Sevilla and The Portuguese Algarve

Main gate to the Alcazar

We walked in the Santa Cruz neighborhood, a windy labyrinth of mostly pedestrian streets lined with shops, cafes, churches and plazas. People live here, too, in the flats over the street. It's easy to get lost wandering these streets. A map is a must if time is important.

The Alcazar

Our destination, beyond walking through this fascinating part of Seville, is to visit the Alcazar and the cathedral. We walked straight over to the Alcazar.

The Alcazar

This formerly Moorish palace was converted to a Christian king's palace after the Moors were thrown out of Sevilla. Fortunately, his architects had the good sense not to tear the palace down and start over. Many of the Moorish influences remain. It is still a palace today. I can't decide whether I like the the Alcazar better or the Alhambra in Grenada. The Alcazar is just stunning. I actually like the water features better here than the Alhambra. The room where Columbus returned from the New World to report on his discoveries, is in this palace. This is the place where Magellan planned his round the world voyage. Amazing! What history!

Seville Cathedral

Chris Columbus's final resting place

Back through the narrow winding streets to the Sevilla Cathedral, second largest in Spain and the largest Gothic cathedral in all of Europe. Here in a magnificent, raised tomb, is the final resting place of Christopher Columbus himself. He kept traveling for years after his death, being buried in Cuba and Santo Domingo at least, before ending up here in Sevilla. This is a stunningly beautiful church. Massive in every way. Massive paintings, organ bays, stained glass and pillars that stretch almost to the heavens, which was, of course, the intended effect.

We stopped for lunch at Cafe Tomate,  where we got ripped off for the first time on our trip. We ordered several items off the menu boards all of which appeared to be tapas, which means they are usually smaller portions. Everything came to the table and looked great until we got the bill which was much higher than we expected.  Sure enough, we had been charged €10.50 for a plate with toast pieces topped with sliced tomatoes and a filet of anchovy. The waiter looks at us straight faced and went down the bill assuring us that this was a tapas and that was a tapa, but this wasn't and that wasn't. Then walked away despite our upset looks as if we should have known. He overcharged us by $20. He knew we wouldn't be back and that he had us. Lesson learned? Go to places only that are recommended by your tour book or a reputable on-line resource such as Trip Advisor.  There will be, at least some, payback when I write a review of the place on TripAdvisor.

Our daytime adventuring ended with a stop in the Iglesia de Santo Domingo. The side chapels and the main alter were covered in gilded gold, though not nearly on the scale of the cathedral, it is very nearly as equally beautiful.

Our final evening in Sevilla was spent taking in the flamenco show at Cafe de la Memoria. We'd read about this being a good example of traditional flamenco dance, guitar and singing. Only an hour in length, it starred a young guitarist, a male singer and  a male and female dancer. The female dancer was my favorite. She displayed such dramatic depth in her dancing. The look on her face during her solos displayed such a depth of sorrow as she moved her entire body to the rhythms of the guitar and the other two men who clapped out a counterpoint reflected in the determined tapping of her feet. It was a wonderful way to spend the evening and to bring our time in Sevilla to an end.

Tomorrow, we leave Spain for the Portuguese Algarve and a stay at the end of the world.

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We managed to exit Seville without any of the problems we had getting in to find our hotel two days ago. My advice is either to avoid driving into this town completely, or make sure you are well prepared with your exact route to your intended destination before driving in. Have a navigator directing your every turn and then park your car and don't use it during your visit. Sevilla is not to be messed with when driving. Many streets are one way, others can't be driven down, turns right and left are unpredictable, streets often change names within blocks and it is quite common for no street name to be seen where they are normally, which is on the side of a building near the corner. Sound confusing? Try driving in Sevilla and you'll become a believer.

As I said, despite those frustrations we were able to get out of Sevilla without a hitch. We headed west and within about 2 hours we were crossing a river and entering Portugal. Another hour and a half along A22 and we turned off onto N125.

Salema fishing boats

Salema

We had decided to stop for lunch at a beach front restaurant in the quiet little village of Salema. After easily finding a spot to park, we walked up the promenade right next to the beach. The sea was aquamarine in color for a good two hundred yards out, then turned the more familiar blue sea color. This is the open Atlantic. Along the beach, Portuguese fisherman mended their nets, painted their little fishing boats pulled up on the beach, readying them for their next trip out into this rugged body of water. The heavy wooden boats looked stalwart but being only about 20 feet in length and completely open to the sea, it must be a pretty courageous seaman who takes his boats off these beaches.

Salema Restaurant

We'd picked out what sounded like a wonderful place but when we arrived we found out just how quiet the town was. The restaurant as well as a lot of other places were closed for the season. Some proprietors could be seen repainting their places but were not ready to open quite yet. Luckily we found our second choice was open. We picked out a table that looked out onto the beach only yards away. Boia Bar and Restaurant was pretty quiet but it was soon about half filled with other diners also in for their lunch. Our host insisted on speaking English and we soon found out why. We knew this area was frequented heavily by visitors from England anxious to get away to a sunnier climate. Every other diner in the restaurant was a Brit.

We ordered two glasses of the must try Vino Verde. For lunch we ordered a Salada Pulpo (octopus is pulpo) and the sea bass. The bass came out whole, head on along with perfectly cooked carrots, broccoli and little potatoes. On the side was a fresh green salad with thinly sliced onion, shredded carrot and tomato. The sea bass was sautéed to perfection, the skin crisp and the flesh creamy and firm. I swear it was just brought out of the sea. Two coffees served with a silver pitcher of steamed milk put the finishing touches on one of the best meals we had on our trip.

