Another grand breakfast buffet at the NH Malaga before packing up the Audi to venture almost around the corner to the Renfe Train Station. Carmin Garmin got up to her old tricks right out of the garage turn left into heavy traffic when we knew the general direction was right from the front of the hotel. So we ignored her and went our merry way to get lost but eventually to find the station after 12 extra blocks amongst very congested Monday morning rush hour traffic. And so we returned the Avis rental without a hitch, and our bags were scanned for the train ride and we went to platform 4 for the high speed AVE train to await our boarding time.
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| AVE (300K/Hr) Train Malaga to Madrid |
We arrived in Madrid at the scheduled time of 1340 however, he stopped the train well short of the Atocha main hall and WE the passengers had to trek the distance into the Air Conditioned portion of the station. WHAT IS THIS??
At first we thought of getting a Cercanicas (local) train but ultimately decided to just hail a cab out the village of Barajas to the NH hotel there. Our cabbie, a young chap in his mid 30s had been to Scotland and Inverness just last year so the conversation was quite animated. The cabby was beside himself as he thought we were leaving Spain on Tuesday and not taking in any of the Madrid sights.
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| Puerta de Alcalá, Madrid |
SUNDAY, JUNE 22ND , NERJA TO MALAGA VIA THE COAST ROADWAY N340a
A brilliant Sunday morning, hazy sunshine on the back
terrace for breakfast. One family of small children anxious to finish and
wanting to run off to the beach and it is barely 9:30 AM no less. Strong coffee
and a sweet biscuit after a hearty breakfast and we are ready to pack up and
check out.
We had a little trouble getting the correct road out of Nerja as the
GPS wanted us to take the E-7 motorway and not the original N340a highway along
the rugged coastline. (Jane knew where we had to go but Paul was not listening!).
There were stretches of beaches and then small villages with hotels and bars/restaurants
to support the throngs of tourists in high season although now things are
basically deserted. It looks very poor and rundown in places. There are many
unfinished apartment buildings to go with the shabby plastic greenhouses, some
of which are falling apart. It is puzzling why some little towns are quite
pretty and thriving and other areas in between so shabby.
We did see cars driving down dirt roads to the beach,
probably to a chiringuita for a morning refresco or coffee. The road is right
next to the Med most of the way and it is so blue and beautiful.
Entered Malaga and found the hotel, then punched in the
Renfe station on the GPS to do a dry run so we will not get lost in the
morning. Good thing we did, there is some construction work going on that
Carmen does not know about and we had to improvise a little bit! We checked in
at the hotel and then went for a spot of lunch, Paul was happy because he found
a Menu of the Day for 8€ for just the second time this trip. We did not go too
far as we are pretty close to the old part of town and we will check that out
later.
Nap time for Paul. More later.
We wandered the back streets a while, listened to the
cathedral bells ringing out joyfully and looked for a place to have a bite to
eat. We were beckoned by a guy, Paul immediately wanted to walk on but I
persuaded him to grab the table! Just as well Crowds were gathering. The food
was excellent and the price was great. Groups were returning from the parade
and there were still hundreds out wandering around. We walked down Larios Blvd and were confronted
with a monstrosity of a billboard for Beefeaters Gin covering an entire
building. It was awful! Larios is lovely with wrought iron lamps and baskets of
red geraniums, quite beautiful and there is that mess at the port end of the
walkway. Oh well!
Well we headed out to find the old part and have a few tapas
and a glass of wine. We walked in to a huge fiesta parade. First impressions:
lots of cops near the port, Hundreds of people, men in costumes with red sashes
selling biznagas, those beautiful creations of jasmine buds mounted on reeds
(they look like hydrangeas but smell divine(men give them to their sweethearts) lots of bands, men on horseback! What in the
name of heavens is going on? It is huge parade! I think it is for the night of
San Juan. Apparently there are also bonfires on the beach and lots of
celebrations. The place is packed, shrines being carried, horses, candles,
bands… it went on forever. How exciting, the Spanish know how to throw a
parade! Paul crossed n front of one group and we went to find food! The parade
went on. Actually, it was a good move once that parade broke up everywhere was
packed.
We sat at a table next to
four young people who were playing guitars and practicing a piece of
music. I know that piece now, I think I could even sing it for you if you
asked! Next to us were 4 older ladies, my age.
Last blog I wrote about the widow ladies of indeterminate age, who meet
and have a beer and talk about everything. These ladies were a little more chic
and found humor in everything, again, it is so healthy. To meet with friends,
have tea or a beer and just talk. Nice!
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| Malaga Chocolate Shop Window Display |
We wandered the back streets a while, listened to the
cathedral bells ringing out joyfully and looked for a place to have a bite to
eat. We were beckoned by a guy, Paul immediately wanted to walk on but I
persuaded him to grab the table! Just as well Crowds were gathering. The food
was excellent and the price was great. Groups were returning from the parade
and there were still hundreds out wandering around. We walked down Larios Blvd and were confronted
with a monstrosity of a billboard for Beefeaters Gin covering an entire
building. It was awful! Larios is lovely with wrought iron lamps and baskets of
red geraniums, quite beautiful and there is that mess at the port end of the
walkway. Oh well!
Ice cream and a walk back to the hotel finished a wonderful
evening. Off to bed. Tomorrow we take the train to Madrid. Sob…
SATURDAY 21ST
JUNE 2014-------THE SUMMER SOLSTICE
A bright and beautiful morning on the terrace having
breakfast. The hotel staff is all very efficient and there is a certain
Germanic quality to the management. Lots of signs telling you what you can and
cannot do, lots of Germans and Northern European guests. The staff speak
several languages are all polite and accommodating. In fact I don’t think I
have seen such customer service in years! After breakfast Paul and I sat in the
lobby to finish yesterday’s blog (there is better WiFi there) and observed :
luggage being stored until the client needs it, shuttles to the airport being
booked, luggage being brought downstairs by the manager Enrique, and complaints
being heard. One couple complained about something being wrong (Paul said it
was the a/c in their room) and demanded a discount. By the time Enrique was
finished with them they were apologizing to him and were leaving with a gift
from the hotel! It was a magnificent bottle of Reserved wine ( according to,
Enrique).”you will be thanking me for this wine it is so amazing” , he assured
them. I was so entertained by the whole exchange I could hardly wait to get it
written down. Now, this couple had checked out early and asked if they
could store their luggage and use the
pool and shower before they had to leave to catch their plane and the hotel was
happy to oblige! It was awesome, an object lesson in customer service and how
to defuse what could possibly be a difficult situation. Bravo Enrique!
We ran a couple of
errands and then walked down the sloping path to the beach. One of my
objectives was to walk along the beach, Paul’s was to sit and drink a beer and
wait for me! I now remember why I did not walk on the beach before! That beach
does not really have sand, it is small pebbles and grit and is damned
uncomfortable! Remember Sandy and
Cheryl? After my unwanted dermabrasion I
struggled back up to the promenade and strolled effortlessly back to Paul! I
picked up some pebbles as a souvenir.
It is like combat sunbathing here, everyone is jockeying for
a patch of sand/pebbles . Has nobody heard about how bad this sunbathing is for
their skin?? A lot of pale, pale legs out there…..blinding. Tomorrow they will
be very pink.
Lunch on the beach was delightful. Paul had his long sought
after rabbit (barbequed) and I had garlic shrimp. I am keeping the portions
small, I really cannot keep up all this eating! I guess you seen all of Paul’s
pictures of food! We worked off the food by climbing up many steps to the
hotel. I should have counted them but I ran out of breathe or got distracted by
the view! It must at least a 300foot climb up the cliff face but they have
terraced it beautifully with stops every 75/100 feet and chairs and little
terraces overlooking the Med.
After a short rest/siesta ( Paul has to recharge his system)
we went for a swim and a bit of sun. This is something we very seldom do, we
are not lounging about the pool sort of people, but is was refreshing and
relaxing so we could gear up for our evening stroll.
Did I mention that Enrique is a teacher of Spanish? He has a
voice so deep, rich and loud. Stentorian, I think is the word I am looking for!
Anyway, he told me I spoke very good Spanish and where did I learn? So there
you go folks, tooting my own horn! Actually, it is very flattering to be told
that, when at times you struggle to find the right word or tense. I will keep
on trying, I make myself understood and that is what matters. I need to speed
up my listening rate, sometimes a flood of words come when they know you speak
some Spanish and it can overwhelm you. Fortunately Paul’s comprehension is
awesome so we keep each other straight! He has been speaking more and more so
that pleases me.(even though it is in Spanish and not to me!)
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| Malaga: Alemedia Principal with rows of Kiosks |
aul wanted to do the tapa tour in the authentic old part,
ie where the locals go, and I really did not think I wanted to suck down that
much wine for a bite of food, so we compromised, we went for one tapa, checked
out our old tapas bar specializing in seafood and sat outside at one of them
and had an awesome meal. Mostly Spanish speaking people with families and a
couple of Brits tossed in for good measure.
We finished the evening with a brandy on the terrace at our
hotel. It was such a lovely evening. Rodolpho was on duty again, he is a
delightful young man from Cuba.
