Crazy Drivers in Spain

Oh wait, that was us! Ken and Grace Newburger, two lifelong learners from Mississippi wanted to “hire” Chris as a driver so they could get up to Grenada (see picture above) to view Le Hombre (which was amazing in the little time we had to view it). Chris calls this trip the “trail of embarrassment” for the four of us. We first headed to Seville in the car after the rental guy from Avis stated it was “impossible” to drive in town. Well, he was pretty accurate. At one point, we were driving in the square over train tracks as a train was coming towards us. At another point, Chris had to pull onto a sidewalk because we were driving the wrong way on a one-way. There are numerous windy, one-way roads and it was impossible to find our hotel in both Seville and Grenada. In Grenada, we hired a taxi to lead us to a parking garage. I felt like we were on the Amazing Race! While we love Ken and Grace, it was not easy for Chris to be driving with Ken giving directions constantly, repeatedly, and inaccurately (despite the confidence in his voice). Literally, he would say the same thing (such as, we need to turn left) about 20 times and then be wrong! I don’t think I will ever criticize someone again for acting as a backseat driver since I am quite sure I experienced the worst in my life. He also liked us to be on time (aka, early and wait) and it felt like travelling with my parents. So, I had to rebel at times to mess with him a bit. While Ken fully proclaimed his “anal retentiveness,” he was much easier to love outside of the car. Ken and Grace are great storytellers, love each other dearly, and are generous individuals.

Seville and Grenada were both charming towns with wonderful alleys filled with cafes and shops on the sidewalks. We visited the 3rd largest cathedral in Spain in Seville along with a Moorish palace. In Grenada, we visited El Hombre, which had an amazing palace and grounds to tour. But mostly, we got ourselves lots in the cities and ate a lot of food at various cafes with friends.



Through Semester at Sea, tours, we learned about and watched a Flamenco show. Also, we went on a fantastic hike in Grazamela National Park. It was so refreshing to be outdoors again, a taste of home, so to speak. We hiked with a view of mountainous valleys and white towns.



We managed to see three cities in five days: Cadiz, Seville and Grenada. It felt like my college travel days of rushing from country to country in Europe. In my old age, I like to stay longer in a city and get to know the city, the shops, the people, and the culture in a deeper fashion. While I am glad to have seen all these wonderful cities, we hope to do more of the latter at future stops.