Category Beer, Wine and Alcohol

Europe 2025 – Madrid, Part One

May 3 – 5 As mentioned in the post before this one, the very short drive to Madrid offered us time to do some sightseeing on the way and so we decided to check out the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, one of the official residences of the Spanish royal family.  Established in the 16th century […]

Europe 2025 – Toledo, Part Three

April 30 – May 2 We had two things on the agenda for the day, that would be to visit the Cathedral as well as trying to find a nice meal.  With just those two things to do we loitered a bit at the apartment, getting caught up on chores (a bit of laundry, post […]

Europe 2025 – Toledo, Part Two

Perched strategically in the center of Iberia, Toledo was for centuries a Roman transportation hub.  After Rome fell, Toledo became a Visigothic capital (AD 554).  In 711 the Moors (Muslims) made it a regional center and because of its importance, Toledo was the first city in the crosshairs of Christian forces. It fell in 1085, […]

Europe 2025 – Toledo, Part One

April 30 – May 2 We would have a fairly easy four-hour drive from Valencia to Toledo leaving us with some time for a side trip or two.  Our first one was to detour to check out the Windmills of Campo de Criptana.  Famous for being featured in the novel Don Quixote (“At this point […]

Europe 2025 – Valencia, Part Two

April 27 – 29 Continuing on from the market, we passed the Church of Sant Joan del Mercat, before arriving at the Llotja de la Seda (Silk Exchange) a late Valencian Gothic-style civil building that is considered to be a principal tourist attraction in the city.  Built between 1482 and 1533, the Llotja is composed […]

Europe 2025 – Valencia, Part One

April 27 – 29 Our drive to Valencia today would take a little over five hours and as we wanted to get there around  check in time at the Airbnb so we could get settled in early, which would enable us to shop for provisions before picking up Bev at the airport.  The drive out […]

Europe 2025 – Cordoba, Part Two

April 25 – 26 As mentioned in the last post, after dropping off our bikes at the end of the tour, we walked a few blocks back towards our apartment and found just the right place for lunch, which was Taberna De Viana.  After a short wait, we were able to find seating at a […]

Europe 2025 – Almeria, Part Two

April 22 – 24 We walked up a short but steep hill to get to the entrance of the fortified complex known as the Alcazaba of Almeria.  The word Alcazaba, from the Arabic word, signifies a walled fortification in a city.  In 955, Almería was given the title of medina (“city”) by the Caliph of […]

Europe 2025 – Almeria, Part One

April 22 – 24 We loaded our stuff in the Kuga and hit the road for what would be a three-hour drive to Jessie and Dave’s condo in a small community, Vera Playa, about an hour past Almeria, which curiously is the town listed in their address and for many of the nearby restaurants.  During […]

Europe 2025 – Malaga

April 21 We would have an early start this morning, needing to catch the ferry to Tarifa in Spain at 10:00 am.  By now, our many years of travel make these kind of starts easier with the practice and routine we’ve developed.  After a few short weeks, the layout in your bag becomes fixed and […]