kmurphy77 - Tumblr blog

[kmurphy77]

Day 19 Monday, June 3rd

Madrid, Spain, Woodinville, Washington, USA

Our trip is over. It was a bit long, sometimes tiring but full of interesting sights, smells, shopping, local people, customs and food that were all new to us. We learned a lot and saw a lot and got a zillion pictures!

It was a great trip but we are happy to be home. Thanks for sharing our travels with us!

[kmurphy77]

Day 18 Sunday, June 2nd

Madrid, Spain

Today was mostly a travel day. It was about a five hour drive from Granada to Madrid.

As always, there were interesting sights along the way.

Tonight was our last group dinner. Both the food and the conversation was good. It was great to meet new people from all over the globe. We also have had many enjoyable meals in the last weeks and tasted many new flavors. Marcos, our tour director, was an amazing guide. He was informative as well as entertaining. He was always patient and answered questions with a smile. He made it a really great trip.

It is an early night tonight as we have to meet an early shuttle tomorrow morning for our trip back to the states. It has been a great trip but we are ready to be home.

[kmurphy77]

Day 16 Saturday, June 1st

Alfamatejo and Granada Spain

Our trip is coming to a close. This was our last day of actual sightseeing. We left Costa del Sol for a small village of less than 90 people, Alfamatejo. This is a farming community surrounded by fields of wheat and olive groves.

We had a tour of an olive oil “factory”. We learned about the process of turning olives into olive oil and got to taste some of the results. It was very nice. Our local guide was a transplanted Englishman and was very entertaining.

After the tour we were treated to lunch at the house of a local. The lunch was made personally by the pleasant woman with local and very fresh ingredients. It was a bit of insight into the daily life in this small community. The food was delicious and the woman was a gracious host. Definitely a unique experience.

Then it was on to Granada and a tour of the popular attraction, a palace/fortress/citadel built by the Moors in the 13th century, Alhambra. It is elaborately decorated in the Moorish style and has several palaces within palaces. It also has extensive gardens, fountains and a summer palace where Spanish Royals stayed.

The Alhambra was lovely, the weather was hot and the day long but it was a great experience. Our day ended with a walk to the old section of Granada and mass in a beautiful church. Tomorrow on to Madrid and the end of our trip.

[kmurphy77]

Day 15 Friday, May 31st

Costa del Sol, Spain

We got a bit of respite after a couple of very busy days. We had an excursion to the city of Malaga, the capital of Costa del Sol, in the morning. It is a lovely city that I really liked.

Pablo Picasso was born here and lived here for the first ten years of his life. We heard about his life. It was interesting even though I am not a Picasso fan.

We saw a beautiful cathedral and walked the historic streets and ended our tour with a taste of the local speciality wine, a sweet and full-bodied one (of which I am also not a fan.) ☺️

We had lunch back at the hotel (three courses, to our surprise), followed by some exploring on foot and later an interesting (language misunderstandings) but, as it turned out, good dinner. And so ends our last night by the Mediterranean.

[kmurphy77]

Day 14 Thursday, May 30

Tangier, Morocco, Tarifa, Spain, Gibraltar, and Costa del Sol, Spain

A busy day—three countries in one day! We had an early start, necessitated by the need to catch the 8am ferry. The trip for our return to the ferry was complicated by the fact that our guides had to take extra precautions because there are attempts by young men to use our coach as an illegal way into Spain.

They try to stow unseen under the bus and in any area they can fit, such as the baggage hold or engine compartment. To that end we had a police escort through the city of Tangier. We had to pack an overnight bag for the night because it wasn’t safe to open the baggage hold.

In addition, they had security watch the bus all night. It was all a complicated process. Fortunately we didn’t have any issues with stowaways so we got to the ferry on time.

Unfortunately our coach did not. The authorities said that the tide was too high for our bus to safely make the trip and so it had to wait for the next ferry while we went on. That put a real kink in our plans but Insight saved the day by finding another coach that took us from the ferry terminal in Spain to our first stop, Gibraltar. Our regular coach, driver and luggage met us once again after our visit to Gibraltar and we were very happy to see all three!

After arriving in Spain via the ferry, we made our way to another country, Gibraltar. Gibraltar is an overseas territory under British control since 1704. It was strategic in the defense of Britain’s ships in the Strait of Gibraltar. It is a very small country and very English—except they drive on the “right” side of the road.

Our tour of Gibraltar included the Rock of Gibraltar (think the insurance logo), St. Michael’s Cave, an impressive sight that included a light show, and the Barbary Apes, which are monkeys that have lived on the island for centuries. We also had time for some English fish and chips. It was a delightful time.

Then we were again on the road. This time for our stop for the next two days, Costa del Sol, where we were treated to a tantalizing dinner of various seafood—all of it delicious. Well, actually, we weren’t so keen on the fried anchovies. I guess it is an acquired taste. 😉 Dinner was a perfect end to a busy day.

