Siesta in Spain

It was October and I had rented a car in Nice and was driving to Madrid and back. (See 'French Riviera' for other information)

From the small town of Ax-les-Thermes we climbed (in our Renault) the Pyrenees Mountains to Andorra la Vella - a tax-free shopping town on top of the world. We passed quite a few ski areas en route (not open yet) and came across some very unfriendly locals in the town, so we didn't stay long.

The drive to Madrid is long and through dull and arid countryside, but once you climb the plateau and reach Madrid it is all worth it. Madrid is a great old city to explore. It has fabulous museums (i.e. the Prado), wonderful architecture, an interesting flea market - the Rastra - and a huge variety of eating and drinking establishments. The locals take a long siesta during the midday heat and will therefore think nothing of staying out till 3 am on a weeknight. That makes for a very vibrant atmosphere, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The old city of Toledo is definitely worth a visit - El Greco's paintings first piqued my interest in the place. It's on a hill, dominated by a huge cathedral and has lots of small cobbled streets and alleys. Very easy to get lost there.

Again, the drive to Barcelona was long and tedious, but I would not have wanted to miss this city for anything. If you're interested in late 19th and 20th century art, this is the place for you. You almost stumble over Picasso, Dali, Miro and Gaudi's work (amongst many others). The 'Sagrada Familia' cathedral is a work in progress and is being built and financed by Gaudi's followers. Barcelona also has lots of beautiful old buildings, but they seem to have been integrated into modern life. The Catalan people are very proud of their city, and I can see why. It's high on my list of places I would like to visit again.

Click here for your own great journey through Spain

For more information e-mail Chris Boecker