Tomorrow we head to Malaga a mere 50 kilometers away but I
think we may take the old coast road, it will be more interesting. Our time
here is coming to an end! I cannot believe it! We have been traveling for a
month and though at times I want to go home, I so love this country and will be
sad to leave.
Off to bed then, stuff to pack up and squeeze into the
suitcase.
FRIDAY, JUNE 20TH
ORGIVA TO NERJA ON THE MED
Another glorious start to the summer’s day. Birds chirping,
a rooster crowing in the far off valley proclaiming another day, and the
constant jig, jig of the hose and sprinklers watering the vast garden and citrus
trees on the grounds of Taray Botanico hotel. It gives every indication that
today will be hot by the afternoon. After breakfast we must pack up and load up
for our 45Km journey out of the mountains and down to the Mediterranean coast.
We stopped in Lanjaron for a bit of refreshment, Paul needed the break as he
somehow managed to end up in the old part of town which was being transformed
for the annual fiestas with rides and floats etc. Mirrors were folded in and I
sucked in my breath to help make the car much narrower and we ultimately jigged
and jagged our way to the exit point and out onto the wider highway out of
town. I swear I do NOT know how Paul finds his way into these narrow
backstreets but knock on wood, he always seems to luck out and we survive
without scratch dents, or lost mirrors! I however, suffer from oxygen deprivation
and I am not sure how many brain cells I have lost as a result!
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| Windfarm outside Lanjaron |
We exited the beautiful Alpujarra mountains, which are
basically the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountain range and headed for the coast.
We followed the coast road to Nerja found our hotel easily (it is right next to
the Parador) and were cosseted by the staff! They brought in our bags, gave us
a drink, parked the car and carried our bags to our very nice two room
accommodation. I believe there was a bit of head patting and cooing going on
too.
This hotel is delightful. Paul chose it because the Parador
wanted €457 for two nights, and that was with all the discounts and old people giveaways!
Here, there is a swimming pool, lots of terraces for sitting, a Jacuzzi and
access down to the beach with rest stops with seating and sun beds just in case
the descent tires you, and all the way down there are flowers and water
features and beautiful views of the Med! Sigh!
We toddled off to lunch in the old town. We picked a place ,
La Taberna, and had an okay lunch. The starters were good but my paella was
very salty. Off back for a rest before heading down and walking along the
promenade and people watching. A lot more people than we expected. Lots of
English speaking voices (various accents) German, French and many, many Spanish
people too. It is all very chic and cosmopolitan.
We went back to El Pulguilla where we all ate back during
the Lemons trip. They are so efficient and the seafood is so good! We had
promised ourselves we would try different things so we ordered navajas. They
are razor clams and we have seen them devoured with great gusto! We did not
hate them but we will not order them again. Nuff said / another bucket list
item scratched off! The coquinas in garlic sauce were awesome as was the green salad.
Believe it or not this Jane here….describing food! I told Paul that food was
his department, not sure what happened, I’m on a roll!
We wandered around the old town, eating ice cream, and
thought again about how much we enjoy this little town. It is very busy,
restaurants are full, shops are open and yet it still has that essentially
Spanish flavor. I have seen one kebab place, one English Pub (sold out of fish
and chips) and one Indian restaurant where the smells were truly welcoming you
could smell the bread dough from the Trandoor ovens inside and Agh yes the
smell of curry. The rest are Spanish, how they have avoided the Brits turning
this into a little bit of London I don’t know. Other places along the coast are
fish and chips, beans on toast, afternoon tea etc.
We wandered towards the Balcon de Europa took a picture,
watched the street vendors and artists and headed back to the hotel. Lovely,
lovely day.
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| Mountains above Nerja coast |
Now a word about hotels, all hotels. Why , when you have a
double room, do they only have room for one suitcase? Why is there never enough
room for two toilet bags in the bathroom? More to come, there are many other
little niggles that we have noticed that detract from the accommodating room!
Today we have decided to visit the local market in Orgiva and then
head up to Trevelez a village high in the Sierra Madre Mountains. We tried to
convince some new friends to head up into them thar hills but I guess they
wimped out! The parking fairy was with us as we looked for a spot in the only
parking lot in Orgiva!
Orgiva is an interesting place, we
became interested after reading “Driving Over Lemons” by Chris Stewart.
When he came here in the 70s, he and his wife Ana bought a cortijo and lived
off the land basically. Good book and funny, read and enjoyable! So we came
here a few years ago before we enticed friends to join us. They were as
enchanted as we were. We stay at the Hotel Taray Bontanico which is a little
outside Orgiva and is delightful. Eladio
and his wife have this wonderful hotel on fabulous property with two swimming
pools, gardens, mountains, fabulous food.
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| Weekly Market Day - Orgiva, Spain |
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| Trevelez, Spain |
Anyway we set off for the market which an interesting mix of fresh
vegetables, clothes and the hugely diverse collection of hippy-dippy stalls
selling natural oils, jewelery, herbs etc. The population has changed here, a
lot of Brits, who are just normal, in search of a simpler life I guess,
dreadlocked hippies with dogs and children in tow, and the Spanish who accept
it all with barely a change in pace. An interesting dynamic to say the least.
Everyone seems happy so who am I to judge?
I bought a pair of shorts for €5. I cannot believe I packed so
badly! I got it so wrong, let’s just leave it at that!
We drove up to Trevelez which is very high mountain village where
the curing of the famous ham is…KING! The drive up there is crazy but Paul is
up to it. We have been here before and like it so much…..here we are! We had a
fabulous lunch of ham and melon and sheeps cheese and.. I think it was a clara
(like a shandy) Lovely visit before we went back down the really windy road to
the Taray Botanico. I love these mountains, they are majestic and formidable
and beautiful.
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| Serrano ham and sheeps cheese in Trevelez |
We had dinner on the terraza again as England was playing Uruguay.
God Lord! Another bad result! Most of the people here are Brits or English
speaking. When did this happen? Anyway we hooked up with Jean and Brindley,
Steve and Marina and basically shut the place down after midnight. Really nice
people in a wonderful place. Isn’t that what travelling is all about? Meeting
nice people and exchanging stories and enjoying life. I like it.
Tomorrow we head for Nerja. Off to bed…it is very late nearly 1AM, I
really am too old to stay up this late. Off to bed….
JUNE 18TH
SAN JOSE (ALMERIA) To ORGIVA (ALPUHARRAS Mtns) SPAIN
We loaded the Audi as the sun was burning off the morning
haze over the coastal town. Breakfast and loaded by 1030, Jane wanted to travel the coast road, Paul
wanted to get on the highway and roll. We did an about face and tried the coast
road which turned out to be ungraded gravel and ruts to isolated beaches and gave not indication that ultimately a
village or town could be reached via this rustic environment. We opted to
return to San Jose and use the blacktopped highways instead. OK this is an hour
from our day gone!
Actually if he had not wimped out we would have come to a
paved road eventually! I could not believe the road! It was so dusty it looked
like we were in the Outback or a dirt road Anywhere! The beaches were beautiful
but more crowded more than you might think. That road was busy, everyone
bouncing and shaking and kicking up dust. ( I have to watch out for those
exclamation points!!!)
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| Hotel Taray Botanico Swimming pools |
We drove around the coast to see the nature preserve and
ultimately stopped for a Bitter Kas on the beach with bright red umbrellas and
chairs along with tiny fishing boats. A true chiringuito. So quiet and peaceful
and real. This is what we are looking for. Not those crappy tourist traps where
people think they are in Spain, but really they are in their own Northern
countries with sunshine. It is something I do not understand, people come to
Spain to live and then immediately want everything to be the same as home. The
same food, the same language etc, it is mind blowing!
Anyway we continued on and after an hour or so we were
thinking about lunch. I know, I know, food again. Here’s the problem, the later
you eat lunch the less inclined you are to eat dinner. Also if we arrived in
Orgiva after 3.30 then we would not eat until after 4PM. Too late for lunch. So
we turned off the road and entered Ugijar. As we drove through this little
town, I said to Paul, “This looks familiar” and as we ventured further we
realized we had been here with the whole crew on the Driving Over Lemons trip!
So, we ate at the same place and had a bit of a laugh about it. It was a
gorgeous day so we ate outside. I cannot even remember how we had ended here
the last time, I will have to read the blog!
We continued through fabulous mountainous country. It was
stunning and quite humbling. It is not all green and lush, it is barren and
bold and magnificent. It reminds me of home, though my mountains are not so
high. I thought of our friend Sandy and how she loves the mountains and how I
have always loved the ocean and I realized that living in Scotland I was so
close to both. I used to go hill walking and rock climbing as a girl yet the
sea is right there too. The hills soothe me too.
Driving in to Orgiva and Taray Botanico was sweet! It is not
a fancy hotel but it is comfortable and has the best grounds of any hotel! We
drove into town to reacquaint ourselves and ended up negotiating some pretty
hairy narrow back streets, life is always an adventure.
Tonight Spain plays Chile in the World Cup. We are eating on
the terrace and watching football. Oh my goodness, they better win!
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| Trevelez, Spain Ham Shop |
So who did we see sitting at the same table as 4 years ago?
