Portugal, Spain

(and Morocco)
“Travelling - It leaves you speechless,
then turns you in to a storyteller.” -
Ibn Battuta
Nancy McQuade
[email protected]

1
 Prologue
There are good vacations and there are great
vacations. Spain and Portugal fall somewhere in between.
Although Portugal, Spain and Morocco were in three
consecutive weeks, I have journaled Morocco separately
because it was so different from the other two countries,
although Spain and Morocco as, you will see, are closely
tied. The Berbers were the Muslims that invaded and
occupied the Iberian Peninsula for centuries, and the
Berbers invaded from Morocco…but more about that in
my next journal.
Europe is very busy and crowded which I think is what
tainted our appreciation of Spain and Portugal but both
are all about history, which we love. If you need to skip
most, at least look at the last chapter - Barcelona!

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 Chapter 1
A Cancelled Flight in
Toronto
October 27 - 28, 2023

“The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,

Gang aft agley.” Robert Burns

I have experienced flight delays before. Brian, the

inveterate traveller, has experienced cancelled flights.
This was my first. It was a really troubling experience
to be uprooted from perfect planning to chaos in the
blink of an eye. It was especially so because it was
11:30 in the evening, the plane was obviously full and
suddenly, every traveller had to be accommodated.
Our flight was rescheduled to the following night -
same time, same place. We waited for two hours to be
assigned a hotel.

3
 Did it disrupt much of our plans? Not really - we
were scheduled to arrive the day before our tour was
to start - but then there was the apprehension of
whether there would be more delays. Arriving the day
previous would have given us time to organize and do
some exploring on our own before our tour “meet
and greet on the evening of the 29th.
*ONWARD*

4
 Chapter 2
A New Day
Toronto to Portugal
October 28, 2023

“In the midst of flight delays, find solace in the

fact that the destination is worth the wait.”

We are still very unhappy with Air Canada.

Breakfast this morning cost $66.00. Our credit
vouchers from AC were for for $80.00. Dinner this
evening was at the airport - $77.00 - and there will be
added expenses when we get to Portugal because of
the delay. The day spent in the hotel/airport was
long and tedious.
Original time for departure was 10:55pm but again,
significant delays. We didn’t leave until 1:30am.

5
Portugal
🇵🇹

6
 Chapter 3
Lisbon, Portugal
October 29, 2023

“It’s the friends we meet along the way that help

us appreciate the journey” – Anonymous

We arrived in Lisbon mid afternoon. I had the

foresight to book a transfer to our hotel…for
yesterday…so no hotel transfer today. A cab ride later
we arrived at our hotel where we met up with our G
Adventure travelling companions, 16 of us in total,
plus our guide. We are a diverse group, from many
places in the world.
We met our CEO (Chief Experience Officer), Lui Ria.
At our meet and greet, we met our fellow travellers,
then we headed our for a typical Portuguese dinner.
Their signature dish is called Bacalhau. Bacalhau is
the Portuguese word for cod and—in a culinary

7
context—dried and salted cod, which is then soaked in
water for at least 24 hours before cooking. It is the
most popular ingredient in Portuguese cooking and
there are said to be 365 recipes using Bacalhau, one
for each day of the year! I enjoyed it but…once was
enough!

The wine was amazing - the best glass of house wine

I have ever had! I will have to accustom myself to the
European dining custom - late.

The other Portuguese delicacy are Pastéis de nata

which were created before the 18th century by
Catholic monks at the Hieronymites Monastery in
Lisbon. At the time, convents and monasteries used
large quantities of egg-whites for starching clothes,
such as friars and nuns' religious habits. It was quite
common for monasteries and convents to use the

8
leftover egg yolks to make cakes and pastries,
resulting in the proliferation of sweet pastry recipes
throughout the country.

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 Chapter 4
Lisbon, Portugal
October 30, 2023

“Tours have their advantages and

disadvantages. The biggest disadvantage is that
they give a taste of much but never the
opportunity to have a full meal” Nancy McQuade

This being our first day in Lisbon, the first order of

business was our orientation walk, which is how we
will be introduced to each new city we visit. Our
CEO (Chief Experience Officer, G Adventures’ term
for our tour guide), Rui Lima, was a bundle of
energy and obviously passionate about his love for
his country. I discovered that Lisbon is known as
“The City of Seven Hills” for good reason! Even for
me all of the uphill climbs were a challenge….and it
was all uphill. We saw very little of Lisbon - only
today - because of our one day delay. But a week
would not have been enough to see Lisbon’s
treasures.

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 Lisbon’s history, as does Portugal’s and much of the
Iberian Peninsula, dates back to 800-600BC. It was a
flourishing city throughout its history, ruled by many
cultures/religions- Roman, Christian, Muslim and
then Christian again.
In 1755, most of Lisbon was destroyed by a powerful
earthquake and tsunami. Most of what is present day
Lisbon was build since that time.
We walked the steep, cobbled streets of Bairro Alto,
a picturesque quarter dating from the 1500s, and the
Alfama district, neither of which were significantly
destroyed by the 1755 earthquake!
The architecture was stunning!

