The town of Ronda is separated by a chasm with the old city on one side and the relatively new city on the other. The River Guadalevin lies at the bottom of the gorge. The moors mostly built on the side of the new city. There are also Roman ruins in the town. There are… Read More Ronda

We left Seville and started on our adventure through the mountains of southern Spain and visited the white villages of Andalucia. Before I start describing these villages, I’m going to show you a picture of the dress I bought for my granddaughter, Rachel. Here is a map showing the location of the five villages which… Read More White Villages of Andalucia

Today we had a field trip to Cordoba, a 2 hour drive from Seville. Córdoba is one of my favorite cities in Spain. Even though I have been here two times previously, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. This was the first time I actually had a guide so I was able to learn more about… Read More Cordoba

When arriving in Seville last night, we went to dinner at an excellent tapas restaurant. This morning we were on our own. We decided to walk to the Metropol Parasol, also known as the ‘mushrooms of Seville’ (‘Las Setas de Sevilla‘). This building, which opened in 2011, was designed by the German architect Jürgen Mayer,… Read More Seville

Our last stop in Portugal was Monsaraz, a small town on the top of a hill. It is now mainly a tourist site with most of the population living outside the city walls. It is a beautiful little town with a fortress. I climbed up onto the ramparts of the fortress to get beautiful views… Read More On the way to Seville, Spain. Monsaraz and Olivenza.

We visited the megalithic site of Almendres. The site was discovered in the 1960s and dates back to the time between the 6th and 4th millennium BCE. The location on a gentle slope facing east as well as its equinoctial orientation seem to confirm an intentional relationship with the cyclic movement of the sun and… Read More Almendres, walled town of Evora and Portuguese cooking class

We drove to the “Monastery of Batalha,” recognized as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. One of the pinnacles of Gothic architecture in Portugal, it was built in celebration of the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota which secured Portugal’s independence from Castile. The battle was fought by King Joao I who unified Portugal. He and… Read More Monastery of Batalha and Companhia das Lezirias

Our first stop of the day was at the Roman Ruins of Conímbriga, the most important Roman Site of Portugal. The archaeological site contains ruins of homes, stores, a forum, mosaics, and the important “Casa das Fontes” with its gravitational Roman fountain still in working order.We then continued with an exploration of Coimbra, the former… Read More Conimbriga, Coimbra and Fado

We drove to Lisbon’s Belém neighborhood from where the Portuguese navigators set sail on their expedition and “discover of India”. We learned about Portugal’s seafaring history and some of Portuguese great navigators. We saw a fortress that was used to protect the harbor. We then went to the memorial for the navigators which was a… Read More Second day in Lisbon