Jean and Brinley! The English couple who were enchanted by the group who had
been friends so long and were travelling together. I did not approach until
after dinner as they had another couple in their thrall! When I went up to
speak to them, Jean was stunned, they remembered all of us. She remembered everything
about us, it was amazing. They are staying for a couple of weeks hoping against
hope that they will get a call to visit their granddaughter whom they have not
seen since she was a baby. Bad divorce, that is all I am going to say. I wish
them the best, they just want to be a part of the child’s life. She is 11 now
and did not know until recently that
they existed. That is harsh. They are a very gentle couple, elderly and of
course I do not know all the details but come on….that is harsh.
Spain lost…again! I believe there may be 3 days of mourning!
They will have a new King tomorrow, but the great world championship team lost!
I got nothing folks, that game was mediocre at best. Commiserations folks, it
is a sad day. Tomorrow will be better.
And so to bed……
Tuesday June 17th San Jose, Spain
(Inside the Cabo de Gato Preserve
We got behind on the blog and I am trying to catch up before
I forget what happened which is, after all, what this blog writing thing is all
about. Writing really is a discipline, it really does not take long to write
but if you decide not to do it becomes a chore and as our days are quite full
it does become a problem.
After a decent breakfast we decided to just bum around a
bit. We went to the pool at the hotel, looked for cigars for Paul, drove up to
the Mirador and had fabulous views all along the coast. This view just proves
what I always say about Spain, it is a big rock! The Cabo de Gata is very
barren but is saved by the fabulous views of the Med. Just outside the confines
of the park are acres and acres of plastic greenhouses where they grow a huge
amount of the vegetables for the area and quite possibly Spain and Europe.
These places are incredibly ugly plastic sheeting and supposedly chemicals for
plant growth under their enclosures.
Then we drove out to the little private marina. There are
lots of seafood restaurants but they are all empty without patrons! We had a
Biter Kas and left. The town is looking a bit more animated today, but I guess
it is not the season yet and all the children are still in school . We had
lunch at Casa Miguel which was quite lovely.
MONDAY, JUNE 16TH
ALMEDINILLA TO SAN JOSE (On the Med coast)
Jane would say that after 4 absolutely relaxing days at this
Casa Rural we must finally part ways from our new best friends: Daviana and
Raoul. The hosts at Hospederia la Era.
Paul who slept and recovered here would still have to say that this is
by far or at least so far on the trip the ABSOLUTELY best stay location we have
had. Right team, cases are packed after another healthy organic breakfast and
then Raoul kindly lugged them to the car
(no elevator) and we set off under crystal clear blue and rapidly warming
skies. Garmin immediately tried to take us directly into Granada versus the
northern by pass to Guadix so she was turned off in deference to the Michelin
map book for navigation ideas. That will teach her!!
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| Roman Ruins Almedinilla, Spain |
We drove by the cave dwellings and remembered our stay with
Cheryl, Ron/Sandy on our Driving Over Lemons trip. We are heading down to San
Jose in the Cabo de Gata National Park it was a lovely drive and we found our
hotel after driving past it several times! Got directions from a guy in a pizza
place as he pointed across the road! Duh! Not much was open and it seemed kind
of deserted. Nevertheless we found a spot for lunch after leaving the first
place when it took forever to get lunch and then they brought the wrong thing!
The little miss behind the counter was too busy texting and visiting with her
friends to get things right.
After a siesta (Paul needs these, especially after his sick
time) we went for a walk around town and down to the beach. (the Mediterranean,
in case you are wondering) Still very quiet, not a lot going on. A few families
in the Plaza, but it is surprisingly quiet. We started looking for a dinner
spot and a lot of places were closed (Monday in Spain, day of rest)The we found
what Paul called Faulty Towers Iruna bar where one guy was kind and shuffled
his feet and the other tight with his wine measures. But the food was ok.
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| San Jose central plaza and the kids are playing at 8:00PM |
Another day done, our time is getting short. Not too sure
how I feel about San Jose, seems very touristy and chintzy. We will see
tomorrow. Night, night.
SUNDAY JUNE 15TH
FATHER'S DAY IN ALMEDINILLA
Day four at the Casa Rural and day 3 recuperation for the
old man who is starting to make his way back to the land of the normal. Another
quiet day of bland food and an easy routine and we should be ready to continue
our scheduled locations. After our healthy organic breakfast, we headed off for
a short drive. First we went to Priego de Cordoba (return location for us).
And
then we continued on to Cabra where we had a Bitter kas at a busy café in the
Plaza. There were several dogs accompanying their people and they did a good
job of keeping the tables clear of pigeons. These pigeons are cheeky little things
but one minor woof, a skittering of paws and we were free of the scurge . Then
we headed back home to the Hospederia. Paul found a hotel truck stop outside of
Pregio where we had a light lunch before continuing. Then after siesta, we both
went into the pool. Shocking at first but really quite enjoyable after you are immersed.
By the end of the day Paul declared himself well enough that he wanted a
solomillo for Father’s Day supper. Brave man, but I think he is pushing it too
fast (scrambled eggs would be sufficient) after what he has been through but he
ate the steak with gusto and no side effects.
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| Preigo de Cordoba, Balcon Park, statute |
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| Cabra, Spain |
We have become very comfortable here. It is quiet and calm
and delightful. I know we are moving on tomorrow but I will miss the easy
camaraderie, eating breakfast in the shade under the trees and dinner in the
shade of the cortijo. Watching the moon come over the mountains and even
listening to that little snot who buzzes around town non-stop on his moto! I
think we will have to adopt Davinia and Raoul! They have made the last few days
wonderful. Definitely a 10 score on Trip Advisor!
SATURDAY, JUNE 14TH ALMEDINILLA, SPAIN
We are scheduled to move onto to Granada today, however,
Paul has still not fully recovered from the food poisoning. Thinking of the 70
mile drive plus loading up and unloading the cases means we are considering
staying on here at the casa rural, assuming that they have room available. Yes
they do and when Paul checked on line with Booking.com at 1100AM we had until
1159 AM to cancel our stay location in Granada without penalty and so we did
and here we are staying at what now feels like home as it is soooooooooooooo
comfortable here. It is so easy to stay here with such a tranquil feeling of
total relaxation. Paul has started the first dose of an antibiotic Z-Pack to
fight the food poisoning infection. Two hours after taking the pills he said he
was starting to feel better. He has slept most of the last two days but not at
night. Fingers crossed that he finally over this.
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| Alcala La Real Castillo |
Didn’t know what to do about lunch. Davinia and Raoul
invited me to join them yesterday but I did not want to impose again so I went
down to the very small supermercado and asked about a bocadillo (sandwich). The
seňorita there sent me down to the panaderia (bakery) for bread and then she
made me a sandwich with deli ham and cheese and the ubiquitous olive oil!
Olive oil is king
here. They present it much as sommeliers do wine, telling you which type of
olive, type of pressing, if it has won prizes, if it was 1st or 2nd
prize etc, etc. Such pride in the oil they produce and let me tell you we are
paying a lot of attention too, its color, its aroma and its flavor. No butter
or spreads here, only olive oil! Here at La Era Hospederia the food is all home
made. The honey is from an uncle’s bees and the sheep’s cheese from the same
uncle, they bake their own bread and make their own yogurt and jellies, jams
and tomato spread for toast in the morning. Everything is organic and
ecologically correct! We are going to be so healthy and refined by the time we
leave here!!
As Paul was doing the sleeping thing pretty much all day, I
spent a while at the pool. I actually got in and did the swimming thing because
it was so hot! Too hot to spend much time out there but it killed an hour. I’m
not really into sitting baking in the sun, after all we live in Florida and sun
is not something we lack!
In the afternoon we drove over to Alcala La Real to take
some photos and see what was happening. The town is quite large compared to
Almedinilla but nothing much had stirred after the siesta hour. We did notice a
procession beginning to form up out front of an iglesia (church). Today is the
fiesta of San Juan or maybe Santa Maria de La Cabeza we are not sure so we
expected to hear music and dancing back in our village until the wee hours of
the morning. We had a light dinner, under much admonishment from our hosts to
only eat algo muy blando (a?). So scrambled eggs it was! Paul snuck in a
mouthful or two of my cheese cake topped with the homemade quince sauce! He
survived!
Didn’t hear a thing! We slept like the dead! Looks like the
nighttime trips to the john are over!! Yeah! Sleep!
FRIDAY, JUNE 13TH
ALMEDINILLA SPAIN
OK, second day at the casa rural and Paul is still on the
mend, eating little and still visiting the little potty room at least every
hour. Our hosts are concerned and have taken Jane under their wings while the
old man recuperates upstairs. Jane ate lunch with them before wandering around
the little village to see what shops were available….Not Many!!! She returned
after an hour or so and spent the afternoon by the massive swimming pool out
back. What could we write about when the day was filled sleeping and recovering??
THURSDAY, JUNE 12TH
BAENA SPAIN TO ALEMDINILLA SPAIN
It is check out and move on again today we must drive all of
36 Kilometers to the next location. So as we plodded along, Jane spotted a
brown national parks designated caves that according to Frommers has a bat
colony in the caves. In fact it is called Cuevas de los Murcielagos, so we
turned Carmen Garmin off and enjoyed the peace and tranquility of simply
following road signs versus her confused suggestions to “make a legal U-turn” or follow road on right
without a number or name to it. Carmen’s record for being confused was not
restricted to just Galicia but she is just as dumbfounded here in Andalucía.
