Southern Europe, 43 days of new experiences

kermatu · Nov 7, 2018

Magnificent pics. I was recently in Europe and we'd been set to have a few days in Switzerland. Unfortunately a few late dramas meant a change of plan and some days had to be cut, so missed out. Your TR is very timely, and good impetus to try again.

Meggsy · Nov 11, 2018

Day 6

Never knowing when the next opportunity to wash some clothes may present we decided to use the public laundromat a couple of minutes walk up the road from our hotel in the early hours before we departed. All chores finished by 8:00am and back to the hotel for breakfast, check out and departure. Our destination for tonight was Bern but we were going to stop at Interlaken on the way and take the trip up to Harder Kulm.

After the short drive back down to Interlaken we found parking near the main train station and walked to the funicular station back across the Aare stream which connects the two lakes. A short wait for the next service and we were soon heading up the hillside to the top. When you arrive at the top station there is a short walk, 3-4 minutes, along a gravel path to the lookout and restaurant area.

The observation deck provides spectacular views across the town of Interlaken, the lakes and a wide range of the Alps we had just departed. If you can just get past all the instagrammers that take forever to get the perfect shot you can really enjoy the views. Whilst up there we decided to have some morning tea, soak in some sun and enjoy the views from one of the restaurant tables. Soon enough it was time to head back down to the car and we were quickly on the road to Bern, a very easy and pretty 1 hour drive.

In no time we were checking into our Hotel (Best Western Bern) and dropping the bags off. We set off on foot to check out the old town and starting at the Zytglogge Clock Tower we headed downhill toward the river. Lots of knick knack shops to explore along the way as well as bars and cafes. Before long we were crossing the river and standing on top of the bear pit. I’m still not sure of the purpose of the bears here but it was unusual to say the least.

We then headed back in the opposite direction toward the main square and parliament building, the Bundeshaus. It was getting on a bit now and the search for a suitable lunch option was underway. We found a nice bakery on the edge of the main square and grabbed a sandwich and coffee to fuel our afternoon ramblings. Lunch done we decided to jump on a tram and do our own hop on hop off tour as far as the tram line went. It’s a good way to see local neighbourhoods and get a feel for a place.

Bern is a wonderful city and very easy to get around We wandered around for the rest of the afternoon admiring the wonderful buildings and fountains on both sides of the river before ending up back near our hotel The plan was then to find somewhere for an easy dinner and a Gelato shop and call it a night. We found a nice burger place but after walking around for an hour we could not find any gelato places still open. Starbucks it was then before retiring to give my trotters a rest.

Walking from top station to the view platform at Harder Kulm

Views over Interlaken

Harder Kulm viewing platform

Looking across to the Funicular station to Harder Kulm

Zytglogge Clock Tower, Bern

Aare river as it wraps around the old town in Bern

Resident of the bear pit

The Parliament building with a temporary volleyball stadium set up on the forecourt.

Looking back up the main street

Bronze model of the Bundeshaus Parliament building

Meggsy · Nov 11, 2018

Day 7

Todays itinerary sees us returning to ZRH to drop the rental car off before flying to Madrid for the next phase of our trip.

We headed out for a walk, looking for somewhere to have breakfast before heading off. About 100 metres from the hotel we found a small bakery called Bread a Porter that served all manner of delicious baked goodness and great coffee. Breakfast done we wandered down to the Rathaus parking garage to grab our wheels before heading back to the hotel to collect our luggage and check out. An easy 5 minute drive and we were out of the city and on the A1 for the 90 minute drive to ZRH. Along the way we decided to take a slight detour to a small village called Seengen that was home to Schloss Hallwyl, a very nicely preserved castle surrounded by a water filled moat. It was only a 10 -15 minute drive off the A1 and sounded quite interesting by the reviews.

On arrival there is a pay to park lot across the road from the castle entrance. A small entry fee to get in and a choice of guided tour or self paced wander. There is also a licensed cafe and restaurant on site. Definitely worth the detour and with your entry fee you can also tour the adjoining mill that was built by the same family. We spent about an hour and a half here before heading back into the village to find somewhere for lunch. A local bakery did the trick and shortly we were back on the road for ZRH.

