaurant’s cake “Ponche de Segovia” with vanilla cream and ice-cream, and the wine, Tinto Page de Carraovejas Autor and D. O. Ribera del Duero, kept coming. Coffee, tea, and their liquors were available. A delicious and excellent meal. Afterwards, we returned to Madrid for the night.
Historic Toledo - Saturday, Sept. 27
After our hotel’s buffet breakfast, we had a short bus ride to Spain's old capital city of Toledo (and back in time about 500 years). Our walking-tour guide, Juan Jose Espada, took us on a tour that included Toledo's magnificent cathedral, the medieval Tránsito Synagogue, and El Greco's Burial of the Count of Orgaz at the Santo Tomé Chapel. In Toledo everything was centered around the main square, Plaza de Zocodover. For the afternoon and the evening we were on our own to explore Toledo. Unfortunately, the El Greco Museum, which is a house-museum designed as a recreation of the artist's home, which was lost centuries ago. It houses several important paintings was closed for the day. W e decided to visit the Santa Cruz Museum which has a fine collection of El Greco's paintings. We enjoyed this museum. We walked along the Calle del Comerico which is Toledo’s street of commerce. One of the businesses was a pottery shop which had some very nice looking pottery. The owner came out and gave a short talk on the history of the shop. We shared a Margherita pizza with Sangria at Meson Solarejo before we started exploring Toledo on our own. This was our first Spanish pizza and it was different from American pizza. Better than the one we shared in Galway, Ireland in 2025.
Later, we had a snack at Cervecería El Trébol. We shared a plate of green olive and potato chips. One of the tapas dishes was Salmorejo - a cold Spanish soup made primarily from tomatoes, bread, olive oil, vinegar, and garlic. This dish was different for us but very tasty. Our lodging for the night was the Hotel Eurico. One of Barbara’s favorite. Jim left the hotel on his own to a small restaurant around the corner, not wanting to get lost. The cafe was just reopening from the siesta time and he had a vino tinto (glass of red wine) with the regional dish, a meat stew.
La Mancha and Granada - Sunday, Sept. 28
After the hotel’s buffet breakfast, we drove through windswept "Don Quixote country," stopping to sniff the saffron and admire a whitewashed windmill or two. On the drive, we saw lots of olive trees, vineyards, castles on hills but many were abandoned. We stopped at store where we saw a saffron presentation and had a small snack. Jim found a bottle of saffron beer and purchased a bottle that he shared with the beer guy – remember him and a couple others who were brave enough for what was a decent ale. Then we meet up with our guide Consuegra who told us about the windmills. After taking a break for lunch at a traditional Venta, one of Andalusia’s humble roadside eateries for traditional La Mancha cuisine. We made our way to Granada, where we had a neighborhood orientation before heading up the Albayzín hill for dinner together and enjoy a sunset view of the Alhambra. Many roads were closed due to a processional that evening, requiring a longer than expected rumble. We were just lucky to be here during processional season and had many opportunities to see these floats carried through the street and alley ways as they head towards the saint’s church. Our hotel was the Hotel Apacapri. Dinner was at the Restaurant Las Tomasas. Tour members could decide if they wanted either a beef dish with potatoes (Jim) or fish (Barbara). The rest of the food included bread; duck pate with apricot and strawberry jam with crackers; shrimp and rice wrapped in phyllo with a green sauce; Zucchini soup; a salad with a goat cheese, yogurt, and cream dressing; dessert, and either red wine or white wine. A fantastically wonderful meal - Barbara’s favorite. During dinner, Robert mentioned the caves near the Alhambra where the gypsies lived in and still do. A gorgeous sunset!
Moorish Treasures of Granada Monday, Sept. 29
After a buffet breakfast at the hotel, the group walked to the Alhambra and met our tour guide, Margarite Landazuri. She explained Spain's Islamic legacy while she took us on a tour of of the sprawling palace and garden complex known as the Alhambra. Barbara’s favorite place in Spain. The Alhambra is a highlight of the tour. In the pre-tour information, a visit to the Alhambra was not guaranteed. Lucky for us this gem was on the schedule. While we took a fleet of taxis to the Palace, we walked back to the hotel. Jim’s knees were still doing well but a welcome rest back at the hotel allowed for another stroll.