Sao Jorge Castle overlooks 11

Lisbon
 During our orientation walk, we visited a historic
landmark that was dear to the heart of our guide,
Rui. The Carnation Revolution was a military coup
by left-leaning military officers that overthrew the
authoritarian Estado Novo government on 25 April
1974 in Lisbon,, overthrowing the last Portuguese
dictator/prime minister, Marcelo Caetano, who had
succeeded António de Oliveira Salazar in 1968. Rui
was in a tree overlooking the square, Largo do
Carmo, where the protests centred. In the right side

12
Chapariz (fountain) do Carmo
of the photo, are the military police headquarters
where Caetano had taken refuge. this was a
monumental event in Portugal’s political history.
After our walk, the rest of our day was on our own.
There were many historic sites and museums to
choose from but our time was limited. As I said
earlier, even a week would not be enough to
appreciate all of what Lisbon has to offer. We chose
Sintra, one of many UNESCO sites in Portugal.

Everything in Sintra is divine. There is no corner

that is not a poem.” - Eca de Queiroz

Sintra was a decent choice - only a short taxi ride

from our hotel giving us lots of time to explore.
The town is best known for its castles, palaces, and
the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains.
Sintra is perched at the top of a mountain, so walking
was a huge part of the day! As with so much of
Portugal, a good portion of Sintra was destroyed by
the 1754 earthquake and was rebuilt, often within the
walls of previous structures.
The Peña Palace ( Palácio Nacional da Pena)is one
of the most famous Sintra landmarks and was first
established as a monastery during the Middle Ages.
Two hundred steps took us to the palace. Its modern

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façade was commissioned in the 19th century by King
Ferdinand II and Queen Maria II. The palace was
created entirely from stone, with Moorish arches
towers, and a large central tower that reaches an
impressive height. This beautiful palace is an
outstanding example of the 19th-century
Romanticism style of architecture,
with its vividly painted terraces,
ornamental battlements, and
statues of
mythological
creatures.

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 Because of time constraints, we didn’t not visit the
inside of the castle but we did
visit the chapel.

Next we visited the Moorish castle. A privileged

vantage point looking out over the Atlantic coastline,
the floodplain and the Sintra Hills, the millennium-
old Moorish Castle, founded under Islamic rule,

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occupied a then strategic position for defending both
the surrounding territory and the maritime access
routes to the city of Lisbon. The Moors lived here
through to 1147, when Portugal once again came
under Christian rule. I found the structures
confusing- really all I could perceive that remained of
the original Moorish castle were the extensive walls
built at the time of the Moors. We walked over the
walls, up and down, down and up! Great views!

16
 Part of Sintra is the palace grounds with some very
interesting structures a few of which I have shared
here.

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18
 We returned to Lisbon for
our special evening of
traditional Portuguese cuisine and entertainment.
We attended a Fado performance and dinner. Fado is
a music genre which can be traced to the 1820s in
Lisbon, Portugal, but probably has much earlier
origins. Fado is traditional folk music, a form of
Portuguese singing that is often associated with pubs,
cafés, and restaurants. The dinner was delicious and
the music interesting. All in all, it was a fabulous end
to a fabulous day.

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 “The only thing that matters is to feel the fado.
The fado is not meant to be sung; it simply
happens. You feel it, you don’t understand it and
you don’t explain it.”Amália Rodrigues

FADO PERFORMANCE VIDEO

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 Chapter 5
Óbidos and Batalha to
Coimbra, Portugal
October 31, 2023
“If there is one portion of Europe which was
made by the sea more than another, Portugal is
that slice, that portion, that belt. Portugal was
made by the Atlantic.” Hilaire Belloc

21
 We travelled along the stunning coast today by bus
from Lisbon to Coimbra through Obidos and
Batalha.
The mediaeval town of Óbidos is one of the most
picturesque and well preserved in Portugal. Obidos is
the finest example of a Portuguese walled town and is
one of the best tourist destinations of the Lisbon
region. The best of Obidos are the traditional houses,
pretty cobbled streets and an impressive medieval
castle. However, we did not tour the castle.
Nowadays, the city has been transformed into a huge
library, where historic landmarks have turned into
bookstores.

22
Igreja de Santa Maria
(Church of St. Mary)

23
 We then moved on to Batalha. The town of Batalha
developed alongside the Monastery of Santa Maria
de Vitória, constructed in 1386 to keep a vow by
Portuguese King Dom João I to the Virgin Mary that
he would build it if Portugal defeated Castile at the
Battle of Aljubarrota on 14th August 1385.
Extravagant celebrations commemorating this
victory are held next to the monastery in August of
every year. It is one of the best and original examples
of Late Flamboyant Gothic architecture in Portugal,
intermingled with the Manueline style. The
monastery is a historic and cultural monument and
was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in
1983.The western façade is divided in three by

24
buttresses and huge pilasters: the Founder's Chapel
(Capelo do Fundador), the side wall of an aisle and

the projecting portal. On the right side of this

façade are the Unfinished Chapels (Capelas

25
 Main Nave

Imperfeitas), a

separate octagonal structure

added to the complex.

Main Portal

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 An equestrian statue of Nuno Álvares Pereira
stands in the plaza by the monastery and dominates

the approach to it. He was the leader of the

Portuguese forces at the Battle of Aljubarrota and
became a monk later in life.

The entire structure was breathtaking but the

tombs in the Founders Chapel impressed me most.
Here stand the tombs of João I

27
 of Portugal (d. 1433) and his

queen, Philippa of
Lancaster (d. 1415),
their children and
several important
people of the time.
The stained glass programme for the Monastery of
Santa Maria da Vitória – which was, as far as can be
ascertained, the first Portuguese building to be
chosen for such an artistic solution – began to be
implemented probably at the end of the 1430s or the
beginning of the 1440s. There continues to be a
great deal of exquisite stained glass windows.

