Planning the Trip

To wander around Spain and Portugal absorbing the culture and fabulous cuisine of these two historic and laid-back countries has long been on my bucket list. So on August 2 next I fly off to Barcelona from Brisbane, Australia, on Qatar Airways. I will spend five days in this graceful city on the Mediterranean Sea before heading down the coast in a southerly direction, staying two or three days in various towns and cities along the way before making my way up to Madrid from where I shall fly to Lisbon. I shall then criss-cross Portugal in a northerly direction before ending up back in Spain at Santiago de Compostella. Finally I'll make my my way back to Barcelona by way of northern and central Spain. Except for the occasional boutique hotel such as the  gorgeous "Sacristia de Santa Ana" in Seville I shall stay at apartments and family homes courtesy of Airbnb and expect my Iberian adventure to take two months or so. I'll update the blog when I get to Spain around August 3.