Have you ever had a chocolate hangover? We all had one and my brain is probably still muddled or cuddled by the intensity. It was just a bathroom stop on the way to Boi on our first day out...or was it our second? Before we knew it we were under the spell of Jolonch Xocolata a la Pedra, cholocate of the stone, established in 1770, a chocolate factory with staff that seemed excited to see us and have us try every flavor, every form of chocolate they had: coffee with chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate with raspberries, chocolate with pistachios, croissants filled with chocolate, and then there was nata: pure, rich whipped cream. We had so many samples we made ourselves sick with the infusion. I think if any of us had been cut or wounded that day, we would have oozed chocolate. Another great memory!
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Putt Putt through the Pyrenees
May 26:
The car rental through Avis was way more complicated than it needed to be. Our 0-deductible insurance did not cover damage to the Windows, but we could add that for 8 euros/day. No thanks. Everything had a fee & it ultimately took us more than 30 minutes at the desk just to get paperwork filled out & guarantee on our credit card for "...any damage to the Windows".
We made a relatively quick stop at the monastery at Montserrat to see the Black Madonna, which dates back to the 12th century. The monastery is set in the mountains about 45 minutes outside Barcelona and is the most important religious retreat in Catalonia. The setting is quite striking, but even in our "shoulder-season" visit, we found the crowds, well, too crowded.
Poppies! Fields of red poppies, growing wild along the road and within fields of wheat, creating rivers of red. We had to stop and walk into the rivers. Kodak moments & memories.
El Pont de Suert: about 3 hours driving time from Montserrat we're in the foothills of the Pyrenees, arriving at our stop for the evening, El Pedris. It is a quaint little guest house with a charming hostess, who speaks very little English, yet easily conveys an apparent delight in the 3 of us staying in her rooms. Our manual transmission Nissan Juke ends up being parked a little too close for comfort (let's say,2") from the car in front of us, on a down-hill grade, and although we got into the space, we feel we may have to get creative in order to get out. Our hostess quickly evaluates the situation, shrugs her shoulders, and says something like it will work itself out in the morning. And sure enough, it does. In the morning when we go out to check, the car that was perilously close to our front bumper the night before has disappeared. Magic! More magic as our hostess presents us with gluten free bread & cornbread which she has baked especially for us that morning. She offers a hearty breakfast & then welcomes us to take any left overs for our lunch. El Pont de Suert was a little odd at night. As we looked for somewhere to have dinner, we noticed only men on the street, no women. The next morning, however, was the open air market and there the gender mix was back in comforting, full form.
Boi: we drive further into the Pyrenees, narrow 2-lane roads, glacier covered mountains in the distance. But we have blue skies and fluffy clouds and the beautiful and charming village of Boi from which we arrange a 3-hour hike into Aiguestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park. First we take a taxi about 20minutes into the park to a trail head. No private autos allowed - good plan as road is very narrow, with steep drop offs, the kind of road only a Pyrenees taxi driver dare negotiate. Once at the trailhead we had 3 hours to follow the river on a well-groomed trail to Long Lake, that is, we started about 1PM & had to be back at 4PM to catch the taxi going back. If we were late we would have to wait until 6PM & we were driving on that night to stay on the other side of the park. It would be no fun and defeat our purpose of enjoying the stunning scenery if we were negotiating these mountain roads at night. The hike was relatively easy although gentle hills at 5000' altitude were still a little challenging for one of us. A bunny can only hop so far.
The car rental through Avis was way more complicated than it needed to be. Our 0-deductible insurance did not cover damage to the Windows, but we could add that for 8 euros/day. No thanks. Everything had a fee & it ultimately took us more than 30 minutes at the desk just to get paperwork filled out & guarantee on our credit card for "...any damage to the Windows".
We made a relatively quick stop at the monastery at Montserrat to see the Black Madonna, which dates back to the 12th century. The monastery is set in the mountains about 45 minutes outside Barcelona and is the most important religious retreat in Catalonia. The setting is quite striking, but even in our "shoulder-season" visit, we found the crowds, well, too crowded.
Poppies! Fields of red poppies, growing wild along the road and within fields of wheat, creating rivers of red. We had to stop and walk into the rivers. Kodak moments & memories.
El Pont de Suert: about 3 hours driving time from Montserrat we're in the foothills of the Pyrenees, arriving at our stop for the evening, El Pedris. It is a quaint little guest house with a charming hostess, who speaks very little English, yet easily conveys an apparent delight in the 3 of us staying in her rooms. Our manual transmission Nissan Juke ends up being parked a little too close for comfort (let's say,2") from the car in front of us, on a down-hill grade, and although we got into the space, we feel we may have to get creative in order to get out. Our hostess quickly evaluates the situation, shrugs her shoulders, and says something like it will work itself out in the morning. And sure enough, it does. In the morning when we go out to check, the car that was perilously close to our front bumper the night before has disappeared. Magic! More magic as our hostess presents us with gluten free bread & cornbread which she has baked especially for us that morning. She offers a hearty breakfast & then welcomes us to take any left overs for our lunch. El Pont de Suert was a little odd at night. As we looked for somewhere to have dinner, we noticed only men on the street, no women. The next morning, however, was the open air market and there the gender mix was back in comforting, full form.
Boi: we drive further into the Pyrenees, narrow 2-lane roads, glacier covered mountains in the distance. But we have blue skies and fluffy clouds and the beautiful and charming village of Boi from which we arrange a 3-hour hike into Aiguestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park. First we take a taxi about 20minutes into the park to a trail head. No private autos allowed - good plan as road is very narrow, with steep drop offs, the kind of road only a Pyrenees taxi driver dare negotiate. Once at the trailhead we had 3 hours to follow the river on a well-groomed trail to Long Lake, that is, we started about 1PM & had to be back at 4PM to catch the taxi going back. If we were late we would have to wait until 6PM & we were driving on that night to stay on the other side of the park. It would be no fun and defeat our purpose of enjoying the stunning scenery if we were negotiating these mountain roads at night. The hike was relatively easy although gentle hills at 5000' altitude were still a little challenging for one of us. A bunny can only hop so far.
Flamenco at the Fizz
May 25:
The Fizz Bar in Barcelona caught our eye. Interesting name, interesting decor, interesting gin & tonics, but the best was FLAMENCO!! Violetta Barrio was the dancer - passionate, dramatic, intense. She cried, we cried. It was an emotional performance. And then we were gone - headed to the Pyrenees.
