Wednesday, May 31, 2017--Gibraltar and Algeciras
We were up very early to get off on the two-bus trip to Gibraltar. Following breakfast, we were at the bus station for an 8:30 departure to Algeciras. Once there, we had to switch to a local bus to continue to La Linea in Spain which is a 3 minute walk from the border with Gibraltar.
The day was sunny and warm with the same forecast for Gibraltar. However, as is often the case on a warm summer day when a mountain exists, there was a cloud hanging around the very top of the mountain caused by a wind with warm and humid conditions that results in a rock-top cloud that can linger over a city--called a levant condition. As we crossed the border, we could see the towers at the top through holes in the clouds, so it wasn't too bad.
One of the fun things of making a land crossing to Gibraltar is that the airport is right at the border and the runway is on landfill. The only way to get to the city is to walk across the landing strip! As we walked through, the terminal was on our left with an EasyJet parked at it. Also just to our left on the landing strip itself were the black skid marks made by landing planes, while to our right was the rest of the runway where they finished stopping the planes before turning around to go to the terminal.
Of course, while crossing the airstrip, ahead to the left looms the mountain with its flat, rocky side to the left and the green sloping side to the right going down to the city. It looks just like it did on the Prudential homeowner's policy I had for my home in Corpus Christi.
Beyond there, after passing a few gas stations, one enters Basemates Square, a huge square with sidewalk cafes and restaurants and a few shops. Beyond there is Main Street lined with typical British shops--tobacconists, drug stores, department stores such as Debenhams and Marks & Spencer, liquor stores, etc.--all selling at reduced duty-free prices. My comparison with prices I remembered from Andorra showed that these were a bit more expensive, but not by much. What was more striking after 8 weeks of being in France and Spain was just seeing all the signs in English.
It was a bit cool because of rather strong winds. That made me worry a bit about going to the top of the mountain. I was afraid it would be cold and more windy there. But that was one of the main reasons we were here. We bought a one-way ticket to the top (12.50 Gibraltar pounds each which equals 12.50 British pounds each, since the Gibraltar currency is pegged to the British one in value).
The ride up the cable car was scarier than I expected. There are graphics which show the height of the mountain in comparison to skyscrapers to show how high it really is. But hanging in open air in a small cable car seems to exaggerate that height. Why do I say that? Because once we were on ground on top, it didn't seem nearly as high as it did while looking down from the cable car. And even better, it was no colder and the wind was actually lighter up there than it had been down at ground level. We could see to the ground on the city side, but the other side was completely fogged out. That also means that at no point were we able to see Africa. That bothered Wes, because he really wanted to see it, but I have been to Africa. I would have enjoyed seeing it from Europe, but was not as bothered by the fog that hid it from us as he was.
After exploring the top of the mountain, we started our descent. Along the way, we encountered the famous Gibraltar Barbary Macaques which are everywhere. Neither Wes nor I cared much about that. I have had similar ones trying to enter my room in India before, and Wes seemed to see them as dirty, undesirable animals. Of course, most tourists probably have never seen such an animal outside of a zoo, so they were going crazy taking photos--literally crazy in one situation where a man sat down with his two sons so that one of the macaques was between the two sons. Hadn't he read enough to realize how dangerous this situation was? They may be small, but they are very strong animals and can cause great injury to a person if they become upset.
We took a combination of roads and very narrow trails on the way down the mountain. One of the highlights was walking across the Windsor Suspension Bridge which has a long drop-off below it. Along the way, we also saw some of the tunnels that are dug all through Gibraltar and some of the battlements that were built with large guns/canons to support the defense during the wars.
As we were nearing the bottom of the mountain and had entered some of the upper neighborhoods, we started seeing children in costumes--a Viking, some Greek goddesses, a maid, a chimney sweep, a baker, a beggar, etc. We figured that it was because of a school pageant. As one woman, also in a costume along with her daughter passed us, she rolled her eyes as we watched them and said, "Victoria Day!"
Back on the bottom, we walked through the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens and Wildlife Park, a very beautiful green area. Then we returned back down Main Street and across the airport runway to leave. The alarms started going off just as we were on the runway to indicate that car and people traffic was being stopped due to the expected arrival of another plane. We had to finish crossing quickly and didn't wait to see the plane land.
We took the local bus back to Algeciras so that we could get something to eat before continuing our return to Jerez de la Frontera. It is a big city with a huge port and is located just across the bay from Gibraltar. We had seen a halal kebab place near the bus station and went there. It was great. But we still had about 1 1/2 hours before our return bus. So we walked around Algeciras seeing the center of the city. It's a rather depressed downtown with many empty storefronts, but it was still interesting to explore. In our long walk, we probably didn't see more than four other tourists; it just isn't a destination for them.
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Day Trip to El Puerto de Santa Maria and Cadiz
Tuesday, May 30, 2017--Jerez-Puerto de Santa Maria-Cadiz-Jerez
Last night after having a late happy hour, we went walking around the city again. We passed the local Alcazar, the Cathedral (which we saw inside briefly before being told it was closing), the Tio Pepe Bodega (the warehouse of one of the sherry makers) before going back to the center of town to explore Calle Larga (the main street for outdoor dining), Calle Porvera (a beautiful street that is an extension of Larga and is lined with tall Jacaranda trees with purple blossoms), Plaza de la Asuncion, and Plaza de la Yerba (a square that is actually more lively with local people than Calle Larga). When we returned, we had a nightcap of our sherry and went to bed early for a long day today of exploring the other area towns.
__________
We were up at 7:20 to get ready for a day of sightseeing. Our final destination was Cadiz, but the guidebook had said it is more scenic to approach Cadiz on the ferry from El Puerto de Santa Maria (which proved to be true). So we took a 9-minute train trip to El Puerto de Santa Maria. We walked through it, but didn't have enough time to see as much of it as I would have liked, because our train was a bit late in departing, had to stop to wait for another train on the way, and gave us only about 30 minutes to get to the ferry and take it. (Ferries run only every hour, so we knew we needed to catch that one.)
There was a large group of school kids waiting to take the ferry when we arrived along with many tourists like us. It is a catamaran. Wes and I were among the first few passengers to board, so we got a side seat in the shaded area of the upper deck. All the children were herded below by their teachers. The trip was slow for about 15 minutes until we got beyond the jetties. When we hit the open Atlantic Ocean, the boat really started to bounce. It was fun to hear the children from below whooping, screeching, etc., as we bounced up and down! For them, it must have been like a carnival ride.
The view of Cadiz as we approached was really great, and we had chosen the right side for me to be able to take photos. Off the boat, we went to the nearby tourist office for a map on which the lady suggested a route for a one-day exploration of the city.
We saw a lot of Cadiz--the town hall and Barrio del Populo (the old quarter behind it), the outside of the cathedral (since we are burned out on tours of cathedrals), Campania Street and Columela Street (narrow, popular shopping streets), Mercado Central (where we bought a tuna empanada [spicy mixture that included eggplant] and a chocolate cream roll pastry), Castillo de San Sebastian and Castillo de Santa Catalina (two old fortresses with the latter one having two very nice art exhibitions), Balneario de la Palma (a beach between the two fortresses), Parque Genoves (a botanical garden), Gran Teatro Falla (the large old theater for opera and ballet), Tavira Tower (which is the highest point in the city, but we didn't climb it), Ancha Street (lined with grand buildings), Plaza San Antonio (also with grand buildings), and Rosario Street (another shopping and eating street).
The train ride back was rather boring since it takes a long u-shaped route around the bay, so it is good we took the ferry in the morning. We arrived back at our apartment around 18:00. We had left it at 9:00 in the morning. We were tired. But tomorrow is another day for an outing starting about the same time in the morning but lasting later into the evening.
Last night after having a late happy hour, we went walking around the city again. We passed the local Alcazar, the Cathedral (which we saw inside briefly before being told it was closing), the Tio Pepe Bodega (the warehouse of one of the sherry makers) before going back to the center of town to explore Calle Larga (the main street for outdoor dining), Calle Porvera (a beautiful street that is an extension of Larga and is lined with tall Jacaranda trees with purple blossoms), Plaza de la Asuncion, and Plaza de la Yerba (a square that is actually more lively with local people than Calle Larga). When we returned, we had a nightcap of our sherry and went to bed early for a long day today of exploring the other area towns.
__________
We were up at 7:20 to get ready for a day of sightseeing. Our final destination was Cadiz, but the guidebook had said it is more scenic to approach Cadiz on the ferry from El Puerto de Santa Maria (which proved to be true). So we took a 9-minute train trip to El Puerto de Santa Maria. We walked through it, but didn't have enough time to see as much of it as I would have liked, because our train was a bit late in departing, had to stop to wait for another train on the way, and gave us only about 30 minutes to get to the ferry and take it. (Ferries run only every hour, so we knew we needed to catch that one.)
There was a large group of school kids waiting to take the ferry when we arrived along with many tourists like us. It is a catamaran. Wes and I were among the first few passengers to board, so we got a side seat in the shaded area of the upper deck. All the children were herded below by their teachers. The trip was slow for about 15 minutes until we got beyond the jetties. When we hit the open Atlantic Ocean, the boat really started to bounce. It was fun to hear the children from below whooping, screeching, etc., as we bounced up and down! For them, it must have been like a carnival ride.
The view of Cadiz as we approached was really great, and we had chosen the right side for me to be able to take photos. Off the boat, we went to the nearby tourist office for a map on which the lady suggested a route for a one-day exploration of the city.
We saw a lot of Cadiz--the town hall and Barrio del Populo (the old quarter behind it), the outside of the cathedral (since we are burned out on tours of cathedrals), Campania Street and Columela Street (narrow, popular shopping streets), Mercado Central (where we bought a tuna empanada [spicy mixture that included eggplant] and a chocolate cream roll pastry), Castillo de San Sebastian and Castillo de Santa Catalina (two old fortresses with the latter one having two very nice art exhibitions), Balneario de la Palma (a beach between the two fortresses), Parque Genoves (a botanical garden), Gran Teatro Falla (the large old theater for opera and ballet), Tavira Tower (which is the highest point in the city, but we didn't climb it), Ancha Street (lined with grand buildings), Plaza San Antonio (also with grand buildings), and Rosario Street (another shopping and eating street).
The train ride back was rather boring since it takes a long u-shaped route around the bay, so it is good we took the ferry in the morning. We arrived back at our apartment around 18:00. We had left it at 9:00 in the morning. We were tired. But tomorrow is another day for an outing starting about the same time in the morning but lasting later into the evening.
Monday, May 29, 2017
Reaching Southern Spain
Monday, May 29, 2017--Seville to Jerez de la Frontera
We were awakened by protesters again this morning in Seville. Next door to our hotel is the headquarters for Endesa, the electrical company, and that seems to be where they were protesting. From 8:00 to 11:00, there were whistles, sirens, chanting, etc. We found an article about electrical company being allowed to increase its rates by 17% on Apr. 1. So our guess is that these are people protesting the higher electrical rates.
Our train for Jerez de la Frontera left the San Bernardo station (a small regional one which is new and modern just about 5 blocks from our hotel) at 12:47. The train was modern and fast, but it stopped at about 5 stations before getting here to Jerez. One of the stations was the Jerez airport which serves this area of the country; it was a small one about the size of the airport in Corpus Christi.
We are renting an apartment at Apartmentos Jerez while here. It is a building that dates from 1640! Our apartment has two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bath. The entrance to the building comes into a courtyard which has apartments around it on two floors. It's similar to the El Corral de Flores we saw in Triana as a tourist sight over the weekend.
We wandered the streets of town after getting a sandwich at one of the bakeries. It's a beautiful old city that has a nice relaxed feel to it. There are nice breezes (the bay is very near here) that add to the atmosphere.
Jerez is the center for the production of sherry in Spain. So when we went shopping for breakfast and happy hour supplies, we included a bottle of sherry to sip before bedtime each evening. We won't be in town during the daytime, because we are making day trips both full days we will be here. Therefore, we won't get to tour any of the famous sherry bodegas that are here.
We will go back out later after a late happy hour to see the who is out and what they are doing and to explore the older parts of town we have not yet seen.
