Spain is a country where you can drive. My first trip to Spain was as a broke but working full time adult. When you are broke, the best way to travel is with a friend to avoid those pesky single supplements. My friend and I decided to book our trip with a company called Trafalgar Tours. I thought a tour was the right choice because the planning was done for us, we would see the highlights and it was affordable. The problem with these big bus tours is you drive from city to city and gloss over the sites on someone else’s timeline, It is really hard to delve in and feel the culture. So when I returned to Spain 25 years later, I planned the trip myself and I drove but stopped to enjoy a new place every 2 hours.

Madrid

Unless you enjoy spending hours at museums (and the Prado is definitely worth your time), your time in Madrid should be spent getting some culture. Wander around El Retiro Park or take a walking tour of the old city and the Plaza Mayor or try a tapas and wine tour. And if you are trying to act like a local, make sure you eat dinner around 9:30pm! I recently discovered that Chat GPT can plan a walking tour and provide you with a google maps link to follow. It can also provide you with a tapas tour. Make sure you try Spanish Vermut. I didn’t know I would become a fan and would end up bringing a bottle home. There is a gourmet food section at El Corte Ingles where you can buy some, along with many other Spanish specialties.

Toledo

This former capital of Spain is known for step-inlaid craft called damascene. You can watch tradesman hammering gold into steel bracelets or plates, among other things. The city has some cute, narrow winding streets and a beautiful old cathedral. It is definitely worth a day trip if you have the time. This is the only place you can buy damascene. Forums say you can often find some in Madrid. I could not. There is a Toledo store near Plaza Mayor, but they didn’t have the same quality of items.

San Sebastian

I had high hopes for San Sebastian. I had heard it was a foodie city but I found a place that was incredibly over-crowded. It was hard to get into Pinxtos (pronounced Peenchos) spots because they were so crowded. Perhaps go outside of the summer months. I later heard that locals don’t go there anymore, that it is really just for tourists. Something cool nearby are the Flysch Cliffs. But even this was overrun. Regardless, I snapped a few cool pics since it is a cool geological spot.

Bibao

I actually had low expectations for Bilbao, thinking you go there just for the Guggenheim, but was pleasantly surprised. I had an amazing meal at El Globo and wish I had more time there.

Barcelona

The drive from Madrid to Barcelona was long and I cannot recommend it. However, I have heard they have a train now that is much faster. Spending time in Barcelona is a must. Obviously wander Las Rambles, but watch your wallets. There are many people posing for pictures, just be prepared to pay if you want to photograph them. Visit Park Güell and all things Gaudi. La Sagrada Família is a sight worth seeing and you can wonder when it will ever be completed.

Peñíscola

There is one really good part about driving around: Sometimes you stop in small towns. Heading south from Barcelona, is a beautiful coastal town called Peniscola. It is here that I discovered a love for mussels.

Granada

Further South you will find the charming town of Granada. One way I like to save money while traveling is to try traditional street food. In Granada, you can get baked potatoes on almost every corner of this very walkable city.

Granada is known for medieval architecture from the Moorish times, the most important being the Alhambra, a huge hilltop fortress. Unfortunately, I had not done my research and I had no idea about this amazing place. I assumed that when you book a tour, the tour company is taking care of all those things. The tour I was on took us to the grounds of the Alhambra, but we could not get tickets to go inside. I learned the planning lesson in a very unfortunate way.

Seville

Seville (pronounced Sevilla) is near the southwestern coast of Spain. It had a small town feel. Unfortunately I had another planning fail here, for I visited during Holy Week. Culturally fascinating but, as a VERY catholic community, the city was shut down for the holiday. Anyone in the brotherhood wishing to do penance wears capirotes, which are tall conical hats that cover the face, along with belted robes. It looked like what I know as KKK robes. I mean no disrespect, but I had never seen anything like it and I certainly recognize that this has been custom since around the time of Pope Clement VI back around 1350. If you are religious, this might be wonderful for you to see. If you want to see the city easily, I would recommend avoiding Holy Week.

Cordoba

Heading North toward Madrid, or as a day trip from Seville, Cordoba has a really cool sight to see: the Mezquita. This Mosque-Cathedral was built as a mosque in the year 700 when the area was under Islamic control. In the 13th century it was seized by Christians and ultimately became a Cathedral. Lonely Planet offers a great explanation of the Mezquita.

La Rioja

La Rioja is the most famous wine region in Spain. There are so many, it is hard to chose where to go. I chose to stay at Hotel Marques de Riscal, located in the small town of Elciego. They have a wonderful winery and the tour is free if you are staying on the Frank Gehry designed property. From here, I used Jose from Taxi Haro (www.taxijoseharo,com) to take me on a day of wine tasting. He was wonderful and his price was reasonable. He knew when to talk, and when to be quiet. He was always where I expected to find him, took pictures when asked and was truly wonderful. One of the best bodegas I visited was Luis Canas. They were easy to book with, followed by Baigorri. Lunch at Dona Blanca and wandering in Laguardia, a medieval walled city was also a highlight. I didn’t enjoy the wineries in the afternoon as much, but I did drive past Ysios, an architectually interesting building.

Lerma

I used Lerma as a base to explore Ribera del Duero because I could’t get hotel reservations in Aranda del Duero. It turns out, they were having a huge music festival while I was there. Lerma ended up being lovely. It was quiet and felt a bit deserted. But at night, the people all come out. Restaurant reservations were required at most places around here. I had wanted to try the suckling lamb, something the region is famous for, but without a reservation it was impossible. One of my favorite meals on this trip was at Galoria and they don’t take dinner reservations. The owners, food and service here was fantastic. I was able to try an amazing bottle of local Arlanza wine here. Lerma is in the Arlanza wine region, not Ribera del Duero, and Arlanza wine is just now being discovered. I found it to be similar to Ribera del Duero at a much more palatable price point. If you are interested in wine, this is an area to watch!

Ribera del Duero

This is one of my favorite wine regions. You need a reservation to visit most bodegas here. The wine tours are extensive, expensive and wonderful. Valduera, located near Aranda del Duero, is a special place. They have beautiful caves and fantastic wines. All tours are private here and mine ended with some snacks and 4 wines to taste (as much as I wanted).

Pago de Carrovejas is another amazing winery and different than any I had visited before. After a week of wine tasting, I was a little tired and wanted to cancel but I am so glad I didn’t. This winery uses biologists to create a proper bug and bat environment to assist them with growing their grapes. They even have bug and bat hotels to assist the process, along with rock piles and walls to encourage the bugs. At this winery, they use gravity in their process. Fun fact: They remove histamines from their wines, which means few headaches!