The Fizz Bar in Barcelona caught our eye. Interesting name, interesting decor, interesting gin & tonics, but the best was FLAMENCO!! Violetta Barrio was the dancer - passionate, dramatic, intense. She cried, we cried. It was an emotional performance. And then we were gone - headed to the Pyrenees.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Things Happen for a Reason
Zaragoza was an ok stop but because the city was so cluttered with litter & graffiti we felt the community had no respect for their own city. Yes, the cathedrals and the palace were interesting and sure spending the night was ok, but we weren't sure why we had chosen a train departure to Barcelona that was so late in the afternoon. Then 3 things happened which explained why we were in Zaragoza. # 1 a beautiful leather bag with a fun, furry attachment. #2. Folk music and dancing in the square right outside our hotel. #3 a wonderful conductor on the AVE train to Barcelona who told us he had prepared a meal for us "from my heart". 180 mph brought us to Barcelona in record time! Things happen for a reason.
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Bilbao is for ...
Bilbao is for Guggenheim, at least that was the main reason we are going there. The Guggenheim is a wonderful, ultra-modern, waterfront museum with a welcoming, immense, ever-growing topiary puppy (thank you artist, Jeff Koons) in the entry and bright, shiny & color metal tulips and a gigantic spider sculpture on the exit (thank you, Louise Bourgeois). The museum was designed by architect Frank Gehry who said that when he designed the building he just started drawing, free-flowing, with his pencil never leaving the paper. The result is an exterior of curved golden metal walls complemented by large, angular sweeps of glass. The interior has large gallery rooms for displaying large installations of modern art such the more than 100 canvas panels known as "Shadows" by Andy Warhol; Louise Bourgeois' "Structures of Existence: The Cells" (rooms created by a series of doors or metal enclosures within which she places sculptured figures or body parts with furniture and items common in our lives, but uncommon in placement, and of course, the Spider); and Richard Serra's " The Matter of Time" (8 large sculptures of weathered steel which transforms the spectator to a participant by inviting them to walk through small winding corridors within spirals and double ellipses).
San Sebastián is for food, particularly the pinxtos (pronounced "pinch-os"). We stayed 2 nights in a small pension in the old town and had street after street of wonderful pinxtos bars right around the corner. Pinxtos are to northern Spain what tapas are to the rest of Spain, except these creations are small works of art with bread, egg, mayonnaise, sardines, anchovies, octopus, salted cod, salmon, ham, and cheese featured in various, beautiful combinations. They are served with wine or cider, generally in small, crowded, loud, friendly bars with people from many countries ordering by pointing at the buffet of pinxtos lining the counters. Sharing is common and the fun of discovery invites conversation with your neighbor at the bar. Since restaurants don't open until 8:30 pm it is not unusual for the tourists to sample pinxtos for a late lunch and continue right through the evening, while the locals seem to have pinxtos for a light social lunch or after work, but dine in the restaurants (away from the tourists) about 9PM or later. Whereas Lisbon, Porto, Madrid, and other cities we've visited have felt very medieval, San Sebastián has a very vibrant, cosmopolitan feel about it.
SS also has a beautiful bay and beaches, one area relatively calm and another area with rolling waves crowded with surfers who seem to catch the wave, only to dive off into the foam. We spent our last afternoon enjoying the beach, walking along the surf line and playing in the water (Cee running in & out of the water, jumping the waves) and then, of course, it was off to find more pinxtos. San Sebastián is on the Camino de Santiago ("Way of St.James"), a pilgrimage route which extends from France to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela a bit southwest of us. I think if I were on that original pilgrimage, I would have stopped & stayed in San Sebastián, enough heaven for me.
Our last night in San Sebastián, we ate with the locals in restaurant Alderdi Zahar, the 3 of us sharing Monk fish, a very firm white fish which covered a dinner plate; clams; and vegetables , namely steamed artichoke hearts, leeks, and thistle with roasted garlic, all cooked to a very soft consistency, apparently just like the locals enjoy it. Dinner was accompanied by a wonderful Spanish red wine and we may have finished with dessert, I just can't remember. Then it was off to bed for the GMA while the youngsters went back to the pinxtos bars to dance & engage with other tourists from the UK & Germany.
Next stop: Zaragoza, to see a couple of the cathedrals. The train travel between San Sebastián and Pamplona reveals dramatic scenery with high sandstone mesas, deep green, lush valleys, and winding creeks and rivers. Unfortunately, after Pamplona (about midway through the 3-hr train trip) the scenery flattens out and the land becomes dry, with short grasses and scattered industry. Not so pretty.
Zaragoza is a big city, larger than anticipated. Fortunately, our hotel is located in the historical district so once again the Fitbit is happy as we walk to the cathedrals and to the palace and through the shopping district, stopping for lunch on the square and later for gelato. Lunch consisted of a vegetable plate, meat plate, and a pizza. In Spain they love their tuna & mayonnaise & there were options for this as part of a pizza. We restrained ourselves & opted for oregano, cheese, tomatoes, and pancetta, a little more Americanized and a lot more palatable for at least one of us.
As it happened we were in Zaragoza on some sort of a holiday, where weddings and other religious confirmations were taking place at the Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar, reportedly the first church in history to be dedicated to the Virgin Mary. According to local beliefs, not long after the resurrection of Jesus, St. James was becoming disheartened while preaching the gospel in Spain, feeling his mission was failing. On 2 Jan 40, Mary appeared to him, and as mother's do admonished him to get his act together, giving him a small wooden statue of herself and a branch of jasper and instructed him to build a church in her honor. And so he did.
San Sebastián is for food, particularly the pinxtos (pronounced "pinch-os"). We stayed 2 nights in a small pension in the old town and had street after street of wonderful pinxtos bars right around the corner. Pinxtos are to northern Spain what tapas are to the rest of Spain, except these creations are small works of art with bread, egg, mayonnaise, sardines, anchovies, octopus, salted cod, salmon, ham, and cheese featured in various, beautiful combinations. They are served with wine or cider, generally in small, crowded, loud, friendly bars with people from many countries ordering by pointing at the buffet of pinxtos lining the counters. Sharing is common and the fun of discovery invites conversation with your neighbor at the bar. Since restaurants don't open until 8:30 pm it is not unusual for the tourists to sample pinxtos for a late lunch and continue right through the evening, while the locals seem to have pinxtos for a light social lunch or after work, but dine in the restaurants (away from the tourists) about 9PM or later. Whereas Lisbon, Porto, Madrid, and other cities we've visited have felt very medieval, San Sebastián has a very vibrant, cosmopolitan feel about it.
SS also has a beautiful bay and beaches, one area relatively calm and another area with rolling waves crowded with surfers who seem to catch the wave, only to dive off into the foam. We spent our last afternoon enjoying the beach, walking along the surf line and playing in the water (Cee running in & out of the water, jumping the waves) and then, of course, it was off to find more pinxtos. San Sebastián is on the Camino de Santiago ("Way of St.James"), a pilgrimage route which extends from France to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela a bit southwest of us. I think if I were on that original pilgrimage, I would have stopped & stayed in San Sebastián, enough heaven for me.
