Spain and home

Sunday, October 16, 2016

I’m writing this from our lovely patio in Lynchburg. It’s hard to believe I’ve been home over two weeks now.  I apologize for not writing sooner, but it’s taken me some time to process our return.

I couldn’t figure out where to place this comment so I decided to do it here.  There are absolutely fabulous food markets in Lisbon, Madrid and Barcelona.  If you are planning a trip, absolutely allow time to wander and enjoy the sights and delicious food. I was very frustrated that I didn’t have any kitchens in these areas and there was only time to walk through the markets, but not to participate in them.  This is on my new bucket list!

Also, if you want to read more about the Portugal and Spain trip from our tour guide, please go to http://spainamdportugal2016.blogspot.com.  (The amd is correct).  A huge thank you to Declan Pratt with Global Explorers.  His trips are extraordinary.  All you have to do is travel with someone else to appreciate how outstanding his are.  We are planning a trip to Switzerland, Lake Como and Milan with an extension to the Cinque Terre in September 2017 and Peru in March 2018.  Let me know if you’re interested.

Our group left Portugal and traveled to wonderful Spain.  Even though we had visited them in 2006 I am one of the guilty parties who always had Spain and Portugal way down on my European visit list.  Both countries have so much offer in landscape and culture.  We started in beautiful Seville. To me, Seville feels like a grand dame waiting for people to come and visit.  We had a marvelous city tour which included their extraordinary cathedral, truly, one of the grandest in the world, and were enthusiastic spectators for a passionate flamingo show. 

When we left Seville for Madrid, we visited Cordoba, a place I never feel like I have enough time.  The grand mosque, Mezquita, was turned into a church.  When Charles V saw the transformation he said he believed a huge mistake had been made. I have to say, I agree with him.  The original architecture is simply outstanding.  

We left Cordoba for Granada where we spent two wonderful nights.  The highlight of the visit was the Alhambra which is an UNESCO site and rightly so.  What an amazing experience.  Declan said after he solidified the dates for the trip, the first reservation he made was for this landmark because it sells out so quickly.  I had no idea you had to get tickets in advance. Alas, two American women at our hotel had traveled to Granada to see it and couldn’t get in.  I didn’t need to tell them what a missed opportunity because they already knew it. 

After Granada, we headed for Madrid.  While I had visited here before in 2006, it’s always great to go back to a location with fresh eyes and a new guide. I saw things I hadn’t seen before – a world famous espadrille shop, a long, wonderful audio guided tour of the Prado (one of my very favorites) and another check on my bucket list, Picasso’s Guernica.  I had never been a modern art fan until the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts held a Picasso exhibit which explained much about the artist and that intensely confusing period in history.  The VMFA had a reproduction of the piece, but the outstanding exhibit made me want to see the real thing.  Cham left our last day in Madrid to return to Lynchburg so I had a couple of hours before we boarded a train for Barcelona to see it. That particular metro line was down that day and it meant going on a pretty long hike, but I decided I better do it because I didn’t know when I’d be back and I’m so glad I did. Unfortunately, it only left me with a couple of minutes to really see it, but it is such an incredible work of art.  I also got to see some of the other works in the Reina Sofia gallery.  Next time, more time.  

During our stay in Madrid, we visited the historic city of Toledo.  This city is very proud of its heritage, as they should be.  During the 15thcentury, the Christians, Jews and Muslims all lived in harmony with one another. While everything wasn’t perfect for everyone all the time, it can be accomplished.  Oh, that it could be that way for the world again. Toledo also has one of the most beautiful cathedrals I’ve ever seen.  I highly recommend a visit.  

NOT SURE WHY IT DECIDED TO INSERT THE PICTURES HERE, BUT ENJOY!  The first one is from Madrid at the Spanish pavilion  from a trade exposition in the early 1900s.

On our last day, we took a relaxing fast train from Madrid to Barcelona.  While I definitely missed Cham, I was so glad to be back in Barcelona and have the opportunity to explore areas we missed when we were there earlier on our trip.  This time we had a great guide who showed us the old part of the city, something Cham and I had missed.  On our free day, I decided to repack my bags in the morning and spend my last afternoon on the beach. The picture I took from the beach was the last one I took in Europe.  

Our group had a very uneventful return.  Customs at Dulles was incredibly long, but when we entered into the arrival, non-secured area of the airport, I was struck once again by the numerous nationalities and the pure joy and love people display when they see long loved friends and family.  It’s another reminder of all of the good things that are to be celebrated in our lives, something so easily forgotten.

