Preparing for a trip can be as satisfying as traveling. As I looked forward to touring the paradores, drinking the Sangria, and eating the tapas, these books were on my Kindle:

Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving

The Blind Man of Seville by Robert Wilson

Winter in Madrid by C.J. Sanson

Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s books are based in Barcelona, and I found the street that housed the fictional Cemetery of Lost Books. Now that I’ve caught Catalan fever, I need to reread all my Zafón favorites…

Hemingway was everywhere in Ronda, the home of the bullfight – his “Fiesta” might be a good alternative to watching the gore. And, if you are a Joyce fan, his chapter on Penelope in Ulysses was set in Ronda.

With the aroma of orange blossoms everywhere, a quiet garden with a view could inspire any reader.