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elleng

(136,365 posts)
Wed Jun 14, 2017, 12:50 PM Jun 2017

The Southern Charms of Spain and Portugal

'I was at the official end of the world, standing among yellow wildflowers on the edge of a craggy cliff, looking out over the chromatic waters of the Atlantic — endless ceruleans and captivating cyans in every shade imaginable.

The end of the world, that is, before we knew the earth was round: Before Vasco da Gama reached India by sea and before Magellan circumnavigated the globe, the southwesternmost point of what is now Portugal was considered the end of the known world. The Romans supposedly called Cape St. Vincent Promontorium Sacrum (Holy Promontory), believing that the water quenched the sun every evening, as the ball of fire set into the ocean.

I had arrived here via Seville, in Spain, a superb jumping-off point for exploring Andalusia and, across the border, southern Portugal. Just a few hours in the car can transport you to the beautiful whitewashed buildings of Vejer de la Frontera, or to a sherry bodega, learning the intricacies of winemaking in the so-called Sherry Triangle, with immaculate beaches and stunning cliffside views not far away.

With the dollar still relatively strong, there’s no better time to tour this welcoming part of the world and enjoy what it has to offer — with a little planning, your pocketbook will hardly be worse for wear.'>>>

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/14/travel/spain-sherry-portugal-triangle-budget-travel.html?

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