As attractive as Istanbul is, the single biggest disadvantage to going there is that I’d likely spend the majority of my time right there in the city. There are other places I’d like to go in the general vicinity, other cities I’d like to visit, but time may prevent that from happening. It’s also a thing with me, if I’m traveling alone that I don’t like to just stay in one place or see only one country. Turkey would certainly allow me the opportunity to visit an entirely new continent (Asia) but the only other reasonable options are Greece and Bulgaria. I’d love to visit Greece but I think that’s really it’s own trip.
Herein lies the advantage of my second option. Spain is a big country, true, but it’s also got some great borders. Chances are if I’m going to Spain, I’m also going to take some time to visit Portugal as well. I consider that practically a given. In fact, I’d be inclined to fly into Lisbon and then travel to Spain from there.
Spain also has the distinct advantage of being close to southern France, which I could easily reach by train. Italy is a little further away, but would be easy enough as well. And if I want to be really adventurous, I can take a quick jaunt south to Morocco and get a new continent as well.
The travel opportunities are just scratching the surface of Spain’s appeal. At this point I probably know more German than any other non-English language but I can cover a few of the basics with Spanish as well, so there’s that. Spain also happens to have the second-largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites after Italy, and has some fabulous cities to experience: Madrid, Barcelona, Toledo, Cadiz andSeville to name just a few. Then there’s the Mediterranean coast, the Atlantic Coast, and of course the close proximity of Lisbon andPortugal.
Like Turkey, the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) will be cooling in late September when I’d be visiting, but not so much that I couldn’t dress (and pack) lightly and still enjoy the beach if I want, to say nothing of exploring the nightlife without the need for a jacket.
Both countries would also provide excellent food and drink opportunities. I’ve loved tapas since my first experience in Britain. How great would it be to have tapas in its home country? I also love that lunch is considered to be the most important meal of the day there.
Like just about anywhere in Europe, Spain has its share of historic sites and regions. Cadiz, just to give an example, is regarded to be one of the oldest continuously-inhabited city in western Europe. Like France, Spain’s historical influences included celtic tribes but unlike much of the rest of Europe there’s a considerable amount of Moorish influence as well.
I don’t know so much about Portugal itself, but I’ve heard that the coast is beautiful and Lisbon is supposed to be an amazing city to visit. I probably wouldn’t spend a lot of time there but I’d have to at least visit Lisbon, and would try to either fly into or out of the city.
So Spain and Portugal are certainly high on my list and even if they’re not as exotic or adventurous as Turkey, I’d not be at all disappointed if I went there instead. The only real concern I have is that a week would not be enough. Hell, that’s true of anywhere. But there are worse things than falling in love with a country and wishing I could go back again.
Herein lies the advantage of my second option. Spain is a big country, true, but it’s also got some great borders. Chances are if I’m going to Spain, I’m also going to take some time to visit Portugal as well. I consider that practically a given. In fact, I’d be inclined to fly into Lisbon and then travel to Spain from there.
Spain also has the distinct advantage of being close to southern France, which I could easily reach by train. Italy is a little further away, but would be easy enough as well. And if I want to be really adventurous, I can take a quick jaunt south to Morocco and get a new continent as well.
The travel opportunities are just scratching the surface of Spain’s appeal. At this point I probably know more German than any other non-English language but I can cover a few of the basics with Spanish as well, so there’s that. Spain also happens to have the second-largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites after Italy, and has some fabulous cities to experience: Madrid, Barcelona, Toledo, Cadiz andSeville to name just a few. Then there’s the Mediterranean coast, the Atlantic Coast, and of course the close proximity of Lisbon andPortugal.
Like Turkey, the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) will be cooling in late September when I’d be visiting, but not so much that I couldn’t dress (and pack) lightly and still enjoy the beach if I want, to say nothing of exploring the nightlife without the need for a jacket.
Both countries would also provide excellent food and drink opportunities. I’ve loved tapas since my first experience in Britain. How great would it be to have tapas in its home country? I also love that lunch is considered to be the most important meal of the day there.
Like just about anywhere in Europe, Spain has its share of historic sites and regions. Cadiz, just to give an example, is regarded to be one of the oldest continuously-inhabited city in western Europe. Like France, Spain’s historical influences included celtic tribes but unlike much of the rest of Europe there’s a considerable amount of Moorish influence as well.
I don’t know so much about Portugal itself, but I’ve heard that the coast is beautiful and Lisbon is supposed to be an amazing city to visit. I probably wouldn’t spend a lot of time there but I’d have to at least visit Lisbon, and would try to either fly into or out of the city.
So Spain and Portugal are certainly high on my list and even if they’re not as exotic or adventurous as Turkey, I’d not be at all disappointed if I went there instead. The only real concern I have is that a week would not be enough. Hell, that’s true of anywhere. But there are worse things than falling in love with a country and wishing I could go back again.