For the afternoon we where on our own to explore the rest of Granada. We toured the Granada Cathedral, walked through various alleyways filled with shops, purchased post cards, and had lunch/dinner at Bodegas Casbanada. Barbara had Spinach pie (Empandade Espinacas) with Sangria, and Jim had croquettes with a beer. Delicious! Jim snuck out to one of our tour guides favorite bars. For each order of vino tinto, he received a tapas to enjoy with the wine. It turns out if you sit at the bar – well stand since bar stools are sparingly arranged on the customer’s side – you get a little snack for each drink.
Ronda - Tuesday, Sept. 30
Our destination was the hill town of Ronda, home to Spain's oldest bullring and its most breathtaking gorge after we had our breakfast. After arriving we visited a 5,000-seat bullring built in 1785. Plaza de Toros, also houses a bullfighting museum. This is the birthplace of the modern Spanish bullfight, as the spectacle’s two most important dynasties hailed from Ronda. Barbara will admit the bullfighting ring was smaller than she had envisioned. We were set free for the rest of the day. Jim and Barbara then walked through the park with gorgeous flowers. We also walked over the bridge with absolutely gorgeous views of the valleys with their white-washed houses. We ate at La Abaceria where Barbara had Sangria and Jim had a Maceta. We shared potatoes with aioli and a Russian salad. Delicious especially the potatoes. We then checked into our lodging – Hotel Catalonia Ronda. After resting for a little while, we did more walking around the gorge and across the lower bridge. We visited several shops and had ice cream again. We went to the hotel’s roof-top restaurant to view the sunset.
Spain's Pueblos Blancos - Wednesday, Oct. 01
After the hotel’s buffet breakfast and Jim finally getting his omelet, Barbara went for a short walk over the bridge to see the sun rising. We left to wind our way between the olive groves and w hitewashed villages of Spain's pueblos blancos. We headed into the countryside to visit a bull and horse farm and learn about Spain's most controversial pastime, bullfighting. The farm is named Reservaturo Ronda founded by Spanish bullfighter – Rafael Tejada. Our farm guide, Desiree, was absolutely wonderful. She explained the farm and took us on a bus drove over the farm seeing bulls and cows. After we returned to the main house, we had a snack and a visit by Mr. Tejada with a visit from an amazing adorable kitten. He took questions from us and explained a little more about bull fighting (Barbara learned more about bull fighting than she probably wanted to know). A good tour.
We then boarded the bus to take us to where we would have a tour of an olive oil mill. At Oleum Veride we discovered the traditional methods of producing this extra-virgin export. This was another good tour and presentation. Afterwards, we sampled six kinds of olive oil – tomato, orange, lemon, apple, basil, and fennel. Barbara liked the basil and fennel. We then had a rustic lunch together featuring two kinds of soup (garlic with fennel and a cold tomato based); tomato slices, slices of chicken, at least three different types of cheeses, a stuffing of some type; various slices of fruit, and a piece of quince with a piece of goad cheese, and two kinds of wine – Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. We left pressing on to the jewel of southwest Spain, coastal Cádiz. We arrived and checked into our hotel – Hotel Convento Cadiz. This hotel used to be a monastery. Robert took us on a short walking tour of old Cadiz. We had dinner at Listan Wine Tasca where we were served three wines. (1) a dry sherry with three cheeses and bread; (2) Puro Palomino, a white wine with tropical fruits with meat and pepperoni. This wine was too sweet for Jim and Barbara; (3) Hacienda Parrilla Alta, a red blend of four wines –temparillo, syrah, merlot, and petite verdot with a stew made with cuttlefish and potatoes. Barbara’s favorite. Both Jim and Barbara were not impressed. We expected at least six wines to be served. We were left on our own to find a way home to the hotel. At one point we met another couple who were as sure as we were that they were walking the right direction but was going 180 degrees from us. We teamed up as being lost is better in a group than alone. Greg turned out to have attended UCSB the same time Jim did but was two years behind him in a different major so there was no reason to think we might have met decades earlier.
