• Wayne Revell
  • Joyce Revell
  • Wayne Revell
  • Joyce Revell

Spain & Portugal

A long (nearly 2 months) trip to mainly Spain and a bit of Portugal Les mer
  • Another walk around Valencia

    28. oktober 2024, Spania ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    A walk around Valencia. First breakfast at our accommodation. Then to Plaça de l'Ajuntament. Then to see the world's thinnest building La Estrecha de Sombreros Alberto (the width of a window pane) - Joyce even got into the paper!
    We then wandered through the maze of the old town, with vibrant street art to Torres dels Serrans - the old gate of the city on what once was the banks of the
    Our last stop in the old town was the Turia river, and is now a large green space around the centre of town.
    We walked along this park seeing the Gulliver playground (I'll post the Google aerial view) - a fascinating playground for kids to climb on and slide down.
    Lastly, to the Cuitat de les Arts i les Cièncias - 4 modernist buildings that look like spaceships.
    Les mer

  • Driving Valencia to Murcia

    31. oktober 2024, Spania ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Car hire company offered us a free upgrade to an EV.. after a bit of hemming and hawing, and an hour's research to make sure I could download and use the charging apps and checking chargers along our route, we went for it.
    Now we wished we'd booked the car for a longer time!
    It's not a Tesla (it's an Opel Corsa EV), but it's zippy and there's heaps of charging options around And a lot cheaper than petrol.
    Les mer

  • Estrecho de la Arboleja

    1. november 2024, Spania ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    What a find! Just saw a pin on Google Maps and it turned out to be so good!
    Close to the carpark. A gorgeous tight canyon, (not a lot of water, so no waterfalls), a bit of caving (a man made tunnel).

  • Rest day and a local walk

    5. november 2024, Spania ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Didn't get up to much today. Planned a bit more of our holiday and took a short walk out to a local cave.
    When we got there we were serenaded with Flamenco guitar and had a chat with the musician. Watched the sunset, then navigated the way back in the dark.Les mer

  • Walk around Granada

    6. november 2024, Spania ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Went for a walk through Granada today.
    First stop, Basílica Virgen de las Angustias, a beautiful cathedral we wandered into off the street.
    Then to Wild Foods for a spot of lunch.
    We walked from there up to Sacromonte and to the Gypsy cave houses and the museum there (a lot of the houses are still occupied, by families, or by flamenco bars).
    Then we watched the sun set over the Alhambra (one of the largest palaces in Europe).
    After pushing our way through the sunset crowd (and seeing an impromptu flamenco), we walked down through the winding alleys of Albaicín.
    Finally a progressive dinner, first at a Morrocan restaurant, then at a speciality Vegan Restaurant.
    Les mer

  • Spa day

    7. november 2024, Spania ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    A relaxing afternoon at the Hammam Al Andalus in Antequera.
    Comes highly recommended. We did the Midra45 - the baths (medium hot, hot, cold, and steam room), a 15 minute kessa treatment and a 30 minute massage.
    Then undid all the good work by a stressful drive to our next accommodation.
    Les mer

  • Changing cars

    9. november 2024, Spania ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We had to change cars today. The electric Opel Corsa contract ran out today, and although we had the option to continue with it (at a discounted price), we decided to switch to an ICE car. Where we are going next doesn't have a charger in town (and none of our accommodation has had destination chargers). That and it takes 30-45 minutes to get a decent charge, everyday. That takes a chunk out of our day and we usually arrive back late.
    So, although we ordered an automatic (car rental companies in Spain seem to book cars that they don't actually have at the time), we are now driving a manual ICE.
    We also moved to Antequera. Wayne took a little walk around town at night.
    Les mer

  • El Torcal de Antequera - Yellow route

    10. november 2024, Spania ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    We're back!
    We loved El Tocal, so we decided to come back and do the longer "Yellow" trail.

  • Setenil de las Bodegas

    11. november 2024, Spania ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    A short drive and we are in Setenil de las Bodegas - the houses under the rock.
    Beautiful little city.
    We are here on a weekday, and a little early. By 3pm, there were busloads of tourists going through every couple of minutes. We'd heard that it's impossible to find parking on the weekends.Les mer

  • Garganta Verde

    12. november 2024, Spania ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    A permit only hike, and one of the best near Ronda/Olvera.
    Rated as a difficult walk down into a canyon and along the riverbed.
    We were quite surprised with how well we did scrambling along the riverbed and walking back up out of the canyon.
    Another surprise was the number of Vultures and how close they flew to us. Reminded me of the Great Eagles scene in The Lord of the Rings.
    Les mer

  • Olvera

    14. november 2024, Spania ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Another wet day. The Caminito del Rey walk has been cancelled. Just as well, as still feeling under the weather and could use another rest day. So we are spending another day in Olvera.
    We walked up the hill just behind our accommodation.Les mer

  • Drive from Olvera to Sevilla

    15. november 2024, Spania ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Drove into Sevilla (Seville) this morning, returned the car, and after we checked into our accommodation, we took a walk into the old town. We were able to get up to Setas de Sevilla (or the Mushroom, the largest wooden structure in the world) for sunset.
    We were settling down in our accommodation, and about 9pm, we heard loud music from the street. Going out to investigate there were about 30 men carrying a steel frame with cement blocks on top. Later we found out we were very close to the church Hermandad de la Macarena. Holy week was coming up, so they were training to carry the Macarena (a statue of the Virgin Mary) in procession.
    Les mer

  • Sintra and Quinta da Regaleira

    19. november 2024, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    After an early morning bus ride, we arrived in Sintra at midday. Dropping our bags at the accommodation, we took a walk up to Quints da Regaleira.
    Regaleira is a palace constructed by António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro. He purchased the land in 1892 and set about building a bewitching environment. He engaged the Italian architect Luigi Manini. Construction started in 1904 and was mostly completed by 1910.
    The buildings and grounds are heavy with alchemy, Knights Templar, Masonic, and Rosicrucian symbolism.
    The most interesting were the Initiation Well and the Labyrinthic Grotto (yes, we found another cave).
    Les mer

  • Peña Palace

    20. november 2024, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Peña Palace or the colourful castle was built by Ferdinand II (the king consort) in 1842. It represents 19th-century Romanticism and is one of the seven wonders of Portugal (don't ask me what the other 6 are...)
    We caught the tourist bus up in the morning and explored the outside and the grounds (the tourist information office, and several YouTube videos said the inside wasn't worth it).
    The castle is amazing and the grounds hid some interesting treats - a bronze statue of a soldier, several Hieronymite monk hermitages (more caves!), and houses and a castle for the ducks!
    Les mer

  • Moorish Castle

    20. november 2024, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Directly after Peña Palace, we walked across the road to the Castillo de los Moros (the Moorish Castle).
    Founded in the 8th and 9th centuries by the Moors. In 1375 King Ferdinand I ordered the rebuilding of the site.
    In 1840 Ferdinand II (the same Ferdinand who built Peña Palace) ordered the restoration of the castle.
    Les mer