Cham returned on Wednesday, September 28 (to attend VES Board meetings and also the Centennial and also to preside over the quarterly Library of Virginia Board meeting) and I came home on Saturday, October 1. I resumed real life after a couple of days of lying low.  It was truly heartwarming to find how many friends and family missed us and were so happy we were home. We also want to thank all of you for reading the blog.  We were very happy to share the adventure with you and greatly appreciate your interest in our experiences. The past couple of weeks have been an adjustment, physically and mentally.  We planned this trip for two years, and now we gone and come in the blink of an eye. What an incredible experience.  As we’ve started going through the various paper collections, we pause and remember just how very blessed we were to be able to do this. Yes, it was our World Tour for 2016, but we’ve already started making plans for our great adventure for 2017!

In the meantime, if you miss our blog, at the request of friends Cham has started a blog which will launch shortly entitled, LIGHT ON WINE. It promises to offer easily understood information on wine, especially some common questions about the varieties of wine and price points.  It should be out by the end of the month of October.

overview, Cham home on Wed and I return on Sat

We just arrived for a three night stay in Madrid. Cham returns to Lynchburg on Wed. and I arrive on Saturday. It's hard to believe our grand adventure is coming to a close. We'll never forget this time. Below is a small statistical survey of the trip that Cham put together. Enjoy!

EUROPE TRIP RECAP: Tuesday, June 21 to Saturday October 1, 2016  

Total days: 102 / 100 overnight stays 

Hotel nights: 65; apartment nights 35 

Total miles, including air miles: over 16,000

Friends along the way : George and Susan Leftwich in London ; Andy and Carole Morris in Paris ; Alan and Betsy Towne in Bordeaux ; Lewis and Kay Morris in Siena, Italy ; Chris and Betsy King, Dick and Susan Morris, Frank and Gail Morrison, Declan Pratt and Todd and Diane Vie in Greece ; Nat and Nadine Christian, Sam and Jean Meeks, Rick and Marsha Milam, Bobby and Becky O’Brien and Declan Pratt in Portugal and Spain plus we had wonderful personal experiences with so many people in the various locations we visited          

Countries / overnight locations (nights): 8 countries, 31 overnight locations, many more locations visited during the day 

England: 15 nights, London (5 +2), Chester (3), Oxford (3) and Bath (2)

Belgium: 5 nights, Ghent (3) and Bastogne (2)

Germany: 2 nights, Baden Baden (2)

France: 24 nights, Paris (1 + 6), Colmar (3), Bordeaux (7), Carcassone (1), Avignon (4) and Nice (2)

Italy: 22 nights, Florence (5), Siena (5), Telese Terme (1), Lecce (5), Sorrento (3) and Capri (3) 

Greece: 11 nights, Thessaloniki (5), Kalambaka (1), Athens (2) and Nafplion (3)

Portugal: 8 nights, Porto (3), Lisbon (3), Obidos (1) and Evora (1), 

Spain: 13 nights, Barcelona (3 +3), Seville (2), Granada (2), Madrid (3)

Battlefields: Waterloo and Bastogne both in Belgium      

Times swimming at beach, 7: Edie at Nice ; Edie at Otranto and at Castro, Saturday August 20 ; Edie at Capri, Saturday August 27 and Monday August 29 ;  Thursday Sept 8 Edie at Hydra ; Friday Sept 9 from about noon to 3:00 at Nafplion Greece with Diane Vie ;  

Boat rides, 11: London on the Thames to and from Greenwich ; Ghent, Belgium ;Colmar, France ; Bordeaux France on Garonne River ; Arachon Bay, France with Alan and Betsy Towne on date ; boat ride from Metoix Greece to Hydra and return Thursday Sept 8 ; Douro River in Porto Wed Sept 14 and upper Douro River on wine tour on Thursday Sept 15 ; Tagus River, Lisbon, twice, once just Cham and Edie, second time with group on Sunday, Sept 18 ; Guadalquivir river in Seville, Thursday Sept 22 ; 

Bus rides : Chester to Northwich, England ; Lecce to Naples (August 24), plus group trips in Greece and Portugal and Spain 

Castles, too many to count but including: in England Hampton Court ; Bleinheim ; Warwick Castle ; in Alsace Konisberg ; in France Nicholas Fouqet’s chateaux outside Paris ; Palace des Papes, in Avignon ; in Italy Pitti Palace in Florence ; Sintra palace in Portugal ; in Spain Alhambra in Granada on Sat., Sept 24;  

