We arrived in Tangier on a beautiful sunny day and were immediately impressed with what appeared to be a large, bustling modern city. The passport office was on the ship. All we had to do on exiting the ship was show our stamped passport, go through security, and easy as that, we were in the country.

We were met by a driver sent by our riad. A riad is a traditional Moroccan home built around a central courtyard usually with a water element. Many riads in the old cities (medinas) have been converted into small boutique hotels, or guest houses, with typically 6-8 rooms. Our riad was located in the kasbah, which was the original fortress located in the center of the medina. We passed the entrance to the medina.

We were dropped at the entrance to the kasbah, as no cars are allowed in. A young porter came to meet us and transport our luggage. And we entered our riad.

We were greeted by Aziz the owner who gave us a tour of the riad which has been in his family for many generations. We were booked in the Henri Matisse room. Matisse spent a lot of time in Tangier and painted several of his famous works here.

The doors are carved by hand as is all of the original woodwork in the riad. The windows have carved woodwork with laced patterns to allow for air but also privacy. Aziz took us to the rooftop to show off the views.

He told us to make ourselves at home, which we did. Dinner that night was served in the salon of the riad. We were introduced to harira soup, which is a very tasty vegetable based soup eaten any time of day including breakfast throughout Morocco. We are both fans.

Breakfast was served up on the roof and consisted of fresh oranges, pomegranates, and Moroccan mint green tea with jasmine flower, my new favorite hot beverage,

Breakfast featured msemmen, a several times folded pan fried flat bread. It is served with butter, jam and/or honey. Also on offer were beghrir, basically a pancake cooked on one side with its many holes giving an airy, crumpet-like consistency, also served with butter and jam. As I write this I realize despite breakfast there 5 mornings, I have not a single picture of the spread, so sorry. But I do have a picture of the adorable tea service used.

After breakfast we met Latif for a walking tour. He told us that in order to understand the culture of Tangier, it is important first to have some history of Morocco in general and Tangier in specific. Many civilisations and cultures have influenced Tangier, starting from before the 10th century BC with the Phoenicians.  Over the next centuries it was home to Carthaginians, Romans, and Berbers. (Berbers are actually tribes of many peoples. The Romans called “Berbers” anyone who did not speak Latin.) Byzantine control probably yielded to pressure from Visigoth Spain around 618. In the 8th century the Muslims moved in and converted many of the Berbers. As the Spanish started to conquer and expel the Jews and Moors from Andalusia in the 13th through the 15th century, many of them moved into northern Africa and converted many of the Berbers to both religions. It remained under Muslim control for most of the next several hundred years until the Portuguese started to move ever southward into Africa in the 15th century. In the 17th century it passed into Spanish control along with the rest of Portugal’s domains. Iberian rule lasted until 1661 when it was given to England as part of a princess’s dowry. But the English rule only lasted about 40 years when the kingdom was taken back by the Muslims. In the late 19th century France bombarded Tangier. In the early 20th century Spain controlled most of southern Morocco and the very north while France controlled most of the middle. While under colonial rule, the King of Morocco was considered a sultan. In 1920s, Tangier, an international zone managed by colonial powers, became a destination for many European and American diplomats, spies, bohemians, writers and businessmen. That status came to an end with Moroccan independence, in phases between 1956 and 1960. In 2011 with the Arab Spring raging throughout Africa, the King Of Morocco, supposedly a direct descendant of the prophet Muhammed, allowed his country to write a new constitution electing a Prime Minister and cabinets. In 2011 the Berber language was for the first time recognized as the second official language of Morocco, Arabic the first, and French the third. Arabic and French are taught in every school in Morocco today. Most of the Moroccans that we have met in service industries also speak English, Spanish, Italian, and some of them German, impressive. Then we were off for the tour.

Being already at the top in the kasbah, we started there. The streets of the Kasbah are the typical narrow winding ones.

Latif pointed out a flower pot that has the design of the Moroccan flag and explained that the red color is for the blood of the martyrs, green is the color of Islam, and the 5 pointed star on the Moroccan flag symbolizes the 5 pillars of Islam: Shahada, a belief in the one God, Allah; Salah, daily prayers; Zakat, alms to the poor (Muslims are expected to give 2.5-10% of their income to charity NOT including the mosque); Sawm, fasting at Ramadan; and Hajj, making a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime, health and wealth allowing.

The kasbah (citadel) of Tangier was built right after the city was evacuated by the English in 1684 and reclaimed by Morocco. The sultan of Morocco supported the city’s resettlement and commissioned its reconstruction, overseen by its new governor. It is therefore surrounded by a wall with gates.

This one opens out to a view of the port of Tangier.

Zooming in, the new mosque at the port can be seen.

The main square of the kasbah is flanked on one side by what used to be a prison, but is now a museum of modern Moroccan art.

We went in for a look at the art.

Further down the square is a part of the original sultan’s palace which is now a cultural center.

Inside is the entire history of Morocco. One of the first displays shows the original door to the building.

The rooms are organized by period from the paleolithic, neolithic, through Roman times all the way to the present. One of our favorite ancient tidbits was this die from the Roman times.

And a more modern favorite was this ammaria which is used to carry the bride from her home to that of the groom.

Each room of the museum has an incredibly detailed hand carved wood ceiling.

And of course having been a palace, the building has a central courtyard with an extensive garden.

Around the corner from the palace is the mosque. A green door is typical on a mosque entrance.

And the minaret.

At the end of the square is the gate that exits the kasbah into the medina.

And the gate into the medina, the old city. The area between the two gates is where punishment of men who were found guilty of a crime took place, ie whipping.

At the top of the medina are several famous cafes. Morocco boasts many famous inhabitants in its day. These cafes were frequented by writers, artists, musicians, and many more through the years.

A souk is a market. Where in the past they were areas of the medina, today most of the medina is a giant souk.

The souks are mostly organized by product. Our favorite was that of the tailors where many make there own textiles. In this shop a man is using his feet to power the loom to weave the fabrics: wool, silk, and combinations of the 2.

Today was market day which means those living in the mountains, mostly Berbers, come into town and sell fruits and vegetables as well as hand crafted items. They also do their own shopping. I was warned that they do not like to be photographed, so was respectful. But they can be distinguished by their hats, which they weave from straw to protect their heads and necks from sun but allow air for cooling. They are decorated with wool balls, the colors denoting their tribes. The ones from the North tend to use charcoal colored balls, those from the South and East prefer colored ones.

The women wear aprons that are hand woven and typically red and white striped. The way she ties it, to the side or in front, denotes if she is married or still eligible. The ones worn by the tribal women are simple red and white striped.

But those sold for the tourists, which can also be tablecloths, couch covers, whatever, are more colorful.

We also went into the food and spice markets.

The fish market was the largest we have seen anywhere.

Even sharks!

We walked by the Jewish cemetery.

It has a truly great view.

The first Jews migrated to Tangier after the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem in the 6th century BC and settled among the Berbers. Jews of Tangier were later met by a second wave of migration from the Jews living in the Iberian Peninsula during the 1492 Alhambra Decree and the Inquisitions. At one point the Jews made up as much as 25% of the population. For the most part Jews and Muslims lived peaceably together. But in 1956 most Jews joined the Zionist movement to Israel.

We then visited the original US Legation.

Which is now a museum.

Morocco was the first country in the world to officially recognize the US independence, which it did in 1777. It was, therefore, the home of the first legation of the US in a foreign country, (a legation is a lower rank than an embassy because it is headed by a minister not an ambassador) established in 1821. Morocco has had great relationship with the US throughout our history and has been visited by most presidents.

At the time that World War II broke out, Morocco was controlled by France. When France fell to Germany, Morocco was then occupied by Germans. The allies helped plan and operate Operation Torch. On November 8, 1942, American and British forces invaded beaches and ports across French North Africa. It opened a long-awaited second front against the Axis. Operation Torch constituted the biggest and most complex amphibious landing to that point in world history. Part of that planning happened right here in this telegraph office hidden in the top of the US Legation.

The embassy was also used for living and entertaining.

We then went into the Jewish quarter to visit the synagogue. Latif explained that a Jewish Quarter in Morocco is not like a ghetto but an area for Jews to be together, making it easier for them to practice their religion and maintain dietary specialties.

He took us to a Jewish shop that carries everything from mezuzahs and menorahs to lamps and tea services.

We had lunch of chicken tagine and lamb kabobs in a small family run restaurant in the medina.

Then we visited more shops like this one with the most exquisite hand made carpets. It can take three people working together a year to make one carpet.

In the evening we walked around outside the medina on our own and visited the main square called the Grand Socco. It was packed with people and street performers.

In the morning we met Kamal who was to be our driver for the next 34 days, which will be a personal record for him. His previous longest clients were with him for 21 days. Kamal is a Muslim Berber from a village in the south that is made up of all Berbers. He says his ancestry is 3-4,000 years old.

Our first stop was a lookout over the former mansion of Greek-American tycoon Perdicaris who built a 70 hectares park of trees imported from around the world. It is now a public park.

We then stopped in Donabo Gardens. Despite it not being the right time of year for gardens, they were lovely.

We then went on to Hercules’ Cave, so named because legend has it that he carved it out and lived there while he was planning to separate the two continents, one of his 12 labors for immortality.

The mouth of the cave is said to look like the shape of Africa.

Then we drove to Cape Spartel, a promontory in Morocco about 1,000 feet above sea level at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. It is the northwesternmost point of the African continent.

We had a relaxing late couscous tagine lunch, the Friday special in Morocco, on the terrace before heading back to Tangier.

The next morning we headed down the Atlantic coast to the archaeological site of Lixus near the town of Larache. Lixus was originally founded by the Phoenicians in the 8-7th century BC. It has been continuously inhabited since. Amongst the ruins were artifacts from all of the different eras. Among those now displayed in the museum include many Roman coins.

Lixus was one of the largest Roman industrial sites. It was built by the Loukkos River. The main industries were salting and exporting tuna. Another was the making of a purple dye from a local flower.

We hiked up a steep hill to the Roman baths.

which still had some preserved mosaic floors.

And still further up the hill to the Basilica. Notice the three languages on the sign: Arabic, Berber, French.

And to the top of the hill to the homes of the very wealthiest Romans with their private baths and rooms and great views.

And then we wound our way around to the city complex that was Lixus, its temples and forums and apartments. Several camera shots could not get it all in; the ruins are massive.

Having satisfied my ancient craving for the day, we drove a bit back up the coast to Asilah, a town on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Its medina, is enclosed by well-preserved 15th-century ramparts and gates, built by colonial Portuguese. The medina is an art hub, known for its murals and an annual festival in June. But first we went for lunch at Restaurante Dar Al Maghrebia.

There we discovered two new food treats: breguats, a phyllo dough-like deep fried pastry filled with choice of ___, we had fish; and pastellas, a slightly thicker dough also stuffed and deep fried, but topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon; we chose chicken. We also had our fav harira soup. We are LOVING Moroccan food!

With full bellies we entered through the medina gate into Asilah.

The town is repainted in its iconic blue and white colors every two years.

Once repainted, then murals are added by local artists. They can be found scattered throughout the medina.

We walked along the Atlantic side with the beach beyond the wall.

As in Tangier, the windows often have carved lattice for privacy but breeze; the difference being that here they are painted blue.

Many of the doors are gorgeous.

In Asilah everything becomes art.

And there is every kind of art.

And there are art galleries on every corner, literally.

In this instance, the whole house is a work of art.

That night we had a delicious French-Moroccan fusion dinner at the M Restaurant in the kasbah. The following day we spent mostly with Lucas and Amina Peters, the founders/managers of Journey Beyond Travel, who arranged our entire trip. They had invited us into their home and garden for lunch, tea, and visit with them and their children. We ate bocadillos, which are spanish-inspired sandwiches on long baguette-like bread filled with just about anything and everything, including the french fries. In the late afternoon we shopped a bit in the medina and said a sad farewell to Tangier.

Kamal picked us up in the morning after breakfast, and we headed to Chefchaouen. Along the way we stopped for tea at a scenic roadside cafe. We entered into the Rif Mountain Range, one of 4 in Morocco (the others are: the Atlas Mountains, the High Atlas Mountains, and the Anti-Atlas Mountains).

We arrived at our hotel Dar Jasmine in the afternoon and climbed the 160 stairs to the lobby! The porters had come down to meet us and, thankfully, carried our bags up the long flight of stairs for us.

The walls along the stairs are lined with murals.

As we climbed we got our first glimpse of the medina of Chefchaouen.

We had lunch on the terrace.

then settled into our room which was really a suite with a sitting area

off of which was a terrace with a gorgeous view of the medina.

Then it was time to hike into the medina. So down all the steps we went and up into the medina. As typical, it was full of shops for tourists.

From the top of the medina, we had a great view back at our hotel, impressed with ourselves at how far we had walked.

As in Asilah, we were impressed with the painted walls.

And the doors.

Headed back to our hotel we crossed over the Portuguese Bridge.

Then we trudged up the 50-60 steps up out of the bottom of the medina to street level, then the over 200 steps up to our room on the second floor (ground floor is zero, so up 2 more flights, no elevators) and enjoyed the sunset over the medina. We needed the rest.

until dinner in the hotel.

In the morning we enjoyed our included breakfast

which had starters very similar to breakfast in Tangier, but then eggs, avocado toast, and omelettes were added.

We then met our guide Fatima who was the first female guide in the area and is one of the few female guides in the country. She is currently studying for a masters degree in the history of the Jews in the area. She is a Berber and grew up in Chefchaouen. She first gave us a brief history of the town. It was originally just a lot of tribes living in the region. But with the expulsion from Andalusia, Muslims and Jews streamed into the area mostly in the 15th century. First the Kasbah was built as the protective fortress. It can be seen from our hotel sitting in the middle of the medina.