Our last night in San Sebastián, we ate with the locals in restaurant Alderdi Zahar, the 3 of us sharing Monk fish, a very firm white fish which covered a dinner plate; clams; and vegetables , namely steamed artichoke hearts, leeks, and thistle with roasted garlic, all cooked to a very soft consistency, apparently just like the locals enjoy it. Dinner was accompanied by a wonderful Spanish red wine and we may have finished with dessert, I just can't remember. Then it was off to bed for the GMA while the youngsters went back to the pinxtos bars to dance & engage with other tourists from the UK & Germany.
Next stop: Zaragoza, to see a couple of the cathedrals. The train travel between San Sebastián and Pamplona reveals dramatic scenery with high sandstone mesas, deep green, lush valleys, and winding creeks and rivers. Unfortunately, after Pamplona (about midway through the 3-hr train trip) the scenery flattens out and the land becomes dry, with short grasses and scattered industry. Not so pretty.
Zaragoza is a big city, larger than anticipated. Fortunately, our hotel is located in the historical district so once again the Fitbit is happy as we walk to the cathedrals and to the palace and through the shopping district, stopping for lunch on the square and later for gelato. Lunch consisted of a vegetable plate, meat plate, and a pizza. In Spain they love their tuna & mayonnaise & there were options for this as part of a pizza. We restrained ourselves & opted for oregano, cheese, tomatoes, and pancetta, a little more Americanized and a lot more palatable for at least one of us.
As it happened we were in Zaragoza on some sort of a holiday, where weddings and other religious confirmations were taking place at the Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar, reportedly the first church in history to be dedicated to the Virgin Mary. According to local beliefs, not long after the resurrection of Jesus, St. James was becoming disheartened while preaching the gospel in Spain, feeling his mission was failing. On 2 Jan 40, Mary appeared to him, and as mother's do admonished him to get his act together, giving him a small wooden statue of herself and a branch of jasper and instructed him to build a church in her honor. And so he did.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
An impressive library & Lisbon revisited
May 17
Porto to Lisbon is about a 3 hr drive on a good 4 lane highway so along the way we diverted to Coimbra for a visit to the university and a self guided tour through the old palace and library. A UNESCO world heritage site and established in the 13th century, this is one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the world & the oldest university in Portugal. The library contains over 250,000 volumes of works of the sciences, philosophy, and history with collections of original works from as early as the 16th century. The books are in excellent shape considering their age as the library is a perfect vault sealing the 3 rooms with the perfect temperature and moisture control. There are also bats living in the library which control the insects which would otherwise have destroyed the books. The tables are covered with leather towels each night to protect the surfaces from the bat guano and the library is cleaned each morning before opening.
Our final night in Lisbon was remarkable for fado, Portugese folkloric music also known as the Lisbon blues, in the Bairro Alto. The next morning we were off to Bilbao in northern Spain.
Porto to Lisbon is about a 3 hr drive on a good 4 lane highway so along the way we diverted to Coimbra for a visit to the university and a self guided tour through the old palace and library. A UNESCO world heritage site and established in the 13th century, this is one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the world & the oldest university in Portugal. The library contains over 250,000 volumes of works of the sciences, philosophy, and history with collections of original works from as early as the 16th century. The books are in excellent shape considering their age as the library is a perfect vault sealing the 3 rooms with the perfect temperature and moisture control. There are also bats living in the library which control the insects which would otherwise have destroyed the books. The tables are covered with leather towels each night to protect the surfaces from the bat guano and the library is cleaned each morning before opening.
Our final night in Lisbon was remarkable for fado, Portugese folkloric music also known as the Lisbon blues, in the Bairro Alto. The next morning we were off to Bilbao in northern Spain.
Porto
May 14, 15, 16
A three hour drive northwest from Manteigas found us in Porto, Portugal's second largest metropolis. We are staying at the Guest House Douro, a small, boutique hotel right on the river Douro and at the start of a cobblestone street that is about 800 years old. Our hosts, Carmen & Jao, have big, gregarious personalities, eager to make suggestions on touring and restaurants. Our hotel is in the historic district, perfectly located for walking and exploring. The people and the food are fantastic. We love the restaurant Terreiro which is 50 steps away from our hotel. They are known for fresh seafood; we like them for the hot-guy-waiter (Heldar - kind of pronounced Elder, only not quite), good service, and good food. Heldar won our hearts on day one not only with his killer smile, but also his complimentary chocolate cake.
Oporto, as it is known to the Portugese, is distinguished by the Duouro River and its position on the Atlantic sea coast. One afternoon, after missing the trolley only to find out the buses weren't running, we walked the promenade along the river until it met the Atlantic. (Another happy day for the Fitbit). Looking for a bathroom, we discovered a small market promoting local businesses and crafts. Free popcorn, cotton candy, and Zumba in addition to the talent of the local artists - what's not to love? That afternoon we did a port wine tour of the W.H. Graham winery where we made friends with Nelson, the young taxi driver, who drove a BMW on his off time & wanted to be sure his mother & cousin saw us with him, and David & Jason a fun , young couple from London. David was into the arts & had a degree in medieval literature and music and Jason owned a wine shop and was into the art of drinking, sharing his expertise quite freely.
A three hour drive northwest from Manteigas found us in Porto, Portugal's second largest metropolis. We are staying at the Guest House Douro, a small, boutique hotel right on the river Douro and at the start of a cobblestone street that is about 800 years old. Our hosts, Carmen & Jao, have big, gregarious personalities, eager to make suggestions on touring and restaurants. Our hotel is in the historic district, perfectly located for walking and exploring. The people and the food are fantastic. We love the restaurant Terreiro which is 50 steps away from our hotel. They are known for fresh seafood; we like them for the hot-guy-waiter (Heldar - kind of pronounced Elder, only not quite), good service, and good food. Heldar won our hearts on day one not only with his killer smile, but also his complimentary chocolate cake.
Oporto, as it is known to the Portugese, is distinguished by the Duouro River and its position on the Atlantic sea coast. One afternoon, after missing the trolley only to find out the buses weren't running, we walked the promenade along the river until it met the Atlantic. (Another happy day for the Fitbit). Looking for a bathroom, we discovered a small market promoting local businesses and crafts. Free popcorn, cotton candy, and Zumba in addition to the talent of the local artists - what's not to love? That afternoon we did a port wine tour of the W.H. Graham winery where we made friends with Nelson, the young taxi driver, who drove a BMW on his off time & wanted to be sure his mother & cousin saw us with him, and David & Jason a fun , young couple from London. David was into the arts & had a degree in medieval literature and music and Jason owned a wine shop and was into the art of drinking, sharing his expertise quite freely.
