Travelers’ Tales: Jan and Don Wood share their favorite sights and experiences from Spain and Morocco.

We always wanted to visit Spain and Morocco. Don was in Madrid with the Air Force in the ‘70s but didn’t get to see much else and we’ve always heard Barcelona is beautiful. So we got in touch with our Covington advisor, Tracy Carr. We gave her a general idea of what we wanted to see and she designed a custom two-week tour just for us. We like to spend at least three nights in each place so we can get to know the area, maybe take a day tour, and have time to just hang out. Having done several trips with Tracy, she knows our travel style and creates each trip just for us. She makes our travel planning really easy.

Madrid

Our first stop was Madrid, Spain. As it happened, there was a big soccer (football) match between Toddingham and Real Madrid, so the city was crazy with exuberant fans. A highlight was being part of the true local culture in the historic Plaza Mayor where we were surrounded by thousands of high-spirited soccer addicts.

Our hotel was in a fabulous location. It was great to be able to walk to all the major sites. We are definitely foodies and try to enjoy one nice restaurant everywhere we go. We don’t always make advance reservations, but this time Tracy did for us at Botin Restaurant. It was nostalgic for Don since he had been there years before. I still can’t believe I actually ate suckling pig!

We joined a group day trip to Toledo, which was extremely interesting and had an excellent tour guide. On our last night in Madrid, we wandered down a little cobblestone street and found an amazing jazz club with tiny tables jammed together. This kind of serendipitous experience is exactly why we love to have some unstructured time when we travel.

Seville

We love to use trains, so we took the fast train to Seville, Spain in Andalusia. Having a driver meet us at the station made getting to our hotel a breeze. The hotel was in a very cool area and our room overlooked a charming courtyard. Again, hat tip to Tracy, as we would have never picked this place out on our own!

In Seville, we enjoyed an excellent day tour, as well as time to explore on our own. Another lovely day spent wandering through the beautiful Royal Alcazar was a treat. We saw a Flamenco show, although we would not recommend it to others. The performers were good, but the atmosphere felt very touristy.

Marrakech

Next, we flew to Marrakech, Morocco where daily life is so different it’s hard to avoid a bit of culture shock. Conservative Muslim dress is prevalent. Snake charmers, acrobats, and musicians fill the vast square called Djemaa el-Fna. The 1,000-year-old medina (Arab town) is a warren of unnamed streets and bargaining for any purchase is the rule.

Again, we had a driver pick us up at the airport and a driver with a private guide for a full day tour of the city. We highly recommend the private guide in the medina because, with the language barrier and maze of stores, it would be very hard to find your way through the souks without assistance.

Our driver took us on a day trip to the coastal town of Essaouira, which we really loved. Seeing the goats up in the Argon trees was another trip highlight and we even got to hold a baby goat. Morocco is such a beautiful country and what a history! We walked along the seaside and past many restaurants in the picturesque town. Then we enjoyed an amazingly fresh, sea-to-table lobster lunch at family-style tables. This was a meal to remember!

Barcelona

Our last three-night city stay was in Barcelona, Spain. It’s a beautiful city and had an undercurrent of excitement as we were there in the midst of the Catalonian vote. The demonstrations we saw were colorful but peaceful and we never felt uncomfortable.

We enjoyed a walking tour of some of the city’s most famous sights: Gaudi’s unfinished Sagrada Familia, the Gaudi House Museum within the whimsical Park Güell district, and a huge market with one tapas restaurant after another.
Finally, we took a day excursion to a monastery in the hills at Monserrat, the whitewashed buildings and beach of Sitges, and Bodegas Torres winery for a tour and tasting.

Tracy did a great job designing our personalized exploration of Spain and Morocco. We really appreciated the thought and detail she put into it. It’s so nice working with someone who knows what we like!

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