Sunday, June 18, 2017--Back in San Antonio
There was a delay at the Houston airport Thursday night that caused my plane to arrive in San Antonio 30 minutes late at 23:25. Two other planes landed in Terminal B at the same time, and at least one had just landed in Terminal A, so it took longer to get my baggage than usual (probably due to crews needed in more than one place at the same time). My sister picked me up, and it was midnight when I got home--27 hours from the time I had gotten up in Valencia Thursday morning. (There's a 7 hour difference in time zones between there and here.)
Some people are always interested in my spending reports, so here is the one for this trip:
For the whole trip (70 days), I spent $4105.85 (not including airfare) for a daily average of $58.66.
For the part of the trip when I was alone (39 days), I spent $2678.17 for a daily average of $68.67.
For the part of the trip when Wes was with me (31 days), I spent $1427 for an daily average of $46.05.
The main difference was that I was paying the entire cost of housing when alone and sharing the housing cost when Wes was with me. Another small factor is that we chose cheaper places to stay and to eat when Wes was with me than I did for when I was traveling alone.
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Returning Home
Wednesday and
Thursday, June 14 and 15, 2017—Valencia to Manises to Frankfurt to
Houston to San Antonio
Wednesday...
Our flight on
Thursday is so early that we booked a room for our last night in
Spain at a hotel in Manises where the airport is located. Therefore,
Wednesday morning was spent eating breakfast, packing up, chcking
out, and taking the metro to Manises.
One problem
occurred. We bought a ticket from the machine for two persons to
make the trip. As I pushed through the opening with my bag and my
laptop, the sensor apparently thought my backpack was the second
person. The gate closed with Wes still outside and the card wouldn't
work to open it again. No one was at the window in the station, so I
went downstairs and had a stroke of luck. Two women inspectors were
standing on the platform waiting for the next train to check people's
tickets. One spoke English. She came up, let Wes in, said our
ticket truly was for two persons and said we needed the luggage low
and in front of us to avoid the sensor thinking that two people have
gone through before two actually have. When we arrived at the Rosas
Station in Manises, we followed her advice, and it worked.
Our Travelodge was
just across the street from the Metro station, and they already had a
room available for us. We checked in and rested in the room for a
while. Around the middle of the afternoon, we decided to check out
the possibility of getting to the airport by foot. Google showed a
route, but the guidebooks and the lady at the hotel counter say it
isn't recommended. As we approached the point where we would have
had to walk along the edge of an expressway, we saw a dirt path up a
hill and people with backpacks coming and going. Many cars were
parked on the street where we were, so we quickly firgured out it was
airport employees avoiding paying the fee to park on the airport
grounds. The route they were following was even shorter than the one
Google recommended. It only had one danger point—one where we had
to cross a two-lane, one-way road entering the airport to get to the
dirt trail. At the top of the dirt trail, there was a barrier to
protect pedestrians the rest of the way. We discovered we could walk
from our hotel to the airport in fewer than 10 minutes!
In the early
evening, we explored Manises looking for a place to eat. It was
pretty quiet, since it was still hours before the normal Spanish
dining time. We found a kebab place that, even though it had no
customers, was open. We ate there and returned to the room to take
care of last-minute business before going to bed early—copying
photos from the camera to the computer and to a flash drive for Wes,
getting out the clothes for traveling, packing everything else away,
etc.
Thursday...
The alarm went off
at 4:00—way too early to have to get up for a long day of travel.
But we were cleaned up, dressed, and out of the room before 4:30. We
walked to the airport using the flashlight on my phone when we got to
the point where we had to cross the road and go up the dirt trail.
And we got checked in immediately. There was a long line for going
through security, but it moved without a problem. Then there was the
long wait for boarding
Our plane leaves
here at 6:35 for Frankfurt. Then we have about 4 hours there, since
we don't leave Frankfurt until after 13:00 for Houston. Finally, we
have about 3 ½ hours in Houston before our flights leave for San
Antonio (for me) and Corpus Christi (for Wes). All should go well
with such long layovers at our two stops. But it will be 23:00
before I am at home and going to bed tonight!
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Expositions and a Garden
Tuesday, June 13, 2017--Valencia, Spain
We headed out this morning concentration on expositions we knew were in town and had not seen yesterday due to closures. Our first stop was El Amudin one block from where we are staying. It's an old building that once was a church and now houses exhibitions. The one we saw was related to home, exploration, and museum.
This is the period of the Celebration of Corpus Christi. The actual date for the local celebration is this Sunday. It is far more of a celebration here than in other places. Our next exposition was at the House of Rocks ("rocks" being floats) also known as The Corpus Museum. It houses the "floats," which are really carriages, the costumes, and the other items that have been used in the celebration for centuries. The oldest float is from the 1600s, and the newest was from the 2000s. Most, however, are hundreds of years old and have been used over and over. It was a fascinating museum with films of previous celebrations. It's too bad we won't still be here Sunday to see it all live.
From there, we went to the Centre del Carme, an old monastery, which now houses contemporary art exhibitions. It had several exhibitions. One of the more interesting was by Txema Rodriguez named JOC about the Basque game of pilota/pelota.
Our final stop for exhibitions was the Institute Valencia Arte Modern with several large exhibits. Lost in the City was a huge exhibition that was interesting.
From there, we entered a nice small garden called Jardins les Hesperides where we sat and relaxed for a while. After that, we returned to our room by coming through the Torres de Quart, one of the huge entrance gates to the old city.
In the late afternoon, we went walking in the Jardi de Turia, the long linear park the city has made from the dry riverbed of the Turia River. It goes around three sides of the old city and is very active with joggers, sunbathers, dog walkers, soccer players on fields, etc. Then in the late evening, we strolled through the city one last time to see the beautiful old buildings lighted at night.
We headed out this morning concentration on expositions we knew were in town and had not seen yesterday due to closures. Our first stop was El Amudin one block from where we are staying. It's an old building that once was a church and now houses exhibitions. The one we saw was related to home, exploration, and museum.
This is the period of the Celebration of Corpus Christi. The actual date for the local celebration is this Sunday. It is far more of a celebration here than in other places. Our next exposition was at the House of Rocks ("rocks" being floats) also known as The Corpus Museum. It houses the "floats," which are really carriages, the costumes, and the other items that have been used in the celebration for centuries. The oldest float is from the 1600s, and the newest was from the 2000s. Most, however, are hundreds of years old and have been used over and over. It was a fascinating museum with films of previous celebrations. It's too bad we won't still be here Sunday to see it all live.
From there, we went to the Centre del Carme, an old monastery, which now houses contemporary art exhibitions. It had several exhibitions. One of the more interesting was by Txema Rodriguez named JOC about the Basque game of pilota/pelota.
Our final stop for exhibitions was the Institute Valencia Arte Modern with several large exhibits. Lost in the City was a huge exhibition that was interesting.
From there, we entered a nice small garden called Jardins les Hesperides where we sat and relaxed for a while. After that, we returned to our room by coming through the Torres de Quart, one of the huge entrance gates to the old city.
In the late afternoon, we went walking in the Jardi de Turia, the long linear park the city has made from the dry riverbed of the Turia River. It goes around three sides of the old city and is very active with joggers, sunbathers, dog walkers, soccer players on fields, etc. Then in the late evening, we strolled through the city one last time to see the beautiful old buildings lighted at night.
Monday, June 12, 2017
All around Town and to the Beach
Monday, June 12, 2017--Valencia Spain
Today was one of our busier days. Right after completing breakfast at the downstairs cafe, we headed to the Central Mercado, a very wonderful market. It is one of the busiest markets I have visited on the whole trip. They have so many wonderful things for sale.
Across the street from it, we wandered around the Lonja, the old silk exchange. It's a nice old building known for its gargoyles who are sometime doing "nasty" things.
Nearby, we went through an exhibit of silk products. It's amazing that silk production has renewed itself here and that they have products at such reasonable prices--scarves, bags, fans, etc. We could see the looms in the back room set up with punch card instructions on which treads to use for each line of weaving. Both of us marveled at how similar it was to the old punch card system for completion of computer programs and speculated that IBM probably based that system on the systems that already existed for weaving and for player pianos.
We stopped at the town hall to see its interior--the nice stained glass ceiling, the big reception room there. Then we walked across the plaza to the post office to see its interior--thestained glass ceiling, old teller booths, etc.
By then, it was time for shops to close for siesta, so we got a ticket for Bus 25 and headed south of town passing the port and some rice fields before coming to Devesa Beach. There are closer beaches to town, but this one is undeveloped and remote which makes it rather special. From the bus stop, we walked through pine forests, around a lake, and over to the beach. Only a few people were there. Half the beach is with clothing, and the other half is a nudist beach. Where we entered was the midpoint. We could see clothed bathers to our left and nude ones to our right. Wes tested the waters and pronounced them warm, but we didn't go swimming. We didn't bring towels or anything necessary for doing so. We just wanted to be out of town in nature and enjoy the afternoon while nothing was happening in town. We walked along the beach for some way which brought us to another trail to lead us back to the bus stop.