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Casa das Penhas Douradas
Three nights, 4 days at a restful retreat at 5000' in the Serra da Estrela Mountains of Portugal was a nice way to recharge after Lisbon, Cascais, & Sintra. We had hoped to hike as we were told that there are wonderful hiking trails leading to panoramic vistas, a lake, and waterfalls. However, hiking plans were curtailed due to rain & fog each day. So instead it was massage, time at the pool, reading, and enjoying our nightly gourmet dinner preceded by an aperitif. Our chef, Jorg, was also the valet and bell hop when he wasn't being chef. The first night we were so entranced by his food we were practically crying over the delicious salmon ceviche with strawberries, leek cream soup, and duck breast. When we asked the chef if he had a cook book, he replied, "others write, I cook; I just use common sense, that's all." He definitely had some interesting and for us, unusual pairings and although the first dinner was our favorite, we generally enjoyed each dinner. The hotel owner, who used to be a corporate attorney in Lisbon, also owns the local burel wool factory in Manteigas. We visited the factory one morning, impressed by the production of blankets, carpets, upholstery, clothing, hats, satchels, purses, stuffed animals, and more. Many of these items are part of the furnishing of the Casa das Penhas. Service and attention to detail were remarkable at this hotel and the accolades given on tripadvisor are certainly deserved.
Friday, May 13, 2016
Street fare, Cascais pies, and stewed octopus
May 8: Mother's Day back home & a birthday in Portugal
Our first day in Lisbon we checked into the modern and quite friendly Portual Boutique Hotel, where dark blue is the theme. Our room was cozy with a large round mirror that was also our tv. Our room looked out onto the street which lead to Placa de Figueroa, the source of lively music and street fare on the last day of Lisbon's Iberian mask festival. An uphill walk from our hotel found us with panoramic views over the city from Sao Jorge Castle aka Georgie's Place. Did you know Lisbon has a Golden Gate Bridge and Christ the Redeemer? Both are visible from the castle and along the waterfront. We explored the cobblestone streets and placas and returned to share a 7 euro plate of olives, blood sausage, and grilled chorizo. So yummy.
Cascais was just a 30 minute train ride away. It is a beautiful, quaint seaside town, with Santini's - proclaimed to have Portugal's or maybe the world's greatest gelato - and a small, 3 table restaurant we can't recall the name of that definitely had the world's best leek pie and probably also any pie they offered. Not realizing how wonderful their small pies would be we actually ordered lunch, cod fillet and grilled dorado, both served with potatoes and spinach. What we would have given for less fish and more pies, although the fish was also very good. On the way back to Lisbon we stopped in Belem to visit the tower and see the monument to the Portugese explorers. The day wouldn't have been complete without a trip to the Gates of Hell on the sea.
Sinatra was a 40 minute train ride into the hills outside of Lisbon. Back in the day (speaking medieval days) this area was known for its hunting lodges and palaces, now aptly described as Disneyland for grown ups. This area even inspired the poems of Byron. We didn't have time for everything, but we explored Pena Palace and especially delighted in the grottoes and gardens of Quinta da Regaleira (UNESCO) which was built in the early 1900's by a Brazilian coffee tycoon, once the richest man in Portugal. There were grottoes, and caves, and waterfalls, and trails that led up and trails that led down and a series of tunnels, all very whimsical. We climbed up into the Castelo Dos Mouros, a Moorish castle now in ruins, with amazing panoramic vistas to the Atlantic Ocean. The layered lattice work within the Monserrate Palace was beautiful.
We concluded our day with a delicious dinner at the "Yelp" recommended Incomum by Luis Santos. Amazing creme of chestnut soup, followed by stewed octopus (delicious!!! Tasted like chicken, only better, and not"chewy") and grilled sea bass and a wonderful red wine from Douro region topped off a perfect day in Sintra. An hour later back in our hotel, the bunny was fast asleep.
Three days in Lisbon and it was time to head to the hills of the Santa Estrela mountains in eastern Portugal.
Our first day in Lisbon we checked into the modern and quite friendly Portual Boutique Hotel, where dark blue is the theme. Our room was cozy with a large round mirror that was also our tv. Our room looked out onto the street which lead to Placa de Figueroa, the source of lively music and street fare on the last day of Lisbon's Iberian mask festival. An uphill walk from our hotel found us with panoramic views over the city from Sao Jorge Castle aka Georgie's Place. Did you know Lisbon has a Golden Gate Bridge and Christ the Redeemer? Both are visible from the castle and along the waterfront. We explored the cobblestone streets and placas and returned to share a 7 euro plate of olives, blood sausage, and grilled chorizo. So yummy.
Cascais was just a 30 minute train ride away. It is a beautiful, quaint seaside town, with Santini's - proclaimed to have Portugal's or maybe the world's greatest gelato - and a small, 3 table restaurant we can't recall the name of that definitely had the world's best leek pie and probably also any pie they offered. Not realizing how wonderful their small pies would be we actually ordered lunch, cod fillet and grilled dorado, both served with potatoes and spinach. What we would have given for less fish and more pies, although the fish was also very good. On the way back to Lisbon we stopped in Belem to visit the tower and see the monument to the Portugese explorers. The day wouldn't have been complete without a trip to the Gates of Hell on the sea.
Sinatra was a 40 minute train ride into the hills outside of Lisbon. Back in the day (speaking medieval days) this area was known for its hunting lodges and palaces, now aptly described as Disneyland for grown ups. This area even inspired the poems of Byron. We didn't have time for everything, but we explored Pena Palace and especially delighted in the grottoes and gardens of Quinta da Regaleira (UNESCO) which was built in the early 1900's by a Brazilian coffee tycoon, once the richest man in Portugal. There were grottoes, and caves, and waterfalls, and trails that led up and trails that led down and a series of tunnels, all very whimsical. We climbed up into the Castelo Dos Mouros, a Moorish castle now in ruins, with amazing panoramic vistas to the Atlantic Ocean. The layered lattice work within the Monserrate Palace was beautiful.
We concluded our day with a delicious dinner at the "Yelp" recommended Incomum by Luis Santos. Amazing creme of chestnut soup, followed by stewed octopus (delicious!!! Tasted like chicken, only better, and not"chewy") and grilled sea bass and a wonderful red wine from Douro region topped off a perfect day in Sintra. An hour later back in our hotel, the bunny was fast asleep.
Three days in Lisbon and it was time to head to the hills of the Santa Estrela mountains in eastern Portugal.
Morocco
"Plaga de Agadir" and "Taghazout Bay" were our chants. We liked the way the words rolled off our tongues.
