Spain Adventure

Spain Adventure
Our Trip to Spain:

Day one: A long and uneventful drive from Birmingham to Juno Beach FL. We did have a delightful lunch in Macon GA , at The Margarita Grill off of Presidential Blvd. We highly recommend it if your passing through Macon . We arrived in Juno Beach about 10:30 EST and found a Hampton Inn had rooms, had failed to find rooms in two other cities via cell phone calls on the highway, but Ron came through. Six hours sleep and back on the road. Good night….

Day two: An hour drive into Miami to drop off the car and shuttle to the ship, Voyager of the Sea. This is a fantastic ship, I’ve never been on a ship this grand and well appointed. We met a waiter, Jin, from China and shared our memories of our month in China last year. We left Miami and sailed into the Atlantic for a 10 day voyage to Spain . Our table mates are two couple traveling together from southern Mississippi , transplanted form Louisiana so Ron has plenty to talk about and they are full of stories. Tonight’s entertainment was three Argentina Gauchos who presented their native dance and music, a very energetic performance that was totally entertaining.

Day three: We have started what looks like will be our daily routine. The morning is exercise. Up at 6:45 and in the Windjammer Grill for coffee then off to the gym or deck track for a 2 to three mile run ( Kerry 2, Ron 2, Avie 3 mile walk, Nita 2 mile walk), back to the Windjammer Grill for breakfast then back to the gym for weight lifting of a full assortment of machines. At 10:15 Kerry, Nita, and Avie are in an hour seminar on living healthy; Ron says he knows all this; I’m not sure where he goes. At 11:15 I go to a drawing class and the others go in their own directions then we meet at 12:30 for lunch; really it’s 1:30 because each day we move our clocks ahead an hour at noon . Dinner is at 6:00 and we’re off to a show; tonight it was an Australian version of Billy Joel, he was quite good.

Day four: Same routine, this moving the clock ahead one hour each day means we’re getting up one hour earlier relative to Birmingham time. Avie is sleeping later and Ron is making me look bad, he gets coffee and a muffin and takes it back to the room for Avie; what a guy! There was no floor show tonight so we sat in a lounge and made friends with a Texas English Lit professor who was traveling with a California English professor that he had met several years earlier before his wife died, (it’s a long story, and one of many that we have heard.

Day five: Our Healthy living instructor tells us that we should be eating 5 to 6 times per day and should always eat before we exercise, that if we want to loose weight we need to be lifting weights and the running and walking is a waste of time if our heart rate is not 70% to 80% of our maximum heart rate. (220 – Age X 80%). This afternoon we went to an Ice Show, that’s right they have an ice rink on this ship. The show was full of lifts, double and triple saulcows and even a back flip on ice. The performers were from Russia, Poland, Minnesota, all over the world, the arena sat about 600 so their will be more performances and we all agreed that we wanted to get tickets for another performance, the tickets are free. What a vacation! Our head waiter informed us that we needed to be on the lookout for “The Dinning room Gigolo.” This guy approaches your table if you have an empty seat and a bottle of wine and asks if he can join you for dinner. By the end of the meal he has drank most of your wine and moved on to his next victim. “You’ll recognize him; he’s a big guy with a handle bar mustache. Don’t let him sit with you”. After dinner we went to see LaRaf, an illusionist that left the audience asking, “How did they do that?” The show was followed by a 70’s Street Party on the Promenade Deck, and a Chocolate Buffet. Being committed Healthy Living disciples we looked, took pictures and went to bed.

Day six: We’re now on a 5 to 6 feedings per day schedule. Small snack before gym workout, then breakfast, then cardio workout, lunch, small afternoon snack (fruit), dinner, and a before bed snack (preferably red wine and cheese). This keeps the body furnace burning fat, turning it into muscle prompted my the heavy exercise schedule. We’re now 5 hours ahead of home, (we’re up at 7:00 am , it’s 2:00 am at home) naps are becoming a part of our day. Tonight’s entertainment was J.C. Fisher of Kansas City , a tenor who when the act need help called upon the soprano from Birmingham , Avie Cohen.

Day seven: Today’s a great day; I was able to send the Travel Journal and the Web Album this morning… mission accomplished. We are off to Porta Delgada, we can see it off the bow. We’re scheduled to arrive at 12:00 noon . One of the waiters said, “its good body electricity to walk on land.” OK….? We took an excursion onto Porta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island, Portugal. The islands main industry is dairy, there are 142,309 people on the island and there are 142,309 cows. They don’t have barns; because the weather is constant between 46 to 72 they are able to milk the cows twice a day in the filed. Their second industry is pineapples followed by tourism. The island is mountainous, green and very clean. The people are friendly and welcoming, it is a quite island that you could escape into and raise cows if you don’t mind going into the pastures twice a day to milk. Maybe not…… Our entertainment tonight was Pete Matthews, comedy juggler. I almost didn’t go, “how entertaining could a comedy juggler be?” It’s been a long time since I have laughed that hard, he is a high energy, talented, funny man.


