Day 114 - Clint's Best of Europe

Granada, Spain. Photo Credit: Clint

Now, it's Clint's turn to share some of his favorites from the last four months!

Best Overall Country: SPAIN

Why: The Spanish and Moroccan food, wine culture, hills, ocean and mild year-round climate.

Best City/Town: GRANADA, SPAIN

Why: Our sunny Airbnb in the Moroccan neighborhood on Elvira Street with big windows and a view of the Alhambra. The snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains at 11K feet which are only 45 minutes from town. Meeting Beth and Husam on the street one night and having a multi-course meal at Husam’s artist studio. Hammam al Andalus thermal baths. Free tapas with every 2 euro glass of wine or beer. It's a college town with the University of Granada and has access to the surrounding hill neighborhoods where you can hike and mountain bike. Skiing and surfing are both within a 1/2 hour drive.

City/Town I Can Imagine Living In: DUBROVNIK, CROATIA

Why: I have a boat dream of captaining a catamaran and exploring the Mediterranean including Greece and Turkey.

Best Historical Site: POMPEII in Pompei, Italy

Why: It was fascinating to see an old ruined city uncovered to tell a story of a fully-functioning city with a planned out grid system, stone roads and gutters that were still working on our self-guided tour in the misty rain.

Best Natural Site: PLAYA de COFETE on Fuerteventura, Canary Islands in Spain

Why: Epic cliffs a beach that goes as far as the eye can see, no services, only a nude German couple playing out of their camper van.

Second Place: KRKA NATIONAL PARK in Croatia

Why: Swimming in the river just outside the waterfalls.

Best Attraction: VATICAN in Rome, Italy

Why: The efforts and years of artistry to build and paint this living museum. Hopefully, this year will be a once-in-a-lifetime almost deserted viewing experience, as only 300 people were with us the day we visited instead of their average of 33,000 people.

Best Meal: Too many to choose from. In no order:

Francesinha Sandwich - Porto, Portugal

Fish Tacos - San Mateo, Gran Canaria

Oxtail Braised with Tomato & Celery - Rome, Italy

Best Sweet: Can't choose but we had a bakery called Bolhao in Porto that we ate at almost every day for two weeks.

Best Accommodations: LISBON, PORTUGAL AIRBNB and GRANADA, SPAIN AIRBNB

Why: Lisbon's wrap-around balcony and Granada's windows and view of Alhambra.

Two drink purchases get you these two complimentary sandwiches & fries at the restaurant on our block in Granada.

Met a new friend at a traditional tapas bar in Granada.

Lunch and drinks on Husam's patio in Granada.

Dreaming of sailing the seas from Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Come belly up to the bar in Pompeii, Italy! Those holes held the vats of wine.

Enjoying having the Vatican all to ourselves.

Heading down to Colete Beach in the Canary Islands. What a sketchy drive!!

Life-changing Francesinha sandwich - bread, steak, ham, sausage, cheese, egg & spicy beer sauce.

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