brux@rochester.UUCP (Mark Brucks) (01/31/84)
From: Mark Brucks <brux> A friend and I are planning now for a trip to Spain in late July or early August, and need a lot of info. If you think you can be helpful, please inundate me with info. Particulars follow : Length of stay - approx. 2 weeks Transportation - Once there, how does one get around - train, plane, bus, bicycle, ...? Places to stay - We are fairly anti-social when it comes to choosing a place to stay - the fewer the people the better. We would prefer to walk(ride) to places we want to see and stay in out of the way locations, closer to the people if we can ie., no suggestions for the Madrid Hyatt please. Do you know anything about Spanish : Architecture (my undergrad degree) - anything or any place that is particularly unknown that you ran across that would be worth a side trip? Art - We will probably do some museum hopping, and would again prefer quiet out of the way places that you happened on - the friend is particularly interested in folk art, especially pottery - any leads? Culture - Anything interesting related to the various sub- cultures of the Iberian peninsula? Overall, our itinerary is not fixed, but we are not going for the whirlwind tour of Spain - we would prefer to stay longer in places and soak up more of what is there than to spend too much time travelling. If however, you know of someplace, say in Portugal, that you think it would be a crime to miss seeing, then maybe we will detour there for a few days. Please, don't submit more suggestions than we can pack into two weeks (probably max of five places). Thanks in advance. Mark Brucks uucp: (seismo | allegra)!rochester!brux arpa: brux@rochester
wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler) (01/31/84)
Suggest you run to your nearest bookstore and pick up a copy of James Mitchner's "Iberia". Yes, Mitchner. One of the most fascinating books I have ever read. It is nothing more than a collection of articles about Mitchner's travels around Spain. It is chock full of out of the way places, including architecture, history, local lore, and places to stay. Mitchner spent many years traveling in Spain and has put together all of his reflections and happenings in one damn good travelouge. His descriptions of the towns and villages is masterful and made me want to pack my bags right away. He does very little with the big cities and tourist traps, but does a lot with real Spain beyond the tour bus window. I have given this book to others who were going to Spain and they all were ecstatic over the things they were able to do and see in that country. T. C. Wheeler
hstrop@mhuxt.UUCP (trop) (02/01/84)
Regarding travel and sites in Spain: Spain has a truly outstanding tourist hotel system, places that include bed and breakfast at truly remarkable prices. Contact the Spanish tourist office or consulate for information. As far as architechture goes, Spain has some really fascinating Romanesque and Moorish influenced church and secular buildings. One really fine place to go is Santiago de Compastela, in the NW part of Spain. It was at one time the end of one of the most well travelled medieval pilgrimage routes in Europe. The art and history and culture there are fantastic. (It is the reputed burial place of St. James) If you want additional information on Santiago de Compastela or on sites along the old pilgrimage route, which is a treasure trove of historical interesting sites and arch. interesting buildings, just send me mail and I'll dig the stuff I have on the region out. Vaya con Dios, Harvey S. Trop mhuxt!hstrop