I can’t believe I actually booked a flight. $701.55. What the hell was I thinking? I can’t afford to fix my car, and I’m flying to Spain for a week and a half?!?
A friend of mine is about to retire out of the Navy, though, and if I don’t go before May I won’t get to Spain at all. We’ve been talking about me visiting for a couple of years now, so it’s about time, no?
Tomorrow I’m forking over the cash and picking up tickets and itinerary, Thursday morning I’ll get the passport process started, and then I get to wait aalllllllllllll the way to the Friday before Thanksgiving before I fly to Newark (any Dopers from the area want to meet me in an airport bar that night?) and Madrid and Sevilla.
I know I want to see the Alhambra, and I know I want to take the ferry down to Morocco for a day or two. Then I leave EARLY the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
I’m sure my friend will have some ideas with which to fill the rest of the time, but if any of the Teeming Millions have some suggestions on what to do in Cadiz, Spain and, especially, Morocco…post 'em here, please
If you’re in Madrid on a Sunday, try to get to El Rastro. It’s a huge and I do mean huge open air flea market that stretches over a good chunk of the city centre area. You can get some fantastic bargains there, although you’re much better off going with a Spanish person than on your own.
This page has links to many reasonably priced hostals in the city centre (note that a “hostal” is not what English-speakers would call a “hostel”, but simply a lower-budget hotel. You won’t get breakfast, but you’ll have your own room, with shower and toilet if you request, at a much cheaper rate than you would at a hotel).
I wasn’t too struck on Madrid, but I did think Barcelona was very nice, particularly the Gaudi cathedral. I’ve been told that Valencia is nice, too. If you can fit the time in, Gibraltar makes for an interesting visit.
