Below you can read a summary of the last 100 messages posted to the TravelSpain
discussion group. If you're interested in participating in these discussions about travel in Spain, why not join our group? Just
enter your email address in the box below, click OK and you'll be on your way to Spain in no time!
Re: Madrid Card
Posted on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:57:30 UT
thanks everyone for the replies. I will have to do more research and
decide what I want to see.
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Re: Trip Spain/Portugal - March 2010
Posted on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:37:03 UT
Hi,
I think your plan is is starting to come together, as Hannibal would say.
You can take a bus from Lisbon to Faro (
[link]) and then
from Faro to Seville (
[link]).
From Seville it's easy to get to Córdoba, and from either of those cities
it's very easy to get to Madrid using the AVE (
[link])
read more...
Re: Trip Spain/Portugal - March 2010
Posted on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:32:44 UT
Great! That's real get-up-and-go, do-it-now stuff! If you've time
(and it sounds like it could be a bit hectic), let us know how you're
getting on.
Como dice John - buena suerte.
Mac
read more...
Re: Trip Spain/Portugal - March 2010
Posted on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:27:15 UT
Thanks a lot everyone.
Mac -> I'll finally take trains, and perhaps buses.
Roger, John -> I'll make less stop.
Alfonso -> your idea of travelling by night makes sense ; that's what
I usely did, in India for instance (but there, train travels lasted
more...)
So I've just bought a train ticket, I'll reach Lisbon on Sunday
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Re: Trip Spain/Portugal - March 2010
Posted on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:21:14 UT
All the advice I've seen (below) plus John Z message all make
sense.....a lot of moving around in such a short time. IF you don't
plan to return to Spain for years then an overview trip like yours is
certainly good, but "slightly" tiring and often on the hunt for a place
to stay and transport to take. I go by nocturnal buses usually (much
read more...
Re: TravelSpain is 10 Years Old!
Posted on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:16:39 UT
Hi Mac,
Indeed, the Yahoo group was accessible for a couple of years after we
moved to Google, but no longer.
There are, however, several trip reports (a few of which are yours!)
stored in the Files section of this group, and which date from those
times. Have a look, I'm sure they'll bring back plenty of memories...
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Madrid Card
Posted on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:08:40 UT
above the subway station at the airport that allows unlimited metro rides (I
don't remember how much, but it was definitely a great value -- maybe 11
euros?).
It's called the "Abono Turístico" and costs just 5.20 euros for 24
hours of unlimited travel on the Metro.
Roger.
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Madrid Card
Posted on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:05:24 UT
You can reach the Museo on 902 10 70 77 . I believe they are open that
weekend, dependant on what activity you want to do there.
Hope that helps
regards
Clive
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Madrid Card
Posted on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:59:30 UT
I went to Madrid last Easter, and everything was open as usual -- although we arrived Saturday morning, so I don't know about Good Friday. Easter Sunday was just like any other business day -- lots of shops, etc. open. There is a tourist metro card that you can get at the tourist office right above the subway station at the airport that allows unlimited metro rides (I don't remember how much, but it was definitely a great value -- maybe 11 euros?). We also went to the Prado, which is free on Sunday afternoons. I would suggest shelling out the admission fee, though, since it was so packed during the free period that we could hardly get a good look at anything.
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Madrid Card
Posted on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:49:45 UT
Some places will certainly close .....possibly only for the
afternoon/evening. I suspect that the Prado may be open and it used to
be free on Saturday afternoons. I have never taken the bus on/off tours
but I see them running around, but they may be good, but am not sure how
costly they are. There is a reduced metro ticket for 10-rides that is a
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Madrid Card
Posted on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:38:07 UT
Hi,
The Prado isn't open on Good Friday, and a single Metro ticket only costs 1
euro, so I'm not sure if it would be worth it. The hop-on/hop-off one-day
ticket (valid for as many journeys as you want during 24 hours) costs 17
euros.
I think you'd have to make some further calculations about what exactly you
read more...
