We're off again travelling on the other side of the world. This adventure to Europe, however, will be different in its purpose. We have decided to slow our travel down and really explore the areas we've had the pleasure to experience on previous trips. Spain is a country we fell in love with a few years back. As well, I…
It was an easy fast flight to Malaga (once again the rather sneaky trick to book aisle and window seats worked to give us the whole row!). From Malaga, it is a short train ride to the city center and bus station, a one and a half hour bus trip to Nerja along a beautiful coastal road and finally a…
After two weeks here we are becoming more "Nerjenos". No longer do we wander the tourist streets full of souvenir shops, choose the (safe) restaurants frequented by other non-locals or shop for food at the mega supermarket. We now walk the streets with purpose, navigating the less-frequented side alleys to patronize the local produce and fruit stores and buy our…
Ten days ago our time in Spain had evolved into a gentle rhythm of walks, siestas, tapas, vino and spanish conversation. Each day seemed the same…yet somehow different. We had one particularly great day taking the bus up the hill to nearby Torrox pueblo, exploring its quaint cobblestone streets, then walking 5km back to the ocean and several kilometers along…
With wheels in our possession for another day, we decided to take a day trip north along the coast to Almeria and the National Park of Cabo de Gata. I had read that the park, which covers a triangular-shaped peninsula, has some amazing unspoiled beaches and great hiking trails. We took most of the morning to get to the park,…
We began our 11 day exploration of Morocco in the port city of Tangier. I had stressed over making the two bus/one boat connections from Nerja to Tangier work, but surprisingly it all did. We opted out of the hotel pickup most first-time visitors use, deciding instead that because the riad or hotel was so close to the port, we…
The next five days of our exploration of Morocco are probably the most memorable of our entire trip. We had booked a five day 4X4 trip with a driver, and were able to get another passenger, a young Korean guy named Kiho, currently studying in the US, to bring the cost down. The trip included all accommodation, meals and transportation.…
With only one full day in Marrakech, we wanted to maximize our time and experience the best of the Old city. I read about a local guide whose half day tour of the Medina promises "no shopping stops", but rather highlights cultural and historical features. We met Rachid, our guide, near the main square, and, along with 3 women from…
As this whole trip abroad began with the idea of a ya-ya (i.e., girlfriends) 60th birthday celebration in Italy, Len and I decided to build in some more exploration time of this country we had fallen in love with a few years ago. We planned to spend the nine days before my friends Deb and Caroline were to meet me,…
Sorrento is the jumping-off point to explore the rest of the Amalfi coast. We booked a boat to take us to the island of Capri and when we landed at the main port, we were engulfed with "all things tourist". But we could escape it all, as I had booked a hotel in the small town of Anacapri on the…
It was a long travel day from Amalfi town to our next destination--Riomaggiore. We were headed to the Cinque Terre, or 5 Lands, a UNESCO World Heritage region comprising of 5 small towns on Italy's north western coast. Both of us were excited to visit the area, a recommended destination by our favourite travel guru (Rick Steves). The five towns…
Lucca was the perfect place to end our adventure in Europe. This medieval town lies in a fertile valley north-west of Florence and about two hours by train from the Cinque Terre. Beginning as a Roman colony in 180 BC, it was created in the typical style of Imperial Roman towns, with a rectangular grid of streets and an amphitheatre.…