2014 Oct/Nov
We had business in Pau and then Madrid,
and had a few days before needing to be in Pau and a couple of long weekends to
explore. Our travel to Pau took us via Paris, so we took advantage of a spare
day to visit the Louvre, Musée D'Orsay, and Centre Pompidou, as well as eating
and drinking in appropriate fashion. Then we took the TGV to Bordeaux, where we
spent a day wandering around the town, visiting the Flea Market, the Quai, and
the Musée d'Aquitaine, as well as more eating and drinking (and curiously
enough, finding aplace which sold Dictador rum, which is Colombian, one of the
best rums in the world, and completely unavailable in Colombia).
We also spent one day visiting Saint Emilion, which fulfilled all expectations.
The following week was spent in Pau,
enjoying familiar haunts.
Then we took the train to Toulouse for a
night, before continuing to Barcelona, where we spent the weekend with our good
friend Dave, visiting the Casa Batlló, Sagrada Familia Cathedral, and Parc Güell,
as well as simply enjoying walking around (and eating and drinking some more…).
The following week was spent in Madrid, where some of the best dining was in the mercados. At the weekend we picked up a car and then made a circuit of Toledo, Ávila, and Segovia over the next three days. These three towns proved to be quite distinct in their architecture and ambience.
Toledo is a hill town, with streets
ascending the hill, and the Alcázar commanding the surroundings. Its Arab,
Jewish, and Christian history is evident as one walks around the town.
Ávila, also fortified in mediæval times,
achieved this with a massive surrounding wall, which has frequent towers along
its length, and this remains intact.
Segovia, built in a steep-sided valley, is
dominated by its Roman aqueduct crossing the valley in the town centre.
The trip might seem rushed, however we had
enough time to enjoy all of these places, in part perhaps because we were not
seeking to “see everything”, simply to gain some appreciation of each of these
towns, and to enjoy the variety we found in architecture, history, and cuisine.
Abrazos
Alan and Marce
Photos may be used for non-commercial purposes with credit to
alanymarce@gmail.com
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