Real Nefertiti?
Superstar Pharaohs
We were thrilled during our long, leisurely visit to “Superstar Pharaohs,” a rewarding exhibition at the Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon. We took our time to peruse 250 pieces that show how the history of the…
Fountains at night, Fronteira Palace
Patrimony Palaces: Fronteira and São Bento
In brief: Two palaces with origins in the 17th century made for a visually entertaining and historically fascinating celebration of Portuguese heritage in Lisbon. One weekend across Portugal in September, citizens and tourists honored the…
Buddies, heron and egret
Salt of the Earth: Samouco and EVOA
In brief: On a beautiful October day, we once again enjoyed the birds, greenery, waterways, and guide, within the scenic wetlands of Samouco and EVOA. On a beautiful fall day out in nature, we once…
Overview, Toledo
Toledo: City of Three Cultures
The World Heritage hilltop city of Toledo, our last stay during our trip to Spain, was long a capital: for the Visigoths, who succeeded the Romans; for the Umayyad Muslims who overran Spain; for the…
Apostolic portraits, El Greco
All The Greek to Us: Toledo’s Master
In brief: We located paintings by El Greco across Toledo, from its principal churches to the El Greco Museum. Toledo still hosts many paintings by El Greco, the Cretan artist who lived the second half…
Goya's Second of May 1808 in Madrid
Light and Dark of Zaragoza’s Goya
In brief: The native son of Zaragoza, Goya could capture the light of the spirit and the dark of human failings. The works viewable within the city show that range. The artist Francisco José de…
Atop Pilar Basilica, Zaragoza
From Pillar to Outpost in Zaragoza
In brief: It’s easy to busy oneself with the two millennia of history in the central city, from Mary's pillar to the Moors' outpost. It’s also ideal for just relaxing. The central city of Zaragoza…
View over Bilbao
Up, down, and along Bilbao
In brief: Perhaps Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum pushed Bilbao into a new era, but our visit showed a city with so many old and new attractions. Bilbao was not the city we expected. We thought we…
Standing and lying bison, Altamira
Altamira’s Sistine Chapel of Cave Art
In brief: Was it worth a long trip to see just a copy of famous paintings from tens of thousands of years ago? The experience, we found, proved well worth it. No one believed him.…
The codex annotated in Spanish. San Millan
San Millan’s Notes Heard ‘Round the World
In brief: The remote pair of monasteries at the World Heritage sites of Suso and Yuso draw pilgrims en route to Santiago and Spaniards honoring their language's roots. Amid all the religious sites – and…