In 2009 I purchased a Frommer’s Madrid Day by Day guide book with the hope of investigating and possibly undertaking a trip to Spain. It sat for five years, to the point where most of the cost information was out of date. However, in the summer of 2014 I dug it out again and a trip began to take shape in tandem with the addition of Portugal to the trek.
We always have a tightly configured itinerary, and this trip was no exception. I guess, when one is making all the travel arrangements, a solid plan is essential. We secured all reservations, accommodations and attractions online ourselves. In reality, we purchased the majority of the trip prior to departure, and had a travel route that would have us touch down in Madrid and return from Lisbon. Once again, cities were our focus, but I built in time at each city to “day trip” into close by attractions.
In many ways, preparing for Iberia was somewhat like a previous experience with Italy. I struggled with language, train websites, and ticket releases just days before our departure. Also like Italy, it all came together in the end in the form of an amazing travel opportunity. We arranged with Eileen, as we have done in the past, to do a special care-taker visit to Antigonish and hang with the kids. As always, we left worry free as we knew that every need would be taken care of… except perhaps the little issue of some snow!
There were “spontaneous” moments for us this time around. Of note, we had decided to live a bit more adventurously in terms of grub, and tackled the feast that is Madrid tapas head on. We’ve included some pics and descriptions within the daily itineraries which share how that went!!! Further, we sought (and probably paid more for) accommodations that overlook where people meet in mind, to the point where it was definitely an attraction for us.
Although seemingly fast paced, the trip was actually very relaxing. We got plenty of time to wander ancient streets and alleys, to sit and savour tapas/coffee/beer in absolutely amazing settings, to marvel at the unique architecture/styles of the region, or to commit “loiterous offences” in the art of people watching! As with previous web sites (those archived on the Main page), you can follow along and share in some of our musings in regards to things we saw and did. Janie left the camera home, and the iPhone 6 was the sole means for photography… we’ve got some great pics in the gallery as well if that’s more your style. Hope you enjoy!!!