28
 The Unfinished Chapels were begun by King
Duarte of Portugal as a mausoleum attached to the
monastery but then he died of the plague in 1438.
Construction continued until King Manuel I, who
reined from 1491-1521 abandoned the chapels half-
completed. King Duarte and his wife are buried here.
It remains unfinished but no less beautiful without a
roof!

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The Chapterhouse (a building or room that is part
of a cathedral, monastery or
collegiate church in which

30
 CHANGING OF THE GUARD VIDEO

meetings are held) reminds the visitors of the military

reason for its foundation: two sentinels guard the
tombs of two unknown soldiers killed in World War I.

31
It was started in the reign of João I but it was only
finished in the time of his grandson Alfonso V. A
legend tells that the vault fell twice with great
detriment to its workers.

Many more beautiful features caught my attention,

in particular this fountain rimmed with gargoyles.

We them travelled to Coimbra. What I noticed most

on the drive was the acres and and acres and acres of
olive trees and grape vines. There are many surfing
towns along the rugged, beautiful coast. We arrived
late enough to settle in and head out for an
orientation walking tour of the city. Coimbra was the

32
medieval capital of Portugal and, as with the rest of
Portugal and Europe, has a long and rich history.
Built on a hill, like Lisbon, lots of up and down to
when exploring.

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 Chapter 6
Coimbra, Portugal
November 1, 2023

“Portugal has amazing seafood with all the

eyeballs staring back at you.” – Annie Wersching

Today we explored Coimbra, in the morning with

another couple on our tour. We went to the
Conímbriga Ruins which is is one of the largest
Roman settlements excavated in Portugal, and was
classified as a National Monument in 1910. The ruins
are located about 16 Km for Coimbra and date back
to the 9th century BC! Although a bit confusing when
first explored, it became apparent how the city was
laid out - the baths, the markets, the residences, the
places of worship. The Romans were so civilized and
lived in such an advanced society….to a point. There

34
 continued to be construction until the fall of the
Roman Empire.

What the forum and temple

would have looked like

35
The Casa dos Repugos (The Fountain
House)

36
 The most impressive aspect of the ruins was the
beautiful mosaics throughout. In spite of being
exposed to the elements, many of them were perfectly
preserved.

The ruins are extensive and we took so many photos

that I could not include.

37
 We visited the museum which contained many,
many artefacts
relevant to the
ruins. However, the
ruins

38
 We returned to Coimbra and I headed to the
University of Coimbra for the afternoon. First
established in Lisbon in 1290, it went through a
number of relocations until moving permanently to
Coimbra in 1537. The present location was a former
palace but very little remains of the formal residence.
The university is among the oldest universities in

continuous operation in the world, the oldest in

Portugal, and played an influential role in the
development of higher education in the Portuguese-
speaking world. In 2013, UNESCO declared the
university a World Heritage Site, noting its
architecture, unique culture and traditions, and
historical role. Enrolling over 25,000 students, more
than 15% of whom are international, it is one of
Portugal's most cosmopolitan universities.

39
 I first visited the Biblioteca Joanina, a Baroque
library located at the heart of the University of
Coimbra. The Biblioteca Joanina is regularly
considered one of the most beautiful libraries in the
world. It is named after its founder, King John V of
Portugal, who began construction on the library in
1717, during the onset of the Age of Enlightenment in
Europe. It is home to more than 70,000 volumes,
including many priceless, historical documents and
first editions. It is registered as a National Monument.
Reservations have to be made and only 20 minutes
are allowed per visit….and no photos, so I stole one
from the internet….so there.

I visited several other buildings that were equally as

beautiful, in particular the chapel, Capela de São

40
Miguel. The current
chapel replaced a
small private chapel
or oratory of the
palace which was
probably built in the
12th century.

The ceiling bears the insignia of the

University of Coimbra

41
 Another interesting and beautiful room was the
Sala dos Capelas, the former throne room of the
palace, and it is still used nowadays in academic
ceremonies, such as the investiture of the University
Rectors, the opening of the academic year and the
conferring of doctorates.

Tomorrow, another journey, now to Porto.

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 Chapter 7
Porto, Portugal
November 2, 2023

“Any Portuguese town looks like a bride's finery

– something old, something new, something
borrowed, and something blue.” – Mary Mccarthy

43
 Such a beautiful journey by train to Porto! There
were no stops on the way today. Again, the number of
olive trees and grapevines is incredible.
And such a beautiful city! The train trip was short.
When arrived in Porto we spent a couple of hours
walking the street for our orientation tour. Porto is
relatively flat and seemed easier to tour.
We visited several important landmarks in the
centre of the city close to our hotel. Liberdade
Square (Liberty or Freedom Square, Praça da
Liberdade) is surrounded by beautiful buildings
with a statue of King
Peter IV, a monarch
closely linked to Porto,
who was also the first
king of Brazil in the
centre.

44
 A required stop was the McDonalds, considered by
some to be the most beautiful in the world! The
original cafe dates from the 1930s. Its original
decorations including the art deco stained glass and
eagle emblem have been
retained.

45
 We next visited the Mercado do Bolhão for lunch
and tour - stall after stall selling fresh produce, meat,
fish and flowers and so much more!

46
SEA URCHINS (UNI)
 When we arrived in Porto, we did not stop to look
at the beautiful train station but returned at the end
of our orientation walk. The art work on the walls
was gorgeous but unfortunately, much of it was
covered because of construction outside the station
and concerns about damage to it from the dust. The
São Bento railway station is covered in azulejos,
beautiful Portuguese tiles, which depict historical life
scenes.

