Spain in late November/early December
 

A good girl friend and I are planning a 2 week trip over Thanksgiving and the first week of December. After a lot of thought, we've settled on Spain. We are women in our mid 50s who have traveled extensively and are up for independent travel. For lodgings, I'm thinking about nicer places up to 350 euros per night (we'll share a room) and at that time of the year, I think, at least one full week in the south would make sense. We can't do it all and don't want to spend all our time traveling around, but would like to spend a few days in Barcelona at the start or the end. We are foodies, love art, culture, natural beauty, aren't high maintenance but enjoy luxury, too. Any suggestions for your favorite do not miss cities and places? Of course, we will see the Alhambra and Seville and Cordoba are on my must see list. We are just beginning to plan the details and would appreciate your suggestions.

During the same time frame last year, we did Madrid [4 nights] Valencia [3 nights] and Barcelona [5 nights].

It was a great time to go. Few crowds, good prices and nice weather.

If the Alhambra, Sevilla, Cordoba, and Barcelona are your must-sees, and you don't want to spend a lot of time traveling around, then you may have covered your 2 weeks. For the Alhambra, you'll need at least 2 nights in Granada, and 3 nights there would be better IMO. Sevilla easily merits 3 or 4 full days IMO. Cordoba can be seen as a day trip from Sevilla, but I was glad that I spent 2 full days there. And you could easily give Barcelona a full week, which could include a day trip or two. If you add that up, you'll see that you might even need to pare down somewhere!

FWIW, of the MANY guidebooks I've consulted when planning my time in Spain, I've found the Rough Guide and the Michelin Green Guide BY FAR the best.

The only problem you'll encounter will be that the days are growing shorter, nights longer, limiting some touring.

You're budget is quite comfortable. You can stay at some of the nicest hotels in Barcelona, Granada, Sevilla and even Cordoba, if you'd like to spend the night.

I'd start with 5 nights in Barcelona, then on to Madrid for couple of nights (minimum) before heading down to Sevilla for another 4 to 5 nights, with a couple of nights in Granada before catching a connecting flight home.