Day eight: Avie and I, Nita, went to a private consultation on Detoxing of the body. The staff here preaches that weight control is achieved 15% through exercise, 35% nutrition, and 50% through detoxing. We were each given an EKG type test to determine the body fat, lean weight, basal metabolic rate, good vs bad water and hydration. My results indicated that I needed to loose some body fat weight and put on some lean weight. With this information I was told that it would take three months of supplements to detox my body so that my exercise and nutrition programs could work at maximum efficiency, and guess what… they had just the pill that I would need, green algae, to put me on the right track and it would cost me only $308.00. They also suggested that I go upstairs to the Spa for a red algae body enhancement treatment for $150 which would also involve a follow-up program to which I could subscribe. Good news, I declined all their offers, best news my current weight is right on target… I can eat all I want on this cruise and just keep walking and pumping a little iron.



After Nita had her body composition analysis, I (Avie) had one and was told that my body had 13 poinds of hidden fat and 6 pounds of toxic water! But, I only needed to loose 6 pounds to reach my target weight. I could accomplish this by a SIX month detox program consisting of several different daily capsules of blue-green algae, along with a daily body scrub. Or I could do an algae soak twice a week along with the algae capsules. I did give this plan due consideration (I sure don’t want that hidden fat and toxic water!!), but had to decline the purchase, since I don’t have room in my suitcase to carry the products all over Spain for the next few weeks. However, I, unlike Nita, couldn’t resist the Ionithermie Algae Cellulite Treatment. I got it for a “reduced” price one day and let them slather me with some greenish-black stuff and apply some kind of energy thru electrodes. This was guaranteed to remove 1-8 inches of cellulite and/or belly fat. After the procedure, which was kind of tickly and not uncomfortable, the technician proudly stated that I had “lost” 3 inches from three separate measurements across my belly. I couldn’t tell any difference either visibly or when I tried to button my jeans later. I kind of felt like I was taken, but really do believe the concept of how the process works has some validity. The stuff applied to the body is red algaie, and they recommend continuing at home with daily treatments for only $400 for about three months!! I didn’t sign up for the follow-up! So, the bottom line is that I am leaving the cruise with my same cellulite and belly fat that I embarked with.

Words from Ron: My weight is holding! No midnight buffets, but I am doubling up on desserts at dinner. I’M RUNNING each morning and after my cereal and lox, bagel, cr.cheese, onion sandwich, I’M off to the gym for some body weights. I say keep me on this ship!


Wed 04/30/08
Day nine: Our table mates have turned out to be a lot of fun. Jack and Jerry are spitting images of Ralph Cramdon and Ed Norton of the TV “Honeymooners”. They are a perfect match: Jack is loud and of strong opinion while Jerry is reserved and accommodating. They and their wives have shared their family stories and life experiences each evening over dinner. We will hold fond memories of the gasoline blender, the coffee maker, the ex-nun, and the fisher lady.

For the first four nights of the cruise the “seat squatters” would arrive early to the theater, place a squatter on each end of a row of seats and reject all comers with the announcement; “These seats are saved.” Their companions would then arrive three minutes before the curtain went up and consume the entire row. This was repeatedly done for four night even though there is a clearly stated policy that there was no “saving of seats in the theater”. On the fifth night the “squatters” were once again in place when Joan stepped forward. Joan is a single Jewish lady from Philadelphia traveling alone but sharing a cabin with another woman that she met over the Internet solely for the purpose of sharing a cabin on this cruise. (The match is not working out, but that’s another story.) Joan confronts Squatter #1 and informs him that “saving seats is not allowed” to which he replies “These seats are saved!” With every ounce of defiance Joan can muster she replies “Bull Shit,” loud enough for the first ten rows, who are all watching the encounter with delight having been put off by the squatters themselves. Another “Bull Shit” from Joan and her supporters start to chant “No Saving Seats… Bull Shit.” The squatters got their way that evening but we haven’t seen them since, and each night someone saves Joan a seat. I had the pleasure of her company Wednesday night.

George is a retired professor of Elizabethan Literature, at a small Texas University . He and Ann were an item twenty years ago. They were something of a scandal at this small Texas University . They find themselves widow and widower now. George, still living in Taxes, is a professional bridge player and Ann still teaches in California . They have recently rekindled the relationship and totally enjoy each others company now. “You don’t always get what you want, but if you give it time you will find you get what you need.”

Day ten: Today we were up early and arrived in Cartagena , Spain at 8:00am . We took a tour to Santuario de la Fuensanta, a monetary outside of the city of Murcia . The chapel was small and beautiful, it reminded us all of Sister Angelica’s church in Haleyville , AL . Then we took the bus into Murcia and visited the Cathedral de Murcia. This was the first time I have seen a Catholic church which was divided into 10 to 12 smaller chapels each with iron bars across the front. Our guide told us that each of these chapels are owned by separate wealthy families and corporations for their personal use. It seems that the church is divided and for the use of the wealthy. I don’t know how the balance of the Catholic community fits into the use of this Cathedral. Back on the ship we said good-by to all our new friends, readied ourselves for the next leg of the Great Spain Adventure.