After refuelling the car and doing a few laps of the airport due to missing the rental car return the first time we were finally parked up, bags out and heading for the terminal to check in. Along the way we retrieved our bags from the left luggage counter that we deposited on arrival at ZRH. Safely checked in we set out to explore some shops and find creative ways to spend the last of our CHF’s.

First time on a Bombardier CS300, ZRH - MAD Swiss Air flight LX2032 departed on time at 1640 and landed at 1850, ten minutes ahead of schedule. We had seats 16 A & C, just on the trailing edge of the main plane. Very comfortable flight. No IFE but a small screen above each seat that shows the flight track, time to destination, etc. Quiet aircraft and I napped most of the way. On landing in MAD I think it was the longest taxi I have ever encountered. It took 15 minutes from touch down to gate continuously moving. That aside it was a pleasant flight, I like the CS300 aircraft.

Bags collected and we were shortly in a cab heading to our hotel, the Barcelo Emperatriz. Fixed fare of 30 Euro from the airport to city hotels and in no time we were checked in and heading out to explore the local area and stretch the legs a little. We were in the Almagro neighbourhood and had plenty of choices for dinner. We chose the Restaurant El Yate. Food was nice and the drinks were very generous. To say you only needed one drink was an understatement, 250Ml of scotch and 250Ml of Dry ginger in one massive glass for 8 Euro. Happy days. With that night cap finished it was time to head home and prepare for tomorrows first full day in Madrid.

Schloss Hallwyl

A bit of fire alarm action in Bern before departing

Schloss Hallwyl

Schloss Hallwyl

Take off from ZRH

kermatu · Nov 12, 2018

Meggsy said:
250Ml of scotch and 250Ml of Dry ginger in one massive glass for 8 Euro.

Noted for future reference.

Meggsy · Nov 18, 2018

Day 8

We had a free day in Madrid today before joining our Insight tour this evening. The plan was to find somewhere close by for breakfast followed by catching the hop on / hop off bus for a tour of the city.

About 100m up the road from our hotel we found a nice little cafe called Panela & Co that was advertised as a health food restaurant but the menu looked quite good so we gave it a try and were very glad we did. The coffee was wonderful and each of our meals were generous in size, tasty and reasonably priced.

After fueling up we set out for the short walk to the US Embassy where we could meet the first HOHO bus of the day. Provided you had pre purchased tickets you could join the bus at any stop on either of the 2 loops. We booked the tickets online, purchasing the one day pass which worked out to be about AU$31 each. The bus as mentioned runs over 2 different loops, effectively the new part of Madrid on one loop and the Old town on the other. Each loop took anywhere from 60-90 minutes, traffic dependent, and had a few common stops where you could go from one loop to the other.

Our first loop was the new town and took us north along Paseo de la Castellana as far Estadio Santiago, the home of the Real Madrid Football Club before turning east then south and heading down Calle Serrano toward the CBD. Along this loop we saw the Puerta de Alcala, Fuente de Cibeles, Puerta del Sol and the Fuente de Neptuno. All wonderful monuments and a nice introduction to this wonderful city. We completed the first loop as far as the Fuente de Neptuno, which is the start point for both loops and joined the bus for the second loop.

This loop headed in a westerly direction from the start point and travelled by Plaza de Colón, Plaza de Cibeles, Gran Via, Plaza de España, Templo de Debod, Teatro Real, Palacio Real, Puerta de Toledo, San Francisco El Grande, Catedral Almudena, Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol and Círculo Bellas Artes. Traffic was getting quite bad toward the end of the second loop and as it was getting close to midday we decided to hop off the bus near Plaza Mayor and go exploring on foot for the rest of the afternoon.

A quick bite to eat at La Mallorquina pastry shop kept us going and we continued exploring some of the shops and sights in and around Puerta del Sol while gradually making our way back to our hotel about 4 k’s away. Lunch was had at a dine in/take away cafe called Pannus on Calle de Hortaleza on the walk back.