We were awakened by protesters again this morning in Seville. Next door to our hotel is the headquarters for Endesa, the electrical company, and that seems to be where they were protesting. From 8:00 to 11:00, there were whistles, sirens, chanting, etc. We found an article about electrical company being allowed to increase its rates by 17% on Apr. 1. So our guess is that these are people protesting the higher electrical rates.
Our train for Jerez de la Frontera left the San Bernardo station (a small regional one which is new and modern just about 5 blocks from our hotel) at 12:47. The train was modern and fast, but it stopped at about 5 stations before getting here to Jerez. One of the stations was the Jerez airport which serves this area of the country; it was a small one about the size of the airport in Corpus Christi.
We are renting an apartment at Apartmentos Jerez while here. It is a building that dates from 1640! Our apartment has two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bath. The entrance to the building comes into a courtyard which has apartments around it on two floors. It's similar to the El Corral de Flores we saw in Triana as a tourist sight over the weekend.
We wandered the streets of town after getting a sandwich at one of the bakeries. It's a beautiful old city that has a nice relaxed feel to it. There are nice breezes (the bay is very near here) that add to the atmosphere.
Jerez is the center for the production of sherry in Spain. So when we went shopping for breakfast and happy hour supplies, we included a bottle of sherry to sip before bedtime each evening. We won't be in town during the daytime, because we are making day trips both full days we will be here. Therefore, we won't get to tour any of the famous sherry bodegas that are here.
We will go back out later after a late happy hour to see the who is out and what they are doing and to explore the older parts of town we have not yet seen.
Sunday, May 28, 2017
Sunday in Seville
Sunday, May 28, 2017--Seville
Today is our last day in Seville. We started it by walking across town. On the way, we passed a couple of popular sights--the Aire Arabic Baths and the Flamenco Museum. I've had such baths in Turkey before, and I have seen lots of Flamenco and had no interest in the museum. So we only glanced inside and continued to our destination of the Metropol Parasol. It was constructed in 2011 on a space that once housed a food market and has greatly revived the neighbhorhood. It is a wooden structure raised above ground in a wavy fashion that gives the impression of a cluster of large trees covering the area. Inside a building below it is still a smaller food market and some restaurants. However, it is mainly fun just to see it and watch others seeing it.
From there, we returned to a small local square we found that was filled with neighbors sitting at cafes and shopping. We sat to watch the people and ate a pastry we bought from one of the bakeries there--a long (about 12 inches or 30 cm) pastry made from croissant dough, filled with chocolate, squiggled with white frosting on top, with a small dollop of chocolate sprinkles in the middle of the top.
We went back to the center of town and sat at the cathedral to watch people and hear a lady playing an accordion and singing. Then we moved on to a plaza where two women were dancing flamenco. From there, we continued toward the big park of Maria Luisa which we have visited every day (due to being across the street from our hotel). On the way to the park, we passed the casino building which was built for the 1922 fair and is beautiful but now known as the Lopa de Vega Theatre and apparantly mostly unused today (with lots of leaves around the outside and no furniture in the lobby. In the park, we walked the terraces and the front of the Plaza de Espana Building for a close-up look. Finally, we returned to the room to rest for a while.
We went back out again for part of the evening just to walk and to watch people. We have both felt tired all day, probably because we stayed up late last night with both of us having computer problems. We have those resolved, so we will go to bed early tonight. Tomorrow is a day to travel to another city.
Today is our last day in Seville. We started it by walking across town. On the way, we passed a couple of popular sights--the Aire Arabic Baths and the Flamenco Museum. I've had such baths in Turkey before, and I have seen lots of Flamenco and had no interest in the museum. So we only glanced inside and continued to our destination of the Metropol Parasol. It was constructed in 2011 on a space that once housed a food market and has greatly revived the neighbhorhood. It is a wooden structure raised above ground in a wavy fashion that gives the impression of a cluster of large trees covering the area. Inside a building below it is still a smaller food market and some restaurants. However, it is mainly fun just to see it and watch others seeing it.
From there, we returned to a small local square we found that was filled with neighbors sitting at cafes and shopping. We sat to watch the people and ate a pastry we bought from one of the bakeries there--a long (about 12 inches or 30 cm) pastry made from croissant dough, filled with chocolate, squiggled with white frosting on top, with a small dollop of chocolate sprinkles in the middle of the top.
We went back to the center of town and sat at the cathedral to watch people and hear a lady playing an accordion and singing. Then we moved on to a plaza where two women were dancing flamenco. From there, we continued toward the big park of Maria Luisa which we have visited every day (due to being across the street from our hotel). On the way to the park, we passed the casino building which was built for the 1922 fair and is beautiful but now known as the Lopa de Vega Theatre and apparantly mostly unused today (with lots of leaves around the outside and no furniture in the lobby. In the park, we walked the terraces and the front of the Plaza de Espana Building for a close-up look. Finally, we returned to the room to rest for a while.
We went back out again for part of the evening just to walk and to watch people. We have both felt tired all day, probably because we stayed up late last night with both of us having computer problems. We have those resolved, so we will go to bed early tonight. Tomorrow is a day to travel to another city.
Saturday in Seville
Saturday, May 27, 2017--Seville
It was another day with lots of walking. First, we headed across the street into the Parque de Maria Luisa. We walked to the Plaza of the Americas which is where the exhibits from American countries were located during the 1922 World's Fair. Most are now museums, and some of them are impressive buildings. (The link also shows the big building of Plaza de Espana which is far away in another part of the park.)
We crossed the bridge there to go to Triana, the city on the opposite side of the river from Seville. We walked near the river there going through its main shopping district and stopping at sights such as the Capilla del Carmen, the Mercado de Triana, the Corral de las Flores (a central entrance courtyard surrounded by multiple apartment entrances), the Centro Ceramica Triana, the Parroquia de Santa Ana, the Esfera Armilar (the zero mile marker to represent where Columbus started his voyage), and eventually reached the Museo de Carruajes on the 1992 Fair Grounds which was an old monastery and porcelain factory and is now a contemporary art museum).
After seeing the art, we crossed a bridge back to the old town of Seville and wandered through narrow streets including through the old Jewish Quarter of Santa Cruz.
After shopping and having happy hour in the room, we went out again around 21:00. We watched an open-air production of Cinderella at a Children's Festival and wandered around streets again before returning to the hotel.
Note about computer problem last night: An update didn't get completed. When I tried to reboot, the operating system would not complete its opening. It hung and stayed there. I had to reinstall the operating system to get it to work again.
It was another day with lots of walking. First, we headed across the street into the Parque de Maria Luisa. We walked to the Plaza of the Americas which is where the exhibits from American countries were located during the 1922 World's Fair. Most are now museums, and some of them are impressive buildings. (The link also shows the big building of Plaza de Espana which is far away in another part of the park.)
We crossed the bridge there to go to Triana, the city on the opposite side of the river from Seville. We walked near the river there going through its main shopping district and stopping at sights such as the Capilla del Carmen, the Mercado de Triana, the Corral de las Flores (a central entrance courtyard surrounded by multiple apartment entrances), the Centro Ceramica Triana, the Parroquia de Santa Ana, the Esfera Armilar (the zero mile marker to represent where Columbus started his voyage), and eventually reached the Museo de Carruajes on the 1992 Fair Grounds which was an old monastery and porcelain factory and is now a contemporary art museum).
After seeing the art, we crossed a bridge back to the old town of Seville and wandered through narrow streets including through the old Jewish Quarter of Santa Cruz.
After shopping and having happy hour in the room, we went out again around 21:00. We watched an open-air production of Cinderella at a Children's Festival and wandered around streets again before returning to the hotel.
Note about computer problem last night: An update didn't get completed. When I tried to reboot, the operating system would not complete its opening. It hung and stayed there. I had to reinstall the operating system to get it to work again.
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Can't Make Entry; Computer Problem
Saturday, May 27, 2017--Seville
My computer is having a problem due to an incomplete update. Can't make post tonight.
My computer is having a problem due to an incomplete update. Can't make post tonight.
Friday, May 26, 2017
11 Hours Out in Seville
Friday, May 26, 2017--Seville
Sirens, blaring sounds, and honking horns awoke us this morning at 8:00. As I stayed in bed trying to go back to sleep, but hindered by the continuing noise, I began to wonder what was happening. Could there have been a nuclear attack and the sirens and blaring sounds a part of a warning system? Could there have been a terrorist attack? Eventually, there were chanting sounds, too. That's when we realized that a demonstration was occurring. We still do not know what the purpose of it was, but it lasted about two hours nearby. Maybe it has to do with the anniversary of the end of WWI. Maybe it was against the EU regulations that keep requiring Spain to tighten its budget. Whatever it was, it was loud and long, and we just had to go ahead and get up.
When we finally left the room around 10:30, we walked across the street to see the building that was the centerpiece of the old world's fair and is known as the Plaza de Espana. It is currently a military headquarters, but it is open to the public in the mornings. We had already seen and heard a military guard as the flags were raised earlier. Although there were guards and a military display inside the building, it was the architecture of the building itself that interested us. We walked through taking photos of the ceilings, the general design, etc.
From there, we walked across town to the Museo de Bellas Artes. The guidebook said it was the second most important art museum in Spain (after the Prado in Madrid). We spent at least 2 hours there seeing the exhibits, but were a bit disappointed. Too much of what was displayed was religious art. I know that painters in the 1500s and 1600s weren't really allowed to paint anything else for the most part, but seeing a major museum with 90% of the paintings covering the same old topics that we have seen in other museums and in churches along the way was a bit of a bore. Yes, the quality of the paintings was great, but still, how many versions of Christ being crucified, of the Virgin Mary with child, of John the Baptist baptizing Christ, etc., can one see before it becomes boring?
From there, we walked to a nearby square where Bus 13 would leave to give us an American experience. It took us to one of the two Costco stores that exist in Spain--one that is closing this next week on May 30. (The other store is in Madrid, and I do not know if it is closing, too. But Costco had plans to open 3 stores--one here, one in Madrid, and one in Barcelona. Barcelona never opened. Now this one is closing. My guess is that the poor economy of Spain, plus Brexit have led to a plan to exit the whole country eventually.)
We had Costco hot dogs with drinks, then shared a slice of Costco pizza. Then we walked through the whole store enjoying samples and seeing what they sold that was different from at home. What's strange is that the food court was packed solid when we arrived around 14:15. The store, however, was mostly empty and remained that way; therefore, people were probably entering the food court which doesn't require a membership to eat cheaply and then leaving without shopping. We asked a food sample server about the store closing, and she knew nothing about it, but the website clearly states that it is closing on May 30.
Some of the observations: Most of the clothing was known brands at a high price. Maybe Spaniards only want the known brands and are willing to pay for them. There were wonderful quality food choices from all over Europe. Over half the items were the same ones that can be bought in the US. The hot dogs with a drink cost 1.25 Euros--just about the same price as in the US. Also they had the rotisserie chickens were 4.99 Euros--just slightly more than in the US, but half the price of what I have seen them at supermarkets. So those are loss leaders like in the US to get people into the stores.
Back in town, the plaza where we got off the bus had a religious procession beginning. We had seen band members on our bus. This was a totally different band, so maybe this was a special day for processions. Anyway, we followed this one as a cross was carried down the street with the band playing dirges along the way.
Leaving the procession, we went to the Cathedral. They were having mass when we entered. It is a huge one, but not nearly as beautiful as the one we saw in Burgos. What was interesting was that the service was shown on TV screens scattered throughout the facility--maybe as many as 15 huge ones. People sitting in pews and chairs mainly watched on TV without being able to see the live priest and others otherwise.
We sat in front of the Cathedral to watch people for a while and to listen to a keyboard musician playing on the street. Then we slowly made our way back to the hotel. As we arrived at 9:30--11 hours after having left in the morning--a military bugler was playing as the flags at the Plaza de Espana were being lowered for the night. (Sunset isn't until about 22:15 here in May.)
