Spain

Vigo (July 19)

After leaving Malaga, we travelled to north to Morocco and Portugal before our final stop, six days later, in Vigo Spain. 

Vigo is fantastic. Completely walkable, lots to see and do, and many beautiful piazzas. 

After a bit of site seeing, we stopped and had a snack. We actually found a nice little cafe that offered piquillo peppers. 

These tasty little peppers look and smell just like green chilis. They roast them, salt them with sea salt, and serve them warm. Unlike their NM cousins, they do not require peeling, and you eat them seeds and all. 

We were in heaven, as this little fix may need to hold us over for a few more months. Thank you Vigo!

Next stop, Ireland! But that will be a story onto itself. 

Thank you for visiting. 

– Mike

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On July 8th,we arrived in Palma, a popular little gothic city on the island of Mallorca, Spain. 

The island is best known for its beautiful beaches and the massive Santa María cathedral. 

We enjoyed the cathedral, the castle, and exploring the nice parks, fountains and plazas. 

Leaving the island, the  following day, we visited the main land, the Catalonia Cartagena (pronounced kaa · tuh · heh · nuh) region of Spain. Known for its many castles, over 700 are still standing. In fact, Catalonia translated to “Castle Land”. 

The official language, but everyone speaks English, French and Spanish, as well as Mandarin. 

Our first stop was for a two day visit. Having been to Barcelona twice in the past, we had arranged an extended private  “Three Country” tour to visit several smaller villages in the Alps between Spain and a France. 

About an hour out of the big city was the sleepy little village of Bagas, Francein the majestic mountains of Cadi-Moixero National Park. Its 2,500 residents are very lucky. The village consists of a few cobblestone streets weaving their way through a few fountains and medieval buildings that are now cafes and inns.

This would be a great place to hunker down for several days. There are very few tourists, and many hiking trails. We really enjoyed the solitude. 

Crossing the border, our next stop was the ski town of Ax-Les-Thermes, France. This was a bery cool place, with lots of hot springs and natural fountains. The little town of 1,400 very much reminded us of Los Alamos, and it was uncanny how much the surrounding area looked like Jemez. 

We had a really good lunch with friends at an outdoor cafe at the base of the ski lifts. Super nice place! I could see us spending a vacation here!

Our next stop was the little known county of Andorra, located John in the picturesque Pyrenees Alps between Spain and France.  

This entire area reminded me a lot of Estes Park. 

Endora is a “micro-country”. It is not part of the European Union, but it uses the Euro. It is really different and very awesome!

Governed by two people, neither from Endora, the Spanish Bishop, and the French President oversee this independent country. It previously also included a (third) Russian ruler, but as of most recently, that is no longer the case. 

The entire country is only 181 square miles, and consists of one main road. There is no  airport or train station. And while it has 80,000 citizens, it has very few tourist, and is primarily one city (Andorra la Vella) located in the middle of the 20 mile long road making up the county. 

The main city is built in a valley , with multi-story apartments built high up the steep mountains on either side of the main road. The downtown area consists primarily of one long wide partially covered outdoor mall. 

Speaking of the main road, this 20 mile road is much like the road between Los Alamos and Jemez(but maybe not so windy). About average 5 miles, there is a roundabout, and a  small town or village.  The country’s only two traffic light are located at either end of the road, at the boarder patrol checkpoints. (Since it is not part of the EU, you have to show your passports, etc. in order to cross over to Spain to the South, or France to the North.)

It was a nice distraction to get away from the coast and visit some small mountain communities. What a lovely day indeed!

The following day in Barcelona, we recovered a bit, and prepared for a little pot luck get together with a handful of other couple. Everyone brought wine and local charcuterie board items. Yummo!

 If you ever get to Barcelona, the Basilica, Park Güell, and La Rambla in the Gothic Quarter are must-see sights. I’ve included a couple of photos here from previous visit.  

Early the next day we visited València, Spain, where we enjoyed a castle and a few churches.

We also tried some Pallia (pronounced pie·ay·uh) a traditional Spanish crispy rice dish with seafood, chicken and saffron. (We have tried this popular dish several other time when visiting the region, but this was the first one that was outstanding.) A test image to getting off of the beaten (touristy) path, and figuring out where the locals eat!

The following day, we visited Cartagena. We strolled the marble walkways, shopping and visiting a handful of local sites on the famous Calle Mayor Street. We found a secluded little outdoor tavern tucked into a shady gothic alleyway. The whiskey-barrel  tables and breakfast tapas were a welcomed distraction. 

We especially enjoyed the traditional Asiático, a unique blend of local coffee, a local brandy, and condensed milk. Art in a cup! 

After a bit of sightseeing and shopping on the long marble-laden passageways, we settled in for some early evening tapas at a local venue before returning to the ship. 

A Nice little place, that Cartagena…

So for our last day in Spain, we had a quick tour of the small city of Magaga. We had been here before, and it is delightful! 

However, today’s adventures took us on another journey to Granada, which is located in the (believe it or not) Sierra Nevada Mountains of Spain, just outside the village of Santa Fe. Boy did we feel at home!

Upon arrival, we walked about, enjoying the architecture and the cool mountain breezes. 

Granada was a nice town, and we enjoyed the drive.  

As we bid Spain a fond farewell, we once again sailed through the Straights of Gibraltar,  with our sites set on Morocco. But same ol’ story amigos. That is yet, another story…

Thanks for visiting. 
– Mike
“The last time the boy slept at grandma’s house he told her that portraits of her face had been painted on the inside of his eyelids…” – Bob Thurber, Microfictions In 50 Words!