Spain Travel Review: Barcelona, Madrid, Granada, Cordoba, Sevilla, Ronda, Toledo

One of the most enjoyable parts of our trip was the day excursion to Ronda. We thought we were in Heaven!  The vistas were phenomenal! The quiet town along the cliffs with occasional mesmerizing sounds of music, the calm breeze and the gorgeous views all took our breath away! Then to top it off while we were walking around on our own, our driver arranged a lunch for us before our ride back. We ate at a small tapas restaurant called Gastrobar Tape-Arte. The food was phenomenal and was cooked and served by the female owner and sole chef. We had the best variety of tapas in a cozy, appealing restaurant with a beautiful wine bar display. Jose helped us have a true tapas eating experience and we highly recommend the restaurant, Tape-Arte Gastrobar. What a day!   
But each day was an adventure. We were so impressed with the formidable ancient walled city of Toledo. Our guide lives on one of the old, narrow streets and her love and appreciation of Toledo’s history was palpable.  
Actually our journey in Spain began when we first landed in Barcelona. Our tour guide for 2 days, was so knowledgeable and we immediately felt comfortable with her. She shared a wealth of information and likely was our favorite of all the guides we encountered. Our visit to La Sagrada Familia was breathtaking, especially seeing the light streaming through the mosaic glass windows into the church.  
Our flight to Granada was smooth and visiting Granada was also a highlight of our trip. Not knowing what to expect, we were so impressed by all the vistas of the Alhambra, from the stroll through the Albaycin and the Miradores to the amazing view from the restaurante Carmen De Aben Humeya where we stopped for a sip of summer wine. It seemed that our amazing tour guide knew all the special places to take us and her knowledge of the Alhambra during the tour the following day, along with the generosity of her time, created an experience we will not easily forget. By the end of the day we thoroughly enjoyed the ambiance of dining outside in the shadow of the Alhambra at Ruta del Azafran, per one of her restaurant recommendations.
Our short stay in Cordoba was also a highpoint. Our friendly driver left us near our hotel on a narrow cobbled street. We loved the older hotel that offered an authentic town location close to the Alcazar. Our tour guide shared so much information with us including a computer birds eye view of the Cathedral in the middle of the stunning Mezquita mosque. Later we enjoyed a relaxing dinner served by a friendly staff at Ordoñez Taberna y Vinoteca. We were able to catch views of a few flowered patios the next morning, which was one of my goals.  
When we finally settled for three days in Seville we were treated to a royal breakfast buffet every morning, like none we had ever seen before. Our hotel was in a perfect location. There was a soccer match one evening which created an extra bustle of activity around the city. During our visit to the large Cathedral of Seville we climbed the bell tower for amazing views and many pictures followed by a stop for fresh lemonade before we walked through the Alcazar and gardens with our guide.
Finally, our last stop was Madrid. Checking in to the hotel was challenging because it was busy with many customers and we only had a few minutes to be ready to meet our tour guide. He took us to the Royal Palace of Madrid where his phenomenal knowledge of art and history impressed us with an amazing, detailed tour. Additionally, we saw other unique spots along our walk in Madrid including Plaza Mayor and we appreciated his hints about places to eat or not eat near us. We felt a bit rushed by his faster pace and the heat of the day but we stopped at the Mercado de San Miguel when I asked where the market was. Lastly, the one day we had on our own to explore Madrid was great fun, too. We started with the Madrid experience of pushing our way into la pasteleria, La Mallorquina at Puerta del Sol on Saturday mid-morning to satisfy my desire for a napolitana pastry and coffee. I loved that experience! We walked down through Retiro Park and came upon the boats on Retiro Lake. The bustling city of Madrid grew on us and we enjoyed seeing people busy in their city. Also we truly appreciated the intervention of Manlio and the travel agency's team regarding an air conditioning problem at the hotel during our stay there in Madrid.
Our journey with this travel company was fantastic and we would highly recommend the team!