After the tour, there wasn’t much left of the day.

Brian and I walked a bit through the centre of the city

47
and I just loved this busker…so much so that I gave
him money!

VIDEO OF STREET ENTERTAINER

As best as I recall, other than dinner, that was it for

today!

48
 Chapter 8
Porto, Portugal
November 3, 2023

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to

escape us” - Anonymous

A busy day today touring, and port tasting and

dinner in the evening. We started the day with a boat
cruise on the Duoro River. The river flows through the
Duoro River Valley, where the port wine grapes are
grown and the wine produced. Traditionally, Port is
made in the Douro Valley, where it’s stored for at
least one winter — the colder climate allows the
flavors to mellow and marry, creating Port’s
signature sweetness. Many years ago, the wine was
transported in casks by barco rabelo boatsfor
bottling and shipping. Nowadays, Port is always
transported by truck to Vila Nova de Gaia, the city
located on the opposite bank of the river from Porto.

49
 The river flows into the Atlantic. Seeing Porto from
the water gave us a chance to appreciate the
architecture and sites of the city.

50
 After the cruise, we had free
time to explore all of the
amazing landmarks of Porto. Of
course, so much to see and so
little time. I decided to rely on
Google Maps to walk to where I wanted to go but
apparently there is a HUGE learning curve or it just
doesn’t work where most of the streets aren’t labelled
🤔 🙄 😞 . It took me a very long time for what should
have been a very short walk. This was an uphill walk
with views down over the city.
I first visited the Porto Cathedral, one of the city's
oldest monuments and one of the most important
local Romanesque monuments. Beautiful in every
way. The cathedral consists of the main cathedral,

51
separate chapels and cloisters and towers that can be
accessed.

52
The following photos are of the main church.

53
 One of the chapels, Chapel of the Holy Sacrament,
holds a silver altarpiece.

The Capela de S. Vicente

hosts a gold altarpiece.

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 A third chapel, Our Lady
of Mercy Chapel, contains
the tombs of Saint Aurelius
and Saint Pacifico, a
beautiful monument to two
fallen soldiers.

I made the climb up the tower and was rewarded by

stunning views of the city.

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 PORTO FROM CATHEDRAL TOWER

Adjacent to the Porto Cathedral is the Bishop’s

Palace ( Paço Episcopal do Porto). For clarity, a
Roman Catholic cathedral houses the seat of the
bishop in the diocese. Thus the location of the
bishop’s palace here in Porto. Located at a a high
elevation overlooking the city it was originally
constructed in the 12th or 13th century and has
undergone many expansions and renovations. It is

56
still the present residence of the bishop of Porto.
There were lots of rooms but
most did not allow
photographs.

57
 I loved the dining room in the palace! The silver
table set was first displayed in the late 19th century.
However only part of the entire set is displayed today.

58
 From here, I headed back down the hill. *My next
tour was of the gold church named for St. Francis of
Assisi. He had eschewed all wealth and adopted a
life of poverty which is the antithesis of the 499
Kg of gold dust that decorates this church!* It has
been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and
is the best example of Gothic architecture in Porto.
The exterior of the church belies the opulence of its
interior.

59
 The main artistic campaign of the church was
carried out in the first half of the 18th century, when
most of the surfaces of the interior of the church,
including walls, pillars, side chapels and roof, were
covered with Portuguese gilt wood work in Baroque
style which were in turn
covered in 400 kilos of gold.

60
 A monument in the church was my favourite part of
the church. São Francisco’s Tree of Jesse was carved
between 1718 and 1721. A popular Bible teaching
during that time was Christ’s genealogy, in
particular, showing his descent from the Kings of
Judah and Israel. Carved in multi-coloured wood, it
shows the figures of the twelve Kings of Judah
connected by the branches of the tree which sprouts
from a reclining Jesse of Bethlehem. At the top of the
tree is Jesus Christ with the Virgin Mary and Joseph.
the main and the most important sightseeing
attraction in São Francisco.

61
 There were many other interesting altars, chapels
statues and icons.

I explored the catacombs under the church. Bodies

are buried on top of bodies
and in fact there are
thousands upon thousands
under the ground. Some
were built on different levels
that were reached by
staircases or ladders that
went deeper and deeper
into the ground.

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 This had been a very full day but it was not over!
Next was a walk for the hotel to our port tasting and
dinner evening at Burmester Wine Cellars. First was
a tour of the winery, the history of port and then our
tasting. Some of the barrels were immense, some
smaller.

63
 There were several “museum” pieces that showed
some of the history of port making.

64
 Then on to the tasting. In very basic terms, Port can
be divided into three categories: ruby, which matures
mostly in the bottle and is named for its dark

65
purplish ruby red color, tawny which ages in wooden
barrels and has a tawny brownish color, and white,
made in both aged and unaged versions, and like
white wine, is pale or golden yellow ...The best on
was, of course, the tawny - thedarkest and richest
one.

66
 We walked back to our hotel, once again admiring
the beautiful bridges and architecture of Porto.

This bridge has two levels, one for traffic

above and one for pedestrians below

Tomorrow we begin the second leg of our journey,

Spain.

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Spain

68
 Chapter 9
Porto - Madrid, Spain
November 4, 2023

“Better to see something once than hear

about it a thousand times” - Asian Proverb

Today, we flew from Porto to Madrid, a relatively

short flight but we arrived late in the day nonetheless.
We met our new CEO, Sarah Martinez. We lost a
number of our Portugal group but gained new
members. We walked to our restaurant for dinner, a
lovely meal and getting to know our new group. On
the way, we were shown a few of the sites.

