Off on another adventure

Back in November, it seemed like a great idea to book a tour to Spain, Portugal and Morocco. We had great plans to prepare, learn Spanish, research sites, figure out how to pack lightly. Yeah, well none of that happened. ‘

It’s April 25, 2025, Day 10 of a 22-day tour of Spain, Portugal and Morocco.  I’ll start by sharing the rookie mistakes we have made so far.  First of all, we brought a one large suitcase, two wheeled carry-ons and two backpacks.  We thought we were smart to share a suitcase, but it ended up weighing over 50 lbs and we were redistributing the weight at the airport and regretting the weight at each stop.    I think we imagined that there would be porters like in old movies, but the hotel staff cheerfully watched us struggle to drag everything in,, without even the benefit of a luggage cart.

So Lesson #1, only take what you absolutely need and can easily manage.   If you are going from cold and wet to warm and dry, a good pair of Columbia hiking pants will take you anywhere.  Study your itinerary carefully and think through what you will actually need for each day.   I’m not accustomed to wearing clothes more than once, but will need to adapt.

One of our smartest choices was a Lands End raincoat with a removable quilted vest. They have kept us dry on the wettest days.

On a more positive note, VPT Tours (Viajes Para Todos) is a good service, contracted by Wingbuddy. a Canadian travel provider we found online.  They have taken us to interesting cities and UNESCO world heritage sites.  The  drivers are awesome, navigating narrow lanes and steep roads that would be harrowing for a novice driver.  The tour guide led us as a group for parts of the day and then we had some free time to explore. Most hotels provided a fabulous breakfast buffet and the tour hosted us for many lunches and dinners as well.

One of the benefits so far are the delightful Canadians we have met.  We are forming a little family of travelers, the only other Americans on the bus are a charming couple from Texas.

In upcoming posts, I will describe our impressions of Madrid, Salamanca, Braga, Porto, Coimbra, Lisbon, Caceres, Seville and Torremolinos.  At the Costa del Sol, we board a ferry for Morocco, where we will visit Tangiers, Fez, Casablanca, Marrakesh and Rabat.

It’s an ambitious undertaking and is most enjoyable if you are fit and healthy.  We have some challenges with both, but we will persevere and keep you posted.