Chris's space

Toledo to Zaragoza – 408 kms in 4:38 hrs, 3 fuel stops. I had to go past Madrid which meant a little more traffic than usual but not too bad. Mountains and plains combined and I must have discovered the last Toll road in Spain, a short stretch that cost E5.05. Temperature was 34c uncomfortable.

Zaragoza – nice place, clean, organised, good facilities but not what I would call a tourist city. There are a couple of Cathedrals and some Roman ruins, it is flat so quite easy to walk around.

Malaga to Toledo 484 kms in 5 hrs with 2 stops for fuel. Good ride again, mountains and winding roads, blue skies couldn’t ask for more.

Toledo – this is the most amazing old town I have been to! It is a walled town on a hill with narrow winding streets that go up and down. Beware you will both stuff your knees up and have a heart attack hahaha. It is popular with many tourists and tour groups.

Museum of Santa Cruz – this place has some El Greco paintings and other artists. The painting that impressed me the most was one of Mary. She is usually portrayed in a very other worldly setting but here she is shown as a mother carrying her baby in the street.

The Alcazar and the Army Museum are in connected buildings and I must have spent three hours in there, many exhibits showing Spanish history.

Santa Iglesia Catedral Primada de Toledo – This is a massive cathedral with a huge amount of art work inside and painted ceilings.

Benidorm to Malaga – Great ride through the mountains and high plains past Granada cool and non-stop winding roads 519 kms in 4:55 hrs with 2 fuel stops.

Málaga’s history spans about 2,800 years, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe. According to most scholars, it was founded about 770 BC by the Phoenicians from Tyre as Malaka (Wikipedia). Picasso was born here and there are a couple of museums celebrating his life and works. The old town is a very nice place to wander around and so is the Port area. Everything is clean and organised and there are many tourists.

Picasso House Museum

Malaga Museum, very good and worth a visit.

Malaga Street Art

Malaga Cathedral, The Port, Plazuela Cristo del Amor, Roman Theatre, Markets etc.

Benicassim to Benidorm – Easy ride 221 kms in 2:07 hrs on the freeway.

Benidorm is a Mediterranean city with a population of 75,000 which grows to 400,000 in summer densly packed into a very small area. It has the most skyscrapers in Spain and is second only to New York in the world. It is one of the most well known tourist destinations in the entire Mediterranean thanks to its beaches and nightlife. It is a party town and is very popular with British tourists. Some parts have a carnival atmosphere. I have never seen anything like it anywhere in Europe.