Saturday, April 15, 2017
Friday, April 14, 2017
Return Flights
We wake at 5:45 am tomorrow (-6 hours for our CT folks). Bus leaves for nearby Málaga at 7:15 am. Our trip home involves two flights: Málaga to Madrid and then Madrid to Boston.
- Málaga to Madrid flight status (click here)
- Madrid to Boston flight status (click here)
Nerja
We spent the first half of today in Nerjas. We visited it's famous caves and then went to the town center for shopping and lunch. We arrved back to our beach hotel in Torremolinos early afternoon in time to enjoy the warm Mediterranean sun and water. Spending half a day just relaxing on the coast was great for all ahead of our big travel day tomorrow. After dinner, we had a flamenco dance competition and yankee swap (cheap tourist gifts); our guide, Karo, led a splendid "closing ceremony." This was a really awesome trip and there can't be enough shout-outs to Sra. Anderson for organizing this adventure over the last two years!!! See you all soon :)
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Granada
Today was a relatively simple day on our journey (and fantastic!). We headed to Granada for the day. Granada is/was influenced by Arabs more than any other town in Spain; it was the last Moorish town to fall to Catholic Spain. The Alhambra is one of Spain's most significant sites and so much of the Arab influnce has been preserved. We spent the whole morning touring the Generalife and it's gardens, the Nashrid Palaces, the Palacio de Charles V, etc. The whole Alhambra and Generalife complex is beyond words/description. Pay it a visit someday. After our long tour, we headed to Granada center and split up for a three-hour "free time" session. Lots of shopping was done! We headed back to our hotel on the beach in Torremolinos saying goodbye to Granada and the stunning snow capped Sierra Nevada. The evening was full of good old beach and hotel fun. Tomorrow, off to Nerja.
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Ronda and Mijas
Today (Wednesday) we left Seville for a two-stop trip/tour on our way to our home base for the next three days, Torremolinos. Upon arriving in Ronda, we visited the oldest and largest bull ring in Spain. From there, our local guide led us through the old town and to countless vistas of the surrounding valleys, mountains and of course famous bridges. We had our much enjoyed "free time" where we ate, shopped and discovered. Next, we decended from the mountains to the Mediterranean Sea, wow! It was a crystal clear day. We could see Gibralter and even Africa (Morroco)!! We climbed back up the mountains to enjoy the whitewashed village of Mijas. The views were stunning and donkeys cute. We arrived at our beach hotel in Torremolinos, checked in, ate and enjoyed a moonlit Mediterranean eve. Tomorrow is set to be amazing as we head to Granada to see the Alhambra and more.
Note on photos below, our beloved tour guide, Karo, is featured in our group shot!
Seville
Tuesday was our big day in Seville. This is Semana Santa, which is huge all over Spain, but especially so in Seville. Sra. Anderson said it was the most crowded she had ever seen. While the crowds made it work to get around town, the spectacles were priceless. We started the morning off with flamenco lessons, then we toured the Alcazar and Plaza de España. Next, we had free time for eating, shopping and most imporantly watching the holy week processions. From there, we were off to an amazing flamenco show and finally another late dinner (as is custom in Spain). Below are a few shots from the day. We are working on photos from the processions, and of course video of the flamenco lessons! Today we are off to Mijas and the Costa del Sol.
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Monday, April 10, 2017
Toledo
It goes without saying that we had another fabulous day in Spain. Today centered around the old capital, Toledo. We packed up and left Madrid first thing this morning and headed to Toledo. We stopped for a stunning group photo with the ancient city in the background. We visited a famous artisan center and leaned how sords and jewlery are crafted. We had a guided tour of the Toledo Cathedral (the Vatican of Spain), El Greco Museum and the Synagogue of Santa María La Blanca (build by Muslims, finished as a Jewish synagogue and converted to a church, before becoming a museum dedicated to the three historic religions of Toledo). From there, we enjoyed free time on our own, lunch and the maze of narrow streets. Finally, we enjoyed hours of stunning views as we traveled south through Castilla la Mancha and Andalucia before arriving at our hotel in Seville. We enjoyed a late dinner and turned in for the night. We'll have a big day tomorrow full of flamenco and Semana Santa festivities. Hasta mañana.
Arrived in Seville 8:30 PM
Spent the day in Toledo. Just made hotel in Seville. Going out to dinner. Will post later.
Sunday, April 9, 2017
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