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Trip to Spain and France--September 2017
Linda and Tom Averill and Tanya
Slide Show of Photos with captions at end of trip information

This September Tom and I took daughter Tanya to northern Spain and the Dordogne, France for a ten-day vacation in celebration of a momentous birthday for her.  It was a lovely journey highlighted by interesting Catalan politics, the genius of Antoni Gaudi, delicious tapas/pintxos, and beautiful landscapes. We did not cover much ground so driving was fairly easy and finding accommodations equally painless.  We did have reservations in Barcelona- at the Regencia Colon in the Barri Gotic neighborhood and recommended by Rick Steves.  It was perfect!   We rented our car through Europcar picking up and dropping off at its Barcelona airport location.  We did not drive in Barcelona! We found this company to be reasonable and efficient.

During our two-day stay in Barcelona, we visited the Gothic Cathedral and Gaudi's unfinished masterpiece, La Familia Sagrada.  We walked the famous Ramblas boulevard stopping for paella and tapas whenever possible!  We bought tickets for the Hop-on, Hop-off bus tour which allowed us to see much of the city and get off at various sites.  It is a great way to see a larger city. We loved the huge central market, La Boqueria.  I was disappointed that we never got to the Picasso museum.  Next time!

Following our several days visit to Barcelona, we headed toward Spanish Basque territory.  This was of great interest to me as one of my two most favorite Spanish teachers was a Basque!  It did not disappoint.  We spent two overnights in this region- at Olite/Tafalla and at San Sebastián, home of the infamous pintxo crawls!  

We then crossed the border into French Basque territory visiting the beautiful Atlantic coastal town of St. Jean de Luz on the edge of the Pyrenees.  We then headed for town of Sarlat in the heart of the Dordogne and our key location for our time in this gorgeous region.  We visited many medieval villages, many fortified and possessing well preserved castles.  We also spent several hours visiting one of many caves protecting pre-historic Cro-Magnon paintings.  Today, many of the exhibits are reproductions. We chose a smaller site, Grottes de Cougnac, in order to see authentic, actual drawings.  It was a thrilling experience.

Next on our itinerary was the UNESCO World Heritage site of Carcassonne, an incredibly preserved medieval, double-walled city. We stayed at a quirky B and B type accommodation within the walled portion of the city and loved every minute especially our view of the magnificent basilica complete with gargoyles and turrets.  

We ended our trip where we began... in beautiful Barcelona enjoying our wanderings down narrow lanes, into quiet squares and hidden tavernas.  We got caught up in the Catalan excitement, purchasing t-shirts and flags to bring home.

I would do this trip again... exactly the same route but spending at least two full weeks.