Going back home is always great! It is after all my base from which I take off and to which I return every time. However, getting back there is just as challenging as getting anywhere due to all the airport hurdles I have to deal with... I left Algiers today at 4:45 pm or so and reached Barcelona 55 minutes later. Finding the bus to my hotel was challenging but did manage to find it after all... the next day I was up at 6:00 am, had breakfast and headed out to the airport by 8:45 am ... the timing was just perfect as I reached the gate when the boarding started. I was lucky this time as I had an aisle seat so I could stand whenever I wished... the flight was long, very long... when I reached Washington DC I texted my daughter to let her know when to pick me up ... Huntsville flight was on time so all was smooth and reached home at around 6:30 pm local time. That marks the end of my vacation...
The vacation itself was great! A tail of two mountains in two different continents: the Pyrenees in Europe and the Atlas in Northern Africa. The Pyrenees are greener and less rocky than the Atlas especially near the Mediterranean Sea, I guess this is due to the age of the two mountains; the Pyrenees are older than the Atlas. The Pyrenees are a natural border between France and Spain, whereas the Atlas stretch from Morocco to Tunisia crossing Algeria.. My visit was limited to sections of both mountains: the southern half of the Pyrenees and the Djurdjura mountains in Algeria .. I did cross the border between France and Spain several times..
The surprise of the trip was Andorra, this tiny independent principality in the Pyrenees between France and Spain... One of the smallest in Europe.. It was beautiful and had a booming economy based on all the construction projects going on and the number of big name stores and banks around.. this economy is driven by tourism and its tax free status... no VAT tax Andorra so things are cheaper..
Lourde was another surprise as I did not know that it was the second destination for catholic pilgrims from around the world after the Vatican. It is also second tourist destination in France after Paris!!! Who would have known that, not me!! I even observed a late evening procession of pilgrims in a steady rain, but thanks to the big trees I stayed mostly dry.. it is something to see for sure!!
Figueres and Cadaques in Spain are also two places I enjoyed visiting, Cadaques more so than Figueres! Cadaques is a beautiful all white village with red terracotta tile roofs located right on the Mediterranean Sea .. Both Figueres and Cadaques have strong ties to Salvador Dalí who was born in Cadaques but achieved his fame in Figueres..
Barcelona, off course, needs no introduction, it is a beautiful port city on the Mediterranean.. it is the biggest city of Catalonia with a thriving economy. Gaudí left his mark all over Barcelona starting with the Sagrada Família where he is buried and still not finished.. the big goal is to finish it by the 100 year anniversary of Gaudí death, 2026!
Off course, the highlight of my trip was a lightening visit to see family in Algeria... that is always priceless especially when the frequency is so low. Seeing people I have not seen in over 40 years is always fun and getting a chance to speak Berber is awesome.
The vacation itself was great! A tail of two mountains in two different continents: the Pyrenees in Europe and the Atlas in Northern Africa. The Pyrenees are greener and less rocky than the Atlas especially near the Mediterranean Sea, I guess this is due to the age of the two mountains; the Pyrenees are older than the Atlas. The Pyrenees are a natural border between France and Spain, whereas the Atlas stretch from Morocco to Tunisia crossing Algeria.. My visit was limited to sections of both mountains: the southern half of the Pyrenees and the Djurdjura mountains in Algeria .. I did cross the border between France and Spain several times..
The surprise of the trip was Andorra, this tiny independent principality in the Pyrenees between France and Spain... One of the smallest in Europe.. It was beautiful and had a booming economy based on all the construction projects going on and the number of big name stores and banks around.. this economy is driven by tourism and its tax free status... no VAT tax Andorra so things are cheaper..
Lourde was another surprise as I did not know that it was the second destination for catholic pilgrims from around the world after the Vatican. It is also second tourist destination in France after Paris!!! Who would have known that, not me!! I even observed a late evening procession of pilgrims in a steady rain, but thanks to the big trees I stayed mostly dry.. it is something to see for sure!!
Figueres and Cadaques in Spain are also two places I enjoyed visiting, Cadaques more so than Figueres! Cadaques is a beautiful all white village with red terracotta tile roofs located right on the Mediterranean Sea .. Both Figueres and Cadaques have strong ties to Salvador Dalí who was born in Cadaques but achieved his fame in Figueres..
Barcelona, off course, needs no introduction, it is a beautiful port city on the Mediterranean.. it is the biggest city of Catalonia with a thriving economy. Gaudí left his mark all over Barcelona starting with the Sagrada Família where he is buried and still not finished.. the big goal is to finish it by the 100 year anniversary of Gaudí death, 2026!
Off course, the highlight of my trip was a lightening visit to see family in Algeria... that is always priceless especially when the frequency is so low. Seeing people I have not seen in over 40 years is always fun and getting a chance to speak Berber is awesome.
View of the Berber villages from “Main du Juif” in Djurdjura mountains (Algeria)
Cadaques on the Mediterranean in Spain
Salvador Dalí’s museum in Figueres Spain
Dancing in the square in Figueres Spain
Driving through the Pyrenees
A view of the Pyrenees
The famous church in Lourdes France
Andorra seen from high above
Camp Nou in Barcelona Spain
Sagrada Familia in Barcelona Spain
Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona Spain
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