5 minutes back up the winding road that brought us down to Salema and we were back on the two lane highway for the few minutes further along to Sagres, our final destination for the day. We drove through this sleepy little town following the signs to the Pousada were we had reservations for the night.

The Pousada do Infante sits high on a cliff above the sea. These pousadas are often historic buildings owned by the Portuguese government but converted into lovely, usually rather pricey hotels. We found out this Pousada was actually built in 1960 so historic doesn't count here, but the location couldn't be more so. 

We got a really good off season deal. Our room deal, however, did not include a room with a view out to sea. That was another €15.  Eh, we can walk to see the view. So we asked the very nice desk clerk to give us the best room without a view. He laughed and then led us to our second floor room. He opened the door for us, we rolled our luggage in, he thanked us and closed the door. I headed across the room to open the window. But when I flung open the drapes, there spread out in front of us, was a view out to sea in all directions. Oh my! I think we'll just stay in tonight! We got room 225 on the second floor.

That view was too good to resist and we decided to head out on a hike to the end of the peninsula. The End of World it is called, or rather as it was called in the day of Prince Henry the Navigator, who chose to build his school of navigation on the peninsula just across the bay from the one our Pousada sits on. But we are on Cape Sagres, the furthest southwest point in all of Europe.

Sagres Pousada do Infante

We walked out along the cliff edge that drops into the sea a hundred feet or more below.   Rolling waves crash along the rocky ledges below. We didn't get too close lest we join the fishes below. But the views, the wild flowers hugging the ground on this windswept terrain, the ice plant, the azaleas. In fact so many familiar plants are growing here that I wonder if they were brought to the Pacific coast or if they were brought here from there. 

Our walk took us to the very edge. We can walk no further. We had arrived at what those who lived in Europe in the 1400's thought of as the end of the world. Looking out to sea from this vantage point and considering what those intrepid explorers knew about the world, what they had for technology to take them across that great unknown sea hoping to discover new lands, is just awe inspiring. It is humbling, even overwhelming. How did they do it? What an amazing level of self-confidence, curiosity and courage they must have possessed to have attempted those voyages so long ago in vessels with no technology beyond the sextant, no margin of safety, no coast guard chopper to fly to their rescue, no GPS! And when they got to the other side, they had to turn around and do it all again going the other way.

 

We decided to picnic it out on our terrace here at our hotel for dinner. Such a tremendous view deserved to be savored. So we drove over to the Inter Marche market we saw coming into town. We knew it would have normal prices since locals shop there. We picked up several freshly sliced meats, a couple of local cheeses, some olives (so cheap here), some nice bread and some flan. It was enough food to allow us to picnic again tomorrow on our way to Evora. 

It was a lovely evening sitting out, watching the sun set over the sea, munching on some local delicacies along with a nice bottle of red wine. Eventually it got pretty chilly and we decided it was time to head in, relax in the room and read before turning in for the night. Another amazing day, our first here in a brand new country for us--Portugal!

Ronda and Gibraltar

Today we headed into Ronda, probably the most famous of the white hill towns dotting this country side. It sits perched on a cliff over looking a beautiful valley below and surrounded on three sides by a river which runs through a gorge which cuts through the mountain on which the town sits. 

Beautiful Ronda perched on a mountain top.

I am sitting in the shade of an old cypress as I write this entry. The bell in the moorish-style bell tower of what was once a minaret for the mosque that once stood here, strikes one o'clock over the Plaza Santa Maria La Mayor.  The beautiful old Church of Santa Maria La Mayor stood here before the Christian reconquest of Ronda in 1487. It was transformed into a Catholic church but retains some of its moorish, north African architecture.

The plaza is surrounded by quaint shops selling Spanish ceramics, brass objects and art prints. Small cafes dot the square. Locals sit out under cypress and orange trees sipping their morning cafe de leches, reading the morning paper or carrying on animated conversations. A 15th century convent sits on another corner, one other church in another and the town hall takes up one other entire side facing the square.

Imagine walking down a tree lined street where the trees are orange trees covered in sweet, ripe oranges. Just reach up and pluck one from the tree. It's okay.

The Plaza Santa Maria La Mayor

A soft breeze blows through the plazas and up the side streets of Ronda cooling you as you climb to the next look out. You turn a corner and a railing is all that is between you and the river Guadalevin flowing several hundred feet below and through the gorge upon which Ronda is built. For centuries this river, flowing around three sides of town, has offered Rondaites at least temporary security from one invader or another. However, modern day invaders are welcomed with open, friendly arms to explore these same, protective ramparts. The Moorish Swords and spears of 500 years ago have been replaced by the modern day hordes of tourists brandishing Euros and cameras.

We stopped in the central square after having spent most of the day wandering the side streets, popping into this shop and that, to order a cano, a tinto de verano and a few tapas. I intend to find out how to make that tinto de verano when we get home. It was a very refreshing red wine based drink.

We walked on up Calle Molino to where we had parked our VW Polo right on the street saving us the €15 parking fee.

The hill town of Grazelema

We considered calling it day and heading back to our room but decided one more hill town might be possible, so we headed off cross country towards Grazalema. The twisting road up to Grazalema took us through the national park and a forest of cork trees which were being harvested as was evidenced by the lack of bark on the trunks of the trees.    