We arrived back in town around 18:00. From the bus stop, we walked to Plaza de la Cedre which the guidebook had said is a popular local square for snacks and meals. Not much was happening. Maybe it was because it was Monday. But we bought pisto empanadas at a bakery and ate them in the plaza. Pisto is the tomato-eggplant-squash dish we ate recently from the to-go food place. It was just as good this time inside a pastry.
From there, we walked down a very broad boulevard named Avenida de Blasco Ibaniz which passes through many buildings of the University of Valencia campus. At the end, we walked through the Jardins del Real stopping at a cage with lots of birds--parrots, parakeets, doves, etc. It was fun there watching the people. One man had brought sunflower seeds and was feeding them directly to the birds who recognized him and came to him to get them. Two women were whistling and talking to the birds and feeding them stale bread which they had soaked in water. I'm guessing these people go there regularly if not nightly.
Back home, we sat on the outdoor patio for our happy hour and visited with a British man we had met two nights before. Again, he offered us some of the olives he had bought at the market we had visited this morning. He told us the story about being here to surprise his son and his son's girlfriend. The son has been living in Australia and he and his Colombian girlfriend (also from Australia now) had come to Valencia to begin a tour of Spain and Italy before going to visit family in England. The father, using information from his other son, surprised this son by showing up where he and the girlfriend were there. After a failed attempt to meet him at the Science Museum at the City of Sciences, he found them at a cafe where he had been told by his other son that they would be. Just as he approached his son, the son turned to take a photo. When he started to show the photo to his girlfriend, the father moved in and looked closely at it and made a comment about it. Only then did the son realize that it was his father. As we had our nightly happy hour on the deck, the son and the girlfriend arrived, so we were introduced and visited with them briefly before they went out to dinner.
We finished our happy hour, and it was 21:45, so we came to the room for the evening. We only have one more full day here. On Wednesday, we will go to a hotel near the airport so we can easily make it to our 6:35 flight the next morning. Therefore, tomorrow is our last full day to enjoy our stay in Valencia.
Today was one of our busier days. Right after completing breakfast at the downstairs cafe, we headed to the Central Mercado, a very wonderful market. It is one of the busiest markets I have visited on the whole trip. They have so many wonderful things for sale.
Across the street from it, we wandered around the Lonja, the old silk exchange. It's a nice old building known for its gargoyles who are sometime doing "nasty" things.
Nearby, we went through an exhibit of silk products. It's amazing that silk production has renewed itself here and that they have products at such reasonable prices--scarves, bags, fans, etc. We could see the looms in the back room set up with punch card instructions on which treads to use for each line of weaving. Both of us marveled at how similar it was to the old punch card system for completion of computer programs and speculated that IBM probably based that system on the systems that already existed for weaving and for player pianos.
We stopped at the town hall to see its interior--the nice stained glass ceiling, the big reception room there. Then we walked across the plaza to the post office to see its interior--thestained glass ceiling, old teller booths, etc.
By then, it was time for shops to close for siesta, so we got a ticket for Bus 25 and headed south of town passing the port and some rice fields before coming to Devesa Beach. There are closer beaches to town, but this one is undeveloped and remote which makes it rather special. From the bus stop, we walked through pine forests, around a lake, and over to the beach. Only a few people were there. Half the beach is with clothing, and the other half is a nudist beach. Where we entered was the midpoint. We could see clothed bathers to our left and nude ones to our right. Wes tested the waters and pronounced them warm, but we didn't go swimming. We didn't bring towels or anything necessary for doing so. We just wanted to be out of town in nature and enjoy the afternoon while nothing was happening in town. We walked along the beach for some way which brought us to another trail to lead us back to the bus stop.
We arrived back in town around 18:00. From the bus stop, we walked to Plaza de la Cedre which the guidebook had said is a popular local square for snacks and meals. Not much was happening. Maybe it was because it was Monday. But we bought pisto empanadas at a bakery and ate them in the plaza. Pisto is the tomato-eggplant-squash dish we ate recently from the to-go food place. It was just as good this time inside a pastry.
From there, we walked down a very broad boulevard named Avenida de Blasco Ibaniz which passes through many buildings of the University of Valencia campus. At the end, we walked through the Jardins del Real stopping at a cage with lots of birds--parrots, parakeets, doves, etc. It was fun there watching the people. One man had brought sunflower seeds and was feeding them directly to the birds who recognized him and came to him to get them. Two women were whistling and talking to the birds and feeding them stale bread which they had soaked in water. I'm guessing these people go there regularly if not nightly.
Back home, we sat on the outdoor patio for our happy hour and visited with a British man we had met two nights before. Again, he offered us some of the olives he had bought at the market we had visited this morning. He told us the story about being here to surprise his son and his son's girlfriend. The son has been living in Australia and he and his Colombian girlfriend (also from Australia now) had come to Valencia to begin a tour of Spain and Italy before going to visit family in England. The father, using information from his other son, surprised this son by showing up where he and the girlfriend were there. After a failed attempt to meet him at the Science Museum at the City of Sciences, he found them at a cafe where he had been told by his other son that they would be. Just as he approached his son, the son turned to take a photo. When he started to show the photo to his girlfriend, the father moved in and looked closely at it and made a comment about it. Only then did the son realize that it was his father. As we had our nightly happy hour on the deck, the son and the girlfriend arrived, so we were introduced and visited with them briefly before they went out to dinner.
We finished our happy hour, and it was 21:45, so we came to the room for the evening. We only have one more full day here. On Wednesday, we will go to a hotel near the airport so we can easily make it to our 6:35 flight the next morning. Therefore, tomorrow is our last full day to enjoy our stay in Valencia.
Sunday, June 11, 2017
Active Sunday in Valencia
Sunday, June 11, 2017--Valencia, Spain
Our B&B does not make breakfast for guests. Instead they provide vouchers for having breakfast elsewhere. Usually, it is at a cafe downstairs. But on Sundays, it is down the street at Pepe Pica. It is a typical cafe. We were served coffee, orange juice (fresh squeezed from Valencia oranges--maybe), and a choice of breads. We chose the tostada con tomate (toast with tomato salsa and olive oil). It was a light meal, but that is usual for breakfast in Spain.
Afterward, we walked through town where be discovered hoards of people. Not only that, but most businesses were open. That is unusual. Almost all the other Sundays elsewhere on this trip have been quiet, mostly dead days.
Lots of musicians were out. We heard three excellent brass musicians playing a variety of songs from opera pieces to pop songs who were all three unbelievably good. We encountered a drum corps dressed in white capes with hoods (most in black and one in a white one) who were fun. Another was an accordion player. We also encountered dancers in native costumes. All of this occurred as we walked through the Torres del Sorrans (one of the gates to the city), Plaza de la Manises, Plaza de la Reina, and Plaza de l'Adjutament. We ended up at the Estacia de la Nord (the Northern Train Station) which is wonderfully decorated inside with tile ceilings, tiled walls, etc.
Along the way, we discovered that the battery on my camera was dead. Somehow, I had failed to notice it was low on energy. We returned to our room to recharge it enough for the rest of the day, and I am now finishing recharging it so that it will work for the rest of the trip.
We had planned to go to a couple of beaches on the edge of town today, but because the city was so active, we decided to postpone that and to just wander and enjoy the crowds in town. We returned to the Northern Train Station area by going a different route. On the way, we started comparing Valencia to other cities where we have visited. We decided that beyond Madrid and Barcelona which are so much bigger than other cities, Bilbao and Valencia are the best cities in the country. Both have wealth and size that many others do not have. Bilbao may have the edge in terms of really elegant apartment buildings. But Valencia is not far behind in that category, and it has the beaches and the warmer weather to give it the edge.
In the afternoon while everyone else was at cafes relaxing, we went back to the train station to take some photos. Then we walked along a the beautiful Avenida del Reina de Valencia to see the City of Arts and Sciences. It is a complex of buildings at the end of a nice linear park in the city. The structures were all designed by Santiago Calatrava and Filex Candela. Although the designs are quite exciting, it is unfortunate that all except the opera house known as El Palau de Arts Reina Sofia seem to be deteriorating quickly. Buildings are dirty, reflecting pools are empty, the area is too exposed to the sunshine. Furthermore, the various facilities all have admission fees that are too high to attract crowds. Even the opera house has had cracks that are patched. My guess is that it is maintained better than the rest of the complex is that local citizens go there regularly and complain if they see problems with the facility. The rest of the buildings tend to be for tourists, and local citizens may not go there regularly. In general, for me the complex was a disappointment--an area that will become greatly deteriorated over time and an embarrassment rather than the center of pride it was meant to be.
We returned to our room by walking along a long segment of the linear park known as Jardin del Turia. It was interesting. People were sunbathing. A section had lots of hippie types with tents and food stalls supposedly for some kind of protest. Bridges had nice designs, including one with wonderful gargoyles. Etc.
In the evening, we fulfilled one of Wes' desires. We went to Taco Bell for their happy hour which includes 3 beers (total of 900 milliliters) and half a round (made with a large flour tortilla filled with cheese and chili con carne) of quesadillas. Then we returned home for the night. We sat on the patio having some more snacks, and now we are inside relaxing for the rest of the evening.