Sirens, blaring sounds, and honking horns awoke us this morning at 8:00. As I stayed in bed trying to go back to sleep, but hindered by the continuing noise, I began to wonder what was happening. Could there have been a nuclear attack and the sirens and blaring sounds a part of a warning system? Could there have been a terrorist attack? Eventually, there were chanting sounds, too. That's when we realized that a demonstration was occurring. We still do not know what the purpose of it was, but it lasted about two hours nearby. Maybe it has to do with the anniversary of the end of WWI. Maybe it was against the EU regulations that keep requiring Spain to tighten its budget. Whatever it was, it was loud and long, and we just had to go ahead and get up.
When we finally left the room around 10:30, we walked across the street to see the building that was the centerpiece of the old world's fair and is known as the Plaza de Espana. It is currently a military headquarters, but it is open to the public in the mornings. We had already seen and heard a military guard as the flags were raised earlier. Although there were guards and a military display inside the building, it was the architecture of the building itself that interested us. We walked through taking photos of the ceilings, the general design, etc.
From there, we walked across town to the Museo de Bellas Artes. The guidebook said it was the second most important art museum in Spain (after the Prado in Madrid). We spent at least 2 hours there seeing the exhibits, but were a bit disappointed. Too much of what was displayed was religious art. I know that painters in the 1500s and 1600s weren't really allowed to paint anything else for the most part, but seeing a major museum with 90% of the paintings covering the same old topics that we have seen in other museums and in churches along the way was a bit of a bore. Yes, the quality of the paintings was great, but still, how many versions of Christ being crucified, of the Virgin Mary with child, of John the Baptist baptizing Christ, etc., can one see before it becomes boring?
From there, we walked to a nearby square where Bus 13 would leave to give us an American experience. It took us to one of the two Costco stores that exist in Spain--one that is closing this next week on May 30. (The other store is in Madrid, and I do not know if it is closing, too. But Costco had plans to open 3 stores--one here, one in Madrid, and one in Barcelona. Barcelona never opened. Now this one is closing. My guess is that the poor economy of Spain, plus Brexit have led to a plan to exit the whole country eventually.)
We had Costco hot dogs with drinks, then shared a slice of Costco pizza. Then we walked through the whole store enjoying samples and seeing what they sold that was different from at home. What's strange is that the food court was packed solid when we arrived around 14:15. The store, however, was mostly empty and remained that way; therefore, people were probably entering the food court which doesn't require a membership to eat cheaply and then leaving without shopping. We asked a food sample server about the store closing, and she knew nothing about it, but the website clearly states that it is closing on May 30.
Some of the observations: Most of the clothing was known brands at a high price. Maybe Spaniards only want the known brands and are willing to pay for them. There were wonderful quality food choices from all over Europe. Over half the items were the same ones that can be bought in the US. The hot dogs with a drink cost 1.25 Euros--just about the same price as in the US. Also they had the rotisserie chickens were 4.99 Euros--just slightly more than in the US, but half the price of what I have seen them at supermarkets. So those are loss leaders like in the US to get people into the stores.
Back in town, the plaza where we got off the bus had a religious procession beginning. We had seen band members on our bus. This was a totally different band, so maybe this was a special day for processions. Anyway, we followed this one as a cross was carried down the street with the band playing dirges along the way.
Leaving the procession, we went to the Cathedral. They were having mass when we entered. It is a huge one, but not nearly as beautiful as the one we saw in Burgos. What was interesting was that the service was shown on TV screens scattered throughout the facility--maybe as many as 15 huge ones. People sitting in pews and chairs mainly watched on TV without being able to see the live priest and others otherwise.
We sat in front of the Cathedral to watch people for a while and to listen to a keyboard musician playing on the street. Then we slowly made our way back to the hotel. As we arrived at 9:30--11 hours after having left in the morning--a military bugler was playing as the flags at the Plaza de Espana were being lowered for the night. (Sunset isn't until about 22:15 here in May.)
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Off to Seville
Thursday, May 25, 2017--Caceres to Seville
It's a rather long bus ride from Caceres to Seville, and our bus didn't leave until 11:30. We ate breakfast at the apartment, cleaned ourselves and it up, and left there around 10:30 for the 30-minute walk to the bus station.
After 3 hrs. 20 min., we arrived at the Plaza de Armas bus station which is near where they had the 1992 World's Fair. Then we walked for about 35 minutes to get to our hotel, the Pasarela Hotel, across the street from the Plaza Espana on the grounds of where they had the 1929 World's Fair. On the way we passed the Seville Bull Ring, the Golden Tower, and stopped at a tourist office in the Queen's Sewing House at the entrance to the former fairgrounds.
We needed to buy some tickets, so we went to a nearby bus station to buy one of them to get us between two cities next week. Then we went to a nearby train station to buy two more tickets--to get us out of here on Monday and to get us between two other cities next weekend. We needed some supplies from the store, so we walked to a supermarket near the train station to buy happy hour supplies--wine, nuts, chips, and olives. While there, Wes got cola and chocoate.
By the time we were back in the room, it was 18:30, so we had our in-room snacks with half of a bottle of wine, then we went out to explore Seville around 20:30. A block away is the old cigar factory which was the setting for Bizet's opera Carmen. It is now a part of the local university. The building was open, so we wandered through it.
Across the street from the cigar factory was the Alcazar. We walked by it and toward the center of the old town. In town, we noticed the interest in coffee! Within two blocks, we passed 3 Starbucks location, 2 Dunkin' Coffee locations, and 2-3 local coffee shops.
In that area, we passed the Cathedral of Seville, a massive structure. It was too late to try to tour any of the main tourist sights in the city. So we just looked at the exterior of the building. There was a next-door chapel open which we entered briefly.
Many of the buildings here have Moorish designs. The tiles, the carved ceilings, etc., are very beautiful. Our heads were raised to scan both sides of the street as we walked. When we reached Plaza Nueva where they were having a Book Fair with lots of stalls selling books and tents with authors reading from their books and answering questions from the audiences.
From there, we realized we should head back to the hotel. We took some back streets that took us through the narrow streets of the Barrio of Santa Cruz, an old Arabic quarter to one side of the Alcazar. The streets were jam-packed with people sitting on sidewalks in front of small atmospheric restaurants having dinner.
We were back at the room by 22:00 and tired. Although we didn't really see anything specific except for the inside of the university building that was the cigar factory, we got a good orientation to the city. Tomorrow, we will be out for exploring specific sights.
It's a rather long bus ride from Caceres to Seville, and our bus didn't leave until 11:30. We ate breakfast at the apartment, cleaned ourselves and it up, and left there around 10:30 for the 30-minute walk to the bus station.
After 3 hrs. 20 min., we arrived at the Plaza de Armas bus station which is near where they had the 1992 World's Fair. Then we walked for about 35 minutes to get to our hotel, the Pasarela Hotel, across the street from the Plaza Espana on the grounds of where they had the 1929 World's Fair. On the way we passed the Seville Bull Ring, the Golden Tower, and stopped at a tourist office in the Queen's Sewing House at the entrance to the former fairgrounds.
We needed to buy some tickets, so we went to a nearby bus station to buy one of them to get us between two cities next week. Then we went to a nearby train station to buy two more tickets--to get us out of here on Monday and to get us between two other cities next weekend. We needed some supplies from the store, so we walked to a supermarket near the train station to buy happy hour supplies--wine, nuts, chips, and olives. While there, Wes got cola and chocoate.
By the time we were back in the room, it was 18:30, so we had our in-room snacks with half of a bottle of wine, then we went out to explore Seville around 20:30. A block away is the old cigar factory which was the setting for Bizet's opera Carmen. It is now a part of the local university. The building was open, so we wandered through it.
Across the street from the cigar factory was the Alcazar. We walked by it and toward the center of the old town. In town, we noticed the interest in coffee! Within two blocks, we passed 3 Starbucks location, 2 Dunkin' Coffee locations, and 2-3 local coffee shops.
In that area, we passed the Cathedral of Seville, a massive structure. It was too late to try to tour any of the main tourist sights in the city. So we just looked at the exterior of the building. There was a next-door chapel open which we entered briefly.
Many of the buildings here have Moorish designs. The tiles, the carved ceilings, etc., are very beautiful. Our heads were raised to scan both sides of the street as we walked. When we reached Plaza Nueva where they were having a Book Fair with lots of stalls selling books and tents with authors reading from their books and answering questions from the audiences.
From there, we realized we should head back to the hotel. We took some back streets that took us through the narrow streets of the Barrio of Santa Cruz, an old Arabic quarter to one side of the Alcazar. The streets were jam-packed with people sitting on sidewalks in front of small atmospheric restaurants having dinner.
We were back at the room by 22:00 and tired. Although we didn't really see anything specific except for the inside of the university building that was the cigar factory, we got a good orientation to the city. Tomorrow, we will be out for exploring specific sights.
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Exploring Caceres
Wednesday, May 24, 2017--Caceres, Spain
Last night when I returned to the Old Town around 21:15, it was mostly quiet. I wandered all the narrow streets finding impressive sight after impressive sight. For the most part, the town was in the process of closing down for the night. There was just enough light to get some good photos and to enjoy walking the streets. By 22:00, it was dark and only those planning to celebrate into the evening were still out.
This morning, we followed the same route in the daytime. We stepped inside the Iglesia San Juan (which was having a mass in almost total darkness last night), we entered one of the gates to the walled city, we glanced inside the Palacio de Golfines, we saw the impressive buildings on the Plaza de San Mateo including the only palacio in Spain that managed to keep its tower after one of the Spanish Queen Isabel outlawed towers on homes, we went to the Plaza de las Veletas where we toured the Museo of Carceres (with its art collection, its native costumes, its collection of items used in commerce and agriculture, and its Moorish cistern among the more interesting areas), we walked through the old Jewish quarter known as the Barrio de San Antonio, we glanced into the Iglesia San Jorge while listening to a group of kindergarten children sing a song, we rested in a small garden to the east of the church, and we glanced into the House of Moctezuma (which was built by a descendant of Moctezuma's daughter Isabel who came to Spain to marry and live). (Many of the Spanish explorers of the New World were from Caseres and came back here to build homes in the old town which are now the famous palacios that tourists see mostly from the outside, since many of them are not open to the public.)
Tonight, we will return and tour the Cathedral after all the tour groups are gone. We'll wander through the streets in the quiet again. Finally, we will stop at a special group of stalls in a nearby park to see the specialty food items from the area and buy a snack for a late dinner before calling it an evening.
_____
I finished reading A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. It was a finalist for the 2015 National Book Award, and after reading all but one of the finalists including the winner, I would say this is the book that SHOULD have won the award. Reading it is like being on a roller coaster of life as sections veer from happiness to depression, from descriptions of horrible experiences to joyous occasions, from disappointment to success, etc. There are lots of negative things that happen in this book, but as this review in the New Yorker explains, they come in small doses and the awful truths are very slowly revealed to make it palatable. Also, it is one of the most realistic novels I have ever read in that it accepts what is happening with explanations of WHY it is happening rather than condemnation for what is happening. I felt I could truly understand why things people sometimes do are actually done by them. Anyway, it is really well written and a very good, if difficult, subject. I gave it 5 stars out of 5.
Last night when I returned to the Old Town around 21:15, it was mostly quiet. I wandered all the narrow streets finding impressive sight after impressive sight. For the most part, the town was in the process of closing down for the night. There was just enough light to get some good photos and to enjoy walking the streets. By 22:00, it was dark and only those planning to celebrate into the evening were still out.
This morning, we followed the same route in the daytime. We stepped inside the Iglesia San Juan (which was having a mass in almost total darkness last night), we entered one of the gates to the walled city, we glanced inside the Palacio de Golfines, we saw the impressive buildings on the Plaza de San Mateo including the only palacio in Spain that managed to keep its tower after one of the Spanish Queen Isabel outlawed towers on homes, we went to the Plaza de las Veletas where we toured the Museo of Carceres (with its art collection, its native costumes, its collection of items used in commerce and agriculture, and its Moorish cistern among the more interesting areas), we walked through the old Jewish quarter known as the Barrio de San Antonio, we glanced into the Iglesia San Jorge while listening to a group of kindergarten children sing a song, we rested in a small garden to the east of the church, and we glanced into the House of Moctezuma (which was built by a descendant of Moctezuma's daughter Isabel who came to Spain to marry and live). (Many of the Spanish explorers of the New World were from Caseres and came back here to build homes in the old town which are now the famous palacios that tourists see mostly from the outside, since many of them are not open to the public.)
