Monday, May 27, 2019

Hola, España!

A Trip Through Spain
April 4 - 21, 2019

Majestic Madrid, Part 1 

Thursday, April 4 - A Fun Introduction to Spanish Culture

After a long series of flights from Monterey, California, I arrived in Madrid for the beginning of a long-awaited trip to Spain with my sister, Babs.  Our niece Sarah and her husband Sam are living and teaching in Madrid for a few years, so that gave us the perfect excuse to come to Spain for a visit with Sarah and then on to the Rick Steves "Best of Spain" tour.

Wow Wow Wow! What an amazing first night in Madrid! For those of you who don't know, Barbara (Babs) is an award winning playwright who has had her plays produced all over the world, on every continent except Antarctica.  And one of her plays, This Almost Joy, was being presented right here in Madrid!  Well, I couldn't miss an opportunity for that, so in spite of just arriving here this morning, off we went to the theater.   Bonnie Morin, the founder of this theater, is a director and theater teacher whom Babs met about 40 years ago in an acting class in Los Angeles. Bonnie is from Venezuela but she and her husband moved to Madrid about 18 years to escape the political unrest there. They opened the theater and drama school after their move, and Barbara, who arrived in Madrid a couple of days before I did, had already met with Bonnie and her students to "talk theater." Judging by the quality if the acting last night, I can surmise that Bonnie is an excellent teacher!
Poster for "This Almost Joy"...in Spanish!  So proud of my internationally famous sister!




Babs with Bonnie (in the middle) and the two wonderful actresses.
This theater has in the past presented others of Barbara's plays. One of the posters in my photos shows Sally Ve la Luz, a translation of an amusing two woman one act, Sally Sees the Light, and which I had always loved because to me it was clear that Sally was Barbara...and Jennifer was me.


Esta Casi Felicidad (This Almost Joy) was a FABULOUS production. Even though I couldn't understand more that a few words of the Spanish translation, I knew the plot and the actresses were so accomplished that the emotions came through clearly. There was a lovely reception afterwards, with food (thank goodness, as I hadn't eaten since breakfast on the plane), wine, guitars and song. We were so warmly embraced by these lovely people.  No politically correct stiff handshakes here - just hugs and kisses on both cheeks.  A really great introduction to Spanish culture. My darling sister was a big celebrity, with kisses on both cheeks from everybody...and when we left, the entire crowd was actually chanting her name, BAR-BAR-A! and yips and ole!   What a wonderful introduction to Spain!




Bonnie's daughter with Babs







Friday, April 5 - Museums and Paella in Madrid


We woke to rain , but since you can never pick the weather when you travel, we just carried on. Sarah came to our hotel in the morning and joined us for the hotel breakfast buffet. It was so fun to be able to visit with her here - and helpful, too, as she knows the city so well. We all walked to Gran Via, a large boulevard of elegant facades and department stores. Sarah took us up to the top floor of one of them where we enjoyed an eagle’s eye view of the Royal Palace, the Madrid Cathedral, and the Opera House. Madrid is a very "walkable" city, so Sarah walked us down the Gran Via to the cluster of museums and other sites around the Prado area.
A rainy day over Madrid
Sarah had to go to work for the afternoon, so Barbara and I visit the Archaeological Museum which had fascinating artifacts from all ages of Spanish history: the Neolithic period, early settlements, the Roman era, the Muslim age which had such a great influence on Spanish culture and architecture, and then the Middle Ages.




Early Bronze Age burial site - discovered almost intact


2nd C. bronze Roman standard used in a collegium iuvenum,
a school that prepared young men for civic life.


I was amused by this cross-eyed harvest god


Mosaic floor from a Roman era villa


10th C. pottery from the Moorish Caliphate


A vase of the Alhambra type from the Moorish era


Loved the way some of the artifacts were incorporated into the museum.


Ceiling with Islamic calligraphy


14th C. choir stall from the Convent of Santa Clara
After the museum, we walked back up the Gran Via to look for a spot to have lunch. It turned out to a rather long walk as, other than fast food places, the nicer restaurants didn’t open until 1. (The meal schedule in Spain is a bit later than we usually eat. The locals often don’t start dinner until about 9 p.m.!) But we finally found local place with good salads.










