Here it is–the unedited photo dump from the trip. I apologize in advance for any duplicates, thumbs on the lens, or other irritants–but there are some amazing photos in the mix. I’ll clean things up as I find time. Some photos may appear in more than one album. Seville, City Scenes Seville, Real Alcazar Seville, Cathedral Seville, Salvador Cathedral Seville, Archivo de las Indias Seville, Museo des Belles Artes Córdoba, City Scenes Córdoba, La Mezquita Ronda, City Scenes Ronda, Arab…
We chose to stay in B&Bs wherever possible. (Ronda was the exception.) We hoped that having a personal connection would give us access to information and suggestions that were out of the way or had local flavor. That proved to be true in every case. Seville B&B Case Alfareria 59 Alfareria 59, Triana, Seville, 41010 ES The Good: Location in Triana, an easy walk to Real Alcázar, Seville Cathedral, ceramics shops, the old city (Santa Cruz) Hosts Carlo and…
…it’s time to leave. Tomorrow morning we head to the Madrid airport to begin a two-day journey back to Montana. (We decided to break the trip up in Charlotte for some rest.) Here are some final thoughts. I want to come back. Or live here. I said it before and I’ll say it again. The buses and trains in Spain are a delight. The stations are clean and modern (even the ones occupying buildings that predate Columbus), they’re fast, they…
Spanish trains and buses rule. It the US had anything remotely similar, travel would be a pleasure. Similarly, tapas rule. Moorish architecture has produced the most moving and inspirational spaces in human history. When I lived on the east coast, old meant 300 years. In Montana, old is 100 years. In Andalusia, old is 2000+ years. English is not widely spoken or understood in Andalusia. The more Spanish you know, the more enjoyable your trip will be.
So we’ll probably pick up a town or two while we’re there. Can we grab one for anyone else? http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/08/23/433228503/in-spain-entire-villages-are-up-for-sale-and-theyre-going-cheap Twenty years ago I would have jumped at this. Maybe.
I’m going to try to keep an annotated record of travel apps that were useful. Suggestions and comments are welcomed. Here’s the pre-trip list. Annotations to follow as things progress. Google Trips: Promising app that collects all of your trip information in one place–flights, hotels, etc. Tightly integrated with Google Maps and works offline if you download the trip elements before you leave. TripIt: Collects all trip info–flights, hotels, cars, tickets, etc. Reservations include confirmation numbers. This has been my…