A short rest and freshen up at the hotel before we assembled in the hotel lobby to meet the other 37 guests that evening to start our Insight tour with a dinner hosted by our tour director.

The dinner venue was La Bottileria, just opposite the Real Palace. A set menu for a large group but the food was fine and the task of remembering names to faces was on in earnest. A short bus tour of Madrid by night followed before return to the hotel for a night cap.

Estadio Santiago, home of Real Madrid FC

Puerta de Alcala

Monument to Columbus

Palacio de Comunicaciones or Madrid Town Hall, depends on which tour guide you believe.

Fuente de Cibeles

Fuente de Neptuno

Monumento Cervantes

Puerto del Sol

Fuente de los Delfines

Meggsy · Nov 19, 2018

Day 9

Awoke to a wonderful, sunny and warm day. Hotel buffet breakfast to get us all started and we were soon in the coach for our first full day of guided sightseeing. The morning plan was for a trip around Madrid Centro area to visit many of the same monuments we saw yesterday, albeit with a local expert guide, followed by a visit to the Prado Museum to take in some of the magnificent artwork by Velazquez, Goya and co. No photos permitted in the museum but we left with wonderful memories of some magnificent artwork.

Just before midday we left the city to head to Toledo for our afternoon excursion. It was just over 70 Kilometres and took about an hour on the coach. A scenic point across the river Tagus from the city gave us a great overview and some panoramic photos before we drove around to the city entrance and set off on foot. The entry to the city we used was on the north side of the old town, through the city walls and up a series of escalators.

First thing was to find somewhere to eat so we stopped for lunch at Mazapan El Foro Café Bar in the plaza de Zocodover. Geez I hate smoking in restaurants, even the outdoor ones. I digress. After lunch we had a walking tour of the old town organised which finished with a visit to the Santa Iglesia Cathedral.

Back to the coach for the return to Madrid, with a short stop over at a jewellery and metal working shop on the way. You could watch the craftsmen at work or head straight through to the showroom. No hard sell and plenty of nice souvenirs of the region as well as some very pretty jewellery. On our return we had a short period of time to rest and refresh before heading out for our evening dinner. Tonight’s restaurant was called Los Galayos which was located in the Plaza Mayor, Madrid. The food was wonderful, suckling pig for the main, and also had some musicians playing to keep us entertained over dinner.

Toledo from across the Tagus

And again

Ruins of the Convent of San Pablo near the entrance through the city walls

Choir seating Santa Iglesia Cathedral

Painting of the disrobing of christ by El Greco, Santa Iglesia Cathedral

Toledo from outside the walls

Souvenir shop, Sword anyone?

Plaza Mayor, Madrid

Puerta del Sol by night

Puerta de Jeronimos, outside Prado Museum

Meggsy · Nov 19, 2018

Day 10

Farewell to Madrid after 3 wonderful days. Today we head to Segovia and then onto Salamanca, our overnight destination. It was about a 90 minute drive to Segovia and was another warm day with clear blue skies.

First stop in Segovia was the Alcazar Fortress in Segovia. Very impressive building and very photogenic from most sides. We then headed into the old town area of Segovia to see the star attraction, the aqueduct. It certainly commands your attention and, in my humble opinion, is simply spectacular. After the requisite photos from all angles and a detailed narrative of its history by our guide we set off on foot to explore the old town.

We wandered along Calle Juan Bravo, through Plaza San Martin and up to Plaza Mayor to have a look at Catedral de Segovia. Plenty of souvenir shops, eateries, bars, etc on the walk to explore along with a number of nice photo opportunities.

All too soon we were heading back to the coach for the 2 hour afternoon drive to Salamanca. Along the way we had a small detour to a place called Cuatro Postes, which was a comfort stop as well as a wonderful scenic point overlooking the walled city of Avila.

Alcazar Fortress

Alcazar Fortress

The Aqueduct

Our Coach, driver and tour director

Cathedral of Segovia

Plaza Mayor and the Cathedral of Segovia

The top of the Aqueduct at ground level further up stream

Avila town walls

Avila taken from Cuatro Postes

Cuatro Postes

Meggsy · Nov 19, 2018

Day 10 Continued

On entering Salamnca we stopped to view the Puente Romano bridge before making our way to our hotel for the evening, the Hotel Alameda Palace. We had a short time to freshen up before heading out for a walking tour of this wonderful town.

