If you’ve ever traveled in Spain you’ve seen Bull Boards.  These are bill boards but in the shape of a big black bull.  They don’t advertise anything.  They just remind you that you are traveling in the land of El Toro.  My family loves Bull Boards, as I am sure all families do.  We shout out their existence at every turn.  Many are hard to photograph. They come and go quickly. They are often co-existing with other signage, and don’t often exist in pure form, which is why I was …

Here’s a belated quicky.  Drove through Avila en route from Salamanca to Segovia. Leslie keeps calling these three hill towns, and actually, I think Avila is one. (A hill town.) Lots of folks like this place and rhapsodize about it being the quintessential Castillian village. I can’t really say. It was about a million degrees that day and everyone was too heat-blasted to even get out of the car.  Managed to walk a few hundred feet, but after a short while it was too much.  There seems to be not …

Driving from San Sebastian to Sitges, down towards Zaragosa, there is little to see. It is a pretty flat land, some farms, and a lot of pradera.  To make the trip a little bit more interesting, there is the demarcation of the Greenwich Prime Meridian, which, surprisingly crosses through Spain in a town called Castellon de la Plana. Honestly, I had no idea.

Make sure to visit the local market in San Sebastian. There are two big ones; the one near our apartment is called Mercado de la Bretxa. I’ve never seen more pork, smoked, salted and raw, jammed into one location. Lots of cheese, fish, bread and pastries as well. Fruit. Vegetables (“Don’t touch”, the sign said in four different languages.) Really, it’s like any local market, but this one is in the basement of a shopping mall. I think it was there first and they put …

We’ve heard for months about what a great place San Sebastian is to eat, but most of the folks I heard that from don’t have kids and tend towards more, let’s say, “gourmet” experiences.  We’ve had our fair share of those, but tonight we ate at Va Bene, also known as “Disco Burger,” on San Sebastian’s “Boulevard.” These people serve great burgers which come in a wide variety of choices, including singles and doubles. Ask them to go easy on the mayonnaise, or just use a knife and fork. …

People say that San Sebastian’s Playa de la Concha, or Concha Blanca is the best beach in Spain, perhaps the best beach in Europe.  They always show photographs of a wide, empty expanse of beach, glistening with water only recently receded. I’ve got some of those pix as well, but here is what it really looks like… after 1/2 the people have gone home for the day.  But seriously, while quite crowded in summer, this is one gorgeous beach, with warm water, and a smashing view. And, it is right …

They like their saints here in Spain. This town is named for San Sebastian who was a captain in Roman Emperor Diocletian’s Praetorian Guard. When Sebastian converted to Christianity, Diocletian (the last Pagan emperor) repaid this betrayal by making him a martyr.  It’s easy to recognize Sebastian in art, as he is always shown as tied to a tree and shot with arrows.
We stumbled upon this 17th century church, and I quizzed my kids on who the guy was with the arrows. Not being so up on their …

After strolling through 2000 years of architectural history represented  by dozens of palaces, forts and, of course, churches, it is refreshing to behold one of the 21st century’s coolest buildings: Frank Gehry’s masterpiece, The Guggenheim Bilbao.
You can tell from the picture that this is no ordinary building, and it is no ordinary museum. Crafted from limestone and titanium, it undulates on the outside, flows on the inside and provides an almost perfect space for viewing art.  I know of no other art space that offers the interior volume to do …

Seville.  A wonderful city. I’ve been here before, and hope to be back.  Modern and historical.  Full of energy and life, and yet calm at the same time.  I think it’s the influence of spots like this Alcazar. Originally the site of a Roman fort, then a Moorish fort, then an Almohadar palace, and in its current incarnation, rebuit in 1364 after the reconquest by the Catholic King, Pedro The Cruel.
The owners of this place lived well, as you can see.  And overall, the Alcazar of Seville (from the Arabic  …

The town of Segovia, a one-hour day-trip from Madrid, is mainly known for it’s 2,000-year-old Roman Aqueduct. The Romans had a fort here which needed water, so they built this spectacular aqueduct which continually runs downhill even as it rises. It’s in almost perfect condition, and still works – at least it did about 30 years ago, which was the last time they tried it.
So this brings up the question of what and where one decides to visit while traveling. What draws you to a place? Fame? Energy? History? People? …