TravelBlog: Spain France ~ June 2025 ~ Part 2

Updated June 21, 2025 AM

Part 1 is our first week in Spain >>HERE

Part 2 starts now:

Monday June 16, 2025

After breakfast, we checked out of the hotel in Cordoba. The nice man at the front desk called a taxi for us and it arrived lickety-split. He loaded up our luggage and took us to where the bus was going to pick us up. It was a measly 8.65 euro. Much better and as it should be in the world according to Patti and Lisa! Everyone else in the group schlept their luggage, but we didn’t care. It was 10 euro well spent to not start our day on a downer.

It was about a two and a half hour drive to Ronda where we walked about 15-20 minutes to get to the cliffs that overview the gorge known as El Tajo.

Streets of Ronda

Gorge view on the left side of the bridge

Gorge view on the right side of the bridge

The separation was created by erosion.

Then we had about three hours on our own. The girls went with us today. There’s a family traveling with us that have two of the most delightful daughters. One just graduated high school the other just graduated college. They decided to hang out with us. We shopped around and did our part to support the local economy.

A French cotton store

Random fruit store

Then we went to a tapas restaurant for lunch. The first one Lisa and I have been to.

My Potato Salad with Tuna,
Bread with Grilled Pork and Cheese.
The sandwich looks big here but it was roll size, about 4”
Goat Cheese with Jam (one was mine and one was for the girls)

Back to the bus with a two hour ride to Seville. Adios Rafael. This was the last stop with our bus.

After we checked in, we relaxed for a while and then decided to wander around the streets to find something for dinner. Well, that was an adventure! There are no restaurants in this immediate area. There were several restaurants signs, but they were all closed. We rounded a corner and there was a grocery store. We discovered some premade salads and grabbed a few other things. We went back to the hotel and had a picnic, which was actually quite nice. We find good meals in the strangest places.

After dinner I went down to the front desk and asked if they have an area map. He was very nice and circled important sites to see. I asked him about restaurants and he said “no“. I said “no restaurants?“ He said not here. 🤪 There are some that are about a 10 minute walk from the hotel. He circled the street and wrote down the name of his two favorite places.

Sidenote 1. We’ve been averaging about 16,000 steps per day according to Lisa’s tracker. Today was only 7000. We did have a lot of time sitting on the bus.

Sidenote 2. Since I’ve been asked about the “no tourist protest”. Yesterday our guide told us that protesters were supposed to be in Alhambra however we did not see any. She said that it is mostly because of their dramatic housing shortage. Tourists need places to stay and investors grab real estate to use as Airbnb and VRBO‘s. It is kind of a Catch-22 situation because tourist bring in about half of their economy.

Sidenote 3. In Madrid, we did see one table with about six people. Pro-Palestine anti-Jew demonstrators. There was a police car at each end of the table, so no shenanigans would be happening.

Tomorrow morning after breakfast, we have a walking tour. Then a mostly free day until the evening when we go for the “Live Flamenco Performance”. I’m really excited about that and I’m also excited that they indicate that it is “live” because imagine in the alternative.

Tuesday June 17, 2025

Breakfast at this hotel was very nice, although the cappuccino machine at the last hotel was better.

Old bus station

We met in the Lobby and started walking towards the meeting place for the tour guide. Ohhhhh, That’s where all the restaurants are!

Typical Street in Seville

Iglesia de San Pedro

Metropol Parasol,
referred to as the “mushroom umbrella”

Sindone Chapel

Tour Guide Roberto

We ditched the tour early and went shopping! Lots of shoe shops and clothing stores. There was one store where I felt like I could purchase an entire wardrobe.

Jeep Ducks!!

Teas and Spices

I really wanted to get some teas and spices but wasn’t sure how to buy them. Then Elena told me a friend of hers bought some and had a very difficult time getting through TSA because they look like drugs. Hmmmmm. If I see another shop at the market tomorrow I might try to get some. I’ll just put them in my checked bag and hope for the best.

We stopped for lunch and ended up with bagels sandwiches.

I got salmon, Lisa got turkey

Then we went back to the hotel and relaxed in the lobby for a while before going to our rooms to try to rest/nap before our late night entertainment.

The flamenco presentation doesn’t start until 9 pm. I’ll update about that tomorrow because by the time we get back to the hotel tonight, it will be WAY past my bedtime.

June 18, 2025

Last nights Flamenco performance! 💃🕺💃 The dancers were phenomenal. It was like tap dance on steroids

On the tour, there was an optional train trip to the lavender fields, but we had decided to pass on that. I don’t think anybody in our group is doing that. Lisa and I are taking a cooking class.

We walked over to the Mercado with Erica and Arron. Arron saved my life. We got off the main road to walk along the river and as we went through a grassy area I stepped off a curb a bus came zooming around the corner. All three of them yelled PATTI. 🚌Beep! As I turned to the left and saw the bus, I quickly turned to the right and hopped back up on the curb, but the curb was high and I lost my balance. Aaron grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him. I wouldn’t have been hit by the bus but I most likely would have fallen. Whew. Crisis averted. TYJ. We got to the Mercado and found where the class was. They weren’t open yet so the four of us walked around a little bit. Most of the stores were food vendors with olives, meats, cheeses, pastry. There was one souvenir shop, and there was a vendor with beautiful leather.