Day eleven: We disembarked at 7:45 am in Barcelona and took a taxi to our B&B on the harbor. The B&B is five rooms in an apartment building run by Jose, a gracious host who works hard to make us happy. The rooms are spacious (remember I just got off a ship), well appointed and clean. We ventured out into Barcelona down the Ramblas on a cold rainy morning; we made our way into the Market which was a visual delight, with so many fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, and people. Being Saturday morning it was shoulder to shoulder with shoppers filling their hand carts with their weekend needs. As we moved down the isles the smells and chatter in Spanish filled our senses. We will make this a morning stop while in Barcelona for fruit and juice; it will be a destination of our morning exercise routine. We then found our way, in the rain, to the Catedral de Barcelona, again we found numerous alters behind bars. The outside of the church appeared to be elaborate and very Gothic but it was wrapped due to restoration that started in the first century and continues today. We then struck out to find the Picasso Museum only to find a line a quarter mile long, in the rain, for tickets; we decided to try later in the week. It was off to another church Santa Maria Del Mar, just in time for the wedding. Wishing the bride and groom the best we found a nice tapas bar for lunch, (10 tapas for 16 Euro). Met a nice couple and daughter, hear at the B&B, on their way to Prague for an older daughters wedding. The ten tapas were enough went out for Gelato this evening.

Sun 05/11/08
Barcelona
Day twelve: Last night I heard from Michael and Marcia Zimmer, a couple that we met on our China trip last year, and they are in Barcelona finishing up their holiday. We are going to meet them on the steps of the Cathedral of Barcelona this morning. We started the morning on Barcelona Bus Turistic which offered us three routes around the city with 44 stops. We did the green and blue routes today which took us through the port area, the Olympic Village (now a high rent residential are,), through the Gothic area, the shopping area, and the Olympic venues. We also met Michael and Marcia in front of the Cathedral Barcelona for a dance preformed by the locals, and then had lunch with them. It was a full day of site seeing tapas and laughs. The tapas were varied Avie made a good selection of Scrambled eggs with veggies and prawns, while I made a bad selection of Fried small fish. What I ended up with was fried bait fish, heads tails and all. Ron did well with Grilled chicken kebabs, I did a follow-up order of the same to fill the void left by the fried bait fish and Marcia shared her Steamed mussels with me. After our first full day in Barcelona, a 2000 year old city, we all agreed that it is beautiful, big and friendly; it would be a nice place to live or to have an extended stay.
The foundation of Barcelona is supported by two different legends. The first attributes the founding of the city to Hercules 400 years before the building of Rome, and that it was rebuilt by the Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, who named the city Barcino after his family, in the 3rd century BC. The second legend attributes the foundation directly to Hamilcar Barca. Barcelona is the capital and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,605,602 in 2006, while the population of the Metropolitan Area was 3,161,081. It is located on the Meditrranean coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besos, and is boardered to the west by the Serra de Collserola ridge (1,680 ft).



Mon 05/12/08
Gaudi Day
Day thirteen: Today was Gaudi day. Antonio Gaudi was born June 25, 1852. He was a Spanish architect who belonged to Art Nouveau movement and was famous for his unique style and highly individualistic designs. Gaudi was an ardent Catholic, to the point that in his later years, he abandoned secular work and devoted his life to Catholicism and his Sagrada Familia. He designed it to have 18 towers, 12 for the 12 apostles, 4 for the 4 evangelists, one for Mary and one for Jesus.
On June 7, 1926 Gaudi was run over by a tram. Because of his ragged attire and empty pockets, many cab drivers refused to pick him up for fear that he would be unable to pay the fare. He was eventually taken to a pauper's hospital in Barcelona. Nobody recognized the injured artist until his friends found him the next day. When they tried to move him into a nicer hospital, Gaudi refused, reportedly saying "I belong here among the poor." He died three days later on June 10, 1926, half of Barcelona mourning his death. He was buried in bastment of la Sagrada Familia.
The Sagrada Familia started in 1892 and at this point I would say it is 66% completed, officials estimate that it will be completed in 2026 but that is optmistic. The back of Sagrada Familia is Gaudi’s work while the front is the work of several archatects that followed him after his death. It is like nothing that I have ever seen before and a must for anyone who wants to see the best that the world has to offer. You’ll see in my pictures the grand scale of this church and the unique desigh. The audio discription which is available is a must and two to three hours of your time. After the Sagrada Familia we went to Park Guell, a garden complex with architecural elements situated on the hill of el Carmel in the Gracia district. It was designed by the Gaudi and built in the years 1900 to 1914. Befor reaching the park we stoped at a neighborhood restraunt La Salud and had our best meal in Barcelona for 9.75 Euro. Mine consisted of a greek tuna salid, pearch with potatoes, icream, and drink, which was a bottle of wine for me to drink as much as I wanted. (3 glasses). Ron had tuna, Avie Lamb Shank, and Nita Ham croket. After the park we went to an apartment building designed by Gaudi, Casa Mila, which again displayes his unique style as well as his arcitecural genius. While there we saw an art display of Zoran Music,.In 1944, he was sent by the Nazis to the Dachau, where he made 200 sketches of life in the camp under extremely difficult circumstances. From the drawings executed in May 1945, he managed to save around seventy. These drawing and paintings derived from the drawings were part of the exibit as well as other painting of Venice and other subjects. After a long day we had desert in the Gothic area and made it home around 10:00 pm, a long but enjoyable day.


