Iberian Rail Adventures
by Baxter Carson
My countdown to July 2015 was finally over. I was about to head to Spain and Portugal, with a stopover in Abu Dhabi. The Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is the most spectacular religious building I have ever seen. Other wonderful things I saw in Abu Dhabi were the huge malls, Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld and the Falcon Hospital. Plenty to do in a few days stopover.
Europe was next and my first rail trip in Europe for a few years. No wonder I missed it. The country side seen on a train is wonderful and the time just flies by. Valencia is really interesting and the Museum of Arts and Sciences is a wonderfully interesting city, definitely worth going to for a few days at least. Taking the train up to Porto was really pretty and I fell in love with Porto before I even arrived. My first instincts were spot on as Porto is now my favourite city in the world. Every few metres was another historical monument or statue or building. Do yourself a favour and walk across the top of the Dom Luis Bridge. Spectacular!
The overnight train back to Madrid was very nice. Slept the night away and woke up refreshed in the capital of Spain. The Prado Museum is world famous. I don’t appreciate art but even I was blown away. The Retiro Park near the Prado Museum is definitely worth walking around for a couple of hours at least. Statues, water features and a man-made lake in which you can hire a row boat. The next day I did a Segway tou. I know the reputation Segway’s have but it was one of the best things I have ever done. So much fun, informative and I got to see lots of the city I wouldn’t have had a chance to walk around. I finished off with a massage and spa. Best possible way to finish an amazing trip