Cathedrals and churches, too many to count but including: St Paul’s London, June 23; church where Nancy Mitford and her sister are buried in the Cotswalds, England  ; Siena, Italy August 28 ; ancient Orthodox church (323 A.D. ?) in Kalambaka Greece ; Seville, Spain, Sept 22, 2016 ;  

Clothes washed: laundry in Bristol, England; various apts., laundry in Barcelona 

Tourist petit train rides: Chester; Bordeaux; Carcassone ; Avignon ; Nice ; Lecce, Sorento (August 25), Porto Wed Sept 14

Ferry rides: Sorrento to Capri, Sat. August 27; Capri to Naples, Tuesday August 30 about 55 minutes; 

Cities visited for first time, more than 29, including: Chester, Northwich / Leftwich, Oxford, Cotswald and Bath, England ; Ghent, Waterloo and Bastogne, Belgium ; Baden Baden Germany ; Colmar, Bordeaux, St. Emilion, Arachon Bay, Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Carcassone, France ; Telese Terme, Lecce, Castro and other southeastern towns in Solento area of Italy ; Thessaloniki, Kalambaka, Philippi, Veria, Corinth and Nafplion, Greece ; Barcelona, Granada and Toledo, Spain and Obidos and Evora, Portugal        

Flights: Dulles to London (June 21); Naples to (connection Athens) Thessaloniki on Tuesday August 30, 2.50 hours plus 1 hour; Athens to Barcelona Saturday Sept 10; Barcelona to Lisbon Tuesday Sept 13; Madrid to Dulles, Sept 28 Cham and Barcelona to Dulles Oct 1 for Edie 

Packages sent back home: Bristol, England ; Paris  ; Avignon ; Lecce, Italy (August 23) , Sorrento, Italy

Rental cars, four times: London to Chester, Oxford and Bath and back to London; Paris to Ghent, Bastogne, Baden Baden, Colmar and back to Paris ; Bordeaux ; Siena to Telese Terme to Lecce, Italy ;  

Spas: Bath, England ; Baden Baden, Germany ; Aquaperta, Telese Terme, Italy  

Train trips: London to Paris ; Paris to Bordeaux ; Bordeaux to Carcassone; Carcassone to Avignon ; Avignon to Nice ; Nice to Florence ; Florence to Siena ; Naples to Sorrento August 30; Lisbon to Porto Tuesday Sept 13 and Porto to Lisbon, Friday Sept 16; Madrid to Barcelona Wed Sept 28 for Edie 

Wine tours, 6, including: Cite du Vins in Bordeaux ; wine tour in Bordeauxincluding St. Emilion ; Chateauneuf du Pape / Rhone in Avignon ; Chianti in Florence, Italy ; Barcelona, Spain and Douro Valley in Porto in Portugal, Thursday Sept 15

Lessons learned:

1, be very patient and have a good sense of humor 

2, use public transportation, more trains and less rental cars 

3, better vetting of apts., 

4, appreciate conveniences of home and living in the U.S.

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Impressions of Portugal

Lisbon, Obidos and Evora, Portugal, Friday Sept 16 until Wed Sept 21

I am writing this on the bus as we leave Portugal and enter Spain.  It’s been absolutely wonderful to be with such a great group of people from Lynchburg.  We’re all having a fantastic time and it’s only just begun.

The group arrived in Lisbon on Saturday Sept 17 and we hit the ground running.  We had one of the best guides, her name was Phil for short, we have ever had with us for three days.  She not only knew the history of the various sites, but was very willing to answer questions about the current state of economic and political affairs. 

Portugal was economically viable until the middle 1960’s because it still controlled so many colonies and it derived its riches from them.  When they gave up control of the last one, they really didn’t have any other industries to replace that income.It’s a tricky time in Portugal politically right now as the party who received the most votes in the recent election did not have a clear majority and the other parties have formed a more liberal ruling coalition. There is grave concern that huge taxes are getting ready to be levied.

I’ve included pictures from Lisbon that include the Jeronimos Monastery with its lovely cloister and views of Lisbon from the river Tagus. We had a great boat ride on this river.  

On our way out of town, we stopped in Sintra, the home of the royal family’s summer palace.  It’s been 10 years since we were in the town and we were amazed at how many tourists were there.  It’s an easy day trip from Lisbon.  (Unfortunately, in my opinion, Lisbon is renovating the port so that it will be able to handle 9 cruise ships a day.  Let’s hope common sense prevails and they will never allow that many to dock at the same time because it would be their eventual undoing.) I love the palace in Sintra. It’s small, simple elegance. I could very happily live there.  I have included a picture of a home, or as they call palace for the larger places, with a black roof. Imelda Marco’s daughter lives there.