We followed the signs first to drive into the
edge of the “white” village and then to the left so that we could continue our
climb to the top of the world above the white village to the cave’s souvenir
shop and a lovely girl who spoke pigeon Spanish to Jane, man that was bizarre!
I asked her something and she said the same thing to me but in a very strong
Andalusian accent. Anyway it turns out that because we had not phoned beforehand
we could not go into the caves. We have since been told that there are no bats
in there!! The views from up at the top were amazing. It was a clear day, not
too hot, and you could see for miles. Down we went and found Almedinilla
without too much misinformation from Carmin!
What a beautiful cortijo! A cortijo is the equivalent of a
caserio up north. It was basically a farmhouse where the animals occupied the
ground floor, which served as a barn I guess, and the family lived above. The
walls are thick to withstand the heat of the summer and the roof is barrel
tiled. They have done a fabulous job of converting it to a Hospederia. It has
only 8 bedrooms and Davinia and Raoul are our hosts. They are a delightful
couple and cannot do enough for their guests. Which is just as well because ,
remember that fish I told you about, it struck with a vengeance!
We had gone to Alcala
la Real to visit the castle and Paul had balked at all the steps and told me to
go ahead. I was not going to go and do it by myself so I got a little prissy
and said no we won’t do it, we have seen plenty of castles etc, etc. I do wish
when a man does not feel good he would say so! We went back to the Hospederia,
Paul to nap and me to swim and read in the sun a little. Anyway later were
sitting having a beer when he goes over to side by himself and starts puking!
Then he tells me he has had diarrhea! Good Lord man when were you going to tell
me? I ate dinner by myself with my iPad . Davinia was calling the Farmacia and
getting advice and plying him with those drinks that have minerals and things
and I gave him Imodium. He had a very restless night and visited the little
room a lot. I know because I heard him! This morning he seems a little better
but is tired and needs to sleep. I knew
that fish was off!
Both lunch and dinner for 7 euros!!
Paul ordered salad followed by Merluza fish in salsa. He offered me a bit and I told him it tasted "off" however, he continued to eat the serving until at 1/3 the way he stopped and declared it unfit for consumption. Little did we know that he should have stopped after the first bit.
Our server, named Ruben Raoul, took the Merluza off the bill after he had taken the plate back to the cook who told him it smelled funny. You think?
Paul ordered salad followed by Merluza fish in salsa. He offered me a bit and I told him it tasted "off" however, he continued to eat the serving until at 1/3 the way he stopped and declared it unfit for consumption. Little did we know that he should have stopped after the first bit.
Our server, named Ruben Raoul, took the Merluza off the bill after he had taken the plate back to the cook who told him it smelled funny. You think?
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11TH BAENA Our second full day was hard to fill as we had already been to the 3 most difficult places on our first day: both the museums and a olive oil bottling plant. we decided to just hang out and chill a little.
We wandered the back streets looking at the shops and tasting various tapas when the mood struck us.
We decided to eat in the hotel resturante our last night mainly because we had tried the nearest resturante already and the fact that Mon thru Thurs they offer Menu of the day at only 7 euros. As it turns out we should have gone out to eat elsewhere!!
TUESDAY JUNE 10TH
2014 CORDOBA TO BAENA
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| Jane at Almodovar Castle |
This morning we went over to the Mesquita as it is free from
8.30 until 9.30 and as we have visited before we just wanted to have another
look at this amazing place. It is so beautiful and I think was probably
preserved because they built the Cathedral inside it. That’s right folks,
inside it! It was quiet and peaceful and quite, quite beautiful. An undeniable
masterpiece!
Okay, after breakfast and the repacking of suitcases we
headed off toward Almodovar Castle which is 20 kilometers in the wrong
direction! We had heard about this on the Free Tour and decided it was worth a
look and it was. We came across a very fertile plain with swaths of
harvested…something, probably grain of some kind, vast fields of sunflowers and
oleanders down the center median. Just gorgeous! Then you see a very high hill
and on top a castle. The sort of castle you see in fairytales doesn’t seem
real. After negotiating some very narrow streets (I am being kind here) we
reached the road to the castle and up we go. This castle dates back to the Iberians
and Romans but was also inhabited by Pedro I, the Cruel in the 14 century.
Obviously it was a fortress first and then became a castle , you know how
people move in, redecorate, expand etc?
In 1902 el Conde de Torralba, D. Rafael Desmaisieres inherited
this castle and was appalled by its decay. He used his own money to restore it
because he hated how the national treasures of Spain were allowed to crumble
into dust. It is still privately owned and my goodness what a wonderful gateway
into the past. There was a group of children there being entertained and
educated by a court jester resplendent in multicolored costume and shoes with
the toes turned up. There was a lot of fun and laughter as the children, in
costume, reenacted some medieval scenes with soft floppy horses around their
waists. Fabulous place and it is not even noon! We are doing well today!
We stopped for lunch at a cafeteria/restaurant. (kids, you
know how your Dad can find these places). I had a specialty of the region,
berenjenas con miel, eggplant with honey, it was delicious. All the food was
great so we ate and moved on. Time to head to Baena.
Well….Carmen Garmin has ideas which entailed going south on
main roads and then back up north…….not happening, so we headed across country.
On roads of course, but those less travelled. We are starting to see miles and
miles of olive trees, we must be heading in the right direction to Baena. We
finally had to ignore the Garmin by using our Michelin map book. In the city
Carmen had only a vague idea where the Casa Grande 3 star hotel was located but
we managed to pull in front and off load the suitcases. Then we went to drive
about to get our town bearings. The only problem is the old town is UP above
the city and the one way system without relief parking spaces winds up and up every
which way without the benefit of signs or directions the weary travelers trying
to navigate the tight twisting turns. Ultimately we got back down from the old
part and put the car into the hotel’s garage. 30 spaces but only 6 were
occupied (one being a pair of bicycles no less). We ate at the hotel resturante
which offers menu of the day for 7 euors. Paul opted to try the Rabio de Toro
(Bull’s tail) while Jane had a solomillio steak.
Afterwards we wandered across
the street to big city park and found a sport bar of sorts with 65 inch TV,
playing basketball with about 15 tables of folks following the action. Still 80
degrees F and a slight breeze to enjoy our nightcap.
MONDAY, JUNE 9TH CORDOBA, SPAIN
Expected to be hot by this afternoon in the lower 90sF. Found our way down to the dining room for breakfast having had GI shower in
the half bath it seems the previous occupant of room 126 had taken a bath and
failed report that the shower spray direction knob was frozen or broken in the
OFF position. Paul checked with the maid already cleaning room 125 next door and
found that that room’s shower only went to the shower wand and not the bath
faucet. So broken valves are NOT being repaired but put into the position that
the current occupant desires (Bath/Shower) but only One choice.
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| A Spanish Hill therefore a Castle! |
8.0 miles were walked on Monday, so here we go. The ‘free’
walking tour of Cordoba did not meet in front of our hotel as originally
forecasted but up in the Plaza de Tendillas some distance from the hotel. Elena
was our guide cute short thing with a head full of long strands of curls. Her
accent was easy to understand and her knowledge was boundless on the history of
Cordoba. It has got to be the absolute best tour ever! We walked for over two
hours and were regaled with the history of the last two thousand years of Cordoba. So if you go
on vacation anywhere see if they have Free Tours it is a company that also does
paid tours but on certain days it is free, free, free!
We heard the history
of the Roman occupation, the Visigoth rule and then the Moors and Jews who
collaborated to create a place of beauty and peace and learning, where
Christians, Jews and Muslims lived in harmony. Seneca was born here as was
Maimonides. Then other Muslims conspired to change things, and then the
Christians came to drive out the rest of the bunch! Not much changes does it?
Now I am not saying that everyone lived on an equal level, obviously the Moors
were the top dogs and the others were tolerated, but great thinkers and
philosophers came from this culture. At one time, the town had over 100
libraries—there you go Ray that would keep you busy.
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| Baena Spain from our room 308 balcony |
The Reyes Catolicos (Isabel and Ferdinand) based themselves
here to finish driving out all of the Mudejars from Spain and the inquisition
started in earnest here as well. Our guide told us that the reason there is so
much pork and ham here is that if the Jews and Muslims refused to eat it then
they had not truly converted to Catholicism! Cordoba is a beautiful city and
outside the old part of town there are beautiful wide boulevards and gorgeous
parks with lots of trees to provide shade and coolness in the summer.
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| Alcazar de Cordoba |
We ate lunch in a very interesting place, Los Patios de la
Marquesa. It is a collection of patios with different rooms around the sides
where you can buy different types of food and take them to the patio to eat.
For example, one store sells vegetarian and salads, another meat to be grilled,
another fish another baked goods, then wines, refrescos (soft drinks), beers,
cocktails, all sold separately! The far patio had a free flamenco show and you
could bring in your food and drinks and watch. It was great fun! The dancing
and singing was pretty good and rounded out a terrific morning. Why do I have
this urge when watching flamenco, to leap to my feet and start clapping in
rhythm? I don’t know, but I somehow restrain myself and just shout Ole’ at the
end and applaud heartily!
