I can't believe it has been five months since my return. I fully intended to post sooner but work took over immediately. We just kept saying "We should have stayed in Spain!" The trip was great. Here's quick run down:
DAY ONE & TWO-MADRID:
ACCOMMODATION: We stayed at the Tryp Gran Via which was very central and only two blocks to the Plaza Del Sol and another two blocks to the Plaza Mayor. Cost was $110US per night including tax and the best breakfast buffet that we encountered.
THINGS TO DO: I highly recommend the double decker BUS TOUR. It's narrated and you can get on and off at each attaction all day. There is a great FLAMENCO place (can't remember name) but if you are in the Plaza Mayor, you exit where the most tapas bars are, I think it was the south end. Go down the stairs and it is a few doors down on the left. THE PRADO MUSEUM is something else. The paintings go back so far. They have some very famous paintings and works from some very famous painters as well. THE ROYAL PALACE was unbelievable. No flash photos though so we had to buy a book so we could remember it.
FOOD: I tryed to research good recommendations prior to our trip but we found it was so easy to just happen upon great tapas and such that it was just too much trouble to search for the ones on my list. We tryed to go where the locals gathered and that paid off the best. We ate so much tapas since it was so easy to just point at what looked good!
SPEAKING SPANISH: None of us did prior to and I was quite naive to think that more people would speak english especially in the service industry but we had a blast with our little translation book and everyone was very nice about it especially if you just tried. The hardest thing I found was the money. Not the peseta conversion but when they ask you to pay one thousand two hundred and thirteen in Spanish! Luckily most merchants know US money.
Exchange: The best exchange is by far the ATM. We had trouble in Madrid at first finding one that would take my card but I had read on a post to try a few different banks and we did find one to work. You get the best rate by far and it seems the fee is always less. I would not have brought as many traveler's checks if I had know how easy it was to get money everywhere. Even at the Amex office I found the rate poor. The banks were offering better!
DAY THREE TO TEN-COSTA DEL SOL:
ACCOMMODATION: My husband and I were lucky to be invited by my Aunt to her timeshare in Marbella. It was a great place if you like the beach and the resort type area but being from Florida, I found it to be the European Florida. Everyone was from somewhere else! The Four Seasons Timeshare resort was fantastic.
THINGS TO DO: There were too many small towns to visit in one trip. It's a great beach place (especially for my hubby) and there a loads of tourist things to do. We took a side trip to GIBRALTER which was better than we anticipated (especially my Aunt who was reluctant at first but was glad she went). Downtown MARBELLA is a lovely town but pricy. One of our favorite trips was to RONDA. The drive up the mountains to get there was unbelievable...you felt like you went over the Rockies. One of the oldest bull rings in Spain is there with a small museum. They also have a huge stone bridge built a few hundred years ago that is something like 300 feet high and joins two sections of the town. There are so many shops and historic buildings that one day was not enough.
FOOD: The food in Ronda was the best. We ate at a place right across from the bull ring called Pedro Romero's I believe. The oxtail stew was great. In downtown Marbella we found a really good beach bar with great food and sangria.
DAY TEN TO FOURTEEN-BARCELONA:
ACCOMMODATIONS: The Hotel Gaudi on Rou de la Ramblas. It is located off the Ramblas on the south west side right around the corner from the Hotel Oriente. Cost was 21000 pesetas or $100US. It was a great location and very clean. If you are not from a metro area, you might find it a bit close to the "night people" but I never felt any less safe than in any other city. From this hotel you were only a few blocks from the port and the shopping emporium Maremagnum (sp?). The other way was the Plaza Catalunya which was the top of the Ramblas. You were also close to the Barrio Gotico where the Cathedral and all the historic architecture is. The opposite side of the Ramblas from our hotel which is the south east side and then down to the port was a little scary. I would not recommend staying there. We met some college guys who were not that comfortable going back to their hostal at night and there were five of them.
THINGS TO DO: Another double decker BUS tour. You can buy a multi day pass and get on & off wherever you like. Some of the sights are on one end of the city or the other so this was a great way to get around. Taxi's were also plentiful after the buses stop running for the night. There are too many museums to mention and of course the Gaudi sights. We were not that much into Gaudi so I suggest you take a look at some photos before spending a day on those sights if you are short on time.
Over by the two tallest buildings right on the water is a huge section of restaurants and bars. (I forget the name of the area). They are all open so you can stroll by and check all the different clubs out. The drinks are pricy but that is due to the atmosphere. We went to the BAJA BEACH CLUB which is not normally our thing but we had a blast. For FLAMENCO we did the tourist stop at Tablao de Carmen (I think that is the name). It is at the old Spanish Village built for a World's Fair or Exposition. It was about $45US per person for the dinner and show. The show was great, the food average and the wine was unlimited...dos vino tinto por favor!
All in all, Madrid was our favorite due to the history, the friendliness of the people, the nightlife and the great architecture.
Next time we'll spend a week there!
[ 10-11-2001: Message edited by: betharita ]
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