Tue 05/13/08 (day 14)
Day fourteen: Ron and I rented bicycles and rode the beach cycle path (about 5 miles) then hooked up with a group of 14 and 15 year old students for the ride back into town. As you’ll notice in the pictures we made friends and saw a lot of beautiful Barcelona. I really didn’t expect to enjoy Barcelona as much as I am. After we turned in the bikes we caught the subway, yes we learned to use the subway speaking no Spanish, and met the ladies for lunch out at Espania. They had spent the morning taking a cable car ride up to a fortress overlooking Barcelona. They felt they had had the better morning and we allowed them to believe that they had. After lunch we climbed the steps to the National Museum of Art built in 1929 for the Worlds Fair. Although I was not familiar with many of the Spanish artists other then Picasso and Dali, I did find several that I would like to learn more about, Josep de Togores, Lluis Mariera and Ramon Cavas. You’ll find their work in my pictures. We then took the subway, Avie had to make sure the ticket machine gave her the correct change, back to the Rambles and found Dulcinea noted for it’s hot chocolate (I had a beer) and sought out by all worldly travelers.
Tomorrow we pick-up our car and head for northern Spain, let the fun begin. We will get lost, we will argue, we will have an adventure, we will laugh hard, and we will never forget these coming days.


Wed 05/14/08 (day 15)
Drive to Hondariba
Day fifteen: Ron and I took the subway to the University station, involved a transfer from green to pink line, but it was no task for world travelers. We got a Citron C4 Picasso, which is a van that held all our luggage. It was a tense drive to get out of Barcelona, but we made it onto the highways, 4 lane for the most part through beautiful country. We saw a lot of agriculture and many wind farms and solar farms generating electricity. It appears the Spanish are way ahead of the US in switching to alternative energy. It was a six and a half hour drive with the last hour in the Pyrenees Mountains. In Ron's words, “This is beautiful…. Look at those colors….. Look at the sun on those mountians… I’ve never seen such beautiful mountains.” Then when we arrived at the Parador in Hondariba, a fifteenty century castle. “This is no Hampton Inn.” I will leave the pictures that I will be posting over the next several days to fill your eyes with the magnificent place that we find ourselves enjoying. Ron's only complaint is that the coffee is not hot enough and they serve hot milk for his cereal, but he is induring.
Thu 05/15/08 (day 16)
Day sixteen: Today we got getting lost out of the way. An hour drive to Bilbao turned into an hour and a half of high frustration. Finding the Guggenheim in Bilbao was not as easy as the desk clerk assured. Once we found it finding a parking place was almost as hard. There is a lack of signs and a lack of parking. The building lives up to its billing as the architectural achievement of the 21st. century. It is something to see; it’s like a silver ship in the sun, painted by Picasso, sailing up the Ria de Bilbao. Once you enter the museum the art displayed is a disappointment. Most of it is devoted to Surrealism and it leaves a lot to be desired. The second floor was closed for a rework; maybe that was what carries the interest but everyone that we spoke to was as disappointed as we were. We made our way back to Hondarribia and had wine and cheese on the patio before getting ready for dinner; restaurants don’t open until 8:00 pm. You’ll see in my pictures; the view from our room…. that’s France on the other side of the harbor. This place is a piece of paradise.
Day seventeen: We decided to have an easy day, get up late and not do any long driving. At eleven we drove over the boarder to Saint Jean de Luz, France for lunch; about a fifteen minute drive. After we walked around the town we ventured into what appeared to be a welcoming restaurant; before sitting down I asked the waiter to help me identify what another customer was eating. His response was one of a “French Smart Ass”; we collectively decided not to spend any money in France and went back to Hondarribia for lunch and a walk on the beach. Hondarribia is a wonderful place to stay if you find yourself in northern Spain, it is beautiful, close to many other attractions and friendly. Each morning Ron and I get up and run along the sea wall as the fisherman head out to sea and back through the town as the shopkeepers are opening their stores and the grocers are putting out their fresh vegetables. I think I could live here if I had a better Internet connection.
Day eighteen: Twenty minute drive on N1 to San Sebaastain, Spain, a beautiful sea side town. We entered from the south along a tree lined Boulavard along the Urumea River. It is a very European city larger then we had expected. Being Saturday morning it was crowded and hard to find parking, but after sitting in a Que for fifteen minutes we made it into a garage and were able to park. We were issued a ticket as we entered and as we left we place our ticket into a machine and it asked for our fee, we placed the ticket in another machine as we came to the gate and it opened to let us out; no humans involved, easy and efficient. What a country! The old town was busy and clean, we stopped at an Internet Cafe and were able to check email and communicate home for 60 cents. Lunch in Old Town, with a waiter that spoke perfect English, some shopping and we were back on our way to Hondarribia. Ron has assumed the role of driver and I am acting as navigator with the help of Nita and Avie. So far we have made it back to our beds each night so I guess we are doing well
Sun 05/18/08 (day 19)