It was a very late siesta today. All that walking and eating
and clapping plumb wore us out! We did a
little shop browsing and people watching and spoke to a nice lady who was there
with a group from their church on a mission! We ended up back at the Patios and
sat in the central one with a group of American teenagers who were eating…….you
guessed it! Pizza! Paul had some cannelloni’s and empanadas and I had a big
plate of grilled shrimp. Amazing how sometimes time flies when you are just strolling
around enjoying the atmosphere of a city.
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| Moon over Cordoba |
Off to bed. Travel day tomorrow,
though it is not too far through the olive groves of Spain.
SATURDAY JUNE 7TH, MADRID
SATURDAY JUNE 7TH, MADRID
Our room (201) was directly facing
the Ave del Prado with all of its buses, taxis, motos, police cars, and
ambulances rumbling by throughout the night. With window shut and persianna
blinds down, we slept without any problems whatsoever. Sunny and warm was the
forecast so we headed to the big buffet spread on the first floor of the NH
Nacional. We opted to take the big RED Hop ON-OFF Bus and to take route 2
(historical route versus the Route 1 Tourist route with the hordes of travelers
.
Around Madrid we slowly learned of the historic building along our route, we
got at Puerta de Sol for refreshment and a nature call before hopping back on
again. We rode back to the Prado and decided it was now time for lunch and so
we ventured to the taverns just up from the Nacional for lunch. Back to the
hotel for a short siesta before meeting the Tios this evening, only to find
that the maid had NOT been into our room yet as expected. Jane found her had a
chat and we opted to sit in the lobby to “blog” until the maid had her thing to
our room.
We were finally able to enter
our room to change before Saturday evening unfolded for us. We walked the short
distance to where Miguel Mendi’s twin sister Ana lives with her husband
Miguelito. Juan Miguel and his wife Maite were waiting at the sidewalk café at
which we visited last summer. Hugs and
kisses were exchanged all around before having drinkies and tapas while showing
photos of all the children and grand children.
The latest news is that Juanmi is now the jefe of the surgical unit for
pediatrics. He has instilled a sense of calm into the group of Doctors/Nurses
of his unit because his predecessor kept the group on edge with his erratic management style.
Now Juanmi has become known as the Pacifier because he is so calm and tranquil
in his approach to the teaching environment in the surgical group. The numbers
of departure or rotations have dropped to zero and both he and Maite are very
happy now in Madrid. The Hospital Gregorio Mariňon last year had the largest
number of pediatric heart surgeries in all of Spain! Our boy is good! Yes they
have kept their apartment in Barcelona and have it rented out at the moment to
a Russian business man. So they have their mortgage covered and everyone is
happy. Juanmi said that all is well with his family in Madrid and those up
north in Pamplona and Elizondo! After 2+ hours visiting and snacking on various
tapas we headed back to the Nacional; our group of friends all walked together
and talked until the hotel entrance at which hugs and kisses were exchanged all
around and we parted ways with a promise to meet again next their
mini-vacation as well…..we shall see because Juanmi has trouble arranging time off
work as he is now in charge and is travelling as a guest lecturer too! Maite
says he is doing a lot of studying too as well as the boys. We would love to
host them all and will enjoy it if just Alberto comes alone. A full and fun
packed day in the capital of Spain. Off to bed as we have another train ride on
Sunday.
summer in Madrid. I
so love our Spanish family and it is good to see that Tio Miguelito is doing so
well after his illness. Tia is como siempre, just a darling! However, Juanmi
had asked if Alberto could come to visit with us in Cocoa Beach before
continuing on to Mexico to stay with his Aunt from Maite’s side of the family.
Alberto wants to work on his English and to see the states so we should have a
visitor next year!! I suggested that Maite and Juanmi should plan to spend the
first week with us as.
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| Our Spanish Family |
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| Dr. Juan Miguel Gil-Juarena |
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| Jane and Maite |
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| Real Madrid Stadium |
SUNDAY JUNE 8TH 2014 (Madrid to Cordoba) train ride again
The train from Madrid to Cordoba was most impressive. Almost
airplane like seats and most comfortable. We left from Atocha Station at noon,
promptly and rocketed south at speeds reaching 270 klicks an hour! We arrived
on time with no drama! We picked up the
rental , an almost new Audi with two huge scrapes on the right rear, and headed
for the hotel. As you drive into a city like this and you see the skyline and
the buildings there is a rush of excitement because it is all so old and
beautiful and different, exotic even. You know you are not the first to come
here, the Romans, the Visigoths , the Arabs and the Christians have all left
their mark and now in the 21st century, 2000 years after the Romans
first came, you are going to walk in their footsteps! What can I tell you, it
thrills me!
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| Our AVE train looks like Pato, Pocoyo's Duck Friend |
Now, you know we are not going to find it on the first go
around…right? Right! It is all in Paul’s plan to familiarize himself with the
city before putting the car in the garage. However putting it in the garage was
going to be a problem as the weekenders had NOT checked out but were having
lunch and not moving their cars! We took the line of least resistance and drove
across the river for lunch! Then it was not a big problem. We whined enough
that the receptionist gave us the first slot! We are getting good at this. The
squeaky gate gets the oil, but we smile a lot and no one takes offense. We got
organized and headed out to explore.
History lesson now: Our hotel is the Maimonides and he was
born in Cordoba in 1138. He was a prominent Jewish philosopher, a physician and
a Rabbi, one of the most prolific and influential scholars of the Middle Ages.
Cordoba at that time was a city of great learning where Muslims, Christians and
Jews lived in harmony……..ah, those good old days. More on this tomorrow after
our walking tour and history lesson from someone who knows!
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| Cordoba's Roman Ruins |
The place was jam packed with tourists. Even Madrid seemed
fairly peaceful compared to this. The streets are one car width only and every
square inch was covered with tourists and souvenirs shops. I do not remember
there being this many when we were here before (shops I mean). I am so glad we
have come here. Apart from the Mesquita which we have visited twice before on
drive by visits we have not explored the city.
On the recommendation of the receptionist we walked 5
minutes (*pshaw, as I said before, Spanish 5 minutes is merely a very broad
approximation) to La Taberna en el Rio (that would be the Guadalquivir) where
we ate outside overlooking the river. (as the name implies). Paul whined a bit
as he really is not into this walking thing! On the way back we encountered
some very sweet violin music being played by a young girl under El Arco de
Triunfo . Very nice ending to a very nice day.
I am not sure how much detail to put in here, ostensibly it
really is being written as a memoir for us because after a few days things get
jumbled and later as I re-read these they bring back great memories and make me
smile, but I am always aware that others are reading it and I don’t want to be
boring! Oh well, it is what it is. Read and enjoy….or not!
More excitement tomorrow, tune in!
JUNE 6TH
FRIDAY, OURENSE TO MADRID (train ride)
Well the young chica at AVIS will Not win any awards for
rapid speedy service. When she finally inspected the car and verified the
mileage/tank full reading. We rolled our backs into Ourense station next door.
Minimal security here versus Madrid and we were ready to board but the train
was actually 5 minutes late. We boarded and began our journey riding while the
scenery whizzed by in reverse. This first part of trip will be backwards but
Medina el Campo will have the train split cars and we continue facing our
direction of travel to finish up our journey. It was a good trip, fairly quick
and comfortable. We had a bocadillo and drink in the café car, so sustenance
was not lacking! Getting out of Atocha station was a bit more challenging,
escalators and suitcases are not particularly compatible! However we made it to
a taxi rank.
Our hotel can be seen from the station, but, this old lady
is NOT wheeling that honking great bag across Calle de Atocha and up Paseo del
Prada for anything!! So we took a cab which was probably a little indulgent but
so what! Let me tell you something….I will not be rolling that bag back to the
station on Sunday either! Unless someone can get me a porter and a trolley it
will be a cab again!
We checked in at the NH Nacional and were given such a small
room that Paul griped about it, so we got another, marginally larger but at
least we could open both suitcases at the same time. We dumped the bags and
went outside to decompress a little and sit and enjoy Madrid. The Paseo del
Prado is an interesting road which leads down to; you’ve guessed it the Prado!
One side is a promenade with lovely gardens and trees and in the hot summer is
delightfully cool and shady. We will not be visiting the Prado as we have been
there many times throughout the years and looking at paintings is not Paul’s
forte shall we say. Instead will sit at sidewalk cafes and watch the world go
by, perhaps take a bus to the Plaza Mayor and do some more people watching, sip
a glass of wine………
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| Modern bridge in Ourense, Spain |
As the train was entering the Chamartin station, I asked
Jane what she felt about this two part vacation layout now that the first part
is finished and is a collection of fond memories now, with a separation of two
days in Madrid before part II begins in the south of Spain. It almost feels
that we have another vacation planned upon which we have not yet begun. The
only disconnect is that we have bulky sweaters, light weight jackets, umbrellas
which will not be needed in the south where we expect weather similar to
Florida. Cordoba on Sunday is expected to reach a high of 92F and sunny.