Tonight, we will return and tour the Cathedral after all the tour groups are gone. We'll wander through the streets in the quiet again. Finally, we will stop at a special group of stalls in a nearby park to see the specialty food items from the area and buy a snack for a late dinner before calling it an evening.
_____
I finished reading A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. It was a finalist for the 2015 National Book Award, and after reading all but one of the finalists including the winner, I would say this is the book that SHOULD have won the award. Reading it is like being on a roller coaster of life as sections veer from happiness to depression, from descriptions of horrible experiences to joyous occasions, from disappointment to success, etc. There are lots of negative things that happen in this book, but as this review in the New Yorker explains, they come in small doses and the awful truths are very slowly revealed to make it palatable. Also, it is one of the most realistic novels I have ever read in that it accepts what is happening with explanations of WHY it is happening rather than condemnation for what is happening. I felt I could truly understand why things people sometimes do are actually done by them. Anyway, it is really well written and a very good, if difficult, subject. I gave it 5 stars out of 5.
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Moving On
Tuesday, May 23, 2017--Salamanca to Caseres
We left Salamanca this morning. It was a nice city to visit. The buildings there are covered with a beautiful creamy yellow sandstone which gives them a golden look, especially late in the day. The entire old town of Salamanca is a World Heritage Site.
Our bus left at 10:00 for Caseres. It's old town is also a World Heritage Site. Th difference between it and Salamanca is that Caseres looks like an old city that has not been restored, whereas Salamanca looks amazingly fresh and new. One of my guides to Caseres warns that not much can be seen if they are filming when one is here. It is apparently a popular city for filming TV shows and movies including Game of Thrones.
The apartment where we are staying is rather large. It even has a servants area behind the kitchen. We each had a choice of 3 bedrooms, and there are two bathrooms including the one for the servant. It has a nice balcony facing west which we will use as a place to have breakfast. The kitchen is large and has a gas stove.
The owner was working when we arrived around 13:35, so her mother greeted us. She was so sweet. She spoke no English, but we could follow everything she was trying to explain.
We bought groceries during the time we THOUGHT that everything around the city would be closed--14:00-16:00. That's generally when all cities have been closed. Then we went out at 16:00 to explore the city only to discover that they close here between 16:00 and 18:00!!
So it was hot and almost everything was closed when we went out. We managed to see Plaza Mayor and El Palacio de Carvajal and to take some photos in the Plaza de Santa Maria in front of the Cathedral and in Plaza de San Jorge.
We came back home and had happy hour and dinner. I had bought some smoked pork chops, so I fried some sliced potatoes and some onions and then warmed the pork chops for dinner. We had bought two bottles of locally made wine to have tonight and tomorrow. The one we opened tonight wasn't really drinking wine, but we hadn't realized that. Apparently it is cooking wine. The one tomorrow night is truly drinking wine, so we should enjoy it much more!!
It's 21:00, and we are going out to see the town in the evening. It was so dead this afternoon when everything was closed that we want to see how it is in the evening.
We left Salamanca this morning. It was a nice city to visit. The buildings there are covered with a beautiful creamy yellow sandstone which gives them a golden look, especially late in the day. The entire old town of Salamanca is a World Heritage Site.
Our bus left at 10:00 for Caseres. It's old town is also a World Heritage Site. Th difference between it and Salamanca is that Caseres looks like an old city that has not been restored, whereas Salamanca looks amazingly fresh and new. One of my guides to Caseres warns that not much can be seen if they are filming when one is here. It is apparently a popular city for filming TV shows and movies including Game of Thrones.
The apartment where we are staying is rather large. It even has a servants area behind the kitchen. We each had a choice of 3 bedrooms, and there are two bathrooms including the one for the servant. It has a nice balcony facing west which we will use as a place to have breakfast. The kitchen is large and has a gas stove.
The owner was working when we arrived around 13:35, so her mother greeted us. She was so sweet. She spoke no English, but we could follow everything she was trying to explain.
We bought groceries during the time we THOUGHT that everything around the city would be closed--14:00-16:00. That's generally when all cities have been closed. Then we went out at 16:00 to explore the city only to discover that they close here between 16:00 and 18:00!!
So it was hot and almost everything was closed when we went out. We managed to see Plaza Mayor and El Palacio de Carvajal and to take some photos in the Plaza de Santa Maria in front of the Cathedral and in Plaza de San Jorge.
We came back home and had happy hour and dinner. I had bought some smoked pork chops, so I fried some sliced potatoes and some onions and then warmed the pork chops for dinner. We had bought two bottles of locally made wine to have tonight and tomorrow. The one we opened tonight wasn't really drinking wine, but we hadn't realized that. Apparently it is cooking wine. The one tomorrow night is truly drinking wine, so we should enjoy it much more!!
It's 21:00, and we are going out to see the town in the evening. It was so dead this afternoon when everything was closed that we want to see how it is in the evening.
Monday, May 22, 2017
The Day that Wasn't a Day Trip
Monday, May 22, 2017--Salamanca, Spain
Originally, we had planned today to be a day trip to Avila. I knew that Salamanca would be a nice place to visit for a couple of days, but I planned for us to be here for an extra day to make that trip. But there were three problems:
1. We were tired from the pace we have been keeping, and a day trip would have meant leaving early and coming back rather late.
2. The schedules for going there/coming back were not ideal. The best one would have been to take a 9:30 train this morning and returning on a 15:15 train this afternoon, because it would have given us about 3 hours in the city before everything closed at 14:00. That would have caused us to have to set an alarm and push ourselves to get to the station in time. But any of the schedules later would have meant being there during that 2-hour closing period with nothing much to do with very little time on either side of it to do anything.
3. The main attraction to see there other than two churches (and we are about churched-out for the moment) are the wonderful city walls.
So the question became, is it worth the effort and the cost (about 35 Euros for the both of us together combined with little rest for bodies that are already tired) just to see a good set of city walls. Wes was willing to go, but I decided against it.
Instead, we slept late and took our time getting ready here. We didn't leave the room until noon. Then we went to see some sights we still had not seen here in Salamanca. We started with the Museo de Commercio which is built inside an old water cistern had interesting exhibits about the history of radio and about the history of business growth in Salamanca. From there, we went to see the Mercado Central. There, we bought a local specialty, hornazo, which is a pastry filled with pork loin, spicy chorizo, and other ingredients. We walked further to see more of the old city walls (including climbing up one of the towers for a view of the city and area) and the La Cueva de Salamanca. Then we went back to the Cathedral because Wes wanted to find the astronaut carving, a carving made during recent restoration work as a signature by the sculptor--sort of a way to sign his work.
We returned to the room around 15:00 and have been resting. Tonight, we will have some early snacks here in the room, then we will go back out for a piano recital at a small theater that is part of the university campus.
Originally, we had planned today to be a day trip to Avila. I knew that Salamanca would be a nice place to visit for a couple of days, but I planned for us to be here for an extra day to make that trip. But there were three problems:
1. We were tired from the pace we have been keeping, and a day trip would have meant leaving early and coming back rather late.
2. The schedules for going there/coming back were not ideal. The best one would have been to take a 9:30 train this morning and returning on a 15:15 train this afternoon, because it would have given us about 3 hours in the city before everything closed at 14:00. That would have caused us to have to set an alarm and push ourselves to get to the station in time. But any of the schedules later would have meant being there during that 2-hour closing period with nothing much to do with very little time on either side of it to do anything.
3. The main attraction to see there other than two churches (and we are about churched-out for the moment) are the wonderful city walls.
So the question became, is it worth the effort and the cost (about 35 Euros for the both of us together combined with little rest for bodies that are already tired) just to see a good set of city walls. Wes was willing to go, but I decided against it.
Instead, we slept late and took our time getting ready here. We didn't leave the room until noon. Then we went to see some sights we still had not seen here in Salamanca. We started with the Museo de Commercio which is built inside an old water cistern had interesting exhibits about the history of radio and about the history of business growth in Salamanca. From there, we went to see the Mercado Central. There, we bought a local specialty, hornazo, which is a pastry filled with pork loin, spicy chorizo, and other ingredients. We walked further to see more of the old city walls (including climbing up one of the towers for a view of the city and area) and the La Cueva de Salamanca. Then we went back to the Cathedral because Wes wanted to find the astronaut carving, a carving made during recent restoration work as a signature by the sculptor--sort of a way to sign his work.
We returned to the room around 15:00 and have been resting. Tonight, we will have some early snacks here in the room, then we will go back out for a piano recital at a small theater that is part of the university campus.
Sunday, May 21, 2017
Sunday in Salamanca
Sunday, May 21, 2017--Salamanca, Spain
We were up so late last night that we slept in a bit this morning and then took our time getting out. Sundays in Spain are very slow anyway. All stores are closed. Tourist sights still close from 13:30 or 14:00 until 16:00. Churches will not let tourists enter because of not wanting them to disturb constant masses. Etc.
But we still managed to do some things today. We returned to the Public Library (called the Casa de las Conchas) which is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. We had seen the shells and the gargoyles yesterday, but we failed to see the nice Moorish-style stairwell ceilings. Also, today, we went to its downstairs exhibition area to see a rather simple art exhibit.
When we left the library, we saw that people were entering and leaving the Iglesia de la Clerecia, the church of the Salamanca Pontificia University. We followed ones going inside to find a huge crowd of people there to celebrate the first communion of a group of young boys and girls. It gave us a chance to see the beautiful church which is normally only seen on tours and to have fun seeing the children fidget and finally line up to take turns taking communion.
On our way elsewhere, we saw a sign on the exterior of the Holy Hierarch Basil the Great Orthodox Church that they had a piano concert starting at 12:30. It was 13:15, but the concert was continuing. We stood just inside the door for a while as a young blind pianist played a long, beautiful, classical piece.
From there, we went to Hospederia Fonseca and the next-door Capilla del Colegio Arzobispo Fonseca where we saw art exhibits by Miquel Barcelo entitled El Arca de Noe that included films, paintings, and ceramics. The paintings were the most interesting, and we both commented that some in which he paints horses (here and here) and steers and shapes the canvas into a relief to give it a nice 3-D look would look great on the walls of a Texas ranch house.
It was 14:00 by that time meaning that nothing would be open. We stopped by the front of the Edificia Historico de la Universidad to see it and the courtyard in front of it--the original beginnings of the Salamanca University which has just started a year-long celebration to count down to its 800th (!) anniversary next year. While there, we found the oddity that is popular with everyone--a skull with a frog on top of it. They think that maybe the frog is there because students thought of it as a good luck symbol 800 years ago.
From there, we walked down to the Roman bridge which is the longest (350 m--about 360 yards) Roman bridge I think I have ever walked across. The partial bridge I saw in Avignon may have been longer when it existed in its totality, but this bridge actually still does cross the entire river.
We walked by small portion of the remaining walls of Salamanca and by the Convent de Iglesia Esteban on our way back to the room to rest. Later we walked northward from our hotel and explored the newer parts of the city just outside where the walls used to stand. We wanted to eat, but it was between dining times in Spain. Dinner doesn't start until 21:00, and we were so tired that we just stopped to have a sandwich rather than stay out later.
We were up so late last night that we slept in a bit this morning and then took our time getting out. Sundays in Spain are very slow anyway. All stores are closed. Tourist sights still close from 13:30 or 14:00 until 16:00. Churches will not let tourists enter because of not wanting them to disturb constant masses. Etc.
But we still managed to do some things today. We returned to the Public Library (called the Casa de las Conchas) which is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. We had seen the shells and the gargoyles yesterday, but we failed to see the nice Moorish-style stairwell ceilings. Also, today, we went to its downstairs exhibition area to see a rather simple art exhibit.
When we left the library, we saw that people were entering and leaving the Iglesia de la Clerecia, the church of the Salamanca Pontificia University. We followed ones going inside to find a huge crowd of people there to celebrate the first communion of a group of young boys and girls. It gave us a chance to see the beautiful church which is normally only seen on tours and to have fun seeing the children fidget and finally line up to take turns taking communion.