Madrid Card
Posted on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:23:21 UT
I will be travelling to Madrid in a few weeks by myself. I arrive in
the afternoon on Good Friday, Apr. 2nd. I will have the rest of
Friday and most of Saturday on my own until I join the bus tour I am
taking. I was wondering if it was worth buying a Madrid Card or just
a Public Transit Pass. I was hoping to visit the Prada Museum on
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Trip Spain/Portugal - March 2010
Posted on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:54:29 UT
Thats a lot of time on the road. Each travel day on this itinerary will take close to half a day, except Seville-Cordoba (an hour or so) and Bilbao-Santiago (close to a day last time I did it). And if you don't start your trip in Bilbao, it could take you the good part of a day to get there from where you do arrive in Spain. So you're looking at spending 3-4 days just getting from place to place. In a 10 day trip, that's a lot of time on the road.
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Re: Trip Spain/Portugal - March 2010
Posted on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:50:13 UT
Mac's advice is sound, but I would question trying to do so much in such a
short time.
If you really insist on visiting all these places, make sure you work out
your travel timetable very, very well, because otherwise you might find
yourself spending more time on trains, buses or waiting in stations than
read more...
Re: Trip Spain/Portugal - March 2010
Posted on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:36:24 UT
In all the thousands of kilometers I've driven all over Spain in the
past few years, I've only ever seen (and picked up) three hitchikers.
None were students. Student hitchiking seems to have almost
completely disappeared from both the UK and Spain. If I were you I
would travel by train, using a student railcard - they make train
read more...
Trip Spain/Portugal - March 2010
Posted on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:57:51 UT
Hello,
I'm going for a solo trip in a few days in Spain and Portugal (from
France). I will last app. 10 days.
I plan to travel as follows : Bilbao --> Santiago de Compostella -->
Porto --> Lisboa --> Sévilla --> Cordoba --> Madrid --> Zaragosa -->
Barcelona.
I probably won't be able to go through every cities (and perhaps I'll
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Sevilla to Granada
Posted on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:53:03 UT
I agree about both a night time and day visit too. My first visit was in
the afternoon and I took my time. Later, that night, knowing my way
around, I returned as one of the first through the gate, and sort of rushed
through, getting ahead of any small group of other visitors so that I could
have some of the spots all to myself. Thus, most of my digital photos were
read more...
Re: TravelSpain is 10 Years Old!
Posted on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:44:05 UT
I am a newbie to the group over the last year and wanted to say how
much I have enjoyed the posts. I have been reading but not
contributing. I confess to being a fan of Mac's though and just
recently finished reading Guernica. My wife and one of our daughters
(14) traveled throughout Spain and Portugal last April and followed
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Sevilla to Granada
Posted on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:24:43 UT
I'm one of those who believe that a night-time visit to the Alhambra is essential. It's lit differently, at a level as if it were in moonlight and it's quieter. I wouldn't miss the night-time visit (but do go during the day, too.)
The Royal Chapel is very impressive, but for a more personal Isabel and Ferdinand experience, while you're on the grounds of the Alhambra, go to the Parador. There you can enter what was once a chapel, now with the roof missing; Isabel was buried there for 16 years, and Ferdinand for six; she wanted to always be buried there (she had the convent that is now the Parador built after the fall of Granada to the Reconquista in 1492). Her grandson, King Carlos V, said that was too humble for her and built the royal chapel. I much prefer feeling her presence in that small chapel in the Parador than in the glamorous Royal Chapel. There are plaques on the ground where there graves once were.
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Sevilla to Granada
Posted on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:34:01 UT
The Alhambra is fabulous day or night. We were there during the day and it was amazing. Do not miss the Royal Cathedral in Granada where Queen
Isabella and King Ferdinand are buried--it is very impressive.
Karla
read more...
Re: [travelspain] TravelSpain is 10 Years Old!
Posted on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:43:18 UT
Congratulations on a major landmark. One of the first websites we used
when we set up business here about ten years ago and some of the
information has been great, both in a personal and business sense.
I wish you another ten years of success
Kind Regards
Clive
+34 950 617 680
Conference Coordinator Spain
read more...
Re: [travelspain] TravelSpain is 10 Years Old!
Posted on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:29:50 UT
Hola. Great to see and hear from Dr. Gonzalez again. Over the years his
travel tips and insights have been very helpful, especially in regards to
modest and practical accomodations. He knows what he is talking
about. Congrats on ten years and..... Good travels.
edwwwwwwwww
2010/3/1 Alfonso Gonzalez <gonza...@ucalgary.ca>
read more...
