Elizabeth

I'm chock full of information re: things to see and do (and not see and do) in Seville, Madrid, Cordoba, Granada, Nerja, Marbella, Ronda, Avila and Segovia--So if looking for info, buzz me back.

MaureenGP

Am leaving for Spain in 3 weeks, and would be interested in any information you can share. We will also be visiting Cordoba, Granada, Avila, Segovia and Madrid.

Art

I'm planning a trip to Portigal and Spain in September for approx 10 days. I'm taking my sister who's never been outside of the US (hardly outside of New England). We plan on renting a car. What are the best areas to cover and see. We are flying into Lisbon and will be flying out of Barcelona. Any help will be appreciated. <BR>Thanks <BR>Art <BR>

John

9 cities in 10 days? You probably barely scratched the surface in any one of those. Doubt that you can even keep the details straight with that type of shedule. Thanks for the offer, anyway.

elizabeth

While, as John so kindly pointed out, my trip was hardly an immersion program, here's what I have to offer. We stayed in the Hotel Opera in Madrid. It was a BW hotel, had the basics and was a stones throw from the Royal Palace. Would have been better to be more downtown. Do not miss the restaurant that Hemingway supposedly hung out at (For some reason the name is eluding me) but make reservations, especially for weekend nights. check out the Rick Steve's guide, had valuable tips, I also got Frommers. Do a walk around the city at dusk. I just won an award for a photo I took at twilight of the Royal Palace. Use 800 speed film, I found there a noticable difference, I could tell which speed I used based on picture quality. We did Avila, Toledo, and Segovia in one day, which was even a little much for me. Segovia was a close 2nd to Ronda for my favorite city. Both are like stepping into a different time. Avila was neat but not as neat as I expected it to be. Toledo was beautiful and worth seeing. It was about 40 minutes outside of Madrid, an easy drive. Watch what route you take out of Segovia if heading towards Madrid, take 603, the other way has hairpin turns up a mountainside and I thought I was going to die. We stayed in the Reina Victoria in Rhonda which was pricey and mediocre (the food was downright hideous) pretty views but thats it, and tour bus central. The parador, what we saw, was pretty but not historic. <BR>Seville had the greatest hotel in the Barrio Santa Cruz. It included a full breakfast and was called "Las Casas de Juderia". You actually crossed little cobblestoned streets going from room to room, lots of courtyards, and flowers and fountains. Get a room on the second floor of a courtyard though, it gets rowdy at night, can't bee the location. Best tapas around on the strip entering the Barrio. <BR>We went to Cordoba and it made a good day trip. We took the fast train and got there in slightly more than 1/2 hour. Its definitely worthwhile to see the Mosque. We flew and out of Madrid with flights to Granada and from SEville to Madrid. Driving around is very doable and worthwhile to see the countryside. <BR>

Jerry

Four of us are also planning to whi z through Spain. Going from Lisbon on June 21 to Madrid on June 30. Have booked pousadas and paradors in Batalha, Evora, Carmona, Cadiz, and Almagra. Are we missing some important sites? Suggestions, comments, etc. would be greatly apprecited. Jerry