The kasbah during its history has been used as a residence for governors, as a military arsenal and as a prison. Then as the town grew outward, walls were built around for protection. Both the kasbah and the medina walls have been restored several times through the years.

Fatima says it is unclear why some of the houses were originally painted blue. One speculation is that it was started by the Jews. Another is that it was for spirituality reasons: feeling close to “heaven.” But with the advent of the internet, as the town started to get tourists to come see the “blue city”, more and more homes were painted blue until it was officially adopted by the town council and now that the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is strictly regulated. Tourism is basically the only source of income for the city.

The original location of the city was based on its great access to water both by the river and natural springs from the mountains. She walked us to the top of the hill just outside the medina and showed us the springs source, which is covered by walls both for beauty and protection of the springs.

The water treatment facility with pipes leading from it to all of the sections of town is located right next to the springs.

It is a good thing the springs still run from the mountains, because with global warming and a recent drought, this is the current state of the river.

Just below the springs is where the local women come to do their laundry on washboards.

From up high we can look across to what is called the Spanish Mosque. Fatima explained that it has never been used for prayer. After expelling the Moors and Jews from Spain in the 15th century, the Spaniards then came down into Morocco and conquered it. They then built this mosque high up on the mountain as a means of spying on the muslims both because of it’s vantage point and because Muslims in those days used their local mosques not just for prayer, but also to discuss politics and news. But the Muslims were smart enough to realize that the Spaniards had refused to allow them to practice their religion in Spain, so why would they build them a mosque? And they refused to use it.

Just below the mosque on the hill is a large cemetery with Muslims in the front and Jews in the back.

Then we walked through the upper gate into the medina.

Fatima explained to us that there are several sections to the medina. Each section has all of the following 5 elements:

A mosque

Water for the people and their animals. There is always a faucet for easy access to water. The low wall is a trough for animals to drink from.

A bakery with an oven. The bakery makes and sells breads and sweets. But it also maintains a community oven. Families make their own dough at home and then for a few durham can bring their dough to get baked.

A Hamam, which is a public bathing facility. Some communities separate men and women by areas, others by times. Most of them no longer function. The one below is in the process of renovation.

And a Qaran school. The one below was a regular public school when Fatima was a child, now it is a public space for offices

and a library.

In the school is an ammaria for carrying the bride to her new home.

Fatima shared that after the bride crawls in (the dome is hollow for her head to fit), she is handed a loaf or bread by her mother so that she will prosper and never go hungry in her new home.

After the door is shut, the family throws water to symbolize “do not return,” which means they hope she is happy in her new home with no reason to miss her old home.

Traditional homes in medinas have an elevation to step over as entering the home and a very low door so one must stoop or bow upon entering. This is to give one pause and to be humbled.

People still live in the medina, but mostly there are shops with arts and hand crafted items for sale.

She showed us a shop where the paint pigments are sold.

She also took us to a coop that sells argan products. Coops are becoming very popular in Morocco and are supported by the government.

Argan nuts are ubiquitous in Morocco in foods, hair and skin products, even for medicinal use. The women in the coop showed us the process the nuts go through for either roasting for food products or grinding for oil extraction.

Fatima explained the traditional clothing. The djellaba is a long and loose type of robe with a hood and is often worn over the top of other clothes. Woolen djellabas are the most traditional, but cotton djellabas are becoming increasingly popular too. Naturally, woolen garments are favoured in the cooler winter months, while lightweight cotton djellabas are preferable on hot, sunny days.

The gandora is similar to a djellaba, with the major differences being that it has shorter sleeves and does not have a hood.  It can be worn by either sex, but is more common to women.

The kaftan is another long and flowing robe-like dress worn a lot in Morocco. Unlike the djellaba, though, the kaftan is only worn by women, usually for dressing up for special occasions.

The store below is a bridal shop. It not only sells bridal kaftans, but also the shoes, nightwear, slippers, and linens that would go with the bride to her new home.

Inside the home, slippers are worn. The ones seen in the shop below are similar to what Eric and I donned in the home of Lucas and Amina Peters in Tangier.

We passed the kasbah but did not go in.

Then we entered the Jewish Quarter. Similar to what Latif had said in Tangier, Fatima said the Jews had their own quarter for their safety and comfort. It was by no means a ghetto.

At the bottom of the Jewish Quarter is the lower entry into the medina. The gate here was called the trading gate because that was where outsiders would come to make trades with the medina merchants.

Once again we crossed the Portuguese Bridge. This time we were told that it was so named because after an attempted Portuguese invasion, Portuguese soldiers were captured and turned into slaves who then were forced to build the bridge.

And again we made the very long trek up to our hotel suite for an afternoon rest. Eric took a panoramic shot of the town from our terrace. We honestly could not stop enjoying the view of the Blue City.

And we used the drone to take a selfie. It would be our last use of the drone. We were told that if caught with a drone in Morocco, it would be confiscated. Although interestingly, there are no laws on the books against drones, nor is there anywhere that says it other than in drone user chat rooms.

After a rest, we again trudged down into the medina for dinner at Bab Ssour.

We climbed three flights of decorated stairs.

And had dinner on the top terrace. We had a delicious traditional Moroccan dinner of tagines, pastellas, and chicken briouats all for under $20 including a generous tip.

Then another hike back to our suite. We laughed that at least we were walking off all the calories just consumed. On the way, I had to take a picture of this love seat for our love of Chefchaouen.

And this concluded our visit in Northern Morocco.

We headed back into Spain. It was our longest driving day yet: over 4.5 hours. We passed through Seville and on to Ronda. The reasoning behind this is we were planning this part of the trip around getting back to Seville in time for a poker tournament there. We arrived in Ronda in the late afternoon and immediately decided that this was another “stand out” spot on our trip so far. First our hotel: The Catalonia

As the bell hop showed us to our room he confided “You have the best room in the hotel.” And we did! We had a corner suite with views of the bullring out one side.

And views of the city below out the middle and other side.

Driving here we honestly could not remember why we had chosen Ronda as a stop; it had been so long since we made our bookings. So we set out to explore the town. We discovered the usual cute squares, pedestrian only shopping streets, and churches.

But then we ventured a different direction, and POW, we found the gorge.

This is why tourists flock to Ronda. At this point it was late in the day and getting drizzly, so we put off exploring the gorge further until the next day, and went back into our hotel to enjoy our welcome drink of cava on the roof terrace bar.

We freshened up and had a delicious meal of Andalusian specialties in our hotel restaurant. Dinner included sea bream, a fish neither of us had tasted before, but is now a favorite.

The next morning we had the absolute best breakfast buffet we have ever had included in the price of the hotel room. Not only did it have every food and pastry (yes, croissants and pan chocolate) and a machine that made all kinds of lattes and cappuccinos, it also included fresh squeezed orange juice and fixings for mimosas and Bloody Marys.

By the way, these orange juicers are found in almost every grocery store in Spain, even little mini markets, for help yourself bottles.

With very full bellies, we set out to visit the gorge. Pictures just cannot capture the beauty of the surroundings, but we tried.

There are 3 bridge crossings over the gorge: the original Moor Bridge, the Old Bridge, and the New Bridge. The new bridge was first built in 1735 but the bridge collapsed several years later and sadly killed 50 people. The Puente Nuevo was started in 1759 and was completed in 1793, with a height of 98 metres. We hiked down to the 2 older bridges on one side of the gorge, then back up the other side.

On the way down we stopped to explore the Casa del Moro Rey, (House of the Moorish King). It is a monumental complex with a long history that begins in the 14th century and extends to the  20th century. It is made up of three parts: a water mine from the Muslim era, a neo-Mudejar style house and a garden designed by Jean Claude Nicolas Forestier in the 1920s. The house was under renovation. The mine was a water wheel driven by Christian slaves to bring water up from the river into the Moorish city in the 14th century. But it was 20 stories down into a dark hole, so we chose to skip it. The garden was lovely.

At the bottom of the gorge are the other 2 bridge crossings.

After hiking back up, we rested a bit. Eric took some drone shots of the bullring, our hotel, and the gorge.

Then we headed back out to explore the Old Town. First we stopped at the Saint Mary Major Church built in the 16th century, renovated in the 18th, like so many churches in this part of Spain, on the site of a mosque, which had been built on the site of Roman ruins.

The we strolled out to the Almocábar gate, which was built in the 13th century and guarded the entrance to the city in the Moorish time. It is the site where the Castilian troops gathered on May, 1485 before invading and ending Moorish control of the city in 1492.

We then headed all the way down below the Moors Bridge to visit the Arab baths. During Moorish occupation, the baths were an important gathering point for ritual cleansing. It is situated right next to the river. When the Christians took over the city, they outlawed the use of baths deeming bathing part of the Muslim religious rituals. The baths were changed into laundry facilities, for which they were used through the 1930s.

Water was brought from the river using a water wheel very similar to that in the mine of the Casa del Mor Rey, but was above ground due to it’s proximity to the river, and was turned by a donkey, not Christian slaves.

The water then flowed into the baths through an aqueduct. The baths were heated by a fire in the room adjacent using a wood burning fire. The water flowed through this area, was warmed, then flowed through ducts below the warm room.

We now found ourselves even lower below town than we had been on our morning hike. Rather than climbing the steep incline along the gorge, we meandered the long way around through town. We then thoroughly enjoyed a well earned meal at Sensur Gastrobar.

The next morning it was time to leave Ronda, which again was a real highlight for us so far.

We arrived in Granada and checked into the Hotel Palacio de Santa Inés, made up of two Mudejar buildings with a Plateresque façade. It is located in the historic center of Granada, in the noble area of ​​the Nasrid neighborhood of Albayzín, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

And then we discovered our first really big fail of our trip: we had not booked tickets to go see Alhambra, which was a palace built by the Moors then turned into a fortress by the Christians. It never occurred to us that we would need advance tickets for a weekday late in October, but it was sold out for weeks. So we had to just enjoy the view of it from afar.

We had booked a late afternoon walking tour of Albaicin and Sacromonte neighborhoods. We met first in Albaicin at the Plaza Nueva (New Plaza), built by the Christians in the early 16th century.

Our tour guide Nacho explained that Granada was the last city in Spain to conquer the Moors, which happened in 1492. Because the Moors had been pushed down from the north in the early part of the 13th century, they had congregated in Granada which is why the Alhambra was built, to be a safe city in which the Moors could live. When the final conquest of the Moors happened in the late 15th century, it was very fast, and they were forced to leave, quickly. So unlike the other regions of Spain, where some Moors were converted, here they evacuated. What that meant to the city was their homes and monuments were basically left intact and taken over by the Christians with little modification. The “new” plaza was the Christians’ beginning of expansion. There was much lawlessness in the Andalusian region, so a large justice building was built by orders of Carlos I between 1531 and 1587. It was the first building of its kind to be built in Spain to hold a court of law. Despite this attempt, the next couple of hundred years were lawless ones.

We walked across the Darro River to look back at the Albaicin neighborhood. Nacho explained how for centuries Granada was a relatively poor city. The Christians who had taken over wanted to maintain the appearance of luxury, which is evident in the fake façade seen on the house below with its neoclassical decor painted on rather than sculpted.

The Christians also took over the private homes of the Moors, most of of which had very plain, humble exteriors but opened into lush interiors with interior gardens and always a water element in a central atrium, if wealthy. These latter ones are now called Carmens, with a Christian name attached, which can be seen throughout the city and sell for millions of euros today.

Granada always had a large gypsy population. Once the Nasrid period was over, the Christians encouraged the gypsys to stay because of their particular skills with breeding animals and veterinary care. But the city was walled and the gypsies were forced to live outside the walls. The gypsies dug caves into the hills and lived outside the city walls, now called the Sacromonte neighborhood.

The caves were covered in lime for protection, then cacti planted on top to draw moisture and stabilize the soil. The cacti have since been decimated by a blight.

In the 1960s there was a flood causing some of the caves to collapse. Then dictator Franco, who felt the impoverished neighborhood an emabarrasment, ordered all of the gypsies to evacuate. He put them in shelters with little better facilities. Many continue to live in poverty. The caves were taken over as communes in the 70s. But then as most gentrification occurs, people started moving back in, building second stories for views of Alhambra, and some caves now sell for huge sums.

In the late 18th century a painter made an image of a local gypsy, Chorrojumo. His image became wildly popular throughout Europe. Tourists began to come to the area. The gypsies would play guitar and dance to entertain the tourists. This is when/where this type of Flamenco was born. Today, there are numerous Flamenco venues hosted in the caves of Sacromonte. (Different types of Flamenco arose pretty much simultaneously throughout Andalusia from different gypsy tribes.)

The neighborhood of Sacromonte had always been, not only outside the walls of the city, but off the grid of water and also ultimately the electric grid. They had cisterns from which to get buckets of water. They were in use only until the last 50 years or so.

As we re-entered the Albaicin neighborhood in the upper section we immediately saw again the Moorish influence of the architecture. When the Christians rebuilt this part of the city in the 16th century, it contained a large market and butcher shops and other public buildings independent of the ones in the part of town down below. Today it is mostly bars and restaurants.

At the end of the plaza is a Moorish port leading into the next square. It was originally part of a wall surrounding the Cadima Alcazaba, an 11th century Muslim fortress. The Christians renamed it the Door of Weights because when a butcher was caught using defective weights to cheat his customers, his weights were hung there to humiliate him.

Passing through the Door of Weights, we entered into St. Michael’s Square.

Nacho told us that when he was a child the area around this square was a parking lot. The square was made famous by the Clintons. Bill brought Hillary there during a visit to Spain during the Lewinsky scandal only months before his impeachment. He claimed he wanted her to see the most beautiful sunset in the world. Since then tourists have flocked there to enjoy the same view. The view is of the setting sun casting light on the Alhambra.

That night we had a delicious dinner at Pilar del Toro.