Our tour took us from the hotel along Calle Toro, through Plaza Mayor and as far as the Catedral de Salamanca. Following the walking tour we had a free night to explore and eat where ever we chose. A number of us decided to try the local pop up Tapas stalls that come to life as the sun sets. Plenty of beers, good street food and many laughs later we headed back to our hotel via the gelato stall in the Parque de la Alamedilla across the road from our accommodation.

Salamanca, as a university town, has a wonderful feel to it and is one of those places you wish you could stay and explore a little longer.

Puente Romano bridge

Puente Romano bridge

Plaza Mayor Salamanca

Stork nests on the bell tower

Sunset over the city

The city was almost deserted during our walking tour but came to life around 8pm

Faces of all the notables around the Plaza Mayor

Twilight view of the city skyline

Close up twilight view of the city skyline

A recent addition during the last renovation. No evidence of time travel

OATEK · Nov 20, 2018

Meggsy said:
Day 7

Along the way we decided to take a slight detour to a small village called Seengen that was home to Schloss Hallwyl, a very nicely preserved castle surrounded by a water filled moat. It was only a 10 -15 minute drive off the A1 and sounded quite interesting by the reviews.

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Schloss Hallwyl

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Schloss Hallwyl

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Schloss Hallwyl

I suspect that this Scloss is related to the Hallwylska Museet in Stockholm - we visited there in June and were told the story about Count Walther von Hallwyl from Switzerland and his Swedish wife Wilhelmina Kempe. So you have filled in the Swiss half of the story very nicely; thank you.

OZDUCK · Nov 20, 2018

Keep up the lovely photos they are bringing back some good memories. I share your liking for Salamanca - and we also shared a hotel. We stopped at the Hotel Alameda Palace last month for three nights.

Meggsy · Nov 20, 2018

OZDUCK said:
Keep up the lovely photos they are bringing back some good memories. I share your liking for Salamanca - and we also shared a hotel. We stopped at the Hotel Alameda Palace last month for three nights.

Thanks OZDUCK. By the look of your trip report we may have visited many of the same cities. It is a small world indeed.

Major · Nov 21, 2018

Love the photos

clipped_wings · Nov 22, 2018

Excellent trip report. I have never been to Europe, but have fallen in love with some of these gorgeous destinations and the way you have documented them. Keep on writing please!

Meggsy · Nov 22, 2018

Day 11

Early start today to head to Portugal. Bags out, hotel buffet for breakfast and we were on the coach once again for the 350 k drive to Porto. It was interesting, as a career firey, to drive through the areas that were recently devastated by bushfires and remark at how similar the topography and flora is to parts of SE Australia, with massive areas of Eucalypt forests completely destroyed but already showing signs of regeneration.

A quick comfort stop about half way at a small town called Sao Pedro was an opportunity to take our first steps in Portugal and have a stretch and some coffee. Shortly we were back on the road for the next two hour drive which would see us arrive in Porto at about 1pm.

We entered the city from the south side of the Douro river, completing a short circuit of the main train station, town hall and Liberdade square before crossing back over the river via the Luis 1 Bridge. We hopped off the coach for the afternoon on the southern bank and set off to do our own thing for lunch before regrouping for a winery tour.

Many restaurants to suit all tastes and budgets along this area and a wonderful place to take in the activity on the river and do some people watching while enjoying a cold beer and some lunch.

We soon came together for our organised tour of the Sandeman Winery. Fascinating tour of the cellars, the history of the area and the production of Port wine. A tasting session was part of the tour and some of the ports were just superb.

We met our coach again and headed across the river to check into our hotel for the night, the Hotel NH Collection Porto, which was very nice. We had an organised group dinner at the hotel later that evening so with 3 hours free time our wives decided it was time to shop.

