SPAIN & UK: To Estepona and Gibraltar Territory

 Eating  In SPAIN ... Is PLEASURE

foodie

noun

informal

noun: foodie; plural noun: foodies; noun: foody

a person with a particular interest in food; a gourmet

Follow our route by opening TRAVEL MAP 2016/2017 on the right sidebar ([view larger], zoom +/-, pan around). Click on any photo in this post and launch a slideshow gallery of all photos.

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Driving In SPAIN

We've driven about 1400 kms so far, and followed the Mediterranean coastline as closely as possible, from Barcelona to Estepona. The driving has included the areas' major highway, Autovia A7 (also called Autovia del Mediterraneo) and several secondary and municipal highways, through large, medium and small cities. In general, the road system is in excellant condition. The 300 kms or so that we drove between Roquetas de Mar and Estopona is a superbly built, newer highway corridor. We probably passed through 3 dozen tunnels (some were 2 kms or more in length). I would estimate that 65% of the vehicles on the road are small cars, 15% are large tractor trailer trucks (some trailer trains), 10% are medium sized trucks and the remaining 10% include all the rest; medium sized RV's (Class C & Motorhomes, 1 Unimog), vans, SUV's, motorcycles & scooters and a few full sized pick up trucks (I've seen 1 Ford F150 & 1 Nissan Tundra and a few Toyota Hilux's). The only North American built vehicles we've seen, have been Fords (cars, vans) and a single, older Jeep Wagoneer.

SPAIN For Dummies

We remembered the traffic from our previous trip to Europe when we visited France, Germany and Switzerland. On that trip our German friends chauffeured us around tiny, twisty narrow streets and at soaring highway speeds (reaching almost 200 km/hr on the Autobahn and sometimes with "NO HANDS/KNEES INSTEAD"). None of that for us country bumpkins, used to wide open spaces and poking along back country roads in LOAF - we would be prepared.

Calp and Roquetas de Mar

  Small Rocks In The Sea

Follow our route by opening TRAVEL MAP 2016/2017 on the right sidebar ([view larger], zoom +/-, pan around). Click on any photo in this post and launch a slideshow gallery of all photos.

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CALP, ALICANTE will just be an overnighter for us. We followed the N-340 secondary highway as much as possible today and the major highway AP-7 when we had to. It's approxiately, a 375+ km/4.5 hour trip. The secondary route follows the coastline more closely; it's a slower drive and much more picturesque. It can also be prone to closures and accidents and passing through the smaller cities and towns means encountering an endless string of round-abouts.  

Travel Tip: Any hotel in SPAIN, to score a room with a balcony at no extra charge, tell them you smoke.

Coast, Cobblestone & Castles - Altafullo, Tarragona and Peniscola

Following the Mediterranean Coast South ... first FIVE nights

Follow our route by opening TRAVEL MAP 2016/2017 on the right sidebar ([view larger], zoom +/-, pan around). Click on any photo in this post and launch a slideshow gallery of all photos.

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Our driver Daniel, from Welcome Pickups, shuttled us, at 9 am, from the Leonardo Hotel in downtown Barcelona to the Barcelona Airport. ... ' Driving in Barcelona is really best left to the locals '.  

Thoughts about the driving ...

This is our rental Renault with a side-swipped fender ... most rentals look something like this and have damage in several locations around all body panels. Compared to North America, most private vehicles in Spain, are quite small to medium in size. The city and urban streets are usually very narrow, parking everywhere is limited and at a premium. Quite tight, fast,  & skillful driving manoeuvers are mandatory, road & highway intersections are often hidden, turns can be greater than 90 degrees. There is limited incomprehensible International signage and all driving regulations seem to be negotiable. BUT, and most importantly, emergency, service and delivery people drive really BIG trucks very quickly. As a driver ... the good news is that all of this is quite challenging and also UNBELIEVABLY exciting! 

SPAIN: Four Days In Barcelona

 The Most Expensive City In SPAIN  

We had planned on Barcelona being a layover stop; just a place to reset our biological clocks.  

One of us is culturally challenged and neither of us is urban-travel trained. We just didn't anticipate discovering so much interesting stuff to do, nor did we expect, so many intellectually challenging encouters to unfold. We were overwhelmed and thorougly enjoyed ourselves for several days.  

Follow our route by opening TRAVEL MAP 2016/2017 on the right sidebar ([view larger], zoom +/-, pan around). Click on any photo in this post and launch a slideshow gallery of all photos.
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BATH, ONTARIO, CANADA

A few days before our departure. 

The view from an upper floor window in our rental apartment.

We were fortunate with our late Fall weather this year, coolish temperatures, but nothing too alarming! Some light snow today and the weather man is predicting 20 cm of fresh snow for our region of Ontario overnight and tomorrow ... it's time for us to 'get out of town'!