The next morning we set out to visit the Cathedral of Granada. At this point we had visited so many cathedrals in Spain, we entered a bit unenthusiastic, but were pleasantly surprised. It turned out to be one of our favorites due to its brightness, the clean simple lines, light airy feeling, and beautiful artwork. Construction was begun in the 16th century, late for a Spanish cathedral. It was originally started in the Gothic style, but was finished in the Renaissance style. It was built on top of a Muslim Medina.

Unlike most cathedrals in Spain, the choir sits in the main chapel. At the back of the chapel sits a large stand to hold the large choir books. It is shaped so that the books can be placed on all sides to be seen from every angle by the choir.

Each side chapel is more spectacular than the next. Several have gorgeous marbles. Very few have been redone in the Baroque style that was popular in Spain.

Even the doors in the cathedral are exquisite.

When we exited the church we meandered through the Arabic market: La Alcaicería, which has very narrow alleys and is packed with merchandise and reminded us of the markets in Jerusalem. When we emerged from the markets, we were amused to see this man powering a carousel with a cycle. The sign on the box in front of him reads: http://www.carruselecologico.com

We emerged from the market to find ourselves in a more modern section of town with high end shops. There we found a statue built in 1892 commemorating the 400th anniversary of Queen Isabella of Spain’s meeting with Columbus.

And also in the square are buildings with gorgeous architecture.

We could not go inside Alhambra, but we decided to hike up to it so we could try to get a drone shot above it. At the entrance to the Alhambra Forest and the long hike up the hill is this gate dedicated to Charles I in 1526. It is nicknamed the Pomegranate Gate due to the 3 large split pomegranates seen spilling their seeds sitting atop the gate. The pomegranate is the symbol of Granada.

On the way we passed this Arco de las Orejas (Gate of Ears), which was originally in Plaza de Bib-Rambla . In the 19th century it was taken down during a renovation project. But there was such an outcry from historical conservationists, that it was rebuilt on this walkway up to Alhambra. Its name is because when thieves or crooks were punished by the removal of body parts, often ears, they were hung on this gate to warn the public of the consequences of such actions.

Up on top Eric did manage some drone shots of Alhambra.

That night we had paella at Mesa Pio.

Then we returned to our room for a final view before bed.

And again we were on the move, this time to Úbeda. When booking we had tried to find charming hotels that gave us a feel for local culture. In Úbeda we certainly achieved this goal. Hotel Ordoñez Sandoval was built in a historic family house in a neoclassical style.

Driving into town we were struck by the number of olive groves and how well maintained they appeared. We learned that the province has 70 million olive trees. From town, you can see them best from Mirador del Salvador viewpoint.

We walked around town all afternoon and took a lot of pictures, but I will add them with the history we learned about the town and its historic monuments on our walking tour the next morning. The next day started with an included breakfast in the cutest room in our hotel.

We met Josue for the tour and were the only ones. He admitted that few English speakers make it to Úbeda, which has only recently become a tourist destination due to UNESCO designating the town a world cultural heritage site in 2003 due to the town’s highest number of monuments/m2 in all of Europe, second only to Florence, and to the well preserved renaissance buildings.

In the year 1233, the Muslims in Úbeda were definitively conquered by Ferdinand II of Castile, a full 2.5 centuries before Granada, making this the southernmost city in Spain for that period of time and therefore very influential to the region. After both the fall of Granada and the “discovery” of the Americas in 1492, wealth poured into the area. Especially notable for the architecture of the city of today is the role of Francisco de los Cobos, secretary of Emperor Charles V. Francisco de los Cobos was not born with a title but benefited from his uncle’s relationship working as secretary to Queen Isabel I. Francisco de los Cobos ultimately accumulated a lot of wealth, but did not manage to get a title until in his 40s when he married 14 year-old María de Mendoza. Having accumulated wealth and power, he strove to build a palace, a university, and a mausoleum for himself. In order to do this, he first needed permission from the Crown and the Pope. So first he built a hospital as his donation. The building is used today as a cultural center.

Next he started work on his palace and his mausoleum. He engaged the architect Andrés de Vandelvira, whose work became instrumental in introducing the Renaissance ideas to Spain.

Francisco de los Cobos did not survive to see his mausoleum finished, but his wife and architect completed it and later buried him there.

Francisco de los Cobos was very involved in the design of this chapel, now the largest mausoleum for a private patron in Europe. The name is of course reference to Jesus. As was popular in the Renaissance, he used neoclassical elements and mythological references. On the façade are depictions of stories of Hercules, son of god (Zeus), attaining immortality through his 12 labors.

We would go into the chapel after the tour, but first more on Andrés de Vandelvira. After the death of Francisco de los Cobos, the architect continued to work for his wife and several nephews building palaces. The palace of Francisco de los Cobos, behind the chapel, is currently under reconstruction.

The palace of the Marquis of Donadío, built for the first chaplain of the Sacred Chapel of the Savior of the World, is in the same square as the chapel, today called the Plaza Vázquez de Molina. The palace today is a Parador Hotel.

A signature element of Andrés de Vandelvira is the white marble column that can be seen on the corners of the Parador, above top right.

The inner courtyard of the palace/Parador is typical of the Spanish Renaissance style portraying wealth: columns surrounding an open space with a water element in the center, in this case a fountain.

And in the corners can be seen a second signature element of Andrés de Vandelvira: a “handkerchief” ceiling.

Also in the Plaza Vázquez de Molina is another building of one of Francisco de los Cobos nephews: Mancera Palace. But it was never lived in as a palace and became a monastery.

In front of the Mancera Palace are representations of the 12 men who defeated the 12 muslims in the fight for the kingdom in 1233, represented as lions.

Also in the same square is the Church of Santa María de los Reales Alcázares on a site formerly a mosque. Like I said above, a lot of monuments in one place.

Just off the square are two other important buildings: city hall and the police station. City Hall was built as a palace.

What is now the police station was built to be a home for women who never married but did not become nuns and whose families could not afford to keep them. They were housed and given honest work to keep them off the streets.

Walking around town, we entered the Jewish Quarter. Because the fall of the muslims in 1233 was relatively benign, a battle of 12 vs 12, the Jews, Muslims, and Christians coexisted in relative harmony until the Inquisition started. The pillars in the Jewish Quarter have representations of the 12 tribes and the Star of David.

We walked past the 16th century Church devoted to St. John of the Cross, a devotee of the Barefoot Carmelites. He died at the monastery here, but due to a postmortem fight with the monastery in Segovia, only parts of his body are buried here, and parts in Segovia.

We also walked into Plaza de 1 de Mayo. The market was located here in the Islamic era. Bullfights also took place in this square, like other public events. Executions, including those of the inquisition, were also carried out here.

At the end of the square is the Church of San Pablo, which is the oldest in Úbeda. It was originally built by the Visigoths. The back of the church has some of the original wall.

The front façade is Romanesque. Note the balconies on either side of the front. In the 15th century the church was used as the town hall, and announcements were made from the balconies.

On the corner of the Plaza de 1 de Mayo is this building built in the 16th century to be the new town hall. It is currently a music conservatory.

Another interesting note is the number of palaces in Úbeda. At the height of its wealth in the 16th and 17th centuries, there were as many as 250 palaces. Today there are 19 that remain, many of which are hotels or museums. One is still privately owned, but because it contains many original furnishings, treasures and art works, it opens to the public on occasion.

Note the white marble column on the side, identifying the the architect as Andrés de Vandelvira.

Once the walking tour was finished, we felt compelled to enter the Sacred Chapel of the Savior of the World.

In the ante chamber before the sacristy is a signature handkerchief ceiling.

After an amazing lunch at Restaurante Antique, we decided to visit the synagogue. The Water Synagogue was discovered in 2010 when a private person was undergoing a demolition for a new home having bought a group of adjacent properties because they shared walls.

It was the above column that made the archeologists suspect that this had belonged to Jews, but it was the finding of the women’s gallery above that made them believe it was a synagogue.

The synagogue gets its name from the natural springs that run underneath and feed the mikvah. Today the water is still crystal clear.

The complex also includes a kitchen with still intact and half buried storage bowls.

Before leaving town, we got some drone views of the major monuments.

In the morning we were off to Córdoba. Once again we had booked a hotel incredibly well located. Hotel Madinat is in the heart of the old medina of Córdoba, in the historic center. From their website: This traditional Andalucía nowadays, the Madinat Hotel, maintains the appearance of an old-style Casa-Patio run by the bourgeoisie of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Its previous owners include an ex-mayor of the city who was an intimate friend of Julio Romero de Torres and commissioned numerous paintings, including the first poster for the town fair in 1912. The first radio broadcasts in the city were also carried out here in 1929. Its present beauty evokes that period of eclectic modernism through carefully restored features such as rich mouldings, original tiles, paintings and furniture.

Once settled in, we headed out to visit the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. The building embodies the history of the area. It was originally built in the mid 6th century as the Visigothic Basilica of Saint Vincent. In the mid 8th century a mosque was built upon the remains. Two years later a minaret was added. As the city grew and prospered, the first extension was added in the mid 9th century, and a new minaret added in the mid 10th century. A second extension was added in the latter half of the 10th century followed by a third extension by the end of the 10th century. At this point it had the capacity for 40,000 worshipers. Following the conquest of the Muslims in the early 12th century, the Christian cathedral was dedicated in 1146. The Royal Chapel was completed in the mid 14th century. In the 15th century a Gothic basilica-shaped nave was erected within, removing 50 original columns. The bell tower was added in the 16th century, the dome of the transept and the vault of the choir in the 17th as well as the main altarpiece. The choir stalls were added in the 18th and restorations were made in the 19th century. In 1984 it was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Restorations have been ongoing.

One enters the Mosque-Cathedral through the Patio de los Narangos (The Oranges Courtyard) full or orange trees, palms, and cypresses.

Then through the main gate.

Upon entrance we were immediately awed at the enormity of the space as well as intrigued by how different it was from every other cathedral we had seen. The columns are all double tiered.

A mihrab is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The columns in front of the entrance to the mihrab are different to demonstrate its importance and position.

The entrance to the mihrab is inscripted in gold with passages from the Quran.

This mihrab is the earliest known to be a room and not just a niche, cannot be entered by tourists. It is elaborately carved white marble.

Right next to the mihrab is what was converted into the sacristy of the cathedral. The cathedral is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption. The sacristy has a beautiful marble sculpture dedicated to her.

As in most cathedrals, there are many chapels around the periphery. At the front is the one dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption.

In the center of the building is the main chapel.

The ceilings, both Muslim and Christian, are all stunning throughout. But the one over the choir is particularly breathtaking, said to be inspired by the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

Having spent several hours in the Mosque-Cathedral, we retired to our room. But first a visit to the rooftop terrace for views of the city.

In the morning we met our walking tour guide Lou at the Plaza of Tendillas located where the historic center of Córdoba meets the modern. We were her only clients.

It is surrounded by examples of typical 19th century Spanish architecture.

Lou then took us for a view of the tower of the Mosque-Cathedral seen through the Calle de los Flores, Road of the Flowers.

We then entered the Jewish Quarter with it’s narrow winding streets. The apartments open onto central courtyards.

We entered the synagogue.

Outside was a statue of Maimonides.

Lou also pointed out the symbols that can be seen on the roads throughout Spain that are of the Camino de Jerusalem: the Sephardic Jewish path to Jerusalem.

We strolled past the Alcázar, fortress of the kings, which we would visit later.

We stopped by the Royal Stables, which was built by order of Philip II in 1570 on part of the site of the city’s Alcázar fortress. With these facilities the King intended to further his project to create purebred Spanish horses. This was the place where the Spanish –or Andalusian– horse was first bred from Arab stock. We were also to come back that night, more on that later.

Beyond the Alcázar is the Jewish wall of the Jewish quarter.

Beyond the Jewish Quarter is the area of Córdoba known for its patios, which are inner courtyards. Every year since 1921 (except during the Spanish Civil War) during the first 2 weeks in May private homes compete for prizes in several categories based on the beauty of their patios. The top prize is 25,000 euros. In order to qualify for the competition the family (or families) must live in the space and maintain the patio on their own. Lou took us to a few that are open to the public.

She also showed us a sculpture dedicated to those who maintain the patios. It emphasizes not only the importance of the patios to the culture of Córdoba, but also the importance of family, passing the tradition from one generation to the next.

Once the tour was over, we headed back to the Alcázar.

The first room is the room of the mosaics.

Honestly, the inside was pretty humdrum; it was all about the views from the tower and the gardens.

Then we went down into the gardens which were immense and impressive despite the end of the season.

On the way back to the hotel we passed the Puerta del Puente, a 16th century gate, built on the site of a previous Roman gate, to welcome King Philip II to the city.

It is at the entrance to the Roman Bridge, which we walked across for a view back at the city.

We went back to rest up for our big night out. We had tickets to the Equestrian Show! The Andalusian horses have been trained in dresage and put on a nightly show in the equestrian arena seen from the tower. There are not more than a few hundred people in attendance around the arena; it is an intimate feeling (very dissimilar to when I saw the Lipizzaners in Madison Square Garden). Alas, pictures were not allowed. But the show was AMAZING! The show started with a single flamenco dancer on a platform, which was then removed for the horses. There were routines with multiple horses dancing in precision interactions (picture an aerial show or the Rockettes). Others had single riders showing intricate dance moves by the horse. In one routine the horses were led by rope and hand motions to dance by themselves. One involved a single rider with a long pole which the horse dance around. There were a couple where the horse and rider danced with a flamenco dancer. I have copied a couple of pictures from the internet to show.

Just spectacular! After the show we went for dinner at El Cabello Andaluz (The Andalusian Horse, fitting).

We felt the need to break down and finally try the Andalusian specialty flamenquin, which is basically rolled layers of meat, cheese, and ham breaded and deep fried. We were not any more impressed than we had expected.

What a full day. In the morning, before leaving town, I wanted to see the Roman Temple built in the first century and discovered in the 1950s during the expansion of City Hall.

