FUN-travel: Northern Spain – Alcaníz to Barcelona, Spain
July 31, 2012 by Susan Clarke
Day 18 – Friday, July 27 – Alcaníz to Barcelona, Spain
Parador Courtyard
What I LIKE
Church in Parador
- chose Alcaníz stop to shorten drive back to Barcelona
- only 200 kms drive today
- don’t need Garmin & maps for next two weeks!
- breaking up the driving with cruising
- having someone else in charge of where we go
- caught thief attempting to “pinch” the backpack off top of luggage yelled & he dropped it
- got my “wake up call” to never, ever look away from belongings
- get a taxi to ship terminal
- arrive 1:40 pm
What I DON’T LIKE
- takes more time – only 2 lane roads through small towns
More Parador
- not having street signs that match Garmin directions
- a bit difficult finding Hertz in downtown Barcelona
- almost got backpack stolen in front of Hertz – only thing in it were passports
FF (FUN-fact) – Spain is the size of Nevada & Utah combined.
TIRA – (Things I Remembered After)
- San Sebastian has a “mini Rio” feel with statue of Christ high on the hill overlooking the bay & city.
- When ordering Spanish wine the degree of quality ranges from –
- Crianza – then Reserva – then Gran Reserva
- 4 glasses of wine with 8 tapas & water only costs 9 Euro in Sigüenza.
Northern Spain Trip Recap – The major roads were great to drive on and well marked. Everyone is very nice & helpful (especially when we needed directions in town). The cities were clean and well maintained. Food & beverages were very reasonably priced. Pamplona was fabulous with its civilized debauchery – Santiago Cathedral was spectacular – Segovia’s main plaza was magical with the authentic local experience.