Agadir was our port of call with the special Windstar evening event. We spent the afternoon at an Internet cafe after a brief walk in town, just enough to get a a few Moroccan dirham, so we could relax with Moroccan tea: minty and sweet and poured with a long draw as though one was making stitches with a long thread. It was a beautiful bay and the sea side was active with McDonalds and various open air cafes. Cee switched from Spanish to Arabic with relative ease and our waiter, who presented her with a rose, was overcome as he requested and received her email address: Catarina.purcell@hotmail.com. He gushed that with her floppy sun hat she looked just like Julia Roberts to him.
The special event from the ship was held at sunset, ocean front at Taghazout Bay. We had a red-carpet welcome and Moroccan musicians played as we found ourselves on a carpeted beach. Belly dancers and the musicians entertained us until the sun went down and we feasted on couscous, roasted vegetables, and chicken tagine (chicken cooked in a terra cotta "hat", slowly over coals), an of course, Moroccan mint tea. It was delicious!
Casablanca was most noteworthy for our tour of Morocco's largest mosque, Hassan II, also the 13th largest in the world. Its minaret is the worlds tallest at 689 feet. Lasers focus on the minaret at night, pointing the way to Mecca. Building of the mosque began in 1986 on reclaimed seaside land and it was finally finished 7 years later. Obviously Morocco was able to get things accomplished must faster than Spain, where this would likely have taken several hundred years. All of the materials used, except for a few things such as chandeliers from Venice, are Moroccan. Over 6,000 Moroccan master craftsmen were employed to work on the project. To say that the tile work was stunning, is to minimize the enormity of it. Uniquely, a portion of the roof is automated to slide back and a portion of the floor over the ocean is glass so that worshippers can contemplate God's sky and sea during worship.
During our time in Morocco Cee was able to refresh and expand her knowledge of Arabic, a delight to her companions and certainly also for our guides.
Agadir was our port of call with the special Windstar evening event. We spent the afternoon at an Internet cafe after a brief walk in town, just enough to get a a few Moroccan dirham, so we could relax with Moroccan tea: minty and sweet and poured with a long draw as though one was making stitches with a long thread. It was a beautiful bay and the sea side was active with McDonalds and various open air cafes. Cee switched from Spanish to Arabic with relative ease and our waiter, who presented her with a rose, was overcome as he requested and received her email address: Catarina.purcell@hotmail.com. He gushed that with her floppy sun hat she looked just like Julia Roberts to him.
The special event from the ship was held at sunset, ocean front at Taghazout Bay. We had a red-carpet welcome and Moroccan musicians played as we found ourselves on a carpeted beach. Belly dancers and the musicians entertained us until the sun went down and we feasted on couscous, roasted vegetables, and chicken tagine (chicken cooked in a terra cotta "hat", slowly over coals), an of course, Moroccan mint tea. It was delicious!
Casablanca was most noteworthy for our tour of Morocco's largest mosque, Hassan II, also the 13th largest in the world. Its minaret is the worlds tallest at 689 feet. Lasers focus on the minaret at night, pointing the way to Mecca. Building of the mosque began in 1986 on reclaimed seaside land and it was finally finished 7 years later. Obviously Morocco was able to get things accomplished must faster than Spain, where this would likely have taken several hundred years. All of the materials used, except for a few things such as chandeliers from Venice, are Moroccan. Over 6,000 Moroccan master craftsmen were employed to work on the project. To say that the tile work was stunning, is to minimize the enormity of it. Uniquely, a portion of the roof is automated to slide back and a portion of the floor over the ocean is glass so that worshippers can contemplate God's sky and sea during worship.
During our time in Morocco Cee was able to refresh and expand her knowledge of Arabic, a delight to her companions and certainly also for our guides.
Welcome to the Hotel California...
Amy & Ludo, the singing duo at the Star Bar on the Star Breeze, injected "Hotel California into almost every performance, but I am not sure they were ever able to complete it due to some interruption on the ship. It almost became a joke. Vangelis' 1492 Conquest of Paradise frequently interrupted them, heralding each sail away party, guests seemingly bewitched as, faces cast upward, they watched the Windstar colors being raised as the ship made her way out of port. There was so much drama accompanying each departure that we were always expecting fireworks. But raised glasses of champagne & Vangelis were all we got.
May 1 - 5:
San Sebastián de la Gomera
First stop of the cruise and time for some hopping through town and up into the hills for a panoramic view of the very picturesque town and port. Stop for some local wine, Cuban Internet cafe, & back to the ship. Sore paws & tootsies from all the walking on cobblestone streets, but one very happy Fitbit for all the steps.
Las Palmas
Another volcanic island in the Canary chain with noteworthy serpentine roads up to the volcano. We opted instead for a bus trip into the old town. A street performer's Romanian fiddle music was a memory worth capturing. The seaside town was charming but otherwise unremarkable for a port of call.
Lanzarote
This is the northernmost of the Canary Islands, just 70 miles off the coast of Africa, 4 degrees north of the Tropic of Cancer. 270 years ago it was the scene of the world's longest ever volcanic eruption, lasting more than 6 years. Due to the dry climate & lack of erosion, the volcanic landscape appears much as it did just after the eruptions, having a lunar or Martian quality which provided the perfect location for the 1970's production of Planet of the Apes.
We met the "Man" today, a fellow cruise passenger who boasted he was uniquely well traveled and because he was pretty fluent in Spanish would negotiate with a taxi driver for the best deal for a 4-hour tour. He arrogantly, but ineffectually, "negotiated " (in Spanglish) a taxi for 4 of us to go into the old capital and to La Cueva de Los Verdes (the caves). "Three hours? I thought you said you were negotiating for 4 hours? What about the fortress on the hill? "Well, um, the driver just wouldn't go for that. Heh-heh." Thankfully, we had our own secret weapon who actually successfully re-negotiated the agreement entirely in Spanish, adding the UNESCO fortress on the hill & Jameos del Agua (the baths), and up to four hours. Obviously the best man for the job is a woman.
Teguise is a quaint, 600 year old town of whitewashed buildings with sun-bleached tile roofs, crosses decorated with paper flowers, and small shop keepers. A museum tour with a variety of ancient crucifixes, an ornate altarpiece, and a beautifully carved wooden ceiling, was the sum & total of our Teguise experience & we were off to the fortress on the hill: the Pirates museum. The panoramic view from the fort revealed a stark reddish-brown mountainous landscape. I don't recall seeing even one tree on the slopes.
Next we were off to caves, created by lava flows and various temperatures in the cooling process. La Cueva de Los Verdes is just one part of the world's longest lava cave, the Atlantida Tunnel. It 's an escorted tour approximately 1km in length, interesting for its size and the natural formations.