Then we were off to Seville. There we had rented an AirBnb for a few days, our last of the trip (laundry time again). Once again we were in the heart of the old city with views, this time of the cathedral.

We walked all around the neighborhood to familiarize ourselves. As in Córdoba, there are plenty of examples of typical 19th century Spanish architecture.

Spain has some of the most gorgeous and huge varieties of ficus trees.

In the morning our walking tour started at the Spanish Plaza which was built for the 1928 Ibero-American Exposition. We met by the North Tower where horse drawn carriages line up for the tourists.

Unfortunately the entire plaza was closed due to a huge storm that had come through in the prior days knocking down trees and making it unsafe. The only building visible was the Seville Pavilion, which is now a cultural center.

We passed the University of Seville.

And stopped in front of the 18th century Royal Tobacco Factory. We were told tales of the cigarillos, the women who were the laborers that rolled the cigarettes. They were generally gypsies, the most famous of which is Carmen, for whom the opera is named. Whenever the factory tried to lower their wages or increase their hours, the entire gypsy community would turn out in protest: one of the earliest examples of collective bargaining.

We walked by the Alfonso XIII Hotel, commissioned by the King of Spain to play host to international dignitaries during the 1929 Exhibition. Its Moorish detailing is typical of Andalusian architecture.

We walked by the Golden Tower which was built by the Moors in 1220 as a watchtower to protect the city on the bank of the Guadalquivir River. In the Middle Ages it was used as a prison. It was damaged in the 1775 Lisbon earthquake, but has been restored and now is a museum of military history.

Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote lived a large portion of his life in Seville and wrote his famous novel here. There are many statues of him scattered throughout the city.

We then went into the Plaza Nueva (New Plaza) in which stands City Hall. It is a Plateresque-style building, which means the reliefs are in the style of a silversmith. It was a style popular in Spain in the late 15th century. This week there is a book fair going on in the plaza.

With a closer look at the façade, one can see that the right side was never decorated. There was an extension made in the 19th century, funding ran out, and now there are restrictions to changing historical buildings.

We finished our walking tour outside the Cathedral of Seville with its famous tower. It was originally built as a mosque in the 12th century. The cathedral, finished in the 16th century, is one of the largest in the world, the largest in Spain, and is the largest Gothic church in the world.

The Giralda bell tower was originally the minaret of the mosque. The belfry was added in the 15th century. The statue on its top, called “El Giraldillo”, was installed in 1568 to represent the triumph of the Christian faith.

A copy of El Giradillo now is on street level.

Here we also found lots more horse drawn carriages.

After the tour we took a walk and found an Asian-Spanish fusion tapas place where we had the most delicious late lunch.

Eric then left for his poker tournament, and I headed out for a walking tour of the Jewish quarter: Santa Cruz. While waiting for the tour to begin, we were entertained by a Flamenco street dancer.

As typical, the streets were narrow and winding. But then we came out onto Plaza de Alfaro with this famous balcony:

The legend is that the love story that unfolded at this balcony was the inspiration for the Barber of Seville. Seville likes to boast inspiration for many operas in addition to the 2 mentioned: The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and several more.

Santa Cruz also has examples of what were Jewish apartment housing complexes with central courtyards now transformed into lush high end hotels.

Church of Santa María la Blanca was built as a mosque in the 12th century but after the conquest of the Moors in Seville in 1248, it was given to the Jews by Ferdinand II as a synagogue. In 1391 after the anti-Jewish revolt in Seville, it was transformed into a church.

Around the side is the original synagogue entrance.

On the street in front of it can be found the Jewish Camino symbol.

We finished our tour on Mármoles street where there are 3 Egyptian granite columns almost 9 m high, set on local marble bases. They were made in the time of the Emperor Hadrian and possibly formed part of some Roman temple.

When I got home I was treated to this sight through the window.

Eric was knocked out of his tournament making him available for more sightseeing the next day. After morning errands and some shopping, we headed to the cathedral to see the inside. First we climbed Giralda Tower for the views.

The we went into the church. The height is overwhelming, the size awe inspiring. We spent several hours with audio guides exploring, so much to see.

Among the many notables buried in the church are Christopher Columbus and his son. Below is the monument over his tomb.

In one of the side chapels is the baptismal font.

There are so many splendid side chapels it is hard to pick one to show, but below is the largest and tallest and is one of my favorites due to the elaborately carved marble statues.

There are many beautiful works of art throughout the cathedral. One of the most famous is that by Francisco de Goya painted in 1818 of the sisters Saints Justa and Rufina, natives of Seville, at the moment Saint Rufina was thrown to the lions and her sister ran to her side. The lion is lciking Saint Rufina’s feet, depicting her taming of it. The Giralda Tower can be seen in the background.

The Chapter Room is for meetings. Leather covered benches can be seen against the walls, which are purposely left empty making the space even more impressive. The painting of The Saviour fits perfectly into the oval shaped ceiling; obviously it was painted for this space.

In the sacristy are many beautiful treasures one of which, Spain’s most valuable crown, the Virgen de los Reyes. It has over 11,000 stones and the world’s largest pearl (pictured below, used as the angel’s torso).

The choir is typical of many we have seen in the Gothic cathedrals of Spain: intricately carved mahogany stalls with a large central music stand.

The crowning glory is the world’s largest altarpiece. Craftsman Pierre Dancart spent 44 years carving Retablo Mayor from wood. The gilded high altar of Capilla Mayor (Grand Chapel) features scenes from the Old Testament, the life of Christ plus images of saints. At the bottom center is Santa Maria la Sede, the cathedral’s patron saint

We exited the cathedral through the Courtyard of Oranges with a final look back at the Giralda Tower.

And with that our visit to Seville was complete. On to Cádiz for a beach trip. We had booked in our first modern Parador. The room was not yet ready, so we took a long walk along the beach and out to the 18th century Castle of San Sebastián which is currently closed.

But from there we had a great view of the beach and the 17th century fortress Castle of Santa Catalina.

After a late lunch right off the beach, our room was ready.

The doors completely opened onto a terrace with this view.

Ah what beauty and relaxation. We took another beach walk at sunset.

In the morning we took a quick walking tour. There’s not a lot of historical significance in Cádiz, but we did learn some fun facts. For one, Cádiz at 3,500 years, is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the Western world. Our tour started in Plaza San Juan de Dios in front of Town Hall flying the flags below from left to right: the Andalusian flag, the Spanish flag, and the Cádiz flag.

The pediment base relief shows Hercules, the legendary founder of the city. He is also depicted on the city flag. The legend is that one of Hercules’ 12 labors to achieve immortality was to separate the continent of Europe and Africa. He was said to have lived in Cádiz at the time.

We walked past some Roman ruins.

And toward the water to look back at the Old Town of Cádiz, which is called “Little Havana” based on it’s colorful houses. They are meant to be a cheerful sight for the sailors returning from a voyage.

Another fun fact: in the early days of ships sailing to the Americas, they often left with much more cargo than they had on the return. In order to have enough ballast to weight the boat upright, they often carried back river stones which were then used to pave the streets of the old city.

We passed the 18th century Cádiz Cathedral. Notice the street here in the newer section of town is not that of river stones.

In the same square is a cute church.

Now fun fact #3: When Napoleon was defeated in the early 19th century, his army left behind over 300 canons. Many were melted down for various uses, the most common of which was to protect the corners of buildings on the narrow streets from damage cause by carriages passing too closely.

As in many Spanish towns, the post office is impressive.

As is the market.

Being a Monday, the market was very quiet; no fish sellers. But worth a peek inside to see the preserved columns.

After the tour, we headed back to the beach. Along the way we passed yet another amazing ficus tree.

In the morning we drove to the city of Algeciras to return our rental car after 51 days of driving. We then caught a taxi to nearby Tarifa where we checked into a tiny guest house tucked into the Old City right against the Old City wall, with a part of the wall exposed in the guest house lobby.

After checking in, we strolled over to the port passing the monument of Sancho IV El Bravo, 13th century King of Castile, in front of the Guzman Castle.

The castle was built in the 10th century by the Moors to protect the harbor.

We strolled out past the Santa Catalina Castle, built in 1933 as a military base on the site of a previous fortress, but is now abandoned.

There is a long peninsula jutting off the beach of Tarifa and separates the Atlantic Ocean from the Mediterranean Sea.

The next morning we boarded our ferry to Tangier, Morocco.

On the way out of the harbor we passed the staue of Jesus Christ, a fitting goodbye to Spain.

After dropping Howard at Lisbon airport, we headed due east into the Alentejo region of Portugal. We were to be staying in Evora, but with the full day ahead of us and bad weather in the forecast, we decided to keep going east to visit Elvas, which is almost to the border of Spain.

We drove up to the Fort Da Graça, which is actually about 1 km north of the town. It was originally built in the 17th century, but was used primarily during the 18th century to protect Portugal from Spanish invasion.

We entered the complex through the first gate,

What is particularly interesting about the fort is both its multiple layers of fortification and its pentagonal shape. Eric got the drone up for some shots just ahead of the rain.

Unfortunately it was too windy to go higher for the full view. Then we entered through the next gate through the drawbridge into the inner area.

From there we had a view of the town of Elvas in the distance.

We went into the main building, now a museum dedicated to the military.

Leaving the fort, we headed to the town of Elvas. We stopped to take a photo of the town with its castle sitting high on the hill.

And these girls came over to say hello.

We finally made it up the hill, found parking, and climbed the rest of the way into town.

We explored around the town which, based on the number of high end clothing stores and silver place settings stores, seems to cater to the well off.

We had a delicious lunch in an out-of-the-way side street cafe, then headed back down the hill. On the way, we stopped for a drone shot of the aqueduct.

We then headed toward the town of Vila Vicosa. We opted for the back roads route. We passed not only cow, goat, and sheep farms, and olive and citrus groves, but also several cork plantations. Portugal is the number one cork exporter in the world, providing about 50% of the world’s cork.

The town of Vila Vicosa is one of the cutest ever with citrus trees lining almost every street.

Unfortunately when we arrived at the Duke’s Palace, it had closed early due to a power outage and not enough light.

As it was starting to rain, we headed to our hotel, Noble House in Evora. Eric had booked us the Garden Suite. It had a little terrace in a small private garden in front of the room.

When we entered the room, WOW! We had never stayed in such a unique room before.

The wall next to our sitting area was part of the original Roman wall surrounding the town!

Anyone who knows me well knows how much I love all things ancient. I love to sense the lives that were lived thousands of years ago in this spot: people loving, living, giving birth, dying. So similar to us and yet so very different. And with the next day’s weather, a storm bringing 1-2 inches of rain with winds 30-40 mph, what better place to be holed up!

When there was a small break in the weather the next day, we went where any reasonable person would go on a stormy day: the Chapel of Bones. The chapel is part of the Church of St. Francis, built by monks in the 16th century. So first a stop in the church.

What makes the interior of this church most beautiful are the exquisite mables. I did not realize how much Portugal is known for marble quarries and exports. In this church some of the naves have as many as 4 different colored marbles.

But it was time to move on to what we came for: the bones. The Chapel of the bones was built by the Franciscan monks because by the 16th century, there were as many as 43 cemeteries in and around Évora that were taking up valuable land. Not wanting to condemn the souls of the people buried there, the monks decided to build the Chapel and relocate the bones.

It is not necessarily easy to see in the picture above, but all the little bumps on the walls that are not skulls are the ends of long bones: femur, tibia, etc., seen better in this picture:

The Chapel was part creepy but mostly fascinating. This is the poem inscribed on one of the columns:

On the way out we realized we had missed the inscription over the entrance door:

Another break in the rain gave us a chance to get out for dinner, which we enjoyed at Restaurante Tipico Guiao.

The next morning found the weather markedly improved (though a bit cool, the first hint of autumn) in time for our walking tour. We started on the outskirts of town to see a section of the remaining Roman aqueduct.

During the Moors’ occupation of the city (like all of Portugal, roughly 8th-12th centuries) they built homes right in amongst the aqueduct.

There are few Roman walls left;of the four entryways through the walls, only one remains.

At the top of the city’s main square sits the 16th century Renaissance Church of Saint Anthony.

The square is called Giraldo Square, paying tribute to Fearless Geraldo Geraldes, the man who conquered Evora from the Moors in 1167. We walked by the cathedral.

And then the famous Roman ruin, most probably a temple to Diana, goddess of hunting.

As we climbed to higher ground, we were able to get a good view of the cathedral.

And a view of a larger portion of the aqueduct.

And also a look at the university.

Evora is the capital of the Alentejo region of Portugal and has the main university as well as the main hospital and many of the municipal buildings.

Our guide pointed out the symbol of the Inquisition.

And finally this curious 16th century Renaissance church topped by four large mythological figures supporting globes, meant to symbolize the four corners of the earth and the universal power of King João III.

Upon completion of the walking tour, we decided to go back and see the cathedral in more detail. For the beginning of the visit we were directed to go up and view the church through the choir above.

Then the visit guided us up to the terrace.

Eric was brave enough to take in the views,

while I took pictures while plastered against the back wall.

Then we went down to the chapel.

And the main church.

Like St. Francis Church, the marble in the church of the cathedral was spectacular.

After a rest it was back out for dinner at Abruxa D’Evora.

There we had the most delicious gazpacho ever, served with a grilled sardine on toast.

Walking back to our romantic Roman room, the night sky had cleared, and we passed the Roman ruins lit up.

We could not believe our visit to the Alentejo region was over. The next day as we drove nearly 3 hours through so much farm land, vineyards, more cork plantations, groves, etc., we had our first itinerary regret of our journey to date: we wished we had allotted more time in the Alentejo region. It turned out to be our favorite, and we had only 3 short days, interrupted by rain. If we were to plan this trip over, not only would we have spent more time, but we would have then stayed in Vila Vicosa, which had a very cute looking Pousada right next to the Duke’s Palace. Vila Vicosa is more closely located to all the towns which we did not get a chance to visit partly due to weather, but partly due to their distances from Evora.

