“I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being; let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
We travel the world to see things, to experience food and drink, to feel the change in temperature, but nothing is more important as making new friendships that will last when all else dissolve. What follows are a mere sampling of the wonderful friends we made during this tour. 
Originally from the Philippines, Rod and Faye Tabujara from Canada.
Spain recently celebrated the 400th anniversary of Miguel de Cervantes' great work, by solving the mystery of where in central Spain Don Quixote lived. Ten professors from Madrid's Complutense University spent two years poring over maps of the Spanish badlands criss-crossed by the idealistic knight errant and his faithful squire, Sancho Panza.
By combining a series of carefully calibrated co-ordinates, and taking into account whether the journey was made in the summer or the winter, the academics finally identified the hamlet of Villanueva de los Infantes, about 225 kilometres (140 miles) south of Madrid, in a tableland dotted by skeletal windmills and lugubrious inns. Paul & Leona Farrell from Oregon USA.
The Gypsy Clan with a stunning Flamenco
performance. A long flamenco tradition exists in Granada and Sacromonte is a
good place to see zambra, a flamenco variation with a more Oriental feel in
which the singer also dances. Two popular - or at least well-established -
zambra venues are Zambra Cueva del Rocio (Camino del Sacromonte 70) and María
la Canastera (Camino del Sacromonte 89).
Michelle & Alta De Beer from S Africa.
The Alhambra;
the complete form of which was Calat Alhambra,
is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada,
Andalusia,
Spain.
It was originally constructed as a fortress in 889 and later converted into a
royal palace in 1333 by Yusuf I, Sultan of Granada.[1]The
Alhambra's Islamic palaces were built for the last Muslim emirs in Spain and its
court of the Nasrid dynasty. After the Reconquista
by the Reyes Católicos ("Catholic Monarchs")
in 1492, some portions were used by Christian rulers. The Palace of Charles V, built by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in 1527, was
inserted in the Alhambra within the Nasrid fortifications. After being allowed
to fall into disrepair for centuries, the Alhambra was rediscovered in the 19th
century by European scholars and travelers, with restorations commencing. It is
now one of Spain's major tourist attractions, exhibiting the country's most
significant and well known Arab-Islamic architecture, together with
16th-century and later Christian building and garden interventions. The
Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the
inspiration for many songs and stories.[
"Black Boots" the Royal cat at the Alhambra.
A family of Portuguese settlers selling trinkets at the Latin Quarter of Madrid.
Dinner with (L - R) Matthew & Betty Tang from Canada and
Logan & Kaye Littledyke from Melbourne Australia.
Our steady, careful and dependable Trafalgar coach driver Fernando from Portugal,
who took us over 3540kms through Spain and Portugal, without a single incident. Humphrey poses with Fernando during a brief picture stop in front of Gibraltar.
Lanette and the ever energetic and knowledgeable Trafalgar Travel Director - Maria Teresa
Martin from Madrid Spain.
Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory located on the
southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean.
It has an area of 6.8 square kilometres (2.6 sq mi) and a northern border with Andalusia,
Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the only landmark of the
region. At its foot is the densely populated city area, home to almost 30,000 Gibraltarians and other nationalities
Greg & Caroline Predon and Bob & Melinda Jejna from Canada.
Around the city of Ronda, are remains of prehistoric settlements dating to
the Neolithic Age,
including the rock paintings of Cueva de la Pileta. Ronda was however first
settled by the early Celts,
who, in the 6th century BC, called it Arunda.
Later Phoenician
settlers established themselves nearby to found Acinipo,
known locally as Ronda la Vieja, Arunda or Old Ronda. The current Ronda is
however of Roman origins,[1] having been
founded as a fortified post in the Second Punic
War, by Scipio Africanus. Ronda received the title of
city at the time of Julius Caesar. The panoramic views of the
valley are to die for, and many did.
Lanette and Humphrey De Conceicao from
Singapore at Ronda.
Peter & Jenny Connolly from Perth Australia.
The Predons and Jenjas chill with a Larger.
