Bob in NW Spain--a trip report
May 26th, 2008, 06:38 AM
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Bob in NW Spain--a trip report
NAVIGATING IN NW SPAIN—2008—A TRIP REPORT
By BOB THE NAVIGATOR:
OVERVIEW:
It was our 24th trip to Europe and my 5th to Spain. Spain is such a large and diverse country it takes that long to see it well. We decided to devote 15 days to the NW quadrant of Spain and include one of our favorite haunts from a previous trip to Portugal as well. It turned out to be 6 destinations in the 15 nights, including two nights each in Segovia and Salamanca at the beginning and end of the trip to facilitate arrival/departure from Madrid.
• Segovia---Hotel Infanta Isabel
• Cangas de Onis—Parador, as gateway to Picos de Europa
• Ribadeo---Parador—transitional to Rias Atlas coastal drive
• Santiago do Compostela---Los Abetos hotel
• Viana do Castelo, Portugal---Pousada Monte de Santa Luzia
• Salamanca---Hotel Palacio de Castellanos
We rented the car from Autoeurope and kept it the entire trip. I think the Avis guy felt sorry for this older couple in the rain and upgraded us to a shiny new BMW 320D, which proved to be one of the pleasures of the trip.
The air connections were almost free by using points from two different programs. Susan got a direct flight from Atlanta to Madrid using Delta points, but Bob had to fly from RDU to Dulles to Munich and then back to Madrid using Star Alliance points on Lufthansa. I hate a two connection itinerary, but in this case the price was right. We arrived in Madrid within 2 hours of each other and had no real flight issues in both directions other than I hate to be treated like a sardine—it gets worse as I get older.
You may be curious about the cost of this trip---I know I was. For many years of European travel I would budget $150/day for room, food, and tourism. This trip was almost exactly double that cost. Here is a summary:
• Hotel/Parador cost per day=$180
• Food costs—including wine=$ 90
• Tourism costs—tours etc =$ 20
• Coffee/coke stop twice daily=$ 10 Total per day cost $ 300
That is $4500 for 15 days plus the cost of the rental car and gas and tolls. The transport cost added up to almost $1100 with the high gas costs. So, for a 15 day trip to parts of Spain and Portugal, that are certainly not among the more expensive destinations in Western Europe, this trip cost us about $5700 with free air travel. With air, this trip would have cost almost $8000.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:
I will not bore you with a daily journal of our wanderings. However, I will qualify my comments by noting that much of what we did was determined by the weather. I had read that “ Green Spain” got the name honestly, but May did not seem to be the highest risk of rain. We had rain about 70% of the time and really only had 5 days that were not gray and overcast. That affected some of our travel options and certainly put a damper on my photography agenda. However, we did manage to enjoy these highlights:
• Segovia is always a great destination. It was my 2nd trip but the first for Susan. She enjoyed the historical aspects and the Alcazar.
• We had 2 highlights in Asturias. We enjoyed a lovely day with some blue skies as we drove to Potes in the Picos de Europa. We hit Potes on market day and it was bustling. We liked Potes and the local culture of this mountain community. Another day in Asturias we started with the local market in nearby Cangas de Onis and then drove to Ribadesella on the coast to visit the caves of Tito Bustillo with amazing prehistoric wall paintings.
• I wish I could tell you some highlights in Galicia but the rain was persistent and kept us from enjoying the two days we had planned to enjoy coastal fishing villages and beaches from Cudillero and Luarca to the villages of the Rias Atlas in Galicia. I had always wanted to visit this corner of Spain since my days in the Air Force when I viewed it from 40,000 feet on a radar scope from a B-52 bomber as we flew a 24 hour airborne alert mission. Of course, I was the navigator---what else? But, that was all 45 years ago.
• I am sure we did not do justice to Santiago do Compostela, with the rain being a major deterrent. We did enjoy a day trip to Muros on the coast west of Santiago. Again, we got lucky and happened to arrive on market day. The sun was out, finally. Later that day we drove up to A Coruna to have lunch. Susan wanted to see the notable glass balconies in the houses facing the harbor.
