Cordoba Spain
Our first stop in Andalusia was Cordoba, where we spent four days/nights. We loved walking around the cobblestone streets in the historic old city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Cordoba was an important Roman city and a major Islamic center in the Middle Ages. It was pretty overwhelming visiting the massive old mosque known as La Mezquita. Of course, being in Spain we had to enjoy tapas throughout the day – and wonder why we don’t do this all the time, instead of eating large plates three times a day… Linda had a cooking session where I took photographs and sampled the results. Yummm! In preparation for the upcoming Cruz de Mayo, there were several large crosses around town decorated with flowers, and we ran into some flamenco street performances. And of course before leaving Cordoba we just HAD to visit the local Hammam for a soak, scrub and massage….
Alhambra, Granada Spain
We took one day to drive out to the Alhambra in Grenada, the most visited site in all of Spain. Gorgeous grounds and structures, dating back to AD899. Plus it’s quite amazing to stand in a room where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella commissioned Columbus to set sail westward in (“Anyone? Anyone?”) 1492.
White Villages, southern Spain
On the route to and from Granada, we’d pass by these beautiful little towns/villages all decked out in white (creatively called “the white villages”). We stopped in one such village by the name of Iznajar…
Seville Spain
While we thoroughly enjoyed Cordoba, we fell in love with Sevilla. Of course, that may have had something to do with the fact that we arrived the week of the Feria de Abril, a weeklong celebration of flamenco, bullfighting and fun – and we were all in! It was certainly a photographer’s dream, what with all the folks dressed in their flamenco best, ferried around in flower-decorated horse-drawn carriages. The main event is held at the fairgrounds where organizations and families have tents set up serving food, drink and dancing. What great fun!! Walking around Seville brought us to some incredible structures, including the massive Alcazar (Moorish castle) - another UNESCO site. One is struck not only by its massive scale, but by the intricacies of all the carvings and various structures. And I was overwhelmed by the massive Plaza de Espana - and had the good fortune of some colorfully-clad women doing their own photoshoot! Of course, we had to attend a flamenco show one night – and keep eating tapas…
Bullfight - Seville Spain
And finally, we HAD to go to the bullfight in the magnificent Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza, which is almost 300 years old. I had some misgivings about attending, given it is a brutal sport, but it is such a part of Spain’s history, I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity – and as a photographer, how could I NOT. It was truly an amazing spectacle – though Linda didn’t make it through the first of the nine bullfights. This event featured the matadors on horses, which I had never heard of – but it was amazing to watch. And glad to see that one of the three matadors was a young woman… Anyway, Sevilla was an incredible experience, and a place we hope to visit again…
Algarve Region, Portugal
From Sevilla we headed west into the Algarve region of Portugal. The countryside was spectacular and the miles and miles of olive orchards were mesmerizing. We made one stop for a boat cruise to see the caves and cliffs on the southern coast. And I got to photograph the sunrise at Sagres, the westernmost point in the region, complete with lighthouse
Lisbon, Portugal
From there we drove north to Lisbon, which is a beautiful city, with its hills and trolley cars. Mostly we just enjoyed walking around this beautiful city, though all the hills made this a bit strenuous at times… We also enjoyed the Fado Museum, celebrating the mournful melodies birthed here – and then got more at a dinner/performance nearby. Of course I had to visit its famous cemetery, Cemeterio dos Prazeres, where Linda enjoyed sticking her nose in the broken doors of the crypts…They also have a huge structure celebrating those Portuguese innovators and their feats – many of which I never heard of – and a few I had forgotten where they came from (Vasco da Gama! Ferdinand Magellan!). Who knew?
Sintra Portugal and the coast
We also took a private tour of the small town of Sintra with its Pena Palace, a multi-colored structure with a spectacular view of the Atlantic and the Portuguese Riviera (and another UNESCO site). This site dates back to the Middle Ages. We also drove to the coast where we stopped for the westernmost point in Europe (Cabo da Roca), as well as the beautiful coastal town of Cascais, and a great meal of local fish baked in sea salt.
Porto Portugal
In spite of all my planning, Ms. Linda always seems to upend my best laid plans somehow…so we re-arranged our final days with a train ride to Porto. What a magnificent city, set on the beautiful Douro River. A walking tour overwhelms, including a stop at “Harry Potter’s Bookstore (inspiration to native J.K. Rowling),” a beautiful train station replete with massive blue and white tiles, trams, and more. Of course, no visit would be complete without a Port wine tasting, choosing among many, many wineries lining the south shore of the Douro River.