The cultural exuberance and natural beauty of Spain has been slowly drawing me in over the past few years.  Finally, with the intersection of cheap tickets and a chance to visit my great friend James it has come to fruition.  I am about to embark on quite an adventure.

It’s always interesting traveling with other people, their needs, desires, and differing life paces.  Sometimes it is really limiting, but other times it is incredible to have close friend to share strange and beautiful experiences. 

James will be flying down from Scotland.  We had an incredible time in Honduras together this past winter, and he is an absolute pleasure to travel with.  Heather will be flying out from Washington.  Although we’ve never traveled overseas together, we’ve spent a lot of time road tripping together, and she is one of the most energetic, fun, and easy going people I’ve met.  They are two of my greatest friends, and would turn a trip to the mall into an unforgettable adventure, so I can’t wait to see what sort of trouble we can get into in Spain.

As I started researching the country, the people, the land, I began to realize that the two weeks I allotted (which seemed like a lot at the time) really are going to barely be enough for a taste of the Spanish Brilliance. 

Spain has been popping up in conversation constantly since I booked my ticket.  So many people have gone, and have great advice of places to go and thing to experience. Lisa and Holden Chase lent me a pile of climbing books, Scott passed on some great info about adventuring in Mallorca and when I asked Kevin for some ideas he wrote me this incredible email outlining a lifetime of wonder.  I’m going to include the email whole, because it really is awesome.

Hey man, really great catching up with you.  It brightened up my day to hear you are well, first hand, and without the lens and filter of a blog.  [text omitted]

So- the e-mail purpose. I’ve given it a lot of thought and things calmed a bit at work. Basically, i love thinking and talking about Spain.  I got carried away, so sorry if this info is overwhelming, but if you’re anything like me, you are already pouring through guidebooks trying to figure it all out.

Here are three sample itineraries you could consider… mix and match however you see fit.  Check out the map i attached for a visual.  There’s some pro’s and con’s of each, and i’ll try to give the best info i’m capable of…  here we go!

The First-Timers Whirlwind

This is almost the obvious choice, but it’s just so hard to include Sevilla AND Barcelona. People roll through Spain and see the big three only, but you miss all the amazing nuances and culture of the small Spanish cities.  Barcelona is incredible, but not worth sacrificing the rest of your trip.  I excluded it here.  

Highlights:

• Sevilla is marvelous, and i prefer it to Barcelona.  I simply cannot say anything bad about it.  Awesome nightlife and possibly the best food in Spain.  Find some traditional Flamenco, and ask around… don’t just take the first flyer you see.  Go where the locals go.
• Jerez de la Frontera and Ronda are wonderful littler cities, still large enough to welcome you, but small enough to find your way around and settle in.  Nice places to hike in Ronda, as it’s split right down the middle by a massive gorge. 
• Skipping Gibralter.  
• Grenada was one place i would choose to live, if i were to return.  The Alhambra is surreal.  Good college scene and friendly younger population.  Heavier Muslim influence in the people, architecture, and food.  Awesome nightlife.
• After Grenada, the sights drop off, but that whole southeast section is uncharted.  Rent a car, find some beaches, jump off rocks, crash in tiny pueblos that time forgot.  I don’t know what you’ll find, but you will remember it for the rest of your life.
• Stop by Valencia (birthplace of Paella) or Cartegena on the way home, or just head back to Madrid and explore for the last few days

Basque and Asturias

A little more off the beaten path, and it trades Sevilla for Barcelona.  

Highlights:

• Barcelona is modern and beautiful.  You will fall in love with Gaudi, as millions of visitors before you have.  You might take a side trip to Figueres, where Dali grew up, and visit his museum.  Mind bending.  
• Here’s where your decision to head north pays off big dividends.  Pamplona and San Sebastian are true Spanish gems.  They are the locations of The Sun Also Rises, by Hemingway.  Decadence, bull fighting, tapas, wine, sunning, hiking, swimming… enjoy.  You’ll thank me.  Spend more time in San Sebastian, Pamplona only needs a day or so.
• Bilbao has the Guggenheim museum, worth a visit on your way to…
• Santender and Picos De Europa.  The Picos are, i believe, the largest mountain range and a brilliant place for some hiking, camping, and exploring.  I bet you could rent all the camping gear easily in the town.
• Salamanca is worth the trip.  Very old and famous University town.  Still bustling with activity, students, nightlife, architecture, and just goodness.  I loved it.
• Toledo or Avila are good stops on the way back home… cool walled castle cities outside of Madrid.

The Pilgrimage

This one has special sentimental value for me.  I lived in Santiago for 6 months and the whole region is incredible.  One value of this trip is longer time in each location… i prefer settling in each location and relaxing, more than death by sightseeing.  Plus, Spain’s north coast is amazing.

• After San Sebastian, Bilbao, and Picos, continue along the north to Gijon.  Here they have Sidra, a low alcohol cider that the locals drink by the bottle.  They pour it from arms length and let the Sidra fall as far as possible before landing in the glass.  This adds the natural effervescence of cider.  Beautiful terrain as well.
• Nostalgia not-withstanding, Santiago is one of the most interesting, calming and incredible cities i’ve ever been to.  La Zona Vieja is so captivating and endearing, i could spend a week just exploring the tight and steep alleyways.  Skip dinner in favor of tapas in the wine bars and search out the hidden underground bars.  The cathedral here is famous and breathtaking, and is where El Camino De Santiago, the religious pilgrimage from France, terminates.  
• Oporto is easy to get to from Santiago and is a great one-off destination in Portugal.  This is where all port wine comes from.  Basically, just spend a day or two touring the wine cellars and eat some great seafood.

Well—- that was more information that i planned on.  But basically if i was doing this trip, i’d probably go with option 1.  The only downside is trying to fit all that in two weeks, and you might get caught short at the end.  But, if you have to skip Madrid, then you won’t be missing out.  It’s too big to really see in a few days anyway.

Cheers man, i’d love to talk again once your plan is ready.   Good luck!

~Kev

So far, I’ve had a hard time trying to not plan too much.  With everything online now, it’s easy to plan out the whole vacation, but as I know so well; the most beautiful times come as a surprise, a gift from being spontaneous and open to the world.  We’ve looked at all the wonderful place Kevin mentioned, and come up with some combinations that include some of these gems, along with what has caught my adventuring eye.

So, here’s what we have:

Thursday morning Aug 20 Land in Madrid

            Meet up with Heather at the airport who lands an hour before me

            Meet up with James in Madrid who flies in the night before

            Take a deep breath of life, experiences, history, and passion from a new part of the world

Thursday evening Aug 20 Fly to Mallorca

            Camp on the beach, climb, swim, slackline, be free (maybe some caves, maybe some diving, maybe some canyons, maybe some windsurfing, kiting, surfing etc).

Tuesday August 25 travel to Valencia

            Experience the raw craziness of Tomatina and enjoy the culture of a bit of the mainland

Thursday August 27 take off into the wilds

(most likely up towards Barcelona, climbing, surfing, castles, friends, cities, mountains, rivers) and let the travel bug guide the way, maybe staying near the coast, maybe drifting inland, this is where Kev’s help will be awesome. 

Sunday August 31 James flies back to Scotland

Monday Sep 1 Heather flies back to Washington

Tuesday Sep 2 Larkin flies back to Colorado

I’ll be updating my blog when I get a chance, so check back!