On our way elsewhere, we saw a sign on the exterior of the Holy Hierarch Basil the Great Orthodox Church that they had a piano concert starting at 12:30. It was 13:15, but the concert was continuing. We stood just inside the door for a while as a young blind pianist played a long, beautiful, classical piece.
From there, we went to Hospederia Fonseca and the next-door Capilla del Colegio Arzobispo Fonseca where we saw art exhibits by Miquel Barcelo entitled El Arca de Noe that included films, paintings, and ceramics. The paintings were the most interesting, and we both commented that some in which he paints horses (here and here) and steers and shapes the canvas into a relief to give it a nice 3-D look would look great on the walls of a Texas ranch house.
It was 14:00 by that time meaning that nothing would be open. We stopped by the front of the Edificia Historico de la Universidad to see it and the courtyard in front of it--the original beginnings of the Salamanca University which has just started a year-long celebration to count down to its 800th (!) anniversary next year. While there, we found the oddity that is popular with everyone--a skull with a frog on top of it. They think that maybe the frog is there because students thought of it as a good luck symbol 800 years ago.
From there, we walked down to the Roman bridge which is the longest (350 m--about 360 yards) Roman bridge I think I have ever walked across. The partial bridge I saw in Avignon may have been longer when it existed in its totality, but this bridge actually still does cross the entire river.
We walked by small portion of the remaining walls of Salamanca and by the Convent de Iglesia Esteban on our way back to the room to rest. Later we walked northward from our hotel and explored the newer parts of the city just outside where the walls used to stand. We wanted to eat, but it was between dining times in Spain. Dinner doesn't start until 21:00, and we were so tired that we just stopped to have a sandwich rather than stay out later.
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Burgos and Moving Onward
Friday and Saturday, May 19 and 20, 2017--Burgos to Salamanca
What a great day Friday was. We started the morning walking 3 km into the countryside to visit the Monastery of Milaflores, a beautiful complex that was founded by the French Carthusian Order.
Walking back into town, we toured the Museo de Burgos. It was the original depository for the findings of all the archaeological digs around Burgos and has some very nice pieces they found earlier. (Later, the Museum of Human Evolution which we visited Thursday was built because of the great number of objects founds at the area sites.) But the Museo de Burgos also had paintings by regional artists which were interest.
Across the street from the museum was the Mercado Sur. We toured through it--another really wonderful city market with lot of stalls and lots of people doing their weekend shopping.
After that, it was another 2 km walk to the edge of town to see another monastery--Santa Maria la Real de Las Huelgas. We knew it would be closed, but the guidebooks said it was worth seeing mostly for the external beauty. Also, we went there because the university is nearby, and that is where we walked next. The Universidad de Burgos is mostly housed in an old hospital complex which has thick, stone walls. The buildings have been remodeled inside while keeping lots of exposed stone. The exteriors are very nice with lawns and the old stone buildings. There are also some new buildings scattered around the old campus. It is a big university with a very attractive campus and a wonderful, big wooded park adjacent to it.
From there, we returned to the center of the city to see the biggest tourist site in Burgos--the Burgos Cathedral, a very large and extremely beautiful church with unbelievably rich decor. The riches housed within this building are mind-boggling. Each side chapel would be considered to be a very fancy church on its own. It took over 2 hours to see it all. And best of all, an organist was rehearsing while we were there, so we had about an hour-long concert as a part of our tour. Anyone coming to Spain should try to come to Burgos to see this cathedral. Just outstanding and must be among the most beautiful and most impressive ones in the world!
Before leaving the area, we dropped into one more church that the books said is a must-see in Burgos, the Iglesia de St. Nicolas next door to the cathedral. It has an alter that is the most detailed piece of sculpture that I may have ever seen. It's a bit too busy, but it is amazing to see. There is also a painting that is interesting showing people being judged to determine whether they should go to heaven or hell. The people going to hell and what was happening to them was actually more interesting to view.
We walked about 2 km more another direction to eat, then we returned to the room. But at sunset, we had one more goal--to see the Burgos Castle and the Cathedral lighted at night. So we headed out for another 4 km round trip to see each of them. We ended up behind the castle walking up unlighted dirt stairs, but I had my cell phone with a flashlight app. Otherwise, we might not have made it there.
By the end of the day, we had walked over 20 km (over 12 miles)!
_________
Today (Saturday), was a travel day. It was supposed to be a 3 1/2 hour bus trip from Burgos to Salamanca leaving at 10:30 and arriving at 14:00. As our bus drove through Palencia, it stopped behind cards at a red light. And when the light changed and the cars went forward, the bus would not go into gear. Within about 15 minutes, another bus arrived with a few passengers (probably ones that had planned to join our bus at the local station), and they asked us to move to that bus. However, the doors to the luggage compartments on our bus would not open. No one wanted to leave without our bags. One lady was very animated in complaining and insisting that she needed her bag; she looked as if she were about to explode with anger as we watched. So we sat there for 1 hr. 45 minutes until someone managed to do what was needed to get the luggage doors open. We arrived in Salamanca at 15:20.
We have a room at the Hostel Santel San Marcos which is a hostel in name only. It is really a small boutique hotel with limited services. All rooms are private ones, and there are no kitchen facilities. It's a nice, basic room that is very clean and looks out onto a small square.
Salamanca is a beautiful city with many of the buildings constructed of a light sandstone that seems to glow under the right lighting conditions such as sunset or external lighting. It has many beautiful squares, too. Apparently the Universidad de Salamanca had commencement today, because all through the city were students dressed up, carrying or wearing a sash with the university's logo, and often accompanied by family. The whole city was alive with people like the San Antonio River Walk when a large convention is in town.
We went to an organ concert in the evening at the Salamanca Cathedral. The organist, German Michael Fuehrer, played two different organs--a very old smaller one, and a larger and newer one from 1744. The concert was good, but the older organ just seemed unsatisfying. A number of people left before he ever switched to the newer organ with the fuller sound. He played for two hours, but three of the pieces were especially pleasing to me--one called Obra de Clarin by Antonio Martin y Coll in which the horns repeated sound patterns out the front and then out the back of the organ, another called Batalha de 6.0 Tom by Pedro de Araujo, and one called Canto Llano de la Inmaculada Concepcion de la Virgen Maria by Correa de Arauxo.
The center of the city was still very much alive as we walked back to our room. We sat at Plaza Mayor for a while just to watch people before continuing our return.
What a great day Friday was. We started the morning walking 3 km into the countryside to visit the Monastery of Milaflores, a beautiful complex that was founded by the French Carthusian Order.
Walking back into town, we toured the Museo de Burgos. It was the original depository for the findings of all the archaeological digs around Burgos and has some very nice pieces they found earlier. (Later, the Museum of Human Evolution which we visited Thursday was built because of the great number of objects founds at the area sites.) But the Museo de Burgos also had paintings by regional artists which were interest.
Across the street from the museum was the Mercado Sur. We toured through it--another really wonderful city market with lot of stalls and lots of people doing their weekend shopping.
After that, it was another 2 km walk to the edge of town to see another monastery--Santa Maria la Real de Las Huelgas. We knew it would be closed, but the guidebooks said it was worth seeing mostly for the external beauty. Also, we went there because the university is nearby, and that is where we walked next. The Universidad de Burgos is mostly housed in an old hospital complex which has thick, stone walls. The buildings have been remodeled inside while keeping lots of exposed stone. The exteriors are very nice with lawns and the old stone buildings. There are also some new buildings scattered around the old campus. It is a big university with a very attractive campus and a wonderful, big wooded park adjacent to it.
From there, we returned to the center of the city to see the biggest tourist site in Burgos--the Burgos Cathedral, a very large and extremely beautiful church with unbelievably rich decor. The riches housed within this building are mind-boggling. Each side chapel would be considered to be a very fancy church on its own. It took over 2 hours to see it all. And best of all, an organist was rehearsing while we were there, so we had about an hour-long concert as a part of our tour. Anyone coming to Spain should try to come to Burgos to see this cathedral. Just outstanding and must be among the most beautiful and most impressive ones in the world!
Before leaving the area, we dropped into one more church that the books said is a must-see in Burgos, the Iglesia de St. Nicolas next door to the cathedral. It has an alter that is the most detailed piece of sculpture that I may have ever seen. It's a bit too busy, but it is amazing to see. There is also a painting that is interesting showing people being judged to determine whether they should go to heaven or hell. The people going to hell and what was happening to them was actually more interesting to view.
We walked about 2 km more another direction to eat, then we returned to the room. But at sunset, we had one more goal--to see the Burgos Castle and the Cathedral lighted at night. So we headed out for another 4 km round trip to see each of them. We ended up behind the castle walking up unlighted dirt stairs, but I had my cell phone with a flashlight app. Otherwise, we might not have made it there.
By the end of the day, we had walked over 20 km (over 12 miles)!
_________
Today (Saturday), was a travel day. It was supposed to be a 3 1/2 hour bus trip from Burgos to Salamanca leaving at 10:30 and arriving at 14:00. As our bus drove through Palencia, it stopped behind cards at a red light. And when the light changed and the cars went forward, the bus would not go into gear. Within about 15 minutes, another bus arrived with a few passengers (probably ones that had planned to join our bus at the local station), and they asked us to move to that bus. However, the doors to the luggage compartments on our bus would not open. No one wanted to leave without our bags. One lady was very animated in complaining and insisting that she needed her bag; she looked as if she were about to explode with anger as we watched. So we sat there for 1 hr. 45 minutes until someone managed to do what was needed to get the luggage doors open. We arrived in Salamanca at 15:20.
We have a room at the Hostel Santel San Marcos which is a hostel in name only. It is really a small boutique hotel with limited services. All rooms are private ones, and there are no kitchen facilities. It's a nice, basic room that is very clean and looks out onto a small square.
Salamanca is a beautiful city with many of the buildings constructed of a light sandstone that seems to glow under the right lighting conditions such as sunset or external lighting. It has many beautiful squares, too. Apparently the Universidad de Salamanca had commencement today, because all through the city were students dressed up, carrying or wearing a sash with the university's logo, and often accompanied by family. The whole city was alive with people like the San Antonio River Walk when a large convention is in town.
We went to an organ concert in the evening at the Salamanca Cathedral. The organist, German Michael Fuehrer, played two different organs--a very old smaller one, and a larger and newer one from 1744. The concert was good, but the older organ just seemed unsatisfying. A number of people left before he ever switched to the newer organ with the fuller sound. He played for two hours, but three of the pieces were especially pleasing to me--one called Obra de Clarin by Antonio Martin y Coll in which the horns repeated sound patterns out the front and then out the back of the organ, another called Batalha de 6.0 Tom by Pedro de Araujo, and one called Canto Llano de la Inmaculada Concepcion de la Virgen Maria by Correa de Arauxo.
The center of the city was still very much alive as we walked back to our room. We sat at Plaza Mayor for a while just to watch people before continuing our return.
Friday, May 19, 2017
Great Day
Friday, May 19, 2017--Burgos
Been out all day. Walked over 20 km (12 miles). Midnight now. Will report on it tomorrow.
Been out all day. Walked over 20 km (12 miles). Midnight now. Will report on it tomorrow.
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Rainy and Cold, but Sun Has Come Out
Thursday, May 18, 2018--Bilbao to Burgos
We were fortunate this morning. As we got ready to leave for the train station, the rain had mostly stopped even though there was still a 100% chance of rain through the mid-afternoon. We left the apartment at 8:30, and had only sprinkles on us as we walked to the station. At 9:00, just 10 minutes after being at the station, it started to pour. It was so nice to already be under protection at the station waiting for our train to depart.
Our assigned seats on the train were horrible--two seats beside the luggage rack, facing backwards in terms of the train's direction, and with only a very small window. But the car had only a few passengers, so we were able to switch to seats facing forward for the entire trip.
When we arrived in Burgos at 12:00, it was cold and windy with sprinkles. The train station is 5 km outside of town--a beautiful, new station that is located there because of the fast trains that Spain has. We were lucky that a city bus was waiting outside headed to where we needed to go--a major plaza just a 5 minute walk from our hotel. However, when we got to our hotel, Hotel Boutique Museo, they didn't have our room ready. They saved our luggage, but we had to go back out into the weather to wander for 1 hr. 15 min. before we could return.