Turning a corner in the windy road, the white washed walls of Grazelema stood out on the edge of a cliff above the valley we drove through. A few more hair-pin turns and we arrived in this quaint, postcard perfect hill town. Absolutely nothing was going on. A few people sat table side in the city square having an afternoon coffee. Otherwise, it was a quiet, sleepy little town, just as we had been told it was. None of the commercialism of Ronda. Just people living quiet lives in the middle of a perfect nowhere. We wandered about the center of town, taking a few photos and then hopped back in the car to head on back to our retreat at the hotel.

This has been an incredible day. We both wish we could have a few more days here to explore more of this villages and to relax here at this lovely hotel.

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Reasons for traveling off season:

1.    The summer crowds are gone.

2.    Prices for hotels drops significantly.

3.    No waiting at great restaurants.

4.    Car rentals are cheaper.

5.    The big attractions can be savored at a slower pace.

6.    People aren't competing for that perfect photograph.

7.    Very few American voices and lots more local's voices to be heard.

8.    No lines.

9.    The weather isn't hot letting you see things in a season other than summer.

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Cable car ride to the top

We decided to pop in on the British colony of Gibraltar today on the way to Sevilla. Since I was a little boy and found out that the rock symbol the Prudential Insurance Company was a real place, I have wanted to see it for my self.  I also have an odd quirk about going to geographic places that have some odd geographic importance. Four corners, the tip of Cape Cod, Cape Flattery, the southern most point of Hawaii. I like to be able to say, when I point it out on a map, that I have stood on that point. Weird? It gives me chills to be able to say I have stood at the closest spot to Africa from Europe or I have stood on the beach at the very tip of Cape Cod. Yeah, weird, huh?

We drove from beautiful Ronda back down the windy road to the Costa del Sol where we turned west. About an hour down the coast we got our first glimpse of the rock of Gibraltar.  It sits right at the closest point to Africa only 15 miles across the Strait go Gibraltar. 

We had to get in a line of cars and cross the border. Though Gibraltar is a small colony plopped down in Spain, it is all British. No Euros here. Pounds only. Signs all in English. We had to drive across the runway of the airport in order to get into the one town. 

Our destination was the parking lot for the cable car taking us to the top of "The Rock." For a small fee, except for very windy conditions, you take a very steep cable car ride up the side of the  mountain to an observation building with stunning views in all directions. To the south across the Mediterranean Sea, on a clear day, is Morocco.

Here and there around the grounds up here, the famous Barbary Macaques scamper around getting into all sorts of mischief, including jumping on tourists that get a little too familiar or are offering food (something tourists are officially not supposed to offer). Dozens of these monkeys make this mountain their home and their waste is being rinsed off by employees quite often. Other than that amazing view, they are the big attraction up here. 

We spent an hour or so wandering around the mountain top taking pictures and interacting with the monkeys  before heading back down the mountain. We drove around the mountain and out to a lighthouse and viewpoint. The wind seems to be always present but Gibraltar is nevertheless a stunning place and worth going out of your way to see.   

Now, on to Sevilla!

A Day in the Albaicin and on to the Costa del Sol

We took the city mini bus up into the narrow streets of the Albaicin neighbor above Granada and wound our way high up to the hill overlooking the Alhambra which sat perched majestically on the opposite hill in the morning sun.

The highlight of our day in this quaint neighborhood was our lunch at Cafe Kiki. An outdoor cafe in a picturesque plaza at the pinnacle of the Albaicin hillside. It was packed with students, locals and tourists alike and doing a brisk business while just next door another cafe seemed to go begging for customers. We ordered our usual beers. Because we ordered a beer we got a tapa with it free. The first one was a small plate of paella. With the second beer came a tapa of some sort of potato thingy. We kept seeing heaping platters of something going to many of the tables. They must know something and so we ordered one. Out came the most amazing fried fish platter piled high with sardines, shrimp, calamari, hake and another fish whose name I missed. Incredible! It was all just delicious and so much fun because of the festive atmosphere in the plaza. Young college age students sat at tables playing their guitars and singing. Other older couples sat chatting. Families munched on their fish platters while the kids played around them. Great people watching! We spent 3 hours having lunch.

Bar Kiki outdoor tables

Rather than take the mini bus back down the hill we chose to walk the winding streets down the hill past shops and quaint residences until we entered a street filled with shops and cafes that seemed to cater to a more alternate, shall we say, lifestyle. In the 60's we'd have called them head shops, selling beads, incense, etc. and many of the cafes featured hookah pipes for hire. Order tea, your choice of tobacco flavor and relax.

After a very long walk down the hill and back into central Granada, the hotel sounded pretty good to relax for me. Instead we headed into one of the plazas for a last dinner here in Granada before getting our rental car and heading to the Costa del Sol tomorrow. We stopped in a very busy place and had a tapas dinner and a couple of beers. Walking home we took the broad pedestrian walkway that ran down the center of the boulevard our hotel was on. It was a lovely starry night, warm and romantic. Tomorrow the weather should start getting even nicer and warmer. On to the Costa del Sol!

