Backtracking on my travels, now, I have yet to finish blog posts for every place I visited.  So backtracking indeed, I ended up in Spain before my return to the UK so here are some tales of my time there.

I had to land in Madrid from S. America – Lima, Peru to be precise.  This was one of the pre-booked flights and dates I had to make on my ticket ‘that could be changed later’ but never could!

But it gave me chance to come back earlier than a year, after all, and that flexibility I was grateful for.  However, it also gave me chance to see my girls and holiday with them in Ibiza as a last fling.  But more on that later!

Madrid was beautiful!   The weather was perfect to sit and watch the people in the park, travel the tourist bus route on the upper open deck, wander the streets and sights, and take in the odd tapas and wine in a busy square somewhere!

This happened not only in Madrid, but Valencia too, and on a smaller scale, La Union in the south of the country, near Murcia and Cartegena (well, not that close!).

The scenery was both wild and dusty or lush and green, with sunsets to die for, and people watching galore!   I had not wanted to visit Spain, or even land there, as I complained at the start, but accepted it as part of the One World ticket airlines.  And now I want to live there!  Yes, really.  Maybe I do.  I could learn Spanish, not too far from family, lovely weather and stunning architecture – very pretty, clean and modern, with history and quaint squares, alleys and buildings everywhere!

In both Madrid and Valencia I landed on my feet with the accommodation, really central to the cities and the sights!   This in itself was a treat because I felt involved, I could see and hear it all around me, I could wander out to eat, drink and sit, wander around and not too far from ‘home’.

In La Union, a small town near the coast, offered ‘real Spanish’ life – with some ex pats to help me through too!   The town was simple but interesting, café bars, small locally owned shops, young people and children everywhere, the old church with best-dressed people on Sunday morning was well worth the photo opportunity!

Cartegena was a city 10 minutes from here, by modern train.   Local people getting on and off at every stop, the hospital stop a new addition and right into the city centre again – with all it’s Roman ruins on show, the street cafes, busy roads and stunning harbour from the city castle ruins up above the city (a hot walk but interesting!)  I had a personal guide in the friend of my UK friend whose apartment I got to stay in (NB: for rent if you want too, at reasonable charges!)

A young man helped me as he passed on his skateboard when I couldn’t understand the directions my ex pat greeter was giving me – he translated and pointed the way for me after speaking to her on my mobile when I had left the bus at the bottom road (and the party was at the top, central main street I was to find out soon enough!).  I dropped my bags, literally, in the street at my feet and sat to meet the others for a drink of red wine.  What a lovely start to this stage of the trip.  A follow up to the red wines in Madrid and Valencia to come!

Yes, I think I could live there a while …