We went through the old town following the route of the pilgrims. This is another major stop on The Way of St. James. And it was interesting to notice the discounts that are offered to official pilgrims. I mentioned a few days ago about the hostal in Pamplona or Logrono that had a special bed rate for them. Well, here there are specials rates for meals, for admissions to churches, etc.
We saw part of the Cathedral, but we will have to return tomorrow to see more of it. We saw the Arco Santa Maria, and we were able to see the exhibits inside it--an art exhbit, an exhibit of historical items, and an exhibit of old pharmacy equipment and jars. We returned to the hotel about 14:15 and came to our room.
We are going back out at 16:30 to see the Museo de la Evolucion Humana--a huge museum across the street from our hotel that is one of the two major tourist sites here within the city. (The other is the Cathedral.)
_____
The Museo de la Evolucion Humana was really a good museum. It thoroughly documented all the research that has been done by archaeologists in both Spanish and English. It takes at least 2 1/2 hours to go through the museum. Wes and I both learned some things we didn't know. And a number of exhibits made things we did know simpler than the textbooks had made them when we took biology. If this museum were in the U.S., however, visitors would have to run a gauntlet of Republicans and born-again Christians, much like trying to enter an abortion clinic, to see its exhibits.
We were fortunate this morning. As we got ready to leave for the train station, the rain had mostly stopped even though there was still a 100% chance of rain through the mid-afternoon. We left the apartment at 8:30, and had only sprinkles on us as we walked to the station. At 9:00, just 10 minutes after being at the station, it started to pour. It was so nice to already be under protection at the station waiting for our train to depart.
Our assigned seats on the train were horrible--two seats beside the luggage rack, facing backwards in terms of the train's direction, and with only a very small window. But the car had only a few passengers, so we were able to switch to seats facing forward for the entire trip.
When we arrived in Burgos at 12:00, it was cold and windy with sprinkles. The train station is 5 km outside of town--a beautiful, new station that is located there because of the fast trains that Spain has. We were lucky that a city bus was waiting outside headed to where we needed to go--a major plaza just a 5 minute walk from our hotel. However, when we got to our hotel, Hotel Boutique Museo, they didn't have our room ready. They saved our luggage, but we had to go back out into the weather to wander for 1 hr. 15 min. before we could return.
We went through the old town following the route of the pilgrims. This is another major stop on The Way of St. James. And it was interesting to notice the discounts that are offered to official pilgrims. I mentioned a few days ago about the hostal in Pamplona or Logrono that had a special bed rate for them. Well, here there are specials rates for meals, for admissions to churches, etc.
We saw part of the Cathedral, but we will have to return tomorrow to see more of it. We saw the Arco Santa Maria, and we were able to see the exhibits inside it--an art exhbit, an exhibit of historical items, and an exhibit of old pharmacy equipment and jars. We returned to the hotel about 14:15 and came to our room.
We are going back out at 16:30 to see the Museo de la Evolucion Humana--a huge museum across the street from our hotel that is one of the two major tourist sites here within the city. (The other is the Cathedral.)
_____
The Museo de la Evolucion Humana was really a good museum. It thoroughly documented all the research that has been done by archaeologists in both Spanish and English. It takes at least 2 1/2 hours to go through the museum. Wes and I both learned some things we didn't know. And a number of exhibits made things we did know simpler than the textbooks had made them when we took biology. If this museum were in the U.S., however, visitors would have to run a gauntlet of Republicans and born-again Christians, much like trying to enter an abortion clinic, to see its exhibits.
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Last Impressions of Bilbao
Wednesday, May 17, 2017--Bilbao, Spain
Bilbao seems to be an incredibly rich city. So many of the apartment buildings are elegant with dramatic architectural features. And many of the buildings in the city have been designed by top world architects. During our time here, one of the best parts of the visit has been just wandering through the city being amazed by the abundance of beautiful buildings.
Yesterday was such a tiring day that we slept a bit late this morning. Then we were squeezed for time by the weather forecast. There was still one major part of town we wanted to explore, so we went out about 11:00 and were out until about 14:30 when sprinkles started. We passed some university buildings that were alive with students and found many more interesting old office and apartments buildings along with a couple of very modern ones, but our main goal today was to see the Alhondiga Cultural and Leisure Center. Inside an old wine warehouse, the architect Philippe Starke designed the construction of a huge lobby with 3 separate buildings built inside on support columns. Each column has its own design. The best way to see and understand what the Alhondiga really is like is to read two articles and see the photos--here and here.
Tomorrow, we will leave early for our next destination. Therefore, it will be a quiet night with an early bedtime here.
Bilbao seems to be an incredibly rich city. So many of the apartment buildings are elegant with dramatic architectural features. And many of the buildings in the city have been designed by top world architects. During our time here, one of the best parts of the visit has been just wandering through the city being amazed by the abundance of beautiful buildings.
Yesterday was such a tiring day that we slept a bit late this morning. Then we were squeezed for time by the weather forecast. There was still one major part of town we wanted to explore, so we went out about 11:00 and were out until about 14:30 when sprinkles started. We passed some university buildings that were alive with students and found many more interesting old office and apartments buildings along with a couple of very modern ones, but our main goal today was to see the Alhondiga Cultural and Leisure Center. Inside an old wine warehouse, the architect Philippe Starke designed the construction of a huge lobby with 3 separate buildings built inside on support columns. Each column has its own design. The best way to see and understand what the Alhondiga really is like is to read two articles and see the photos--here and here.
Tomorrow, we will leave early for our next destination. Therefore, it will be a quiet night with an early bedtime here.
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Day Trip and Guggenheim
Tuesday, May 16, 2017--Bilbao and Area
The Guggenheim Museum is open until 20:00 each day. Therefore, we decided to make a day trip north of the city today and go to the museum late in the afternoon to try to avoid the daytime crowds there.
We took the metro to Plentzia where we walked through the old town, by the harbor, and by the beach. Then we continued onward to Gorliz to see the beach there and to explore the town. These are two adjacent towns that are far north of Bilbao by the Bay of Biskay.
From there, we took the metro back to Areeta. Between Areeta and Portugalete is the Puente Colgante, a hanging bridge which is a World Heritage Site. It is a tall steel structure much like an overhead crane. There is a platform hanging by wires from the structure that has two side cars for passengers and a central floor for cars and bicycles. At the top of the structure, a device with the cables connected to it moves so that the hanging structure moves back and forth across the river. It is also possible to walk across the top of the fixed steel structure, but today was a bit windy for trying that, and it is a very high structure!
We rode from Areeta to Portugalete. Then we caught another metro line in Portugalete to return to Bilbao. As soon as we arrived, we headed for the Guggenheim Museum. (Click on Bilbao on this page to see a photo and to read about it.) We entered about 16:15 and were there until about 19:00. It is a massive structure with lots of exhibit space. Much of their space today was dedicated to exhibits of Abstract Expressionism. There was also an exhibit of artwork from Paris around the turn of the century from the 1800s to the 1900s.
We came home, ate dinner, and went back out around 21:15. We wanted to see the town at night. We walked along the river and returned to the Guggenheim where they had the Fire Fountain going off in their reflection pool. One of our main goals was to see the art deco style light fixtures they have along much of the river past the Guggenheim; they are very attractive at night when lighted. (Two of the fixtures can be seen in this photo on the right.)
By the time we got home again, it was 22:45. It's been a long day with lots of walking.
We are continuing to enjoy the Spanish wines. Yesterday, we drank a Vespral Gran Reserva Cosecha 2011, and tonight we had a Campo Viejo Crianza 2013. Both were good.
The Guggenheim Museum is open until 20:00 each day. Therefore, we decided to make a day trip north of the city today and go to the museum late in the afternoon to try to avoid the daytime crowds there.
We took the metro to Plentzia where we walked through the old town, by the harbor, and by the beach. Then we continued onward to Gorliz to see the beach there and to explore the town. These are two adjacent towns that are far north of Bilbao by the Bay of Biskay.
From there, we took the metro back to Areeta. Between Areeta and Portugalete is the Puente Colgante, a hanging bridge which is a World Heritage Site. It is a tall steel structure much like an overhead crane. There is a platform hanging by wires from the structure that has two side cars for passengers and a central floor for cars and bicycles. At the top of the structure, a device with the cables connected to it moves so that the hanging structure moves back and forth across the river. It is also possible to walk across the top of the fixed steel structure, but today was a bit windy for trying that, and it is a very high structure!
We rode from Areeta to Portugalete. Then we caught another metro line in Portugalete to return to Bilbao. As soon as we arrived, we headed for the Guggenheim Museum. (Click on Bilbao on this page to see a photo and to read about it.) We entered about 16:15 and were there until about 19:00. It is a massive structure with lots of exhibit space. Much of their space today was dedicated to exhibits of Abstract Expressionism. There was also an exhibit of artwork from Paris around the turn of the century from the 1800s to the 1900s.
We came home, ate dinner, and went back out around 21:15. We wanted to see the town at night. We walked along the river and returned to the Guggenheim where they had the Fire Fountain going off in their reflection pool. One of our main goals was to see the art deco style light fixtures they have along much of the river past the Guggenheim; they are very attractive at night when lighted. (Two of the fixtures can be seen in this photo on the right.)
By the time we got home again, it was 22:45. It's been a long day with lots of walking.
We are continuing to enjoy the Spanish wines. Yesterday, we drank a Vespral Gran Reserva Cosecha 2011, and tonight we had a Campo Viejo Crianza 2013. Both were good.
Monday, May 15, 2017
Wandering around Bilbao
Monday, May 15, 2017--Bilbao, Spain
We began today, after a small breakfast of leftovers I had brought from Santander, by going to the grocery store. We bought a variety of items to have in the kitchen for preparing breakfast, dinner, and happy hours. After depositing the purchases at home, we headed out to explore parts of the city.
We stopped first at Mercado de la Ribera near our apartment. It is a 3-story building that used to be quite active as a market. Today, it has been remodeled while retaining its beautiful stained-glass ceiling and windows. Half of one floor is now filled with cafes and restaurants. The other half of that floor and the next floor have a few market stalls--about 20% of all the possible stalls occupied. With the cafes, we got a close-up view of the pintxos (tapas) which was interesting; for regular cafes, you have to just glare through the doorway to try to see them. The market area was a great disappointment--not nearly as exciting as the markets I have seen in other cites so far.
We passed by Iglecia de San Anton (gothic style from 1422) right behind the market, but it wasn't open for visitors. So we decided to climb to Begona, a former industrial area which has been redeveloped with housing and has one of the major churches in the city. It was a huge stack of steps to get up there above Bilbao, but am in good shape from the climbing/walking I have been doing. At the top, we barely got to visit the Basilica de Begona (from the 1500s and built by the same architect as the Iglesia de San Anton). We walked in at 13:25, saw the interior, had a seat, took a photo of the alter, and were then told the church was closed. It closes at 13:30 and reopens at 17:00. But at least we got inside. Several pilgrims arrived just after it closed and were so disappointed because they wanted to get their pilgrimage passports stamped there.
We walked down a different way through Parque Etxebakkia (which has a remaining smokestack from one of the industries there) to the Town Hall (with its modern addition in the rear) on the Bilbao Riverfront. From there, we walked along the river opposite the main parts of town past the Puente Zubizuri, the Puente la Salve, opposite from the Guggenheim Museo, past the Universidad de Deusto, and into the Dna. Casilda Iturrizar Park where we sat and rested while watching people. From there, we went to the Plaza Sagrado Corazon and turned to walk down the Gran Via. Today, we wondered at the magnificent apartment buildings along the route and glanced the window displays at the stores were reopening following the afternoon siesta. We walked all the way to the two train stations--Estacion Abando where we will leave on Thursday and Estacion de Santander nearby.
Before returning home, we stopped at the store again for Wes to buy some colas and chocolate. Then at home, we had a happy hour as I cooked dinner. We had peanuts, olives, and wine. And I cooked chicken/turkey meatballs in a tomato sauce and served them over spaghetti with slices of fresh crusty bread.
We will go back out briefly tonight to see what Bilbao is like at the hour that Spaniards go out in the evening to drink. Also, we want to see some of the lighted features of the city. But Wes will tire again easily as he continues to adjust to the time difference, so we will be back home before it is too late.
