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Spain and Portugal—October
Linda and Tom Averill
Slide Show of Photos with captions at end of trip information 

In October, Tom and I, along with six friends travelled to Spain and Portugal over a 17-day period of time.  The weather was perfect, often in the upper 60’s/ low 70’s with only one day of rain.  The crowds were down in most places.

We found October to be a lovely time to travel around the Iberian Peninsula.  We rented two cars at the Barcelona airport upon our departure from that city and returned them to the Madrid airport upon our arrival there.  Driving was fairly easy as we avoided driving entirely in Barcelona and Madrid.

Our itinerary was as follows:  Barcelona (including inspirational Monserrat); San Domingo de la Calzada in La Rioja wine region;  San Sebastián and Bilbao in Basque territory; Porto and the most beautiful Douro Valley wine region in Portugal; and finally the stunning capital city of Madrid.  

I can’t say enough about each of our major stops.  Each offered much to see, wonderful food and drink, and good accommodations fairly reasonably priced.  I’m happy to share any details with folks. 

This is our second trip to Spain in the last two years.  Both trips have featured the more northern reaches of the country. We hope to visit the south soon!  

In Santo Domingo, we reserved accommodations in one of Spain’s famous paradors.  This one was a converted hospital located adjacent to the Camino de Santiago which allowed me a life-time dream of setting foot on this holy footpath.  

​The surrounding La Rioja wine region is filled with gorgeous vineyards and world class wineries.  Most offer daily tastings.

San Sebastián was a foodie’s delight as we sampled one treat after another in the town’s infamous pintxo bars.  So very delicious!  And the city is very beautiful with both river and seafront views.

Bilbao was an unexpected favorite.  Beyond the mind-blowing Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry, the city has much to offer along its riverfront and authentic old town.  I loved this stop.  The scenery between Bilbao and San Sebastián is also breathtaking.  We made a lengthy stop at a tiny fishing village on the Bay of Biscay.  Lunch there was divine.

Porto is touristy but the sites are worth the crowds:  gorgeous tiled churches and buildings; an energetic and active river-front; and a very picturesque and interesting old town. The nearby Douro Valley is incredibly beautiful. We took a full day tour of this famous wine country sampling along the way.  It was a most memorable day. 

Barcelona remains one of my most favorite cities in the world.  It has everything:  charming and interesting neighborhoods; a gorgeous waterfront; delicious restaurants and cafes; music and art everywhere; a history that is significant; and the unbelievable architecture of Antoni Gaudi including the unparalleled Sagrada Familia. I walked the streets of Barcelona for hours on this trip as I had during the last visit, feeling safe and totally mesmerized by the mystery and secrets of this most wonderful city.

Simply put, Madrid is undoubtedly one of Europe’s grand cities.  One could easily spend weeks there, just barely scratching the surface.  Time in the Prado Museum alone could take up several days’ time to do it justice.  Again, it’s a city where walks reveal one surprise after another.  I love it.

I highly recommend the Iberian Peninsula as a travel destination.  It offers the traveler so much diversity, incredible scenery, delicious food, reasonable prices, ease of travel, and lovely people.  It is a winner!