• We stopped for coffee in lovely Baiona at the Parador built into the ancient fortress in this historic coastal village. Our destination was Viana do Castelo in northern Portugal—a place we had enjoyed 12 years ago. This may have been my favorite destination of the trip. The weather was improving, and our Pousada room on the cliff overlooking the town and the Basilica of Santa Luzia was to die for[see photo gallery]. It was Saturday in Viana and we arrived in time to see local folk dancers in the town square. That night, we were directed to a most enjoyable program at the local museum featuring “salon dancing” and local costumes. The program took place after we had a lovely seafood dinner at a local restaurant that proved to be the best find of the trip. The next day was Sunday and we drove to the village of Ponte de Lima that we had visited on the previous trip. A group of locals were all in native dress and selling food items in the town square. We like this village for its architecture and authentic Portuguese ambiance.
• Our final destination was a 5 hour drive across Portugal and Western Spain to lovely Salamanca. We did stop for lunch in the medieval walled city of Ciudad Rodrigo. Salamanca is a famous University town and one of my favorite places in Spain. I have said before that my favorite places in Spain all began with “S” and Salamanca is one of those. The others are Segovia, Sevilla, and San Sebastian. I had hoped to add Santiago to that list, but the rains dampened my enthusiasm. Ironically, our grandson will be in Salamanca for the month of July in a program to learn Spanish. He had done a similar program in Tarifa last year and loved it. You have to love Salamanca. The whole city has a golden glow to it. The Plaza Mayor is the best in Spain, and I love the evening stroll on Rua Mayor by the locals---with most walking arm in arm. We did stop in Avila as we drove to Madrid to enjoy this UNESCO site with the best preserved medieval walls in all of Spain.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
I have never been a big fan of the cuisine in this part of Europe---I guess we are spoiled by our Italy travels. However, here are 3 places we did enjoy that we can recommend:
• Jose Maria-----Segovia, near Plaza Mayor [gracias Maribel]
• Café Elise---Santiago, on Rua Franco walking to the Cathedral
• O Pescador Restaurant---Viana do Castelo—good seafood & value
The accommodations we most enjoyed included these:
• The Parador at Cangas de Onis---good 4 star facilities
• Los Abetos Hotel in Santiago---this is a modern business style hotel just off of A-9 with shuttle service into Santiago all day. It proved to be a good choice with a car to avoid the city turmoil and parking.
• Pousada Monte Santa Luzia in Viana do Castello. It was closed for renovation our last trip---we loved the views over the city.
I would be remiss not to also mention the Infanta Isabel Hotel in Segovia for its location and old world charm. I have stayed there twice and it is the best location in that city. Be sure to get a room facing the Plaza Mayor—we had #206 and it was double the size of most European 3 star hotel rooms.
SUMMARY:
Both Spain and Portugal are tourist friendly destinations with excellent roads and typically good signage. We did notice a major difference in northern Portugal since our last trip---no doubt a result of the EU money that has been spread around the lesser developed member nations. The network of both Paradors in Spain and Pousadas in Portugal are excellent options for good accommodations. The trick is to schedule yourself when they offer discounts for seniors [ Golden Age promotion] when prices are reduced by 40%. See the respective web sites to see the matrix of when discounts are available by location [ www.parador.es] There is a also a 5 night promotion.
This trip was our typical format that we have enjoyed over the past 24 years.
We have enjoyed traveling by car and seeking out off-the-path destinations in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, France and Austria. One trip lasted 8 weeks and included virtually all of the above plus Prague. Our favorite remote “discoveries” have included Orta San Giulio, Portovenere, Spello, Montalcino, Noto, Cesky Krumlov, St. Gilgen, Nerja, Menton, and Kandestag.
However, this trip may have marked the end of that style of travel for us. We will continue to travel in Europe, hopefully each year, but will probably do less driving and spending more time in one location. My “slowtrav” friends will now applaud. Prices are higher, the dollar is weaker, and we are not getting any younger. European travel is still one of my passions, but it may be a bit slower for us in the future.
By BOB THE NAVIGATOR:
OVERVIEW:
It was our 24th trip to Europe and my 5th to Spain. Spain is such a large and diverse country it takes that long to see it well. We decided to devote 15 days to the NW quadrant of Spain and include one of our favorite haunts from a previous trip to Portugal as well. It turned out to be 6 destinations in the 15 nights, including two nights each in Segovia and Salamanca at the beginning and end of the trip to facilitate arrival/departure from Madrid.