We began today, after a small breakfast of leftovers I had brought from Santander, by going to the grocery store. We bought a variety of items to have in the kitchen for preparing breakfast, dinner, and happy hours. After depositing the purchases at home, we headed out to explore parts of the city.
We stopped first at Mercado de la Ribera near our apartment. It is a 3-story building that used to be quite active as a market. Today, it has been remodeled while retaining its beautiful stained-glass ceiling and windows. Half of one floor is now filled with cafes and restaurants. The other half of that floor and the next floor have a few market stalls--about 20% of all the possible stalls occupied. With the cafes, we got a close-up view of the pintxos (tapas) which was interesting; for regular cafes, you have to just glare through the doorway to try to see them. The market area was a great disappointment--not nearly as exciting as the markets I have seen in other cites so far.
We passed by Iglecia de San Anton (gothic style from 1422) right behind the market, but it wasn't open for visitors. So we decided to climb to Begona, a former industrial area which has been redeveloped with housing and has one of the major churches in the city. It was a huge stack of steps to get up there above Bilbao, but am in good shape from the climbing/walking I have been doing. At the top, we barely got to visit the Basilica de Begona (from the 1500s and built by the same architect as the Iglesia de San Anton). We walked in at 13:25, saw the interior, had a seat, took a photo of the alter, and were then told the church was closed. It closes at 13:30 and reopens at 17:00. But at least we got inside. Several pilgrims arrived just after it closed and were so disappointed because they wanted to get their pilgrimage passports stamped there.
We walked down a different way through Parque Etxebakkia (which has a remaining smokestack from one of the industries there) to the Town Hall (with its modern addition in the rear) on the Bilbao Riverfront. From there, we walked along the river opposite the main parts of town past the Puente Zubizuri, the Puente la Salve, opposite from the Guggenheim Museo, past the Universidad de Deusto, and into the Dna. Casilda Iturrizar Park where we sat and rested while watching people. From there, we went to the Plaza Sagrado Corazon and turned to walk down the Gran Via. Today, we wondered at the magnificent apartment buildings along the route and glanced the window displays at the stores were reopening following the afternoon siesta. We walked all the way to the two train stations--Estacion Abando where we will leave on Thursday and Estacion de Santander nearby.
Before returning home, we stopped at the store again for Wes to buy some colas and chocolate. Then at home, we had a happy hour as I cooked dinner. We had peanuts, olives, and wine. And I cooked chicken/turkey meatballs in a tomato sauce and served them over spaghetti with slices of fresh crusty bread.
We will go back out briefly tonight to see what Bilbao is like at the hour that Spaniards go out in the evening to drink. Also, we want to see some of the lighted features of the city. But Wes will tire again easily as he continues to adjust to the time difference, so we will be back home before it is too late.
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Wes Arrives and We Explore Bilbao
Sunday, May 14, 2017--Bilbao, Spain
My bus arrived at 12:25 at the Bilbao bus station. I walked to the front of the area to see if Wes had arrived yet, and he was walking toward me having just arrived at the same time. So we headed out walking toward the apartment where we will be staying here.
Pablo, the apartment owner, was waiting for us when we arrived. He was very helpful with information and suggestions for our visit. The apartment is huge and beautiful.
As soon as Pablo left, we went out to explore so that Wes wouldn't fall asleep too early and spoil his chance of a quick adjustment to the time change. We walked across the bridge into the old part of the city. It has narrow streets and they were filled with people here for a big futball (soccer) match tonight. Most were outside bars drinking and enjoying the beautiful sunny weather with very nice temperatures.
Although it was Sunday (meaning that the shops were closed), we walked down Gran Via, the major shopping street of the city. We were headed to the Museo de Bella Artes which Pablo had told us to see today because it is free on Sundays after 15:00 and because a very good Renoir exhibit there is closing tomorrow.
It still wasn't 15:00 when we reached the museum, so we wandered through the area. Bilbao is a former shipbuilding city that has been quite wealthy over the years as evidenced by wonderful expensive-looking apartment buildings all over the city. In wandering, we came to the Guggenheim Museum which we will see on another day. Wes was hungry because he had missed breakfast on his flight into London this morning, so we sat at an outdoor cafe across the street from the Guggenheim eating a kebab with fries and a drink.
We returned to see the exhibits at the Belle Artes Museum, and they were great. The Renior show was a huge one of mostly small- to medium-size paintings--landscapes, portraits, scenes of children, scenes of families, scenes of bathers, etc. But the rest of the museum had exhibits with paintings and sculptures by many famous Spanish and Basque artists from Pre-Renaissance times to the present. And another special exhibit called Different Trains which was a video about the exportation of Polish Jews to Nazi Concentration Camps and accompanied with music by the Kronos Quartet was interesting.
Leaving the museum, we walked in the Parque Republica de Abondo. It is a very nice city park that had many people sunbathing, visiting, sitting at sidewalk cafes, etc., and even some young men doing acrobatics on the lawn.
From there, we headed back to the apartment taking another route both to get to the old town and going through the old town. Pablo had given us a bottle of Basque white wine--4 Lau Teilatu. We poured the wine into glasses and sat on our balcony looking at the nearby buildings and watching the passing people.
At 21:00, Wes took a melatonin tablet and went to bed. I will head there soon after writing this.
My bus arrived at 12:25 at the Bilbao bus station. I walked to the front of the area to see if Wes had arrived yet, and he was walking toward me having just arrived at the same time. So we headed out walking toward the apartment where we will be staying here.
Pablo, the apartment owner, was waiting for us when we arrived. He was very helpful with information and suggestions for our visit. The apartment is huge and beautiful.
As soon as Pablo left, we went out to explore so that Wes wouldn't fall asleep too early and spoil his chance of a quick adjustment to the time change. We walked across the bridge into the old part of the city. It has narrow streets and they were filled with people here for a big futball (soccer) match tonight. Most were outside bars drinking and enjoying the beautiful sunny weather with very nice temperatures.
Although it was Sunday (meaning that the shops were closed), we walked down Gran Via, the major shopping street of the city. We were headed to the Museo de Bella Artes which Pablo had told us to see today because it is free on Sundays after 15:00 and because a very good Renoir exhibit there is closing tomorrow.
It still wasn't 15:00 when we reached the museum, so we wandered through the area. Bilbao is a former shipbuilding city that has been quite wealthy over the years as evidenced by wonderful expensive-looking apartment buildings all over the city. In wandering, we came to the Guggenheim Museum which we will see on another day. Wes was hungry because he had missed breakfast on his flight into London this morning, so we sat at an outdoor cafe across the street from the Guggenheim eating a kebab with fries and a drink.
We returned to see the exhibits at the Belle Artes Museum, and they were great. The Renior show was a huge one of mostly small- to medium-size paintings--landscapes, portraits, scenes of children, scenes of families, scenes of bathers, etc. But the rest of the museum had exhibits with paintings and sculptures by many famous Spanish and Basque artists from Pre-Renaissance times to the present. And another special exhibit called Different Trains which was a video about the exportation of Polish Jews to Nazi Concentration Camps and accompanied with music by the Kronos Quartet was interesting.
Leaving the museum, we walked in the Parque Republica de Abondo. It is a very nice city park that had many people sunbathing, visiting, sitting at sidewalk cafes, etc., and even some young men doing acrobatics on the lawn.
From there, we headed back to the apartment taking another route both to get to the old town and going through the old town. Pablo had given us a bottle of Basque white wine--4 Lau Teilatu. We poured the wine into glasses and sat on our balcony looking at the nearby buildings and watching the passing people.
At 21:00, Wes took a melatonin tablet and went to bed. I will head there soon after writing this.
Saturday, May 13, 2017
Last Day in Santander
Saturday, May 13, 2017--Santander, Spain
All the places I have stayed in Spain so far, both apartments and hotel rooms, have had door knobs in the center of the door. There really seems to be an obsession with them here. These are not turning knobs which open the latch; they are just knobs for pushing or pulling the door. To open a door, you turn the key in the lock on the side until it eventually pulls back the latch. I understand that a center knob has a nice, symmetrical look to it, and I remember being fascinated by a modern house in the 1950s that was built with a center door knob. But manipulating (opening or closing) a door with a center knob takes more effort than manipulating one with a knob to the side of the door that swings inward or outward. Anyway, I am at the point of being curious now whether every door where I stay for the rest of the trip will have a center knob.
I found a REAL market today--the Mercado de la Esperanza. It is a two-story market with the bottom floor being all fish stalls and the stop floor being mostly meat stalls with a couple of bakery stalls and a few fruits and vegetable stalls. There are many more fruits and vegetable stalls outside on the grounds. It was full of customers and exciting to watch. I find it amazing that so many fish stalls can be loaded down with so much seafood and that it can all sell. Even more amazing is that so many markets like this all around the world can have so much seafood for sale every day without depleting the supply of seafood in the oceans. (Of course, I am a believer that they probably ARE depleting the suply of seafood.)
Since I went everywhere yesterday that I had planned to go today, I used today to research my route back to the bus station in advance of having to go there tomorrow morning. I took the elevators up two streets across from my apartment. That still left me short one street from where I needed to be. But at the next intersection, it was only a short distance uphill to Calle Alta. And from there, it was a gradual decline all the way to the station. It's a much better route than backtracking the way that Google Maps showed me how to get from there to here.
Once I was at the station, I explored the area. Santander has a small train station with only a few trains a day--to Vallodolid and to Madrid for the most part. Nearby, was a huge 3-story Zara store under construction. (Zara is a Spanish brand that competes with H&M from Sweden to bring the cheapest rip-offs of the current designer styles as quickly as possible to the public.) I went by the City Hall where there I had seen multiple basketball courts being set up yesterday. Many people were playing basketball--some actually being two competing teams and others just having shooting competitions. It was after that, as I chose a back road higher up the hills to return to my part of town where I came across the market.
Back near my place, I looked for the bullring which I had seen on the map as being near the small neighborhood market I found a few days ago. It was right beside it, but from there it looks like such a small building that it doesn't even look like a bullring. The key that I was actually looking at one was a door that had the word "sol" on it implying that it lead to seats on the sunny side of the ring.
I sat in the median of our boulevard to read for a while. A very nice lady came by talking while handing me a brochure. I told her I do not speak Spanish. She said something like, "No es necesario. Internet. Internet aqui." And she pointed to a web address: www.jw.org. That's when I realized she was a Jehovah's Witness.
It was actually getting warm outside since I was wearing a long sleeve knit shirt. So I returned to the apartment to handle things I needed to do in advance of tomorrow: Contact the owner of the apartment in Bilbao to assure him I would be coming. Download the photos that I have taken so far so that a new batch can be started that will be the ones shared by Wes and me. Read the literature I have for Bilbao to be ready for arriving there tomorrow and will know what is worth exploring it over the next few days, etc.
I had more pork chops with onions and potatoes tonight. I meant to make a pasta and mix the chopped pork chops into the spaghetti. But instead, I repeated what I had last night. Otherwise, I would have needed to eat the potatoes and onions tomorrow morning for breakfast, and I am not really going to have enough time to fry them, eat them, and clean up before I have to leave for the station.
I don't know if Wes is going to make it to Bilbao tomorrow. His flight left Nashville later than scheduled and arrived in Charlotte only at 14:05. His connecting flight from there to Boston left at 14:38. It meant he would have had to get off the plane and get from gate C9 to gate B4 within a very short period of time. The door for the second flight was probably closed around 14:30 if not earlier. I hope it made it, because if he did, there will be plenty of time in Boston before his flight leaves there. But if he didn't make it, the next flight from Charlotte to Boston will have him arriving AFTER his next flight from Boston to London Heathrow has already departed.
All the places I have stayed in Spain so far, both apartments and hotel rooms, have had door knobs in the center of the door. There really seems to be an obsession with them here. These are not turning knobs which open the latch; they are just knobs for pushing or pulling the door. To open a door, you turn the key in the lock on the side until it eventually pulls back the latch. I understand that a center knob has a nice, symmetrical look to it, and I remember being fascinated by a modern house in the 1950s that was built with a center door knob. But manipulating (opening or closing) a door with a center knob takes more effort than manipulating one with a knob to the side of the door that swings inward or outward. Anyway, I am at the point of being curious now whether every door where I stay for the rest of the trip will have a center knob.