(L-R) Judy Davis, Barb Klassen (from Canada), Christina Ghui & Christine Lim from Singapore.
Jenny, Peter, Michelle, Alta & Lanette.
Steve & Marthie van
Niekerk from S Africa at Ramos Pinto.
Among Port producers, Ramos Pinto enjoys the distinction of holding the
largest proportion of vineyards in relation to its production, giving it a high
degree of control over viticultural methods and harvest time. The House tends
187 hectares (460 acres) of prime vineyards in the Alto Corgo and Douro
Superior areas of the famed Douro region, the mountainous valley formed by the
Douro River and its tributaries.
(L - R) Johan & Alida Gerber from S. Africa, Semih & Nurper Goker from Melbourne Australia,
June Chung from California USA, Betty and Matthew.
Jane & Ed Windsor from Illinois USA, Rita & Ronita Kisten from S Africa,
Sam & Nancy from New Jersey USA, Judy & Barb.
Bob, Melinda, Greg, Caroline, and Shelly Lyman from California USA.
Faye, Michelle, Alta, Maria, Lanette & Marthie.
Marthie and Steve.
Humphrey & local guide Luciano from Portugal.
Janice Mancuso from Canada, Faye, Christine, Christina, Maria and Lanette.
Michelle, Janice, Faye, Christine, Christina, Maria, Lanette, Leona & Jane.
the best sales staff at Forca Portugal, Albufeira Portugal.
Rod, Faye, Alta, Lanette & Michelle.
Leap of Faith - Alta, Michelle and Lanette.
Faye, Christine, Humphrey, Christina and Rita.
Seafood dinner with endless glasses of Portuguese wine and beer.
We had to take a break between servings of shrimp fried in butter & garlic, fish cutlets, salad,
cold crabs & roe, steamed prawns, cod (main), cake and coffee.
Wine and Port tasting at Ramos Pinto, Porto Portugal.
Patiently awaiting the Reserve bottle.
why are our glasses empty?
come on hurry up with the next blend.....
ladies looking chic......
June in a rare appearance on camera....
Ramesh & Vasundhara Naik from India, and Ronita & Rita Kisten from S Africa.
It may have been below 10deg outside, but we were all snuggled up and warm in the restaurant.
The wine went well with out dishes of Salmon, Rabbit, Chicken or Beef.
Kaye expressing her delight with the delicious dessert.
Paul and Lanette hiding the rabbit cage....errr yes, the rabbits were on display.
Our last included dinner at the hotel was delicious.
The entire group in front of the castle walls after tucking into churros and chocolate.
A very special dinner at Restaurante La Opera de Madrid.
Quaint setting with pictures matching the Opera theme.
their array of dishes included: Ensalada Varida con lascas de Bacalao, y vinagreta de Vizcaina, Hojaldre de Puerros y Bogavante, Atun Rojo con Pisto Manchego.
Best of all, we were entertained by husband and wife team of Federico De Michelis & Ayelen Nose, Opera singers from Argentina now living in Madrid. In between each course, they performed arias from famous operas and zarzuelas.
With her very tight schedule, Maria took a small breather to catch up with her lovely daughter Dianna, who is studying Journalism and Mass Communications in Madrid. We learnt a lot from both mother and daughter on lifestyles of the people of Espana.
Templo De Debod: To close the
tour, we visited the Egyptian monument donated to Spain. Due to the
construction of the Aswan Dam in Egypt in 1960, many valuable monuments and
archaeological sites were in danger of being destroyed. The UNESCO made an
appeal to countries to help save these monuments, and as thanks for the aid
given by Spain, particularly in helping to save the sacred buildings of Abu
Simbel, the Egyptian government donated this temple to the Spanish people in
1968.
The temple originally stood in Debod in the Nile
Valley not too far from the city of Aswan, but the need for the new dam meant
that it had to be moved elsewhere or it would have remained underwater forever.
So it was dismantled stone by stone in 1969 and shipped to the Spanish port
city of Valencia, from where it was then taken by train to Madrid. That's where
it was reconstructed and open to the public in 1972.
