Maybe the third time is supposed to be the best. I always thought the first time was, but when it comes to visits to Chile, our third time revealed a depth and breadth that we had not perceived on our earlier visits. Maybe it is because by now, Mauricio, our guide is like an old friend. He understands us, we talk about all kinds of things, and our interests in wine are…
On our recent visit to the Spanish port city we had an opportunity to eat three evening meals. Our hotel was the Sheraton Four Points on the Diagonal in the Sant Mari district. According to one taxi driver the area where the Sheraton was built had been an industrial area where all the manufacturing jobs fled to Morocco, the Philippines and Thailand. Many of the office buildings here are new and the…
Lisbon is one of those places my spouse and I’ve discussed on many occasions. It is intriguing because it is close to the things we love in Europe. But we seldom meet anyone who has been there. As an unexplored place we decided to visit as part of a recent trip to Spain. What we found was surprising. It is a city that has lagged behind Europe, but is now rushing headlong…
We had last been in Barcelona fifteen years ago. Oh, what a difference time makes. In that short time one of the key attractions in the city has transformed. We decided to make our first full day a Gaudi day. Antonin Gaudi is the legendary architect who transformed this city a century ago, and whose disciples are finishing his master work: Sagrada Familia. This landmark basilica was first conceived in 1866, but…
Your Urban Explorers chose to fly into Madrid, take a cab to the main train station (there are two so you need to go to the right one if going on to the major cities), Estacion de Puerta de Atocha, (about 30 Euros). There are no trains or public transport from the airport to the train station. We bought a Spain Pass. It is good for a month for about $200 USD,…