Spain

  • Spain

    Montserrat

    May 6, 2016 - By 

    Less than an hour’s drive, the monastery retreat to mountaintop Montserrat is perhaps the most popular day trip from Barcelona. With all the options of transportation (train, cable car, funicular, private car hire, and bus tours) it’s no wonder that this excursion is a touristy one. To the Catalonians and Catholic pilgrims the monastery is a significant site, and to the tourists like me the monastery’s setting of rock formations is a day trip of scenic hiking. In order to experience Montserrat in peace, we opted out of the cable car and funicular. We could have driven up to the…

  • Spain

    Barcelona

    May 5, 2016 - By 

    We fell in love with Barcelona. I mean, how could we not? Beaches. City life. Perfect spring weather. Fantastic eats. Dance music and parties. Hospitable and laid back Spanish culture. And finally, Antonio Gaudi’s psychedelic architecture. Several motorhome parking lots lied in the heart of the city but due to their hefty price tags of €30/night, we opted for the free motorhome parking lot 9 miles away in Colonia Guell. And unlike the expensive parking lots in the city, the free lot even had free water and dump! Although the nearest metro station (Colonia Guell, a Zone 2 stop) was…

  • Spain

    Benidorm (Serra Gelada)

    May 3, 2016 - By 

    Breaking up the lengthy drive between Granada and Barcelona meant random short stops along the Spanish coast, which meant seeing more of tourist-free Spain.  Upon looking at the map, the coastal park of Serra Gelada caught my eye and we ended up spending some time in Benidorm and its park.  Unfortunately more time was needed to hike across the entire park (8 km, 4 hours, 1-way only), so we opted for a short walk instead.  Fortunately, there were still awesome views. Walking through downtown Benidorm reminded us of a spring break getaway…for the Brits.  English pubs and young British people galore, dressed…

  • Spain

    Alhambra de Granada

    May 2, 2016 - By 

    Remnants of Islamic rule can be seen throughout Andalusia, and nothing says it more than the defining piece of the grand Alhambra. Originally the structure was a small fortress built on top of Roman ruins in the 9th century, and then later those fortress’s ruins were rebuilt into a palace in the 13th century by the Moors. This renovated palace became a royal palace, but by the end of the 15th century after Christian reconquest, the royal palace became the Royal Court of Ferdinand and Isabella. By the 16th century, the palace/fortress was given a bit of Renaissance flair. Although further renovation…

  • Spain

    Torcal de Antequera

    April 28, 2016 - By 

    After a day in Ronda, we arrived to the city and center of Andalusia of Antequera by nightfall.  We thought we would just be spending the night there, but instead, upon discovery of the nearby nature reserve of Torcal de Antequera, we ended up hiking the next day. Millions of years ago the sea carved out these rock formations, and millions of years later snow, wind, and rain continued to carve the same formations into what we see today, called a karst topography.  These rock formations are considered to be some of the most impressive rock formations in Europe, and remind us of formations…

  • Spain

    Ronda

    April 27, 2016 - By 

    The autonomous state of Andalusia packs an area so diverse, so historic, so beautiful that there are even travel guidebooks of the region for the Spanish. From peninsular Cadiz, to coastal Malaga, to the mountainous Sierra Nevada, Andalusia seems to have more than some European countries have to offer. Seville, Andalusia’s capital, is a dazzling city in not just Andalusia but all of Spain as it prides itself as Spain’s flamenco capital. What makes the region historically fascinating is the Islamic reign from the 8th to 15th centuries, as evident in Cordoba’s famous mosque and Spain’s most grand monument, the Alhambra de Granada.…

  • Spain

    Gibraltar

    April 26, 2016 - By 

    Gibraltar wasn’t on my radar until I discovered the following: How cool the Gibraltar rock and its views of Africa were.  Yay, epic views! How suitable it was as a day trip.  Yay, just the right amount of time! And it was British territory. Yay, English! Weather played a significant role for our visit to Gibraltar.  Knowing that the highlight would be to gaze across the Mediterranean at Northern Africa, the sun had to be shining.  I planned to enjoy Gibraltar either before or after our excursion to Morocco, and due to unpredictable weather earlier on, we saved Gibraltar for after. I’m so glad…

  • Spain

    Central Spain

    April 8, 2016 - By 

    One option to road tripping Spain was to drive along the entire coast, which would include Portugal’s scenic coast.  But I couldn’t pass up the trio cluster of cities in central Spain: Segovia, Madrid, and Toledo…Segovia for the ancient Roman aqueducts, Madrid for the lively cultural modern-day capital, and Toledo for the stunning fusion of religious structures.  Situated only a 1-1.5 hours drive apart from each other, visiting all three cities was convenient, easy, and surprisingly unique enough to differentiate themselves from one another. Segovia was the first stop after Picos de Europa.  Even parking was a Spanish experience; there was a free RV parking lot…

  • Spain

    Picos de Europa

    April 5, 2016 - By 

    People rave about the national parks of the U.S., Patagonia in South America, the whole country of New Zealand, and the French/Swiss Alps. No one speaks of Picos de Europa, and I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. I’m amazed little is known about Spain’s 2nd largest national park, but for now, I’ll assume the unknown is a good thing in order to keep this special place a secret. Unlike major national parks in the U.S., Picos de Europa does not have a fee booth. As a matter of fact, what makes Picos de Europa so special is…

  • Spain

    San Sebastian

    April 4, 2016 - By 

    Typically we try to avoid beach resort towns.  Jacked prices, rip-offs, crowds, and heat top the list of reasons to steer clear from them.  But with its convenient location across the Spanish-French border in Basque country, and with the brisk Easter Sunday weather beckoning us to play outdoors, we knew there couldn’t be any harm in dropping by San Sebastian.  And we were glad we did. Fortunately it was Easter Sunday, which meant free parking, and plenty of it.  After parking in the neighborhood streets we stumbled upon Miramar Palace: My favorite view overlooking Playa de la Concha was from the hill of…