JUNE 5TH
TUI TO OURENSE SPAIN
Overcast and dreary looking but again the chica at the front
desk said this should only be temporary as sunshine should be the order of the
day by lunch time. We shall see if she has a crystal ball hidden away
somewhere. Just after the usual buffet breakfast we loaded the Seat and fired
up Garmin for our 90 kilometer journey. We both remarked that it looked like we
were driving in the Smokey Mountains
with all of the lush greenery and mountain turns and bends in the motorway. I wanted
to gas the car and also try a dry run to the railway station before tomorrow
morning’s rush hour departure. We found a Carefour Hypermarket with gas station
and also a C&A department store as well. We checked into the NH Ourense and
lugged the suitcases to the ramp then elevators. Next was the fight to get the
car parked in the underground garage 3 point turn between floors 1 and 2 at the
ramp leading downwards. Why or why do they not build these garages big enough!!
Remember the old pictures of men carrying flags in front of the first motorcars
to warn the pedestrians that a machine was coming? Well that was Jane guiding
the car down to our allotted parking space! Hey we have kissed walls in these
underground parking garages before, not doing it again!!
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| Hot springs, Ourense, Spain from Roman times. |
Car parked, we stopped at a nearby bar/restaurant for lunch.
There seems to be a large German influence here as the salad Jane had was an
“ensalada aleman” with sausage in it!
After a short rest we headed down to the Plaza Mayor. The young man at
the desk promised it was only a five minute walk……right! That is equivalent to
an Irish mile! It wasn’t too far though and I must say it is one of the
smallest Plaza Mayors I have ever seen in Spain. Nice buildings around it, but
not large at all. We spotted the Tren Touristico and decided to hop on and see
where it took us. The driver was a nice chap and we chatted with him for a
while. The usual question came up, “You speak Castellano well. How come?” they
say it just like that too, so he got the spiel about our history in Spain. It is not really a tourist train it is part
of the urban bus system so it only cost us 65 cents! It was the most clunky,
slow uncomfortable ride ever. No real sightseeing involved but it did take us
out to the Termas which are natural thermal baths which are open to the public.
The Romans discovered them as Romans are inclined to do. They love hot baths do
roman soldiers! It was most interesting.
Paul and I have discussed many times how little the Gallegos
promote their towns and historic area. Never seen anything like it. Now don’t
get me wrong, intrepid travelers like Paul and me can find lots of things
others cannot, but this is a great puzzlement, they are content to keep their
treasures to themselves, while the rest of Spain is straining at the bit to
bring in more tourist money.
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| Spanish version, quesadilla with mushrooms. |
Paul and I drove around for ages, before we called uncle and
checked in at the hotel, trying to find the Plaza Mayor and the old town. I was
convinced we were driving in ever decreasing circles and were going to
disappear you know where! A horrendous one way system and no real signs to
point the way finally defeated us. As it turns out the hotel was only a short
walk away for where all the action was. After the train ride, which shook our
kidneys to a pulp, we found what we were looking for and enjoy some vino and
tapas. All the best bars are just down the road from the cathedral!! Believe it
or not, we had the Spanish version of tacos and quesadillas! They are smaller
and do not involve guacamole or sour cream but
really good. Listen, one more piece of fish and I was going to develop
gills!
TUESDAY, JUNE 4TH
CAMBADOS TO TUI
The weather gods continue to shine us as the sky is bright
blue and a forecast to reach the low 70s F. We loaded up and checked out. In
addition to the scenery we are listening an audible book by Alex Berenson (who,
by the way was our guest at the Friends Book and Author Luncheon this year.
Just a bit of name dropping! Nice man and very cute too!) and his hero the
infamous John Wells a retired CIA agent is trying to foil a plot against the
Royal Saudi regime. Torques me off that Garmin chimes in to give me directions
and of course that stops the narration of the book. This brings back memories of driving down
south in Andulucia and listening the Chris Stewart books like: Driving
over Lemons. Garmin did a pretty good job without too many burps to get
all the way to the border with Portugal as Tui sits on the Mino river between
the two countries. The Parador Tui is a carbon copy or twin to the Parador
Verin also in Galicia to the east from here or the far side of Ourense. Uncanny
to arrive at a ‘new’ parador only to feel that you have been here before.
We checked in and obtained a map to the city. Only
interesting item is the cathedral in the center of the city. We were directed where
to go for parking and where the highest concentration of tapas bars were
located. Jane kept commenting the city of Tui looked sad, it’s a Tuesday sunny
weather the streets and sidewalks are deserted!
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| Downtown TUI statute of horses |
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| Tui downtown concert in the square |
We drove around looking for somewhere to eat but everywhere
was so quiet. Then we drove across a bridge and as we approached the other side
we realized we were heading for Portugal! Crap! Not supposed to take the car
out of the country so we drove around a little bit and then we headed back to
the Parador for a snack before bed. We finished about 10.30 pm. I know it is crazy but we eat later and later
and the sun is still up (even though it was trying to drizzle) so you really
have no idea of the time. Besides we are on vacation, who cares??!!
And so to bed……..
MONDAY 2ND JUNE, CAMBADOS
SPAIN
The sun was
shining in a bright blue sky. Hurray! Looks like the weather has turned for the
better at last. We have a lot of exploring to do today as Cambados is the
capital of Albariňo wine, whoo hoo! We headed for the Oficina de Tourismo and a
very sweet girl gave us a map and explicit instructions on how to do a walking
tour of the town. “ eet ess berry easy, up here is the Praxa de Fefiňanes with
manor house and the church, there ees also a tren turistico,and small chops for souvenirs. Then you walk down
here and over here and up there…….” . We set out full of enthusiasm, and found
the
manor house which was built in the 16th century. Then they added
the rest of the plaza and a church. Big, big digs. A couple from Madrid were
starting the tour so we tagged along. Apparently they don’t have the money to
turn it into a museum but they do open a few rooms and the gardens and bodega
to the public. The rooms were interesting but the conversations with the tour
guide and Madrileňos were much better! Apparently at that very time King Juan
Carlos had abdicated in favor of his son! What news! We had discussions about
the King (not in favor but they like the son) the economy (it sucks) politics
(all politicians are crooks and thieves) and I did stick up for Juan Carlos and
democracy. In my opinion he has done a decent job, considering Franco thought
he was his puppet, by heading his country towards a free democracy however he
did goof up by going on safari at the height of the “crisis”, and his
son-in-law is being investigated for having his hand in the till! The King is quite sick too. They conceded a
bit, but they are all so angry at the state their country is in.
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| Cambados Horreo |
Most homes
with a bit of land grow the Albariňo grape. They are strong vigorous vines but
because there is so much rain here they grow them up (about 6 feet or more) and
along wires to keep them away from the ground. The posts supporting them are
granite; there is a lot of granite here. Many vines here in Europe succumbed to
a bug and the vines were replaced with cuttings from vines in the States which
had originally come from here, but not the hardy Albariňo! They don’t know why,
maybe because of the moisture but they really don’t know. Some of the vines are
100-150 years old. The skin of the grape is very sensitive to the environment
and absorbs everything so they keep it very rural so that the grapes stay pure
and un contaminated by exhaust fumes. After they make the wine they take the
skins and brew Orujo! Another of my favs! They flavor it with coffee, orange, a
crema, which is a lot like Baileys, and hierbas (herbs,my favorite, again) and
there you have it, a lovely liqueur to drink after dinner. Many restaurants
invite you to a “digestif” after dinner and put a bottle of each flavor on your
table! Yikes I may have to go into rehab after this vacation. We really did not
need to go to a vineyard after that, we had a personal tour and lessons in
politics.
We also
toured the gardens and woodlands behind the house and we came upon a big round
stump covered with feathers. “ What is this?” I ask. Oh the poor pigeons and
doves are caught by the hawks and brought here to eat. A comedor?, I suggested
to great laughter. I hope Paul posts the picture because I have never seen
anything like that before.
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| Comedor de Palomas |
It was a fun
tour, nobody spoke English so our Spanish really got a workout, but we
understood all and felt pretty pleased with ourselves!
We had a
nice lunch outside just across from the Fefiňanes mansion. As we were sitting
trying to decide what to eat we spotted a very familiar looking couple. Chris
and Hilda from Belfast! What are the chances of that? We chatted for a while
and they went on their way to another restaurant. We had fish again, I mean
come on, I love fish but this is getting a little out of hand!
After a
little siesta we headed out to the other places which were close (according to
our lovely friend at the tourist office).The ruins of Sta Mariňa Dozo are not
within walking distance if you wish to remain friends with Paul! We drove and
we did an interesting tour of the countryside before finally arriving at the
same time as a couple of busloads of tourists!
The Church used to be the main place of worship but as the town grew down the hill no one wanted to walk up the hill to worship and so the 12/15th century building was allowed to fall into ruin and they built another church downtown next to the Fefiňanes 16th century mansion.
The Church used to be the main place of worship but as the town grew down the hill no one wanted to walk up the hill to worship and so the 12/15th century building was allowed to fall into ruin and they built another church downtown next to the Fefiňanes 16th century mansion.
No tren
turistica, not enough people yet. Darn, I do enjoy sitting down while we tour.