Our B&B does not make breakfast for guests. Instead they provide vouchers for having breakfast elsewhere. Usually, it is at a cafe downstairs. But on Sundays, it is down the street at Pepe Pica. It is a typical cafe. We were served coffee, orange juice (fresh squeezed from Valencia oranges--maybe), and a choice of breads. We chose the tostada con tomate (toast with tomato salsa and olive oil). It was a light meal, but that is usual for breakfast in Spain.
Afterward, we walked through town where be discovered hoards of people. Not only that, but most businesses were open. That is unusual. Almost all the other Sundays elsewhere on this trip have been quiet, mostly dead days.
Lots of musicians were out. We heard three excellent brass musicians playing a variety of songs from opera pieces to pop songs who were all three unbelievably good. We encountered a drum corps dressed in white capes with hoods (most in black and one in a white one) who were fun. Another was an accordion player. We also encountered dancers in native costumes. All of this occurred as we walked through the Torres del Sorrans (one of the gates to the city), Plaza de la Manises, Plaza de la Reina, and Plaza de l'Adjutament. We ended up at the Estacia de la Nord (the Northern Train Station) which is wonderfully decorated inside with tile ceilings, tiled walls, etc.
Along the way, we discovered that the battery on my camera was dead. Somehow, I had failed to notice it was low on energy. We returned to our room to recharge it enough for the rest of the day, and I am now finishing recharging it so that it will work for the rest of the trip.
We had planned to go to a couple of beaches on the edge of town today, but because the city was so active, we decided to postpone that and to just wander and enjoy the crowds in town. We returned to the Northern Train Station area by going a different route. On the way, we started comparing Valencia to other cities where we have visited. We decided that beyond Madrid and Barcelona which are so much bigger than other cities, Bilbao and Valencia are the best cities in the country. Both have wealth and size that many others do not have. Bilbao may have the edge in terms of really elegant apartment buildings. But Valencia is not far behind in that category, and it has the beaches and the warmer weather to give it the edge.
In the afternoon while everyone else was at cafes relaxing, we went back to the train station to take some photos. Then we walked along a the beautiful Avenida del Reina de Valencia to see the City of Arts and Sciences. It is a complex of buildings at the end of a nice linear park in the city. The structures were all designed by Santiago Calatrava and Filex Candela. Although the designs are quite exciting, it is unfortunate that all except the opera house known as El Palau de Arts Reina Sofia seem to be deteriorating quickly. Buildings are dirty, reflecting pools are empty, the area is too exposed to the sunshine. Furthermore, the various facilities all have admission fees that are too high to attract crowds. Even the opera house has had cracks that are patched. My guess is that it is maintained better than the rest of the complex is that local citizens go there regularly and complain if they see problems with the facility. The rest of the buildings tend to be for tourists, and local citizens may not go there regularly. In general, for me the complex was a disappointment--an area that will become greatly deteriorated over time and an embarrassment rather than the center of pride it was meant to be.
We returned to our room by walking along a long segment of the linear park known as Jardin del Turia. It was interesting. People were sunbathing. A section had lots of hippie types with tents and food stalls supposedly for some kind of protest. Bridges had nice designs, including one with wonderful gargoyles. Etc.
In the evening, we fulfilled one of Wes' desires. We went to Taco Bell for their happy hour which includes 3 beers (total of 900 milliliters) and half a round (made with a large flour tortilla filled with cheese and chili con carne) of quesadillas. Then we returned home for the night. We sat on the patio having some more snacks, and now we are inside relaxing for the rest of the evening.
Saturday, June 10, 2017
A Long and Tiring Trip
Saturday, June 10, 2017--Valencia (Pronounced with a "B" instead of a "V"), Spain
Today was a long travel day I had been dreading--a 9 1/2 hour bus trip from Granada to Valencia. We left the apartment at 8:45, took 40 minutes to walk to the station, caught the bus at 9:50, and arrived in Valencia at 19:25 after twisting and winding through mountains all day. There was an added pressure, too. Our reservation in Valencia was for the B&B Almirante which keeps reception open only until 20:00 and was a 23 minute walk from the bus station. Since the bus arrived at 19:25, we thought we had enough time, but when the driver opened the luggage compartment, our bags had been pushed far to the back behind and under other bags. By the time we got our bags, it was 19:32!
We rushed to the B&B. Fortunately, I had already made arrangements for them to wait late for us after 20:00 at a cost of 10 Euros, if necessary, but I wanted to beat the clock and not require anyone to stay later than normal for us. We ran across streets against red lights when no traffic was coming (which is common in Spain). We took the most direct route. And we beat the Google suggested time to walk the distance by 10 minutes! We arrived at 19:50!!
Juan, one of the owners, was outside waiting having already closed early for the night knowing we were the only ones left to arrive and that we might be late. He brought us into the old building just a few blocks from the Cathedral, up the large curving staircase, and into the door to the B&B. There are 9 units, but only 7 on our side which also includes an outdoor patio, a living room, and a kitchen area. We have a small suite that includes a bedroom with two twin beds, a small living area through an arched opening that includes a sofa and a TV, and a bath. Our windows look out onto the open patio.
After settling into the room, we left to go to a nearby supermarket to buy some happy hour supplies for tonight and tomorrow night, since stores will be closed tomorrow. On the way to the store, however, we could hear drum music. We headed that way. On a major square just 4 blocks away, a samba band was performing. And while watching the activities on the square, we noticed that the Basilica de la Mar de Deu was open. We first noticed it because of the rose petals and rice on the ground that had been thrown at couples getting married today. We went inside and were able to see the beautiful, ornate chapel.
Just past there, we noticed that the Cathedral was open, too. We entered just as mass was ending. The building is nice with LOTS of gold in the alter area. There was also an impressive doll-like image in an open case at the alter which made us wonder if the case was open only because this is the period for the celebration of Corpus Christi starting today and lasting for 4 more days.
Best of all, the door was open to the side Capila de Santo Caliz, a Gothic vaulted chapel. A wedding of an elderly couple had just ended there, so we got to see the severe, but beautiful, features of this chapel, too.
After that, we headed to the store for bread and wine. At home we sat at a table on the patio with votive candles around us and had a bread/salami sandwich, olives, peanuts, potato chips, and wine happy hour.
Now we are back in our room and tired. Wes is having some pain inside his knee that feels like a muscle cramp. He is researching it to see what might be the problem. We are both tired and will go to bed soon.
But one other interesting thing about today: We passed a town called Benidorm which neither of us knew. Wes researched it while I was writing this, because we were amazed at all the skyscrapers there. Online, he read that it has the most skyscrapers per capita of anywhere in the world. It looked like a Manhattan or a Hong Kong. But with all the skyscrapers we saw, it only had a population in 2014 of 69,000 people!! Apparently a lot of the owners of units in the skyscrapers are absentee owners--probably British and other EU members who want a second home close to the nice beaches in this area of Spain.
Today was a long travel day I had been dreading--a 9 1/2 hour bus trip from Granada to Valencia. We left the apartment at 8:45, took 40 minutes to walk to the station, caught the bus at 9:50, and arrived in Valencia at 19:25 after twisting and winding through mountains all day. There was an added pressure, too. Our reservation in Valencia was for the B&B Almirante which keeps reception open only until 20:00 and was a 23 minute walk from the bus station. Since the bus arrived at 19:25, we thought we had enough time, but when the driver opened the luggage compartment, our bags had been pushed far to the back behind and under other bags. By the time we got our bags, it was 19:32!
We rushed to the B&B. Fortunately, I had already made arrangements for them to wait late for us after 20:00 at a cost of 10 Euros, if necessary, but I wanted to beat the clock and not require anyone to stay later than normal for us. We ran across streets against red lights when no traffic was coming (which is common in Spain). We took the most direct route. And we beat the Google suggested time to walk the distance by 10 minutes! We arrived at 19:50!!
Juan, one of the owners, was outside waiting having already closed early for the night knowing we were the only ones left to arrive and that we might be late. He brought us into the old building just a few blocks from the Cathedral, up the large curving staircase, and into the door to the B&B. There are 9 units, but only 7 on our side which also includes an outdoor patio, a living room, and a kitchen area. We have a small suite that includes a bedroom with two twin beds, a small living area through an arched opening that includes a sofa and a TV, and a bath. Our windows look out onto the open patio.
After settling into the room, we left to go to a nearby supermarket to buy some happy hour supplies for tonight and tomorrow night, since stores will be closed tomorrow. On the way to the store, however, we could hear drum music. We headed that way. On a major square just 4 blocks away, a samba band was performing. And while watching the activities on the square, we noticed that the Basilica de la Mar de Deu was open. We first noticed it because of the rose petals and rice on the ground that had been thrown at couples getting married today. We went inside and were able to see the beautiful, ornate chapel.
Just past there, we noticed that the Cathedral was open, too. We entered just as mass was ending. The building is nice with LOTS of gold in the alter area. There was also an impressive doll-like image in an open case at the alter which made us wonder if the case was open only because this is the period for the celebration of Corpus Christi starting today and lasting for 4 more days.
Best of all, the door was open to the side Capila de Santo Caliz, a Gothic vaulted chapel. A wedding of an elderly couple had just ended there, so we got to see the severe, but beautiful, features of this chapel, too.