[kmurphy77]

Day 13 Wednesday, May 29th

Rabat and Tangier, Morocco

We have started our way out of Morocco. We left Casablanca as we headed north we stopped for a bit of sightseeing in Rabat before heading on to Tangier.

Rabat, the capital of Morocco, is a very modern and clean city along the Atlantic Ocean. We traveled along the ocean and enjoyed the sights of the waves and blue water. Then we stopped at the Hassan Tower, a 140 foot red stone minaret built in the 1100’s but never completed.

Adjacent to the tower is the Mausoleum of Mohamed V. It is a lovely building that is guarded by Royal guards, who looked impressive in their finery.

Then it was on to Tangier, a port city. We are staying in a historic hotel where once Matisse stayed and painted. He even painted a view from the hotel.

We walked around for a bit but the shops had no appeal for us—guess we are all shopped out or at least for the Moroccan shops. We are ready for our next adventure—getting out of Morocco. Next stop Gibraltar.

[kmurphy77]

Day 12 Tuesday, May 28

Casablanca, Morocco

We said good bye to Marrakech and moved on to Casablanca. Along the way we got in the mood by watching the classic movie, Casablanca, with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

Of course, the movie, while set in Casablanca, was totally filmed in California. So there really wasn’t a Rick’s Cafe but an enterprising restaurateur did open one and duplicated the exterior of the movie version as close a she could. Still, the movie gives a romantic feel to a city that is actually a modern financial center and the largest city in Morocco.

We had a brief tour around the city, which naturally included a large mosque, had lunch overlooking the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, and took a break from Moroccan cuisine with a delicious Brazilian dinner. Our time in Morocco is winding down as we have only one more night after tonight until we are back on the ferry to Gibraltar.

[kmurphy77]

Day 11 Monday, May 27th

Marrakech, Morocco

We started the day with a trip to the outskirts of Marrakech and a visit to the home of a Berber family. We toured their home and the grandmother made us a delicious breakfast of Moroccan pancakes with homemade butter and honey.

Then it was off to a tour around Marrakech, the Royal palace, mosque and Jewish quarter, followed by some free time to shop the market.

Haggling is a way of life here made even more interesting with the added complications of different currencies, (dirhams, euros & dollars), Visa or cash. It was great fun and we got our share of shopping done!

[kmurphy77]

Day 10 Sunday, May 26th

Marrakech, Moroccow

We have arrived in Marrakech! It is what most people think of when they picture Morocco. The topography changed from green and trees to red clay and dessert. The temperature also increased so it was in the high 90’s.

It was a long drive from Fes to Marrakech and it took most of the day. We had several rest stops along the way which included lunch at McDonald’s. It was nice to have familiar food and nice and free restrooms, something that you quickly learn to appreciate here.

During the drive, we watched an Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Man Who Knew Too Much, with Doris Day and Jimmy Stewart, because the scene in the restaurant was filmed in the same restaurant we were to have dinner. When we got to the restaurant we all recognized it from the film.

Dinner was a typical Moroccan meal and accompanied, again, by belly dancers. It was an enjoyable time.

Then we walked through the market and square, which was amazing. All crowed together were fruit stands, shopping stalls selling nearly everything you could want, tourists, locals, horse drawn carriages, performers and more! It was people everywhere!

[kmurphy77]

Day 9 Saturday, May 25th

Fez, Morocco

Touring the old shopping district, Medina, was the first event of the day. It really was an intense experience. Some of the streets are beyond narrow and the rest are just narrow and lined with small shops selling most everything you can think of.

You share the way with locals doing their regular shopping, tourists, like us, speaking a variety of languages, and even donkeys transporting goods. There were people, cats and activity everywhere. It could easily be overwhelming.

We bought a few things and then it was back to the hotel for a brief break before we were back on the bus to visit a local family of Berbers, who live in a cave. Actually, they now have a house above the cave but they still use the caves as a dining room and a living room since it is cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

Dinner was a group thing at a Moroccan restaurant. Entertainment was a couple of belly dancers and some very loud drum playing roving musicians. My ears are still ringing. 😉 Even though I am not a big fan of Moroccan food, it was a fun night.

[kmurphy77]

Day 8 Friday, May 24rd

Fes, Morocco

A big travel day today. We left, a bit earlier than usual, from Seville so that we could catch the ferry in Tarifa, Spain to Tangier, Morocco. It was quite an experience and I was glad we had a guide to help us through. We had to personally take all our luggage and put it through security similar to our airport security. We went through security on one side, while the bus went through it’s own security check and then more security checks on the other side.

The ferry ride across the Strait of Gibraltar was about an hour long and very crowded. Fortunately our guide got our Moroccan visa stamps so we didn’t have to wait in the hour long ride on the boat to get one (yes, the line took the entire time of the trip across!).

Next it was back on the bus for a three hour drive to our stop for the next two days—Fes. The roads were two lane and were one twist and turn after another. There were also many local trucks piled high (beyond what seemed reasonable) with straw as well as several trucks filled with what looked like propane tanks.