I liked this Art Nouveau roof atop a modern skyscraper


Triumphal Arch of King Carlos III



Next stop was Reina Sofia, an art museum that focuses mostly on modern art. Included in that collection is Picasso’s amazing work, Guernica, which highlights the agony of the people caught in the Spanish Civil War. I’ve seen it in books for years, but there is nothing like seeing a great work of art in person. The detail and emotions are so much more evident. I’m not really big on modern art and the Surrealists, but there were a few that stood out. I discovered that I quite like Salvadore Dali.
Guernica by Picasso         Borrowed from Wikipedia Commons


The Invisible Man by Dali



After our museum tours, we met Sarah again and took a bus to her apartment where she cooked us a wonderful paella dinner. When she moved here, she had been happily surprised that the stores sell Paella-in-a-Box with all of the seafood fixings and seasonings neatly packed up and ready to use!
Sarah makes "Paella in a Box"






Isn't this beautiful?  It was delicious, too!
It was a lovely evening of family good times. Barbara and I took the Metro back to our hotel area and, after a bit of getting lost in the maze of streets, finally found our way back to our excellent Hotel Room Mate Laura. (Happily, the rain had stopped.) It was a lovely day – in spite of my having the worst allergy attack I’ve had in years. Spring – and new, unfamiliar pollens – are in the air!

Saturday, April 6 - Family Time in Madrid

Today was a nice laid-back, get-over-jet-lag type of day. Sarah had a morning workout and some chores to do, so Babs and I had breakfast and enjoyed a quiet morning in our hotel room playing Spite and Malice, our favorite card game. I managed to trounce her both games, which is pretty unusual, so I was happy.
Sarah picked us up at the hotel around 11:30 and we took the Metro back to her apartment. I LOVE the metro systems in big cities. Makes it so easy to get around, and the one in Madrid is fast , clean, and easy to navigate. We have used both the buses and the Metro, and it makes this big city very manageable.


Stanton, the dog, moved here with Sarah and Sam all the way from California!
Once in Sarah’s neighborhood, we stopped by la farmacia to pick up a more effective allergy medicine for me. We were so impressed with Sarah’s proficiency with the Spanish language! She took some high school Spanish, but she supplemented that with 12 weeks of daily classes when she and Sam moved here, which she still continues a couple of times a week, and she communicates almost entirely in Spanish here. So proud of her!

The long trip, time difference, and busy first day really messed up my sleep last night, so after lunch Babs and Sarah went for a walk along the river while I took a long nap. It really helped get me ready for the fun evening. We hopped on the Metro again and went to Lamucca, a fabulous local restaurant that has several locations around the city. We left the choices entirely in the hands of our knowledgeable hostess, Sarah, and shared several tapas. Every single one was delicious…grilled veggies with a toasted goat cheese, croquettes stuffed with jamon (the wonderful thinly sliced Spanish ham), a grilled artichoke, and a plate of sliced beef with garlic fries and a great sauce. Yum!
We loved this wall art.


Lamucca in the yellow building.
The grand finale of the day was the Flamenco show. Six performers treated us to the heart-pounding rhythms of Flamenco dance, guitar, and song. The proud dancers twirled and stomped, snapping fingers and clapping hands. It seems obvious to me that the Islamic culture that had flourished in Spain from the ninth century through 1492 left its mark on the flamenco song, which had the extended chanting tone of Arabic music. It was a wonderful end to the day…and we are looking forward to one more day with Sarah tomorrow before heading off to join our tour in Barcelona on Monday.






Sunday, April 7 - Walking the Streets of Madrid

We had another slow-paced morning today. Barbara and I played a few more rousing hands of Spite and Malice. You may remember that I trounced her the first day. We play for real money, and at the end of that first session, she owed me $1.20 (playing at a nickel per point.) Well, you'll understand how my morning went when I reveal that by the end of this morning, she only owed me 5 cents.
Sarah came by our hotel at 11 a.m. to pick us up for fabulous brunch at another great local restaurant. It has just been so wonderful to spend this time with her and to benefit from her knowledge of the “real” Madrid!

We could see the Madrid Cathedral, the Royal Palace, and the Opera House right out our hotel window, so today we finally walked the five minutes over to see them. The Royal Palace will be included on our tour when we return to Madrid later this week, so we just walked through the gardens and admired the exterior.  From the Palace grounds, we could see the snow that had covered the nearby mountains during the storms of the past couple of days.
Gardens of the Royal Palace
Colorfull dome of a nearby church

I love the street lamps of Europe.