We had just enough time for a brief stop at Rita Hayworth's haunt which she described as the 8th wonder of the world - Jameos del Agua, a tourist attraction of azurine water flowing in from the sea into the grottos, with restaurant, swimming area, and gift shop. We only used the bathroom and had to head back to the ship; the 8th wonder of the world remains a mystery to us.
May 1 - 5:
San Sebastián de la Gomera
First stop of the cruise and time for some hopping through town and up into the hills for a panoramic view of the very picturesque town and port. Stop for some local wine, Cuban Internet cafe, & back to the ship. Sore paws & tootsies from all the walking on cobblestone streets, but one very happy Fitbit for all the steps.
Las Palmas
Another volcanic island in the Canary chain with noteworthy serpentine roads up to the volcano. We opted instead for a bus trip into the old town. A street performer's Romanian fiddle music was a memory worth capturing. The seaside town was charming but otherwise unremarkable for a port of call.
Lanzarote
This is the northernmost of the Canary Islands, just 70 miles off the coast of Africa, 4 degrees north of the Tropic of Cancer. 270 years ago it was the scene of the world's longest ever volcanic eruption, lasting more than 6 years. Due to the dry climate & lack of erosion, the volcanic landscape appears much as it did just after the eruptions, having a lunar or Martian quality which provided the perfect location for the 1970's production of Planet of the Apes.
We met the "Man" today, a fellow cruise passenger who boasted he was uniquely well traveled and because he was pretty fluent in Spanish would negotiate with a taxi driver for the best deal for a 4-hour tour. He arrogantly, but ineffectually, "negotiated " (in Spanglish) a taxi for 4 of us to go into the old capital and to La Cueva de Los Verdes (the caves). "Three hours? I thought you said you were negotiating for 4 hours? What about the fortress on the hill? "Well, um, the driver just wouldn't go for that. Heh-heh." Thankfully, we had our own secret weapon who actually successfully re-negotiated the agreement entirely in Spanish, adding the UNESCO fortress on the hill & Jameos del Agua (the baths), and up to four hours. Obviously the best man for the job is a woman.
Teguise is a quaint, 600 year old town of whitewashed buildings with sun-bleached tile roofs, crosses decorated with paper flowers, and small shop keepers. A museum tour with a variety of ancient crucifixes, an ornate altarpiece, and a beautifully carved wooden ceiling, was the sum & total of our Teguise experience & we were off to the fortress on the hill: the Pirates museum. The panoramic view from the fort revealed a stark reddish-brown mountainous landscape. I don't recall seeing even one tree on the slopes.
Next we were off to caves, created by lava flows and various temperatures in the cooling process. La Cueva de Los Verdes is just one part of the world's longest lava cave, the Atlantida Tunnel. It 's an escorted tour approximately 1km in length, interesting for its size and the natural formations.
We had just enough time for a brief stop at Rita Hayworth's haunt which she described as the 8th wonder of the world - Jameos del Agua, a tourist attraction of azurine water flowing in from the sea into the grottos, with restaurant, swimming area, and gift shop. We only used the bathroom and had to head back to the ship; the 8th wonder of the world remains a mystery to us.
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Toledo
May 4: Looking back.....
Another week has passed. We cannot go forward with our story without telling you of the strange and scary doll in the otherwise beautiful doll collection at the Art Deco museum in Salamanca. Think Chucky, the feminine version, a mouth opened "GA-RAGH", teeth bared, black-as-her-soul eyes - a total surprise in a sea of beautiful dolls with smiling, happy faces and bright eyes. We jumped, we screamed...more than once..we had to go back a second time & confirm what we saw. Were her eyes following us? did you just see her head move? but we did not take a picture, because taking a picture of her would allow her to capture our souls and #2. "no photos allowed." ...and we usually follow the rules.
Toledo is the historical capital of Spain, protected on 3 sides by the Tagus River, and is considered (by Catholics, I suppose) to be Spain's leading Catholic city. We arrive by high speed train in 33 minutes from Madrid. The Toledo Train was much like a little circus train, with Thomas the engine pulling six circus cars containing the animals (us) on a 45 minute tour of Toledo with a stop on a promontory across the river Tagus so that we could take pictures of the walled city. The 15th century Catedral Primada, known for its paintings by El Greco ( notably, "the disrobing of Jesus") was imposing with frescos on the ceiling and walls, elaborate carvings, flying baby heads (freaky), and beautiful stained glass windows. We wandered the narrow cobblestone streets and settled for lunch at a sidewalk cafe for Migas Manchedos (bread, eggs, cheese, spices, yada yada) & grilled veggies, followed by cafe-bonbon, a delightful espresso-parfait with sweetened condensed milk topped with froth. Before heading back Madrid we toured "El Greco's home". Fraud, I tell you, fraud! It was not El Greco's home, nor had it ever been, but the owner had purchased this fixer-upper under the pretense that it had once been. Alas! Rebuild, restore, put in some art pieces, paintings, and a few El Greco's & paintings done by interns & students of El Greco, a nice garden, some beautiful flowers, put a sign out front that says "El Greco museum" and you've got yourself well, another museum in Toledo.
Another week has passed. We cannot go forward with our story without telling you of the strange and scary doll in the otherwise beautiful doll collection at the Art Deco museum in Salamanca. Think Chucky, the feminine version, a mouth opened "GA-RAGH", teeth bared, black-as-her-soul eyes - a total surprise in a sea of beautiful dolls with smiling, happy faces and bright eyes. We jumped, we screamed...more than once..we had to go back a second time & confirm what we saw. Were her eyes following us? did you just see her head move? but we did not take a picture, because taking a picture of her would allow her to capture our souls and #2. "no photos allowed." ...and we usually follow the rules.
Toledo is the historical capital of Spain, protected on 3 sides by the Tagus River, and is considered (by Catholics, I suppose) to be Spain's leading Catholic city. We arrive by high speed train in 33 minutes from Madrid. The Toledo Train was much like a little circus train, with Thomas the engine pulling six circus cars containing the animals (us) on a 45 minute tour of Toledo with a stop on a promontory across the river Tagus so that we could take pictures of the walled city. The 15th century Catedral Primada, known for its paintings by El Greco ( notably, "the disrobing of Jesus") was imposing with frescos on the ceiling and walls, elaborate carvings, flying baby heads (freaky), and beautiful stained glass windows. We wandered the narrow cobblestone streets and settled for lunch at a sidewalk cafe for Migas Manchedos (bread, eggs, cheese, spices, yada yada) & grilled veggies, followed by cafe-bonbon, a delightful espresso-parfait with sweetened condensed milk topped with froth. Before heading back Madrid we toured "El Greco's home". Fraud, I tell you, fraud! It was not El Greco's home, nor had it ever been, but the owner had purchased this fixer-upper under the pretense that it had once been. Alas! Rebuild, restore, put in some art pieces, paintings, and a few El Greco's & paintings done by interns & students of El Greco, a nice garden, some beautiful flowers, put a sign out front that says "El Greco museum" and you've got yourself well, another museum in Toledo.
