While we enjoyed our travels in 2021, it seemed we were constantly making adjustments as COVID Red Flags were raised in different countries. This year - fingers crossed - things should go much smoother. It is great to be traveling again, and it seems most of Europe (or at least Spain) is getting back to normal. No masks required in most places, although maybe 5% of people you see are still using them. Our short-hop flight in Spain required masks, but that was the individual airline policy, not a government requirement.

Off to a good start? Well, our flight from Phoenix was delayed by nearly 6 hours, and while we had a planned 6 hour layover in Newark, the connection was going to be very tight at best. With the delay, many other passengers were rebooked onto other flights, and the beauty of this…we were moved into first class - all the way to Barcelona. Not bad after paying about $500 each for coach - and we did make our (delayed) connection in Newark. A great start for our travels this year after all!

We arrived in Barcelona to our hotel - a Four Points by Sheraton - and you could tell everyone was happy to see tourists coming back. After a good recovery sleep (nearly 12 hours) we got up and headed off on a small group tour to see Girona, Pals, and the seaside town of Callella de Palafrugell. Every place full of it’s own history with the town of Girona - its cathedral, ancient fortifications and picturesque location on the Onyar River, to the sea side towns history of pirates.

The cathedral in Girona was built during the 11th - 13th centuries, on the same site as the Moorish mosque built around 700 AD. It boasts the 2nd widest nave of any cathedral (about 75 ft) - second only to St.Peters in Rome. And also one of the tallest overall at something like 115 ft.

The city is built on the Onyar River and the homes/buildings give it a similar feeling as the Ponta Vecchio in Florence. As you enter the town, there is an odd pillar with some kind of animal on top, looking down at you. This is the Lioness of Girona and since the 11th century people have climbed the pillar to “kiss the ass” of the lioness for good luck. It is said that no one has ever complained of this not working in over 800 years. However, times are certainly different today as the Covid sign would indicate - no ass kissing allowed!

The town of Pals sits atop a hill with a good view of the sea. A great place to watch for pirates, although we didn’t see any. And the towns on the Costa Brava are beautiful - great for a day trip and maybe even to stay for a few nights.

Back in Barcelona we enjoyed walking and seeing some of the city. Having been here in 2019 it was nice not to feel compelled to rush and see everything. The Sagrada Familia seemed to have a few more towers than the last time we were here, and you could see they are working hard to try to complete this project by 2026 - the 100th anniversary of architect Antoni Gaudi’s passing.

We always enjoy seeing the local Mercado’s, and the Mercado de La Boqueria is one of the best. Anything you could be looking for is here - from 100% Iberico Jamon to seafood, produce, fresh eggs and spices. We sat for a bit and enjoyed grilled mussels and fried artichokes, while just enjoying the day.

A few more sights the next morning as we visited the Gothic quarter near the Barcelona Cathedral, including the beautiful Palace of Catalan Music, built in the early 1900’s. We enjoyed a refreshment across the street, relaxing and taking in the view and some people watching. We also enjoyed our favorite activity from our previous trip - a Tapas and Pub Crawl. Our group of eight and our guide Christina went to four local bars to enjoy local tapas and local drinks. These are very well organized tours and give us a chance to meet other travelers, hear where they’ve been, and think about where we might like to go next. After the Tapas Crawl, we went to enjoy the Magic Fountain - a beautiful display of water and lights to music - five nights a week.

From Barcelona, we took a short flight (90 minutes) to Malaga, and then a taxi to our home for the next couple weeks in Estepona on the southern coast. The Marriott Playa Andaluza has several pools and good A/C so no worries about the heat - although it has stayed around 86 F or so here on the coast, while just inland in Seville (our next stop) it’s closer to 110 F. We’ll enjoy this while we can…

With a massive heat wave hitting Europe right now, we’ve decided to modify our plans a bit, and will look to stay more “costal” for the next few weeks. We will still spend a few days in Seville (supposed to be about 110F or 41C), but will then head to Portugal and the coast there before we head to northern Spain. More on all of that in the next post.

All the best to everyone,

Tim & Eileen