Re: [travelspain] TravelSpain is 10 Years Old!
Posted on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:34:16 UT
I've been with the group since the beginning and it's a good source
for information on Spain and the experience of others with interest in
Spain. Have been going there every year since the early/mid-1980s
(first visit as an adult in 1971-72) and planning to go this summer as
well. Special thanks to Roger and to other contributors who have
read more...
Re: TravelSpain is 10 Years Old!
Posted on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:03:57 UT
Just caught up on this, having been away (not in Spain!). It seems a
pity that posts earlier than December 2004, when TravelSpain moved to
Google Groups, are not retrievable (I've tried every way on Yahoo
Groups, but it denies TravelSpain ever existed there). It would be
interesting to see some of the earlier posts. I still have copies of
read more...
Sevilla to Granada
Posted on Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:29:22 UT
We hav a tentative plan to do a one day trip from Sevilla to Granada around
3-29 with the primary objective being a visit to the Alhambra. We can get
an early morning train that will get us into Granada at about 10am and catch
a late train at 8:20pm getting back to Sevilla before midnight. That would
read more...
Re: [travelspain] TravelSpain is 10 Years Old!
Posted on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:04:52 UT
Thanks, John. I will follow up with your suggestion.
All the best,
Brian Glynn
908 507 7694
To: travelspain@googlegroups.com
If you start from Valencia and are heading toward Asturias, you'll not be far from Cuenca, which is a pretty amazing place. Worth a night or two -- stay at Posada de Don Jose, in the old part of town, and get a room with a view (unless you suffer from vertigo).
read more...
Re: [travelspain] TravelSpain is 10 Years Old!
Posted on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:27:56 UT
If you start from Valencia and are heading toward Asturias, you'll not be far from Cuenca, which is a pretty amazing place. Worth a night or two -- stay at Posada de Don Jose, in the old part of town, and get a room with a view (unless you suffer from vertigo).
John
read more...
Re: [travelspain] TravelSpain is 10 Years Old!
Posted on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:07:51 UT
Happy Birthday to us all!
I am trying to put togehter a Honeymoon in Spain. My intended's family comes from Asturias. Does anybody have ideas for visiting that area? We will probably start out in Valencia where I spent my Junior Year Abroad back in '67 (dear God am I that old already?) Of course we are looking forward to the Cabrales, Manchego and so much more, but any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
read more...
Re: [travelspain] TravelSpain is 10 Years Old!
Posted on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:23:42 UT
Gosh - that decade really passed quickly.
This group is great fun to belong to - so thanks to Roger for
establishing it and keeping it running.
And many happy returns ... to Spain of course
Sue
read more...
Re: [travelspain] TravelSpain is 10 Years Old!
Posted on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:22:32 UT
Feliz cumpleaños a Travelspain!
What a great group. Though I've never met one Travelspain member in person, I know that have many good friends on this group..
John
read more...
TravelSpain is 10 Years Old!
Posted on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:35:13 UT
That's amazing, Roger. Mazel tov!
Gail
Gail Suber
Word Wise
2461 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 347
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310) 486-7979
[link]
Word Wise -- expertise that gives you a competitive advantage!
To: travelspain@googlegroups.com
Hello All & Happy (belated) Birthday!
read more...
TravelSpain is 10 Years Old!
Posted on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:30:23 UT
Hello All & Happy (belated) Birthday!
The TravelSpain discussion group (from which you're receiving this message),
was 10 years old yesterday.
The group was created on 21st February 2000, orginally on egroups, then on
Yahoo groups when Yahoo bought them out.
And for the last few years, on Google Groups.
read more...
Re: BARCELONA AIRPORT
Posted on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:42:29 UT
Thanks Roger :0)
read more...
Re: [travelspain] BARCELONA AIRPORT
Posted on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:20:36 UT
Thank you very much
read more...
Re: [travelspain] BARCELONA AIRPORT
Posted on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:47:43 UT
You won't have any problems with English-only at the airport.
