Well, in 10 weeks, but I am leaving.

The man and I are off as soon as school gets out and we are spending almost 4 weeks in ....

SPAIN! Ole!

We are going to Madrid and Barcelona, as well as the Alhambra, Tangiers, Costa Del Sol and the Costa Verde. I have read 3 books, finalized the itinerary, made a few reservations (Alhambra and the Parador), and plan on booking the majority of the nights within the next 3 or 4 weeks. I have a cd in my car so that I can practice my conversational Spanish.

So, girls, who has spent time in any of those areas? Any special hotels, deals, resturants I must go to? Any special shops for stylin' women? The best tapas? Sangria?

The insiders story, please!

Sounds "muy romantico" Ann! I've been to Spain but to none of the places you listed. We met up with other real-estate agents in Allcante. It was very interesting, but I would not want to vacation there. And we went on a fun golf vacation in Malaga.

I've heard Barcelona is just beautiful and the nightlife there pulsates! The best tapas we have ever eaten were in restaurants away from the tourist stops. Sometimes the smallest dumpiest door leads you into the most fantastic atmosphere. It's worth it to peek inside.

Can't wait to hear all about your trip! I know you'll love it.

Haven't been to Spain yet. But have heard good things. Have a sis who has been to Barcelona several times because she has a close friend who lives there. She speaks of the fantastic architecture there.

Anno, how exciting. I have never been. If the man backs out for any reason I'd be happy to oblige his ticket.

Hi, Anno: You'll be in Spain at the height of the tourist season so, it'll be crowded, hot and expensive. I have not been to the Costas but have been to the rest. They are all lovely cities. But, Madrid is busiest and most modern of them.

Barcelona is a smaller hub but just as interesting. Common language is Catalan which sounds more like Portugese than Spanish. A few interesting places to visit would be the Picasso Museum; Sagrada de Familia which is the unfinished Basilica of Gaudi; Las Ramblas (don't forget to visit the Boqueria). The bottom of Las Ramblas is Placa Catalunya which has the monument to Christopher Columbus which marks the place of return after his discovery of America; Tibidabo, Monserrat, the Magic Fountain at Monjuic east end of Barcelona (Olympic Village). Catalan food is heavy on meat as in most of Spain but you can have a fair bit of fish in Barcelona. Public transport is very good and would be the best way to explore each nook and cranny of the town. You can get a daily or weekly public transport ticket from any tobacco shop. Saves a lot of money and you can get on and off as you go.

If you can get to read Washington Irving's "Tales of the Alhambra" before your holiday, it would more or less give you the "feel" for Andalusia. Alhambra/Granada is a very enchanting place and Andalusia is very much a Don Quixote and El Cid experience. The Alcazaba and other palaces have moorish foundations in history and structure. The Guadalquivir is also where Columbus sailed from to discover the Americas. If you have the time to make side trips to Cordoba and Seville which are not far by train, then that would make your Andalusian sojourn quite fuller. Seville is the town of Carmen and land of the Flamenco. Try to attend one of the shows. The Giralda and the Basilica next to it is where the crypt of Columbus is. A good hotel in Seville is Sol Melia which is in the heart of Macarena (yes, the song!).

A caveat with Spanish lifestyle is: they have a siesta period and mostly everything, if not all, closes after lunch then opens again at 3-4 until late at night. Tapas bar abound in Andalusia more than it does in Catalunya. Night life is also vibrant in both but Barcelona and Madrid more than Andalusia. But, all in all Spaniards are nocturnal creatures and you'll have fun!

Buy leather goods as it is cheapest there and are of very good quality and also in Tangiers. Make sure to have a taste of Jambon Iberico and tocino del cielo in Spain.

Thanks! We are going to Seville and Cordoba as part of our Andalusia experience. Thanks for the hotel tip, too, that hotel was on my list, so I will book it now. We will have a car, when we are not in Madrid or Barcelona, so we will have lots of opportunities to visit smaller towns.

Ah, the siesta. I am actually looking forward to a two hour nap each afternoon and staying up a bit later at night. I am really looking forward to the food!

Any more tips for me, out there?

How nice! We spent most of our time in
Rota and Cadiz, as we had friends in both
coastal cities.
As mentioned above, Spaniards are nocturnal. It was
unusual seeing three or four generations of the same
family in a nightclub LOL! What I loved about the
area was every restaurant we visited had great
seafood paella...my favorite : )

Cadiz. Is it a place to stay for more than just getting to Tangiers?

And Chick, I will let you know if he does back out. Wouldn't count on it, tho. He is more excited than me, if that is possible.

One week to go! I can not possibly explain how much I love to travel. I have spent the past month on reading, looking online and asking everyone about details about Spain. I think planning is half of the fun.

When I travel, I try to write home once or twice a week. This is how I keep a journal for myself and how I tell others about what I am up to when I travel. This way, my family and friends can also remind me, when I get home, of what I did. Memory being what it is, and all.

I'm not wanting to rain on your parade here, but just a quick caution.

Barcelona has a reputation of being just about the pickpocket capitol of Europe. I've heard one first hand story after another from people who were hit in Barcelona. Apparently the Spanish are fairly tolerant of having gypsies around and pickpocketing is their particular speciality. And believe me, they are very very good at it.

So this:
be SURE you have copies of all relevant documents. Passport, drivers license, visas, whatever.

Never keep anything you value in your back pockets. Or the front ones for that matter. Get one of those little cloth pouches that is worn under your shirt.

Eschew fanny packs. They mark you as an American tourist like a target bullseye.

Be exceedingly careful at money machines. Try to use indoor ATM's only.

One of the gypsies favorite tricks is to surround you with a cacophony of small rowdy children. Bingo, your pockets are picked and your bag is is missing/ransacked. Kids under the age of 5 are the world's best pickpockets.

They also like stairs. Going up stairs they will be behind you, throw a shawl over your bag, steal your goods, and then just pass you right by.

Train stations are their favorite pocket picking arena. Any time you're in the area of a train station be especially vigilant.

And then there is the baby scam. All gypsy women, no matter what the climate, will be carrying a *baby* swaddled in acres of cloth. She will either outright beg, or bump you with the *baby* and steal your wallet.

Never NEVER ever give money to gypsies.

I know this all sounds terrible and mean to Americans but it is what it is. Here is my motto: everything I know I learned the hard way.

I've been hit by gypsies more than once and so has everybody else I know. Avoid them like the plague.