I finally booked the flights.
We backed the trip up a week for departure on May 25th. That cut the price of the tickets in HALF.
So we arrive in Madrid on Saturday morning, 26May and we depart Lisbon on Thursday afternoon, 21June.
Four nights in Madrid (leave on the morning of 30May)
Three nights in Castilla y Leon as we drive between Madrid and Galacia.
We plan to find ourselves for the first night somewhere around Tordesillas/Valladolid. Then for the second night, it will depend on if we take the westerly route to Vigo or swing north and then west through Leon and Ponferrada.
Seven nights self-catered in Galacia (02June-08June = Leaning toward area around Noai and Outes as a base)
Seven nights self-catered in Minho (09June-15June = Leaning toward area between Braga and Guimaraes)
Five nights in Lisbon (16June-20June = Fly out on 21June)
My next task is to book the self-catered weeks, and then I will begin to search for apartment rentals in Madrid and Lisbon that will accept us for less than a full week each.
In Madrid, I want to be somewhere between Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol.
In Lisbon, I want to be in the Bairro Alto area.
Planning is such great fun.