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 Chapter 10
Madrid, Spain
November 5, 2023

“In Spain, the dead are more alive than the

dead of any other country in the world”
-Federico García Lorca

Today we see Madrid…or as much as one can see in

one day! Our explorations are unplanned and
without direction from our CEO. We first stopped at
the Puerta del Sol for picture taking at the "Origen de
las carreteras radiales", the Kilometer Zero marking
on the ground from which all the
main roads of Spain radiate.

70
 We walked to the Royal Palace of Madrid for our
tour. As with The United Kingdom, Spain’s Royal
family represent a constitutional monarchy. The
Spanish royal family, a branch of the House of
Bourbon, is headed by King Felipe VI, and currently
consists of Queen Letizia, their children Leonor,
Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofía of Spain, and
Felipe's parents, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía.
The royal family lives at the Zarzuela Palace in
Madrid, although their official residence is the Royal
Palace of Madrid. Interestingly, the former king,
Juan Carlos I, abdicated in 2014 and the present king,
Philipe VI, continues to rule presently.
The Plaza de Oriente is our front of the palace and
its dominating feature is a statue of
King Philip IV, King of Spain from
1621 to his death and (as Philip III)
King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640.
Portugal layunder Spanish
dominance between 1580 and 1640
and the history and relationship
between the two countries is rich
and complex. They have a close
relationship but rivalry does exist!

71
72
 Being Sunday, we walked to El Rastro Market. Over
100,000 people come to this sprawling open-air
market every weekend to treasure hunt their way
through more than 700 stalls. I bought some socks
because I just had to buy something! It was so

crowded that we just had to

get

away. The photos don’t do

the crowd justice.

73
 The Plaza Mayor (English: Town square) is a
major public space in the heart of Madrid, the capital
of Spain. It was once the centre of Old Madrid. The
upper three levels of the plaza buildings are very
expensive residences. We had lunch and walked
through the plaza.

We finished touring early today. Dinner was at a

restaurant in the Plaza Mayor.

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 Chapter 11
Madrid to Granada, Spain
November 6, 2023

“Granada is Spain’s most valued treasure; a

melting pot of flavours, smells, and passion.”
– Víctor Hugo

75
 We took an public bus today from Madrid to
Granada and settled in to our incredibly old but
gorgeous hotel. Located in the heart of the city, Casa
Palacio Pilar Del Toro, is a converted 17th mansion
that has been renovated to provide a modern but
ancient ambiance. Nestled under a wall of ivy, it was
so well hidden on this little street that we had trouble
finding it. I loved this hotel!

76
 We arrived early enough to be able to head out on a
walking tour of the city. Our hotel was beautifully
central and all of our sites were within easy walking
distance.
The origins of the city of Granada are shrouded in
mystery. The Romans and Visigoths were the original
settlers but the Moors dominated the region until
Christian defeat in 1492. The history before Christian
rule was complex, involving the Moors, the Jews and
the Berbers. Cordoba was actually the centre of
Moorish rule but Granada played a large part in the
Moorish culture as well.
The Moors introduced new scientific techniques to
Europe. Scientific progress in Astronomy, Chemistry,
Physics, Mathematics, Geography and Philosophy
flourished in Moorish Spain. Education was universal
in Moorish Spain, available to all, while in Christian
Europe ninety-nine percent of the population were
illiterate. The Moorish rulers lived in sumptuous
palaces, while the monarchs of Germany, France,
and England dwelt in big barns, with no windows
and no chimneys, and with only a hole in the roof for
the exit of smoke. Descendants of the Moors who
stayed in Spain after the Christian conquest were
known as Moriscos. Early in the 1600s the Spanish

77
drove the Moriscos out of Spain because of their
political and religious beliefs. Most of them moved to
northern Africa. During this period, the Jews were
also expelled from Spain. There is so much more to
the history but novels have been written about this
subject. I have simply included what I found most
interesting.
Although parts of Moorish Granada are old and
well preserved, much of it has been replaced by
Christian structures. An example is Iglesia de Santa
Anna which replaced the Mosque Almanzora in
1561-63.
The Alcaicería market is Granada's Big Bazaar and
the original Moorish silk market. Originally, this was

Place de Nuevo where the

church is located

78
a range of streets between the Plaza Nueva and Plaza
Bib-Rambla, filled with Arab silk stalls, spices and
other valuable goods. Nowadays, the only remaining
part of the bazaar is the Calle Alcaicería. It is an area
with a rich history and local culture where interesting
and exotic items are still for sale. The streets remain
pedestrian only access.
During our walk we visited and photographed the
exterior of the Cathedral of

79
Granada. Tomorrow we will see the interior.
The last part of our walk was to the Albaicín also
known as Albayzín

(from Arabic) is a district of Granada. We walked

through the streets uphill to the Alhambra to see the
sunset(tomorrow we tour the Alhambra). The
neighbourhood is notable for its historic monuments
and for largely retaining its medieval street plan.

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Had we not been with Sarah, we would never have
found our way back!

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COMPLETELY MOORISH/ISLAMIC
ARCHITECTURE!

Dinner and then to bed! Tomorrow is a busy day!

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 Chapter 12
Granada, Spain
November 7, 2023

“Stunning, radiant, welcoming Granada.

