Category Archives: Spain and Southern France
Follow this worldschooling family as they travel in Spain and France.
Sitges, Spain, the Antipope of Peniscola
Sitges, Spain, the Antipope of Peniscola The present castle in Peniscola was built by the Knights Templar from 1294 to 1307. It looks like a prime piece of real estate that would be easy to defend. From 1415 to 1423 it was home of the antipope Benedict XIII. Wait…antipope? What is an antipope? An antipope (Latin: antipapa) is a person who, in opposition to the one who is generally seen as the legitimately elected Pope, makes a significantly accepted competing claim to be the Pope,[1]the Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church. At times between the 3rd …
There Were Mammooths in Andalusia
There Were Mammooths in Andalusia Sean woke me up early. “Mom, I have broken out in a bad rash, or bites, or something all over!” Well, that will get a mother up and going! We could not figure it out. No one else had any bumps. Could it be that Sean was allergic to the detergent used when we washed clothes, or maybe it was the 30 to 40 nispero (fruits from the tree in the backyard) he ate over the course of 1&1/2 days? We still are not sure. In two itchy, scratchy days they were gone. It did get …
The Alhambra in Daylight
The Alhambra in Daylight When you buy tickets for the Alhambra you have to choose between the morning or afternoon. We chose afternoon because the morning session started at 8 a.m. We had yet to even be awake once that early in the morning. The problem with that is the temperature. It had been warm in the afternoons all week. Still we were glad we chose the afternoon. We were all enjoying waking late every morning. Over the past few months in the States there have been many news stories about African refugees trying to come to Europe. We had …
Granada Spain Must Have some Homeschoolers In It
Granada Spain Must Have some Homeschoolers In It The kids were ready to get to Granada. The house we were staying at there had a pool, and they wanted to swim in it. It had been warm and sunny for the past three days, definitely swimming weather. Jim spotted this on the way there. I wonder if asparagus is transported like this everywhere? Spain has the best produce. The Spanish are proud of this too. Organic food and food that has not been genetically modified are the norm not the exception. When they get rid of weeds from between …
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Seeing Seville on an Electric Bike and Flamencoa
Seeing Seville on an Electric Bike and Flamencoa The Flying Dutchmen told us what a blast they had riding around Seville on a Segway. We called every Segway rental company we could find on the Internet and they were all booked. I looked on TripAdvisor to make sure we had not missed any Segway companies and what came up as the number one outdoor activity in Seville was the Electric Bicycle not the Segway. I called Elecmove Electric Bikes (If you are wondering, I use TripAdvisor a lot when we travel.) and they were able to fit us in. We …
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Our Man of La Menthe, Seville, and the Flying Dutchmen
Our Man of La Menthe, Seville, and the Flying Dutchmen We woke up in the hostel after a very good night’s sleep. The woman we met last night was at the front desk. She was wonderfully friendly. She did not speak English, so it was all very basic Spanish from me as she explained that her son was working in London. I believe he is head of security at a clinic there. He loves London. She is very proud of him but thinks it is too bad so many young people are leaving Spain to find better jobs elsewhere. This …
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Canyoning in Spain before Driving South
Canyoning in Spain before Driving South With 10 days left in Spain, the vagabonds hit the road again. We decided to head south to see Seville and Granada for 4 days total with one day on the road to Seville. The last 5 days of the trip are still unplanned. As usual we had things to do before leaving. We had to say good bye to the cat who was waiting outside the door to our apartment in the hope the kids bought 2 cans of tuna. Then we had to go canyoning. That is our guide Leo. …
The Geology of the Pyrenees and Kayaking in Spain
The Geology of the Pyrenees and Kayaking Spain We want to go white water kayaking in hard kayaks! At least that is what 2 of us said. The other two did not. That was okay, clothes must be washed when you are on the road for 3 weeks. Sophia and I hung clothes out to dry (Javier’s wife washed them) and the guys had so much fun kayaking. They kayaked from the same place we rafted just not as far down. The second part of the rafting was white water rafting. We were told it was only for more experienced …
