Tapas have become one of Spain’s most popular culinary exports, small dishes served alongside local wines at cozy bars throughout the country. Tapas bars are popular gathering places and an excellent spot to rub elbows with locals. Pull up a barstool and join us as we introduce you to some of the most common dishes…
Cordoba is a beautiful, multifaceted city where the legacy of multiple religions and civilizations interact and overlap. The old Arabic and Jewish quarters surround the Mosque, where crooked narrow streets still possess the feel, taste, and smells of ancient times. History has settled here in rich and complex ways, making it a compelling home base…
As spring merges into summer, gardens in much of Europe are at their most vibrant and colorful. Whether you seek out gardens as a main sight for your day or duck into them as a respite from sightseeing in built environments, it is hard not to fall in love with these lovingly cultivated spaces. They…
Barcelona is an incredible city with plenty to do. But day tripping out of the city will broaden your experience. The beauty of spending a week or two on a Barcelona UnTour is that you have time to venture out. Montserrat is one of the most popular day trips from Barcelona. A visit to Montserrat…
Susan Umberger traveled on an UnTour to Andalusia, Spain a couple years ago. She shared a very rich trip log with us. Here are memories of a day she spent in villages “close to home” near her UnTours apartment. We decided it would be fun to drive around in the local country and explore the…
Top 10 Places to Go in Spain Barcelona This seaside city, known for its quirky architecture, outstanding seafood, and rich art history, is a must-see for anyone traveling to Spain. Architecture really is the center of attention, with great works from Antoni Gaudí, the famously-unfinished church of La Sagrada Familia, and many other cathedrals, buildings…
Welcome to Spain, where eating habits are a little different than ours. If you value eating with the locals but prefer your dinner before 9pm, you’d best discover Spain’s bountiful tapas bars! “Be prepared to eat later,” Spanish UnTour Specialist Sonia Ratcliffe explains. “The Spanish eating schedule varies greatly from many Americans’ habits, with…
Here’s the fifth installment in an 8-week photoblog by Sonia Ratcliffe about her first trip to Andalusia. I’m just about halfway through my trip in these pics, taken in and aroud Ubeda and Baeza. The Plaza Vázquez de Molina featuring the parador and Chapel of the Savoir, examples of Ubeda’s Renaissance architecture Salmorejo, a…
Here’s the fourth installment in an 8-week photoblog by Sonia Ratcliffe about her first trip to Andalusia. My next stops in this adventure are Fuente Tojar and Priego de Cordoba—two of our hometowns in Andalusia! The adorable village of Fuente Tojar, where our on-site staff person, Maria lives Meeting the Symons, frequent UnTourists, for orientation…
Here’s the third installment in an 8-week photoblog by Sonia Ratcliffe about her first trip to Andalusia. First Cordoba, then Carcabuey…now on to Zuheros! The main Plaza with the ruins of a Moorish castle behind. Sadly, we missed the opening hours—you have to keep close tabs on them in Southern Spain! The main Plaza looking…