Upon arriving in Spain, we found that we were missing one large piece of our luggage but were assured that once it was found, it would be delivered to our hotel so we proceeded to the hotel to check in and rest, which we did. Later that day, we decided look around the city and do some shopping. I ended up buying a pair of dress shoes. Late that evening, as promised, our missing piece of luggage arrived at the hotel.

The next day, Sunday, July 9, we drove to Avila and then to Salamanca.

It was raining the following morning of Monday, July 10. On this day, we explored a winery where I bought some wines for our international collection. In the afternoon, around 12:30 to 2:35 p.m. , we drove to Fatima and then to Lisbon, Portugal at approximately 3:15 p.m. We purchased 1 meter of Embroideried Rayon fabric for my mother here.

The morning of Tuesday, July 11, we toured Lisbon and then joined an optional tour to Sintra Beach between 12:00 and 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 12, Sevilla was our destination where we walked to a department store and shopped between 5:15 and 6:30 p.m.

Six days into our journey, Thursday, July 13, we joined another optional tour this time to a palace, a cathedral and then the town square. This tour occured during the hours of 9:00 and 11:30 a.m. We explored some more department stores for 3 hours between 2:40 and 5:40 p.m. I purchased some small figures of Don Quixote and his accomplice, some perfume for my mom, a hard case for my glasses and a wallet.

The next day, Friday, July 14, we joined another optional tour to Cordoba from 10:00 to 12:50 p.m. where we experienced a palace, a cathedral and a synagog. At 12:55 we were enroute to Madrid arriving at our hotel at 5:00 p.m. We went tour room and watched a bull fight on TV, a very interesting event if I do say so myself. To finish up the day, we had dinner at a resturaunt near the hotel.

We ate breakfast the next morning at around 7:00 a.m., the 15th of July, on a Saturday. The place was quite crowded with tours being the primary occupants. After finishing breakfast, we started our day by joining an optional tour to Toledo between 8:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. We visited another cathedral and saw some paintings, then on to a steel shop. We had pizza for lunch. Our city tour between 3:00 and 5:10 p.m. included a train station, a bull fighters ring and a Don Quixote statue. Finally, we walked to Mayor Plaza from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m., completing our tour of Spain and Portugal.

Sunday, July 16, we boarded a plane to Houston arriving there at 12:40 p.m. Mom and my stepfather, Thurman, were at the airport to pick us up at which time we gave them a T-Shirt, a bottle of wine, the perfume and the embroideried fabric, all bought on our trip.