by Wendy
It has been busy. I miss writing about travel. I also miss Spain although Jack and I were just there last week. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Spain
Three Cheers for Train Travel
by Wendy
Train travel can be nostalgic, modern, adventurous, efficient, rustic, glamorous, educational – provoking many combinations of potentially contradictory impressions. I love planes (and hanging out in airports), and I love road trips. But trains are also cool. And the European high-speed train network is super-cool. Continue reading
Valladolid: Miss one Party, Find Another
by Wendy
Follow me on twitter @wendylooksleaps
For all my posts on Spain, I still haven’t written about one of the stories Jack and I tell the most. It takes place in an area north of Madrid, where Jack had a quick business appointment. I’m convinced that whether you spend 18 days or 18 hours in a Spanish city, you will see or do something interesting. Especially if you stay flexible and change plans as opportunity presents itself.
Enjoying the view from our hotel balcony… the day after the festival
Feeling at Home in Madrid
by Wendy
Follow me on twitter @wendylooksleaps
My husband Jack said I am a collector of cities. I love trying to find a connection to the energy and color and diverse daily scenes of cities I visit. Cities offer reinvention and reassurance. They spark imagination. You learn to share your living space with others, while you’re also challenged to showcase uniqueness. There is an art to living in a city.
Madrid is the city we’ve visited most often in Spain. It is magical to me. History and cutting-edge are side by side. The landmark plazas and modern restaurants. The seedy and the sophisticated. The architecture and museums. It can feel like New York City, a night owl’s haven, a refuge for the weird, a sense that there is always a new discovery no matter how many streets you wander. I’ve heard other visitors sound less enthusiastic, but I love Madrid and will always try to claim it as one of my cities. In my mind I pretend that I’m more than a tourist. Instead, Jack and I have a relationship with Madrid, we’re on familiar terms. There’s no real must-see must-do list. We keep the camera-crazy gaping to a minimum and instead, play it cool. Well we try. Here are some city scenes/observations from our recent stops at the beginning and end of our fall road trip. Continue reading
Pictures of Pamplona Post
by Wendy
Follow me on twitter @wendylooksleaps
Jack and I were in Pamplona for one night – probably less than 24 hours total. We usually try to avoid those kind of short stays, but it was a road trip with a full itinerary and we wanted to visit this famous capital of Spain’s Navarre region. Here are a few photos of our time in this elegant city. Continue reading
Pilgrims and Partiers in Logrono
by Wendy
Follow me on twitter @wendylooksleaps
We felt a little tired when we got to Logrono, Spain. Jack and I were about midway through our 2 week road trip, moving at a fairly fast pace through Madrid, Valladolid, La Seca, Saint Jean de Luz and San Sebastian. It was time to catch our breath and stay in the same place for 3 whole nights – and Logrono was the perfect spot for this. Continue reading
Spain Again! A Note on the Fun of Repeat Visits
Trip #3 was very special – my parents joined us! Celebrating our first night in Cordoba
by Wendy
Follow me on twitter @wendylooksleaps
Jack and I had a rare 2 week vacation and we spent at least 2 months debating where to go. We sketched out a few different itineraries in countries we’ve never visited. And after discussion and research…we happily decided to go back to Spain for the fourth time. Continue reading
The Art of Paying the Check in Spain
By Wendy
American visitors can be surprised by how long it takes to get the bill after eating in Spain (or France and some other European countries). If you’re sitting down at a table and served by a waiter or waitress, you’ll almost always have to ask for la cuenta por favor – they don’t just bring it when it looks like you’re about finished eating. And even when you ask, it could be awhile. Relax and get used to this, because you will likely run into it. And you’ll quickly see how this endearing custom of lingering at the table to enjoy food, drinks and good company, is very addictive and fun. Continue reading
Spain for one week: Itinerary #3
by Wendy
This is part 3 of my series on one week itineraries (nine days counting both weekends) in Spain. The third Spain trip took place in 2013 and was very special, since my parents were going with us! They had never been before, so we designed an itinerary with them in mind. This evolved over several conversations as we researched logistics and available hotels. We debated including Cadaques, or exploring Rioja, but thought we’d have to skip the Andalusia region as a result. A week itinerary does require some very tough choices! So we ultimately decided to include Madrid (again, easy to fly into and all-around all-star city), keep Andalusia but visit Cordoba (a new city for me and Jack), Valencia (must-see Spanish coast and another new city for me and Jack), Barcelona (Gaudi of course), then back to Madrid for the weekend. Continue reading
Spain for one week: Itinerary #2
by Wendy
Welcome to part 2 of my series on one week itineraries (nine days counting both weekends) in Spain. The second trip was made in 2012 and covers: Madrid-Barcelona-Cadaques-Madrid