We enjoyed an aperitif at the Parador and then went back to last night’s
restaurant.
SUNDAY, 01 JUNE 2014 A CORUŇA TO CAMBADOS
Well after 3 relaxing days, we packed up and settle the bill
with Andres 184€ with breakfast and free parking no less. I drove back to the
lighthouse which was ‘Open’ this fine Sunday AM but parking was tight to near
impossible and so I drove down the highway until a parking slot was found. Jane
trekked back up the lighthouse and I was left to sort our travels towards the
Parador at Cambados via a stop in Muxia where the end of the The Way movie was
filmed where Tom sprinkled the remaining ashes of Daniel over the rocks above
the raw Atlantic waters.
Though the sun was shining, the wind out of the north was a
bit brisk but I set out to gamely explore the Torre de Hercules. Obviously the
structure we see now is not the exact original but the 2000 year history of
this place is fascinating. The Romans came in and built this huge structure as
a lookout point and a lighthouse. When the Roman fell into decline in the 5th
century or thereabouts records are nonexistent as the area became ruralized
with a very small population and in the middle ages they started taking the
construction stones for building other things. Easy pickings I guess.
Reconstruction began in the 18th
century. The bands you see going up the side are probably where the Romans had
ramps to transport fuel up to the top for the light. Back then it would have
been enclosed by another wall! So it is not all original but the basic
structure is Roman and it is now working so all in all a fascinating place. The
view from the top, when you are not being whipped by wind, is amazing and yes I
did climb all the way to the top! 234 stone steps! Paul guarded the car. It is
now Monday morning and I thought I would be paying dearly for that excursion up
top but so far so good!
We set off full of anticipation for the journey to Muxia.
The sun was shining and the traffic light. The countryside is beautiful and
reminds me of Navarra with lots of trees and bushes. What is surprising is that
you do not see the same concentration of apartment buildings as in the rest of
Spain. Lots of very nice single family homes, very few very old tumbledown
buildings. The horreos give it away though, they confirm that you are in
Galicia. Remember horreos? They are the raised oblong structures which were
built to store corn etc. Some of them now, are just for decorative purposes.
We stopped for refreshment in a tiny little village. It was
full of men only, but all very polite and kind. Biter Kas was served with a
cazuela of some of the best fabadas we have eaten this trip! The lady was most
appreciative when we complimented her!
We continued on up and down hills and around winding curves
that small mountains until we came down to the coast and wild looking raw
Atlantic winds. We wound through the cobbled streets of Muxia to reach the
shrine of the Virigin Mary church on the
coast. The shrine had been struck by lightning during a Christmas Day 2013
storm. The final scene from the “The Way” movie was filmed on these coast rocks
below the shrine. The interior of the church: alter, pews, curtains, etc were
burnt. We saw charred beams outside near the garage bins and the interior was
locked off to the public. You could smell the strong acrid stench of burnt
materials. All around the church perimeter there were granite blocks, and roof
shingles from the futile fire fight over 6 months ago. A few quick photos before we hoped back into
the car to fend off the wind and search for a late lunch place in this seaside
town.
We ate in a tiny bar, combination plate and a sandwich mixto
with the hole and egg yolk visible to the top of the sandwich. We continued
south towards the Parador Cambados. Another first on this trip, a Guardia Civil
traffic stop for a random breathalyzer test by a young traffic cop. License,
car registration, here remove the plastic adapter and place it on the end of
the analyzer, deep breath, blow into the unit for me, that’s enough, enjoy your
trip and safe travels and we were off again. An oncoming car had flashed his
lights and now I knew why.
The Cambados Parador is a restored country manor house smack
inside of the downtown area opposite the harbor’s stone wall. After check and a
city map we went out to get our bearings in the capital of the albariňo wine
region. Just outside the Parador entrance gate we found an excellent
resturante, the parador had only one table at resturante occupied. Shame that
they have become too pricey for meals. Paul wanted a steak but our waiter,
Rafael recommended an entretcote and brought out the rack of beef to illustrate
how the steak would be. He cut the steak at about 12 oz. and rolled out a table
along with a small grill to cook Paul’s steak under his watchful eye. A punte
and it was plated in front of Paul to enjoy. Oh what a great Sunday, pleasant
sunshine, I saw a 2000 year old lighthouse, a burnt shrine on the coast, got
stopped by a Guardia Civil, had a lovely evening walkabout, great supper, a
nightcap and off to bed. Life is good and tomorrow will be Monday!
Back to my observations on the Galician speech patterns.
There is also a szxsshing silibant sound on the cs and ss, sounds almost
Portugese. Just trying to work out what I am hearing. Not everyone speaks this
way but in el campo (countryside) it is quite noticeable. So it is lilting,
singsong and sibilant! They still understand our Spanish though, so it is all
good.
MAY 30th
SATURDAY, A CORUŇA SPAIN:
A gloriously sunny Saturday start, with a forecasted high of
68F later today before A Coruňa plays Jaen for promotion rights up to Division
1 from the 2nd Division. Playing in front of the home fans should
help. OK so what will Jane and Paul get into? After I decided not to drive out
to Muxia today and to leave the car put in the garage, Jane said we had the
Picasso Museo in the plaza a mere .5 miles from the hotel, and so we walked as
we only did 11.55 miles on Friday!! And some folks wonder why we don’t gain
weight on these trips.!!! Picasso lived in A Coruna for 4 years from age 9-13
years of age. His nd floor was the actually
house of his family while in A Coruňa. He was quite the aspiring artist at that
age, in fact one collector said that the young Picasso showed great promise and
should keep on painting, INDEED. In 2012, a painting he did at age 13 was sold
for 2.6 million euros (the most expensive work sold by a child) !!! Fabulous
and so interesting museo. On the very same street we walked towards the marina
to view the central market. Three floors: 1) fish 1) meat 3)
vegetables/flowers. Everything fresh and
overpowering to the senses See photos. We walked back to the hotel before
wandering down to the Plaza Mayor for lunch. We entered the La Penela
restaurente and after waiting 15 minutes to order, we asked for our items and
were informed that 6 of the items requested were NOT available that day because
of the football crowds and simply “we have none” ; a first but we walked out to
find another place to eat. Our second choice turned out to be ideal and with
bright sunshine we sat on the plaza directly, to people watch while eating our
lunch fare.
father was a professor who accepted teaching assignments in
various cities of Spain. The museo on the 2
Jane here now. There were lots of families eating in the
Praxa de Maria Pita, the chick who was handy with a spear as I told you before.
Lovely plaza, I am surprised it is not more crowded. We had a wonderful meal,
with langostinos, salad, steak and chuletitas de cordero, (little lamb chops)
and lovely wine. I know we should be eating fish or seafood, but I am on
seafood overload and will wait until tomorrow.
We strolled back to the hotel, it was 5 pm by now, so a
siesta was in order. The A Coruna team is playing at 7pm for a chance at
promotion to the premier league, everyone is wearing blue and white, the
excitement is palpable! We are talking FOOTBALL here people, the real football
where they use feet to move the ball! This town will be insane if they win!
We headed back out at about 8.30 things were a bit quiet but
we stopped in at a bar for some tea and beer ( seriously, I’ll let you guess
who had what) and everyone was grinning!
We had won! Promocion! Great excitement and joy! We know that the
celebrations will go on into the night so we had better eat before the crowds
get going! So we had a pizza (so shoot me) and headed back to bed. It is now
11.45 I am writing this with TV on and the crowds are still celebrating with
the team in an open top bus at Quatro Caminos. They are insatiable! I, however,
am done.
Only 6.75 miles today but I make no apologies to anyone!
That’s a lot of miles! Goodnight dear friends. …..and so to bed.
MAY 29TH
THURSDAY, Monforte de Lemos TO A CORUNA SPAIN:
Dark and overcast skies greeted us on Thursday AM at
Monforte, in fact there was actually rain drops on the castle window of ours.
After buffet breakfast we packed up and headed towards the northwest corner of
Spain. Carmen got lost leaving big city
of Monforte (19,000 inhabitants). She was determined to get us on the LU 456
road but directed us on a backwoods adventure complete with minimal blacktop
surrounding a plethora of potholes to dodge around. A speedy exit to Monforte
would have to wait!! As soon as we hit the LU 456 road the low hanging clouds
opened up beginning a drizzle that accompanied us all the way to the outskirts
of A Coruna. Carmen did not even load up the hotel until we were in town by the
harbor and no more than 4 blocks to the hotel. We stopped at a taxi stand, Jane
asked on the older drivers where the Hotel Sol was located. As I said, we were
only about 4 blocks from our target but in a big city, it might as well have
been 4 miles away!! We pulled into the entrance and stopped to unload our bags,
the young chap at the front desk said he would take our car into the depths of
the hotel entrails to park, customers are NOT permitted to attempt underground
car parking in the Hotel Sol confines!! OK, by me, my heart could not take it
anymore!!
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| Graffitti outside clean inside Hotel Sol |
And then found the tourist information office. After a
walkabout we headed back for siesta and ventured out for our evening drinkies
to complete our walking exercise for the day at 9.27 miles. All of this after
our 162K drive to the coast from Monforte. It’s Jane’ turn to add more now as
Friday breakfast has been obtained.