• Segovia---Hotel Infanta Isabel
• Cangas de Onis—Parador, as gateway to Picos de Europa
• Ribadeo---Parador—transitional to Rias Atlas coastal drive
• Santiago do Compostela---Los Abetos hotel
• Viana do Castelo, Portugal---Pousada Monte de Santa Luzia
• Salamanca---Hotel Palacio de Castellanos
We rented the car from Autoeurope and kept it the entire trip. I think the Avis guy felt sorry for this older couple in the rain and upgraded us to a shiny new BMW 320D, which proved to be one of the pleasures of the trip.
The air connections were almost free by using points from two different programs. Susan got a direct flight from Atlanta to Madrid using Delta points, but Bob had to fly from RDU to Dulles to Munich and then back to Madrid using Star Alliance points on Lufthansa. I hate a two connection itinerary, but in this case the price was right. We arrived in Madrid within 2 hours of each other and had no real flight issues in both directions other than I hate to be treated like a sardine—it gets worse as I get older.
You may be curious about the cost of this trip---I know I was. For many years of European travel I would budget $150/day for room, food, and tourism. This trip was almost exactly double that cost. Here is a summary:
• Hotel/Parador cost per day=$180
• Food costs—including wine=$ 90
• Tourism costs—tours etc =$ 20
• Coffee/coke stop twice daily=$ 10 Total per day cost $ 300
That is $4500 for 15 days plus the cost of the rental car and gas and tolls. The transport cost added up to almost $1100 with the high gas costs. So, for a 15 day trip to parts of Spain and Portugal, that are certainly not among the more expensive destinations in Western Europe, this trip cost us about $5700 with free air travel. With air, this trip would have cost almost $8000.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:
I will not bore you with a daily journal of our wanderings. However, I will qualify my comments by noting that much of what we did was determined by the weather. I had read that “ Green Spain” got the name honestly, but May did not seem to be the highest risk of rain. We had rain about 70% of the time and really only had 5 days that were not gray and overcast. That affected some of our travel options and certainly put a damper on my photography agenda. However, we did manage to enjoy these highlights:
• Segovia is always a great destination. It was my 2nd trip but the first for Susan. She enjoyed the historical aspects and the Alcazar.
• We had 2 highlights in Asturias. We enjoyed a lovely day with some blue skies as we drove to Potes in the Picos de Europa. We hit Potes on market day and it was bustling. We liked Potes and the local culture of this mountain community. Another day in Asturias we started with the local market in nearby Cangas de Onis and then drove to Ribadesella on the coast to visit the caves of Tito Bustillo with amazing prehistoric wall paintings.
• I wish I could tell you some highlights in Galicia but the rain was persistent and kept us from enjoying the two days we had planned to enjoy coastal fishing villages and beaches from Cudillero and Luarca to the villages of the Rias Atlas in Galicia. I had always wanted to visit this corner of Spain since my days in the Air Force when I viewed it from 40,000 feet on a radar scope from a B-52 bomber as we flew a 24 hour airborne alert mission. Of course, I was the navigator---what else? But, that was all 45 years ago.
• I am sure we did not do justice to Santiago do Compostela, with the rain being a major deterrent. We did enjoy a day trip to Muros on the coast west of Santiago. Again, we got lucky and happened to arrive on market day. The sun was out, finally. Later that day we drove up to A Coruna to have lunch. Susan wanted to see the notable glass balconies in the houses facing the harbor.
• We stopped for coffee in lovely Baiona at the Parador built into the ancient fortress in this historic coastal village. Our destination was Viana do Castelo in northern Portugal—a place we had enjoyed 12 years ago. This may have been my favorite destination of the trip. The weather was improving, and our Pousada room on the cliff overlooking the town and the Basilica of Santa Luzia was to die for[see photo gallery]. It was Saturday in Viana and we arrived in time to see local folk dancers in the town square. That night, we were directed to a most enjoyable program at the local museum featuring “salon dancing” and local costumes. The program took place after we had a lovely seafood dinner at a local restaurant that proved to be the best find of the trip. The next day was Sunday and we drove to the village of Ponte de Lima that we had visited on the previous trip. A group of locals were all in native dress and selling food items in the town square. We like this village for its architecture and authentic Portuguese ambiance.
