Our stick shift diesel Renualt racked up 40 miles per gallon on our 1,700 mile trip through Spain and Portugal. The Hop-on-Hop-Off double decker sightseeing bus gave us informative tours in the major cities.
Madrid Vibrant and upbeat, Madrid is the hub of Spain. While in Madrid: took the subway, bullet train and tour bus, saw the Royal Palace, visited the Prodo Museum with over 3,000 canvases featuring works of Durer, Rafel, El Greco, Rubens, Rembrant, Goya and numerous cathedrals.
Tapas, or appetizers, are popular throughout the region.
We paid between 2 Euros and 28 Euros at freeway tool booths on on trips. Maybe one reason they have such good roads.
Toledo The bullet train made the 60 mile trip from Madrid to Toledo in 17 minutes. 
Holy Toledo! Spain's leading Catholic city has a magnificent cathedral shoehorned into the old center of the city of 10,000 inhabitants.
Spain's former capitol crowds 2,500 years of tangled history (Roman, Jewish, Visigoth, Moorish, Christian) onto a high, rocky perch protected on 3 sides by the Tajo River.
beautiful landscape between Madrid and GranadaGranada Granada is world famous for the 14th century Moorish fortress, the Alhambra. Rather than making paintings and statues, the Islamic artists expressed themselves in beautiful but functional objects like ceramic tiles and intricate architecture. 
spices and teas in outdoor market
Spain is the number one olive producer in the world as evidenced by the mile after mile of olive groves between Madrid and Granada.
Ronda by moonlight
Tangier had a few interesting sites but in general was run down and dirty and less than we had hoped for. The open air markets with meats of all kinds displayed in non-refrigerated cases did little to temp our appetites.
shopping for lunch
hats for sale
neighborhood watering hole
snake charmers
restaurant
The river Cartusa bisects the city and gives a nice open feeling as roads and wide walkways border both sides of the river.
Portugal less English spoken than Spain, 'quieter' country, beautiful open spaces
Sintra Overcrowded with tour buses, cars and tourists, Sintra is a small a historic town 20 miles north of Lisbon.
14th century Pacio Nacional da Sintra
cathedral in the palace
palace meeting area
Belem Tower
tiled building
spices and teas in outdoor market
Spain is the number one olive producer in the world as evidenced by the mile after mile of olive groves between Madrid and Granada.Ronda Ronda is one of many Pueblos Blancos (white towns) in southern Spain. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner in a restaurant with a stunning view of the New Bridge. (360 feet high and 200 feet across) Despite it's name, the New bridge was built in 1735. The bridge was used by the warring parties to execute prisoners during the civil war in 1793.
Ronda by moonlightTangier, Morroco Africa Water going catamarans depart from southern Spain at Tarifa on the hour. Mohammad, our guide, met us at the dock and walked us through the streets of Tangier.
Tangier had a few interesting sites but in general was run down and dirty and less than we had hoped for. The open air markets with meats of all kinds displayed in non-refrigerated cases did little to temp our appetites.
shopping for lunch
hats for sale
neighborhood watering hole
snake charmers
restaurantGibraltar Gilbertar is a British owned 2.5 sq. mile in southern Spain. The sheer face of the rock rise 14,000 feet straight up! This was the most crowded place during the entire trip. A real zoo!
Seville The Seville Cathedral is the world's largest Gothic church and also serves as the tomb for Columbus. It took 120 years to complete this massive building.
The river Cartusa bisects the city and gives a nice open feeling as roads and wide walkways border both sides of the river.
Portugal less English spoken than Spain, 'quieter' country, beautiful open spaces
Sintra Overcrowded with tour buses, cars and tourists, Sintra is a small a historic town 20 miles north of Lisbon.
14th century Pacio Nacional da Sintra
cathedral in the palace
palace meeting area Nearby, on the Atlantic Ocean, is the westermost tip of Europe, Carbo da Roca.
Lisbon The capitol of Portugal houses many neighborhoods, museums, monuments and churches. As in past centuries, many of the older homes and catherdrals are decorated with colorful ceramic tiles. Lisbon reminded us of San Francisco with its picturesque location next to the bay and suspension bridge.
Belem Tower
tiled buildingObidos In 1282,King Diris married Isabel and gave Obidos to his new wife as a wedding gift. We walked the circumference of the town on the 30’ high walls, sampled local wines, and toured several cathedrals. Such a beautiful location! A great place to wrap up our adventures.
Brittany and Stephanie
Bryan Susan Stephanie 
Jim, Brittany and Lynne Steele
Ken toasting the newlyweds