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We left Granada this morning after a bit of an issue finding our way back to the train station to pick up our rental car at the Europe-car office. Despite telling the bus driver where we were going and his assuring us that he went to the train station, we never saw the station and the driver didn't let us know we had actually driven passed the closest stop which was only one block away. So we wound up in a working class neighborhood across from the bus station. Back on the bus going the other way. This time we sat in front and specifically asked the driver to tell us when we arrived at the stop and Leslie was glued to her city map to ensure we were there. Only a half hour off schedule, we were still a half hour ahead of our pick up time. So no big deal. We got a brand new black VW Polo, a real sporty little car.

The drive from Granada was only about an hour along a nearly completed freeway system. Once in Nerja, we found we were definately overdressed for spring had most certainly sprung on the Costa del Sol.

We arrived in Nerja (pronounced Nair hah) the next day about mid-morning. Here we were making a pilgrimage to one of the beaches along the Costa del Sol. I am writing this while sitting at an outdoor table at Merendero La Parrala "Ayo", a famous beach restaurant that is at one end of the beach here in Nerja. I can hear the surf crashing not 50 yards from me. From my spot I can see the crashing waves on the pristine sandy beach, a rough rocky outcropping jutting out into the sea, and, off to the horizon, the azure blue Mediterranean Sea all the way to north Africa. It is nothing less than stunning and that doesn't begin to describe it.

Ayo's Beach Restaurant

Ayo himself still cooking paella everyday after 40 years

Paella bubbling over the fire at Ayo's

The white hill town of Ronda

Leslie sitting next me with her face to the Mediterranean sun calmly states, "We could be working." She's right, of course. But we're not. We are here on a perfect early-spring day. Shirt sleeves rolled up, shoes off, toes in the sand and hardly a soul here.

Nerja does get crowded in the summer months. It swells in population from 22,000 to over 90,000. We must be here on a day when the locals and a few other foreigners lucky enough to be able to travel this time of year, are all that dot the beaches and cafes. Pick your beach chair, pick your spot on the beach, lucky us!

Our paella, for which Ayo's is famous, has just been served to us. The first bite...paradise. The perfect combination of arborio rice spiced with saffron and layered with the flavors of shrimp, chicken, calamari, clams; a seafood kitchen sink that makes you want to put your head on the table a cry. 6€ for all the paella you can eat?

Another dish that kept going by our table was one called  Cerdo. Only served on Sundays, it consisted of slices of a huge pork roast smothered in a red sauce, piled high with roasted potatoes and veggies. Sadly, my description doesn't do justice to what it looks like.

When we arrived at Ayo's about 11:00, the charcoal fire under the 3 foot wide paella pan was flaring up and over the pan and ingredients, mostly arborio rice and the basic paella spices , bubbled furiously in Ayo's outdoor kitchen. Along side this, on a table piled with the fixings for other dishes was a huge roasting pan in which pork roasts, brown, caramelized and with juices oozing, sat resting. In the bottom was a thick layer of roasted chunks of potatoes bubbling in the the thick pork pan juices. One cook was preparing the pork roast to be carved. He cut the string that tied the roasts together, then sliced off the caramelized, crispy skin, piled it on a plate and slid it across the table inviting the few spectators to take a piece. We each picked up a big gob of the dripping warm crackling and munched away. There was a collective sigh from the small group. Unbelievable!

After our lunch at Ayo's we headed on down the coast toward our goal for the day, the Andalucian white hill town of Ronda. A severely winding road led us up into the mountains, steeper and windier as we went. We stopped along the way and purchased a bag of the most delicious oranges.

Finally, in the distance, there was Ronda, a shiny white jewel sitting on the side of a mountain. In a hurry to get to our hotel, we drove passed Ronda. Five miles further, nestled in a broad valley with a view of Ronda above and along side a meandering stream, we found the small sign indicating the turn off the main road that led us down a narrow paved farm road and through the gate of the Hotel Molino del Puente.

Carly, the daughter of the British ex-pat owners, greeted us and showed us to our room. She also gave us a packet of information that would give us some ideas for how to go about our day in the nearby hill towns tomorrow. About 8 we headed down to the dining room for a bit of dinner.

We went into the library first where they keep coffee, tea and cake at all times for guests and ran into a young couple from Spain who we sat and chatted with for about an hour. Well, actually Leslie did most of the talking since she really wanted to speak in Spanish and they were more comfortable with their own language. I was surprised at the amount I could understand and occasionally tossed in a word or two into the mix.

Elaine and Ian, the very friendly proprietors have been in Spain for 25 years now. They have raised their three daughters, one of whom is at the university in Cadiz. They had run a very successful restaurant in one of the beach towns along the Costa del Sol but had had enough and moved to this quieter slower paced area.

They served us both wonderful lively conversation and a delicious little dinner. We ordered one ensalada and one main to share. The salad was of Ian's homemade gravlax and included thick slices of avocado, greens, cherry tomatoes and was dressed with his own dressing of white wine vinegar, olive oil, honey and mustard and herbs.

The main was a plate of homemade ravioli stuffed with walnuts, Gorgonzola and topped with a buerre blanc sauce. Delicious!

Eventually, tired from another big day, we excused ourselves waved good night to our hosts, a hearty "well done" to Ian for his culinary skills and headed up to bed. 

Tomorrow, we explore the lovely hill town of Ronda.

Train to Granada and The Alhambra

7:00 am and we were up and out the door by 7:30.  The Atocha Renfre  subway station drops us at the Madrid train station. Things go so smoothly that by 8:00 we are sitting in a cafe having breakfast.

