We did about 5,000 kilometres on our drive to and from and around Spain. I had fun taking photos from the car. We began our Spain journey in the Pyrenees.
driving through the Pyrenees
there were lots of tiny villages
very dramatic
Our first stop in Spain was a cute little mountain village. Click here to see Ainsa.
Once we left the mountains the scenery changed dramatically.
green fields with rocky bits
castles in Spain
We saw lots of windmills, not the Don Quixote kind, much more practical.
lots of windmills
I quite like them
a fairly bleak landscape
We did see the Don Quixote kind of windmill as well. Click here to see how cute they are.
fruit trees in blossom
we saw lots of bulls on hills
We stayed at a beautiful Parador in Chin Chon (click here) and had a day in Madrid (click here)
hills that looked like little pimples on the landscape
huge cranes making nest on poles near Chinchon
huge banks of solar panels
a strange light
We stayed in Toledo and saw the magnificent cathedral (click here), Cordoba to see the amazing Mezquita (click here) and we just loved Seville (click here) and the Alcazar in Seville made us want to stay forever (click here)
up into the hills towards Granada
We stayed in Granada at the exquisite Parador inside Alhambra. Click here and here to see these.
beautiful green farmland
lots of olive trees
white hilltop town - note Jim's check shirt reflection
white hilltop town in the distance
Sierra Nevada mountains
Just past the Sierra Nevada mountains we come across some incredible cave dwellings. Click here.
castle in Spain
orange trees around Valencia
on our way home
Our last stop in Spain was Tarragona, a lovely town by the sea just south of Barcelona (click here). We dropped into St Tropez on our way home (click here).
5,000 kilometres is a long way to drive, but it was almost without incident and we saw some incredible things along the way. Next time will head for northern Spain – can’t wait.
What amazing images! I love the snow in the mountains and the hills that “pimple” the landscape. Also, I clicked over to see the cave dwellings-how fun! Can you imagine living in a cave?
Just one suggestion–you might want to consider adding a sustainability tag, since you have such great images of solar panels and windmills. I’ve gotten some good traffic from” EcoPressed.”
Love this post—————
Kathy
By: Kathryn McCullough on September 12, 2011
at 12:58 pm
Thanks for the suggestion. We were very surprised when we came upon those cave houses. There were lots of them,
By: bagnidilucca on September 12, 2011
at 8:32 pm
Most of these landscape shots were great.
By: maru on September 12, 2011
at 1:50 pm
All the photos were taken from the car, so some are a bit fuzzy.
By: bagnidilucca on September 12, 2011
at 8:33 pm
Quite a trip. We do it twice a year going from San Sebastian to Bagni di Lucca and sometimes we come back via the South. We particularly like to go to Empuria Brava, in the Girona province and visit Cadaqués and the Dali Museum. We also go sometimes up to Alicante and return via Teruel (worth a stop) and Zaragoza. Next time you want to go to Madrid, stay right downtown. The Parador de Chinchón is beautiful but too far away and getting into Madrid can be a nightmare. If you come to the North, you may like to visit not only the Basque Country (on both sides, French and Spanish) and also Cantabria and Asturias. You may go also to Galicia and Portugal… Plenty to do and visit and you will not be disappointed. Let me know when you decide to make the trip and I will give you some ideas.
By: Mulino Dominillo on September 12, 2011
at 3:45 pm
We probably won’t do the Paradors again as most of them are outside the cities and we prefer to be right in town. The Alhambra Parador was excellent as it was within the Alhambra itself, but the others, particularly Chin Chon were a long way out. The Chin Chon Parador is listed as a Madrid hotel, I think not. I will certainly talk to you before we head back to Spain, there is so much more to see.
By: bagnidilucca on September 12, 2011
at 8:38 pm
Castles , bulls on hill, crane’s nest, breathtaking landscapes. This trip is unforgettable. The photos are all beautiful. Spain is stunning.
By: the island traveler on September 12, 2011
at 7:56 pm
There are some amazing places in Spain. We want to go back to some of those places, particularly Seville, Cordoba and Cadiz.
By: bagnidilucca on September 12, 2011
at 8:42 pm
You certainly saw a lot of Spain. How long did the trip take you?
By: Jenny@A Taste of Travel on September 12, 2011
at 10:13 pm
We were away for 2 weeks. In future we would be more likely to fly to one place and do day trips from there, but this time we wanted to cover a bit of territory.
By: bagnidilucca on September 12, 2011
at 10:23 pm
Photos like these just make me want to gently stroke the computer screen, whisper- one day, one day…. followed by packing my bags. Europe has been calling for too long.
By: cityhippyfarmgirl on September 13, 2011
at 3:04 am
Unfortunately there is too much to see in one lifetime.
By: bagnidilucca on September 13, 2011
at 6:09 am
Thanks for taking us on the trip with you, Deb! 🙂
By: Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial on September 13, 2011
at 9:10 am
No problem. It was fun going back through the photos.
By: bagnidilucca on September 13, 2011
at 10:06 am
What rolling and generous landscapes! 😀 Everything looks so green and lush!
By: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on September 13, 2011
at 9:13 am
Parts of Spain were green, but there is some pretty desolate stuff as well.
By: bagnidilucca on September 13, 2011
at 10:05 am
Seems that you did a great driving by your car but you did a beautiful journey, I loved your photographs, Was it snow in one of pictures, driving at the mountains I think… Thank you, Blessing and Happiness, with my love, nia
By: niasunset on September 13, 2011
at 2:28 pm
We did a lot of driving but we saw a lot. The photos were taken from the car. It was snow in the mountains – it was the beginning of spring.
By: bagnidilucca on September 13, 2011
at 8:14 pm
Your photos took me back to Spain and your photography is getting better and better.
By: Roz on September 15, 2011
at 2:18 am
Thanks for that. The photos were all taken from the car.
By: bagnidilucca on September 15, 2011
at 4:13 am
Did you know that the bulls on hills indicate that live bull-fighting is supported in that area and you may find an event nearby. We were told this because in parts of Southern France as well as in Spain they have these signs. Fascinating, isn’t it!! Lovely photos of an amazing and interesting country!!
By: Deb @ thirtyminutes on September 16, 2011
at 12:24 am
I didn’t know about the bulls on the hills. We saw lots of them. Spain was a very interesting country to visit. We will definitely go back for more.
By: bagnidilucca on September 16, 2011
at 10:46 am
I love all the additional photos and being able to read an overview of your trip. Am still amazing that you managed to post such a lot WHILE you were doing all the travelling.
By: lisa@notesfromafrica on September 17, 2011
at 7:37 am
I’m hoping that having the i Pad will make this easier – now that I have learned to post from it. It will be tested soon.
By: bagnidilucca on September 17, 2011
at 7:42 am
I love the shot of the bull on the hill. Very Spain.
By: I Hart Travel on September 18, 2011
at 2:59 am
Nice to hear from you!!
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 3:07 am