If I was charlamange what would i do?

Question

Im doing a history project, and my character is Charlamange, and my teacher wants me to map a journey to Granad(Spain. What kind of question is that. I know from looking at maps that spain is rtight next to the Carloginian empire and i know that Charlamang was a very skilled fighter so im thinking the traveled by land but i have a feeling that the Franks, his people that took over were vikings and vikings most likley traveked by water. i have to find out what cities he would have traveld through, what trade routes he would of used and what mode of transporation he used, but since the area is so cloes I dont know of any major trade routws he could of used. I also need to know how long it would take to get there. I know its hard,but if anyone could give me any info it would help a lot.

Answer 1

The Franks were not Vikings. They were not accomplished seamen. Charles the Great (Charlemagne) would have ridden a horse for the journey perhaps covering 30 miles per day.
I doubt he would go that far into Moorish (Islamic Spain) territory, but if it's a trip to Granada your teacher wants, we simply need to figure the distance from Aachen to Granada on map quest. The current roads may roughly approximate the trails they would have had in 800AD. [Aachen in Germany is the former "Aix-la-Chapelle" which was Charlemagne's capital.]

http://map.web.mapquest.com/?e=9&GetMapDataDirect=Gme5diw%2cr%3a9u12%3b%40%2459%2d805r2a%26y%405gyywg%401%26ly2n9u%24a%21ubg5ry%3a1fbx008g%26u2gu%2ca%3a9672%3b%40b200%24%3a%26%40%24su%2dta56rl%26y%4025rrlu%40%24%3a9672%3b%40b20a%24%3a%26%40%24x0%2d2auwtn%26%3db%26g68x16%24%3a%26u8ah%2c2%3a94t2%210%2axdry%3a%26%4020u%4020uzyslw%24ngz%24%3a94r2%21u%2as1%40820zy2q6%240ury516%24%2e9rt516%24%2e50a096%24%2ehuzsu%40%5fnua7xl6%24%2e94y0gu%24%2e0wa016%24%2eq61xgf%24%2egw7gu6%24%2eq0a2hu%24%2e9abauu%24%2elzyg06%24%2e941xg6%24%2e1z8lqf%24%2e9w8luf%24%2e9ybs56%24%2e9f7lh6%24%2eqrz0q6%24%2elzrxg6%24%2eqaygd6%24%2e1rrg16%24%2e14aw5u%24%2egyaagu%24%2e1ft01f%24%2e1wra9f%24%2eq6asg6%24%2e9waah6%24%2el61096%24%2equa5d6%24%2elurgq6%24%2edfbwdf%24%2eqrzldu%24%2e94y096%24%2eqz8nlf%24nl0ynu%40%5fxqyynu%40tggf%24%2e9w721u%24%2e16axq6%24%2e1r1xuf%24%2ehztnu%40%5fldzy2u%40%5fn141lu%40%5fldftgu%40%5fngu7gu%40%5fllzyxu%40%5fnlwb0h%40%5fnhz2lu%40%5fl90b5u%40%5fnqy7au%40%5fl0azxu%40%5f5d4t2%26%3dasuzt2%26%3d2aqu1n%26%3d22la72%26%3d200f7w%26%3d20dzan%26%3d220622%26%3da2dub2%26%3d2nq622%26%3drn54z2%26%3d2016y2%26%3dbg542w%26%3dasd482%26%3drn9w72%26%3dr2uy22%26%3d10gr2%3a%29w22uz7%3aq6zw9%40%5f5qar5u%402n9az2%26%3db5dutn%260z0gf%24%2e1r7wdf%24%2e507wh%40%5fld0yl9%40%5fah4b2%26%3db2u4bw%260za5w1%3a%290aw0u7%3a%29a1a06%24%2e1z1a06%24nq0zn%26%3da5uut2%26u25qy1%3a%29a1w5a7%3a%29a8sl6%24%2elubg16%24%2e0rtwh%40%5fluu15u%40%5fnlu1wu%40%5fl9y8su%40%5fndy7su%40%5fn56tsu%40a2uf1%3a%29070gu7%3a9yagd6%24%2e1uanu6%24x5rb2%26%3da51y8n%26%3drs5w7%3a1a80%26w1w9%402sd6%2a2%26uz0u%2cfdt70vx%40%24ndw2%7cu%40azg7%24ndw2%7c9w%24g562n0zb%3a1fbx008g%26ftah6y0%26a8luwtn%26u82qwts%26z7n1r1%3al0ragz%24ndw1su%40t5hf1%3aly72u%402gu67%3ah672%26wt2u%40asu6%24nq67%261%2c%24006b%3a%26&rnd=6038

