• skip's retirement travel
  • skip's retirement travel

Spain

A 25-day adventure by skip's retirement travel Read more
  • Trip start
    July 15, 2018

    Vigo

    July 15, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Vigo is a port on the Atlantic coast of Spain. The first pic is from the balcony of the apartment where I was staying with friend I met in Australia. The second is the beach on the Rio de Vigo near the place. The bridge in the background is where fireworks were set off my first night there. (see the next picture.) I could say it was a big welcome celebration, but it was actually for a local fiesta in the neighborhood. 4th is a typical streets scene, while the last 2 are overviews taken from the castle above the city.Read more

  • Vigo 2

    July 16, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    More images of places in and around Vigo. The first 2 pics are in the central plaza. The last 2 are street sculptures outside the steamship terminal, depicting emigres. The others are a couple more street scenesRead more

  • Fisterra

    July 17, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    Santiago de Compostela (See another post.) is the end of one of the great pilgrimage routs across northern Europe. What many may not realize is that there is an extension that some pilgrims take after reaching the Cathedral in Santiago. That is to continue to the Atlantic at "Land's End," finis terre, or shortened to Fisterra. These pictures are from that location. In the 1st pic, I am standing at the zero mile maker. he 2nd is a memorial cross out there. The third is the cross at the point above the ocean and the 4th looks down into the Atlantic from there. The last 2 are of the local church in Fisterra.Read more

  • Santiago de Compostela

    July 20, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    The end of the Camino Santiago pilgrimage routes. While I haven't set out to walk the Camino, I have walked several small portions of the Northern route, as it is called in this part of Spain. Santiago or Saint James, is the reputed burial place of the Apostle James, though I haven't figured out which one (there are 3). The first picture is the cathedral, the destination for the pilgrims. It is taken from the central plaza. The second is the palace which makes another side of the Plaza, followed by the interior cloister of the palace. 4 and 5 are of the nave and chancel in the cathedral with 5 being the detail of the center of 4. This is the shrine of St. James. The last pic is a former monastic church also in Santiago. I was taken by the buttresses.Read more

  • O Castro do Vigo

    July 21, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Castro = castle in Gallego, the native language of Galicia, this part of Spain. In the first picture, I'm sitting in a carved stone seat in front of the castle gates.. 2 & 3 are the castle interior as it is today. The fourth is a view over part of Vigo from the castle ramparts. The last is a nearby church on a hilltop.Read more

  • O Baqueiro

    July 25, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    A small coastal town along the Fence narrow gauge rail line across northern Spain from Ferrol to Bilbao.
    You may ba able to see fishermen tending their nets at the edge of one of the photos

  • Illa pancha

    July 26, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Illa Pancha is a point of land into the Cantabrian Sea just north of Ribadeo. This is a rocky coast, and the site includes a lighthouse. It marks the entrance to the river and harbor. For those that haven't studied Spanish (or forgot it all). This place name is pronounced eel-ya pahn-chahRead more

  • Ribadeo

    July 26, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Ribadeo Is a bit larger town with an active commercial harbor and marina. The first pic shows part of the harbor and marina's while the second looks the other way, down the river and out to sea. The remaining pics are views of the town and some of the ancient fortifications there.Read more

  • Feve

    July 27, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Feve Is part of the national rail network in Spain. It is narrow gauge making it excellent for winding along the rocky and mountainous coast. This part of the network, from Ferrol to Bilbao, has scenic views of the Cantabrian Sea to the north and mountains to the South, at least when not in tunnels, as well as rural and village scenes. These are a sampling from along the route.Read more

  • Soto de Luiña

    July 27, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Soto de Luiña (pronounced loo-EE-nya) Is a small town nestled in a valley just a half hour walk from the seaside. I stayed in a lovely small hotel. The first two pictures are taken from the small balcony outside the French doors in my room. I suspect you can picture what I mean. The other pics are of the surrounding countryside.Read more

  • Oviedo

    July 29, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Oviedo is a city in Asturias province that I have enjoyed. The first pic is the cathdral. The next pics are various looks at the town. The last is a bagpiper in traditional Asturian dress. Apparently the pipes are also traditional here.Read more

  • Ribadesella

    July 30, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Ribadesella Is a lovely little seaside town, set in a small valley at the month of the river. The first picture is the view from my room. The second is one of a series of bas reliefs along a cliff that depict the history of the town and port. The rest are scenes around town.Read more

  • La Magdalena

    August 2, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    La Magdalena is a Royal palace in Santander. The pics are of the building and of views from the site. The building is still used weekdays with tours only on the weekend. So I wasn't able to visit places insideRead more

  • Santander

    August 2, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Santander is a larger city in Cantabria, Spain and the headquarters of Banco Santander. The building with the arch in the first pic is their world HQ. Then there is the waterfront, some statues around town and the grand casino that is said to be a near peer of Monte Carlo.Read more

  • Guggenheim Bilbao

    August 4, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    The famous museum of the funky design and titanium skin. The first pic is of the museum complex, with the famous architecture to the right. Then the flower puppy in the courtyard. Then some of the interior architecture and the big dragon currently hanging in the Atrium for the exhibit of Chinese art. Finally, the giant spider sculpture outside the museum along the river.Read more

  • Bilbao

    August 4, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    This starts with what looks like a sign but actually is the fence on the ridge overlooking the city. The white building is the San Roque, located on that ridge. The others are views over the city and in the city. I happen to like Bilbao a lot.Read more

  • San Sebastián 1

    August 7, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    San Sebastián Is a seaside resort town that was basically built for that purpose after 1813 when the city was burned by the British. The first 2 are views from the mountain adjacent to town. The second is the main beach and the last two are views of town. These are of the newer portion of San Sebastián, built to look like 19th century Paris.Read more

  • San Sebastián 2

    August 7, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    These are pictures mostly of the old town. First is the city hall, originally built as a casino. Some might say things haven't changed much. The fourth is one of the oldest buildings in San Sebastián, a church that survived the burning of the city in 1813. The next is of the oldest building, located just down the street. Notice the half timber construction from the 16th century. Last is the theater, built as a match of the Opera House in Paris.Read more

  • Chateau de Taillan

    August 9, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Another Chateau in Haut-Medoc. Here we were hosted by the owner/general manager, an unusual treat. We tasted a red, rose and white. The white is very unusual in the Medical. This was a Sauvignon Blanc. They make about 6,000 bottles of white, compared with 175,000 bottles of red. All were good. I'm not a big white wine person, but this Sauvignon Blanc was quite good.Read more

    Trip end
    August 8, 2018