Remember seeing "Young Frankenstein", the Mel Brooks movie? Hmm mm. Up another artery of cobblestone to a rather unimpressive Monasterio de Santo Domingo de Silos, a cloistered bakery proclaiming the best marzipan in all of Spain. It was a little difficult to find and we were first up one street, down another, cross to yet another, until, "yes, over there, I think that's it, over there". A small sign with a peeling picture of a plate of marzipan. A large, yellow-stone hidden entryway with two heavy, carved wooden doors: one large for entry, the other dumbwaiter-size on an adjacent wall. One long wooden bench facing the dumbwaiter. Two buttons: one to ring a bell,the other to control a single bulb light. One sign: "ring the bell". Cee pressed: "buzzzzz", again,"buzzzz". Silence. We sat down on the bench. Nothing. Knock on the large door. Silence. Sit on the bench. Press the button, "buzzzz","buzzzz". Silence....wait, no, "did you hear that?" Silence. Press the button, "buzzzz-zzzzz". Suddenly we heard scraping close by, behind the door. Scraping as though dragging something across the concrete floor. Scrape. Scrape. Scrape. As though step by step. Then muttering. Finally a craggy, scratchy, haggardy voice crept out from the walls, demanding, "open the door". We realized the small dumbwaiter door had a small handle. Cee pulled, the door seemed stuck, a quick, hard yank and the door stubbornly opened a few inches as chain gave permission for it to move just ever so slightly. "What do you want" came the voice from Igor (we are sure that is what the ogre is named). "Marzipan" we replied in a timid octave, as though in a question as we were not really sure what was behind the door and at this point not really sure what we were about to get. "Open the door .... More" came the order. Cee pulled once more on the handle, the chain continued to release link by link by link, sounding more like a drawbridge than a door. The open door revealed a small empty rotating cabinet. "How much? Quarter kilo or half?" Coughed the old hag with the hunchback, long warty nose, pointed whiskered chin, long curved pointed yellow-black fingernails who wore a hooded, ragged brown dress and worn, scuffed and dirty slippers. By now we had a much clearer picture of who or what we were dealing with, even though we could not see her, um him, um ... Well, whatever, you know where we are coming from. Cee ordered the quarter. More scraping & scratching as the cabinet rotated, first counter clockwise so the shelves were no longer visible, then back to us, clockwise with a small green box - marzipan on the lowest shelf. "9 euros", came the voice. Cee exchanged the box for the coins. The shelf rotated out of sight. "Close the door" came the command. We did as the chain was pulled from inside, link by link, the drawbridge closing until the door was sealed again. And silence. Except from us as we were giddy, squealing and laughing as we ran down the cobblestone street, reveling in our Mel Brooks moment.
Tenerife and Hotel Botanico are just a short two hour flight from Madrid. Enter into one of the leading hotels of the world, with uniformed attendants taking your bags to your room, a beautiful putting green and sea view from our room, black swans and ponds with lilies and a wonderful buffet breakfast: Hotel Botanico - only for one night as we hopped on the Star Breeze the next afternoon.
The Star Breeze is one of 6 ships of the Windstar fleet. 212 passengers at full capacity but we were sailing with 147 and a crew of 156. Our suite was 277 square feet, quite large by cruise standards for an entry level cabin. It was beautifully appointed,two twin beds, sofa facing 2 arm chairs by the large window, desk and chair, tv, bathtub & twin sinks. The only downside, and this was a real up & down side was that we were far forward. This made for a pretty rocky-rolly ride for several of our 7 nights at sea. Sea bands, Dramamine, and ginger helped, but even thinking about it now makes me queasy.
2016: MFB & Troupe Hop on through Spain, Morocco, & Portugal
April 21-28, 2016
Let's start with a riddle. What begins in the morning with OJ and ends well after midnight with wine; days filled with Goya, Velasquez, Renoir, Degas, Rubens, Titian, Picasso, and others; each day more than 15,000 steps recorded by a very demanding FitBit; Churros dipped in chocolate (note to self: Disneyland's are better); a memorable tapas experience at an old Hemingway haunt, La Vencencia; drinking wine that tasted like sherry; tapas immersion, each night something new and unfamiliar (the first night, mostly meat - did they say burro? - the second night, mostly cheese; the third night, mostly fish; and the fourth night, snails in a tomato based sauce ( madrilenya ) - and chorizo), and always bread and olives (were Portugal's better?); sangria with flamenco dancing; an unexpected living art presentation by a local theater group at the entrance to the Prado Museum and a very memorable and moving concert by clergy and the 5 tenors at the Iglesia de San Jeronimo Real Madrid, where we were given VIP access and the opportunity to see an original copy of DonQuixote & the quill used by Cervantes, both laying on a symbolic coffin of Cervantes on the 400-yr anniversary of Don Quixote (who knew?); free tours and not-free tours covering some of the historical sites and tales of the Spanish Inquisition; and, daily, kindness from the people we met? By now you've probably forgotten the question, but The answer, of course, is our first four days in Madrid.
Our hotel, Paseo del Arte, is rather soul-less, but the room is larger than many European hotel rooms, the breakfast buffet is ample though redundant, the location is wonderful for visiting the three museums of the Art Triangle (the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza, and the Reina Sophia), and the hotel is just across from RetiroPark, a large, beautiful park designed and first opened in the 17th century. The staff is very friendly and our hotel proved to be in a reasonably central location for walking to many of the historic sights. We failed to see everything on our list during these four days, but GMA just couldn't keep her eyes open any more. Madrid obviously deserves a repeat.
After four days in Madrid, it was time to move on. So with just a day pack & a satchel, we caught the morning fast train to Burgos, a noteworthy stop on the El Camino de Santiago.
Hostal Rimbombin was just as pictured on booking.com & trip advisor: very white and efficient, clean and ensuite, and just a few narrow streets away from the gothic cathedral, a UNESCO world heritage site, important and impressive since the Middle Ages. Construction of the church started in 1221 and continued for more than 300 years, an apparently typical timeline likely due to the daily siestas, plethora of Spanish wines, and conflicts between the architects and construction workers (somethings never change).