Courtyard of the Royal Palace




The rainstorm in Madrid dropped fresh snow on the nearby mountains.
Just across the courtyard of the Palace is the Madrid Cathedral, Santa Maria la Real de La Almudena. It was Sunday, so the visit was extra special. There was no mass being held in the sanctuary at the time of our visit, but there were worshippers in the pews and the church was filled with the sound of recorded sacred music echoing through the immense stone space.  The decorations in this cathedral were rather unusual.  The altar was traditional, with scenes from the life of Jesus and a statue of Mary, but the ceiling was decorated in modern design and bright colors.







Many of our trips to Europe have included visits to big inside markets - huge halls crowded with stalls of every kind of product – candies, meats, produce, cheese, sandwiches, local crafts…the list just goes on and on. I always enjoy these markets, so we headed to Madrid’s Mercado of San Miguel. We waded inside, but it was so packed with the Sunday crowd of locals and tourists that it was nearly impossible to move, so we gave up and headed up the road to the famous Plaza Mayor, which dates to the late 1500s. The red brick buildings were lined with a variety of shops and restaurants, and hundreds of people were out enjoying the street entertainers and the best weather we have had so far.








One of the netrances to Plaza Mayor


  
Murals on a building in the Plaza Mayor

The Spanish typically don’t eat dinner until around 9 p.m. and that was WAAAAY too late for us, as we had to pack up for our trip to Barcelona the next day, so our dear Sarah guided us to one of the rare restaurants that stayed open all day long, The Madrid Grill. We had one last dinner with her, with lots of laughs and hugs, and had a classic Madrid treat for desert - churros dipped in a thick chocolate sauce.  We ended our day with her in the very red lobby of our hotel where one of the delightful staff members took some final photos of the three of us. He was very enthusiastic, even going up to the balcony to shoot some “artsy” photos of us below. We finally had to say adios to our beautiful niece, but what a joy it was to spend this special time with her!




Churros dipped in thick chocolate sauce







Our Rick Steves Tour Begins

Beautiful Barcelona   

Monday, April 8 - From Madrid to Barcelona

High speed trains may be controversial in California, but it sure was a great way to get around here in Spain! Babs and I took the high speed train (300 km/hr – about 180 mph) from Madrid this morning and arrived in Barcelona in just under three hours. (Rob and I took the same trip in 1999 before the “bullet train,” and it took us between 7 and 8 hours!)
We took a taxi to our lovely hotel, Catalonia Portal de l’Angel, on one of the pedestrian streets in the heart of the Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter). Other than a few large boulevards cutting through the area, this oldest section of the city is a maze of short narrow streets. No nice orderly north, south, east, west here! After settling into our room, we walked down one of those nearby streets to The Four Cats Restaurant for a huge piping hot skillet of rice, vegetable, artichokes, sausage, and chicken. It was way too much for the two of us to finish, but we oohed and aahed over every bite.


The grand staircase in our hotel.


One of the narrow streets of the Barri Gotic. 
We didn’t have an agenda until it was time to meet our tour group, so we just wandered the streets around our neighborhood, admiring the nearby Barcelona Cathedral and the artwork and splendid facades of the old buildings. 
Barcelona Cathedral and the ancient Roman gate.











The walk also included a stop at Gelateria Rosa, where we were surprised and delighted to discover that the name was accurate…the server scooped out the ice cream in thin slices which she shaped into a rose!

At 17:00 (5 p.m. for us Americans), we met our Robert, our tour guide, and the rest of our fellow travelers in the hotel’s breakfast room, had a brief orientation meeting and introductions, then set out on another walk of the neighborhood, but this time with lots more information. The walk ended with a fabulous meal of tapas, wine, and almond cake at a local restaurant, Onofre.
A renowned chocolate shop once stood here...

Happily, they had just moved down the street.  Easter chocolates were on display.


Church of Santa Maria del Pi

The church was the home of four giant puppets dating from the
1500's.  They were used in the Festival of Corpus Christi.

This flag was flying on several Barcelona balconies.
It indicates that it is the home of a family that supports Catalan independence.

Part of the old Roman city walls that run through the city.

This wall mural was made up of hundreds of tiny pictures
(See the photo below for a sample of them.)



It was a great introduction to the city, but the best of Barcelona was still to come!

Tuesday, April 9 - The Best of Barcelona


Our hotel had a wonderful and extensive breakfast buffet, but Robert warmed us not to expect this in the future.  Most Spanish breakfasts are much more "continental,"  but it was nice to enjoy this one!