Simply beautiful!”. Ladrón de Guevara y
Checa

We returned first thing to the Catedral de

Granada to see the interior. It was built on top
of the grand mosque beginning in 1523 and
was not finished until 1704! The main chapel
of the cathedral is surrounded by 15 small
chapels and is one of the largest such
structures in Europe. The chapels each have
their own altars and dedications It is
impossible in photos to express the immensity
of it. The photos I chose are all of the main
chapel.

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84
85
86
"The Alhambra is a jewel of the Orient
shining in the heart of Andalusia". Federico
Garcia Lorca

Our afternoon started with returning to the

Alhambra for our guided tour. Sorry for Al, the
history here but I found it fascinating.
It was a palace and fortress complex and is one of
the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture
and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic
Islamic world, in addition to containing notable
examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture. The
complex was begun in 1238 by Muhammad I Ibn al-
Ahmar, the first Nasrid emir (The Nasrid dynasty was
an Arab dynasty that ruled the Emirate of Granada
from 1232 to 1492. It was the last Muslim dynasty in
the Iberian Peninsula). Throughout the Nasrid period
the structures were continuously modified. As a royal
city and citadel, it contained at least six major
palaces The most famous and best-preserved are the
Mexuar, the Comares Palace, the Palace of the Lions,
and the Partal Palace, which form the main
attraction to visitors today. The other palaces are
known from historical sources and from modern
excavations. The architecture of the Nasrid palaces

87
reflects the tradition of Moorish architecture
developed over previous centuries. It is characterized
by the use of the courtyard as a central space and
basic unit around which other halls and rooms were
organized. Courtyards typically had water features
at their centre, such as a reflective pool or a fountain.
Decoration was focused on the inside of the building
and was executed primarily with tile mosaics on
lower walls and carved stucco on the upper walls.
The exterior of structures was always extremely
austere, as we discovered in Morocco.
Interestingly, after the conclusion of the Christian
Reconquista in 1492, the site became the Royal Court
of Ferdinand and Isabella (where Christopher
Columbus received royal endorsement for his
expedition), and the palaces were partially altered.
In 1526, Charles V commissioned a new Renaissance-
style palace in direct juxtaposition with the Nasrid
palaces, but it was left uncompleted in the early 17th
century. After being allowed to fall into disrepair for
centuries, with its buildings occupied by squatters,
the Alhambra was rediscovered following the defeat
of Napoleon I, whose troops destroyed parts of the
site. The rediscoverers were first British intellectuals
and then other American and Northern European

88
Romantic travellers. The Alhambra was one of the
first Islamic monuments to become the object of
modern scientific study and has been the subject of
numerous restorations since the 19th century. It is
now one of Spain's major tourist attractions and a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We spent over two hours in the Alhambra but it
seemed like a heartbeat. We walked through several
of the palaces but without having studied the history
and before, it was difficult to sort out the significance
of each. The only way to truly appreciate its beauty
and history would be to read everything I could about
it again and then repeat the tour. Really, all we got on
this visit was an overwhelming overview of its beauty
and significance.

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90
91
92
 The views of
Granada from the
Alhambra were
spectacular.

93
 The Generalife was included in our tour. It was a
summer palace and country estate of the Nasrid
rulers. It is located directly east of and uphill from the
Alhambra. Based on the oldest decorations studied in
the palace, the Generalife was most likely constructed
by Muhammad II (r. 1273–1302) at the end of the 13th
century. After the Reconquista, among other
changes, the Catholic Monarchs added an upper
story to the northern pavilion of the Patio de la
Acequia ("Courtyard of the Water Canal") in 1494
while the adjacent Patio de la Sultana ("Courtyard of
the Sultana") was completely redesigned in the 16th
century. I have “stolen” this image to demonstrate
how much has been done to the structures over the
years. The Patio de la Acequia in the 19th century,
before the installation of modern fountains. However,
there is no way to know what this looked liked during
Muslim rule.

94
The gardens and fountains were our focus.

95
96
 And so ended our tour of this indescribable place.
Now to find the time to return someday!

We walked back and were treated to more views of

the city.

97
 We finished our day in Granada with dinner.
Tomorrow, another long day.

98
 Chapter 13
Granada to Cordoba to
Seville, Spain
November 8, 2023

“Anytime is a good time for Spain”.

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 A minibus took us to Cordoba for the best
day of our time in Spain. We toured the
Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba[1][2] (Spanish:
Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba), officially known by
its ecclesiastical name of Cathedral of Our Lady of
the Assumption (Spanish: Catedral de Nuestra
Señora de la Asunción). It was a cathedral, followed
by a mosque, followed by the present day cathedral.
It is one of the oldest structures still standing from the
time Muslims ruled Al-Andalus and is part of a
UNESCO World Heritage Site encompassing the entire
city centre of Cordoba. The Mezquita de Córdoba,
one of the most remarkable feats of Islamic
architecture, alludes to a cultured age when Jews,
Muslims, and Christians lived alongside each other
and enhanced their city with a rich and varied mix of
dynamic cultures. One of the really cool things about
construction of the mosque is that some of the
columns used in construction were from the previous
Visigoth and Roman structures. The signatures of the
workers can even be seen in some of them.
I am going to do history again because, once again,
I found it fascinating.