Old Town Cádiz Thursday, Oct. 02
This morning we explored the old town of Cádiz, founded by the Phoenicians in the 10th century BC and one of the ten oldest cities in Western Europe. We joined our our local, Carmen Barroso, for a walking tour of the barrios and their centuries of narrow winding alleys and small squares, bordered by city walls and the sea. The rest of the day was ours to explore more of Cádiz's charming corners, take a walk along the seaside promenade, or soak in the sun at one of its many beaches. Jim and Barbara toured Cádiz Cathedral, whose golden dome dominates the city skyline, to the Museum of Cádiz which we toured. We could see people swimming and relaxing on the beach. We had a snack of eggs and onions (like an omelet) and Barbara had a Sangria and Jim had beer at Grosso Group. Delicious!
After resting for a couple of hours, we went for a bigger snack at La Chancha and La Vaca Restaurant where Barbara had a Berenjena gratinada which is a baked dish featuring eggplant and Jim had a Tacos de Pollo Crujiente. Complimenting the meal, Barbara had a Sangria and Jim a regional lager. Delicious! Later Barbara went for a walk on the promenade near the ocean and after debating with herself she decided to walk down to the ocean and put her feet in the Atlantic Ocean on the European side. The water was warm and refreshing to her feet. She finally returned to the hotel and Jim went to a taphouse for his nightly beer. While he was drinking a local brew, a group of guitar players started playing Spanish music that was a special moment, especially in the home town of Manual de Falla.
Sevilla's Barrio Santa Cruz Friday, Oct. 03
After our hotel’s breakfast buffet, we departed for our final stop on our tour, Sevilla, Spain's most flamboyant and atmospheric city. Once we arrived we begin our tour with Concepciỏn Delgado at the famous La Macarena (Weeping Virgin) statue to the world's largest Gothic cathedral, Catedral de Sevilla. A gorgeous cathedral. We had a snack of Ensaladilla Tapas (Ensaladilla is a popular Spanish tapas made from a creamy potato salad) along with olives and bread with olive oil with beer and Sangria at the Bar Patanchon. After checking into our hotel – Hotel Amadeus Sevilla, we rested for a few hours before the group resumed for a performance of sultry, swirling flamenco. An excellent one-hour performance.
Sevilla's Royal Alcázar Saturday, Oct. 04
After our hotel’s breakfast, we meet up with C oncepciỏn Delgado again for a tour of the beautifully Moorish-style Alcázar the Sevilla home of the Spanish royal family for the past 500 years and a tour of the streets in the Jewish quarter of Sevilla. Afterwards, Jim and Barbara walked to the Guadalquiver River to see the statue Carmen next to the Sevilla bullring. In Cadiz a couple days earlier we walked by the cigarette factories that were mentioned in the opera Carmen. We stopped for a snack at La Sacristia sharing a Patatas Allioli Tapas (a Spanish dish consisting of fried potatoes served with aioli sauce) and an Acetunas Tapas (small dishes featuring olives) with beer and Sangria. Later, the group resumed for a one-hour carriage ride through the streets of Sevilla before our final dinner together in Sevilla. One stop was at the Spanish pavilion that still existed when Sevillia had a World Exposition. The carriage ride was enjoyable. Our final dinner was at El Pasaje. Since the Tapas dishes were already selected, Barbara does not have a list. She ate everything but a beef dish while Jim tried everything- with more wine. Excellent and Delicious! Salud!
Tour Over After Breakfast Sunday, Oct. 05
We had our last hotel’s buffet breakfast. We left the hotel around 10am to walk to the bus c enter for a seven-hour bus ride to Lisbon, Portugal. We tried to make all our travel reservation late enough that we never had to rush of get up early with an arrival so we could be in our hotel before dinner. We arrived in Lisbon around 7pm and after a 20-minute walk we reached our hotel to start a visit to Portugal on our own.