All morning today was free to explore Barcelona on our own, so Babs and I strolled down La Rambla, a major pedestrian walkway that took us from Plaça de Catalunya near out hotel down to the sea. I had assumed the name meant “ramble,” but we learned later in the day that it means “sand,” as it used to be a waterway that carried sediment along toward the ocean. The street is lined with tall elegant old apartment buildings and shops, with traffic lanes on either side, but the center is a broad walkway filled with crowds of locals and tourists, and dotted with booths filled with food, tourist trinkets, and flowers.

La Rambla
At the end of the street is the Port of Barcelona and a tall column with a statue of Columbus pointing toward the New World. 


Columbus pointing toward the New World






Barbara at the Harbor of Barcelona


Artwork could be found all over the city.



We walked around the harbor a bit, then started back up La Rambla to find the big covered market, La Boqueria. But before we reached it, we spotted a sign saying Palau Guell, (Guell Palace), one of Gaudi’s buildings. The fantastic architecture and art of Gaudi, the modernisme architect, is really my reason for loving Barcelona so much. Babs and I had planned on visiting his Park Guell and Casa Batllo this morning, but unfortunately, Park Guell requires prebooked tickets and was all sold out for today, and Casa Batllo was covered with a huge cloth mural covering up a restoration project! Well, the first rule of travel is “Be Flexible,” so we revised our plans, but I was thrilled to see the sign, as I had not visited Palau Guell on my first visit.



Gaudi built the large house for the wealthy Guell family in the late 1800s or early 1900s. At first glance, it appeared to be a traditional European palace, with a great staircase and elaborate carved wooded ceilings, but with a closer look, Gaudi's influence became evident in the more modern tiles, the use of decorative glass and ironwork.  And nowhere was Gaudi more in evidence than on the roof with his playful trademark fantastical pillars covered with stone or brightly covered ceramic mosaics. The visit included a good audio headphones tour, so we could appreciate what we were seeing.



























Next stop was the huge covered market, La Boqueria. It was not quite as crowded as the San Miguel Market in Madrid, so we were able to squeeze our way through aisles of colorful stacks of fruits and vegetables, nuts, candies, spices, olive oils. The fish market, with its Mediterranean Sea harvest was especially interesting: eels, squid, octopus, and undefinable blobs of slimy things alongside the whole fish of various types – including some long slender fish with very menacing teeth.


Jamon!  (We enjoyed the thinly sliced ham all over Spain.)











We bought a few items for a little picnic lunch, then walked down to the "Block of Discord," with its row of Modernisme buildings.  As I previously mentioned, Gaudi's Casa Batllo was under reconstruction and covered up, but I am including a photo of what it looks like underneath. 








The "Block of Discord"






Gaudi's Casa Batllo is on the right.


Casa Batllo without the renovation tarp.
Borrowed from Wikipedia Commons
Robert introduced us to our local guide, Monica, who took us deeper into the streets of the Barri Gòtic,  the Gothic Quarter. We learned that a lot of the buildings we were seeing, although they were laid out along the old medieval city streets, had actually been rebuilt in the 1800s to have the appearance of an earlier age. But parts of the ancient Roman walls that used to surround the original city still stand – some quite obviously, like the section adjoining the Cathedral, and some incorporated right into the walls of some of the buildings. Monica shared far too much history for me to remember it all, but her knowledge allowed us to appreciate what we were seeing.
Monica shares the history of Barcelona with our group.


The ancient Roman gates to the city.




Bacelona Cathedral
Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulalia




The boot indicates the presence of the shoemakers' guild.


Medieval knives were sharpened on this wall!





St. George was a very popular subject of artwork here.


Another St. George


An 18th century bridgeway between buildings,
I especially enjoyed the delightful and unique gargoyles on several of the buildings!




Sagrada Familia Basilica


The high point of the day – and our entire Barcelona stay – was our visit to Gaudi’s crowning glory, the Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) Basilica. The construction of this huge church was begun in 1882 under another architect, but Gaudi took it over in 1883 and made it his own. Sadly, Gaudi died in an accident in 1926, but the artists who have continued the construction have followed his diagrams, descriptions, and plans. On the day Rob and I visited this site in 1999, the interior was not even open to the public, but it is now open. Construction still continues on several towers around the exterior, and the city’s goal is to have it completed by 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death.
I can hardly wait until all those cranes come down.  That will mean another trip to Barcelona!