It was a long, tiring day. Probably the longest of our tour but we are in Morocco at last. To visit Morocco has been a wish of mine for a long time—and here we are!

[kmurphy77]

Day 7 Thursday, May 23rd

Seville, Spain

Today, the day started with a two hour drive to Córdoba to see a magnificent cathedral, the Mezquita or Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, that was originally a mosque.

It was easy to see both the Islamic and the Christian influence. It is a very popular attraction and even though our guide said the crowds were smaller than normal—it was people practically wall to wall!

A quick lunch and it was time for a flamenco lesson followed by a flamenco performance by a professional dancer. We had never seen flamenco dancing before so it was quite an experience.

[kmurphy77]

Day 6 Wednesday, May 22nd

Seville, Spain

A longer travel day today—about four hours, which brought us to back to Spain and Seville. It has been on the cool side before today but now we have arrived to hot weather. Fortunately, it’s not summer hot when temperatures of 110+ are not uncommon here in Seville.

Seville is a beautiful city filled with amazing buildings. We took a tour of the Reales Alcazares or the Royal Place. In the 900’s it began as a Moorish citadel but as the composition of Seville society changed in the 1300’s it became the Royal Palace for the Spanish King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabela.

Later we went to a tapas restaurant and had an assortment of tapas or small plates for dinner while being entertained by a singer with a guitar. As usual, it was all delicious and filling.

Dinner was followed by ride in a horse drawn carriage. It was a delightful evening.

[kmurphy77]

Day 5 Tuesday May 21st

Lisbon, Portugal

A busy day! We started the day with a sightseeing trip around Lisbon and stopped in the Carriage Museum.

I didn’t know what to expect at the museum but it turned out to be quite interesting seeing an variety of horse drawn carriages that were used by royalty before the age of the automobile. They wanted everyone to know that they were someone special and their carriages reflected that sentiment.

That was followed by a trip to the Portuguese Riviera. Another interesting place with lovely scenery, good food and great shopping! Followed by a tour through a royal palace inspired by Versailles.

At night, we were treated to dinner followed by a showcase of Fago singing. Fago is a Portuguese style of singing, which apparently is sad and mournful and all in Portuguese accompanied by guitar and cello.

[kmurphy77]

Day 4 Monday May 20th

Salamanca, Spain, Fatima, and Lisbon, Portugal

After, we left behind the beautiful city of Salamanca, our next stop was Fatima. Fatima is the place where the Virgin Mary appeared to three young Portuguese children six times starting in 1917 and culminating with the “Miracle of the Sun”, when the sun danced around the sky in the presence of over 70,000.

We lit some very tall candles with our prayer intentions, toured the church and saw the burial sites of the three children and walked the immense plaza.

Then back onto the bus and on to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. We had an excursion to a waterside seafood restaurant, where we were treated to an abundance of clams, crab, shrimp and other assorted dishes. It was all delicious and accompanied by free flowing wine and beer. We discovered a wine they call Green wine, which is from a particular region of Portugal. It was quite delicious. We hope to find some in the US when we get home.

[kmurphy77]

Day 3 Sunday May 19th

Madrid, Avila, and Salamanca, Spain

We are off and running! We started the day with a bus tour around Madrid and a guided tour of the Prada Museum. Madrid has beautiful buildings and monuments. The Prada Museum is a well known art museum with an amazing collection that includes such painters as Goya, El Greco and Titian.

After appreciating the highlights of the Prado we headed to Salamanca with a lunch stop in Avila. The ancient walls that still surround Avila gives it a peaceful and timeless feel which is accentuated by the fact that it is also the place that gave us St. Teresa of Avila, a saint from the order of Carmelites and great teacher of the Catholic faith. The only downside to our stop was that it was raining and naturally I had neither hood nor umbrella.

Then on to our stop for the night, Salamanca.

Salamanca is a old city with lots of historical buildings with many still in use. We had a good dinner served by an entertaining waiter. Then we went to mass in a beautiful ancient church. We got to the church a bit early and there were only a handful of people but by the time mass started it was standing room only. Amazing! I’m sure the homily was inspiring too except since it was all in Spanish, I didn’t understand a word!

[kmurphy77]

Day 2 Saturday, May 18th

Madrid, Spain

We had the day free before we joined our tour so my plan was to tour the Royal Palace. Apparently, it was everyone else’s plan too since tickets sold out days ahead. I had no idea it was so very popular. So we changed our plans, which led to us getting lots of steps! We first walked to the Museum of History and learned about some of the turbulent times of Madrid especially about the French invasion by Napoleon’s troops.

Then we walked to the Royal Palace. Since we didn’t have tickets to see the inside we did around the massive building. It is beautiful and well worth the effort.

Back at the hotel we had our first meeting with our fellow travelers followed by a group dinner. Our group is an interesting mix of people from Australia, Singapore, the Philippines, Canada and various places in the US including Florida, Texas and California. Now the adventure officially begins!