We found La Cartuja de Miraflores, a hilltop monastic complex, about 2 miles from the center of Burgos, after following a path along the river which was witness to a piece of daily life: kids and dogs romping in the parks. The walk was relaxing, the monastery simply beautiful and highlighted by a recorded choir of clergy which brought peace to the occasion. Sore feet & all, it was a great walk. Finally there was Blood sausage & chicken wings for dinner, the former a specialty of the region & the latter , plan b.
Valladolid's Cathedral of our lady of the holy assumption was an afternoon stop off on our train route to Salamanca. The church was started in the15th century when Valladolid was the capital of Spain, but never finished as planned as funding evaporated when the capital was moved to Madrid in 1560. Today the cathedral is noteworthy as a rich musical archive with annual organ concerts, brought to our attention by the organist's husband, a gregarious gentleman of German origin ("my father was a famous surgeon after WWII") who took immediate interest in us & whose smile and chuckles filled the cathedral.
We arrived in Salamanca in the early evening. Rosa, the efficient and detached receptionist at Salamanca Suites, ushered us to our IKEA-built room where we dropped our bags and headed out to explore the city. Salamanca is another UNESCO world heritage site, and considered to be one of the most spectacular and beautiful Renaissance cities in Europe. The buildings were constructed from local sandstone which glows orange, gold, and pink depending on the time of day, thus giving it the nickname, "la Dorada", the golden city. The old city is perched on a hill, transacted by capillaries of cobblestone streets, pedestrians barely able & often unable to share space with automobiles. An American film company has filled some of the streets with dirt and brought in carts and hay, setting up to film "Romeo & Juliet". The setting couldn't be more perfect as the streets and buildings all look like part of a movie set depicting the Middle Ages with knights on horseback, peasants, & kings. We walked over a Roman bridge built in the first century, then climbed up into the bell tower and out onto the ramparts of a 12th century church, with a dizzying & unnerving view high above the nave. Time for coffee con leche then over to the convent, through the Plaza Mayor ( every city & town seems to have one), up one hill and down another, past the house of shells built in the 15th century, past the university, into the Art Deco museum, into the war museum, Gespacho and a selection of local pork parts & wine for lunch, & finally at the end of a great day we were back on the train to Madrid.
Let's start with a riddle. What begins in the morning with OJ and ends well after midnight with wine; days filled with Goya, Velasquez, Renoir, Degas, Rubens, Titian, Picasso, and others; each day more than 15,000 steps recorded by a very demanding FitBit; Churros dipped in chocolate (note to self: Disneyland's are better); a memorable tapas experience at an old Hemingway haunt, La Vencencia; drinking wine that tasted like sherry; tapas immersion, each night something new and unfamiliar (the first night, mostly meat - did they say burro? - the second night, mostly cheese; the third night, mostly fish; and the fourth night, snails in a tomato based sauce ( madrilenya ) - and chorizo), and always bread and olives (were Portugal's better?); sangria with flamenco dancing; an unexpected living art presentation by a local theater group at the entrance to the Prado Museum and a very memorable and moving concert by clergy and the 5 tenors at the Iglesia de San Jeronimo Real Madrid, where we were given VIP access and the opportunity to see an original copy of DonQuixote & the quill used by Cervantes, both laying on a symbolic coffin of Cervantes on the 400-yr anniversary of Don Quixote (who knew?); free tours and not-free tours covering some of the historical sites and tales of the Spanish Inquisition; and, daily, kindness from the people we met? By now you've probably forgotten the question, but The answer, of course, is our first four days in Madrid.
Our hotel, Paseo del Arte, is rather soul-less, but the room is larger than many European hotel rooms, the breakfast buffet is ample though redundant, the location is wonderful for visiting the three museums of the Art Triangle (the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza, and the Reina Sophia), and the hotel is just across from RetiroPark, a large, beautiful park designed and first opened in the 17th century. The staff is very friendly and our hotel proved to be in a reasonably central location for walking to many of the historic sights. We failed to see everything on our list during these four days, but GMA just couldn't keep her eyes open any more. Madrid obviously deserves a repeat.
After four days in Madrid, it was time to move on. So with just a day pack & a satchel, we caught the morning fast train to Burgos, a noteworthy stop on the El Camino de Santiago.
Hostal Rimbombin was just as pictured on booking.com & trip advisor: very white and efficient, clean and ensuite, and just a few narrow streets away from the gothic cathedral, a UNESCO world heritage site, important and impressive since the Middle Ages. Construction of the church started in 1221 and continued for more than 300 years, an apparently typical timeline likely due to the daily siestas, plethora of Spanish wines, and conflicts between the architects and construction workers (somethings never change).
We found La Cartuja de Miraflores, a hilltop monastic complex, about 2 miles from the center of Burgos, after following a path along the river which was witness to a piece of daily life: kids and dogs romping in the parks. The walk was relaxing, the monastery simply beautiful and highlighted by a recorded choir of clergy which brought peace to the occasion. Sore feet & all, it was a great walk. Finally there was Blood sausage & chicken wings for dinner, the former a specialty of the region & the latter , plan b.
Valladolid's Cathedral of our lady of the holy assumption was an afternoon stop off on our train route to Salamanca. The church was started in the15th century when Valladolid was the capital of Spain, but never finished as planned as funding evaporated when the capital was moved to Madrid in 1560. Today the cathedral is noteworthy as a rich musical archive with annual organ concerts, brought to our attention by the organist's husband, a gregarious gentleman of German origin ("my father was a famous surgeon after WWII") who took immediate interest in us & whose smile and chuckles filled the cathedral.
We arrived in Salamanca in the early evening. Rosa, the efficient and detached receptionist at Salamanca Suites, ushered us to our IKEA-built room where we dropped our bags and headed out to explore the city. Salamanca is another UNESCO world heritage site, and considered to be one of the most spectacular and beautiful Renaissance cities in Europe. The buildings were constructed from local sandstone which glows orange, gold, and pink depending on the time of day, thus giving it the nickname, "la Dorada", the golden city. The old city is perched on a hill, transacted by capillaries of cobblestone streets, pedestrians barely able & often unable to share space with automobiles. An American film company has filled some of the streets with dirt and brought in carts and hay, setting up to film "Romeo & Juliet". The setting couldn't be more perfect as the streets and buildings all look like part of a movie set depicting the Middle Ages with knights on horseback, peasants, & kings. We walked over a Roman bridge built in the first century, then climbed up into the bell tower and out onto the ramparts of a 12th century church, with a dizzying & unnerving view high above the nave. Time for coffee con leche then over to the convent, through the Plaza Mayor ( every city & town seems to have one), up one hill and down another, past the house of shells built in the 15th century, past the university, into the Art Deco museum, into the war museum, Gespacho and a selection of local pork parts & wine for lunch, & finally at the end of a great day we were back on the train to Madrid.
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