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Category: Road Trips

Andalusia: Seville, Cadiz, Malaga, Granada, Cordoba

Andalusia: Seville, Cadiz, Malaga, Granada, Cordoba

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I finally got my D7, Portugal Residency Card, so I could start planning trips to other European countries without worrying about being deported for violating EU immigration rules. Kelly was interested in visiting Spain with me, so I planned several different itineraries for Andalusia. I had one that was 14-15 days but we cut a few sites. We were both pleased with our final schedule though, Seville, Cadiz, Gibraltar, Malaga, Granada, Cordoba, then back to Seville to drop off Kelly…

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Gibraltar

Gibraltar

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I really wanted to see Gibraltar. It is one of those unique areas, despite its small size, that has been very important throughout history. It is the crossroads of Europe and Africa; Morocco is only 24 km away. It is also the crossroads between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and, like other areas on the Mediterranean, it had a large role in WWII. We read that crossing the border with a car can take hours. So we left the car…

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Evora and Estremoz, Portugal

Evora and Estremoz, Portugal

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Everyone in Portugal talks about Evora. It’s one of the things I’m asked frequently when meeting other immigrants in Lagos. Have you been to Evora? Not yet. Well, it was time. My well-used travel book, 1000 Places to See Before You Die, has a page on Evora. It also recommended the “pousadas” or historic hotels of Portugal. These are old convents or castles. I used the Pousadas de Portugal site to reserve the Hotel Pousada Convento Évora, a 15th century…

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Exploring the Algarve

Exploring the Algarve

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There are so many wonderful towns to explore in the Algarve, as well as magnificent trails, rugged coasts, parks, and beautiful beaches. Here are some of my favorites sites and activities. I feel quite lucky to live here and have time to explore little towns and search out new sites. I will continue to add sites as I explore. Almadena Forte de Almadena the Fisherman’s Trail runs along here. There is a nice trail from Burgau (actually from Lagos all…

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Lisbon Christmas Markets

Lisbon Christmas Markets

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Kelly M and I decided to go to Lisbon to see the Christmas markets. We took the Flixbus from Lagos to the Lisbon Oriental station. The bus stops at Portimao and another location before taking the highway north. It’s about a 4 hour trip. I thought the train would be faster but from Lagos you have to take a fairly slow train to Faro then can catch the express to Lisbon so it can take just as long. We left…

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Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

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I spent two very busy weeks in Washington D.C. just over a year ago. Even though I didn’t do everything I wanted to, I wasn’t planning on returning so soon but this was where I had to come for my VFS (visa) appointment for Portugal. Like most large, world class cities, there is always something to do, so I found plenty of new activities to enjoy. The AirBNB in the Eastern Market I had in April 2022 was booked unfortunately….

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Manassas National Battlefield Park

Manassas National Battlefield Park

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I stopped in Manassas National Battlefield Park on the way from Hampton to Washington DC. I arrived around noon and saw the exhibits at the visitor center then joined a Ranger walk for the Henry Hill battle site. This was the site of the major battle during First Manassas/First Bull Run, July 1861. After that walk I went over to Chinn Ridge for a second Ranger walk. This was the site of a major offensive during Second Manassas/Second Bull Run…

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Colonial Virginia: Jamestown to Yorktown

Colonial Virginia: Jamestown to Yorktown

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I stayed in Hampton close to the waterfront; it was a lovely area. I drove around the peninsula for a week to see the several historic sites. Fort Monroe I spent the first day at Fort Monroe. Advance timed tickets to the Casemate Museum are required. This was a great museum, lots of artifacts and history about the fort, including the cell where Jefferson Davis was held for 2 years. I spent the entire day here. After the museum I…

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Civil War: Endgame at Appomattox

Civil War: Endgame at Appomattox

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Appomattox Court House National Historic Site I’ve been wanting to visit Appomattox Court House to see where General Grant took Lee’s surrender. I missed this site 18 months ago when I was in Virginia and Washington so planned a stop this trip. Leaving Cincinnati, I drove to Concord, Virginia for two nights, to spend a day at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. After a 9 1/2 month siege of Petersburg, trench warfare and cutting off the railroads supplying Petersburg…

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Weekend in Cincinnati

Weekend in Cincinnati

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Using my NPS site map, I decided to stop in Cincinnati for a couple nights on the way to Washington for my Visa appointment. I wanted to the see the Taft historic site. I booked a great AirBNB for 3 nights. I visited the William Howard Taft NHS Saturday morning for several hours. There is a nice visitor center with a video about Taft and his family; the home was the one he grew up in and you can visit…

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