It's January

Well Lark & I both managed to stay up until midnight on New Year's Eve. Had a glass of cheap champagne (have to support the local winery) and went to bed. Spent the first mostly sleeping, but did manage to make the traditional chili.

Research on Spain & Portugal:

Lisbon & Seville - temps average mid 40's to mid 60's in March
Madrid & Cordoba - temps average upper 30's to low 60's.
Bring layers.

Euros - worth about $.70 US. I ordered 165 euros from Wells Fargo's Internal Exchange site for $243.00.




Itinerary (we signed up for every excursion and the extension):

Day 1 - Flight to Portugal. (ave 14 - 17 hrs from the West Coast with one stopover; 10-14 from the East Coast) Yucka!

Day 2 - Lisbon - land, get settled in hotel,free time.



Day 3 - Guided sightseeing tour of Lisbon, recall the great explorers from Portugal’s past as you stroll the riverside Belém precinct, and visit Ajuda Palace, a former royal residence. Travel through the narrow streets of the Moorish Alfama district, along the Tagus River, and into the Barrio Alto.

Fado Evening - Spend the evening at a traditional Portuguese tavern listening to the beautiful and haunting strains of fado music, arguably the oldest urban folk music in the world.



Day 4 - Lisbon - excursion to Sintra, the crown jewel of Portugal’s Atlantic coast and a UNESCO World Heritage site.Visit Sintra Palace, which once served as the summer home of Portuguese royalty; its two chimneys form a distinctive feature in Sintra’s skyline.



Day 5 - On to Seville - stop in Moguer to tour its Roman amphitheater. Explore the town's culinary offerings for lunch, and be sure to take in the Christopher Columbus Museum. Arrive later today in Seville, the capital of Andalusian Spain.

Day 6 - Seville - guided tour of Seville - behold the intricately tiled pavilion of the Plaza de España, visit the Alcázar, built by Pedro the Cruel in the 14th century and later the home of Prince Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Visit Seville’s opulent cathedral which occupies the site of a mosque built by the Almohads in the 12th century.

Venture into the nightlife of Seville and a Flamenco Evening. Experience the exciting aura surrounding flamenco dancing. A unique dance form, flamenco combines guitar playing, singing, clapping and dancing.

Day 7 - Seville - Spend a day at your leisure in Seville. You might choose to climb the 230-foot-high Giralda Tower or stroll through the gardens of Maria Luisa Park. Or pay a visit to the majestic 18th-century bullring, one of the oldest in Spain.

Day 8 - Madrid - As we make our way to the Spanish capital, stop in Córdoba, a city that flourished in Moorish times. Your guided tour of Córdoba includes a walk through the Jewish Quarter and a visit to the famous Mezquita. The Mezquita was once one of the world’s most important mosques, before the Christian conquerors built a cathedral within it. Today the structure is a vivid representation of the blending of two religions. Then continue on to Madrid.



Day 9 - Madrid - View the many relics of the Bourbon dynasty on your tour of Madrid. Visit the Royal Palace and tour the Prado, Madrid’s colossal art museum. Look for Goya’s royal paintings as well as works by El Greco, Velázquez and Murillo.




Traditional Spanish Evening for dinner at a legendary Madrid restaurant- Indulge in an evening of succulent Castillian cuisine at Los Galayos, a restaurant on the Plaza Mayor. Revel in the traditional atmosphere while you feast on gazpacho, roasted potatoes and roast suckling pig in an ancient Castillian cellar.

Day 10 - Madrid - A full-day Excursion to Toledo. One of Spain’s oldest and most beautiful cities, Toledo served as the Spanish capital until 1561. After a chance to explore the labyrinth of medieval alleyways that make up the heart of the city, visit one of Europe’s oldest synagogues at El Tránsito.



Day 11 & 12 - Madrid - Madrid celebrates itself and life in general—around the clock. After spending much of the 20th century sequestered at the center of a totalitarian regime, Madrid has burst back onto the world stage with an energy redolent of its 16th-century golden age, when painters and playwrights swarmed to the flame of Spain's brilliant royal court. A vibrant crossroads for Iberia and the world's Hispanic peoples and cultures, the Spanish capital has an infectious appetite for art, music, food and fun.

Day 13 - Home - another 14-17 hours on a plane