Leticia Molinero Translation Studio
237 Lafayette Street
Suite Two West
New York, NY 10012-4009
Tel: 212 274 1282
Fax: 646 403 4381
[link]
read more...
Re: Leaving for the camino de Santiago next Fri
Posted on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:31:02 UT
Well be following you avidly! You sound pretty tough, but I hope the
February weather won't be too unkind.
¡Buen caminando!
Mac
read more...
Re: [travelspain] BARCELONA AIRPORT
Posted on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:22:38 UT
Natalie may have mis-read your message because the Prado is of course in
Madrid, not Barcelona, but don't worry, as others have said you'll have
plenty of time to pick up your bags in Barcelona airport.
The airline ground staff will be able to help you (in English) and there are
information points where they speak English as well. You can see them here
read more...
Re: [travelspain] BARCELONA AIRPORT
Posted on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:23:08 UT
Yes. and Good Travels!
read more...
Re: [travelspain] BARCELONA AIRPORT
Posted on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:16:58 UT
And if you happen to be interested in going to the prado museum, admission Is free from 6-8 pm.and one day a week it's open from 5-9.check the website
Natalir
Sent from my iPod
All.
I am coming in to Barcelona airport at 1130 am via Lethansa and have
to pick up my bags and check back into SPAINAIR for a 3pm departure
read more...
Re: [travelspain] BARCELONA AIRPORT
Posted on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:06:29 UT
You have more than enough time. I had to do the exact same connection and did it with only two hours so you should be fine ; - ). Have fun!
Sent from my iPod
All.
I am coming in to Barcelona airport at 1130 am via Lethansa and have
to pick up my bags and check back into SPAINAIR for a 3pm departure
flight.
read more...
Leaving for the camino de Santiago next Fri
Posted on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:41:05 UT
[link]
read more...
BARCELONA AIRPORT
Posted on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:13:14 UT
All.
I am coming in to Barcelona airport at 1130 am via Lethansa and have
to pick up my bags and check back into SPAINAIR for a 3pm departure
flight.
Based on the research I have done Lethansa and Spainair are in the
same terminal (Terminal 1). Having never been in Barcelona Airport
before and speaking only english.....
read more...
Re: weather in Spain Early March
Posted on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:14:06 UT
Thanks Linda, great feedback
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Re: weather in Spain Early March
Posted on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:48:13 UT
Hi Dave,
My husband and I spent 2 weeks in Spain last March (12-28). The first week was in a rented villa just north of Malaga and we toured the south from Almeira all the way to Gibraltar. The 2nd week we spent in Madrid. We lucked out with no rain at all but most days we needed a polar fleece/sweater/jacket. We definetly layered our clothing because by afternoon, on a few days, we were able to walk around in short sleeves. It really is a great time to tour Spain as there are no crowds and we got a really good deal on our rented Villa ($370 Cdn per week). Great website for private villa/condo rentals is
[link]<
[link]> . Hope you have a great time - I'm sure you will!
read more...
Re: weather in Spain Early March
Posted on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 01:26:18 UT
Thanks Roger
read more...
Re: [travelspain] weather in Spain Early March
Posted on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 07:54:29 UT
Hi Dave,
In early March you'll still need a jacket, and it might have to be more than
just light.
The problem is that at that time of year the weather is changeable, so while
one day you might be strolling round in your shirt sleeves, the next it
could be raining and the following quite cold.
In Seville I don't think you'll be really cold, but you just never know. If
read more...
weather in Spain Early March
Posted on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:35:15 UT
Traveling to Seville Spain in Early March and will probably tour the
south coast of Spain as well. Wondering what the weather will be like
during EARLY March from people that have been or have lived there.
Currently I live in Canada so if anyone could relate it would be
appreciated. Do we need sweaters or a light jacket.
read more...
Rental Cars
Posted on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:39:28 UT
Recommendations from recent visitors for an economical rental car to
pick up in Seville and drop off in Barcelona would be very much
appreciated.
Thanks
D-
read more...
Re: [travelspain] In Madrid, Isn’t It Romantic? (NY Times 12/27/20009)
Posted on Sun, 10 Jan 2010 19:41:01 UT
Ken, this is just terrific. Thanks so much for sending it along to us.
Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano Nuevo a todos.
