Paul & Maryse Travel

We review some of the good and bad that happened on the trip. The weather didn’t even come up! Not sure if that’s a good thing.

We used the Gibraltar Pass to make the best of our time on the Rock. Bus, Cable Car to the top and lots of sites were under our belt. We wore the bottom off our feet and then returned to La Línea for supper at our apt owner’s restaurant. Lovely meal. Day 2 put us back on the island but with a goal of not going up or down any more stairs (day one killed our legs). We visited the beaches on the west side and took in the only active cemetery in Gibraltar. Lunch back in La Linea and then we’re off to Torremolinos for our first night in that resort town.

A walking tour of Malaga was a bust so we visited the Cathedral, had lunch, visited the Carmen Thyssen Art Museum and had some gelato in the sun. The next day was a bus ride to Línea on the border of Spain and Gibraltar. A little lunch and a walk-about to get the lay of the land left us weary and we took the edge off with a little wine and cheese party.

A trek up in to the Sierra above Cordoba for a short hike and a quick jaunt into the countryside built up a hunger for more tapas. Leaving for the south, a short stop at a chocolate museum in Estepa led to a lunch at the top of a hill. Malaga awaited and we returned our rental, bought our bus tickets to Gibraltar, and had another satisfying supper (more tapas!). A day in Malaga included the Picasso Museum, Alcazaba and the waterfront. Whew!

We visit Alhambra and the downtown of old Granada and then took the evening inside away from the rain. A road trip to Cordoba had a stop at a café and an olive museum. Finally, after we checked in to our AirBnB, we visited the Mezquita Cathedral and the downtown of old Cordoba.

We skipped town and drove through tunnels and over bridges to reach our apartment in the Sierra Nevada hills. A visit to some historic caves, we also took a 10k hike through the hills and valleys. We were bagged after that. A little more tapas The the Grand Kiki for supper was nice.

After a good pair of flights, we rented a car and made our way along the Costa del Sol to Nerja. The adventure includes a trip to Lidl and the Nerja Caves.

Breakfast bagel, Royal Ontario Museum, and pizza at the North of Brooklyn on Queen St.

Our short trip to Hog Town started early and we visited the AGO and had supper in an Afghan kabob restaurant. Fun day!

A walking tour of the downtown including the oldest parts with a nice guy named Franco. We walked some streets of Bairro Alta and Chiado. We tried to go to Belém but … we ended at Delicia de Arroios.

Our trip to Sintra to visit Pena castle. A little downtown Lisbon tour at the end of the day too.

A train from Albufiera brought us to the capital. We visited the national tile museum and ate some food.

Arrived at Vila Petra and found a very quiet resort town. January is their quietist month. A local guided hike in the morning and a boat cruise along the coast in the afternoon left us gassed. We started day 2 with some coastal hiking and some boardwalk hiking near a marsh. No flamingos spotted. We returned the car to Faro and rode the train back to Albufiera.

A trip from Faro to Seville with a stop in Almonte. We were impressed by the ancient history and the modern feel. We really got a nice taste of the Real Alcazar museum. A day and a half wasn’t enough. We’ll be coming back someday.

A day of longing and walking in the warmer weather.

We had too much wine and forgot to record our day on Thursday night. So Friday afternoon while waiting for our flight to Faro, we broke out the microphone. This episode recounts a trip to the Photography Museum, a Gaia lunch gem, our visit to two Port producers, and a dinner out. But we also jam in our next day too where we head to the National Museum “dos Reis“ and our trip to the airport to head off the impact of a TAP strike. Maybe we won’t get home on time?

The day went in a different direction. We went off via the metro line to Pòvoa de Varzim. Saw a fort, a casino, a beach, some fancy tile work and ate some good food. After returning to Porto, we headed out to Braganca restaurant. Full day and full tummies.

Maryse and Paul describe day of walking the streets of Porto between bouts of rain. Pedro exhibit, São Bento, a nice market, a barbershop, the old city and some food stories.

Through sleepy eyes and a sleep deprived state, Paul and Maryse recount their extra long first day on the Portugal trip in 2023. Photo for this episode is from the Lisbon train station - Oriente

A recap of our first few days and nights in the all-inclusive “Impressive Spa and Resort” near Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Impressive is the resort, but the service and the food need a lot of tuning to get a positive review.