We set off on foot along the Rua de Santa Catarina, which one block from the hotel turned into a pedestrian mall full of all manner of cafes, restaurants, high end shops, souvenirs, etc. After walking the full length and back we decided to head down town to some of the landmarks we saw earlier, namely the train station and square.

The train station has a wonderfully decorated interior with the iconic glazed tiles and mosaics everywhere and is worth a look. There is also a railway museum there if anyone likes that. We then set off to find a library that was an inspiration for the Hogwarts Library in Harry Potter films, the Livraria Lello Bookshop. Sadly we arrived shortly before it was due to close so never got to see inside.

We did find many other wonderful shops and cork inspired crafts during our ramblings but time was getting away from us and we had to leg it back to the hotel for dinner. We had another wonderful dinner as a group and most of us were now comfortable with each other and enjoying the company. I must admit I was still calling some people by the wrong name but I will get there in the end.

Crossing the Douro, Porto on the right, Vila Nova de Gaia on the left

Luis 1 Bridge

Cellars at Sandeman Winery

Check out the vintages in the special cellar, could only be observed through the iron bars

Rua de Santa Catarina

Mosaics inside the main train station

Cork bicycle

Porto Town Hall

Dom Pedro IV statue in Liberdade square

Fonte Dos Leoes and Igreja do Carmo Catholic Church

clipped_wings · Nov 23, 2018

Meggsy said:
We had another wonderful dinner as a group and most of us were now comfortable with each other and enjoying the company. I must admit I was still calling some people by the wrong name but I will get there in the end.

Don't worry Mitch, I can never remember people's names either.

Meggsy · Nov 25, 2018

Day 12

Another hotel buffet breakfast awaited us as we were greeted by another magnificent day weather wise. Soon we were on the coach and headed to Lisbon, some 320 k south, with a couple of planned stops along the way at Fatima and Obidos.

The main attraction at Fatima is the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, Marian shrine and pilgrimage centre. Wow, the enormity of this place is incredible. It is made up of a number of different basilicas, museum, chapels, etc and is the site where the Mariana apparition occurred in 1917. We wandered throughout the complex, lighting a few candles and observing people throwing wax body parts into the furnace in the belief it will heal said body part on themselves or loved ones.

Adjacent to the complex is a large range of cafes and restaurants and the usual assortment of souvenir vendors. A very special place indeed and pleased it was on our itinerary.

Back on the road for a short drive to the fortified town of Obidos. The town sits within the ancient walls and was a pleasure to wander the narrow medieval streets, with the whitewashed buildings covered in flowers. This was also our lunch stop where we found a nice little restaurant that served great meals, cold beers and did it all very efficiently. Some more exploring after lunch and plenty of knick knack shops visited before we loaded up again for the quick drive to our hotel in Lisbon, the Dom Pedro Palace.

Tonight was free time or an optional dinner at a seafood restaurant on the banks of the Tagus River. We chose the optional dinner and were soon at the public ferry terminal, Cais de Sodre, for the quick trip across the river to Restaurante Farol. On the ferry we had great views of the sun setting over the Atlantic, the Sacred Heart Of Jesus Christ statue and the 25th of April Bridge.

After a magnificent seafood feast we were collected by our coach from the restaurant and took a scenic city drive back to our hotel to call it a night.

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima

Reverse View

Wax body parts thrown in the furnace

JC in the middle of the square

Town of Obidos from the city wall

And again

Obidos

Obidos and the main gate/entry point

Ferry ride across the Douro and the 25th of April Bridge

Sacred Heart Of Jesus Christ statue

Meggsy · Nov 26, 2018

Day 13

Big day planned today. After a hearty breakfast we boarded the coach for the included morning tour which took us down to the waterfront where we visited the Rose Compass and Monument to the Discoveries, the Belem Tower fortress, the superb square, Terreiro do Paco and finished off with a tour of the Jeronimos Monastery. It was another spectacular day on the weather front.