http://map.web.mapquest.com/?e=9&GetMapDataDirect=Gme5diw%2cr%3a9u12%3b%40%245l%2d1alyts%26u%40n0yzlh%401%26ly2n9u%24a%21ubg5ry%3ahztwurz%3a9uy2%3b0%24nu67%7c%26a7a1%40%24%3a%26%4082%21ztguwa%3ag%2d7g5wa2%26%40%24nu67%7c%26a7al%40%24%3a%26%40ba%21ut2qz2%3a%29a%400u4blu%40%24%3a94tw%3bu%24ndz7%261%2cbs5r%24%3a%26uz2%26uz20r8xq%40200%40%24ndw7%269%2c8l%2647a0r75u%40z25rrlu%40%5fn5zrlu%40%5fg10znu%40%5fw9y82%26%3d22l6bxu%40%5fndrz09%40%5faq0zlu%40%5f5ufb0h%40%5f0q6y2u%40%5f5107w9%40%5fnlat29%40%5fx0ryau%40%5fndfb0u%40%5fl04a5h%40%5fnq4a2h%40%5fnga8gu%40%5fnh6awu%40%5f55yz5u%40%5fx0wb0u%40%5f5lrysu%40%5fl5wylu%40%5fld01g9%40%5f0g0t09%40%5flhzzlh%40%5flqwtnh%40%5f5u080u%40%5fnq0twu%40%5fxufznu%40%5f590rsu%40%5fx9wy5u%40%5fsha1sh%40%5f55yas9%40%5fndrznu%40%5f5042xh%402x1r22%26%3db5gr22%26zy0h%40%5fnq67l9%40%5flu0b5u%40%5fl5fb2h%40%5fw0z22%26%3das0r72%26%3d2ldfa2%26%3dashzy2%26%3d2096y2%26%3dax0rb2%26%3d2xqazw%26%3d2w0ua2%26%3dan1ar2%26%3d25g6t2%26%3daalyb2%26%3drsdz7%3a%290820z7%3a%29ut59f2%3a%29u7xl67%3a%29uzah61%3a%29uzs002%3a%29u7auu7%3a%2907s9a7%3a%29u25uu7%3a%29w2gdy7%3a%29uzlur7%3a%29aygdu1%3a%2908sd47%3a%29w2nq67%3a%29w72gu7%3a%29fz05u%24%2equ7206%245uy1n%26%3dr5lwr2%26u2nly7%3a%29ars9z2%3a1yz0h%40%5fl561sh%40%5fg161w%26%3das1ran%26%3dtwda7%3a%29a72da1%3a1ytgqf%24%2e101a96%24%2elftau%40%5fl0ftau%40251y2%3a%290r29z7%3a9ur5gf%24%2elf1gl6%24%2el48xu%40%5fx9aylu%40%5fa5z1w%26%3da29fr2%26%3d2x9f12%26%3dang482%26%3d2sg682%26%3d2guz82%26072hf%24%2e16z096%24ng0ysu%40%5fl9022u%40bg5a7%3a%290rlg42%3a%29w8gq6%24ll4z%3aqf1n%26u8su%2c7%3a9yz2%3be4h2gmi%26%402squ%2a2%260i02%402squ%2anq%40yguu2a0a%24lhaba14y%3ahztwurz%3al4a2qz2%3a9475qz8%3a062l5f%24x1wt00%402sqf82%26zrwhf%24xg672%26uy2u6%24wu67%3aqz72%26082u%4025u6%40l%3b%40zaua%24%3a&rnd=9987

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fei%3DUTF-8%26p%3DCharlemagne%26SpellState%3Dn-1873462318_q-sx5bfWpzB0X.avtfiniMswAAAA%2540%2540%26fr2%3Dtab-web%26fr%3Dytff1-msgff&w=561&h=533&imgurl=student.maxwell.syr.edu%2Fanderson%2Fcharlemagne_empire.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fstudent.maxwell.syr.edu%2Fanderson%2Fcharlemagne_empire.htm&size=113.3kB&name=charlemagne_empire.jpg&p=Charlemagne&type=jpeg&no=6&tt=44,960&oid=92efa2020e1e6966&ei=UTF-8

The maps (above) should help you.
1320 miles - - so, 44 days - say seven weeks
Although he may have gone to Marseilles and taken a ship the last part of the journey across the Mediterranean.
The Franks were not as skilled in seamanship as the Vikings, but they did navigate the Mediterranean sea.

Answer 2

This may be of some help:

Charlemagne did get into Spain at least once, in 778, when he besieged the city of Saragossa (in the northeast) He abandoned the siege and withdrew, and as his army was going through the pass at Roncesvalles, in the Pyrenees, the rear guard was ambushed and massacred by Basques. This incident is the basis of the greatest of the French epics, The Song of Roland.

Answer 3

Charlamagne was a French king and the Holy Roman Emperor. He would have marched an army into Spain. He might have done it too. You should check that it isnt an historical event.