All the best,
Brian Glynn
To: "Travel Spain" <travelspain@googlegroups.com>
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All!
Ken B
December 27, 2009
Heads Up
In Madrid, Isn’t It Romantic?
read more...
Re: [travelspain] In Madrid, Isn’t It Romantic? (NY Times 12/27/20009)
Posted on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:05:21 UT
Closed for eight years? Wow that's some refurbishment!
------------------------------ --------------------
Sent: Monday, December 28, 2009 3:27 PM
To: "Travel Spain" <travelspain@googlegroups.com>
read more...
In Madrid, Isn’t It Romantic? (NY Times 12/27/20009)
Posted on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:27:44 UT
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All!
Ken B
December 27, 2009
Heads Up
In Madrid, Isn’t It Romantic?
By ANDREW FERREN
“THEY can call it whatever they like,” said Norberto Mateos, as he stood in a line of about 50 people patiently waiting to enter a Madrid museum earlier this month, but “it’ll always be the Museo Romantico to us.”
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Cold
Posted on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:55:17 UT
We have a remote monitoring weather station in Almeria and while we were
there last month the average temp was 20 with the max around the 25 mark.
For this week the temps have been 10 (average) and 15 (max) with a min
of 5C.
But this morning it was clear and the temperature is already 13C and
read more...
Cold
Posted on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:29:32 UT
On TeleMadrid, they've just reported that the current temperature in the
Sierra of Madrid (at 7:30h in the morning) is -11ºC and in some village in
Guadalajara that I didn't catch the name of, it is -18ºC !
Roger.
read more...
San Sebastián de La Gomera
Posted on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:06:42 UT
Jesus stands guard over San Sebastián, on a high column on a sun-
scorched hill, accompanied only by a Telefónica mast and a Vertice
Geodesico (Trig Point).. Like me, he could see the whole town laid
out below, but gazes longingly towards Tenerife, as many Gomerans have
done.
Myself, I'd rather be here. It doesn't take long to see the sights,
read more...
The Golden Age of Motoring
Posted on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:33:26 UT
A rough day on La Gomera. Wind rattles the palm leaves in Alajeró,
the Atlantic far below is corrugated with waves and dark rain clouds
circle the forest above. And indeed it does rain. "Rare but
torrential" it says in the forest information centre into which we
dive, at La Laguna Grande, a wide bare saucer which quickly starts to
read more...
The Musical Road
Posted on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:20:12 UT
The first climb of the day, up Montaña de Calvario (without a cross),
the sounds of the village echoing from the barranco - a late cockerel,
the church bell, that damn dog that yaps all day - gives views out to
the island of El Hierro, and far below to Santiago, with the express
coastal catamaran leaving its white wake.
read more...
Re: Setenil de las Bodegas - The Town Devoured By Rock
Posted on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:30:07 UT
Yes, we visited on the day before the Euro came to Spain, eating in a
bar carved into a cliff, the barman showing us his till full of the
new coins and notes ready for the next day (January 1st, but can't
remember which year) I probably wrote about it here!
Mac
read more...
La Gomera
Posted on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:25:31 UT
I enjoyed Tenerife, perhaps more than expected, because of the
contrast with dark, cold Scotland, because we found some interesting
accommodation, and because we (not always successfull) tried to avoid
the tourist traps.
But La Gomera is something else. I could winter here. Tourism,
although now the largest industry, arrived after the worst excesses of
read more...
Santa Cruz. La Laguna.
Posted on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:57:40 UT
All one conurbation now, of course. Seen from the outer habour wall,
beyond the million-pound yachts and the newish Auditorio (supposedly
wave-shaped, but looking like a snail with a bad haircut), the city
sprawls up and over to the top of the island.
Staying in Santa Cruz wasn't even Plan X - just a brief visit in the
read more...
Setenil de las Bodegas - The Town Devoured By Rock
Posted on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:52:46 UT
This seems like a unique place to visit - has anbody been there?
[link]
Roger.
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Re: Plan B
Posted on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:36:59 UT
Mac,
I think you underestimate the audience/market for good travel writing.
Your skills in observing and the way you put those observations in words are superior to alot of published travel literature I've read.