We're about to depart Madrid after a much too short stay to make any real judgements about the city. However, I will make an attempt. It is, in many ways like any other major city in the world. It is crowded. There is a lot of tagging of public and private buildings, I think more so than the average. But it is clean. The fountains in the squares work, the people are helpful and generally friendly. It is a big city and that also means there is a lot to do. Big nightlife with theater, music, fine food and world class museums. It would be nice to stay a little longer and sample more of this place, but we are on our way to Granada, home of The Alhambra, a place I have long wanted to visit.

About our hotel, the Hotel Rigente. This was a 3-star hotel and was in a really good location for seeing all the prime sites. However, the staff were not at all friendly, but business-like helpful. Our room was unimaginative in decor though functionally adequate. Faux hardwood floors, twin beds with horrible mattresses, a very nice shower. Our room was adjacent to a breezeway that ran up the center of the building with an outlet to the sky. Many of the rooms had windows that looked out onto this space. Unfortunately, at the bottom of this shaft was the backside of the restaurant next door and until nearly midnight the employees tossed trash, dishes crashed, and all sorts of noise echoed up the shaft making sleeping with the window (the only source of ventilation for the room) open impossible. The hotel advertises air conditioning and the controls in the room indicated it as a possibility, but the switch did nothing. Not even the fan would work unless the heat was on. So, open the window for some fresh air? Not if you wanted to sleep before say midnight or one am. We used ear plugs but without the window closed, it was very difficult to sleep.

We had an odd sort of breakfast in the train station. A glass of fresh squeezed orange juice, yummy! A croissant, a cup of very strong and tasty coffee, and a chicken sandwich. Odd choices and pricey but it all hit the spot and after over-indulging yesterday, was considerably easier on the tummy.

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I am thinking this will be my final trip traveling in this style. It is just getting too hard to drag my luggage through the streets to the hotel or the subway or the train station. The idea of having a tour bus waiting at the door to the hotel and dropping you off wherever the next stop is in your itinerary is so attractive. Or perhaps an extended cruise in which my hotel room travels with me. My clothes come out of the suitcase once, hang in a closet, unwrinkled. I leave the ship to climb aboard a bus that whisks me to and from my excursion ashore and I have several very good restaurants onboard to choose from or, with enough time ashore, perhaps an adventure in dining locally. No worries, no stresses, low cost if you look in the right places for your adventure bargain.

With the cost of Europe these days for Americans, travel bargains there are a little tougher to come by. So, why not other destinations where your travel dollar goes further. Try Africa, Australia and New Zealand, Asia--all places you should expect your dollar to go farther.

Purchase a tour package and many of your travel worries evaporate. Someone else drives, someone else takes care of the details at your hotel, well, perhaps you can see the advantages. What are the disadvantages? Hmmmm, okay, give me a moment. Yes, you do give up having control over where you go, when and how long you stay there. Options, side trips, changes in plans are all lost in favor of this method of travel.

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Back to our current journey.  The train left the station in Madrid right on time--9:05 am and we sped across country.

The view out our train car changed quickly from urban to suburban Madrid and finally to the rural country side. Rolling hills dotted with olive groves here and there, the occasional small village in the distance with the obligatory church steeple. This is decidedly agrarian with light industries here and there mostly tied to the farming going on.

In many ways it reminds me of the area where I grew up in California's San Joaquin Valley. Basic brown ground except for a month or so in the spring when the earth bursts forth with a green ground cover that quickly dies off.

Hilltop castle from the train

Spring seems to be making itself known here in the countryside. Here and there are trees covered in blooms, scrub oak or perhaps they are cork trees, are leafed out and in many places the ground is being prepared for planting.

Another thing I noticed along the way is the level of infrastructural improvements on the roads and rail lines. New rail lines and roads and rail lines that operate at higher speeds. Our train, which is not a high speed train is still traveling much faster, smoother and quieter than any American train I've ever been on.

Cattle and sheep also roam the country side.  We pass through the occasional tunnel as the terrain becomes more mountainous. Scrub oak is replaced by forests of pine trees and eucalyptus then finally back to the oaks again.

Our train arrived in Granada after a few stops along the way. It was a smooth and calm ride all the way. I love train travel. No seatbelts to keep fastened. No lines through security. Plenty of leg room. Ahhh, train travel!

The Granada train station is rather rustic compared to most of the others we stopped at, but we pulled our luggage along behind us to the front of the train, crossed the tracks, walked through the station lobby and out into the street. Our directions told us to proceed straight out of the station and up the street to the first major intersection, then turn right. In a couple of blocks we found a group of others standing at a bus stop. It was the one we were looking for. We boarded and bought a bus card good for 10 rides. After about a 5 minutes ride we got off and started pulling our luggage to a TI that was supposed to be across the street. It wasn't there so we headed for the new location where we got maps and directions to our hotel.

On the way to the hotel we came across a gelato stand that called our name. I got a tangerine flavored one that tasted like a creme sickle. Leslie got hazelnut. Refreshed, we headed for our hotel with luggage in tow. The directions were accurate and in about 15 minutes we arrived and checked in. Beautiful location and very nice room.