After that, we headed to the store for bread and wine. At home we sat at a table on the patio with votive candles around us and had a bread/salami sandwich, olives, peanuts, potato chips, and wine happy hour.
Now we are back in our room and tired. Wes is having some pain inside his knee that feels like a muscle cramp. He is researching it to see what might be the problem. We are both tired and will go to bed soon.
But one other interesting thing about today: We passed a town called Benidorm which neither of us knew. Wes researched it while I was writing this, because we were amazed at all the skyscrapers there. Online, he read that it has the most skyscrapers per capita of anywhere in the world. It looked like a Manhattan or a Hong Kong. But with all the skyscrapers we saw, it only had a population in 2014 of 69,000 people!! Apparently a lot of the owners of units in the skyscrapers are absentee owners--probably British and other EU members who want a second home close to the nice beaches in this area of Spain.
Friday, June 09, 2017
Finding Local Food Spots
Friday, June 9, 2017--Granada, Spain
We planned too many days in Granada. We really had nothing special that we wanted to do today, so we backtracked to a couple of places we had seen yesterday.
First, after spending most of the morning in the apartment, we went to Jorge's Churros. It is a small place that had a line of people waiting yesterday. The owner makes hot chocolate using an expresso machine--a THICK, dark chocolate. And he has a machine that pumps a long strand of churros into a pot of hot oil. He uses long stainless steel sticks to stir and form the churros into a a spiral. When they are done, he cuts them into long pieces. We had a huge spiral of churro pieces which we dipped into our hot chocolate and ate. UMMM.
From there, we went to a small place operated by a local woman who makes all the food there and packages it to go. We got an order of chicken paella, an order of a smoky tasting vegetable dish that was tomatoes, eggplant, squash, and onions (very thick) with a fried egg on top, and an order of an empanada with tomatoes, onion, and smoked ham inside. In the evening, we warmed them and had them with a good bottle of wine. UMMM, again! A surprise was that the other two dishes were more enjoyable than the paella.
In the evening, we took another stroll through Albaicin, the old quarter of town. This time, we concentrated on going up and down the narrow residential streets. It is an atmospheric area, but everyone there has so much climbing to do every time they come and go to/from their homes!!
Back in town, we made a stop at an exhibit of photographs by the American photographer Louis Faurer. They were very interesting, and there were 150 photos on exhibit. A couple of them would be perfect on the walls of my home!!
We planned too many days in Granada. We really had nothing special that we wanted to do today, so we backtracked to a couple of places we had seen yesterday.
First, after spending most of the morning in the apartment, we went to Jorge's Churros. It is a small place that had a line of people waiting yesterday. The owner makes hot chocolate using an expresso machine--a THICK, dark chocolate. And he has a machine that pumps a long strand of churros into a pot of hot oil. He uses long stainless steel sticks to stir and form the churros into a a spiral. When they are done, he cuts them into long pieces. We had a huge spiral of churro pieces which we dipped into our hot chocolate and ate. UMMM.
From there, we went to a small place operated by a local woman who makes all the food there and packages it to go. We got an order of chicken paella, an order of a smoky tasting vegetable dish that was tomatoes, eggplant, squash, and onions (very thick) with a fried egg on top, and an order of an empanada with tomatoes, onion, and smoked ham inside. In the evening, we warmed them and had them with a good bottle of wine. UMMM, again! A surprise was that the other two dishes were more enjoyable than the paella.
In the evening, we took another stroll through Albaicin, the old quarter of town. This time, we concentrated on going up and down the narrow residential streets. It is an atmospheric area, but everyone there has so much climbing to do every time they come and go to/from their homes!!
Back in town, we made a stop at an exhibit of photographs by the American photographer Louis Faurer. They were very interesting, and there were 150 photos on exhibit. A couple of them would be perfect on the walls of my home!!
Thursday, June 08, 2017
Lazy, Quiet Day
Thursday, June 8, 2017--Granada, Spain
We were both tired from yesterday. We closed the shutters on the windows and slept until we awoke naturally. Then we took our time getting ready and having breakfast. Finally, we went out for about 2 hours wandering through the local neighborhood to the west of us.
We started by going through the San Augustine Market which has lots of interesting gourmet goodies as well as the traditional meat and fish stalls. I looked for a place one of the guidebooks had suggested as a great one for hot chocolate and churros, but it is no longer there. I think the upgrade to have more gourmet stalls probably meant that they were pushed out.
From there, we walked down the Gran Via. It is a street that was created by tearing out a long section of town about 50 yards wide to create a boulevard with new, fancy buildings along it. It is okay, but is nothing compared to the street with the same name in Bilbao.
We came across a Carrefour Market and went inside. We needed to buy bread before too late in the day. The breads eaten here in Spain do not stay fresh. Everyone buys bread once or twice a day for the next meal. By 16:00, it is hard to find any bread left in the stores. In other areas where I traveled earlier, they would still be putting out freshly baked bread until the evening. But in Cordoba and here, none comes out after early afternoon.
When I first arrived in France on this trip, I went to another Carrefour Market. While there, I studied the candy bars and found a Carrefour brand dark chocolate bar with almonds that was delicious and only about half the price of similar bars from other manufacturers--1.29 Euros for 200 grams. When Wes joined me on this trip, I introduced him to it. He has gone wild over them. The problem is, however, that only the biggest Carrefour Markets sell them. The one this morning had 7 of the bars in stock, and Wes bought all of them (to go with the 2 other bars he still had from the last time he bought multiple bars at a store where we found them).
We stopped at a nice park, Jardine del Triumfo, for a while. We walked by the train station which is being upgraded to handle the high-speed trains. We walked by parts of the campuses of the University of Granada and a catholic university that is here. Then we returned to the apartment.
During the afternoon, we washed a load of clothes for Wes and just continued to relax. We were both on computers, and I read on my book for a while.
In the evening, we went walking down Calle Recodigas of the city. This is the main shopping area and an upscale living district. We just wandered the streets watching people.
_______
I finished reading Redeployment by Phil Klay today. It is a collection of short stories about deployment in the military to Iraq, and it won the National Book Award in 2014. It is a very well written book with stories that seem quite realistic in terms of how people think, act, react, etc. Some stories are more memorable than others, and the best ones were truly outstanding. I gave the book 4 1/2 stars out of 5.
We were both tired from yesterday. We closed the shutters on the windows and slept until we awoke naturally. Then we took our time getting ready and having breakfast. Finally, we went out for about 2 hours wandering through the local neighborhood to the west of us.
We started by going through the San Augustine Market which has lots of interesting gourmet goodies as well as the traditional meat and fish stalls. I looked for a place one of the guidebooks had suggested as a great one for hot chocolate and churros, but it is no longer there. I think the upgrade to have more gourmet stalls probably meant that they were pushed out.
From there, we walked down the Gran Via. It is a street that was created by tearing out a long section of town about 50 yards wide to create a boulevard with new, fancy buildings along it. It is okay, but is nothing compared to the street with the same name in Bilbao.
We came across a Carrefour Market and went inside. We needed to buy bread before too late in the day. The breads eaten here in Spain do not stay fresh. Everyone buys bread once or twice a day for the next meal. By 16:00, it is hard to find any bread left in the stores. In other areas where I traveled earlier, they would still be putting out freshly baked bread until the evening. But in Cordoba and here, none comes out after early afternoon.
When I first arrived in France on this trip, I went to another Carrefour Market. While there, I studied the candy bars and found a Carrefour brand dark chocolate bar with almonds that was delicious and only about half the price of similar bars from other manufacturers--1.29 Euros for 200 grams. When Wes joined me on this trip, I introduced him to it. He has gone wild over them. The problem is, however, that only the biggest Carrefour Markets sell them. The one this morning had 7 of the bars in stock, and Wes bought all of them (to go with the 2 other bars he still had from the last time he bought multiple bars at a store where we found them).
We stopped at a nice park, Jardine del Triumfo, for a while. We walked by the train station which is being upgraded to handle the high-speed trains. We walked by parts of the campuses of the University of Granada and a catholic university that is here. Then we returned to the apartment.
During the afternoon, we washed a load of clothes for Wes and just continued to relax. We were both on computers, and I read on my book for a while.
In the evening, we went walking down Calle Recodigas of the city. This is the main shopping area and an upscale living district. We just wandered the streets watching people.
_______
I finished reading Redeployment by Phil Klay today. It is a collection of short stories about deployment in the military to Iraq, and it won the National Book Award in 2014. It is a very well written book with stories that seem quite realistic in terms of how people think, act, react, etc. Some stories are more memorable than others, and the best ones were truly outstanding. I gave the book 4 1/2 stars out of 5.
Wednesday, June 07, 2017
One Day Seeing One Place--The Alhambra
Wednesday, June 7, 2017--Granada, Spain
We bought our tickets to see the Alhambra in February, since times are regulated and tickets are limited. Although the tickets get a person into 3 different venues, it is only the Nasrid Palaces that requires an entry time. We chose 9:30 so that it would be less likely to be filled by tour groups yet.
