FALLAS IN VALENCIA

Las Fallas was a blast! Literally as well! It is NOT for the faint-hearted. Various firecrackers are going off continuously all over the city. Big ones, little ones, thrown in a dumpster, put in a coke can, on the street, on the sidewalk, you name it. If you can't deal with sudden loud noises, this is NOT the place for you. Fortunately, we could and Gene even got into the action by buying and setting off a few rockets and firecrackers of his own.

The Mascleta which went on every day at 2pm in the main square is beyond loud. You feel in in your chest about a block away. We heard it one day in our hotel room by the City of Arts & Sciences and it was still amazingly loud. And it goes on for about 15 minutes nonstop. We tried to get to the square to actually see it one day, but the crowd was so large, we could only stand in place about 1/4 block away and hear & feel it.

There are parades constantly, it seems, and the costumes are beautiful.

The Fallas or Ninots are a wonder. 20 feet tall and very artistic. I would imagine if you are a local, they are even more appealing since you can see that some of the characters are based on local celebrities and politicians.

The fireworks on the next to last night were unbelieveable. I don't remember seeing such a display go on for so long ever.

And finally, the final night was wonderful. There was about a 5-minute mascleta near the fallas we chose to watch. It was so loud, but so much fun to listen to and watch. And finally when the they set fire to the ninot, it was amazing how fast it went up in flames (and how fast everyone who tried to get a front row view started backing up to get away from the intense heat).

It was exactly as crazy as we expected and that's a good thing!

Carol

Santiago De Chile

Santiago is # 1 on the 41 places to go in 2011

The New York Times listed Santiago as the top destination to go in 2011!
Highlighting the modern museums and cultural activities, luxury and boutique Hotels and sophisticated restaurants,turning the capital in to a Vibrant city.


We invite you to discover the hustle of the city,its traditional and modern buildings, the bohemian quarter of Bellavista an the elegant Alonso the Cordoba Avenue,to admire Pre-Columbian crafts and fashion icons memorabilia and taste wide range of cuisines, from traditional Chilean to Seafood, French Thai,Peruvian and Fusion along with the Best wines that will surely delight you.

Madrid & Northern Spain Trip -September 2010

Eugene, I wanted to let you your recommendations for our trip to Madrid and No. Spain were excellent. We loved the Hotel Hospes in Madrid, it's convenient location and excellent service. We took advantage of the Madrid Vision Bus Tour which left across the circle from the hotel. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at El Barril de Recoletos, which was within walking distance of the hotel. Their speciality was beef....wonderful, and they also served a whole fish which looked delicious. The next day, near the Plaza Mayor, we had lunch at Casa Ballega....excellent food and service. We did eat one night at the hotel (Senzone Restaurant) and were disappointed in the food. We took the fast train to Toledo. Recommend checking the train times carefully for each day, as the schedule varies and we spent a long wait in the station (which is amazing by the way). Highly recommend the Los Quatro Tiempos restaurant in Toledo. A local recommended it to us.
We had a disappointing Italian meal at L'Espirale, which was within walking distance of our hotel. Am sure there were better choices. On our way to Santillana Del Mar, we stopped in Segovia. A must! And then went to lunch at the Asador Casa Brigante in Lerma for the roast baby lamb. Quite a treat. Then on to Santillana del Mar. We liked our hotel very much....Hotel Casa del Marques. We stopped into the Parador, and didn't think it looked as nice. It was difficult to find a good meal in Santillana del Mar....not sure why. The side trips to Valle de Cabuerniga was fabulous. We drove to Barcena Mayor and stopped for lunch in Los Tojos at a charming lodge called La Punvieja. Be sure to take the road to Carmona...the most beautiful valley I've ever seen! The next day we went to the Picos de Europa. Very cloudy, so we didn't ride the tram at Fuente De. A must....if you go to the Picos....lunch at Hotel del Oso. It also looked like a wonderful place to spend a day or two if one had the time. Drove to Bilbao, where we had arranged ahead of time (through the museum web site) for a private guide. Highly recommended. Also ate in the Bistro at the museum....some of the best food of our trip. Reservations recommended. Then on to Hondoribbia. This was probably our favorite place! We loved the Parador Emperador. Spectacular lobby, great food at breakfast, simple rooms with wonderful views. Hondoribbia is a charming town, an authentic fishing village, good restaurants, especially for tapas. Our favorite was Gran Sol. We also had fabulous tapas at La Cepa in San Sebastion, an easy drive from Hondoribbia. Took a side trip through the Basque country and ended up in St. Jean de Luz for lunch....a colorful town. All in all it was a perfect trip, and we thank you for all your input.

Eugene, I'm also going to send you a link to my online album on Shutterfly so you can see our pictures.
Happy New Year. Jo Anne

Driving through the White Villages in Spain

The White towns in Spain begin in ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA and end in the town RONDA.

ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA de western most town has spectacular views from its clifftop
location.The narrow streets as you go up the town have to be carefully driven.

In the Main Square you find The church of Santa Maria and the Parador where you can have lunch if you are coming from Seville.

From here you can depart arriving at the Sierra de Grazalema and the Town of EL BOSQUE center for hikers,rock climbers,trout fishers and hang gliders.

Visit also BENAMAHONA,MONTE SIMANCON,until you arrive in GRAZALEMA with white washed house,tiled roofs and church towers

Once you leave GRAZALEMA you can take a side road( with many bends) and visit ZAHARA DE LA SIERRA another white washed town or go strait to RONDA where your visit to the white towns ends.

Interesting sights in Ronda are: Mondragon Palace,Arab baths,Palace of the Marquis of Salvatierra,oldest bullring in Spain,Palace of the Moorish kings.

A beautiful PARADOR would be the hotel you can spend then night before going to Malaga or Granada.

ALTA TOURS can help you plan a trip to this area of Spain or any other
Please call 1-800-338-4191 or e-mail us at eugenio@altatours.com


or go strait