• Our final destination was a 5 hour drive across Portugal and Western Spain to lovely Salamanca. We did stop for lunch in the medieval walled city of Ciudad Rodrigo. Salamanca is a famous University town and one of my favorite places in Spain. I have said before that my favorite places in Spain all began with “S” and Salamanca is one of those. The others are Segovia, Sevilla, and San Sebastian. I had hoped to add Santiago to that list, but the rains dampened my enthusiasm. Ironically, our grandson will be in Salamanca for the month of July in a program to learn Spanish. He had done a similar program in Tarifa last year and loved it. You have to love Salamanca. The whole city has a golden glow to it. The Plaza Mayor is the best in Spain, and I love the evening stroll on Rua Mayor by the locals---with most walking arm in arm. We did stop in Avila as we drove to Madrid to enjoy this UNESCO site with the best preserved medieval walls in all of Spain.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
I have never been a big fan of the cuisine in this part of Europe---I guess we are spoiled by our Italy travels. However, here are 3 places we did enjoy that we can recommend:
• Jose Maria-----Segovia, near Plaza Mayor [gracias Maribel]
• Café Elise---Santiago, on Rua Franco walking to the Cathedral
• O Pescador Restaurant---Viana do Castelo—good seafood & value
The accommodations we most enjoyed included these:
• The Parador at Cangas de Onis---good 4 star facilities
• Los Abetos Hotel in Santiago---this is a modern business style hotel just off of A-9 with shuttle service into Santiago all day. It proved to be a good choice with a car to avoid the city turmoil and parking.
• Pousada Monte Santa Luzia in Viana do Castello. It was closed for renovation our last trip---we loved the views over the city.
I would be remiss not to also mention the Infanta Isabel Hotel in Segovia for its location and old world charm. I have stayed there twice and it is the best location in that city. Be sure to get a room facing the Plaza Mayor—we had #206 and it was double the size of most European 3 star hotel rooms.
SUMMARY:
Both Spain and Portugal are tourist friendly destinations with excellent roads and typically good signage. We did notice a major difference in northern Portugal since our last trip---no doubt a result of the EU money that has been spread around the lesser developed member nations. The network of both Paradors in Spain and Pousadas in Portugal are excellent options for good accommodations. The trick is to schedule yourself when they offer discounts for seniors [ Golden Age promotion] when prices are reduced by 40%. See the respective web sites to see the matrix of when discounts are available by location [ www.parador.es] There is a also a 5 night promotion.
This trip was our typical format that we have enjoyed over the past 24 years.
We have enjoyed traveling by car and seeking out off-the-path destinations in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, France and Austria. One trip lasted 8 weeks and included virtually all of the above plus Prague. Our favorite remote “discoveries” have included Orta San Giulio, Portovenere, Spello, Montalcino, Noto, Cesky Krumlov, St. Gilgen, Nerja, Menton, and Kandestag.
However, this trip may have marked the end of that style of travel for us. We will continue to travel in Europe, hopefully each year, but will probably do less driving and spending more time in one location. My “slowtrav” friends will now applaud. Prices are higher, the dollar is weaker, and we are not getting any younger. European travel is still one of my passions, but it may be a bit slower for us in the future.
May 26th, 2008, 07:56 AM
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Bob
I really enjoyed your trip report. We, too, have always enjoyed this style of travel but in the past few years have begun getting an apartment and travelling in a smaller circle. With such good overviews, you can revisit favorite places more in depth. Keep on travelin! CJ
I really enjoyed your trip report. We, too, have always enjoyed this style of travel but in the past few years have begun getting an apartment and travelling in a smaller circle. With such good overviews, you can revisit favorite places more in depth. Keep on travelin! CJ
May 26th, 2008, 08:08 AM
#3
hi bob, add my praises to caroljean's for your succint but informative report.
one of the joys of reading other peoples experiences is th ememories they brind back - when we visited this area many years ago [22 to be precise] - we too discovered why it's called the costa verde.
also we enjoyed Potes for its rural atmosphere - did you see any dogs with numbers on their sides? we never did discover what they was about.
I don't remember much about the food, good or bad, except for the pickled sea-urchin we had in a bar serving sherry - a never to be repeated experience! the pickeld sea-urchin, not the sherry!]