We walked from our apartment to the Alhambra getting there about 8:00. The grounds are open then, but entry into the specific sights are not open until 8:30. Therefore, we just enjoyed the views of the city from the grounds including seeing the viewpoints where we had stood last night to look in this direction.
At 8:30, we went into the Palace of Charles V, the grandson of Ferdinand and Isabella who, as a Christian King after the Moors were expelled, built his own palace attached to the Moorish palace on the grounds. It is a simple building with an interesting design--square-shaped exterior and circular interior. Inside, we toured the Alhambra Museum with items that have been placed there for better care--glasswork, tiles, vases, coins, oil lamps, etc.
At 9:00, we went to the area known as the Plaza de Armas where mainly we just climbed towers to see the views toward the city. This was where military was housed and was the main point for protecting the compound from an attack.
Just before 9:30, we were in line for our entrance to the Nasrid Places and we were admitted just afterward. We spent about 3 hours there seeing courtyards and rooms for various purposes. Almost every room is splendid with unbelievably elaborate decorative details. There are ceilings that are ornately carved and decorated in wood and others made of plaster that cascade downward like stalactites. Walls are covered with plaster in very detailed designs, in calligraphy, and in tessellating tile designs. Windows are arched in various ways and sometimes covered with fitted carved wood screens or with plaster screens. Throughout the compound small fountains bubble--both in the courtyards and in the rooms.
We returned to the apartment after that and I prepared us a late breakfast. But later in the afternoon, we returned. Our tickets were good until 20:00, and we still had one feature to see--the Generalife Gardens. We stopped on the way there to get a bite to eat, then we walked back up the steep hillside to the far back side of the Alhambra grounds and entered the gardens. It was then close to 19:00 with the air fresher than it would have been if we had seen them before leaving earlier. Also, the crowds were smaller. Before leaving the grounds, we also looked into the old bath house which we had skipped earlier.
It was a LOT of walking to go up to the Alhambra twice and back both times, but it is a huge complex and it was better to break the visit into two parks. The result from getting up early and making the two trips in one day is that we are very tired tonight!
We bought our tickets to see the Alhambra in February, since times are regulated and tickets are limited. Although the tickets get a person into 3 different venues, it is only the Nasrid Palaces that requires an entry time. We chose 9:30 so that it would be less likely to be filled by tour groups yet.
We walked from our apartment to the Alhambra getting there about 8:00. The grounds are open then, but entry into the specific sights are not open until 8:30. Therefore, we just enjoyed the views of the city from the grounds including seeing the viewpoints where we had stood last night to look in this direction.
At 8:30, we went into the Palace of Charles V, the grandson of Ferdinand and Isabella who, as a Christian King after the Moors were expelled, built his own palace attached to the Moorish palace on the grounds. It is a simple building with an interesting design--square-shaped exterior and circular interior. Inside, we toured the Alhambra Museum with items that have been placed there for better care--glasswork, tiles, vases, coins, oil lamps, etc.
At 9:00, we went to the area known as the Plaza de Armas where mainly we just climbed towers to see the views toward the city. This was where military was housed and was the main point for protecting the compound from an attack.
Just before 9:30, we were in line for our entrance to the Nasrid Places and we were admitted just afterward. We spent about 3 hours there seeing courtyards and rooms for various purposes. Almost every room is splendid with unbelievably elaborate decorative details. There are ceilings that are ornately carved and decorated in wood and others made of plaster that cascade downward like stalactites. Walls are covered with plaster in very detailed designs, in calligraphy, and in tessellating tile designs. Windows are arched in various ways and sometimes covered with fitted carved wood screens or with plaster screens. Throughout the compound small fountains bubble--both in the courtyards and in the rooms.
We returned to the apartment after that and I prepared us a late breakfast. But later in the afternoon, we returned. Our tickets were good until 20:00, and we still had one feature to see--the Generalife Gardens. We stopped on the way there to get a bite to eat, then we walked back up the steep hillside to the far back side of the Alhambra grounds and entered the gardens. It was then close to 19:00 with the air fresher than it would have been if we had seen them before leaving earlier. Also, the crowds were smaller. Before leaving the grounds, we also looked into the old bath house which we had skipped earlier.
It was a LOT of walking to go up to the Alhambra twice and back both times, but it is a huge complex and it was better to break the visit into two parks. The result from getting up early and making the two trips in one day is that we are very tired tonight!
Tuesday, June 06, 2017
Hippie Hill
Tuesday, June 6, 2017--Cordoba to Granada
As usual, it was a tiring travel day. We left the hotel at 9:45 and headed to the bus station 30 minutes away. We did take a better route than the one when we arrived between the two locations; this time, we went up the smooth stone pedestrian shopping street rather than down the narrow cobblestone streets.
Our bus was full, but we had Seats 1 and 2 since we were the first to buy tickets for the trip way back in February. We traveled through rolling hills and then through mountains passing several towns with castles on hilltops and the village below. Some still had their old protective walls around them.
We are in Granada now which is our next-to-the-last stop on the trip. The bus station here is far from the center. But it was an almost direct walk to our apartment with just a couple of turns. We made it in 35 minutes, especially since it is common in Spain to walk across streets against red lights as long as no car is coming.
This company has an interesting system with their two apartment buildings which are operated out of an office elsewhere. At the front door there is a button with a camera phone for ringing the office. I answered, and they told us to go to the 3rd floor. (I already knew it would take them about 5 minutes to get here from the office.) They remotely opened the door, so we entered. We took the elevator up to the 3rd floor thinking we would wait there, but then I heard the door buzz. I pushed it and it opened. So they had a way to remotely open the apartment door, too! We came inside, looked around, and sat and waited until Javi came from the office to check us in.
We are staying at Apartamentos Casa de la Lonja (Apartment Del Pan). We have the entire 3rd floor of the building which is across a narrow passageway from the Cathedral of Granada. Our apartment has a wonderful view of the tower of the Cathedral. It is a very nice apartment with a huge kitchen (including a clothes washer which we are using), a spacious living area and dining area, a huge bathroom, and a bedroom. It is very centrally located for exploring all of the city on foot without much effort.
We went out immediately to get our tickets for visiting the Alhambra tomorrow morning, the biggest tourist site here. It gets hoards of visitors, so we reserved our tickets about 4 months ago and picked them up this afternoon to avoid long lines tomorrow morning. After that, we went to a supermarket to buy food for breakfasts and happy hours during our stay.
It's late afternoon and I am doing a load of my laundry while Wes and I are watching a French rugby game on TV. We will go out to explore more of town later tonight. Tomorrow, we will wash his clothes while we are gone to see the Alhambra. Mine will have dried leaving the drying rack available again by then.
_________
Tonight, we took a circular tour to see parts of Albaicin, the old quarter of Granada. It begins just two blocks north of our apartment. We went through Plaza Nueva (one of the main squares of the city), walked up the street from there looking down at the people who had been relaxing by the Rio Darro in the afternoon and were now leaving and up to the structures in the Alhambra, curved around the north side (which is just south of Sacromonte, the next neighborhood northward and home to many Romas) climbing higher with each step, turned south again while continuing to climb until we got to two overlooks for the city--the gardens of the Mosque of Granada and the Mirador San Nicolas. Before going to the second, however, we wandered westward to the Arco de la Pesas which led us outside the old city walls to the Plaza Larga.
The views from the mosque and from the mirador were fantastic. We could look across to the buildings of the Alhambra which are on top of a hill of about equal height as the one were we were standing. And we could look southward to the lower land where most of the city is located. It was like a giant party at the mirador with probably 200 people there looking at the views, taking photos, drinking beers, singing, laughing, etc.
But Plaza Larca was the big surprise of the night. It is an area of town filled with hippies--true modern-day ones. They were singing and selling jewelry and other items. Many had dreadlocks. All were skinny and wearing clothes that were well worn. Men had on Afghanistan-style loose pants. Women wore long, flowing skirts. Everyone wore sandals. Some were leaving the plaza area when we walked there, because it was 21:00 when things start to close. But then we found them at the mirador with their wares set up and performing their songs for donations from the tourists.
Returning to the apartment from there brought us down Caldereria Nueva, one of the main streets of the old town with its shops, restaurants, hooka cafes, etc. It feels as if it is still an Arab street today rather than an old section built by Arabs that now has galleries, souvenir shops, etc., like the one in Cordoba.
As usual, it was a tiring travel day. We left the hotel at 9:45 and headed to the bus station 30 minutes away. We did take a better route than the one when we arrived between the two locations; this time, we went up the smooth stone pedestrian shopping street rather than down the narrow cobblestone streets.
Our bus was full, but we had Seats 1 and 2 since we were the first to buy tickets for the trip way back in February. We traveled through rolling hills and then through mountains passing several towns with castles on hilltops and the village below. Some still had their old protective walls around them.
We are in Granada now which is our next-to-the-last stop on the trip. The bus station here is far from the center. But it was an almost direct walk to our apartment with just a couple of turns. We made it in 35 minutes, especially since it is common in Spain to walk across streets against red lights as long as no car is coming.