We went to the parte vieja last night expecting it to be
like othe old parts with a lot of people, bars and restaurants, but it was a
beautiful area, mostly residential with old churches and parks and with a lots
of restoration going on. They are lovely buildings with balconies enclosed in
glass and most distinctive. Some are at the top overlooking the port and the
Atlantic, just lovely (if the weather is). You could watch every prevailing
weather front come rolling in.
When we were driving from Ourense to Monforte, I said to
Paul that this must be a very devout place as there are so many monasteries,
well it turns out I was correct! It is called the Ribeira Sacre and has the
highest concentration of monasteries in Spain.
Something like 10 or 12 in this one area. All large and impressive.
Where we stayed, Monforte de Lemos was a huge one too but I could not help but
shudder as I walked the huge enclosed hallways as I imagined the monks going to
devotion in the middle of the night down these same cloisters which were open
to the elements. Yes they were covered over but imagine the cold! Hardy souls
indeed and here I am in almost, June whining about being cold! No wonder they
set off for the new world probably looking for some warm weather!
A Coruna is a large city with lots to explore. We are going
to the Torre de Hercules which is the only working Roman lighthouse left! 2000
years old! Now that is impressive. I will climb to the top. Paul may not, we
shall see.
28 MAY WEDNESDAY MONFORTE DE LEMOS PROVINCE OF
LUGO.
We pulled open the heavy thick curtains at the Parador to
find mostly cloudy skies on Wednesday AM and a forecasted high later today of
64 F, cool by Cocoa Beach FL standards but very enjoyable here in Monforte de
Lemos Spain. After a hearty cooked breakfast we stopped the front desk for more
maps and suggestions on how to enjoy Wednesday. After a walkabout in the center
of Monforte, a coffee and pottie break we jumped into our Seat Toledo model and
headed south into the mountains again. We drove though some lovely country up
over the mountain and back down to the river where they have boat tours and up
the other side.
Now I know that Spain is a big rock, but how they have utilized
what they have in these amazing terraced vineyards is incredible. Ribeiro wines
are wonderful and some of our favorites but when I see how the grapes are grown
it is hard to believe. The terraces are only the width of one row of vines and
they are shored up by dry stone walls. I guess that is how you would describe it, with stone steps
up through the terraces to the top. They must harvest by hand as there is no
room for machines.
The first village of Doade revealed nothing of great
interest and so we continued on to the village Teixeira famous for its black
pottery but none of the few shops in the town were open, in fact Jane pulled
open one door to a darkened bar, called “Yoo Hoo” and got no response so we did
a quick u-turn and headed back into the mountains again to (1) view the mirador
overlook to the valley and river below and (2) to take photos of the terraced
farming of vineyards on any patch of soil. It was quite beautiful up there, so
quiet and calm with only the sound of the birds singing. It was quite rugged
too, no manicuring of parking spots for
example, in fact even Carmin did not even know where we were! I think we blazed
a new trail for her.
It was approaching 2:30 when
we headed back to Monforte and we both thought that lunch would have to wait
until we hit the big city again, but somehow Paul spotted a Meson in the
village of Abeleda. A bar at the front barely big enough for 20 patrons and a
hallway to the comedor in the rear where there were at least 20 tables, along
with an outside patio are as well when the weather would be warmer. These
places always blow me away. There is a step up from the street right into the
bar and it looks like nothing at all and then you are directed back to the
dining room which is always delightful. Menu of the day turned out to be 13
euros. Jane had soup and filete de ternera with ensalada. Paul tried melon with
ham and churrasco mixta with fries and the same shared salad with Jane’s meal.
A group of 12 men came in together, like a club function and the head cook
brought out a large steaming pot of fish stew with broth, vegetables, potatoes,
etc for the men of black berets. Everyone knew everyone else and with usual
Spanish courtesy wished us “Que aproveche” which means “enjoy your meal” a lovely custom and such a
nice welcome to their local spot. What a find in this little village, neither
one of us were disappointed nor did we suffer starving over the 20 minute drive
back to the big city of Monforte.
The sun has come out ( Hooray!) so we are going to head down
for a glass of wine (surprise, surprise). More later…….maybe!
Sunday May 25rh thru Tuesday 27 May 2014
This may be quite a short post as
I finally got connected to the web. However I am sitting outside our room in a
plush armchair at the Parador Monforte de Lemos because ever time I go inside
the room I get dropped! It is probably because this ancient building has walls
about 3 feet thick and even the ubiquitous WiFi has trouble penetrating!
Where to start? We had a good flight over as I took a sleeping pill and slept for the first time in living memory on a plane! After arriving we took a bus over to Terminal 4 and a train to Chamartin station. It was quite easy to do thank heavens! We sat waiting for a couple of hours for our train to Ourense. Jane started making friends immediately of course ! (I can hear Cheryl right now! Oh my heavens....again?) it was a family from Mexico who were on vacation and taking day trips here and there. Then there was the German lady who was going to Lugo to pick up the Camino and try it for a few days. She was not young.......I salute her!
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| Parador Montforte de Lemos |
Where to start? We had a good flight over as I took a sleeping pill and slept for the first time in living memory on a plane! After arriving we took a bus over to Terminal 4 and a train to Chamartin station. It was quite easy to do thank heavens! We sat waiting for a couple of hours for our train to Ourense. Jane started making friends immediately of course ! (I can hear Cheryl right now! Oh my heavens....again?) it was a family from Mexico who were on vacation and taking day trips here and there. Then there was the German lady who was going to Lugo to pick up the Camino and try it for a few days. She was not young.......I salute her!
The train trip was about 5 hours
and most enjoyable. Very stress free, comfortable and at times, very
fast! We hit 238 K per hour at one point! The countryside was lovely and would
have been better if we had been able to keep our eyes open. You know that
feeling when your head slumps to the side and your mouth drops open ? Well that
happened a lot. I think we are conditioned to wake up at that-point out
if the fear of snoring and drooling on our close neighbors! In a 5 hour train
ride you can recapture sleeping time quite easily but you do miss all of the
passing countryside and gorgeous scenery that looks much like the highlands of
Scotland.
We found the hotel without too
much trouble but Paul discovered that he had neglected to pack the cables for
Carmen (Garmin)! So, off we trekked to find a shop that would sell us something
that would work to at least recharge the batteries. Three stores later and a
lot of friendly advice we located a make do system in the Centro Commercial, a
huge mall, and trekked back to the hotel. Many more miles under our belt than
we anticipated! Parking at the underground garage was interesting, as always
very narrow with very tight bends. I could practically hear Paul’s heart rate
increase as he asked “Where is Ian when you need him?”. The sweet receptionist
helped us navigate and the next morning when we were leaving I walked up ahead
and guided the way. There were many, many black marks on the walls so I felt
quite happy to do it!
On Tuesday,
based on the recommendations of Peter the Australian wind farm designer who was
in the Ourense train parking lot when we picked up our Avis rental car, we
headed off to Allariz a town and destination we would NOT have known about
except for Peter. The town houses and all buildings are built with granite
obviously mined in the local hills in the town that specializes on goods made
of leather. Leather has been made there since the 12 century. A lot of the old
equipment for curing and working the leather is still there. Even the wheel for
the donkey to turn when the water pressure was low! Quite fascinatilng stuff. I
think they sold leather for sandals to the pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago!
It was probably the Romans who brought the craft to the area.
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| Riverfront Resturante our first lunch in Galicia |
We had lunch
at the resturante below the Tourist Information office alongside the river and
opposite the weir and rumbling rapids. Jane had garlic gambas (shrimp) and Paul
had ternera with mushrooms and fresh vegetables. It wasn’t menu of the day but
very enjoyable . Jane had a very long conservation with the guy in the tourist
office who wanted to know how we had heard about the town! It really is a
lovely little place. Afterwards we set off towards Monforte but Carmen Garmin
had some tricks up her sleeve to keep us from getting bored this
afternoon. We always try to take the
road least travelled and believe me sometimes it is not a choice we make
sometimes it is Carmin. That girl needs to get a job other than mis-directing
the Beskows! Sometimes it was one lane roads sometimes she said “make a U turn”
a couple times. We went up and down one road so many times even the cows were
looking at us questioningly. Eventually Paul said “screw you” and carried on
even though it did not look promising. The road curved and climbed and narrowed
and then……. Down below we saw a two lane road next to the River Sil and prayed
that our road would take us there. It did and soon we were at the Parador
Monforte de Sil! Victory!!! He really does talk to the Garmin that way, one
day, when the machines take over, he will pay dearly!
After
unloading we headed downtown to park the car near El Parque de los Condes which
sounds simple? Oh you fools! Nothing is ever simple. We forgot the map of the town
and drove around for a long time before we found it. Then we started out on the
Concurso de Tapas and it started to rain! We had a map of the bars that were
participating and we did go to three and had some very fine food, but it was a
bit wet and dreary and not too many people were out and about so we called it a
day and headed back to the Parador.
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| Parador Monforte de Lemos |
Hear endeth
the 2nd day (7.5 miles walked today) with the usual hassle of
getting on-line and sitting out in the hallway typing the blog. Tomorrow is
another day, tune in and see what else we get up to.