Ken (not that I need to mention the following but I've had 3 books published [none about travel] and I bring this up just to let you know I know a little bit about what I'm talking about)
read more...
Re: Plan B
Posted on Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:09:30 UT
Well, of course I have thought of these, but realised that I'm really
doing it for myself and the few people who read it here, whom I regard
as friends with similar interests. I don't see the wider world being
interested. I do contribute to another site with different interests,
but certainly not in the same style.
read more...
Re: any help / suggestions ?
Posted on Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:02:37 UT
Brilliant! You will be well catered for along the route - it's a
major business now, and easily researched on the Web. I met a man
with an artificial leg doing it a couple of years ago.
Mac
read more...
Garachico
Posted on Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:57:28 UT
We leave Puerto Cruz late, delayed by the remains of the Guanches -
the surprisingly resilient primitive residents who resisted the
Spanish for quite a while longer than their South American
counterparts before similarly succombing to disease and bloody-minded
colonialism.
And then west to Icod de los Viños to look at a tree - a bit ironic
read more...
Re: [travelspain] any help / suggestions ?
Posted on Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:33:53 UT
I haven't any suggestions for you, but I do envy you for doing the pilgrimage. My wife and I hope to do it someday, too. Please let us know how it went and the adventures you have along the way.
Buen viaje!
John
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Plan B
Posted on Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:32:27 UT
Me too
Sue
I agree!
Couldn't agree more.
Mac - have you never thought of publishing a book of travel
tales, or at least a blog to delight a wider audience?
Roger.
On Sat, Dec 5, 2009 at 7:51 PM, Ken Bielen
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Plan B
Posted on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:30:13 UT
I agree!
read more...
any help / suggestions ?
Posted on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:30:44 UT
Hello. I have been lurking here for almost 10 yrs now since my last trip and stay there. I am finally going back to complete the Camino Santiago walk I never completed back then.
I will leave Jan 29th and plan to walk the Camino all of Feb - flight back is on the 26th of Feb.
Has anyone on the list done this recently ? any suggestions ?
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Plan B
Posted on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:20:30 UT
Couldn't agree more.
Mac - have you never thought of publishing a book of travel tales, or at
least a blog to delight a wider audience?
Roger.
read more...
Re: [travelspain] La Punta de Teno
Posted on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:33:11 UT
So glad you made it to Teno - having been deterred by the notices we
explored an area just to the south and your post reminds me of it. I
remember the drive to Masca well but Mike seems to have razed it from
his memory - I wonder why!! Don't be deterred by the clouds that mean
you can't see Teide. They are almost certainly only part way up it.
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Plan B
Posted on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:51:01 UT
Mac,
Thanks so much for sharing. Always look forward to your tales.
Ken B
read more...
Plan B
Posted on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:07:22 UT
Spending too long basking in the warm sun by the coast, we at last set
off up through the clouds hanging around the pine forests to cross the
island, eventually eventually emerging onto the vast cindery landscape
of Teide, the road cutting through swathes of rough lava from the 1798
eruption. I've been in volcanic ladscapes before, including one
read more...
La Punta de Teno
Posted on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:47:29 UT
After a brief venture into and rapid retreat from the resort of Las
Gigantes (admittedly spectacularly situated against the huge fluted
volcanic cliffs), it's over the hill to Masca, a village clinging to
the mountainside above surrounding gorges and only blessed(?) with a
road in 1991, upon which it immediately became a tourist trap, with
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Spain, but not Spain
Posted on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:03:13 UT
Hi Mac
I'm glad I didn't put you off Las Islas Canarias entirely as we in fact
remember it as a great holiday - it was just a holiday of two halves
(and all within the space of 8 days). We spent the first three days near
the coast with a lot of drizzle feeling generally let down by the
weather and aggressed by traffic but eventually drove up through the
read more...
Re: cell pones and sims
Posted on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:52:04 UT
In fact this morning I just walked into a Movistar office in Tenerife
and got a new phone with Spanish SIM for my wife, whose phone had
packed up, for €19, including €12 credit.
Mac
read more...
Spain, but not Spain
Posted on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:43:17 UT
Sue James´ account of their holiday in Tenerife in 2006
[link] put Las Islas Canarias to the bottom of my places to visit, but recent
unrelentingly awful weather in the UK (rain and gales and floods and
read more...