This company has an interesting system with their two apartment buildings which are operated out of an office elsewhere. At the front door there is a button with a camera phone for ringing the office. I answered, and they told us to go to the 3rd floor. (I already knew it would take them about 5 minutes to get here from the office.) They remotely opened the door, so we entered. We took the elevator up to the 3rd floor thinking we would wait there, but then I heard the door buzz. I pushed it and it opened. So they had a way to remotely open the apartment door, too! We came inside, looked around, and sat and waited until Javi came from the office to check us in.
We are staying at Apartamentos Casa de la Lonja (Apartment Del Pan). We have the entire 3rd floor of the building which is across a narrow passageway from the Cathedral of Granada. Our apartment has a wonderful view of the tower of the Cathedral. It is a very nice apartment with a huge kitchen (including a clothes washer which we are using), a spacious living area and dining area, a huge bathroom, and a bedroom. It is very centrally located for exploring all of the city on foot without much effort.
We went out immediately to get our tickets for visiting the Alhambra tomorrow morning, the biggest tourist site here. It gets hoards of visitors, so we reserved our tickets about 4 months ago and picked them up this afternoon to avoid long lines tomorrow morning. After that, we went to a supermarket to buy food for breakfasts and happy hours during our stay.
It's late afternoon and I am doing a load of my laundry while Wes and I are watching a French rugby game on TV. We will go out to explore more of town later tonight. Tomorrow, we will wash his clothes while we are gone to see the Alhambra. Mine will have dried leaving the drying rack available again by then.
_________
Tonight, we took a circular tour to see parts of Albaicin, the old quarter of Granada. It begins just two blocks north of our apartment. We went through Plaza Nueva (one of the main squares of the city), walked up the street from there looking down at the people who had been relaxing by the Rio Darro in the afternoon and were now leaving and up to the structures in the Alhambra, curved around the north side (which is just south of Sacromonte, the next neighborhood northward and home to many Romas) climbing higher with each step, turned south again while continuing to climb until we got to two overlooks for the city--the gardens of the Mosque of Granada and the Mirador San Nicolas. Before going to the second, however, we wandered westward to the Arco de la Pesas which led us outside the old city walls to the Plaza Larga.
The views from the mosque and from the mirador were fantastic. We could look across to the buildings of the Alhambra which are on top of a hill of about equal height as the one were we were standing. And we could look southward to the lower land where most of the city is located. It was like a giant party at the mirador with probably 200 people there looking at the views, taking photos, drinking beers, singing, laughing, etc.
But Plaza Larca was the big surprise of the night. It is an area of town filled with hippies--true modern-day ones. They were singing and selling jewelry and other items. Many had dreadlocks. All were skinny and wearing clothes that were well worn. Men had on Afghanistan-style loose pants. Women wore long, flowing skirts. Everyone wore sandals. Some were leaving the plaza area when we walked there, because it was 21:00 when things start to close. But then we found them at the mirador with their wares set up and performing their songs for donations from the tourists.
Returning to the apartment from there brought us down Caldereria Nueva, one of the main streets of the old town with its shops, restaurants, hooka cafes, etc. It feels as if it is still an Arab street today rather than an old section built by Arabs that now has galleries, souvenir shops, etc., like the one in Cordoba.
Monday, June 05, 2017
Mezquita in Cordoba
Monday, June 5, 2017--Cordoba, Spain
We were up early to see the Mezquita (the former mosque which now has an entire Cathedral built inside its walls) before the arrival of the crowds for the day. We had set the alarm to be up at 7:30, but I had some trouble sleeping and never got back to sleep after awakening around 5:30. I read in my current book from about 6:00 and finally started my shower around 7:15.
The Mezquita WAS a beautiful building. Parts of it still are. But almost all aspects of it have been altered to turn the entire building into a Christian one. That surprised me a bit. I had read how the city of Cordoba fought the government to avoid the building being altered and that the government had finally decreed that a huge church be built inside the center of the building (photo here where the outline of the church sticking up out of the building can be see and photos here where the church exists within the building. But so much more has been done. Light fixtures have been installed with crosses on them in beyond the interior of the church. Small Christian chapels have been built out from the side walls all around the interior of the Mezquita. Essentially what remains to show what a great mosque this was is the size of the interior (possibly only because to build a cathedral big enough to encompass the whole building would have been too expensive and large an undertaking), the many supporting columns and arches in Moorish design, some woodwork design in ceilings and wall panels, and some Arabic writing and Moorish designs in stone. Why is it necessary for religions to try to wipe out the beautiful architecture of others by forcefully changing their buildings to the religion of the conquerors? Today we decry the Taliban destroying old Roman or pagan temples that have stood for centuries, but we westerners tend to glorify the building of a church that greatly alters the interior of a wonderful centuries-old mosque. I walked through this building resenting the imposition of Christianity throughout and wishing I could have seen it in its original glory. It was one of the four greatest centers of Islam in the world in one of the largest cities of the world at one time. While there, an organist came to practice, and it was nice to hear his music. That was the only positive Christian experience I can say that I took away from the visit this morning.
After leaving there, we had a list of other sights to see before closing times this afternoon. Along the way, we also discovered other places we appreciated. We went to the Calle y Plaza de las Flores (a narrow street and small plaza with flower pots hanging on the walls and with a nice lined-up view back to the former minaret/now church tower of the Mezquita), the Casa Arabe (a group of several old homes/patios with Arabic cultural exhibits--paintings, music, etc.), the Casa Ramon Garcia (a wonderful small house built around a courtyard that houses exhibits and items for sale of leather work in the styles of guadamecies and cordobanes--the former where the leather is tooled and completely covered in silver and other shiny decorative details and the latter where the leather is only tooled and may have portions of it dyed), the beautiful multi-courtyard area with a well and flowers everywhere including on the walls of a small home at #4 Calle Trueque, and the very interesting Iglesia Parroquial de San Lorenzo.
On our way back to the hotel we shared a delicious ham and cheese empanada that had a really good flaky crust and a pastry made from the same crust with a filling of sweet cream and slices of dried apple and glazed which is one of the local Cordoba specialties. We returned through the Plaza del Potro just to see it again after reading that in one of the adventures of Don Quixote, he had lived at that square.
______
After tea and then happy hour at our room, we went out just to wander for a final time in Cordoba. We went up directions we had not gone since the first day here. Eventually, we ended up at the main square in the shopping district where we found an empty bench and sat watching people, listening to a man playing an accordion, and just visiting with each other.
There is a concert tonight we would have liked to have heard--part of the International Sephardic Music Festival that starts tonight. The performers tonight are Jasmina Petrovic and Klezmer Muzikanten. I may have heard them before at the Accordion Festival in San Antonio. But there concert tonight doesn't begin until 22:30, and we have to be up and traveling tomorrow morning to our next destination.
We were up early to see the Mezquita (the former mosque which now has an entire Cathedral built inside its walls) before the arrival of the crowds for the day. We had set the alarm to be up at 7:30, but I had some trouble sleeping and never got back to sleep after awakening around 5:30. I read in my current book from about 6:00 and finally started my shower around 7:15.
The Mezquita WAS a beautiful building. Parts of it still are. But almost all aspects of it have been altered to turn the entire building into a Christian one. That surprised me a bit. I had read how the city of Cordoba fought the government to avoid the building being altered and that the government had finally decreed that a huge church be built inside the center of the building (photo here where the outline of the church sticking up out of the building can be see and photos here where the church exists within the building. But so much more has been done. Light fixtures have been installed with crosses on them in beyond the interior of the church. Small Christian chapels have been built out from the side walls all around the interior of the Mezquita. Essentially what remains to show what a great mosque this was is the size of the interior (possibly only because to build a cathedral big enough to encompass the whole building would have been too expensive and large an undertaking), the many supporting columns and arches in Moorish design, some woodwork design in ceilings and wall panels, and some Arabic writing and Moorish designs in stone. Why is it necessary for religions to try to wipe out the beautiful architecture of others by forcefully changing their buildings to the religion of the conquerors? Today we decry the Taliban destroying old Roman or pagan temples that have stood for centuries, but we westerners tend to glorify the building of a church that greatly alters the interior of a wonderful centuries-old mosque. I walked through this building resenting the imposition of Christianity throughout and wishing I could have seen it in its original glory. It was one of the four greatest centers of Islam in the world in one of the largest cities of the world at one time. While there, an organist came to practice, and it was nice to hear his music. That was the only positive Christian experience I can say that I took away from the visit this morning.
After leaving there, we had a list of other sights to see before closing times this afternoon. Along the way, we also discovered other places we appreciated. We went to the Calle y Plaza de las Flores (a narrow street and small plaza with flower pots hanging on the walls and with a nice lined-up view back to the former minaret/now church tower of the Mezquita), the Casa Arabe (a group of several old homes/patios with Arabic cultural exhibits--paintings, music, etc.), the Casa Ramon Garcia (a wonderful small house built around a courtyard that houses exhibits and items for sale of leather work in the styles of guadamecies and cordobanes--the former where the leather is tooled and completely covered in silver and other shiny decorative details and the latter where the leather is only tooled and may have portions of it dyed), the beautiful multi-courtyard area with a well and flowers everywhere including on the walls of a small home at #4 Calle Trueque, and the very interesting Iglesia Parroquial de San Lorenzo.
