FUN-travel: Arcos de la Frontera to Tarifa, Spain
August 29, 2012 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Arcos de la Frontera to Tarifa, Spain
Trip Day 43 – Wednesday, August 22 – Arcos de la Frontera to Tarifa, Spain
What I LIKE
- 7:30 – wake up coffee on patio overlooking valley
- 9:30 – ready to go on to next adventure
- 11:30 – arrive Tarifa
- Garmin is still working after update last month
- much cooler by the ocean – high 80s
- we are staying right in the middle of the old town
- Hotel Blan+co – really, really, cute
- recommended by Rick Steves
- we’re on the top floor, loft with coved ceilings
- have a suite with refrig & stove top
- 12:30 – people watching & beer
- 1:30 – lunch in park – sandwich from breakfast buffet
- stroll down to beach – find Moorish castle
- 8 pm walk to “Souk” – restaurant recommended
- 8:30 – attempt to find another restaurant in area
- 9:00 back to plaza by hotel
- dinner @ Morilla – across from church – big, thin cut tuna steak – mixed salad with tuna, tomato, onion
- 10:00 pm streets are filled with tourists
- sights & sounds are abundant
What I DIDN”T LIKE
- 11:00 hit traffic in Algeciras
- OMG more narrow twisty teeny tiny streets in a walled city
- have to snake through narrow streets
- no place to park to unload car in the old town
- have to go around the entire old city again
- didn’t read the fine print
- no elevator or air conditioning
- hotter than expected
- room not very functional
- no closet or drawers & very little shelf space
- “Souk” no open & nothing strikes our fancy
FUN-travel: Arcos de la Frontera to Rhonda, Spain Drive
August 26, 2012 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Arcos de la Frontera to Rhonda, Spain Drive
Trip Day 42 – Tuesday, August 21 – Arcos de la Frontera to Ronda, Spain
What I LIKE
- 7:30 – hot strong coffee on patio
- 9:30 – head down to main road
- at least it’s a one way lane
- drive through heart of Andalucía’s white hill towns
- beautiful & scenic through mountains
- 10:30 – 1st stop – Grazalema – postcard cute hill town
- 11:15 – drive to Ronda
- 11:45 – arrive
- find parking garage
- nice walk through town
- eat lunch of sandwich made @ breakfast
- main attraction is The Gorge & New Bridge – ravine is 360 ft down & 200 ft wide – built 1751 to 1793
- 1:30 – head to Zahara de la Sierra – tiny town clinging to side of hill with a Moorish castle on top
- aqua colored lake at base is actually a reservoir
- 3:30 – arrive back to parador
- happy hour beer with olives tapas
- 8 pm – venture out & down to cobblestone walkway (also known as “main street” & the same one we drove up on!)
- 8:15 – dinner @ Mamma Ttina – authentic Italian restaurant (owner is from Italy) – caprese salad, spicy pepperoni pizza & tiramisu – really VG!
- one of the best meals we’ve had so far
- after dinner “tapas” of Lemoncello
- decadent dessert day!
- had ice cream cone in Rhonda too
What I DIDN”T LIKE
- on pins & needles driving down from parador
- just as narrow & twisty as coming up
- locals go any direction they want on one-way streets!
FF (FUN-fact) – I have never eaten, let alone seen, as many olive types, tastes, sizes and colors as I have since I’ve been in Spain.
FUN-travel: Sevilla to Arcos de la Frontera, Spain
August 26, 2012 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Sevilla to Arcos de la Frontera, Spain
Trip Day 41 – Monday, August 20 – Sevilla to Arcos de la Frontera, Spain
What I LIKE
- there are 3 Starbuck’s within 5 minutes of our hotel
- 9:30 ready to go on to next big adventure
- take taxi to parking garage for $6 Euro
- not trying to drive on the crazy tiny, narrow streets
- don’t have to drive far
- 11:30 arrive – Arcos de la Frontera
- sheer cliffs
- dramatic views
- once again Parador is on the very top of the hill
- 12:30 lunch here – big mixed salad – tuna sandwich & beer
- stay cool & take siesta
- 8:30 – dinner @ Parador – “typical” local dish of huge white beans & ham, grilled tuna steak, salad – pretty good
What I DIDN”T LIKE
- had to go to all 3 Starbuck’s to find the one that opens @ 7:30 am
- OMG more twisty, teeny, tiny cobblestone lanes for streets
- really, really hot!
FF (FUN-fact) – Andalucía is the home of bullfights, flamenco, gazpacho, pristine whitewashed hill towns and glamorous Mediterranean resorts.