Day nineteen: Today was another driving day; 564km or 348 miles from Hondarriba to Toledo . Our trip took us through the mountains on two lane highways sharing the road with Sunday cyclists climbing the hills up to a memorial at the top then coasting back home as we went on towards Madrid . I drove into Madrid while Ron assured us that he could navigate us through the big city. “My dad taught me that you need only find a sign to Toledo and don’t worry about using a map; it’s not a problem.” “But Ron,” we asked; “when you’re driving into Atlanta when do you first see a sign to Macon ?” As we approached Madrid Ron turned to our map, a map of the full country of Spain , a big map, he fought with it in the front seat. Avie told him, from the back seat, “You need to find A-42, which is the highway that will take us to Toledo .” We spotted the high-rises of downtown Madrid , thank God it was Sunday afternoon, “Head for those buildings, don’t worry, and he pushed the map over his head into the back seat, “this thing is worthless.” Three of us feared we were heading to Portugal , when we spotted a sign for Toledo . “See Ron was right, just look for the sign, you can depend on Ron, Ron wasn’t panicking, the three of you were panicking. Now find me a restroom, I have to pee.” We arrived in Toledo and found our Parador on top of a hill overlooking the old city. We will explore Toledo tomorrow.
Tue 05/20/08 (day 21)
Day twenty: Today we explored Toledo , a city built on a hill overlooking the river. As in most 2000 year old cities it was built around a system of churches, in this case Catholic, Jewish, and Muslin. The city grew in harmony until the mid 1400’s when the Spanish government expelled the Arabs and the Jews. Today there are no Arabs or Jews living in Toledo jet their heritage has been restored as a part of the cities history. Today we visited three Catholic Cathedrals and two Jewish Sinagogs. The Cathedral de Toledo, built over 1226 to 1493, was magnificent and more accessible then those visited earlier on the trip but they did not allow any photography. Sculptors Narcisco Tome’s famed hole in the ceiling and depiction of The Last Supper were grand. The biggest bonus for me was the art by Greco, Van Dyke, Goya and other noted artists paintings. The biggest turn-off for me was all the gold gilded monstrance, allegedly made from gold brought back by Christopher Columbus. We all decided the Greco painted all the Apostles with his own facial features and body structure; either that of he was a direct descendent of all 12 of them. The Iglesia de Santo Tome is a small chapel which contains El Greco’s painting The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, well worth seeing and filled with self images. Sinagoga del Transto and Sinagoga de Santa Maria La Blanca were of particular interest to Nita and me because the history and explanation of the religion filled in a lot of holes in our understanding to the evolution of the Jewish faith. I suspect the same was true for Ron and Avie relative to the Catholic faith. After a long day in the old city I insisted that we drive into the newer part of town to see the bull ring. It was closed and we could not get in, but it was quite old and smaller then we and each imagined. Our lunch was from the ‘Menu of the Day’ for a bright clean restaurant in old town, you’ll see in my “pictures of the day” my Salmon with clams, shrimp, and red and green peppers, this was preceded by a serving of two fried eggs and French fries, (you read that right) and followed by a piece of chocolate cake, and of course wine, all for 12.50 Euro. Tomorrow we go further south to Carmona, three nights, outside of Seville , this is a change in plans; we had been scheduled to go to Cordoba but I moved us closer to Seville because of the concentration of our activities in the Seville area.
Day twenty-one: We said good-bye to Toledo and headed southwest to Carmona, 24 miles east of Seville . Our drive took us through varied terrain; starting with a red earth and rock landscape with the bulk of the land used to raise olive trees and some grape vines. Ron and I got out of the car along the highway, at the protest of Nita and Avie, to go into the fields to examine the olive trees; you’ll see a picture of baby olives in the photo album. As we went further south we climbed mountains and started to see different kinds of cultivated trees, we believe them to be almond trees. Further south the villages turned whitewash and the field turned green and brown, grain mostly wheat, then they turned yellow, sunflowers as far as you could see. We turned into Montoro; see the photos, which is in a time warp dating 1808 Spain . Take away the cars; add horses and wagons and nothing has changed in 200 years. South of Cordoba we found our turnoff for Carmon which turned out to be a hill top village that has a history dating back 5000 years. The architecture is Moorish, with horseshoe arches and painted tile. Our Parador is in the remains of a Moorish fortress situated at the back side of the village of small streets; turn your mirrors in if you can as you pass through the double stone arched gate into the Parador square. Our rooms are overlooking the current agriculture of the area. As I sit here I hear a roster crowing, a dog barking, and I see the goats and sheep grazing in the fields below. For the past week we have stepped back 2000 to 5000 years into history with all the connivances of modern day, (flush toilets, electric lights, and modern meals) but our surroundings and the pace of life definitely has a link to the past. Spain is different, no billboards along the highways, no pick-up trucks, solar and wind farms, menu of the day, 2000 to 5000 year history, quaint villages, and the Espana Bull.