100
 According to traditional accounts a Visigothic
church, the Catholic Christian Basilica of Vincent of
Saragossa, originally stood on the site of the current
Mosque-Cathedral. The Great Mosque was
constructed in 785 on the orders of Abd al-Rahman I,
founder of the Islamic Emirate and later Caliphate of
Córdoba. It was expanded multiple times afterwards
under Abd al-Rahman's successors up to the late 10th
century. Among the most notable additions, Abd al-
Rahman III added a minaret (finished in 958) and his
son al-Hakam II added a richly-decorated new
mihrab ( a niche in the wall of a mosque that
indicates the direction of Mecca) and maqsurah ( an
enclosure, box, or wooden screen near the mihrab
typically reserved for a Muslim ruler and his
entourage) section. There were several expansions of

101
the mosque over many centuries and this diagram
reflects those.
In 1146, King Alfonso Vll of Léon briefly seized
Córdoba. The archbishop of Toledo led a ceremony
within the mosque to “sanctify” the structure, joined
by the emperor. According to Muslim accounts, the
Christians ransacked the mosque. Following a
prolonged phase of decline and many invasions, the
Almohad caliph ordered that Córdoba be rebuilt to
become his seat in 1162.
The mosque was converted to a cathedral in 1236
when Córdoba was captured by the Christian forces
of Castile during the Reconquista. Although much of
the mosque remains intact, significant Christian
elements have been introduced. Despite being
converted into a Christian church, the structure’s
early Christian history experienced very minor
structural changes, largely restricted to the insertion
of smaller chapels and new tombs. The most
dramatic change, however, began in 1523 with the
construction of a Renaissance cathedral nave and
transept in the centre of the massive mosque complex
to create a new Capilla Mayor (main chapel).
I could write pages about the history of the
Mezquita-Catedral but instead, here is a link to a 19

102
minute video, if you are interested in more detailed
description. It is excellent!
https://youtu.be/_KYx-sgmync?

si=EGdIziJTV7GcQ-vF

These photos are of

part of the pre-
Christian mosque.

103
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105
 The following photos

106
 are some of the

Christian changes added

after the Reqonquista.

107
ANCIENT ROMAN AQUEDUCT

108
 Other interesting
architecture in
Cordoba.

MINARET/CATHEDRAL BELL TOWER

109
 Cordoba’s Jewish District is second in
relevance to the Mosque-Cathedral and is the
second most visited by visitors to the city.
Córdoba went through a period when three peoples
(Christian, Jewish and Muslim) and their respective
religions lived together, albeit, the non-Muslim

110
population living subjugated under Islamic Law with
Jews having their own court system. Situated in the
historic centre, the Judería de Córdoba, ‘the Jewish
Quarter of Córdoba’, is the area
of the Spanish city of Córdoba
in which the Jews lived between
the 10th and 15th centuries.

A plaque on the wall in the Old

Jewish Quarter of Cordoba,
Spain, commemorates the
ancient Sephardi Sefardi
history of Cordoba, Andalusia,
Spain, placed by Red de
Juderías de España it marks one of the Caminos
de Sefrad - the Jewish Sefardi Routes in Spain.

111
 Prominently
displayed in the
street is a statue of
Maimonides who
was born and lived
in Cordoba. He was
a Sephardic rabbi
and philosopher
who became one of
the most prolific and influential Torah scholars of the
Middle Ages. His family was expelled for refusing to
convert to Islam. Later, he lived in Morocco and

112
Egypt and worked as a rabbi, physician and
philosopher.

113
 At the centre of the quarter is the Synagogue in
Calle de los Judios. one of only three originals
remaining in Spain.

The interior includes a gallery for women and

plaster work with inscriptions from Hebrew psalms
and others with plant motifs on the upper part.

We continued on to Seville and passed one

olive tree grove after another but a very
beautiful drive nonetheless.
We did an orientation tour of Seville after
settling in to our hotel, then dinner, then done.
And so ended the best day of the tour so far.

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 Chapter 14
Seville, Spain
November 9, 2023

“Investment in travel is an investment in

yourself”. Matthew Karsten

Today, I am officially cathedraled/churched/

palaced out! We do two tours today, one a
palace and one a cathedral, then we are done
with cathedrals, churches and palaces.
This morning was the Alcázar and to be
honest, I don’t remember much about it! For
me the interesting part is the type of
construction used - Mudéjar art. Mudejar style in
architecture refers to the application of decorative
Islamic art styled motifs and patterning to Christian
styles of architecture. It is thought to have begun with
Muslim craftsmen who applied traditional
constructive, ornamental, and decorative elements
derived from the Islamic arts to Christian styles of
architecture.

115
 The Alcázar of Seville, officially called Royal
Alcázar of Seville (Spanish: Real Alcázar de Sevilla
or Reales Alcázares de Sevilla), was formerly the site
of the Islamic-era citadel of the city, begun in the 10th
century and then developed into a larger palace
complex by the Abbadid dynasty (11th century) and
the Almohads (12th to early 13th centuries). After the
Castilian conquest of the city in 1248, the site was
progressively rebuilt and replaced by new palaces
and gardens such thanks to very little of the Moorish
architecture remains. A Gothic-style palace was built
on the site in 1258. In the 1360s, much of the complex
was rebuilt by Pedro I in an ornate Mudéjar style. It
is likely that Muhammad V, the Nasrid ruler of
Granada and Pedro I's ally, sent craftsmen to Seville
to help assist in the palace's construction and
decoration Before Granada
was conquered by the
Christians. Mudéjar art is
valuable in that it represents
peaceful co-existence
between Muslims and
Christians during the
medieval era. The upper
palace remains the official

116
residence of the royal family when they are in Seville.
It is immense with many halls, chambers, gates,
salons and patios. The Baños de Doña María de
Padilla ("Baths of Lady María de Padilla") really
caught my interest. They were built around the 12th
century and is a chamber located in a basement. The
baths are rainwater tanks beneath the palace.