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River Rafting in the Pyrenees and an Amazing Dinner
River Rafting in the Pyrenees and an Amazing Dinner When you travel for an extended period everyone has a low energy moment. Today was my turn. I woke up feeling exhausted. I am usually the most up of the group, but not this morning. Luckily Jim, Sean, and Sophia realized what was going on and got me laughing and moving around in no time. They were all excited about the day’s adventure. “Mom get up and let’s raft!” We booked a raft trip with Adventura Raid Sarratillo, www.sarratillo.com, 974-500-725. Javier was booking guided trips. His english was great. (Isn’t it sad …
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Driving through the Pyrenees, The Peace Van Wags Its Tail
Driving through the Pyrenees, The Peace Van Wags Its Tail We really liked the Abbaye de Capservy, and we loved Odile! It was a wonderful stay. Jim and I took a walk up the road to the lake where you can fish. Then I asked to see the other rooms. I did not want people reading this to think the rooms all had low ceilings, although for us that added to the charm. The last three photos are of an apartment you can rent. I wanted to take some local wine home for a gift. Odile told me it was …
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Carcassonne is Like a Castle from a Disney Movie
Carcassonne is Like a Castle from a Disney Movie Today we visited Carcassonne. It was lovely! Like many of the places we have visited, there were almost no people. We have been told most Spanish and French people vacation in July and August. Check out my new Dali t-shirt. It was hot and sunny walking the wall! We walked around the outer walls with Sean hanging off of many of them! This was free of charge. There are still some structures dated to Roman time, but much of the castle has been restored or is being restored. …
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Leaving Girona for the Abbaye de Capservy, South of France
Leaving Girona for the Abbaye de Capservy, South of France Before we left Girona we had to take one more walk on the wall. Again there was no one on it. I am sitting on an old fashioned toilet. It would be an interesting feel to bare it all and go to the bathroom like this, LOL! Did I remember to post the link to Casa Cundaro? Here it is in case I didn’t. http://www.casacundaro.com/english.html Casa Cundaro is attached to the Historic Hotel. Where we had to have one last superb breakfast. Look how narrow the streets …
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The Dali Museum, The Mediterranean, and Vegan Tapas!
The Dali Museum, The Mediterranean, and Vegan Tapas! The town of Figueres, Spain is about a 35 minute drive from Girona. There is a lot of history there, but we only went for the Dali Museum. We did not want to spend the day in Figures, because we also wanted to visit Costa Brava. Costa Brava is what the coastline of northeast Spain is called. Salvadore Dali is a genius! He worked in almost every medium you can think of. The museum is a bit crowded but not too crowded. When we were standing in line Sean said, “What is …
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Why they Chose Girona to Film the Game of Thrones, Girona, Spain
Why they Chose Girona to Film the Game of Thrones, Girona, Spain I will not actually bore you with a written answer to that. The photos speak for themselves. Girona is magical. It is now one of my favorite towns I have visited of all time. The others are The area around and walking up to Seigfreid’s castle in Germany: I walked up to this on a deserted old road, early in the morning, with only a handful of other people around. It was a magical misty morning. The castle and grounds had not been preserved. It felt like stepping …
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La Pedrera in Barcelona driving to Girona, Spain
La Pedrera in Barcelona driving to Girona, Spain Barcelona is a wonderful city to recover from jet lag. It is small enough so it isn’t overwhelming. The food is wonderful, even for those who have dietary restrictions. There is a mix of Roman ruins, multi-century Spanish architecture, and Gaudi! & then there are the people!!! Everyone we met was warm and welcoming. We bought 2 adult soccer shirts and a shirt for the baby on the way. We already have two granddaughters. Mike and Kate are expecting a baby boy. Kate’s dad is a big Messi fan. Sean put one …
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