Long story short - the cooking class was amazing. It was actually the best one I’ve taken.

Long story longer - there were 12 of us including four kiddos. After we got all checked in, Dani took us on a tour around the market to show us the vendors who sell the food we were going to prepare. The building was an old deserted castle, so local vendors would gather there in the mornings to sell their fresh produce, seafood, etc. it is still only open in the mornings, although some vendors stay open till 3 PM.

Menu - Tomato Gazpacho Soup, Spinach with Garbanzo Beans, Traditional Spanish Paella. He told us traditional Spanish Paella has chicken and sometimes rabbit. Today we would only be using chicken. He said traditional does not include sausage or seafood.

Domenico, our instructor

Dani making Sangria - so good!

Cheers

Adding rice

When done, the Paella won’t slide out of the pan

Soup was delicious

Spinach with Garbanzo Beans was much better than it sounds.

The Paella was much better than it looks plated

I don’t know what the dessert was called.
It was fresh mint, Prosecco, and something lemon like a
cross between sherbet and ice cream.
Refreshing and delicious.

Everything it was really good and pretty easy to make. The Paella is a little time-consuming but I will definitely make it. I already messaged Paul that I will be needing to buy a Paella pan! I asked Domenico how he felt about cast-iron. He said it would be okay if it has the rivets going up the side of the pan where the handles are but carbon steel would be better. Okey-dokey then. They will be emailing all of the recipes to us.

We made a quick swinging back to the leather vendor before heading back to the hotel.

Capilla de la Virgin del Carmen

Lisa napped a little and I rested. Then I went down and hung out in the lobby for a while.

This morning there are was an email that they have added on Dinner tonight at a local Tapas Bar.

I probably won’t have time to update in the morning. Breakfast at 7 and we’re out of here at 7:45 to catch the train to Barcelona. It’s a six hour ride.

Thursday June 19, 2025

Quick breakfast than off to the train station via taxis. Once we arrived we had to put our bags on a scanner and the take them down a moving ramp, like an escalator with out steps.

Oy, the train! The biggest issue with the train, again was luggage. Someone in our group who got on the train before us helped heave them up from the platform The car has very limited space to put bags when you board so you have to use overheads. I have no problem lifting my carry-on bag up, but my 50 larger suitcase, not so doable. I saw a guy help a lady put hers up so I asked if he could help me and he put mine up and then Lisa’s. Thank you kind man! Once we got settled in our seats, the ride wasn’t bad, but unfortunately we had two young girls behind us banging on the back of our seats, either kicking the rest or putting up and down their tray tables. Six hours later Barcelona. Now, to get our bags down. The nice man was already off the train. Sophia helped me with mine and one of the other girls helped. Lisa get her down. Someone in the group helped us and get them off the train back onto the platform. What a PITA. It’s not our fault we pack like Paris Hilton. We are not fans of this mode of travel!! We got taxis and finally arrived at the hotel. Not going to complain about the hotel, I’m just going to stay we would not stay here again. Luckily we’re here two nights. Our group of split two hotel. We walked over to the other hotel to start our walking tour Gothic Quarter.

Narrow street in Barcelona

We saw a dragon.

The Mercat

Beautiful produce

Empanadas

Alien fruit

Cathedral of Barcelona

Tile Wall Art

Plaça del Pi

Locals hanging out on the balcony

Today we saw a unicorn

Love to the Loved

Band playing and people circle dancing

Yes, I feel safe here

When we were done with the tour we went for gelato with “our” girls and their dad.

Friday June 20, 2025

Breakfast doesn’t open til 8 so this morning I walked down the street to a bakery to get a latte. When I got back, Nikki was outside so we chatted for a while. Then Lisa came down so the three of us walked back to the bakery so they could get coffee. We had a quick breakfast and then the taxis arrived and went to Sagrada Familia. Gorgeous!

This is the family we adopted.
Our girls and their parents.
The Dad is the one who saved my life the other day.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

Three wise men

My favorite picture

The back side of the cathedral

After the tour we went with the girls through the museum and gift shop, then we broke off and went back to the hotel. Then back to the Mercat for lunch. We got empanadas, chips, watermelon.

I didn’t like my empanada but I ate chips and fruit which was very good. Then we went to a Christmas store we saw on last nights tour. I “had a moment” with a guy on the street!

Hangin’ with the locals

We went to the gelato place for a churro with gelato, which was better than the churro with chocolate IMO.

Tonight we have a farewell dinner at a Tapas restaurant. Our little family is leaving and headed to Berlin. We’re going to miss them. Laura and her daughter Taylor are leaving too. They are headed to Amsterdam for a few days before. The rest of us are going on to France tomorrow.

Saturday June 21, 2025

Last night was fun at the tapas bar. This time no menu choices, it was all pre fixe. A little concerned about that since Lisa and Cheryl are self proclaimed non-foodies. Sophia had told the restaurant that several people in our group do not eat seafood and they altered accordingly. No pics of the food except dessert.