Spain & Portugal Travel Review: Barcelona, Granada, Seville, Cordoba, Madrid, Toledo, Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais, Flamenco

We had some many memorable and enjoyable experiences that it would take forever to write about. I would say the most important factor were the guides we had.  They were both knowledgeable and entertaining.   We loved the flamenco; the walking tours with tapas; the Gaudi experience in Barcelona; the majestic Alhambra and it’s beautiful gardens in Granada; the drive from Granada to Seville, via Cordoba, was a lot of fun, mainly because our driver was very entertaining.    Seville was a huge surprise.  We didn’t expect it to be so lively.  I believe the highlight of Portugal was going to Sintra and Cascais.   Of course, we met our friends in Lisbon which really helped.    Finally, Madrid was also a pleasant surprise as our guide showed us the Royal Palace and some places off the beaten path including the oldest continual restaurant in the world and the huge food market.     We appreciated having our train tickets printed out so we could enjoy our day trips to Valencia (where we met our friends) and Toledo.   Our guide in Toledo had special gifts which made the surprising atmosphere of this picturesque city come alive.    Our hotel in Madrid was in a great location for the Plaza Mayor and we especially enjoyed going to Cafe Central for some music, as it was just a 5 minute walk.    Practically everything that we wanted to see, we were able to see.    If we had a request, our guides were flexible.   I always had a fantasy about hearing guitar music playing composers like Manual de Falla on the streets or in a courtyard and that happened more than once.   Bravo to the agency!