The grey indicates building that is complete.
The gold shows the building still to be completed.




Gaudi celebrates nature all throughout the basilica.
These peaks are topped with fruits.
Forgive me if I get a little rapturous now (and post way too many photos) but this is one of the most remarkable buildings in the world. You can find complete descriptions on the internet or in guide books, so what follows here are my own impressions. The front of the church, the Nativity Façade, celebrates the birth and youth of Jesus with a red clay colored façade that almost reminds one of a sand castle of dripping mud – that is, if mud could drip itself into gorgeous floral shapes and statues. The central statue over the entrance is the holy family at the birth of Jesus, with the Three Wise Men to the left, and the shepherds to the right. Above are angels celebrating the birth with harps and trumpets. Other statues show Jesus in his youth, as a carpenter, and with other important figures in his life. Gaudi, as he always does, celebrates nature, and the doors to the entrance are covered with metal vines, complete with little critters hiding in them.



Jesus's birth is celebrated by the angels.


La Sagrada Familia








The slaughter of the innocents






The rear exterior of the church, the Passion Façade, is a completely different style. Fashioned in an almost cubist style, the blocky stone figures’ faces show their agony at the death of Christ.












I can describe the interior to you. But I can’t successfully do justice with words to the thrill of awe and wonder at walking into that amazing space. It has to be experienced. In size, it is similar to the huge Gothic cathedrals we have visited all over Europe, but without the grey heaviness of those older massive buildings.  This one is white and filled with light, with glowing modern stained glass windows that transition from spring colors of blues and greens on the eastern wall around to yellows, oranges, and reds on the western wall. Rows of pillars representing the apostles lining the nave, spiraling staircases in the corners. This stunning room surrounds you with beauty and peace.
























We were on our own following the visit, so Babs and I easily found our way home on the purple line of the Metro, had a good dinner in the very good cafeteria at the top of El Corte Ingles, a huge department store near our hotel, and went home to pack for our trip back to Madrid the next day.


Over 20,000 steps today! A very satisfying stay in Barcelona. I could definitely come back to this city!

Majestic Madrid, Part II 

Wednesday, April 10  - Back to Madrid

Babs and I returned to Madrid on the bullet train, but this time in the company of our tour companions.  We are finding them all to be very congenial travelers.  (Rick Steves’ tours do tend to attract like-minded people.  One of his “rules” is No Grumps Allowed.)  We ate our lunch on the train so we were ready to go exploring soon after checking into the Hotel Europa, conveniently located just off of Puerto del Sol right in the heart of the historic section of the city (and just a short walk from our first hotel last week, Room Mate Laura.  I can recommend both hotels if you ever decide to visit Madrid.)

Once we had dropped off our bags, we walked about 15 minutes to the Prado where we met our guide, Inez.
The Congress of Deputies - part of Spain's legislative branch




San Jeronimo el Real - a pretty little church above the Prado


Our guide Inez was an art history expert who really helped our understanding
of the artwork in this great museum.


The Prado is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
The Prado is huge, and we didn’t have time to see more than a few painters, but Inez's knowledge of art history – and her ability to point out what to look for – made the tour very worthwhile.  We started with Hieronymus Bosch’s amazing and surrealistic painting, “The Garden of Earthly Delights.”  It was painted in the late 1400’s or very early 1500’s, and you would swear it was painted by a 1930s surrealist.  It shows the innocent beginnings of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, but evil is already lurking in the dark pond in the lower right (including Bosch’s criticism of the church via a duck dressed as a monk.)  The center large panel shows humanity indulging in all sorts of sin, so naturally the final panel shows the fruits of those sins, with dark monsters eating the gluttons, strange creatures frolicking about, and humanity in terrible distress.  If you are not familiar with the painting, look it up.  For one thing, it is just weird and wonderful, and for another, it is just full of symbolism.
The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymous Bosch           Borrowed from Wikipedia Commons
We also got an intimate looks at Titian, Velasquez, and Goya.  The Prado is huge, so we were given time to explore on our own, but Babs and I chose to walk back to the hotel for a little break before meeting the group again for a fabulous dinner at a nearby restaurant.  I love this kind of dinner…a succession of small plates for a variety of tasting pleasures, and the final course of tender slices of beef accompanied by pickled figs.  It may sound odd, but trust me, it was an explosion of wonderful flavor in our mouths. Another wonderful day!
Tapas in Madrid - delicious!

