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Suggestion for Spain Trip?

Posted by (Portland, Oregon, USA) on

I will be arriving in Girona, Spain late night May 23 and will be in Spain on my own for eight days before my German friend flies into Girona on June 2 to vacation until June 10, at which point we fly back to her town.

She doesn't want to go to any of the cities because she has already been there. Like me, she prefers to go to the countryside and villages, the further away from the mainstream, the better.

She would like to stay in one place and do day trips, as much on bicycle and/or foot as possible and not much in a car. I like that idea very much, while I also am intrigued by the Camino de Santiago. Crowded commercialized beaches are out, although I would enjoy one of the other coasts. I would enjoy going to Perpignon, Carcassone and other spots in Languedoc I haven't gotten to see yet. I would like to go to Barcelona, Seville, Gibraltor and Moracco while curious about the rural communities.

One of the reasons we are going to Spain instead of a long bike ride along the Mosel River is because there's more chance of it being cold and rainy in Germany still at that time.

So I would enjoy some suggestions of how I shape my itinerary before she arrives, and where we stay put or at least half the time once my friend arrives. North, south, or somewhere in the middle. We are, btw, very long time close friends and superduper compatible traveling companions.

Oh, one thing about me. I enjoy checking out intentional communities with a strong environmental focus when I travel. And I'm vegan, which can't be much worse of a problem in Spain as it is in Paris and other parts of France!

Thanks!

Posted by
204 posts

Scott
Barcelona big - 2 days, Seville must see-2-days bull fight as well, Gibralter definetly- take a tour car based at the bottom of the finicular. They take you to the caves, high up where the monkies are and the historical cave all for the same fare as riding the finicular- There is the small town of Tarifa on the coast (great wind surfing area) where we stayed and caught a day trip boat to Tangiers- with a guide. Even though the guided tour is geared to selling(rugs, spices etc.) it is still interesting and gives you an over all view. Even a short camel ride. I would suggest you do not do it on your own.
Your suggestions are very wide spread as Spain is a huge country but duable by their excellent train service. Have a great time

Posted by
290 posts

Scott, if you can make it up to Carcassonne and other areas in the Languedoc you won't be disappointed. If you go from Perpignon down to Barcelona, stop in Figueres to see the Dali museum.

As far as rural communities, Ainsa is one of my favourites in the slopes of the Pyrenees. Also, check out the little town of Medinaceli, about 100 km Northeast of Madrid, just off the A2/E90. It's a tiny hilltop hamlet; like Carcassonne, it has narrow, twisting cobblestone streets, but it is not walled. It does, however, have a 2000 year old Roman Arch and the ruins of a Moorish castle. What it doesn’t have is tourists; we arrived there on a Sunday afternoon and the day trippers had all gotten back on their buses for Madrid, leaving the town to the locals and two Americans on a Harley-Davidson. (us !) There are several other sightseeing opportunities in the area, also. You can find many different kinds of tapas that are ok for vegans. Have a great trip.

Posted by
1178 posts

Investigate Pals, Spain...small, remote, very interesting....also, on the coast near there is Cape de Roje -- fabulous garden estate on the coast.

Posted by
160 posts

I walked the Camino from St. Jean to Santiago in the summer of 2007. As you've noticed, this site isn't really geared towards the Camino. I recommend that you do a search on the following terms:

Confraternity of St. James - they offer good guidebooks and Camino info. Here is their site:

http://www.csj.org.uk/

Ivar Revke - he runs a good pilgrim website out of Santiago where your dad can meet and dialogue with pilgrims past, present, and future. The site is:

http://www.pilgrimage-to-santiago.com

As for your vegan wants - yes, I think Spain might be more of a problem than you think. When I was on the Camino I ran into a couple of German vegans who complained about having a difficult time ordering their meals in restaurants - even the salads come with meat on them.

The Spanish love their meats, and in smaller towns where folks don't speak much English it can be difficult to make them understand that you aren't a carnivore like them. But you should have an easier time finding vegan foods in the bigger cities.

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