Church near the TI in Grenada

We got unpacked and relaxed. I was pretty done for the day but Leslie did go out and explore until just before dark. When she returned we headed down the street to the big department store that has a grocery store in the basement and purchased cheese, sausage, bread, olives, etc.--the must haves for a picnic. When we travel here in Europe we tend to do this a lot. With the prices of food in restaurants, the prices in Europe in general requires us to find creative ways to eat well and still enjoy ourselves. We find exploring grocery stores in most countries to be a fun activity anyway. So we bought enough food to last us while we were in Granada for breakfast and one other meal. Then we will eat one meal out so we don't feel like we are missing out.

Back in the room, we broke open the items we purchased and had a nice simple dinner. The rest of the food went into the room fridge. Tomorrow we'll pack a lunch for The Alhambra.

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This morning we had breakfast in the room with the food we'd bought last night and packed a lunch to have at The Alhambra. We took the mini bus up the steep hill to The Alhambra in plenty of time to enter with our time sensitive tickets. In case you are planning a trip that will include Granada, you MUST buy your tickets ahead. You do not want to stand in the line to buy one when you could be inside enjoying the place. It is incredibly easy to do on-line and there are kiosks in town where you can print out your tickets when you arrive. No standing in line. The ticket will tell you what time you need to arrive at certain parts of the huge grounds. A window of time allows you plenty of time then to see everything.  Of course, being here in March instead of the summer months made our experience much nicer where crowds were concerned.

Inside The Alhambra

We saw the entire place, uphills, down, every which way. It is a massive site that took us over 5 hours to cover. We arrived for our 9:00 am time and figured we would start at the lowest part of the hill and work our way to the top, beginning with the Alcazaba, the mostly ruined fortress which is also one of the oldest parts of the Alhambra.

Construction began in 1237 when Muhammad I, founder of the Nasrid dynasty chose this site to install his court. A Muslim presence stayed on this hill until the famous year 1492 when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella finally defeated the last Muslim stronghold in their country. 

It was also from one of the rooms in the Alhambra that Queen Isabella heard Christopher Columbus plead his case and granted him the funding for his first voyage that lead to his discovery of America.

Our next stop was the Nasrid Palaces. This is where the most beautiful parts of the Alhambra are located. Built in three periods, from 1314-1391. The water features, the mosaic, the writings on the walls, the gardens, it is absolutely a masterpiece of beauty and human creativity. Everywhere you looked there was another Kodak moment.

We walked through the Palacios de Carlos V which he had built after visiting the Alhambra in 1526. It is interesting because it is a square building with a round interior court yard. It was designed by a student of Michelangelo and is considered one of the most important works of the Spanish Renaissance.

Up the hill further, we explored the gardens of the Partal. More water features and the palace of Yusuff III.  Further up we reached the gardens and palace of Generalife with its even more elaborate water features and gardens. This was the recreation area for the kings of the Alhambra, a place for them to get away from everyday life in the court.

Finally, we reached the uppermost part of the grounds which was the point at which all the water, that was so important to the survival of this hilltop fortress and palace, was collected and channeled to where it was needed. It was an engineering marvel in its time.

We walked down a forested lane to the exit, the waiting minibuses and the short trip down into Granada. What a truly amazing experience. I had read about the Alhambra, seen photos, but none of it prepared me for seeing it in person. The beauty, creativity, and engineering. This must have been an amazing place to spend your days. The quiet of the courtyards, the peace filled gardens, alone with your thoughts while sitting by one of the quietly burbling water features. It is just breathtaking and a must for anyone's list of things to do before you depart this life.

We headed back to the hotel and were peacefully napping by about 3:00. Leslie went out on one of her explorations on her own. I stayed in to catch up on my journaling and logging my photos of the day.

About 8:00 we went out to dinner only to find our place was closed. So we headed towards our second choice a few blocks away in the Playa del Carmen called La Cueva de 1900. It came well recommended and it did start out well. We ordered first courses of  a local speciality called salmorejo and an ensalada de pimientos asados. The salmorejo is a tomato based soup but the base is whirred in a blender with ingredients that include bread and almonds and then served cold. I'll run a recipe for it that I have in a later blog. The ensalada was a beautifully presented plate of roasted red peppers surrounding a center of tuna and black olives and sliced hard boiled egg dotting the top.

 We also ordered a glass of red wine and a small beer for me. That would have been the place to end the meal but we ordered mains. I got the huevos rotos con patatas y jamon. That is a plate heaping with French fries and topped by a fried egg and slices of the local ham. This is supposed to be a local specialty. They need a new one. We also ordered another local specialty. Habitats con jamon. Basically, beans (couldn't figure out what kind but they looked like over cooked elongated peas) cooked with ham and topped with a fried egg. Again, it was a mistake. We tried adding the available table condiments of olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper, but nothing helped this lost cause. Now the real question I have is, did we get a good example of what these dishes should taste like? Having no frame of reference we are just left with the disappointing taste in our mouths.

Churros in Granada!

We headed off on a rambla through the back narrow streets and across well lit plazas lined with restaurants and bars all bustling with young and old alike, all out to enjoy the crisp evening. Walking around Bibrambla, a beautiful, but for some reason not very popular plaza tonight, we stopped in at the Alhambra Cafeteria Churreria Chocolateria and sat down to try our first churro and hot chocolate. This is a specialty in Madrid but we left before had a chance to try it there. Churros are a deep fried doughy dessert. Served hot out of the fryer, sugar coated. A half dozen of these delights are served with a hot cup of very thick, very rich chocolate. The churros are dipped in the hot chocolate and eaten after getting an appropriate soaking. Really good for you, but oh so delicious!