When we arrived in Salema our room was not yet ready, so we headed right to the beach.

We had a lovely lunch of fish soup right off the beach with views of the water at Agua Na Boca. Then our room at the Nau Salema Beach Village was ready. Once again we were pleasantly surprised with our gorgeous views.

The next day we had yet another storm of 1-2 inches of rain and over 40 mph winds (our third in a week). Luckily we had scheduled some extra time in the Algarve to take a bit of a vacation from our vacation. So having brought in plenty of groceries to our fully equipped kitchen, we rode out the storm in comfort.

The next day we had a walking tour scheduled in Lagos, so out we went. The day started off cool, crisp, and cloudy.

We met in Praça Gil Eanes by the sculpture of the androgynous King Sebastião who elevated Lagos to a city in 1573. He was an explorer and adventurer. The statue was designed by João Cutileiro in 1972 as a tribute to both the king and the then ongoing space exploration.

We headed first into the market, which was pretty quiet on a Monday.

The Algarve is known for its many varieties of figs and fig products.

Although one of the main industries in Lagos has always been sardine canning, octopus is also a main export as well as menu item here and throughout Portugal.

Fishing and now tourism are both big businesses in Lagos ports.

In the 15th century age of exploration, for a time King Henry lived in Lagos and sent many ships to explore and “conquer” the New World from there.

In Prince Henry’s square stands Igreja da Santa Maria, originally a 15th century church built on the old Roman walls. But the church was completely destroyed in the earthquake of 1755 and has been rebuilt and restored several times since.

Also in the square are numerous jacaranda trees. After the storms, the hardened seeds falling are very hard and painful.

Lagos is known for its plentitude of street art.

And also some beautiful art nouveau buildings.

The last stop on our tour was in front of one of the first schools in Lagos.

We then headed to lunch at Don Sebastião Restaurante.

And we tried an Algarve specialty: cataplana, which takes its roots from Moroccan tangine.

We spent the afternoon strolling on the Salema beach and had Indian take-away from The Spice Cottage for dinner.

The next morning we headed out to Sagres Fort: the end (or beginning) of Europe.

Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, and Romans believed this was the ideal gathering place for their gods, due to the absence of humans. The Romans called Sagres the promontorium sacrum, or the end of the world, because in ancient times it was the last explored point before heading out to sea.  The fortress on Sagres Point was built in the 15th century under the command of Infante Henry the Navigator with the purpose to protect the area from attacks coming from Northern Africa.

We hiked out onto the promontory, which is quite rugged.

Back at the fort, there were tons of school children. Inside the fort was a museum for the children explaining the age of exploration and showing how the explorers lived aboard ship.

We climbed to the top of the fort.

Below the children were building a ship reproduction of one the explorers used.

Despite the lighthouse being closed, we felt the need to drive around to the point.

We got back in the car and drove to what promised to be a monolith dating to between the 4th and 3rd millennium BC. This is what we found.

Then it was back to our own Salema beach to enjoy the sand and beach and a big late lunch at Olhos N’Água.

The next day we were to leave Portugal and head back into southern Spain.

We left Nazaré early in time to pick up Eric’s brother Howard from the Lisbon airport. Our AirBnb host was accommodating enough to let us bring our luggage and leave it. Once again we had managed to book an incredibly well located and comfortable apartment. Once the car was safely tucked into the garage for the next few days, we headed out to explore the neighborhood, which was in the Baixa area, on the border of the Chiado neighborhood.

We had a long leisurely lunch of Portugeses specialties at Restaurante O Castiço. While Howard rested, Eric and I went food shopping. Then it was out into the night toward the Tagus River. There we sampled Portuguese street food while “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” blasted from the loudspeakers.

The next morning our walking tour commenced at King Pedro IV square, known by the locals as Rossio Square, its name before the statue arrived.

Our guide told us all kinds of important facts about Lisbon’s history, the most important of which is that there was a huge earthquake on Nov. 1, 1755 which set off fires and a tsunami basically leveling the city and killing about 75,000 people. So despite Lisbon being the second oldest city in Europe (Athens the oldest), most of what we were to see in Lisbon had been built since 1755.

The next square we visited held the open air market first started in 1775 after the hospital that had been there was destroyed in the earthquake. It contains a statue of King Jão I, who had been an illegitimate son of King Pedro I. When in the mid 14th century his father and half brother both died, the country fell into turmoil, and Jão I defended the country from Spain. He later married an English princess, strengthening the bonds of the two countries. Their 8 children and their subsequent offspring became the explorers who helped build the Portuguese Empire around the globe.

In the background of the square can be seen the castle of Lisbon. Human occupation of the site dates back to the 8th century BC. The current castle building was begun during Moorish occupation in the 10th century. The castle, like everything in Lisbon, was seriously damaged in the 1755 earthquake and fell into disrepair. The current castle was renovated during Salazar’s rule in the 20th century to be a national monument.

We then walked to another square in which stands the Church of Saint Dominic. When it was first built in 1241 it was the largest in Lisbon and the site of royal weddings. It was not only damaged in the 1755 earthquake, but having been rebuilt, it was gutted by a fire in 1959. Since then the roof has been restored, but the walls have been left as a memorial to those who lost their lives fighting the fire.

But what the site is most infamously known for is the massacre of several thousand Jews who had become “New Christians” during the Inquisition. During a mass In St. Dominic’s Church on April 19, 1506 while praying for the end of the plague, an angry mob erupted blaming the New Christians for the plague. On April 19, 2006 a monument was placed in this square. It reads “In memory of the thousands of Jews who were victimized by intolerance and religious fanaticism, killed on the massacre that started on 19 April 1506, in this square.” We visited this site only days after the horrific attack by Hamas in Israel.

We then commenced to climb into the Mouraria, the Moorish Quarter, which is a multicultural neighborhood in which are Asian, African, and Arabic shops and restaurants. Large parts of Spain and Portugal, including Lisbon, were occupied by Islamic rulers from 711 until 1294. This accounts for the Moorish influence of art, architecture, language, foods, etc. seen throughout Portugal.

I particularly liked the telephone booth (seen in the background above) converted into a free public lending library.

As the neighborhood is quickly gentrifying, a local artist decided to post pictures of the elderly native inhabitants still residing there.

We strolled past this guy; his is a unique way to sharpen a knife.

And past this tribute to Maria Severa, a prostitute Fado singer from the Mouraria neighborhood whose popularity grew even after her death at only 26 in 1846. She is credited for the origin of the popularity of Fado as a musical genre.

One of the many influences of the Moors in Portugal, seen especially in the Mouraria area, is the use of tiles on buildings. The entire city of Lisbon is like an open air tile museum.

As we climbed to and reached the top of Mouraria, we were rewarded with views of the city.

Across the river below can be seen the statue of Christ the Redeemer built in the mid twentieth century modeled after the one in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

As we then passed into the Alfama neighborhood of the city, we passed under an arch in which an artist had painted the history of Lisbon in comics.

My favorite is the last, which represents the “Carnation Revolution,” which was the mostly bloodless coup that took place on April 25, 1974, ending a fascist dictatorship. In the early hours of the 25th of April “Grandola, Vila Morena” by Jose Afonso played on Radio Renascenca. This song was the sign to the Portuguese people that the revolution was starting. Red carnations were given to soldiers who placed these flowers inside their guns and on their uniforms. Carnations then became a symbol of democracy and the revolution.

We then meandered through the Alfama neighborhood, which is home to the oldest Fado cafe in Lisbon.

Sitting in the square next to the cafe, and next to a picture of himself and his wife, sat this elderly gent.

Meanwhile his wife sold us homemade ginjinha, a cherry liquor served in a chocolate cup, yummy.

Ginjinha is a specialty of Lisbon and can be found everywhere, often served in restaurants following dinner.

Alfama is also known for its gorgeous tile buildings.

We ended the tour at the Lisbon Cathedral, one of the city’s oldest monuments dating back to 1147, and having survived battles and the devastating earthquake of 1755. Every year on June 13th, St. Anthony’s day, the patron saint of Lisbon and the cathedral, 11 preselected couples get married there. All of their wedding and honeymoon expenses are paid by the city and sponsors.

After 3 hours of walking, it was time for a well deserved lunch, which we partook at Taberna de Baiaxa. We had the most delicious lunch of local delicacies, discovering pica pau.

Despite our long morning and Howard still being a bit jet lagged, due to bad weather predictions for the later half of our Lisbon visit, we soldiered on. The afternoon touring took place on the top of a hop/hop off Yellow Bus. We passed the Edward VII Park with its magnificent views of the Tagus River.

And the Ritz Four Seasons and the Intercontinental Hotels.

And the Amoreiras shopping center built in the 1950s.

We rode through Lisbon’s first water treatment plant.

And past the aqueduct that supplied it.

But most fun, we passed through a neighborhood with mosaic tile street art on every block.

Due to the lateness of the day, we did not get out at the Monastery of Belem; we planned to return the following day.

We did, however, get out to stretch our legs and see the Tower of Belem while the sun was still shining.

We completed the Yellow Bus circuit passing the 25th of April Bridge, built by Salazar, but renamed after his demise.

After an exhausting day we dined in the neighborhood at Bono Restaurante and had a most delicious dinner. The next morning the predicted rain arrived. We thought if we got out to the Belem Monastery early we would beat the lines. But alas, even the ticket holder line was over an hour wait, in the rain, so we decided to forgo the monastery and headed to the tile museum, which is where just about every other tourist in Lisbon, it seemed, had decided to spend the rainy day. But once inside we were not disappointed. The National Museum of Azulejo was first built in 1509 as a convent, founded by Queen Leonor. The museum collection features decorative ceramic tiles, ie azulejos, from the second half of the 15th century to the present day. The exhibitions explain the Moorish influences and the evolution of the art both religiously and secularly.

Because it was a convent, it has an elaborately decorated chapel.

and cloister.

Even the stairways are decorated. Note the use of angled tiles to match the slope of the stair.

In addition to the numerous tiles in the museum, there are many porcelain figurines throughout, like in this magnificent nativity scene.

The third floor of the museum is dedicated to tile art of the 20th century, which were some of my favorites.

The rain broke long enough that evening for us to slip out for the most amazing burgers at a little place right around the corner.

The next morning, as predicted, it was raining. But the weather for the following day, Howard’s last, was expecting high winds and 1-2 inches of heavy rain, so we forged out to Sintra. We left from the Rossio train station.

We arrived in Sintra in the pouring rain and had some extra time before our entrance into the Pena Castle, so stopped for coffee before catching the bus up to the castle. From the bus, it is a 30 minute hike uphill to the palace. Luckily the rain was down to a drizzle. This is what awaited us.

this is a stock image from the internet of what it is supposed to look like on a sunny day.

Pena Palace is one of the first examples of 19th century Romanticism. It was originally constructed as a 16th century convent but underwent several disasters including the 1755 earthquake, which left it in near ruins. It was acquired by King Ferdinand II in 1838 for himself and his family. All that is red is the restored convent. That in yellow is the “new” construction.

Despite our timed entry ticket, we waited in line 45 minutes to get to the gate of the palace.

And then another 20 minutes to actually get inside the palace. But once there, it was worth the wait.

King Ferdinand II was a lover of art and had an eclectic taste, as can be seen in the decor of the rooms.

After the hike back down the hill to the bus, Howard was too tired to try to go to the Moors Castle, so we caught the bus back into town.

We had a huge late lunch at Tacho Real in town before catching the train back to Lisbon, too exhausted and wet for any more touring of Sintra.

That night, as predicted, a huge storm blew in. The next day, when there was a little break in the storm, we ventured out to do some souvenir shopping, and this is what we saw only 2 blocks from our apartment.

We stayed in most of the day, sneaking out just for dinner in a local restaurant.

Our first stop in the Central Region of Portugal was the cute and romantic town of Aveiro. Like most of Portugal, this town has seen a huge uptick in tourism in the last decade. The fist thing one notices is the bridges covered in ribbons and the boats in the canals.

The ribbons are, similar to the locks in Paris, tied onto the bridges by lovers to represent their eternal love. The locals like to say that they are much more beautiful than locks, and more ecologically friendly. They certainly are colorful. We quickly checked into our very well positioned Hotel Aveiro Palace. We actually had one of the corner rooms overlooking the canals.

Then we immediately went for a boat ride. The boat: a moliceiro is a traditional boat of the Ria de Aveiro, very similar to a Venetian gondola. The boat got its name because it was used to transport and collect moliço, a type of seaweed abundant in the region that was used as fertiliser. Today they are only for tourists.

Our guide explained that historically, Aveiro’s major export for centuries, starting in the 10th, was salt. The men who harvested the salt were called the marnotos.

The women, the salineiras, then carried the salt on their heads to the large boats for shipping.

He also told us that regularly, about once a week or so, the canals need to be totally drained because otherwise they start to smell bad. It takes about 8 hours to drain them then refill, so it is usually done overnight.

Aveiro is also known for its many stunning Art Nouveau buildings from the early 20th century, many of which are along the canal.

After our boat ride we strolled through town. We passed a square where we saw a large crowd. As we drew near, we saw fire fighters setting up a ladder. They were rescuing a bird that had become stuck in a storm drain.

We visited the local 17th century church.

Then we went for dinner in a Michelin starred restaurant right on the canal.

The next morning we took a walking tour with Sergio, who was born to Portuguese parents in NYC, but he has lived in Aveiro since a very young age. He was so happy to have fellow New Yorkers on his tour. We started at City Hall, which was built in the 18th century in the Tuscan style, which is quite rare in Portugal.

Sergio also told us about the dying art of Portuguese pavement, known in Portugese as calçada portuguesa or simply calçada is a traditional-style pavement used for many pedestrian areas. It is dying because they are very expensive to replace and few workers have the skills to do so.