It's shame that you didn't see Salamanca at its best - we really loved it. it will be VERY hot when your GS is there.
regards, ann
one of the joys of reading other peoples experiences is th ememories they brind back - when we visited this area many years ago [22 to be precise] - we too discovered why it's called the costa verde.
also we enjoyed Potes for its rural atmosphere - did you see any dogs with numbers on their sides? we never did discover what they was about.
I don't remember much about the food, good or bad, except for the pickled sea-urchin we had in a bar serving sherry - a never to be repeated experience! the pickeld sea-urchin, not the sherry!]
It's shame that you didn't see Salamanca at its best - we really loved it. it will be VERY hot when your GS is there.
regards, ann
May 26th, 2008, 08:20 AM
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Thanks for the report. You have me a bit concerned weatherwise as we are about to embark on an 18 day driving vacation through Rioja and then Northern Spain to Galicia. (Figure to do as much of the driving things as soon as we can, since none of us is getting any younger.) Weather can make a big difference, especially to a photographer like DH. Sure hope our June has a bit more sunshine than your May. But I guess we'd best be prepared for wetness one way or the other.
Thanks to your earlier posts, we will be taking in Viana do Castelo on a day trip from the area around Pontevedra, so I especially appreciate your rec on the seafood restaurant there.
Thanks to your earlier posts, we will be taking in Viana do Castelo on a day trip from the area around Pontevedra, so I especially appreciate your rec on the seafood restaurant there.
May 26th, 2008, 10:20 AM
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Hi bob,
So sorry about your rain drenched stay in Galicia-but glad
some blue skies came out for you across the border, finally!
I did love your pictures of Viana and Ponte de Lima; sounds like your timing was just perfect there.
Is the escalator from Monte Luzia into town now working? On our last trip is was out of order-nobody seemed to want to guess when or if it would be repaired.
Aren't the caves of Tito Bustillo fascinating? Glad you got to see them. And they made a good refuge for an hr. from the rain!
I found your tally of costs really interesting-very helpful for planning. We haven't done a final tally recently (afraid to!!).
I think you actually did quite well, particularly keeping your food/wine costs for two for $90. I assume the Paradors' buffet breakfast with the Golden Age tariff was included in the lodging tally. (?)
We find our costs come out much lower in Green Spain, particularly doing our wanderings, keeping our lodging mostly in the country, staying out of the big cities except for day trips.
That's one important reason why we chose Asturias for last summer, Cantabria for the fall, the Rioja for the spring, and are headed back to Cantabria/Basque Country this summer, staying primarily in casonas and casas rurales.
And your remarks about slow travel- we've pretty much ended our "2 nights here, 1 night there" kind of trip, as you plan to do. We now find a well priced casona and take 5-7 days there.
There are still bargains to be found up in Green Spain, even in the Paradors (Limpias as a €70 special through June, some rates, like Fuente Dé are as low as €60 in May-June-July).
Again, as always, I enjoyed reading about your adventures, but regret that some of them were rain-soaked!
Nice that Autoeurope came through with that BMW upgrade!
At least you got to drive through the rain in style! O
Welcome home!
So sorry about your rain drenched stay in Galicia-but glad
some blue skies came out for you across the border, finally!
I did love your pictures of Viana and Ponte de Lima; sounds like your timing was just perfect there.
Is the escalator from Monte Luzia into town now working? On our last trip is was out of order-nobody seemed to want to guess when or if it would be repaired.
Aren't the caves of Tito Bustillo fascinating? Glad you got to see them. And they made a good refuge for an hr. from the rain!
I found your tally of costs really interesting-very helpful for planning. We haven't done a final tally recently (afraid to!!).
I think you actually did quite well, particularly keeping your food/wine costs for two for $90. I assume the Paradors' buffet breakfast with the Golden Age tariff was included in the lodging tally. (?)
We find our costs come out much lower in Green Spain, particularly doing our wanderings, keeping our lodging mostly in the country, staying out of the big cities except for day trips.
That's one important reason why we chose Asturias for last summer, Cantabria for the fall, the Rioja for the spring, and are headed back to Cantabria/Basque Country this summer, staying primarily in casonas and casas rurales.
And your remarks about slow travel- we've pretty much ended our "2 nights here, 1 night there" kind of trip, as you plan to do. We now find a well priced casona and take 5-7 days there.
