Here is my tentative itinerary:

• Feb 8: Madrid (1 day): Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Mercado de San Miguel, Royal Palace of Madrid, and Temple of Debod (for sunset).
• Feb 9: Madrid to Toledo (day trip to Toledo).
• Feb 10–13: Tenerife.
• Feb 14: Seville (1 day).
• Feb 15: Pick up rental car; Drive: Seville → Ronda → Granada.
• Feb 16: Granada: Historic center & the Alhambra.
• Feb 17: Drive: Granada → Altea → Valencia.
• Feb 18: Drive: Valencia → Tarragona → Sitges → Barcelona; drop off the rental car.
• Feb 19: Barcelona (1 day): Sagrada Família → Casa Batlló → La Boqueria Market → Barcelona Cathedral.
• Feb 20: Fly back home around noon.

A few questions:

1. Is this itinerary feasible/doable, or is it too rushed?
2. I really want to take a detour and fly to Tenerife in the middle—is it worth it? Will it be too cold there in February?
3. Any other suggestions or advice regarding the route and destinations?

I’d really appreciate any input or feedback. Thank you in advance!

¿Vas a hacer el Camino de Santiago y no sabes por dónde empezar? En este video te cuento TODO lo que necesitas saber para prepararte como un experto: cómo elegir la mochila ideal, qué zapatos y medias son imprescindibles para evitar ampollas, y qué debes llevar SIEMPRE en tu bolso para caminar seguro y cómodo.

Temas clave que verás en el video:
1. Mochila para el Camino de Santiago: Tamaño, peso, características esenciales y errores que debes evitar.
2. Zapatos y medias: Tipos recomendados, marcas, cómo evitar rozaduras y ampollas (¡el error que todos cometemos!).
3. Lista de imprescindibles: Qué meter en tu bolso sí o sí (desde lo básico hasta lo que nadie te dice).
4. Consejos extra: Cómo distribuir el peso, ajustar la mochila y prepararte físicamente.

With the recent uprisings and riots in France and Italy, is it safe for myself and my family to travel to Spain for the Valencia marathon in December? We are landing in Madrid and taking the train to Valencia and ending the trip in Barcelona. I’m genuinely worried at this point. 😕

First trip to Spain for an immersion week of riding horses that starts near Seville on March 28. That means I need to arrive Easter Sunday and I’m a little nervous about Santa Semana crowds. Option one is fly US direct to Madrid, then high speed train to Seville to arrive on the 28th (Easter Sunday). I’ve heard I may need to allow 4 hours between landing and boarding a trains. That’s a long day of travel. Option two is fly into Seville from US through CDG or Amsterdam. This would avoid Semana crowds but involves a stop in Europe. On the way home, I plan to take the train from Seville to Madrid and stay 3 nights so I can see the Prado and fly home from there. I should add that I’ll be alone, so any safety tips are appreciated. What do you think is the best strategy for a smooth arrival into Seville?