Sergio also told us about the azulejo tiles which we had learned about in Porto. But he said in Aveiro they were not just used by the wealthy. Often they were incorporated by shop owners as a form of advertisement explaining the type of shop.

Sergio then took us into a beautiful little church to admire its inner decorations. He explained that in the winter of 1575 a terrible storm brought silt into the mouth of the canals, virtually closing them and thus stifling shipping of salt or any other products out of Aveiro. The city was very poor for the next couple of centuries. But in the 18th century, when walls were no longer considered essential to guard a city as they had been in medieval times, they took down the outer walls, as large stones were scarce in the region, and used them to reform the canals and reopen access to the ocean. Rebuilding began in earnest. This little church is an example of the work done during this time of relative wealth for the city. Note the lower walls are the azulejo tiles. The upper are all in gold: gold over blue. In Aveiro when something has two good outcomes at once, he gave the example “I went to the party and had fun, AND I met my future partner there,” that would be called a “gold over blue” situation.

Sergio took us to the Aveiro Museum, founded in 1458, this former female Dominican convent where Saint Joana Princesa lived reflects the experience of the community of nuns over approximately four centuries, with different architectural styles. Saint Joana’s tomb is within.

Sergio then went on to explain the local treat: Ovos Moles. Their creation story is very similar to that of the natas in Porto: gifts of eggs to the monastery from local farmers, use of egg whites on priests’ robes, adding sugar to the remaining egg yolks for the treats to eat and sell. But the end result is quite different: sweetened egg yolks wrapped in a very delicate rice paper shaped like one of the many sea shells.

Sergio also showed us some Art Nouveau buildings not on the canals.

And finally, Sergio encouraged us all to “tie the knot” for our eternal loves.

Unfortunately it was already time to leave Aveiro for our next stop: Belmonte. We drove almost 2 hours east through mountainous terrain to arrive late Sunday afternoon in Belmonte. We were booked at the Pousada Belmonte. A Pousada is the Portuguese equivalent to the Spanish Parador. This Pousada, located high on the hill, had been a monastery. It was also gorgeous and so romantic. But as we tried to settle in and rest, we realized that the castle we had come to see would close in just a couple of hours and was closed on Monday, a fact we had failed to check when setting our itinerary. So we rushed out to take a look.

The castle was fist built in the 12th century. At one point it was used as a castle by the family of the man who “discovered” Brazil. It has an unusual oval shape. It is currently used for music events.

What we learned about Belmonte once we had arrived, is that it is known for hiding Jews that fled Spain and from around Portugal during the Inquisitions of the 15th and 16th centuries. The local Jews would go to mass on Sunday but practice their own religious rituals in secrecy in their homes. During the regime of Salazar, the Jews continued to practice their faith in secrecy. It was not until 1989 that Jews in Belmonte began openly practicing their faith, almost 500 years. The local synagogue was rebuilt and now also holds a Jewish history museum. Unfortunately we arrived too late in the day, and it too was closed on Monday. But we felt the need to go by and pay homage. It was the day after a vicious terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel.

We were finally able to go back and enjoy our Pousada.

The rooms rather than having numbers had Friars’ names. Ours was Friar Malaquias, the barber,

which was fitting because Eric had just gone to the barber in Porto.

The dining room in the Pousada was exquisite and delicious.

The next morning everything was closed. Eric took the opportunity to get some drone shots.

Then it was a couple hours drive back to the west coast town of Coimbra. There we checked in to the most romantic boutique hotel: Quinta Das Lágrimas (Villa of Tears).

Upon check-in we were provided with a booklet explaining the hotel’s history. It is a very long involved Romeo & Juliet type love story that took place over 650 years ago involving heir to the throne Pedro and his cousin Inês, who was ultimately murdered by the king’s knights. Pedro and Inês were said to have had their secret rendezvous in the woods surrounding Quinta Das Lágrimas. Inês was killed there, and her dying tears were said to have created the Fountain of Lágrimas which is in the gardens behind the hotel. We had a gorgeous room overlooking the gardens, which were lit up at night for romantic strolls.

The walls of the hotel are covered in artistic renditions of Inês and Pedro from every one of the last 7 centuries.

The next morning we headed out to learn about the scholarly town of Coimbra.

Our guide Ricardo is from Genoa, Italy. He had been a graduate student at the Coimbra University 10 years ago, fell in love with the city, and never left.

First he took us through the downtown, touristy area of Coimbra.

And we think we start decorating early for Christmas in the US! This was October 10.

He then took us up the hill toward the university via the market, which was slow due to it being a Tuesday.

He explained to us that Coimbra U. is the oldest university in Portugal, and one of the oldest in the world, dating back to 1290. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site due to both its architecture and traditions.

One of the many long held traditions of the school involve the optional students’ dress, which is:

And he showed us the store where the students buy their clothes.

And there are many rules surrounding the wearing of the clothes which include: not allowed to use a backpack or any bag, just a black folder in which to carry books and computer, not allowed to use an umbrella – in rain cover your head with the cape, must wash the cape by hand in the river, and lots more. He showed us the student activities building:

On the side of which there are several panels showing the history of the capes.

At this point in the tour he told us the belief in Coimbra that it was the inspiration for the Harry Potter stories. J.K. Rowling had lived in Portugal, married to a Portuguese man at the time. In addition to the students’ dress, Salazar is believed to be the inspiration for Slytherin. The university has houses to which students join, and many more “connections.”

He showed us the student steps up to the university. (We walked around and up the hill).

He walked us past the 16th century reproduction aqueduct built on the site of a Roman one, which now is at the entrance to the botanical gardens. In front of the aqueduct is a statue of Pope John Paul II who visited in 1982 when he went to Fatima to pay homage to Our Lady of Fatima, whom he credits for having saved his life when there was an assassination attempt on his life the year prior.

The botanical gardens are free to the public and run by the universtity and used by the school of botanical sciences as a laboratory.

And finally we arrived at the school. Here we find two more Harry Potter links:

We passed one of the oldest schools here, the medical school.

But what all the tourists come to see (and there were literally bus loads) is the law school.

The library is currently under renovation, but it is believed to have inspired the moving staircases at Hogwarts and was used for the “Be Our Guest” scene with Emma Watson in “Beauty and the Beast”

The clock tower is believed by the students to be the wise old owl watching them from every angle all the time.

The view of the town of Coimbra and the Monego River from the law courtyard is magnificent. The Monego River is the longest river that runs solely on Portuguese lands.

As we walked down from the university, we passed the home of Jose Alfonso with his picture commemorating him on it. He is the author of “Grandola Vila Morena,” which was used by the armed forces to confirm that the 25th of April Revolution, the bloodless coup that ended Salazar’s dictatorship, was underway.

We ended our tour at the Old Cathedral of Coimbra. It is a Romanesque building began in the 12th century, shortly after Portugal was reclaimed from the moors. Many of its builders and craftsman had been moors converted to Christianity, but they did not include any human representations in the decor.

The tiles and columns are decorated in moorish mosaics and plant and animal motifs.

We next headed to the beach town of Nazaré, known for as surf city for it’s huge waves in the winter. We checked into our Airbnb and thanked our former selves for our bookings prowess; each place has been more gorgeous than the previous!

We enjoyed a glass of wine and watched the sun set over the Atlantic, a rare treat for us.

The next morning we dragged ourselves away determined to see what all the fuss is about Fatima, having been told several times along the way not to miss it. After a bit of a drive, we parked and approached from the back, and it looked like any other cathedral to us. But a quick stop in the restroom made us realize this was something bigger; the bathroom size rivaled any airport facilities. We rounded the corner and found this.

It is one of the largest international destinations for religious tourism, receiving around six million visitors per year. Catholic history reports that an apparition “the Angel of Peace” appeared to three shepherd children in 1917. The children reported the apparition’s appearance on the 13th of every month May 13, 1917 through October 13, 1917. The sixth and final apparition is said to have been witnessed by 70,000 pilgrims who had gathered. Pilgrims immediately began visiting the site, and construction for the church began in 1920.

Many of the pilgrims approach on their knees.

The naves along the walls of the cathedral have reliefs of the stages of the life of Christ.

On the edge of the grounds is a piece of the Berlin wall given by a Portuguese emigrant to Germany to symbolize unity.

On the way back from Fatima, we stopped in Batalha to see the monastery.

The Monastery of the Dominicans of Batalha was built by King João to thank the Virgin Mary for the victory of the Portuguese over the Castilians at the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. It was to be the Portuguese monarchy’s main building project for the next two centuries. Here a highly original, national Gothic style evolved, profoundly influenced by Manueline art, as demonstrated by its masterpiece, the Royal Cloister. It was added onto over the next two centuries by several kings and their architects. But in the mid fifteenth century with the untimely death of King Duarte, who was adding on an octagonal chapel behind the apse of the church, followed by his architect the following year, construction was abruptly halted. This is now known as the unfinished chapel. The monastery is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Portugal’s Seven Wonders.

We did not know what to expect at the unfinished chapel, but no ceilings?

The detail work is spectacular. If finished, the chapel would have been stupendous.

Before leaving town, Eric sent the drone up to take a look at the unfinished chapel from above.

The next morning we headed out to the town of Alcobaça. The 12th century church and monastery of Alcobaça were the first Gothic buildings in Portugal, and it was one of the most important mediaeval monasteries in Portugal.

More than any monastery we had previously visited, this one really gave us a feel for how the monks lived.

But what was most fun for Eric and me follows. Remember the story of Inês and King Pedro from Coimbra? They are both buried here.

Then it was time to head back and spend some time in Nazaré and enjoy the beach.

We crossed from Spain into Portugal on another beautiful day. We arrived early to our Airbnb in Viana do Castelo, but our generous host Sofia greeted us warmly into her unbelievably beautiful home.

We wandered around a bit, taking in the Atlantic Ocean and the cute little town that is Viana do Castelo.

We had dinner in town both nights we were there, but otherwise we were happy to rest up from our travels and enjoy the view.

The main attraction in town is the Diocesan Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus high at the top of Monte de Santa Luzia, which was closed to us on Sunday. So Monday morning on our way out of town, we gave it a visit.

Building on it began in 1904, but it was not completed until 1959.

But it was really not all about the church; it was about the views of Viana do Castelo and the Lima River. Until the mid 19th century, the river was the main source of transporting goods. But when roads and railroads were built connecting Viana do Castelo to Porto, the need for the bridge arose. The bridge was designed by Gustave Eiffel (known for the tower with is name in Paris) and was opened in 1878.

And then it was on to Porto. Porto is also a river town and the original capital of Portugal. The river divides Porto on one side and Gaia on the other. Porto+Gaia=Portugal. Although Porto is known as the home of port wine, actually all of the wineries are on the Gaia side. The grapes are grown in the Douro Valley, but the wine is made in Gaia, not Porto, because in the 13th century the Bishop and Catholic church’s land taxes in Porto were so expensive. King Alfonso III gave the poor town of Gaia on the other side of the Douro River from Porto a Fomal Letter, allowing tax free wine production. The invention of port wine is because when the Portuguese would ship their wine, it often turned to vinegar. They learned to preserve it by adding grappa to it, making it the super sugary, high alcohol content wine that is port. Recently Porto has become a common tourist destination, and it is showing signs of it’s growing pains with construction everywhere.

We arrived in late afternoon and after hassling to find a place to park the car for several days, we checked into our tiny but well located Airbnb. Then we went for a stroll around the city.

We found a fantastic viewpoint from which to look out onto the city of Porto and the Douro River.

The next morning we had a walking tour with Ana. She showed us the “most beautiful McDonald’s in Europe,” which had been a cafe and was in an historically protected neighborhood of Porto. As tourism started to climb a decade ago, McDonald’s snatched up the spot.

She showed us the Church of Santo Antonio Dos Congregados, built in 1703 and explained the use of tiles: Azulejos.

Azulejos are a unique type of tile deeply intertwined with Portuguese culture. Azulejos were originally for the outside of stone buildings, to better transmit heat, keeping the interior warmer in the winter. They were first introduced in the 15th century by King Manuel after he saw them in Seville and found them beautiful. The blue was influenced by both those from Delft, Netherlands, and those of the Ming Dynasties. Initially the blue tiles were very expensive, therefore used mainly by the church and the wealthy, but now are used extensively for interior decoration as well. As evident in the train station.

The station was built in the early 20th century on the site of a previous benedictine convent. Currently, a new metro is being constructed below it, and the construction mess and noise are boisterous at best.

We walked past the cathedral of Porto.

and she showed us a typical neighborhood in the old city of Porto.

She introduced us to nato, which is a Portuguese delicacy first made in Porto by the nuns. The monasteries would often be paid by farmers in eggs. The nuns used the egg whites to clean and starch the robes for the priests. They used the extra egg yolks mixed with sugar, then cooked in pastry to make these sumptuous delicacies.

She encouraged us to try the local meal Francesinha, a sandwich made up of several layers, usually meats, but can be vegetarian, then covered in a spicy tomato sauce, often topped with an egg. Legend has it that it was invented in the 1950s by a Frenchman living in Porto who was disturbed by how “covered up” Portugese women were compared to the French and wanted a dish spicy enough to “blow their skirts off.” By today’s standards, not so spicy.

And finally, she introduced us to Fado, which is Portuguese poems sung to music with “much emotion,” usually sad enough that the best compliment to the singer is if the audience is crying at the end of the song.

After the tour, we headed to the market for a late lunch.

The next morning we visited the cathedral and the Bishops’ Palace, but were unimpressed with both. Then it was time to cross over to the Gaia side.

We decided to try the Francesinha for lunch.

Some of the port wineries and stores were beautiful.

We climbed the very steep hill to try a tasting at the Taylor winery, which turned out to be a beautiful setting, and not bad wines.

We arrived back to the base of the bridge just as come local youths were jumping into the river as a local street band played the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine.

That night we had the most delicious dinner at restaurant serving local cuisine called Terreirinho, so excellent.

