It is really great to be back en España. I’ve often thought of spending a month or two a year in Italy because there’s so much to love there, but Spain has made it right to the top of my list over time and during this visit.

Parting shots of Ronda, a true jewel that has stolen my heart over many decades:

Art in my hotel:

Progressively more suggestive….

After Ronda, I moseyed northward to Córdoba, a small medieval city filled with amazing architecture and buildings, including El Alcazar.

Córdoba’s 2,000 year old Roman Bridge. Still looks fantastic…

After Córdobō, I continued north to Caceres. Parking was impossible in the old city when I arrived after 8 pm, so of course I seized the opportunity to move construction barriers to create a space…. Worked like a charm, and my car was there, resting comfortably the next morning. Caceras was pretty much a pit stop for me, and I left the next morning for A Coruña, at the far northwest corner of Spanish Galicia. The coast is incredibly rugged and beautiful in Galicia, and the city pulses with life and excitement – and tapas bars.

Cleared for takeoff approaching La Plaza de Toros…..

This bull was over thirty feet high – as tall as the power lines right next to it. Viva los torros. Those are trees beneath it. Looks like its horns are tangled in the current….

Winter lingering up high:

After Caceres, Salamanca loomed large. There are few cities I have ever visited that are as beautiful as Salamanca. Founded by the Romans (is there anywhere in Europe and elsewhere that wasn’t?), it exploded in population and grandeur in the 11th century. Salamanca is known as the Golden City for its stunning construction material and Romanesque architecture. Most of its buildings are constructed of sandstone, mined from the nearby village of Villamayor, which has a high iron content, making it appear golden and glowing. It’s truly amazing to walk around and see it everywhere. It’s also amazing because it is in perfect structural and cosmetic condition now, over a thousand years after being built. That is just incredible. Photos can’t really capture the magic, but here are some shots of Salamanca’s grandeur:

Salamanca’s beyond stunning Catédral. It took two hundred years to build. Talk about the long game and patience….

Walking around Salamanca, I felt that if I closed my eyes, when I opened them I would be transported back to the 11th century. A super cool feeling. Muchas gracias, Salamanca.

After Salamanca, I drove northwest again until the road ended in A Coruña on the rugged and impossibly beautiful Galician coast. Some quick photos that night:

I celebrated my birthday at a great tapas bar in town Very fun and enjoyable evening with the staff followed (I love practicing my Spanish – and Galician – here). After dinner ,they kindly brought out a birthday cake complete with candles. What a surprising and fun evening.

Well, I planned on driving towards Bilbao and San Sebastián yesterday along the northern coast, as I love both special places, but the weather had other plans. Heavy rain was concentrated right there along the coast, so I put Plan B into effect and headed southeast towards the Pyrenees, another favorite of mine. I’m in the high mountain town of Ainsa right now, at a wonderful century old hotel. Ainsa is often said to be the most beautiful town in the Pyrenees, Spanish or French. Today will be a big hiking day followed by a drive to Andorra and then the Mediterranean coast near Barcelona. Should be fun….