On our way back to the hotel we shared a delicious ham and cheese empanada that had a really good flaky crust and a pastry made from the same crust with a filling of sweet cream and slices of dried apple and glazed which is one of the local Cordoba specialties. We returned through the Plaza del Potro just to see it again after reading that in one of the adventures of Don Quixote, he had lived at that square.
______
After tea and then happy hour at our room, we went out just to wander for a final time in Cordoba. We went up directions we had not gone since the first day here. Eventually, we ended up at the main square in the shopping district where we found an empty bench and sat watching people, listening to a man playing an accordion, and just visiting with each other.
There is a concert tonight we would have liked to have heard--part of the International Sephardic Music Festival that starts tonight. The performers tonight are Jasmina Petrovic and Klezmer Muzikanten. I may have heard them before at the Accordion Festival in San Antonio. But there concert tonight doesn't begin until 22:30, and we have to be up and traveling tomorrow morning to our next destination.
Sunday, June 04, 2017
Seeing the Sights that Will Not Be Open Tomorrow
Sunday, June 4, 2017--Cordoba, Spain
Weekends are a bit awkward for seeing sights anywhere, especially if you are not leaving on Monday. Every place is crowded with tourists on the weekend. Here in Spain where closing for the afternoon is ingrained in the culture, it means that many places are only open until 14:00 or 15:00 and then closed for the rest of the day. And if you aren't leaving on Monday, it means planning a Sunday schedule around what will be closed on Monday and saving places that will be open on Monday for that day.
We started this morning by wandering through the Jewish Quarter. It has even narrower streets than the rest of old town, and they twist and wind more. I imagine it was probably an intentional design to make it harder for people to come into their neighborhood and cause problems. Inside the quarter, we went into the old synagogue, one of only three remaining in all of Spain. It is a simple, small building with lots of carved designs and inscriptions on the walls.
All over town we have been able to see into beautiful gardens in courtyards. As we left the Jewish quarter, we passed several on our way across the old Roman Bridge to the very modern and new Centro de Arte Contemporaneo (here and here). There we saw a very interesting exhibit of work by Pepe Espaliu (information about the artist here and pictures of the artist and his works here.
We walked back across the river and went to the Museo de Bellas Artes which is rather small, but had some nice artwork. From there, we walked to Plaza de Corredera, a large enclosed square (only two corder exits and one side exit with no streets passing through it. It has a few cafes, and it has been used for bullfights before. Next, we went to Plaza de Colon, a small park dedicated to Christopher Columbus. After resting on a bench in front of the fountain watching people for a while, we left there to pass through Plaza Capuchinos which has a statue of Jesus that is popular. Usually people try to see it at night because of all the votive candles that are brought there regularly.
By then, it was getting hot and everything was closing for the afternoon. We wandered down one of the main shopping streets and though Plaza Tindillas. From there, we followed narrow old town streets with small cafes that were beginning to fill with people for afternoon drinks. As we approached our room, we encountered a group of women in flamenco dresses with a man playing a guitar while they sang as they moved down the street.
_____
In the early evening we went out again. We walked across the river again to explore neighborhoods over there. Then we returned near the Alcazar. It was already closed for the day, but we could see the beautiful gardens through the gate. We sat at a local park for a while watching the horse carriages leave with riders and the people wandering the area. We eventually returned home the long way through more of the old town streets getting back for the night (and a late happy hour) around 20:00.
Weekends are a bit awkward for seeing sights anywhere, especially if you are not leaving on Monday. Every place is crowded with tourists on the weekend. Here in Spain where closing for the afternoon is ingrained in the culture, it means that many places are only open until 14:00 or 15:00 and then closed for the rest of the day. And if you aren't leaving on Monday, it means planning a Sunday schedule around what will be closed on Monday and saving places that will be open on Monday for that day.
We started this morning by wandering through the Jewish Quarter. It has even narrower streets than the rest of old town, and they twist and wind more. I imagine it was probably an intentional design to make it harder for people to come into their neighborhood and cause problems. Inside the quarter, we went into the old synagogue, one of only three remaining in all of Spain. It is a simple, small building with lots of carved designs and inscriptions on the walls.
All over town we have been able to see into beautiful gardens in courtyards. As we left the Jewish quarter, we passed several on our way across the old Roman Bridge to the very modern and new Centro de Arte Contemporaneo (here and here). There we saw a very interesting exhibit of work by Pepe Espaliu (information about the artist here and pictures of the artist and his works here.
We walked back across the river and went to the Museo de Bellas Artes which is rather small, but had some nice artwork. From there, we walked to Plaza de Corredera, a large enclosed square (only two corder exits and one side exit with no streets passing through it. It has a few cafes, and it has been used for bullfights before. Next, we went to Plaza de Colon, a small park dedicated to Christopher Columbus. After resting on a bench in front of the fountain watching people for a while, we left there to pass through Plaza Capuchinos which has a statue of Jesus that is popular. Usually people try to see it at night because of all the votive candles that are brought there regularly.
By then, it was getting hot and everything was closing for the afternoon. We wandered down one of the main shopping streets and though Plaza Tindillas. From there, we followed narrow old town streets with small cafes that were beginning to fill with people for afternoon drinks. As we approached our room, we encountered a group of women in flamenco dresses with a man playing a guitar while they sang as they moved down the street.
_____
In the early evening we went out again. We walked across the river again to explore neighborhoods over there. Then we returned near the Alcazar. It was already closed for the day, but we could see the beautiful gardens through the gate. We sat at a local park for a while watching the horse carriages leave with riders and the people wandering the area. We eventually returned home the long way through more of the old town streets getting back for the night (and a late happy hour) around 20:00.
Saturday, June 03, 2017
Slow/Fast Train to Cordoba
Saturday, June 3, 2017--Ronda to Cordoba
When we bought our train tickets, Wes was surprised at the cost (about 30 Euros each). The woman explained that it was a fast train. When the train pulled into the station, it didn't look like a fast train. And for the first hour of the less-than-two hour trip, it wasn't. Then we passed the way-out-in-the-country station of Santa Ana/Antequera, we joined the fast-train tracks between Malaga and Cordoba. We went a little faster, but then we pulled over and waited for another train to pass. With only about 35 minutes left before our expected arrival and about 40% of our distance still ahead of us, we finally started moving fast. It was so fast, that we made that 40% of the trip in only 30 minutes with 5 minutes to spare. If it had been a fast train all the way, we would have traveled only about 1 hr. 10 minutes compared to the scheduled 1 hr. 55 minutes.
We are staying at another place that is called a hostel but really isn't one. It is the Hostal Azahar which is just across the street from the main tourist sight in Cordoba--the Mezquita (the old mosque). Our room is very nice and has a patio area outside it that we will enjoy using.
Walking from the train station, we came through the Old Town--the largest in Europe. In a brief outing after checking in and walking around the corner to the tourist office, we saw the old Roman Bridge, the Puerta del Puente (old gate), the walls around the Mezquita, and an art exhibit at the Centro de Arte Contemporaneo on the history of Flamenco. It included a beautiful photograph of Lola Flores whose statue was just outside our apartment in Jerez.
We have finally hit hot weather, so after buying some happy hour supplies we returned to the room to take advantage of the air conditioner for a while. We are mapping out a plan for what to see and when to see it using information we got at the tourist office.
________
We went back out in the early evening just wandering randomly. The Old Town of Cordoba is so big that it is easy to do that day after day. (Around the year 1000, Cordoba already had 500,000 residents!) We aimed toward the northeast, because the tourist office had told us about a concert up there. On the way, we passed another art exhibit which we saw--works by Toni Soto. (Note: It is difficult to find any of her work; only the first 3 photos on the link are related to her and her works.) A few minutes later, we came to a square that had many people dressed in white and a choir singing Aquarius (the 4th Dimension song). Eventually, a drum/dance group led the crowd away from the square. We never figured out what it was about.
We made it to the concert. It was in a former church. A string quartet of young people called Cuarteto Haendel de Puertos del Estado. They played two pieces, each with four parts--one by Verdi and another by Brahms--and finished with an encore. They were very good and had all graduated from the Queen Sofia School of Music.
Walking back home via a different route, we kept passing full plazas and bars where people were watching a futbol (soccer) game with Real Madrid, one of the major teams in Spain. Every time there was a score, there would be roars! Back in the room, we prepared for bed!
When we bought our train tickets, Wes was surprised at the cost (about 30 Euros each). The woman explained that it was a fast train. When the train pulled into the station, it didn't look like a fast train. And for the first hour of the less-than-two hour trip, it wasn't. Then we passed the way-out-in-the-country station of Santa Ana/Antequera, we joined the fast-train tracks between Malaga and Cordoba. We went a little faster, but then we pulled over and waited for another train to pass. With only about 35 minutes left before our expected arrival and about 40% of our distance still ahead of us, we finally started moving fast. It was so fast, that we made that 40% of the trip in only 30 minutes with 5 minutes to spare. If it had been a fast train all the way, we would have traveled only about 1 hr. 10 minutes compared to the scheduled 1 hr. 55 minutes.