And then it was on to the Douro Valley. We had booked at Casa de Canilhas and arrived early, so first had lunch in the local town of Mesao Frio.

We then headed over to our hotel. We had expected it to be beautiful, but it actually took our breath away. Pictures cannot capture all of the beauty, but we tried.

It was with reluctance that we tore ourselves away the next morning to drive along the Douro River on its southern side all the way to the town of Pinhão. There we took a river cruise aboard a historically typical fishing boat.

There were wineries and vineyards all along the way.

Before heading to the winery, we stopped by the train station in Pinhão to see it’s famous tile pictorial scenes.

We then went for a wine tasting at Quinta Carvalhas, which is considered to be one of the best in the region.

But we were unimpressed with the wines, so decided to forgo any further tastings and just enjoy the drive and the views. On the way back down the Douro River, we happened to pass the locks just as a day tour boat was coming upstream, and a Viking Cruise ship was headed down. Eric was fascinated with watching the locks functions.

We stopped in the town of Lomego and visited its cathedral.

When we got back to our hotel about an hour later, it was in time to see the same Viking cruise ship passing along downriver.

The next morning as we left the Douro Valley, we passed two fires up in the mountains. We had commented to each other on the way in how much like tinder the woods looked. The recent run or 90 degree days did not help.

Our last stop in the Northern Region was in the small well preserved midieval town of Guimarães, where we visited the 10th century castle, church, and Duke’s Palace.

Then we left the Northern Region and headed to the Central Region of Portugal.

At this point, a quick note about the regions of Spain, which is how I have broken up my posts. In Spain, an autonomous community (region) is the first sub-national level of political and administrative division (not judicial), created in accordance with the post Franco Spanish Constitution of 1978, so kind of like a state. Most have unique cultures and food, and some language, as stated previously.

Pamplona is the capital of the Navarra Region. We felt the need for a visit, mostly inspired by Hemingway. But also because it is a major stop on the French Route of the Camino de Santiago, which we will follow for the next several days. It is a relatively big city. We went straight for the bullring and the Old Quarter, as we have in most cities.

We watched a video of images of the running of the bulls. The provided audio guide taught us everything we never wanted to know about bull-fighting from the life of the bull to the behind the scenes activities of all involved. My favorites included the costumes of the toreros (bull-fighters)

and the chapel where they all stop for a few moments to pray right before entering the ring.

After the bullring we walked down the road through which the bulls are herded during the July festival: San Fermin.

Of course we enjoyed some local beer (cerveza) and pintxos. Then we strolled around town including past the cathedral

Once it started to rain, we got in the car and headed to our next stop. We arrived in Santo Domingo de la Calzada in the late afternoon and were pleasantly surprised by every aspect. First, our Parador de Santo Domingo de la Calzada was, fittingly, a 12th century hospital dedicated to pilgrims of the Camino de Santiago. The exterior is not much to look at, but once through the doors, wow is all I can say!

And our room opened out onto the square facing the cathedral.

But most fun for us is that after all the very touristy places we had visited in Spain thus far, this finally felt authentic to us. Santo Domingo de la Calzada is a very small town whose main focus is on the many, many pilgrims that pass through daily year round. We were able to watch them start their treks every morning, passing through the square, and gathering in the evening after a long day of walking for a well deserved meal and rest.

That night we watched Emilio Estevez’s The Way starring his father Martin Sheen. It was fun to see towns just visited and some yet to come. It also gave us and appreciation for the pilgrims’ journeys.

The next morning we popped into the little church across the square from the cathedral.

And when we came out there were pilgrims chatting with an old local.

And the new day brought an entirely new experience for our journey. We were just south of wine country! So of course we had to spend the day visiting wineries and having tastings. First stop was Bodegas La Rioja Alta, a very upscale place indeed.

Next we visited Bodegas Gomez Cruzado, which we liked even more, had a wine tasting and stayed so long (they were busy), they brought out a charcuterie board to thank us for our patronage and patience!

Our third winery was Ramon Bilbao. Although we were impressed with the building, both inside and out:

We got the feeling of a very commercial business, the staff were not hospitable, and we had already drunk enough wine, so we left without even tasting. The next day we were to find out that our instincts were correct.

When we got back to town, we needed to walk off some of the wine, so figured it was time to visit the cathedral. The cathedral itself was not so impressive, but it’s story is fascinating. Santo Domingo himself aided the pilgrims on their journey on the Camino de Santiago. When he died in 1109, he was buried in the local church, which has been rebuilt many times through the centuries and raised to cathedral status in the 13th century.

Restorations have continued right through the 20th century, giving the interior an interesting mixture of art. Mosaics in the crypt were commissioned for the millenial of the saint’s death in 2019.

A miracle is attributed to Dominic according to which two beheaded cooked chickens resurrected to testify in favor of a pilgrim wrongly accused of theft, who himself was resurrected after being hanged. A pair of descendants of the chickens are kept at all times in the choir loft of the cathedral. Other descendants are kept in the local pilgrimage refuge. Unfortunately, I failed to get a good picture of the chickens, who are replaced every few days.

After resting up, we headed out to our first Michelin starred restaurant, which was literally steps away across the square. Stunning that such a small town can boast 2 Michelin star restaurants.

The next morning began with bicycle races starting in the square; I love this town!

We had booked a private tour of a family owned bodega, so we set out. At first we drove right past it.

But after parking, we found it.

Inside was a hidden gem.

Our host Jose has restored this 1891 winery (Bodega) lovingly and beautifully. First he gave us a video and slide presentations explaining many things about the region and its history. First of all, although we are in La Rioja region of Spain, it is not synonymous with Rioja (no La) wine. The region is divided into 3 sections: Rioja Alta, Alavesa, and Baja. Rioja wine growing extends into the Basque and Navarra regions of Spain as well.

In the Medieval times, almost every family home made their own wine and kept it in caves under their homes along with their food. The caves are like cold storage. In the late 19th century with relative prosperity in the town, some of them opened as bodegas. In the mid 20th century when the American phylloxera devastated the French wine industry, the French turned to Spain for both grapes and wine. The Spanish wine industry grew. As it did, big corporations came in and bought up a lot of the small bodegas. Today over 90% of all Spanish wine is controlled by these big corporations, of which Roman Bilbao is one. Most of the family owned and run bodegas are literally collapsing into the ground.

The town is now shrunk to only about 500 residents; their son goes to school in nearby city of Logrono, so sad.

But despite its tiny size, it has the requisite church, built in the town’s better times.

Jose has preserved 3 Bodegas: 2 adjacent and one across the street, trying to preserve the history of the town. He took us across the street to the cave there and served us a sample of his wine straight from the barrel.

Jose also explained how the classic method of winemaking in Spain differed from that of France in that they used the whole grape including not only the skin, but also the stems, threw it all into a barrel, stomped it with their feet, used a technique called carbonic maceration, then pressed the grapes.

Jose’s wife was meanwhile preparing our lunch in her kitchen.

Our first course was served with a white wine out on the patio.

Then we were taken into the restored cave for lunch.

Second course was a delicious potato and sausage stew served with a red wine of 100% timpanelli, which is the most common grape in all the Rioja regions.

Next we were served tomatoes right from the home garden drizzled with balsamic reduction. And finally, baby lamb chops grilled on the fire below the barrel, accompanied, of course, with more red wine.

And finally, cheesecake and coffee, which we could not finish. We could barely walk out of there, we were so stuffed. We had a truly wonderful day.

The next morning it was with regret that we left Santo Domingo de la Calzada. As we drove along the Camino de Santiago, we were impressed with the number of pilgrims we passed, some older than we. It did not, however, entice us to make the trek ourselves; we were happy to be driving.

We stopped in the cute town of Burgos.

And, of course, the cathedral, of which construction began in the 13th century but was not completed until the 16th. It is a comprehensive example of the evolution of Gothic style.

A quick stop at the pharmacy revealed that in Spain, even those are cute.

Our next stop on the Camino de Santiago was León. We had booked an Airbnb (time to do laundry). Yet again we had the most fortunate location.

We had an early dinner in the square and called it a day. In the morning we set out to see the Convent of San Marcos, a part of which now is the Parador de León. It also houses the Museum of León, which unfortuanately was closed. It was originally built in the 12th century as a hospital and refuge for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. But it needed a complete overhaul in the 16th century when the convent and cloister were added as well as a palace. Construction and renovation continued through the 18th century. Today this parador is one of the most important monuments of the Spanish Renaissance.

We then doubled back to the Old Quarter for lunch followed by a visit to Casa Botines, an early work of Gaudi prior to his masterpieces in Barcelona. It was completely constructed in 10 months. It was first to incorporate his genius innovations such as steel columns holding up beams rather than just using supporting walls, thus allowing an open space. Other innovations include how he used interior open spaces (like tiny vertical courtyards) and windows to increase light and airflow throughout and gutters draining to holding tanks to capture water for the occupants’ use.

It was built for the main floor to be used to sell expensive imported textiles to the new bourgeoisie in town, the basement its warehouse, homes for his 2 benefactors’ families on the next 2 floors, and 12 more apartments above. It has been restored and a museum since 1996.

Let me digress just a moment for an aside at this point. Spanish people must be very conscious of their dental care. We have been amused how on the main streets of every city we have visited in Spain so far, no matter how large or small, there are dental offices that include orthodontics and veneers. Some have several. We are no longer concerned with what to do if a dental emergency should arise, lol.

After we left Casa Botines, it was time for the cathedral.

We were beginning to feel “cathedraled out.” But this one was truly special. Initiated in the 13th century, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it is one of the greatest works of the Gothic style with French influences. The church has nearly 1,800 square meters of stained glass windows. The great majority of them date from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century: a rarity among medieval gothic churches.

The site was originally Roman baths, then in the 10th century, after driving out the moors, a Romanesque monastery. Construction on the current Gothic style church began in the early 13th century. Like Burgos, it was designed on the French style. Because of the baths below, the foundation has had issues. The cathedral required a huge renovation of its foundation and pillars in the 19th century, but its Gothic simplicity was maintained.

There are over 50 statues of the Virgin in the cathedral’s collection.

We left León the next morning heading west continuing to follow the Camino de Santiago stopping first in Astorga with its requisite cathedral.

But more fun was the Gaudi Palace built between 1889 and 1913. Along with the Botines in León, it is one of the few he built outside of Catalonia. It was built in the neo-Gothic style. The bishop who had commissioned Gaudi to build it died before it was finished, so Gaudi quit the job, and it was finished by another architect.

Astorga is also know for some edible specialties: mantecadas, which are very much like a very light pound cake, and which of course we had to try, and chocolates, which we bought to take with us on our travels.

Our next stop was the castle in Ponferrada, built by the Knights of Templar. It is a castle which covers approximately 16,000 square meters built between the 12th and 13th centuries.

We particularly liked the primitive nature of the battle equipment.

We then had a long leisurely delicious lunch at Restaurante Cuadras.

Ponferrada is the last major city on the French route of the Camino de Santiago. But we were not yet ready to enter Santiago, and we wanted to visited one more parador, so we headed north to Vilalba, which is a medieval city, the last city on the Northern route of the Camino de Santiago. It is in the Region of Galicia, which is the same as Santiago de Compostela.

Galicia has its own language, Galician, from which Portuguese is derived. But although it is widely spoken, it does not seem to be the primary language here as Catalan and Basque languages were in their respective regions.

The Parador de Vilalba was a 15th century fortress. It is also know for it 100+ year old tree standing nearby which has been named the Pravia and hosts the annual nativity celebration at Christmas.

We had a light dinner in a cute little cafe that has been in the family, now second generation, for nearly 80 years.

Finally the next morning, it was on to Santiago de Compostela!

The Plaza del Obradoiro is the main square in front of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, and is the final point of the journey for the pilgrims. Words cannot explain the feelings of euphoria and camaraderie in the square. As pilgrims enter and shout for joy at having “made it,” all who are present send up a cheer. This can happen several times an hour, especially in the late afternoon. It is a contagious ebullience even for those tourists of us who did not make the journey on foot or bicycle.

Because it was raining, we decided it was a good time to visit the museum and learn a bit of the history. First Saint James (Santiago): According to the story, Christ had instructed his apostles to spread his word “to the ends of the earth.” At the time, the atlantic ocean was considered the end of the earth. So Saint James proselytised throughout the Iberian peninsula, now Spain. When he returned to Jerusalem in AD 44, he was beheaded by Herod, becoming the first apostle to be martyred. Legend has it that his disciples carried his body back to Spain and buried it there on the mount, where it lay hidden for centuries.

The legend continues that in the 9th century, Pelayo, a hermit who lived in the region of Galicia, was praying when he saw a bright light shining down from the sky. Intrigued by the light, he followed its path until he arrived at a field. There, Pelayo discovered a hidden tomb, in which he found the remains of a beheaded man, whom he believed to be the apostle St. James. The field of stars gives the town the rest of its name: Compo (field) stella (stars).

Upon hearing of the finding of St. James’ tomb, King Alfonso II made a pilgrimage to the site, making him the first pilgrim, and setting in place both the importance of the site and the act of the pilgrimage.

Pilgrimages started almost immediately. But it was not until the late 11th century that the building of the Romanesque cathedral was begun. Building continued for over 130 years until finally Master Mateo, an artist and architect, was brought in to complete the project. He built the famous Portico of Glory over the main entrance of the cathedral. When in the 18th century the current Baroque facade was built, it was placed in front of the original Romanesque one, thus protecting it from the elements and preserving it.

A lot of the original pieces from the rose window, the outer statues, and original inner decorative statues are now displayed in the museum. The museum also houses a library, many liturgical artworks including bishop’s robes, chalices, and this beautiful monstrance.

The museum also gave us access to the cloister, which holds some of the original bells.

The museum also had several rooms with tapestries.