We left Sintra for Nazarre, a popular beach town and also home to some monster waves.  Unfortunately, we missed the huge wave season by a couple of weeks.  We had great ambitions to swim, but the Atlantic was freezing.  I had the great pleasure to take a group photo when I knew this wave was getting ready to hit them.  Lots of laughter and great fun.  I have also included a photograph of a very elderly woman dressed head to toe in black which indicates she’s a widow because of the sea.  When I passed her, she was pushing a black stroller back and forth singing to a baby.  I wish I could have taken it from the front because it was such an endearing picture, but didn’t wish to intrude.  

We left Nazarre for Obidos, a walled city known for its ginga, a delicious cherry liquor served in chocolate cups.  It’s a lovely place to stroll and taste test.   It’s hard to believe the sea used to be just outside the wall because its silted up 6 miles.

We had a leisurely morning and departed for Fatima and Evora on Tuesday, Sept. 20.  Fatima was totally unexpected.  I had anticipated a gothic style church with a large grassy area as the Virgin appeared to three shepherd children in 1917 in the fields.  It’s actually two churches at each end of a massive plaza which is larger than St. Peter’s in Rome. One of the churches is very modern and the other is more traditional in style.  The children are buried in the traditional church.  A boy and girls died two years after the visions during the Spanish influenza.  Lucia, the girl with whom the Virgin communicated, became a Carmelite nun and died when she was 97.  There is a side chapel, the Apparition Chapel, off the plaza which contains a small hut the children used for shelter. It also has an altar and mass is said in this spot as well.  Running down the side of the plaza there is a smooth surface approximately 5 feet wide which is used for pilgrims coming down on their knees. There are sinks in the bathroom which I guess are used for footbaths or knee baths.

Just before the Apparition chapel is a candle inferno, for lack of a better term.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  It’s a corner about 20 feet wide on each side and perhaps 8 feet wide.  You purchase candles on the other side of the corner, the smallest is 10 inches for .50 euros and the largest is about 3 feet and perhaps 2.75,then proceed to the inferno to pray and place your candle.  The fire is intensely hot.  You’re supposed to light your candle from ones already placed there, but many were lighting them with bic lighters and then trying to place them in a holder or I just saw some throw the candle in the fire.  If you have a prayer in mind, it quickly changes to “I pray I don’t get burned alive here” which uses up one of your candles, just kidding.  I was told they reuse the wax to make more candles.  The intensity of the fire, smoke and heat was quite thought provoking.  It brought thoughts of Old Testament sacrifices to God, and prayers rising to God with the smoke and gold being refined in the furnace.  I was very surprised at all of these thoughts which popped into my head.

Both churches have very modern interiors in terms of art.  In the traditional church, the boy’s grave is on the right side and the two girls on buried on the left.  I will be honest and say it really wasn’t my style and I wasn’t getting any kind of particular vibe from the place.  When I stepped into the girls’ crypt area, I immediately had waves of goose bumps from head to toe, a sign to me that the Holy Spirit is alive and very present.  It was truly an extraordinary experience for me and I know Cham was also very moved by the site.

After Fatima we headed for Evora, which is known for its cork, skull chapel and pregnant Virgin Mary. Traveling through the countryside, you see trees which have had about 6-inch-thick planks removed from the trunks. The first harvest is seen after a tree is 25 years old and it takes about 9 years to regenerate.  As screw tops are replacing some cork stoppers, more and more cork products are hitting the market.  I purchased a beautiful purse which is water resistant and can be cleaned with soap and water.  They shave a layer of cork and attach it to a piece of leather which makes it pliable.  Truly some beautiful items made out of cork.  

The skull chapel was built by three monks who wanted to remind visitors of their mortality.  

The cathedral was closed when we arrived last night so this morning before we left, a number of us walked up the hill to visit the pregnant Virgin Mary.  Apparently, this is a very common portrayal in this region.  She was presented on an altar, but the altar is facing one side wall near the middle of the church. On the column across from the Virgin is the Angel Gabriel.  The Virgin is painted in primary colors and has her hand resting on her stomach.  It’s really quite lovely and very approachable.  Apparently she has become a pilgrimage place for those who want a child.  

We have now crossed from Portugal into Spain and are headed to Seville, we have passed miles and miles of cork trees, grape vineyards and olive trees along with other crops such as corn. 

Please go into Declan’s blog site at  www.spainamdportugal2016.blogspot.com.es                                               for another facet of the trip.  Yes, the spelling is correct, it is a m between a and d. 

Until later!