Re: [travelspain] cell phones and sims
Posted on Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:32:12 UT
I also use Orange for my prepaid cell, and we buy the 5 euro international calling cards. One thing to note on the actual cellphone: since it is a pain to have a phone "freed" up it's almost easier to just get another phone. PLUS -- Orange always has deals going on, and frequently it is cheaper to just get a new phone/phone#/sim chip package as compared to telling them that you already have a phone and just want a chip.
read more...
Re: [travelspain] cell pones and sims
Posted on Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:25:33 UT
Certainly all the main (and
indeed smaller) providers sell pay as you go sim cards. I am with
Orange that you will probably know of, there is also moviestar and
vodafone to name just 3.
couple of useful links:
[link] <[link]>
read more...
Re: [travelspain] cell pones and sims
Posted on Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:11:37 UT
Yes there are, no problem! I myself use an Orange.es pay-as-you-go SIM here in Spain, but I believe all the major operators offer similar PAYG SIMs.
Furthermore, Orange offers a card to their customers which you can buy for 5 euros in their offices and which provides foreign calls at much cheaper than the standard rate.
read more...
cell pones and sims
Posted on Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:21:58 UT
Does anyone know if there are there pay as you go SIMs for cell phones in Spain?
I would like to leave my cell phone with my son who lives near Barcelona and install a sim that allows him to purchase credits for phone calls.
read more...
Restaurant Review: Estado Puro in Madrid (NY Times, 11/22/09)
Posted on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:02:05 UT
November 22, 2009
Bites
Restaurant Review: Estado Puro in Madrid
By FLORENCE FABRICANT
A hotel tapas bar located smack in the middle of one of Madrid’s busiest tourist hubs? Easy to pass up, perhaps. But then I took a closer look. An artfully stylized pattern of filigree mantilla combs — the restaurant’s logo — covered the ceiling and swept down the wall. The menu promised the classics, but with more than a whiff of innovation. I was hooked.
read more...
Guernica
Posted on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:12:05 UT
First there was the barbarous atrocity, the first of many. Many.
Then there was the painting by Picasso. I have seen it, in the Reina
Sofia museum in Madrid. But now I feel I must take another look.
And now there is the book. Dave Boling's 'Guernica' is of course not
the first book about Guernica, but it's the first historical novel
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Alto Alentejo, Unsung but Not for Long (NY Times)
Posted on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:05:45 UT
Ken,
Thanks for posting this link. We visited this area 10 years ago,
including a stay in Marvao, and liked it better than any other place
in Portugal we visited (but we didn't see much of Portugal, so we have
a limited perspective). We've always said that we'd like to return and
visit this area more, and this article makes us want to do that even
read more...
Alto Alentejo, Unsung but Not for Long (NY Times)
Posted on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:13:03 UT
November 8, 2009
Next Stop
Alto Alentejo, Unsung but Not for Long
By ROBERT GOFF
IN 2002, Doug Smith was bored. Korakia Pensione, his Mediterranean-style boutique hotel in Palm Springs, Calif., that attracted a celebrity crowd like Annie Leibovitz, Gore Vidal and Brice Marden, pretty much ran itself. Mr. Smith was looking for a new project — a grand fixer-upper in an exotic locale — where he could show off his well-honed style and settle into a life of rustic ease with his new wife, Josie.
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Re: Cádiz
Posted on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:19:24 UT
Good idea, Tom; thanks. We'll definitely look into doing something
like this.
John
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Re: Cádiz
Posted on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:27:58 UT
We had a pretty nice stay in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. We did stay in a
modern hotel, but found the sea food at the mouth of the Guadalquivir
pretty good. There is a nice interpretive museum. The boat trip into the
Doñana leaves from Sanlucar. We also happened to be there for the
return from Rocio which was interesting to watch. You could stay in
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Re: Cádiz
Posted on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:20:03 UT
Thanks, Mac. We haven't figured out where to stay in Cadiz yet. The
parador is closed for a two-year restoration (much needed, from what
I've read) and we're not great fans of the modern paradores, anyway.
The hotels in the old city proper do not seem to have very good
recommendations or reviews. Maybe we'll stay somewhere out of town,
read more...