Free time in the afternoon or an optional tour of the Portugese Riviera visiting Cascais and Sintra. We followed the river westward passing through Estoril and its famous Casino before reaching our first stop, Cascais. This is a pretty resort town and was a good spot for lunch and a chance to dip the toes in the North Atlantic. Lunch was had at a casual restaurant just back from the waterfront called Dom Manolo, followed by Gelato from across the street at Santini Cascais Baia. A short stroll around the harbour after lunch and then we were soon on our way to Sintra, passing through Guincho, the most westerly point of Europe.

Quite strange as we were driving along the coast at Guincho and encountered a fast moving wave of sea fog rolling in of the Atlantic. It disappeared as quickly as it arrived but was a real pea soup for 10 minutes.

On arrival we headed straight to the National Palace of Sintra before heading off to explore the wonderful little streets and hidden shops that abound in this area. Sadly, not enough time to head up the mountain to Castelo dos Mouros which is supposed to be quite spectacular. We ended up back at the Restaurante Cafe Paris where we had some afternoon tea before wandering back to the pick up point for the drive back to Lisbon.

Free time again this evening or an optional Fado evening with dinner and drinks. We set off for the dinner with about 3/4 of the group and experienced the emotive folk music for which Lisbon is famous. A lovely dinner, wine and a few beers later and we were all ready for a good nights sleep.

Terreiro do Paco Square

Belem Tower fortress

Monument to the Discoveries

Rose Compass, showing the extent of Portugese discovery

Jeronimos Monastery, thank goodness for skip the line tickets

Jeronimos Monastery, incredible craftsmanship in the columns

Praca do Imperio fountain opposite the monastery

Cascais Harbour

Cobbled streets of Sintra

Meggsy · Nov 29, 2018

Day 14

Another gorgeous day greeted us as we farewelled Portugal at 7:30am for the 420 k drive to Seville. A lunch stop was planned at Badajoz along the way and we arrived in Seville about 3pm. We passed through some agricultural areas on the drive and spotted a number of and learnt some history about the Osborne Bulls that adorn the motorways from time to time.

On arrival in Seville we met up with a local guide at the Plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla. Quite a mouthful but it is the Grand Royal Bullring and museum of bullfighting art. We started a city walking tour from here that took us through the old part of Seville , onto the Seville Cathedral which houses the tomb of Christopher Columbus and the Giralda Tower. This tower was the former minaret of the great Mosque before the expulsion of the Muslims in the 1200's, when the mosque was converted into a cathedral.

From here we then walked through the Alcazar or royal palace, enjoying the beautiful gardens, before meeting back up with our coach near the monument to Christopher Columbus.

A short trip to our hotel, the Ayre Hotel Sevilla, and a chance to freshen up and enjoy some quiet time for an hour before we head out for the evenings adventures.

As we head out for tonights dinner we had a stop off at a place called Plaza de Espana. This place is quite stunning. Apparently this plaza has been used in numerous movies, most notables are Lawrence of Arabia and Star Wars Episode 2, and was a pleasant surprise to start the evening.

Tonights dinner was a very enjoyable range of Andalusian specialties at a local restaurant in the Santa Cruz quarter. Following dinner we returned to the hotel in a horse and open carriage via a number of city landmarks, which was a very special way to finish off the day.

Giralda Tower

Choir seating inside the cathedral of Seville

Tomb of Christopher Columbus

Patio de Banderas

Just a nice park bench in the Alcazar gardens

Monument to Christopher Columbus

Mosaics at one entry to Plaza de Espana

Our ride home after dinner

Hispalis fountain

Plaza de Espana

Meggsy · Dec 1, 2018

Day 15

I know I am repeating myself but another glorious day greeted us, with temps expected to be in the low 30’s and no rain it was perfect for our day trip to the Moorish city of Cordoba. This was actually a free day in Seville by the itinerary, however most of the group decided to join the optional tour which included a walking tour of Cordoba and a visit to the Mezquita.

It was just over 2 hours’ drive and on arrival my first impression was how wonderfully preserved this city is. We alighted the coach near an old water wheel on the banks of the Guadalquivir with a view across to the impressive Puente Romana.

