We had a few hiccoughs in the lead up to this trip, which for awhile made it look like it might not happen.

One was an issue to do with my passport. I knew that it was due for renewal in February next year, and I thought that having 4 months left on its currency when we return from this trip would be sufficient. Two weeks out from departure, I found out that I should have 6 months left when I return from the trip. Luckily we live in a capital city, and for an extra charge of $104, I had my new passport in a few days. Phew.

Some of the news we have been hearing of Spain in recent weeks has not been positive.

A really worrying thing for Spain and its locals has been the terrible wild fires. Spain has had its worst fire season in 30 years. The areas still affected by these fires are not areas we will be visiting, which is a selfish way of looking at it, as these fires are a sign of the changing climate and the increased temperatures that are affecting many countries around the world.

Another issue that has gained a lot of media coverage is that Spain’s citizens, particularly those in Barcelona, are sick to death of tourists and have been protesting against tourists and AirBNB owners.

This trip will not take us to Barcelona, even though there are wines grown nearby. We have chosen two other wine regions to explore instead – Ribera del Duero (lime green patch north of Madrid) and La Rioja (dark orange area further north again). We plan on taking our time, and will stay in towns right in the heart of vineyards.

We fly out later tonight and will spend just over 5 weeks travelling in Spain and Portugal. I plan on posting updates of our stay while we are away, and if you’re interested, you’re very welcome to join us. Salut!