Ane entire room of tapestries were all designed by Goya, which was particularly fun for us because we had seen Goya’s original “cartoons,” from which these tapestries were designed, in the Prado Museum in Madrid. They were innovative in their day because they showed average Spaniards and did not have religious themes.

When we emerged from the museum, it was still raining. But the lines to the cathedral entrance on the “French” side had shortened, so we entered the cathedral to visit Santiago’s crypt.

The following morning we took a walking tour of the city. We learned much more of the history of both the city and the cathedral. We learned that the reason the seashell is the symbol of the Camino de Santiago is because the original pilgrims, most of whom had never seen the sea before, in order to prove that they had completed the pilgrimage, would walk the rest of the way to the beach and collect a shell as their certification. Today’s pilgrims obtain a passport which is stamped in each town they pass through and then verified in the cathedral.

We also learned that the order of Santiago was founded in the 12th century. The knights were to protect the pilgrims along their journey. The oder’s symbol is the red crossed sword, which is shown in a detail of the 18th century facade shown below.

But the sword is also stamped onto a cake made of almond flour, eggs, and sugar (so delicious) and is special to the town.

Our guide explained to us about the different entrances to the cathedral. There is one called the holy door, which is only open during a year in which July 25 (feast day of Santiago) falls on a Sunday. If one passes through the holy door when open, and confesses one’s sins, then one is granted plenary indulgence, which is the absolution of all their sins.

The main door into the cathedral is the Pilgrims’ door (which had too long a line for us the day prior). The line extending to the right in the picture below is about a third of those waiting to get in. But he told us what time to come back to avoid the crowds.

He walked us through the Old Quarter pointing out restaurants and shops. He showed us the church of Santa Maria Salome, Santiago’s mother, and the only church dedicated to her in all of Spain.

He also told us that in addition to its famous cathedral, the city of Santiago is known for its public university system, which is one of the oldest in the world. There are 3 colleges within the old city limits (including a medical school); the remaining are in the newer city. And finally, he led us into a park outside the Old City so we could get a great view of the cathedral from a distance.

Once the tour was complete and we had refreshed ourselves with lunch, we returned to the Pilgrims’ door at 3 pm, and just as he had promised, no line!

And just like that, we had seen the Cathedral of Santiago and finished our journey across Northern Spain.

Before leaving, I have been asked to comment on the Spaniards. Almost all we have interacted with have been warm, friendly, generous, and kind. But then most with whom we communicate have hospitality or service jobs, so really hard to judge. I have noticed that except for the very occasional group of (mostly) men in business suits, the dress is casual, even in nicer restaurants. The other day in León I noticed a very smartly dressed couple and realized that even in Madrid, it has been rare to see anyone who seems “fashionable.” We used to quip that Americans should not wear shorts or sneakers while in Europe so as not to stand out as tourists. But European men seem to have adopted shorts. And Nikes, Adidas, and even Sketchers are ubiquitous. We are most often addressed first in Spanish until our blank stares reveal us. One really cannot guess someone’s nationality, regardless of skin color, until words come out. And even then… the other day a very friendly waiter, who spoke little English, asked us, through Google translate (thank you Google translate; you have been essential) where we are from. When we responded New York, he lit up. “Oh,” he said, fellows from the “Americas;” he is Argentinian.

And now, on to Portugal.

Friends asked me a few nights ago if there was a standout place so far, and I had replied it was all so good. But this is it! Donostia-San Sebastian (Donostia is Basque for San Sebastian) has it all: mountains, seaside, history, mix of cultures, architecture, and oh the food! San Sebastian boasts that after Luxembourg and Kyoto, it has the most Michelin stars per capita than any other city in the world. Although we did not manage one during our stay, the restaurants we chose were superb.

In addition to all the above, what makes San Sebastian so special is the mix of cultures: Basque and Spanish, but French as well, being so close (20km) to the border. It seems everyone here from the shopkeepers to the hotel cleaning staff speak at least 4 languages: Basque, Spanish, French, and English. It is humbling. For anyone following along on a map, it may seem odd that we traveled west from Bilbao to Santander then doubled back past Bilbao to San Sebastian. Bilbao was most accessible by train from Madrid. We then wanted to see some of Spain’s northern coast – the northern route of the Camino de Santiago. But from San Sebastian we then head south to follow the French route of the Camino de Santiago. Apparently there are several “official” routes, the French being the most popular.

We checked into the Hotel Zenit Convento San Martin, not a Parador, but a hotel from the restored Convent of St. Martin built in 1887 from stones of a local quarry.

And it had a rooftop pool deck.

We were not in the old city, but just a few blocks from it and the beach.

After a most delicious lunch, we spent our first afternoon strolling around the Old Quarter.

And we visited the Basilica, an 18th century Baroque work of art right at the foot of Mount Urgull.

Like so many churches, cathedrals, and basilicas in Spain, it was chock full of works of art.

Leaving the Basilica one can see the Cathedral through the streets of the Old Quarter.

We headed that way before returning to our hotel. The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is Neo-Gothic style built in the late 19th century also from stones of local quarries; it achieved cathedral status in 1953.

The next morning we decided it was time to climb Mount Urgull, on the top of which is a 12th century fortress and castle presided over by The Sagrado Corazón (“Sacred Heart”) statue, which, measuring over 12 metres in height, has blessed the city since 1950 from the highest point of Monte Urgull. The statue itself rests upon a base which houses a chapel, making the entire monument more than 24 metres in height. Also known as the Cristo de la Mota, this monument is at one with the landscape of Donostia.

It was a long hike up, but we made it!

After hiking back down, we treated ourselves to pintxos and beer.

Walking back for a well deserved rest, we passed so many street artists. In addition to the usual guitarists, there were several sand artists, some making political statements.

and even a couple dancing Argentine Tango.

After a rest, it was time for a walk on the beach.

Dinner was at Astelena 1997, and it was a stand out meal.

The next morning our weather luck finally gave out; we awoke to rain. It rains an average of 160 days a year in San Sebastian, 199 last year, so it was bound to happen. We had a walking tour with Daniel (no tour available in English day prior). Donned with raincoats and an umbrella we headed out to learn more about this gorgeous city.

Although there is evidence of human habitation since the Romans, and settlement of the Monastery of San Sebastian in the 11th and 12th centuries, the current city’s architecture is French-style of the late 19th century. This is the result of the occupation of the city by Napoleon’s armies in the early 19th century. On August 31, 1813 the Anglo-Portuguese troops drove the French army out. The battle that ensued caused a fire that burned most of the city, with only a few stone churches and other buildings left standing.

Most of the remaining buildings are from the 19th century. The center plaza which housed the original “new” city hall, now a cultural office, was originally a bull ring. Not well seen in this photo, the numbers above the doors on the left referred to the ticket holders’ spot to stand for the fight. These apartments surround the square. The owner occupants were required to allow spectators to pass thought their apartments for the fight, and the money for the ticket went to the city. But the owner could sell food and drink for a profit.

The city shield, barely seen above the clock, is that of a ship pointing west. The original shield had the ship pointing east until the discovery of the Americas, and the ensuing wealth brought, when the ship on the shield was turned.

It was Queen Maria Cristina of Austria who helped put San Sebastian on the “modern” map. In the late 19th century, she had a palace built there and used the beach to sunbathe and swim, practices that were considered only for commoners and fisherman prior. San Sebastian was her summer residence.

It was Queen Maria Cristina who also help San Sebastian’s tourism growth as a gambling center with large casinos built prior to the development of Monte Carlo in France. There are a few casinos remaining.

Cold and wet after the tour, we went back to the hotel to change before heading back into town to try some of the new pintxos recommended by Daniel. Dinner was another amazing experience at Gandarias Restaurante. Have I mentioned how amazing the food is! We are sorry to be leaving the Basque Country, despite its rain.

We left Bilbao in the morning heading for the region of Cantabria. But on our guide Marvin’s advice, we decided to detour and see the Vizcaya Bridge, a UNESCO world heritage site. Here is it’s description from the UNESCO website:
“Vizcaya Bridge straddles the mouth of the Ibaizabal estuary…completed in 1893. The 45-m-high bridge with its span of 160 m, merges 19th-century ironworking traditions with the then new lightweight technology of twisted steel ropes. It was the first bridge in the world to carry people and traffic on a high suspended gondola and was used as a model for many similar bridges in Europe, Africa and the Americas only a few of which survive. With its innovative use of lightweight twisted steel cables, it is regarded as one of the outstanding architectural iron constructions of the Industrial Revolution.”

It is still functional and has been since its construction except for 4 years during the Spanish Civil War.

And here are some pics of it. In the picture below, the white object in the lower right corner is the gondola full of people and cars and is headed to the left (west) side of the estuary.

It is truly stunning to see. But what was the fun surprise of our day is, we arrived just as crews were racing on the river!

People crowded the streets donned with shirts of their teams’ colors. The mood was festive; food and drink were plentiful.

They even had a drone following the crews and had live feed on a big screen in the middle of the square. What fun!!

We joined in the festivities: ate and drank our fill. Then we headed to Limpias.

When traveling, we like to say that the room/hotel is of little importance; it is all about the sightseeing. But at this point in the trip, we had decided to treat ourselves, relax a bit and make it all about the resort for a couple of days. We were booked in Parador de Limpias. Paradores are a network of 97 state-run hotels. They are properties consisting of restored castles, monasteries, convents, palaces, etc. Parador de Limpias was built in the late 19th century as a palace of King Alfonso XIII.

When we managed to drag ourselves from the room the next morning, it was with no specific plans for the day. We drove around the small town of Limpias which has a Roman aqueduct, albeit small compared to that in Segovia.

And the town is known for the Church of St. Peter inside of which hangs a 6 foot crucifix called Christ of the Agony. According to legend, it is miraculous in that on Easter Sunday tears of blood have been seen coming from its eyes.

The church, however, was closed, and the weather overcast and threatening, so we decided to get in the car and drive to the city of Santander. It poured while we drove, but we arrived to a beautiful sunny seaside town. Again the weather luck was on our side.

We walked along the promenade along the shore and passed the Botin Art Center, a coveted architectural Pritzker Prize winner in 1998 for the way it is cantilevered out over the sea.

It was also closed. (not a lot open on a Monday in Spain.) But the views from its platforms were spectacular.

We passed several outdoor sculptures.

We took a quick stop in a really cute indoor restaurant market.

And we strolled by the cathedral, also closed.

We got back in the car and drove a little further up the coast, wanting to see the palace, which is on the tip of a peninsula. We had to park and walk in about 900m. What we did not realize is, the whole peninsula is a public park.

We passed an area with pens for aquatic animals.

What is hard to tell from the pictures is how well the pens melded into their surroundings. Each one had a pump system to exchange water directly into the ocean.

Next we passed a mini outdoor museum dedicated to sea exploration.

Finally we reached the end of the peninsula and the Magdalena Palace, which was built as a summer home for the royal family in 1911. It has been a museum since 1977.

The views from the palace were a beautiful as expected.

We hiked out of the park through the middle wooded section, and arrived back to our car exhausted. We were happy to return to our paradores for some rest.

After a 4.5 hour train ride from Madrid through the Spanish countryside, we arrived mid day in Bilbao. Again, the train station itself was worth a photo op.

Fortunately our Airbnb was ready for us early. Once again we were told we missed several days of ridiculously heavy rain; we have been so lucky with the weather thus far! And once again we managed to be incredibly well located in an apartment accessible by foot everywhere. We spent our first afternoon getting acquainted with the new neighborhood.

Even the libraries in Spain are gorgeous inside and out.

On Tuesday morning we took a walking tour of the city. Our guide Marvin was born here in Bilbao: capital of the Biscay province of the Basque country, and he is extremely enthusiastic about and proud of his city. He explained the city’s origin was in 1300 as a fishing village. Its ultimate rapid growth and development was due first to the well located port for trading goods throughout Europe. The economic boom subsequently included ship building. Due to the large quantity of iron ore in its banks, iron export as well as iron products contributed to further significant growth of the city during the 19th century industrial revolution.

The bridge next to the church of St. Anthony for over a hundred years was the only bridge over the Bilbao River, thus consolidating access into the city thereby controlling commerce and safety. St. Anthony, the patron saint of animals, looks from above the belfry toward the market, which for years was a livestock market, but now is one of Spain’s largest indoor markets.

As the city grew, in the 18th century they built the Plaza Nueva: the New Plaza. It is now the site for lots of great restaurants as well as the Euskaltatzaindia, the official Basque language regulatory institution, seen below.

As in Catalonia (Barcelona), where Catalan is always the first language listed, those here in the Basque country also take their language, food, and culture very seriously. Franco had actually outlawed Basque language during his nearly 40 years in power; it has made a significant resurgence since his death. It is a completely unique language with no origin from or similarity to any other known language. Those of the Basque region are intensely proud of their language and want to preserve it; over 80% of school children are taught it with side lessons for Spanish and English.

The Basque culinary experience also has its own distinctions. Whereas in Catalonia tapas: small plates are favored, here they serve pintxos: finger food often served on a small piece of bread.

Having been advised by Marvin, we tried several of the local specialties.

Salted cod has always been a major export as well as important to the local cuisine.

After a long afternoon of wining and dining, we rested up for our visit to the Guggenheim Museum Saturday morning. We strolled through the newer sections of Bilbao to arrive early.

The building itself is as interesting as any of the art installations.

The special exhibition was a retrospective of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.

Another interesting installation was that of Richard Serra, which one could experience both by walking through as well as viewing from above.

But again, it was the building itself that most impressed.

We had a late leisurely lunch of local flavors, then strolled home along the river, passing city hall along the way.

Luckily I had chosen this afternoon to catch up on photo editing and blogging, because as I write, it is pouring outside. Apparently it rains >120 days a year here, so we have been very fortunate indeed during our stay. Tomorrow we pick up our rental car and will start to visit some more sites along the Camino de Santiago, albeit driving. Bilbao was our first stop.