Toulouse - 31st of July to 1st of August 2010

With only an hour train ahead of us, we had a nice little sleep in in Carcassonne before heading off to Toulouse. But still had plenty of time to walk the city past its many churches (even though our legs are still sore from our Barcelona walking), play on the net, and get an early night.

Carcassonne (France) - 30th to 31st of July 2010

A 3 1/2 hour bus from Barcelona north over the Pyrenees and into France, specifically Perpignan, to catch a 1 1/2 hour train further northwest to Carcassonne. But instantly we knew it was worth it. A fully walled old town sits perfectly on the hill overlooking the river, small enough to be fully explored, big enough to have some fun shops and pubs inside, its one of the coolest old towns we've visited.

After a good explore we also made it over the river and into the new town (also a pretty cool place) for dinner, drinks and some night time pics.

Barcelona - 26th to 30th of July 2010

After an afternoon of personal admin (washing, internet etc) folowing our bus and train from Morella (combined 6 hour journey), we hit the ground running nice and early Wednesday morning. We wound our way through Barcelona´s gothic quarter, the Barri Gotic, down winding alleys and past cool plaza´s to the Cathedral with its cloisters and rooftop (thankfully reached by lift). Around the corner to the City History Museum, built on top of remains of the Roman town that sat at that spot 2000 years ago. More plaza hopping to the fresh food market for a little lunch, a quick looksie at one of Gaudi´s mental houses, before a long walk all the way down Barcelona´s main street, La Rumbla. But we still had time for a few hours on the beach (via the harbour at the bottom of La Rumbla) and some late night tapas.

When it came to churches, we thought we´d seen them all. The sheer size of St Peter´s in Rome, the packed out Westminster Abbey in London, but the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia (unfinished after nearly 150 years) is a whole new chapter. While its architect, Gaudi, is clearly mad, even madder must be the person that let this luney tune loose with the city's finances. The church is like nothing else we have seen, and well worth the visit.

More Gaudi in the afternoon with a trip to Park Guell, Gaudi´s attempt at landscape gardening, before more wandering of Bacelona´s streets.

And just like that, our month in Spain was at an end. We've had an amazing time, and so to top it off we had another night of tapas, sangria and vino, a meal we will certainly miss.

Morella - 26th to 27th of July 2010

So it turns out Morella isn´t easy to get to. From Peñiscola we had to get three different buses even though they aren´t that far apart, but the connections worked well enough, and it was well worth it. Its a medieval fortress town built into the hill fully enclosed by city walls, and guarded by a forbidding castle. We didn´t have long there, just enough time for a stroll around (for a little place it sure has its share of steps!) and some dinner.

Peñiscola - 25th to 26th of July 2010

Another speedy train, this one for 3.5 hours north, through Valencia to Peñiscola. Its another beach resort that stretches for miles along the coast, and is apparently a favourite with Spanish families. Perfect for doing nothing but chilling. The following day being Monday, we went to work. On our tans. For the morning anyway before we moved on to Morella.

Alicante - 24th to 25th of July 2010

For 6 hours we wasted most of the day sitting in a bus heading northeast to the coastal town of Alicante. Although all we wanted to do was hit the beach, we climbed (ok we got the lift) to the top of the Castillo de Santa Barbara for a quick look over the city. But most of our time was spent at the beach. Alicante is very similar to Malaga with a castle overlooking the city, the main differences being Alicante´s better beach, and Malaga´s better vibe. But both great spots, and being on the Mediterranean sea, have much nicer water temperature than the freezing Atlantic along Portugal´s coast.

Grenada - 23rd to 24th of July 2010

Back to buses, for 3 hours southeast to Granada. Another city with only really one sight, the Alhambra. Its another palace complex that overlooks the city, this one distinctively Muslim. We´ve been loving the shaded courtyards and outdoor spaces in the palaces in this part of the world, and this was no exception

With not too much else to see we had another little stroll and some dinner in one of the many little squares dotted around the town, and waited for the lights to come on at the Alhambra.