Thu 05/22/08 (day 23)
Seville
Day twenty-two: We spent the day in Seville , The Cathedral de Sevilla and Giralda Tower , Plaza de Espana, and the Maestranza Bullring were the only sites that we saw today. First we had to familiarize ourselves with the city. We drove in to the railroad station where we parked, avoiding the heavy traffic of the city, took a city bus, the C1, to the Plaza de Espana, where we caught a double decker tour bus from which we got a tour of the city. The Cathedral, the largest Gothic structure in the world, Nita and I had seen the second largest when we visited the Doma in Milan last November, and the third largest church in Europe, was spectacular but disappointing because of its exterior presentation compared to the Doma. The interior, to me was once again a display of opulence, it was grand, spectacular, beautiful, and impressive as you will see in my pictures but when you compared all it had to how the people lived it’s hard for me to understand and get too excited about. We did climb the Giralda Tower , a 35 floor assent to the top which provides a magnificent view of Sevilla while among the bells. Lucky we weren’t there at the hour. The bullring was interesting; I gained a better understanding of how the bull fight and matador grading works and why the people of Spain are so enthralled with bullfighting. There is a bullfight tonight, and the King of Spain, Juan Carlos will attend, but the Juan will have to deal with our absence. While in Toledo I found a bottle of 1993 Cabernet for 2 Euro. It doesn’t have the character that I had expected but I am resolved to finish it non-the-less. Most of the wine that I have drank is what is served with our meals as a part of the meal and is thus not Spain’s best, but I find it quite good and comparable with California wines. When I look at the wine selection in stores I find the same labels that I have seen in the US for about half the price. We will not be bringing wine home; we have made that mistake before.


Day twenty-three. It was our intention to go back to Seville for a second day to see the Alazar (the king’s palace) and the Flamingo Museum . As we entered Seville we all noticed something different; there was less traffic, more parking available, and many police in the train station and few people on the bus. In Old Town there were more people; locals all dressed up, many church bells, and a heavy smell of incense. Having Avie seek out some locals we discovered that today is a Holiday , the celebration of Corpus Christy, to recognize the poor and downtrodden and their suffering. Each Parish had its own celebration in its respective plaza. The celebration consisted of a precision of the church elders, alter boys, former alter boys, and a display. The procession wound through the city streets as the onlookers, many parish members stood at streets edge throwing smoking rosemary into the streets ahead of the procession. The elders and alter boys carried little candle shafts and medallions, most in dark suits and some in church robes. The entire procession marched to the beat of a bugle and drum band. The street was filled with the smell of burning rosemary, the music of the band, the cheers of the onlookers, and most important the orders of the display Captains. The display had to weigh 2000 pounds and it moved through the winding streets at a methodic pace. As best as I could determine there were as many as 48 small boys, probably 13 to 15 years old carrying the display through the narrow winding streets. They could not see where they were going so the Captains, older men, would lean into the side of the display and shout orders into the lifters. It reminded me of the movies I have seen where men with oars moved massive war ships into battle. We never did see the Alazar (closed) or the Flamingo Museum (closed by the time we found it).
Fri 05/23/08 (day 24)
Jerez Spain
Day twenty-four: Today we drove from Carmona to Jerez , about 80 miles south west, almost to the southern coast line of Spain . We cane to Jerez for two destinations the home of Sherry wine and the home of Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art. The equestrian school is devoted to conserving the ancestral abilities of the Andalusian horse, , maintaining the classical traditions of Spanish horsemanship, preparing horses and riders for international competitions, and providing education in all aspects of horsemanship, coachdriving, blacksmithing, the care and breeding of horses, saddlery, and the manufacture and care of harness. The school is comparable to the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria which Nita and I visited several years ago. Like the Spanish Riding School, the Royal Andalusian School is well-known for its "dancing stallions" shows for the tourists. Sherry is a fortified wine, made in and around the town of Jerez, and hence in Spanish it is called "Vino de Jerez," in fact the word "sherry" is an Anglicized version of "Jerez." According to Spanish law, Sherry must come from the triangular area of the province of Cadiz between Jerez, Sanlucar and El Puerto de Santa Maria. Sherry differs from other wines because of how it is treated after fermentation. After fermentation is complete, it is fortified with brandy. Because the fortification takes place after fermentation, all natural sherries are dry; any sweetness is applied later. In contrast, port wine is fortified halfway through fermentation, stopping fermentation so not all the sugars are allowed to turn into alcohol and so leaving a sweet wine. I must admit, I was the only one of our group that got into the tasting; Nita, Ron and Avie didn’t really have any desire to aquire a taste for Sherry. After the horses and the Sherry we walked Jerez; saw a busy town of 196,000 dating back to 1030. Like all Spanish towns everything closed down from 1:30 to 5:30 pm, but we are exausted and are calling it an early night.
Fri 05/23/08 (day 24)
Ronda
Day twenty-five: Ronda retains much of its historic charm, particularly its old town. The views from our Parador are fantastic, see the pictures. We are adjacent to the deep El Tajo gorge that carries the rio Guadalevín through the city center. Ron and I hiked to the bottom for the photos while Avie and Nita scouted out the town. Outside our front door is the 18th century Puente Nuevo 'new' bridge, which straddles the 300 foot chasm below, providing an unparalleled view over the Serranía de Ronda mountains.
Ronda is also famous as the birthplace of modern bullfighting, but the bullring is used olny once a year at the spectacular Feria Goyesca. Held at the beginning of September, here fighters and some of the audience dress in the manner of Goya's sketches of life in the region. Legendary Rondeño bullfighter Pedro Romero broke away from the prevailing Jerez 'school' of horseback bullfighting in the 18th century to found a style of bullfighting in which matadors stood their ground against the bull on foot. In 2006 royalty and movie stars were helicoptered in for the Goyesca's 50th anniversary celebrations in its small bullring, while thousands jammed the streets and parks outside. Otherwise the bullring, Plaza de Toros, is now a museum, which we did not visit having visited the bullring in Seville.


