Planning a Trip to Spain

[Nylah]

Re: Planning a Trip to Spain


Well, I left it all same place on the dresser, so you need to inquire with a certain somebody about its current status.....




*<span style="font-style: italic">the thought came from the taking up space in my luggage theme</span>*

[Kurlie]

Re: Planning a Trip to Spain

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nylah</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Well, I left it all same place on the dresser, so you need to inquire with a certain somebody about its current status.....




*<span style="font-style: italic">the thought came from the taking up space in my luggage theme</span>* </div></div>

so wat u tri'n sey?

[Nylah]

Re: Planning a Trip to Spain


<span style="font-weight: bold">I'm saying</span> I thought about the room those products took up in my luggage last summer, only to not give them to you because you were gone already

So if a certain somebody hasnt put them to use then you can get them!

[Wahalla]

Re: Planning a Trip to Spain


I love Galicia.... But where my mother now bides....

[Marielle]

Re: Planning a Trip to Spain

Wow! You will love Spain! Especially Andalucia....and Barcelona is great too (old town, gaudi), very hip and trendy nowadays...

My sister is married to an Andalucian so I know my way around a bit

tips: (all these places are amazing.....)

Granada - Alhambra (moorish palace)

Sevilla - Alcazar (idem dito)

Cordoba - Mesquita (church built in a mosque)

Casares - beautiful white-washed village around a mountain

Tarifa - southernmost tip - kite surf capital of europe, great place for hanging out (oh, you weren't into beaches.....) beautiful moorish seaside village

Doing flamenco in Jerez? Great!! You will love it and immersing yourself there, that part is more authentic and not so touristy as the costa del sol side. I haven't been in Jerez de la Frontera myself.

I once went from Olhao and Tavira, Portugal to Seville and passed through Ayamonte, on the border (and river). Spent a night there and there was a market with flamenco everywhere, it's very authentic flamenco country......

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&amp;q=jerez+spain+map&amp;um=1&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;split=0&amp;ei=DZmaSaHaHc7z-Abfxdm4Bw&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=geocode_result&amp;resnum=1&amp;ct=image

Best is to rent a car if you drive, driving around Andalucia is fantastic!!

Fall is a nice time to go, still warm enough and school holidays are finished

http://www.andalucia.com/ for lots of info

Enjoy!!

[Marielle]

Re: Planning a Trip to Spain

p.s. You can visit Gibraltar while there, the english rock in the south of spain....it's like england stuck on a rock in the med......your typical english phone boxes, marks and spencer etc. and all duty free.... it's weird, being so small the road into it traverses the airport runway.....(and the barriers come down when a plane lands/takes off, just like the train in any other country...).

Morocco (and Ceuta, spanish enclave, interesting, like Melilla) is also amazing, you can take the ferry from Algeciras (entry to Gibraltar). Leave the car in Spain tho!!!Tangier is an incredible place and is like being in 1000 and 1 arabian nights.....
Europe, Africa and Arabia meet there.

[Gen]

Re: Planning a Trip to Spain

Pamplona-ummmm didn't quite get to find out if there was anything artsy-ish about it, I was too busy taking in running with the bulls -i think that's all there is to pamplona really, quiet, boring rural &amp; sleepy.

my one regret was not trying to get to morocco from there

next time though

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nylah</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Kinda want to do a history trip more than anything. I am really into the history of flamenco so tha tis why I am concentrating on the Andulusian region.

I have arranged for flamenco dance classes in Jerez. They then have flamenco bar tours in the evening. And then I am looking at cooking classes in Vejer and some sherry winery tours.

For other activities I want to visit old historical sites,museums etc rather than do the sit on the beach thing. I kinda want the old world experience on this trip.

I want to do at least one northern city, so I thought Barcelona would be more my groove than Madrid. What was Pamplona like? </div></div>

[Nylah]

Re: Planning a Trip to Spain





okay, let me come down and read thru the thread slowly!

[Nylah]

Re: Planning a Trip to Spain

awesome info Marielle just what i am looking for!

i was thinking about renting a car to get around so I am glad you confirmed it.

I know I can fly directly into Jerez from London but I was thinking of flying into Barcelona instead and then driving to Jerez so I can take in the sights along the way.

Now I did have some of the cities you listed like Sevilla and Cordoba on my radar but there are others I havent heard of and now can research.

What would be the entrance requirements, if any, to Gibraltar and to Morocco?

I have to see if mt budget can accomadate Morocco and Tangier since i do plan to stop in London and Paris for a few days as well

I have family in London, and they would kill me if I went to Europe and did not visit for awhile. As much as I love London it is so damn expensive and the shopping is divine but I plan to resist so that I can explore Spain instead!

So do you think a couple of days in the towns you listed above would suffice? I will be in Jerez for at least 5 days since the flamenco course is over the 5 days, so can any of the above towns be seen on day trips, so I can return back to Jerez at night?

Geneva - one of my godkids is going to be joining the running of the bulls in spain this year Much to the annoyance of his mother if I could go at the same time he was i would because he is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese but I cant. Right now, he is touring/working in South America and will hit Europe and Africa this summer. i'd kill to have his experiences

[Nylah]

Re: Planning a Trip to Spain

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wahalla</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
I love Galicia.... But where my mother now bides.... </div></div>

Wahalla, I must be blind because I cant find Galicia on the map

Where should I be looking? What other town/city is it near to?

[mountaingal]

Re: Planning a Trip to Spain

maybe galicia is near france, since gaul used to be the name for france

are you travelling on your own, nylah?

[Nylah]

Re: Planning a Trip to Spain

okay that makes sense MGee. I was scouring the southern portion of the map.

I am planning to travel on my own. although, if there a a small group in Jerez the tour company will put me in it to lower my costs. I have never done a big trip like this by myself, so I think it will be good for me....and a bit scary!

[Marielle]

Re: Planning a Trip to Spain

Galicia is right in the north of Spain, next to Basque country (I think....). It's very lush and green (well, not tropical lush...), unlike the rest of Spain.

Nylah, I will get back to answer your specific questions (as much as I can) later, sounds like you are going to have a wonderful trip! Yea, I love London too!! (and yes, expensive, and YES! the shopping...... ).

As far as I know, you should be able to get into Gibraltar no problem, it's a british colony (I'm presuming here you have US passport,and it's a love affair between UK and US.....).

Morocco, hmm, dunno, better check it. You may well need a visa.

[Marielle]

Re: Planning a Trip to Spain

oh yea, driving from Barca.....

there's a high speed train from Madrid to Seville (takes 5 hours I think), so that is also a possibility....fly to Madrid (more flights and cheaper, I would presume, than Jerez), relax on the train to Seville going through the Spanish countryside, and rent a car there). Just an idea.

Oh, and talking of Barca,(Barcelona), I was just helping out this weekend at a festival of world musicians from Barcelona, great bands. With all kinds of cross-over music, flamenco, mestizo, reggae, latin, etc. I think you will enjoy your time there, very arty place with loads of young (and older )
people doing music, art, design, dance, etc.

They also have internal flights in Spain (i.e. Malaga etc. to Barcelona) and I think you can pick up a car in one place and drop it off at another (i.e. Barcelona - Malaga, or Seville, etc., or vice-versa)

[Marielle]

Re: Planning a Trip to Spain

oh yea, you can check this one out.

http://www.expatica.com/

really for expats in different european countries but has lots of info (and forum), always worth checking out.

Spain, Holland, France, Belgium, etc.

I will check with my sister about driving times and tips in Andalucia (i.e. driving at night, etc).