We are staying at another place that is called a hostel but really isn't one. It is the Hostal Azahar which is just across the street from the main tourist sight in Cordoba--the Mezquita (the old mosque). Our room is very nice and has a patio area outside it that we will enjoy using.
Walking from the train station, we came through the Old Town--the largest in Europe. In a brief outing after checking in and walking around the corner to the tourist office, we saw the old Roman Bridge, the Puerta del Puente (old gate), the walls around the Mezquita, and an art exhibit at the Centro de Arte Contemporaneo on the history of Flamenco. It included a beautiful photograph of Lola Flores whose statue was just outside our apartment in Jerez.
We have finally hit hot weather, so after buying some happy hour supplies we returned to the room to take advantage of the air conditioner for a while. We are mapping out a plan for what to see and when to see it using information we got at the tourist office.
________
We went back out in the early evening just wandering randomly. The Old Town of Cordoba is so big that it is easy to do that day after day. (Around the year 1000, Cordoba already had 500,000 residents!) We aimed toward the northeast, because the tourist office had told us about a concert up there. On the way, we passed another art exhibit which we saw--works by Toni Soto. (Note: It is difficult to find any of her work; only the first 3 photos on the link are related to her and her works.) A few minutes later, we came to a square that had many people dressed in white and a choir singing Aquarius (the 4th Dimension song). Eventually, a drum/dance group led the crowd away from the square. We never figured out what it was about.
We made it to the concert. It was in a former church. A string quartet of young people called Cuarteto Haendel de Puertos del Estado. They played two pieces, each with four parts--one by Verdi and another by Brahms--and finished with an encore. They were very good and had all graduated from the Queen Sofia School of Music.
Walking back home via a different route, we kept passing full plazas and bars where people were watching a futbol (soccer) game with Real Madrid, one of the major teams in Spain. Every time there was a score, there would be roars! Back in the room, we prepared for bed!
Friday, June 02, 2017
Final Ramblings in Ronda
Friday, June 2, 2017--Ronda, Spain
I began the day by getting a haircut. I had been needing one for a while, but I hadn't organized myself for one. That means that I had not used Google Translate to create a list of specifics about what I wanted done in Spanish. But while Wes was lingering in the bathroom this morning, I did my translation and then went to a barber shop I had seen yesterday. It was a nice young man who spoke a little English, but read my list and understood exactly what I wanted. He took his time and did a good job of cutting. At the end, I told him he could take my list (including my sketches) to a party to have a good laugh with his friends. He put it in a drawer and said in English, "For my collection." The haircut cost only 6 Euros. I gave him an extra one even though he was the owner of the shop, since he had to deal with the language barrier with me.
Today was a wrap-up day in Ronda. We went into local neighborhoods to see some old churches and an old public fountain. We crossed two other bridges, including one they call the old Arab bridge but which was also the site of a Roman bridge earlier, at lower levels than the high one over the gorge. We went by the ruins of the old Arab baths.
Back in the hotel for part of the afternoon, we got caught up on reading news stories and did some time researching some of the sights we have seen here. I also reviewed and highlighted the literature for our next stop tomorrow.
We had an early dinner of pizza and beer, since Spanish restaurants don't really serve meals until late in the evening. Then we wandered some of the viewpoints of the city again before returning here for the night.
I began the day by getting a haircut. I had been needing one for a while, but I hadn't organized myself for one. That means that I had not used Google Translate to create a list of specifics about what I wanted done in Spanish. But while Wes was lingering in the bathroom this morning, I did my translation and then went to a barber shop I had seen yesterday. It was a nice young man who spoke a little English, but read my list and understood exactly what I wanted. He took his time and did a good job of cutting. At the end, I told him he could take my list (including my sketches) to a party to have a good laugh with his friends. He put it in a drawer and said in English, "For my collection." The haircut cost only 6 Euros. I gave him an extra one even though he was the owner of the shop, since he had to deal with the language barrier with me.
Today was a wrap-up day in Ronda. We went into local neighborhoods to see some old churches and an old public fountain. We crossed two other bridges, including one they call the old Arab bridge but which was also the site of a Roman bridge earlier, at lower levels than the high one over the gorge. We went by the ruins of the old Arab baths.
Back in the hotel for part of the afternoon, we got caught up on reading news stories and did some time researching some of the sights we have seen here. I also reviewed and highlighted the literature for our next stop tomorrow.
We had an early dinner of pizza and beer, since Spanish restaurants don't really serve meals until late in the evening. Then we wandered some of the viewpoints of the city again before returning here for the night.
Thursday, June 01, 2017
Traveling the Ruta de los Pueblos Bancos
Thursday, June 1, 2017--Jerez de la Frontera to Ronda
Our bus trip today took us along 2-lane highways along the Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos--a highway that connects many of the famous white villages of Spain (quaint, beautiful places in the mountains in which most of the buildings are stucco painted white). (Note: A right-click on the mouse should give you an options that will include using Google Translate to translate the linked webpage into English.) Among the ones we went through were the outstanding Arcos de la Frontera, Bornos, Villamartin, Puerto Serrano, Algodonales, and El Gastor. We could see the beautiful Zahara in the distance, and, of course, we ended in Ronda.
We are staying at the Hotel Royal which is in a good location to explore the city as well as for getting in and out of it. It's a simple room with a good a/c and acceptable WiFi. The town itself is so crowded with groups of tourists wandering everywhere that it wasn't very easy to walk to the hotel (even though it was just a few blocks).
_________
Ronda is built on two sides of the El Tajo Gorge. The old city is on one side and the "new" city (maybe 200 years old) is on the other. We went out this evening to see the city without the hoards of group tourists that were everywhere during the daytime. We walked straight down our street past the bullring to the gorge where we looked out both directions. Then we continued into the old town which is very atmospheric.
Toward the end of the old town, we went into two different churches with interesting experiences. Both were associated with convents. When we entered the first one, no one was in church, but we could hear a group of unseen nuns chanting. They continued until Wes sat down and the pew creaked. Then they stopped. It may have been coincidental, but I'm not convinced that it was. In the next chapel, we entered and there were nuns in their black habits sitting quietly and praying in the front. What I found interesting is that about 2/3 of them were seated in the pews, but the others were seated directly on the floor.
Continuing to wind through the narrow streets of the old town, we came to a path that takes people down into the gorge for a look back up to the city. The sun was positioned just right for photos, so we decided not to wait to hike there tomorrow. We went down and down and down the trail until we came to a small viewing area. It provided a perfect location for taking photos, for appreciating the construction of the bridge over the gorge, and for admiring the city on top of the stone mountains on either side of it. The climb back up was long and hard. It was just so far and so steep. We stopped three times to rest in the shade.
When we got to the top, it was at a small green plaza with beautiful trees and flowers with several tables of diners at a sidewalk cafe. A man was playing a guitar--a variety of Latin melodies that I knew well. We just sat and enjoyed the mellow music and the evening as people walked by us.
Our bus trip today took us along 2-lane highways along the Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos--a highway that connects many of the famous white villages of Spain (quaint, beautiful places in the mountains in which most of the buildings are stucco painted white). (Note: A right-click on the mouse should give you an options that will include using Google Translate to translate the linked webpage into English.) Among the ones we went through were the outstanding Arcos de la Frontera, Bornos, Villamartin, Puerto Serrano, Algodonales, and El Gastor. We could see the beautiful Zahara in the distance, and, of course, we ended in Ronda.
We are staying at the Hotel Royal which is in a good location to explore the city as well as for getting in and out of it. It's a simple room with a good a/c and acceptable WiFi. The town itself is so crowded with groups of tourists wandering everywhere that it wasn't very easy to walk to the hotel (even though it was just a few blocks).
_________
Ronda is built on two sides of the El Tajo Gorge. The old city is on one side and the "new" city (maybe 200 years old) is on the other. We went out this evening to see the city without the hoards of group tourists that were everywhere during the daytime. We walked straight down our street past the bullring to the gorge where we looked out both directions. Then we continued into the old town which is very atmospheric.
Toward the end of the old town, we went into two different churches with interesting experiences. Both were associated with convents. When we entered the first one, no one was in church, but we could hear a group of unseen nuns chanting. They continued until Wes sat down and the pew creaked. Then they stopped. It may have been coincidental, but I'm not convinced that it was. In the next chapel, we entered and there were nuns in their black habits sitting quietly and praying in the front. What I found interesting is that about 2/3 of them were seated in the pews, but the others were seated directly on the floor.
Continuing to wind through the narrow streets of the old town, we came to a path that takes people down into the gorge for a look back up to the city. The sun was positioned just right for photos, so we decided not to wait to hike there tomorrow. We went down and down and down the trail until we came to a small viewing area. It provided a perfect location for taking photos, for appreciating the construction of the bridge over the gorge, and for admiring the city on top of the stone mountains on either side of it. The climb back up was long and hard. It was just so far and so steep. We stopped three times to rest in the shade.
When we got to the top, it was at a small green plaza with beautiful trees and flowers with several tables of diners at a sidewalk cafe. A man was playing a guitar--a variety of Latin melodies that I knew well. We just sat and enjoyed the mellow music and the evening as people walked by us.
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