117
 Examples of Mudejar architecture.

We did tour much/most of the palace and

these photos are various parts of it. Of course,
no amount of photos can truly represent the
entire structure.

118
119
 The gardens originated with the Moorish
period but underwent extensive changes during
the Christian era. There are actually several
gardens but only time to visit some. Of course,
what we saw was extraordinary.

120
 After lunch we did our last cathedral tour,
Cathedral de Seville and what a cathedral it is!
😁 . It is one of the largest churches in the world as
well as the largest Gothic church and, along with the
Alcazar, is a UNESCO Heritage Site. After its
completion in the early 16th century, Seville
Cathedral supplanted Hagia Sophia in Istanbul,
Turkey as the largest cathedral in the world, a title
the Byzantine church had held for a thousand years.
It was constructed as a new grand mosque for
Seville in 1172. It was constructed adjacent to the
Alcazar and continued for 16 years. Of course, in
1248, Seville was wrenched from Moorish control by
King Ferdinand II. The mosque was immediately
Christianised, but it wasn’t until 1401 that the
decision was taken to erase it from history and build
a Christian church on its site instead. Today, the only
parts that have survived of Seville’s mosque are the
famous Giralda belltower – previously the mosque’s
minaret. Construction continued for 106 years! I call
it obscene, not insane. The huge sums spent to build it
could surely have been better used. But that is the
way of the Roman Catholic Church and its followers. I
asked about this and was told that Roman Catholics,

121
certainly in the past, were apparently fine with all of
the money spent on churches and cathedrals; that
they would rather go without the necessities of life for
their churches to be built.

122
DOOR OF BAPTISM
123
124
125
 The Giralda is the bell tower of the Cathedral of
Seville. It is the former minaret of the mosque that
stood on the site under Muslim rule, and was built to
resemble the minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque in
Marrakech, Morocco. It was converted into a bell
tower for the cathedral after the Reconquista,
although the topmost section dates from the
Renaissance. It was registered in 1987 as a World
Heritage Site by
UNESCO.

126
 In the evening, we attended a flamenco
performance chosen by our CEO, Sarah, who like
many (maybe most) Spaniards is passionate about
the art form, and that is what it is.

If the Portuguese fado is evocative, Spain’s

flamenco is provocative.

Sultry and seductive, flamenco brings

together distinctive chirping, cooing, “come
hither” voices with dance and instrumentals
(mostly guitar) responsive to the speakeasy
Spanish spirit. Flamenco features the call and
response known as jaleo, a form of bravado involving
hand clapping, foot stomping, and audiences’
encouraging shouts. clapping, finger snapping, and
foot stomping.
Though somewhat mysterious, the roots of
flamenco seem to lie in the Roma (gypsy) migration
from Rajasthan in northwest India to Spain, between
the 9th and 14th centuries. These migrants brought
with them musical instruments – tambourines, bells,
and wooden castanets – as well as an
extensive repertoire of songs and dances to Spain,
where they encountered the rich cultures of

127
Sephardic Jews and the Moors. Their centuries-long
cultural intermingling produced the unique art form
known as flamenco. The following is a link to our
flamenco performance -
https://youtube.com/shorts/gzOH31MHxiU?
feature=shared

128
 Chapter 15
Barcelona, Spain
November 10, 2023

“Even the moon was embarrassed by the

beauty of Barcelona.” Andrew Barger

129
 Today we travelled from Seville to Barcelona on the
“bullet train”. We were sitting in a seat where we
could see the speed we were travelling and the top
speed was 309 kilometres/hour, yet you have no
concept of how fast you are going!
Our time in Barcelona was cut short because the
next leg of our trip (Morocco) started the next day.
We didn’t arrive in Barcelona until late afternoon
and hadn’t done our research adequately before our
trip to know this. We were both really disappointed
because there are several places in Barcelona that we
had planned on visiting. Guess that means we will
have to go back again!
However we had a fabulous evening creating dinner
with the rest of our group. This is the story of where
we “played chef” -
Mescladis - Catalan for "Mixed Space" - is a migrant
training kitchen and cafe in the heart of Barcelona
featuring a unique feel that fuses old Catalan
favourites and migrants' home recipes. With the help
of migrant students, learn how to make paella with
the resident chef, accompanied by a discussion that
promotes social reflection - with the kitchen and food
at the centre of it all. Then enjoy the fruits of your
labour!
Our tour company, G Adventures, supports an
organization called Planeterra Foundation, the

130
world’s leading non-governmental organization
turning travel into impact in communities and
Mescladis is part of it.
We made four classic Spanish dishes - Sangria,
Gazpacho, Paella and Flan…and I must say we did a
fine job… with the help of the
“experts”😁 … and it was so
much fun! What a perfect
way to end our Spanish
vacation!

VIDEO!
FLAN EARLY STAGE
SEPARATING EGGS!

FLAN IN THE EARLY STAGE

HEATING THE MILK

131
 VIDEO!!
ALMOST DONE!

CARAMELIZING THE FLAN

VEGETABLE CHOPPING FOR GAZPACHO

GAZPACHO IN THE EARLY STAGE

PURÉEING THE TOMATOES

132
 GAZPACHO!!!

PAELLA EARLY STAGE

SAUTÉING PRAWNS ADDING THE ARBORIO RICE TO
THE SOFRITO

133
 OVEN READY

BRIAN’S SAUTÉED PRAWNS

134
 After our best evening of the entire trip and the best
dinner we said our fond farewells to our Spanish trip
companions to embark tomorrow for Morocco.

135