I found a REAL market today--the Mercado de la Esperanza. It is a two-story market with the bottom floor being all fish stalls and the stop floor being mostly meat stalls with a couple of bakery stalls and a few fruits and vegetable stalls. There are many more fruits and vegetable stalls outside on the grounds. It was full of customers and exciting to watch. I find it amazing that so many fish stalls can be loaded down with so much seafood and that it can all sell. Even more amazing is that so many markets like this all around the world can have so much seafood for sale every day without depleting the supply of seafood in the oceans. (Of course, I am a believer that they probably ARE depleting the suply of seafood.)
Since I went everywhere yesterday that I had planned to go today, I used today to research my route back to the bus station in advance of having to go there tomorrow morning. I took the elevators up two streets across from my apartment. That still left me short one street from where I needed to be. But at the next intersection, it was only a short distance uphill to Calle Alta. And from there, it was a gradual decline all the way to the station. It's a much better route than backtracking the way that Google Maps showed me how to get from there to here.
Once I was at the station, I explored the area. Santander has a small train station with only a few trains a day--to Vallodolid and to Madrid for the most part. Nearby, was a huge 3-story Zara store under construction. (Zara is a Spanish brand that competes with H&M from Sweden to bring the cheapest rip-offs of the current designer styles as quickly as possible to the public.) I went by the City Hall where there I had seen multiple basketball courts being set up yesterday. Many people were playing basketball--some actually being two competing teams and others just having shooting competitions. It was after that, as I chose a back road higher up the hills to return to my part of town where I came across the market.
Back near my place, I looked for the bullring which I had seen on the map as being near the small neighborhood market I found a few days ago. It was right beside it, but from there it looks like such a small building that it doesn't even look like a bullring. The key that I was actually looking at one was a door that had the word "sol" on it implying that it lead to seats on the sunny side of the ring.
I sat in the median of our boulevard to read for a while. A very nice lady came by talking while handing me a brochure. I told her I do not speak Spanish. She said something like, "No es necesario. Internet. Internet aqui." And she pointed to a web address: www.jw.org. That's when I realized she was a Jehovah's Witness.
It was actually getting warm outside since I was wearing a long sleeve knit shirt. So I returned to the apartment to handle things I needed to do in advance of tomorrow: Contact the owner of the apartment in Bilbao to assure him I would be coming. Download the photos that I have taken so far so that a new batch can be started that will be the ones shared by Wes and me. Read the literature I have for Bilbao to be ready for arriving there tomorrow and will know what is worth exploring it over the next few days, etc.
I had more pork chops with onions and potatoes tonight. I meant to make a pasta and mix the chopped pork chops into the spaghetti. But instead, I repeated what I had last night. Otherwise, I would have needed to eat the potatoes and onions tomorrow morning for breakfast, and I am not really going to have enough time to fry them, eat them, and clean up before I have to leave for the station.
I don't know if Wes is going to make it to Bilbao tomorrow. His flight left Nashville later than scheduled and arrived in Charlotte only at 14:05. His connecting flight from there to Boston left at 14:38. It meant he would have had to get off the plane and get from gate C9 to gate B4 within a very short period of time. The door for the second flight was probably closed around 14:30 if not earlier. I hope it made it, because if he did, there will be plenty of time in Boston before his flight leaves there. But if he didn't make it, the next flight from Charlotte to Boston will have him arriving AFTER his next flight from Boston to London Heathrow has already departed.
Friday, May 12, 2017
Walking in "90% Chance of Rain" Weather
Friday, May 12, 2017--Santander, Spain
When I checked this morning at 8:15 (on TWO weather websites), there was a 90% chance of rain today starting around 10:00 and continuing through the middle of the night. I, therefore, took my time opening and reading my email and reading the news stories of the day. Then I had my breakfast around 9:30. At 9:45, it was still just cloudy, so I ran down to the nearby supermarket to buy some food for tonight and tomorrow. At 10:15, the sun was peeking out. I thought that maybe I should go walking a little without getting too far away because of the expected rain. Well, I got home at 15:30 without a drop of rain on me and with a completely sunny sky and warm temperatures!!
Since I had no plan and was afraid to make one due to the forecast, I started by walking down one of the back shopping streets. It was fun. Unlike the main street, it was a street with small, quaint shops serving the local neighborhood. With all the hills, I guess that local shops get a boost from people who live nearby and want to buy things without having to go down and back up the hill. When I got as far as the nice old library and the adjacent museum which is closed for remodeling, there was no sign of a change in the weather, so I checked my map to determine where I might head. I continued further with the goal of going up a bit into the hills to a place marked on my map by the tourist office as the location of one of the theaters in town.
A block before I reached the theater, there was a street heading further north that looked so interesting that I decided to go up it a ways. As it continued, there was mansion after mansion along it. And between mansions were long sets of stairs going higher to houses and apartment buildings above them. This was a neighborhood along Paseo Menendez Pelayo that had been built by rich people back in the 20s, 30s, and maybe 40s.
I had expected to turn back south and then west to go by the theater and return home after getting to the end of the street, but the weather remained good and a look at the map indicated that I was almost to Premiere del Sardinero beach. I walked to there coming out at the Casino and the Gran Sardinero Hotel--two grand old buildings. The beach was beautiful and very deep. Further up, I could see a lookout point, so I headed to it. From there, another beautiful beach could be seen to the north--Segunda del Sardinero.
I began walking back south, though, because there were tourist sites I had planned to visit tomorrow nearby. I passed El Camello beach and headed onto the wooded La Magdalena Peninsula which has the Palacio Real de La Magdalena which was the summer palace of the king and queen of Spain until Franco's revolution and is now a conference center. I walked around the peninsula looking down on Playa de Bikini, the lighthouse Faro de La Cerda, and walking around the palace building. Then I wandered down to the water area behind the palace to see the Museo del Hombre y la Mar, replicas of boats that explored the Amazon River within Spanish territories. There was also a small area of natural pools which had seals swimming inside them.
By then, it was time to make the long walk back toward the apartment. The sun was out, but it was afternoon and getting warm in my long-sleeve shirt. I walked along the main road of Av. Reina Victoria with Playa de La Magdalena below me on the water side and even greater mansions than I had seen earlier up the hillside above me with fantastic views toward the water and the green mountains beyond.
I had not taken my camera out of my bag so far on the whole visit to Santander, but once I started seeing the beautiful houses earlier this morning, I did. I took photo after photo of everything I passed on this long walking tour. And as I returned back through the center of town that I know, I took photos there, too.
It was a long day, but a very rewarding one, too. I've come to a greater appreciation of Santander. It is a beautiful city. It lacks much in the way of antiquities and of entertainment. But it has very interesting neighborhoods with a lot of variety in terms of neighborhoods. It's hills are beautiful, it's beaches are unbelievably nice, and the views to the very green mountains beyond are wonderful.
The forecast still calls for a 90% chance of precipitation until 8:00 tomorrow morning. It is now (at 19:15) cloudy again, but there has been no rain yet. What I had thought was going to be an indoor day of reading, doing laundry, listening to music, etc., became a really wonderful day of exploration.
_________
The rain stared around 20:00 tonight just as I was ready to eat. I had bought some small, thin slices of pork this morning along with potatoes, onions, and other supplies. I sliced an onion and slowly cooked it in butter until it was tender and tasty. Then I fried slices of the potatoes (which I had boiled slowly earlier until just tender to the middle) in butter until browned and crispy. Finally, I fried two of the pork slices in butter until juicy but cooked through. I had the pork, onions and potatoes covered with the juices from the pan with a glass of the Vina Albali 2012 Reserva Valdepenas red wine as the classical radio station on TV played big band music from the 30s and 40s. The music, the meal, and the wet weather combined for such a cozy atmosphere. Now the station is starting a live concert of classical music which I will hear while having a bit more wine.
When I checked this morning at 8:15 (on TWO weather websites), there was a 90% chance of rain today starting around 10:00 and continuing through the middle of the night. I, therefore, took my time opening and reading my email and reading the news stories of the day. Then I had my breakfast around 9:30. At 9:45, it was still just cloudy, so I ran down to the nearby supermarket to buy some food for tonight and tomorrow. At 10:15, the sun was peeking out. I thought that maybe I should go walking a little without getting too far away because of the expected rain. Well, I got home at 15:30 without a drop of rain on me and with a completely sunny sky and warm temperatures!!
Since I had no plan and was afraid to make one due to the forecast, I started by walking down one of the back shopping streets. It was fun. Unlike the main street, it was a street with small, quaint shops serving the local neighborhood. With all the hills, I guess that local shops get a boost from people who live nearby and want to buy things without having to go down and back up the hill. When I got as far as the nice old library and the adjacent museum which is closed for remodeling, there was no sign of a change in the weather, so I checked my map to determine where I might head. I continued further with the goal of going up a bit into the hills to a place marked on my map by the tourist office as the location of one of the theaters in town.
A block before I reached the theater, there was a street heading further north that looked so interesting that I decided to go up it a ways. As it continued, there was mansion after mansion along it. And between mansions were long sets of stairs going higher to houses and apartment buildings above them. This was a neighborhood along Paseo Menendez Pelayo that had been built by rich people back in the 20s, 30s, and maybe 40s.
I had expected to turn back south and then west to go by the theater and return home after getting to the end of the street, but the weather remained good and a look at the map indicated that I was almost to Premiere del Sardinero beach. I walked to there coming out at the Casino and the Gran Sardinero Hotel--two grand old buildings. The beach was beautiful and very deep. Further up, I could see a lookout point, so I headed to it. From there, another beautiful beach could be seen to the north--Segunda del Sardinero.
I began walking back south, though, because there were tourist sites I had planned to visit tomorrow nearby. I passed El Camello beach and headed onto the wooded La Magdalena Peninsula which has the Palacio Real de La Magdalena which was the summer palace of the king and queen of Spain until Franco's revolution and is now a conference center. I walked around the peninsula looking down on Playa de Bikini, the lighthouse Faro de La Cerda, and walking around the palace building. Then I wandered down to the water area behind the palace to see the Museo del Hombre y la Mar, replicas of boats that explored the Amazon River within Spanish territories. There was also a small area of natural pools which had seals swimming inside them.
By then, it was time to make the long walk back toward the apartment. The sun was out, but it was afternoon and getting warm in my long-sleeve shirt. I walked along the main road of Av. Reina Victoria with Playa de La Magdalena below me on the water side and even greater mansions than I had seen earlier up the hillside above me with fantastic views toward the water and the green mountains beyond.
I had not taken my camera out of my bag so far on the whole visit to Santander, but once I started seeing the beautiful houses earlier this morning, I did. I took photo after photo of everything I passed on this long walking tour. And as I returned back through the center of town that I know, I took photos there, too.
It was a long day, but a very rewarding one, too. I've come to a greater appreciation of Santander. It is a beautiful city. It lacks much in the way of antiquities and of entertainment. But it has very interesting neighborhoods with a lot of variety in terms of neighborhoods. It's hills are beautiful, it's beaches are unbelievably nice, and the views to the very green mountains beyond are wonderful.
The forecast still calls for a 90% chance of precipitation until 8:00 tomorrow morning. It is now (at 19:15) cloudy again, but there has been no rain yet. What I had thought was going to be an indoor day of reading, doing laundry, listening to music, etc., became a really wonderful day of exploration.
_________
The rain stared around 20:00 tonight just as I was ready to eat. I had bought some small, thin slices of pork this morning along with potatoes, onions, and other supplies. I sliced an onion and slowly cooked it in butter until it was tender and tasty. Then I fried slices of the potatoes (which I had boiled slowly earlier until just tender to the middle) in butter until browned and crispy. Finally, I fried two of the pork slices in butter until juicy but cooked through. I had the pork, onions and potatoes covered with the juices from the pan with a glass of the Vina Albali 2012 Reserva Valdepenas red wine as the classical radio station on TV played big band music from the 30s and 40s. The music, the meal, and the wet weather combined for such a cozy atmosphere. Now the station is starting a live concert of classical music which I will hear while having a bit more wine.
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