Across the bridge, is an elegant cloistered 16th century convent which is now an art museum. The cobbled alley to the Mondragón leads naturally on to Ronda's loveliest public space, the leafy Plaza Duquesa de Parcent, which boasts a convent, two churches, including the toytown bell tower of the iglesia Santa Maria de Mayor, and the handsome arched ayuntamiento (council) building. Nita, Avie and I found our way there Saturday night as the parishioners prepared for their celebration of the Corpus Holiday with a precession through the city streets. Like the one we witnessed in Seville it was composed of bands, a Christian display, the church parishioners, but this one centered its attention on the young children dresses in their finest. We ended the day with desert, tee, hot chocolate and a Jack Daniels to celebrate Avie's birthday; I’ll leave it to you to decide who had what.

Sun 05/25/08 (day 26)
Ronda to Granada
Day twenty-six: We drove from Ronda to Granada over winding and narrow roads part of the way. Once again we were impressed by the amount of land devoted to raising olives. I encourage you all to keep cooking in olive oil and eating olives, Spain is counting on you. We are not staying in the Granada Parador, it is always booked a year in advance, so we are in the Alhambra Place Hotel, which was built in 1929 and has a view to challenge any that we have had thus far. The common areas are very Moorish consisting of large spaces, colorful tiles and Asian rugs, see the pictures. We walked down the hill for a great Spanish lunch then hiked back up the hill. Tomorrow we will have a guided tour through the Alhambra , and will attend a Gypsy demonstration of the Flamingo. Ron is experiencing some gastrointestinal distress, but is keeping his spirits high. Granada was first settled by native tribes in the prehistoric period, and was known as Ilbyr. When the Romans colonized southern Spain, they built their own city here and called it Illibris. The Arabs, invading the peninsula in the 8th century, gave it its current name of Granada. It was the last Muslim city to fall to the Christians in 1492, at the hands of Queen Isabel of Castile and her husband Ferdinand of Aragon.
Wed 05/28/08 (day 29)
Adventure Ends
Day twenty-six: We drove from Ronda to Granada over winding and narrow roads for an hour before we reached a major highway. Once again we were amazed by the amount of land devoted to raising olives. I encourage you all to keep cooking with olive oil and eating olives, Spain is counting on you. We are not staying in the Granada Parador, it is always booked a year in advance, it only has 40 rooms and 20 are being renovated, so we are in the Alhambra Place Hotel, which was built in 1910 and has a view of both the old and new city . The common areas are very Moorish consisting of large spaces, colorful tiles and Asian rugs, see the pictures. We walked down the hill for a great Spanish lunch then hiked back up the hill. This evening we went and found the Parador and are glad we are at the Place. Tomorrow we will have a guided tour through the Alhambra , tour the city, and in the evening will attend a Gypsy demonstration of the Flamingo. Ron is experiencing some gastrointestinal distress, but is keeping his spirits high and his butt low. Granada was first settled by native tribes in the prehistoric period, and was known as Ilbyr. When the Romans colonized southern Spain, they built their own city here and called it Illibris. The Arabs, invading the peninsula in the 8th century, gave it its current name of Granada. It was the last Muslim city to fall to the Christians in 1492, at the hands of Queen Isabel of Castile and her husband Ferdinand of Aragon.
Day twenty-seven: Our morning started as usual with a full breakfast at our hotel, convenient but pricy at 15 Euro per person. We departed our hotel for a guided tour of the Alhambra; the architectural jewel of Granada is not all of Spain. The compound situated on one of the two hills of Granada consists of a series of palaces and gardens built under the Nazari Dynasty in the 14th. Century. The cornerstone of the Alhambra is the summer palace called Generalife, what impressed me the most was the detailed plaster carvings that covered the walls and ceilings of almost every room. Each series of rooms had its own patio and fountain. The Moors used water, which came from the Sierra Nevada Mountains through a series of aqueducts to feed theses fountains. Many of which operated still today using the natural force of the flowing water to create spouts and sprays in their patios. Surrounding the summer palace was the remains of the city that grew around it over the years, including the Monastery of La Cartuja, now the Parador, many churches, and the fortresses for protection and the city wall. The second dominate building is the massive Place of Charles V, an example of Spanish Renaissance architecture, which was started in the early 1400’s but was never completed or lived in by anyone. Today its center courtyard is used for concerts and receptions. Overall the Alhambra was quite impressive for its size, its detailed craftsmanship, and the quality of its preservation; what was missing was the furnishings and decorations that must have been there 1000 years ago.
This evening we were picked up by what we thought was a small bus to go to the other side of Granada for a Gypsy dancing and cultural program. We soon found that our small bus was quite large for maneuvering through the narrow streets of Granada. We maneuvered down one of Granadas two hills and up the other and came to rest in front of a Gypsy Cave dwelling. We were escorted into the cave, no more then twelve feet in with and what appeared to be sixty feet deep. This contained a kitchen, living space, bed room and bath; the living space would serve as the stage and seating area for our evenings entertainment. Within minutes the chairs in the back and down the sides were full and the family of entertainers gathered at the far end of the room from which the staged their production. Mom organized the affair while dad attended to the tickets and refreshments, son #1 handled the announcements, son #2 played the guitar, and son-in-law did the singing while the daughters, daughter-in-laws, and granddaughter did the dancing. The pictures can tell the story better then I can. We ended the evening about midnight all feeling that it was a fitting end to our adventure through Spain.
Day twenty-nine: Today we made a short drive to Malaga. Malaga sits on the Mediterranean Sea; our Paradora overlooks the city providing a panoramic view, but that’s where this Paradora and city’s charms end. Maybe it’s because we’re burnt-out and ready to come home or maybe the past 28 days has set a standard that Malaga is not capable of meeting. We’ll be up at 4:00 am tomorrow morning to get to the airport, drop off the car, and catch a 7:30 am flight to Madrid and arrive in Birmingham 19 hours later at 9:30 pm.

