Andorra – a day trip to a tiny country (video)
A one-day driving trip from Barcelona to the tiny mountain country of Andorra. So where is Andorra? I’ve got a map.
Category: Europe
I hope you enjoy my travel blog (even if you aren’t diabetic!) We visited Albania in Sept 2014, England in June 2017, Iceland in June 2012, Norway in June 2016, Portugal in Sept 2016 and Scotland in Sept 2012. (I’ve also visited Scotland 16 times prior to Greg (p-Greg), but haven’t yet blogged about it yet!)
Girona – city of stairs (video)
Even cobblestone streets which should have been flat had strange levels to them. If you aren’t going up, you’re going down, in Girona. Mostly I hung onto Greg as I looked from side to side to capture all the wonderful medieval photographs.
Montserrat Day Trip from Barcelona (video)
It seemed all very complicated to get to Montserrat: Metro to the Espana Rail Station in Barcelona, then a commuter line to Montserrat, then a choice between a cable car and a cog railway, each at different train stops. Somehow a funicular fit in?
Barcelona – all Gaudi of it (video)
I was really looking forward to Barcelona because of its colorful and imaginative art and architecture. I don’t want to see paintings in a museum, I want to see color in the ceiling, frescos on the wall – I want to be immersed in the color and texture.
Zaragoza – a quick stop-over (video)
Lured by the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Aljaferia Palace” we interrupted our high-speed train trip from Cordoba to Barcelona in the city of Zaragoza. It was after the train tickets had been bought that I learned that the Aljaferia holds “siesta” hours which were completely incompatible with our train arrival time.
Córdoba (video)
From Gibraltar it was a several hours’ drive directly north to the city of Cordoba. We originally planned to see Andalucia in a clockwise direction beginning in Cordoba and heading south to Granada. But then I learned about Seville’s world famous Corpus Christi celebration and I redesigned the wheel to start in Seville and end in Córdoba.
South from Granada to Gibraltar (video)
In our rental car we headed south from Granada to Nerja, Malaga, Setenil de las Bodegas, Ronda to arrive at Gibraltar. Our biggest surprises were the caves! We are not typically cave people but the Cuevas de Nerja and St. Michael’s Cave in Gibraltar are among the most memorable sights from our entire 25 day trip.
Granada and Antequera (video)
We rented a car in Seville and headed east toward Granada. Conveniently on the way is the town of Antequera, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site the Dolmen of Menga, as well as the Alcazaba at the highest point of the town. After a brief visit and lunch, we headed on to Granada where the list of sights to see, of course, merits more than a brief stop.
Seville, Spain (video)
What a tremendous city to visit! We took the fast train from Madrid to Seville on Corpus Christi day, scheduled to put us at the cathedral exactly as the procession arrived. Sadly, the weather was spitting rain, and they cancelled Corpus Christi. The guard at the cathedral looked at me as if I had two heads when I innocently asked, “Are they postponing it ’til tomorrow?” We learned Corpus Christi is on the special Thursday, or not at all!
Six days in Madrid and its fascinating easy daytrip destinations (video)
For the first six days of our Spain adventure in June 2023 we rented an airbnb apartment in the La Latina quarter of Madrid and visited Madrid, and took personally-guided day trips via train to Cuenca, Ávila, Segovia and Toledo.
Our Spain Itinerary in a Nutshell
Actually, it’s not a nutshell, it’s a map. Here is how, when and where we went: Day 1: Flight from Boston on Iberia Air Days 2 to 7: Madrid and the surrounding towns for day trips (Cuenca, Avila, Segovia, Toledo) by train, metro and foot The logistics were a challenge:
My First Foray into Norway – Lofoten Islands and Fjords (Part 4)
I slept well, but awoke to a foggy, ugly day. We packed up, and drove again through Geiranger, and up the switchbacks to the mountain range behind the town. We stopped at the side of the road, in the cold fog, to look for photographic opportunities. It seemed Dad took forever, trying to make something of a dense fog in an Arctic landscape. To me it was plain cold and ugly.
My First Foray into Norway – Lofoten Islands and Fjords (Part 3)
The next day dawned as was foreseen, with a fresh layer of fog over the entire island chain. We found our way to the ferry terminal, and took the Skutvik ferry to the mainland, heading towards as much fog as we were leaving behind. If there is anything constant in Lofoten, it is the the weather never is.
My First Foray into Norway – Lofoten Islands and Fjords (Part 2)
What excitement the next day as we awoke to blue skies! We quickly packed up and headed back to Reine, to take pictures, then north back to Sakrisoy, Olinsoy and Hamnoy. The night before I had been happy to be wearing my ski-jacket. This day was a little warmer. The day was picture-perfect.
My First Foray into Norway – Lofoten Islands and Fjords (Part 1)
In June 2001, at the age of thirty-eight, I visited Norway with my parents Dave and Lila Kirkwood on a self-designed, self-planned and jointly executed twenty-one day expedition. It was truly a bonding experience! Part 1 – Oslo and first half of the Lofotens
Two Weeks in Norway – Our final Svalbard adventure to Nye-Alesund – Day 17 and 18
Our destination today, on a ten hour small boat trip, is Nye-Alesund, home of the northernmost post office in the world, at 78 degrees north. We would be heading directly north from Longyearbyen, first crossing huge Isfjorden which dominates the area. In fact, everywhere we had been until now was basically Isfjorden and Billefjord. Now we would head up the narrow sea Forlandsundet, which separates the major landmass from the Prins Karl Forland island.
Two Weeks in Norway – ATV Safari and “Better Moments” – Day 16
An ATV safari around Longyearbyen and to the Global Seed Vault followed by a museum visit, a hot tub experience and another boat trip in the midnight sun.
Two Weeks in Norway – Dog Carting and a POLAR BEAR – Day 15
The Day to Remember of all the days in the trip – Dog Carting with Green Dog, and our POLAR BEAR with Better Moments. What could be better?
Two Weeks in Norway – Pyramiden, Svalbard – Days 13 and 14
My goal was to get out on the water, far from the town, to increase our odds of seeing wildlife. We were partially successful in one respect and saw more than expected in other respects. Pyramiden is an abandoned Russian coal-mining town.
Two Weeks in Norway – Trondheim to Tromso – Days 8 to 12
When I searched for the ultimate itinerary for two weeks in Norway I knew that I couldn’t limit myself to Bergen and the Fjord Country – we needed to go north on the train to Bodo and ferry to the Lofoten Islands. After that? Onward to Tromso.