There are still bargains to be found up in Green Spain, even in the Paradors (Limpias as a €70 special through June, some rates, like Fuente Dé are as low as €60 in May-June-July).
Again, as always, I enjoyed reading about your adventures, but regret that some of them were rain-soaked!
Nice that Autoeurope came through with that BMW upgrade!
At least you got to drive through the rain in style! O
Welcome home!
Jul 2nd, 2008, 09:25 AM
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Hi Bob!
Thanks for the report. I also appreciate the cost breakdown. We too used to travel for 2-2.5 weeks for between $4500 and $6500 depending on the destination. Now it seems like every trip option is going to cost at least $7500 - $8500. We just economize more at home throughout the year and continue to research cost savings strageties for the locations we pick.
Thanks for the report. I also appreciate the cost breakdown. We too used to travel for 2-2.5 weeks for between $4500 and $6500 depending on the destination. Now it seems like every trip option is going to cost at least $7500 - $8500. We just economize more at home throughout the year and continue to research cost savings strageties for the locations we pick.
Jul 2nd, 2008, 10:44 AM
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Our first trip to Spain will be May 09. Our cruise ship will have taken us to Malaga, and Valencia. trip ends in Barcelona.
Any recommendations for how/where to begin a land portion for 7-10 days would be apprecited since we enjoy independent travel. We would like to do Portugal if possible this trip, just don't know how to fit it in to a Spain itinerary. We hope to fly Delta on FF, so would need to get to an airport Delta/partners use to fly home. Is May typically a wet month in Spain?
Your trip report was fantastic, thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thanks, Reely
Any recommendations for how/where to begin a land portion for 7-10 days would be apprecited since we enjoy independent travel. We would like to do Portugal if possible this trip, just don't know how to fit it in to a Spain itinerary. We hope to fly Delta on FF, so would need to get to an airport Delta/partners use to fly home. Is May typically a wet month in Spain?
Your trip report was fantastic, thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thanks, Reely
Jul 2nd, 2008, 11:39 AM
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There´s one thing that´s recurrent in most reports on Spain...it calls most US travellers´ attention the image of couples walking arm in arm and just enjoying a walk through town with no specific purpose at all.
A funny cultural difference
A funny cultural difference
Jul 2nd, 2008, 02:11 PM
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I can guess about the arm-in-arm fascination - being a reluctant suburban dweller myself, the only time I see couples walking together in my neighorhood is a) after dinner hour; b) multi-tasking by also walking the dogs; and the possibility of c) one of the couple needs assistance with walking
and thanks, Bob, for the reality check on rising expenses. We decided to defer a trip rather than curtail the stay due to costs - and it's sobering to think that the difference between your choices in accomodations and dining and a bargain-basement approach probably wouldn't amount to overwhelming savings.
and thanks, Bob, for the reality check on rising expenses. We decided to defer a trip rather than curtail the stay due to costs - and it's sobering to think that the difference between your choices in accomodations and dining and a bargain-basement approach probably wouldn't amount to overwhelming savings.
Jul 2nd, 2008, 02:40 PM
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Bob, I am so very sorry with your Santiago experience. It is one of my favourite places in Spain, I guess I have been lucky having visited it quite a few times.
Anyway, I liked your report style. Not too long, not too short and good facts.
Rgds, Cova
Anyway, I liked your report style. Not too long, not too short and good facts.
Rgds, Cova
Jul 2nd, 2008, 07:06 PM
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Bob -
Thank you for sharing, sounds like an amazing trip! Quick question, have you visited Spain in late December/early January? We are looking at Barcelona, Seville, Valencia and Granda - just not sure on the weather that time of year. Any advise?
Thank you for sharing, sounds like an amazing trip! Quick question, have you visited Spain in late December/early January? We are looking at Barcelona, Seville, Valencia and Granda - just not sure on the weather that time of year. Any advise?
Jul 24th, 2008, 07:25 AM
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Here you go---as they are. Not my best work.
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=4290
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=4290
Jul 24th, 2008, 07:51 AM
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Enjoyed your report. My favorites also especially Salamanca, Segovia, and Seville. We were there last week in April first week of May. No rain until the day we left Madrid to come back to the US. My first trip to Spain and loved it. Did not get to Northern Spain.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing.