A 15 minute stroll home through the still bustling back streets and we were ready for bed by 10:30. Another big day in Granada tomorrow. The second largest cathedral in Spain and the Albaicin, a part of town known for its views of the city, interesting restaurants, caves that are lived in by gypsies and local hippies. If that doesn't get you to read the next episode of this blog, I give up!

Exploring Madrid

Went to bed with ear plugs last night because we had to keep the window open. There is no way to get any air into the room other than heat and that makes it too warm. But the noise from other rooms and from employees talking at the top of their lungs or even hollering at each other in the atrium out the window is amplified by the walls. I still managed to sleep 12 hours. I only woke up then when Leslie had removed the key to the room so she could slip out to go exploring.

Most people who know me know how rabidly anti-smoking I am. For years, when traveling I have just had to quietly deal with it since in most countries it hadn't been as taboo as in the United States. But now, it has become the law in most countries and  smoking is banned indoors. And now it is here in Spain as well. But there is still a very high percentage of smokers in general. The streets are littered with cigarette butts and you still see people smoking indoors near the entrance to a place or directly outside an entrance. I even had a guy walk over to where I was sitting on a low wall in a square next to the palace yesterday, sit right next to me and light up. I had to get up and walk away to sit somewhere else. I may have wondered about my action but, gee, couldn't he have walked a distance from me thinking maybe I might not approve of being around a smoker? That gives you some idea of the level of acceptance that still exists.

Today we hopped on the Metro (the subway system here) and took it three stops to the Atocha station to go to Museo de Prado, the art museum which must not be missed. We also hoped to get to the Thyssen and the Sofia Reina art museums as well. It was about a 15 minute walk from the subway to the Prado and we got there not too long after they opened.

We spent hours in the Prado looking at examples of the Spanish masters all well represented. Goya, Velasquez and others of that school along with artists of many other periods.

I particularly enjoyed watching several artists who were painting reproductions of the art on display. I was especially impressed with an artist who was reproducing Velasquez's masterpiece, The Assumption. In fact I liked the way the reproduction was looking better than the original.

We also managed to get tickets to a temporary exhibit from The Hermitage in St. Petersburg in Russia. About 180 pieces were represented. My favorite pieces were the Scythian gold pieces. So ornate and intricate. I'd never seen anything made of gold that looked so fine.

We left the Prado and walked across the street to Taberna de Dolores where we had 3 bocadillos, little sandwiches (boca means mouth). We ordered a jamon de pato (duck), a queso roquefort and a bacalao, or salted cod. We accompanied it with two canas, little beers. It was a delicious lunch. I should mention that Americans may be a little put out by the lack of friendly service at some Spanish restaurants. It is just their way it seems. Professional, yes, but they hardly acknowledge your existence beyond taking your order and delivering it.

Back to the Prado we went to take in another floor. You'd really need to spend more than a day here moving right along, no lingering, if you wanted to see the entire displayed collection. We couldn't manage it and we tried.

Leaving the Prado we headed down the boulevard with the intent to go to the Sofia Reina. We'd given up on getting to the Thyssen. There just wasn't time. But along the way we came across a tasty looking jamon restaurant called The Museo del Jamon. Jamons hung from every window and ceiling joist. We went up to the bar and ordered a jamon and queso plate, some patatas and we shared una cerveza media. On the way out the door we looked in the bakery case and an elephant ear (didn't catch the Spanish name) dipped in white and dark chocolate caught our eye.  "One to go, please!" and back out on the street we went.

Two doors down at Meson Romar, our eyes caught site of the squid, or bocadillo de calamares sandwich we were supposed to be heading for closer to the museum.  In we went and ordered one along with a cana beer. I kept eyeing these little nuggets of what I was sure was pork rinds called chicharrones. The server saw me looking and handed each of us a piece. Oh, my! Before we knew it a plate of them was sitting before us. Soft, yet crunchy, greasy and salty. Yes! We couldn't finish them so they went in a bag to take along. Oh and the calamari sandwich was really good, too. Deep fried calamari rings stuffed in a good sandwich roll. That's it. Simple but delicious!

Finally, we got to the Sofia Reina museum and stood in line for the free tickets that let you in from 7-9 pm. Again, we couldn't begin to cover the museum. We managed only the floor with contemporary art up to the end of WWII. Our main goal was to see Guernica, the powerful painting depicting Picasso's statement on the bombing of the city of Guernica in 1937 in which the Germans and Franco's forces specifically bombed civilian targets. This huge mural hung in the MOMA in New York until the late 1980's when, after Spain finally became a democracy, Picasso's will specifically stated it should be returned.

A big day and another tomorrow.

Getting to Madrid

So, here goes. This is the first in a series of blogs I will be posting in which I will share our insights and adventures during our recent 5 week trip, first to Spain and Portugal, then back over the pond to Toronto and the eastern Canadian cities, down into Vermont and across upstate New York. We'll be covering a lot of territory. Hope you enjoy it!

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Our friend Fred picked us up at 7:45 and dropped us off at the Lakeway Value Inn, the closest pick up spot for us to catch the Airporter Shuttle to Seatac airport in Seattle. We have a 1:00 flight on Air France that will eventually get us to Madrid, Spain after a brief layover in Paris.

But let's back up a bit, to about a week before our adventure began. I have a few travel tips Regarding packing for an extended trip. We'll be gone a total of 5 weeks. How do you pack without overpacking for a trip of that length.

