Next section in the Fodor’s Spain is top experiences.

It mentions Feria de Abril in Sevilla – definitely an experience with horses and costumes and more.

Fresh markets – it’s where I did most of my shopping when I lived there. Sadly, hitting the farmer’s market isn’t as routine a thing for me here in the US. It mentions that the Boqueria in Barcelona is a great place to browse.

More about getting outdoors. There is a 57,000 acre National Park in the Pyrenees with waterfalls, caves, forests, meadows, etc… They mention hiking, El Camino (The Way), and another national park down in Andalusia.

Apparently the government-run hotels called paradors are unique and consistently receive rave reviews.

And of course the beach. Right after I got to Spain, the family I was staying with went to the beach and took me along. It was the first rocky beach I had ever been to.

Museums include the Prado in Madrid, the Picasso in Barcelona, a Miro museum in Barcelona, the Guggenheim in Bilboa, and a few others. The Museum of National Art of Catalonia has frescoes saved from the walls of abandoned chapels in the Pyrenees. They don’t mention anything about the Salvador Dali museum in Figueres.

Getting into travel advice – in Barcelona it’s better to walk or take the subway than a cab.

Food in Barcelona: instead of champagne order Cava, a sparkling wine from the Penedes region.  (Noting this for Anthony, as neither champagne or Cava appeals to me.) Crema Catalana (Catalan cream) for dessert – a custard dusted with cinnamon and confectioners sugar and burned with a blowtorch. (a la creme brulee)

Next up – Fun in Barcelona with kids. (Which is a great way to avoid the bars and overload of museums.)

According to Fodor’s Spain 2012, May and October are optimal months to visit Spain. Of course, last time I went I arrived in August and left in May – so I covered most of the months, while missing the really hot summer.

There are high speed train tracks in Spain now, so you can get from Barcelona to Madrid in about 2 and a half hours. That’s new since I last visited in 1989. In 2010 Catalan (the region where Barcelona is) banned all bull-fighting. Other regions have NOT followed suit.

Top attractions include La Alhambra in Granada – so glad to see that still tops the list. I went there the year I lived in Spain and it was indeed a great place to visit. Toledo is next on the list, which is kind of funny since it’s an entire city, not just one specific building or site. But it is worthy of a visit – such an interesting city. We went there too, back in college.

Third on the list is La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. I never made it to Barcelona while in Spain, so I haven’t seen this church which has been in progress since 1882 and is still probably 30 years away from completion. The Guggenheim in Bilboa, another place I never visited. But it sounds fun when the museum itself is as interesting as the art in it.

Museo del Prado in Madrid – I did make it there. Even though I’m not a huge admirer of art, I do recognize some of the great pieces and it was fun seeing them in El Prado.

Merida’s Roman Ruins is another place I never got to, although I did see other Roman ruins near Sevilla. Cuenca’s Hanging Houses and San Lorenzo de El Escorial are more places I did not see. Something about attending classes kept me from traveling all over the country.

The last entry on the list of attractions is the Mezquita in Cordoba – I did make it there. Some interesting architecture, and a symbol of the Catholic-Muslim-Catholic history of the country.

Not in the list of attractions, but in the list of events to consider is the Feria in April in Sevilla. I was there for that, quite a contract to the Semana Santa (Holy Week) that comes before it. Horses, bulls, wonderful costumes. Lots of fun.

And way in the top left corner is Santiago de Campostela, a site traditionally approached by foot.

I, of course, find it fascinating, but not something I will probably ever have time to do.

I’ll be back to talk some more about Spain – then and now.