Road Trippin’ around Spain
It’s all coming back to me
This was our second road trip around Spain and there is certainly still no end in sight, as to the marvels this historical country serves up.
Returning from any trip there are always memories that remain with you, whether it was a landscape, a landmark or a funny moment you shared, they will always be there.
That’s why we enjoy gathering together these snippets from a trip and sharing them with you, to tempt you to go and create memories you can share with us.
We chose to visit 10 destinations, Gary and I have selected our most outstanding memories and highlights of this wonderful road trip. There were so many to choose from.
A helpful guide
There are so many incredible places to discover in Spain and I love planning road trips. I often use the DK Eyewitness books, I find them extremely informative, easy to follow and the pictures and maps tempt you into searching for more.
We used a previous version of this book to plan our Spanish road trips, now you can grab the revised copy.
There were two occasions on this trip where I was actually stopped in my tracks by the awe-inspiring feat of human engineering before me. The first was the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba.
I had seen pictures of the forest of pillars within the Mezquita before, however they really do not do justice to the magnificence when you see it up close.
The second was the Roman Aqueduct in Segovia. Once again this really needs to be seen to be believed.
It is incredible the lengths the Romans went to deliver water, and not a trowel of cement was used in building it.
The Alcázar of Segovia which is on the receiving end of the aqueduct, sits proud like a bow of a ship at the far end of Segovia.
There is no wondering why this town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Metropol Parasol or giant mushrooms in Seville was another highlight.
Strolling around the top of this wooden structure with a view across the rooftops of the Old Quarter of Seville was fantastic.
Some of you may think why have we left out Seville’s Alcázar & Cathedral, well this was our 3rd visit to Seville and we had previously visited those sights.
However, Gary & I always go on about how much we love Seville to our family and friends, so in essence the whole of Seville is a highlight.
The lovely sand stone town of Cáceres, with its Moorish architecture enveloping around you.
Admiring the Hanging Houses in Cuenca, appearing to cling to the side of the rock face, really makes you ask the question why? I certainly wouldn’t want to live in there.
The UNESCO Roman Theatre & Amphitheatre of Mérida was a lovely surprise.
I certainly didn’t think it was going to be so impressive.
Strolling the whitewashed cobbled lanes of Córdoba & admiring the courtyards.
Bilbao was an absolute pleasure, it exceeded all our expectations.
Not only was the Basque town a lovely place to wander around, we found the locals to be extremely friendly.
Their Pintxo, (Basque style Tapas that is normally skewered, or 'pinned to'), was pretty amazing too, particularly in the Mercado.
Now of course the Plaza de España in Seville, has to be on my list, morning, noon or night.
Those lovely white windmills across La Mancha are always a delight to see.
We visited the Guardians of Consuegra on our last trip, this time we ventured to Campo de Criptana.
Sipping a crisp glass of wine watching the sun set across the Moorish landscape of Cáceres.
Our last visit to Santander was all too brief, this time we spent a full day discovering this elegant town.
Discovering the many statues dotted around the Asturian city of Oviedo.
Whilst driving through the Cantabrian region of Spain we visited the Medieval village of Santillana del Mar, which is along the Camino de Santiago route.
It’s like stepping back in time wandering around the cobbled lanes.
The eye-catching Renaissance architecture in Úbeda & Baeza, is truly worth a visit, along with their abundance of olives.
Our main treasure from Spain has to be the little bar ‘Casa Plácido’ in the old town. This is where we decided to hatch the plan for this travel blog.
There was us thinking that whilst we were in Seville that sherry was a traditional tipple of the region. But no, Seville had its own, ‘Vino de Naranja’ similar to sherry but with an orange flavour (well it would be in Seville).
I would say a bit of an acquired taste, Gary enjoyed it.
Touring through the olives groves in Andalucia was particularly memorable, especially with the fragrance of olives in the air.
This was one of the occasions that Gary could fly the drone without an audience.
Calimocho, or Kalimotxo in Basque – basically red wine, cola and ice.
Don’t knock it until you have tried it, honestly. In the sunshine, it is a real treat.
As it is Janis writing this post I appear to be picking on Gary a bit, but if you are ever in Cuenca you should head to the gorge and the San Pablo Bridge that crosses it.
I am quite good with heights but the gaps in the wooden slats highlighting the 40 metre (131ft) drop below, didn’t feel me with confidence.
However, Gary’s face was an absolute picture (although he wouldn’t let me catch one).
Mmmm - Revenge is sweet. Wait until we get to the memories of Lisbon, and we cover the Pantheon.Gary
Point of Note
We embarked on this adventure for 3 weeks, but in 2014 we did a 2-week road trip taking in some similar regions. Pick and choose your favourites and weave them into your own itinerary.
Have You?
...ever done something similar? If you have any lasting memories from a Spanish road trip let us know, we would love to hear about them.
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