Day thirty: We were up at 4:00am and on the road at 5:00am on our way to the airport. After a short drive down a one way street the wrong way and a shorter trip down a sidewalk to get off the one way street we were on the main thoroughfare which we were told would take us directly to the airport. Ron commented that the cab in front of us “must be going to the airport, there’s a guy in the back seat where else would they be going at this time in the morning?” Three miles later we were greeted by a red flashing sign directing us off the highway, “Road Construction.” …. “Follow the cab.”….. “There are no signs for the airport.”….. “Follow the cab.” The cab wound through side streets, roundabouts, back onto a main road and still no signs for the airport. “Maybe he’s taking that guy home after a hot night.”…. “We’ve got no other options now, follow the cab.” The cab led us on to another interstate, still no signs for the airport. “We need to turn around and get directions; we’re heading out of town.”….. “Let’s follow the cab a bit further, we have time, and there’s no one out to ask directions.”….. Two miles further on the interstate, exit signs but no airport signs, four worried travelers. “There’s a sign for the airport, below the sign for Madrid, follow the cab.” We made it to the Malaga airport in plenty of time, but I don’t know what would have happened if that cab and that guy had not been going to the airport at 5:15am in Malaga Spain on May 28, 2008.

Trip Summary: Spain is a diverse, beautiful, friendly an old country. In our 18 days I can not recall a rude person, oh there were some who were a bit intolerant of our inability to speak their language while we were expecting them to speak our, but that’s the American way. I found Spain a romantic country and I think that was because we chose not to stay in large modern cities after we left Barcelona; instead we stayed in villages and hamlets, most often adjacent to cobblestone streets, thousand year old buildings and beautiful vistas. Spain, for me will be about olives, wine, old towns, whitewashed villages on hillsides, beautiful mountains, fishing villages, art and history. I wish I knew more Spanish. I’ll learn more about the Moors, the Jews, Gypsy’s and the Christians of Spain, I’ll drink more Spanish wine, eat more Spanish olives and I’ll cherish the memories that Nita and have gathered with Ron and Avie over this past month.
Each time I travel overseas I ask myself, “are we doing it right, are we living life the way it was meant to be lived, is there a better way, a slower less hectic way?” Is too late for me to change my lot, but if I had it to do over I would like live in a city like Hondarriba pursue painting, writing, and a different pace. I’d fish more I spend more time with nature and I’d pay more attention to a smaller world.
I’m sitting on the Madrid airport floor listening to James Blunt on my I-Pod plugged into an outlet recharging my computer and I-Pod before I get on our six hour flight. From down here I see people of all colors, varied dress, I hear many languages, some are in a rush some meandering. We are all just trying to get some where today, no one is trying to take my stuff or tell me what to believe or how to live, and as they walk by they look down at the 63 year old kid, grin and move on. Why can’t the rest of the world learn from those of us in the Madrid airport today? We’ll all get to where we want to go.
Posted by Kerry Grink at 1:53 PM
Labels: Travel