My wife and I (young senior citizens) are planning an eleven day trip to Spain in May 2008 arriving by air @ Madrid on May 18 and leaving same on May 29.

I have a very tentative plan that includes Madrid, Seville , Cordoba, Granada, Barcelona, & Mallorca.

We enjoy a modicum of museums and etc but our passion is amateur photography especially of countrysides, vistas, villages and the like. Last year we did an eleven day tour of Great Britian in a rented car which we enjoyed thoroughly especially the out of the way places that we could reach by car. I found the extremely narrow roads? very unnerving to say the least and not a very relaxing venue.

I would appreciate any suggestions about ur favorite places to see and should we limit our big city forays to a day or so or avoid them altogether. We were thinking of flying between Granada and Barcelona,Barcelona & Mallorca, and Mallorca back to Madrid.
Thanks,
RTT

I think you have a great start although frankly it sounds like an awful lot of ground to cover in 11 days.

Regarding driving, I think driving in Spain is less "unnerving" than in the UK "backcountry". Plus you won't be worrying about those issues of right hand driving and driving on the left.

While I do love Madrid, I honestly think I might skip staying there with your schedule and head straight out to Cordoba, Seville, and Granada. I personally would be very happy spending all 11 days with a car in that general region along with the "white" villages and beautiful Ronda. Or maybe even substitute Toledo, Salamanca, and Segovia for going to Mallorca and Barcelona.

If you stick with your plan, I'd definitely fly those routes you mention. But in all honesty, I think you're going to be losing a lot of time out of your 11 days in transit from city to city.

Entirely too much for 10 days. I would skip Mallorca and Barcelona on this trip, and satisfy your "passion [for] amateur photography especially of countrysides, vistas, villages and the like", by driving between Seville, Cordoba, and Granada and visiting some of the picturesque "white hill towns" of Andalusia and Granada provinces. Arcos de la Frontera, Ronda, and Pamaniera are certainly worth a stop. The roads are narrow, but well marked.

Thanks for the prompt replys. I appreciate the reminder about taking TOO BIG of a bite and not enjoying what one has.
Thanks,
RTT

Remember that is not allowed to take photos during the visit to cathedrals, museums and other buildings.

Thanks for tip

Any other suggestions from u intrepid travelers for those unforgettable photos.
RTT

You may get more help if you post a more specific question--everyone on this board wants some kind of help, and many people don't open a post unless they know the topic is one they're either knowledgable about or interested in.

Here's another " suggestion[s] from u intrepid travelers for those unforgettable photos" : Don't forget to go out after dark, and after the streets are less busy, to take photos of spectacularly flood-lighted major buildings as well as quiet street scenes illuminated only by the soft lighting of street lamps in the "old town" areas of some of the towns you will visit.

Thanks,
RTT