We met up with our local guide and set out for the Mezquita, which is a mosque built in the 8th century, that has subsequently had a cathedral constructed inside of it. As I entered the Mezquita the first thing to catch my eye was the red and white coloured arches throughout the building that seem to go on forever. Fascinating the history of this place and the foresight to preserve the mosque and integrate a cathedral was very shrewd. As we wandered through the cathedral the contrast between things like the baroque choir stalls and the heavily ornamented Mihrab prayer niche was very striking.

We left the Mezquita and continued our tour, walking through the Jewish Quarter and learning about life in this wonderful old city. We were then set free to explore on our own, sort some lunch, do some shopping and let ourselves get a little lost in some of the tiny alleyways, before we hopped back on the coach for the return to Seville.

We had a few free hours on our return so I set off alone to wander the local neighbourhood, armed with a phone and my curiosity. It was nice to see other parts of the city, off the beaten track and see people going about their normal lives.

A couple of hours later I returned to the hotel to prepare for this evenings fun which was to be a dinner and Flamenco show. A short drive to the theatre, Tablao Flamenco, and we settled in for what turned out to be a wonderfully entertaining show. Very high energy, colourful and easy to watch, coupled with some very nice food and wine and the evening was complete. On departure from the theatre we were caught in a thunder storm, the first bit of rain we had encountered since day 1 in Zurich. It was actually quite refreshing and cooled things down nicely for the short trip back to the hotel.

Puente Romana

Puerta del puente

One of many entry doors to the Mezquita

Arches everywhere

Transiting from the mosque to the cathedral

Mihrab prayer niche

Choir stalls

Adornments on one of the cathedral altars

Flamenco show

Flamenco

Meggsy · Dec 2, 2018

Day 16

Departing Seville today for our next destination, Torremolinos on the Costa Del Sol. We awoke to another clear fine and hot day, with the forecast of storms in the afternoon. This would be a full day trip, however on the drive to Torremolinos we would be going via Gibraltar and then a small town call Mijas before finally heading to our hotel for the next two nights, The Melia, Costa Del Sol, Torremolinos.

It was about a 200 k drive to Gibraltar and we arrived about 10:20 am following a quick Repsol roadhouse comfort stop along the way. We stopped just short of the border gates for a photo opportunity of the Rock before we were soon lined up, passports in hand, to be quickly waved through and in to Gibraltar.

Just inside the border we met our local guides who would take us on a tour of Gibraltar which included heading up the Rock to visit St Michaels cave. Across the runway we went in our small bus where we made our way up the Rock via the old naval station, the docks and the Sikorski memorial at the southernmost point.

The drive up to St Michaels Cave was a short one up the narrow road with a few hairpins. A very expansive cave system it is and the main cavern has been used for musical concerts, operas, etc. On exiting the caves we came across a number of the Barbary Macaques. Cheeky buggers they are and quite brazen but I guess they are exposed to humans on a daily basis and have become comfortable around us.

The tour continued down the other end of the Rock and into the walled part of the city where the tour ended. We were now free to explore on our own and find a spot for lunch. We decided to try Roys Fish and Chips in the Grand Casemates Square. The food was excellent, as much as fish and chips can be, and we were soon off exploring the neighbourhood. A few souvenirs and red phone box photos later we were headed back across the runway for the border crossing to rejoin our coach.

Next stop was a small village called Mijas, which is set in the hills overlooking the Costa Del Sol. On cue, as we arrived, so did the afternoon storm, but it was short lived and we were able to have a wander of the main square, Plaza Virgen de la Pena. Mostly cafes and souvenir shops but a nice place to stop for a coffee and a gelato. We wandered down to the public viewing area near the catholic church which provides a good view over the village and all the way down to the mediterranean.

By now it was close to 5pm and we set off for the final short drive back down the hills and to the coastal town of Torremolinos and our hotel. The hotel was on the waterfront at Bajondillo beach, great views from the roof top bar and only a short walk to most of the major attractions, bars and restaurants north or south along the waterfront.

Tonight we had dinner provided at the hotel in the form of a seafood buffet, which included many tasty local dishes as well. A visit to the roof top bar after dinner was a must and after a few more beers it was time to call it a day.