Re: Cádiz
Posted on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:22:14 UT
On Oct 19, 2:22 am, John Zumsteg <jzums...@DirectionsConsulting .com>
wrote:
Hello John
I've been trying recall something of our stay in Cadiz, which was
before I started my letters to Travelspain, but all I could turn up
was a postcard of the (as usual) rather basic hostal we stayed in, and
read more...
Spanish Menus
Posted on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:32:44 UT
I think we should start a collection :-)
[link] [link] There's some nice ones from other countries in that series as well.
read more...
Cádiz
Posted on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 02:22:58 UT
Hola a todos!
We're starting to plan a trip to Spain late next year -- never too early
to start planning!
We want to spend a few days in Cádiz, both to see that city and some of
the surrounding area. Does anybody have a hotel recommendation for
Cádiz? Or restaurant recommendations? Suggestions for things to do and
read more...
RE: [travelspain] Re: spain football tickets
Posted on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:21:14 UT
Took the AVE/Avant high spd service a couple of weeks ago from Chamartin to Segovia. Trip was about 23 minutes ea way. Cost about 52 euros for 4 folks via walk up sales agent. It worked out very well. Bus #11 from train station to centre of Segovia took longer!
Joe
To: travelspain@googlegroups.com
read more...
Re: Easter 2010 in Madrid
Posted on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 13:30:19 UT
About those religious processions. They are really worth it. The
museums of Madrid are terrific, but the religious processions of Holy
Week are also fascinating and deeply Spanish (although I haven't seen
any in Madrid, only in the south).
Holy Week is extremely busy in Spain with lots of people traveling.
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Re: spain football tickets
Posted on Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:11:33 UT
Hi, there is no AVE to Segovia but with a normal train it shoukdnt take too long to get there aasit is relatively close to Madrid. With AVE it is nice to book ahead to get a better price but not necessary but you end up standing in line.
As far as tipping, it is included in your bill but you could leave a little extra if you had great service.
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Re: spain football tickets
Posted on Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:52:20 UT
Joe....Madrid to Segovia prob only one hour or so by normal
train.........not sure if AVe does that service anyway, but prob 5
times dearer by AVE, last week I travelled Sevilla-Madrid by AVE in
2.5 hours, good service for longer distances
read more...
Share your files with the Travel Spain group (if you want)
Posted on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:24:18 UT
Google has just announced a change to the way it handles shared documents:
[link] This means that if any member wants to share a calendar, spreadsheet, Google
site or document with all the other members of the Travel Spain group, they
simply have to add the group's email address instead of all the members'
read more...
Re: [travelspain] Easter 2010 in Madrid
Posted on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:13:48 UT
Easter Thursday and Friday are normally public holidays in Madrid, and some
museums will be closed (for example the Prado is closed on Good Friday).
Others, however, will stay open (the Thyssen museum webpage mentions nothing
about being closed during Easter week).
Taxis and public transit will be fine (although there will be a small
read more...
Re: [travelspain] bicyle or cart rental
Posted on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:57:08 UT
I was in barcelona in february. There were bikes all over the city. They have a system where you can rent a bike in one part of town and drop it off somewhere else. Check this part of their city web page
[link]
______________________________ __
read more...
Easter 2010 in Madrid
Posted on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:36:52 UT
I was thinking of taking a escorted tour of Spain which begins in
Madrid. I was planning on arriving a day or two early to explore
Madrid on my own but that would mean arriving in Madrid on Thursday,
April 1st which happens to be the beginning of Easter weekend. Will
the museums, restaurants etc be open on the Thursday and Friday? What
read more...
bicyle or cart rental
Posted on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:12:24 UT
Know of good places where I can rent bicyles, carts or similar devices in Barcelona? Looking for fun things to do with teenagers.
Thanks,
Sam
read more...
AVE & Tipping
Posted on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:01:21 UT
Joe,
1. The AVE doesn't travel from Madrid to Segovia, only a regional train. You
can catch it at 4 of Madrid's stations: Atocha, Recloteos, Nuevos
Ministerios or Chamartin.
2. For general tipping info, I recommend you read the info on this page:
[link]
read more...
More Information
about the TravelSpain Group here