In our case it is a bit of an issue since the weather reports out of Europe have been none too favorable the last few weeks. Snow as far south as north Africa! Unseasonable weather everywhere and the week before our arrival there, Madrid has seen highs in the upper 60's, even low 70's and lows in the upper 20's. Yikes!

So, how do we pack, maintain our carry-ons only rule, so we don't look like so many tourists who travel with multiple suitcases or even just one great big one they will have to haul up and down hills, flights of hotel stairs and over cobblestones?

Due to the unpredictable weather, we planned to pack with the idea that we will  layer. Colder weather means more layers of clothing. When it warms up, off come some of the layers.

Second, we take travel type clothes. That means travel underwear, shirts, pants, clothing made of materials that don't wrinkle easily, that can be washed out in a hotel sink and that will dry overnight. REI and other companies that specialize in travel clothing sell these items. They are a bit pricey but the space you will save taking only 2-3 pairs of underwear instead of a week's worth or more will make your bag smaller and lighter (you need room for those special souvenirs you just have to buy). In today's world where airlines charge you extra for each bag or for bags you check, even for taking up space in the overhead bins, going light matters.

So the goal is one carry-on bag each plus a backpack which will also be carried on. Nothing to check, thank you. This saves money and while everyone else spends an hour or more waiting for their luggage, we are already out the door and on our way into town.

One more thing, as we learned on this trip, sometimes the airline will ignore its own policies and make you check your bag, usually as a result of a sold out flight or small aircraft. Be prepared for this by taking a couple of precautions.

First, keep your meds and personal hygiene items, as well as a change of underwear in your back pack. If you get separated from your luggage unexpectedly whether due to arbitrary airline rules or because the airline looses your luggage, be prepared to be without for a day or two.

Second, I keep my camera and iPad with me too. Expensive items like that are an attractive nuisance and can disappear from luggage when out of your possession. So don't leave any items that might tempt a less than honest airport or airline employee.

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We arrived at Seatac fine and walked over to the Air France counter to check in. We'd been unable to do so on-line and wanted to check on where we were seated. We had been put in seats across the aisle from each other but got the seats changed. Air France seemed to be blaming Delta for the problem of checking in on line and Delta blamed Air France. It turns out Air France is leaving Seattle and Delta is taking over their slot. Their on-line reservation system is apparently having all sorts of problems.

So Air France flight 309/Delta flight 8401 began boarding at 1:00 and the Paris leg of our journey began.

It was one of the bumpiest, turbulent flights we've ever had but we arrived at Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris. It was overcast and cold, but, hey, it's Paris! The final leg of our journey from Paris to Madrid was equally turbulent and we felt much calmer after touching down.

We had to walk halfway across the airport following the ground transportation signs until we came to the exit out to the curb. We asked and received directions for getting to the bus that would take us into the old part of Madrid and where our hotel is located. Hotel Rigente is really centrally located to all the most famous must-see sites. For 2€ the bus took us less than a km from our hotel. A cab would have dropped us at the hotel but they charge about $50.

We managed a brief nap between a lot of hammering and drilling. Seems the hotel is in the midst of a remodel, then out on a walk up Calle de Arnal to the Palacios Real, the Royal Palace. Rick Steves, our long time travel guru, claims this palace ranks #3 behind Schoennbrunn in Vienna and Versailles outside Paris as the top palaces to visit in Europe. While it did have some stunning rooms, the throne room and the capilla to name my favorites and it has quite an armory, it is also looking pretty run down in some very obvious places. Plus, it lacks the beautiful gardens the other highly touted palaces have. I'm glad I saw it but it is a very distant #3 if you ask me.

Headed back in the direction of our hotel up Calle de Mayor, we took a scenic route through some picturesque little side streets stopping for several photo ops and a refueling stop at the San Miguel Market which was a wonderful, indoor, very classy tapas court. It was a bit pricey but we ordered a plate of tapas, a sangria and one of the famous vermouths on tap Madrid is known for.  Our first tapas in Spain! The tapas were skewers of peppers, olives, anchovies and sardines, pickles, pickled onions, you name it. Tapas can be pretty much anything. They just need to be small in size and served on a small plate. We walked on through the Plaza del Sol where things were definitely getting busy. Crowds had appeared where earlier in the day there were only a few folks walking about.

I was exhausted when we got here after two flights totaling nearly 12 hours, walking all over three airports and then a hike to get to our hotel. By this point in the day, my knees were fair done in and I just wanted to go back to the hotel. Leslie led me back and then took off to do a little shopping.

Many of the streets around here are pedestrian only and by about 5:30 they were crowded with folks out walking and shopping. Dinner in many parts of Europe doesn't really get rolling until about 9:00. A bit late for me.

We headed out for dinner about 7:30. Early, I know, but I'm not generally much of a night owl! That will change, as you will see, as the trip goes along. We went to Restaurante San Juan which is not more than 100 feet from our hotel and on Rick Steves list of cheap places to eat in this part of town. A three course meal for around 10€. Leslie thought she was ordering beef steak for her main, but when it arrived I took one look and new...it was beef all right. Beef liver! Which I like so I switched my pork medallions with her and everyone was happy. By the way, it was a lousy eatery. We left the place just as it started to get crowded--about 9:15.

Tomorrow we head over to The Prado and a couple of other art museums and our last full day in Madrid.