Day Trip to Splendid Segovia 

 Thursday, April 11 - From the Aqueduct to the Alcazar

Segovia is an ancient city that rests in the mountains about an hour and a half north of Madrid, so it was close enough for us to take a bus day trip from Madrid.  I was especially excited because I have been to both Madrid and Barcelona before (20 years ago, so long enough for it still to be interesting), but Segovia was completely new.  Along the way, we passed a large cross on a hill marking the "Valley of the Fallen," a monument which commemorates those who died in the Spanish Civil Way.  It is a controversial site, as Franco is buried there alongside those who fought against him.  

We knew we had arrived in Segovia when we saw the huge Roman aqueduct that has stood for 2,000 years outside the gates of the small city.

Our very handsome Spanish guide, Javier, had a deep, rich, velvety voice that we ladies all enjoyed as he shared the history of the city.  We first entered the Visitors Center to see a scale model of the city.  It is on a triangular shaped promontory that has deep valleys on each side where two rivers running along each side converge at the tip of the triangle.  Perched on the tip is the famous Alcazar, which served as both a palace and a fortress.
The Tourist Office of Segovia

Model of Segovia - the Alcazar stands of the tip at the top right.
Before visiting the castle, Javier walked us along the aqueduct explaining the brilliance of the Roman architects.  The enormous structure, which was still being used up until the 1920s, was built with no mortar and each stone was cut to fit exactly where it was intended to go.  We followed the aqueduct to the city walls where the water would have continued to flow under the streets to the castle.  There was a map showing the route of the hidden aqueduct which carried water to the Alcazar.



Javier shows us some features of this ancient aqueduct.


Segovia Cathrdral through the arches.
The little dimples in the stones show where devices to lift them were inserted.

The new city outside the city walls.

There were several nesting European storks spotted around the city.

This map showed the route of the underground portion of the aqueuct
which carried water to the Alcazar.


Along the way, we stopped to buy cookies from the Mother Superior at a convent that dates back to 1489.   The nuns here are quite famous for their cooking and even had a cooking show on TV for a while!  Several of us bought different types of cookies and shared samples with everyone.  

Convent Cookies!
After our yummy snack, we walked through the center of town to the Plaza Mayor, the main city plaza adjoining the very impressive Segovia Cathedral.  Javier explained that the builders of the church ran out of funds at one point, so the interior is not nearly as impressive as the exterior, but the view of the outside is gorgeous.  We were lucky to be in the Plaza on the day of the weekly farmers’ market, so we wandered through it for a few minutes listening to the locals gossip and shop.  The market set-up was very interesting.  Large trucks drive into the plaza and open up the side of the truck to display their wares.
Segovia Cathedral











Also adjoining the plaza was the church where Queen Isabella was crowned Queen of Castile.

Down the road was a much more simple Romanesque style church, the 12th century Church of St. Martin.  From the street in front of the church, we could see a nesting pair of the many European storks that were circling around all the city.  Robert pointed out the home of the Spanish poet, Antonio Machado, and also showed us the unusual patterned stucco that decorates a lot of the buildings in Segovia.
In this church, Isabella was declared Queen of Castille.




Church of St. Martin - 12th century Romanesque church in Segovia






Outside the home of poet Antonio Machado




Elaborate stucco designs covered the exteriors of many of the buildings of Segovia.



Finally we arrived at the Alcazar.  It is a lovely small castle surrounded by a very deep dry moat that extends down to the Roman foundations of the castle.  We took a self-guided walk around the rooms which were used by Ferdinand and Isabella, as well as other Spanish rulers.  The castle eventually became a prison, and then a military school. When a fire destroyed much of it in the 1800s, it was restored as the romantic castle it is today.



The deep "dry moat" of the Alcazar exposes its Roman roots.







Ferdinand and Isabella
Isabella used this little room and window to privately observe mass in the adjoining chapel

Altar in the Alcazar Chapel


The last event of the evening was a spectacular feast at a restaurant, Meson de Jose Maria, which us famed for its speciality , roast suckling pig. Once again, we were brought one scrumptious dish after another, and finally out came the small pigs splayed out on big platters. Our guide, Robert, asked me if I would volunteer for the honor of slicing the pig.  This is quite a ritual  First, a big medallion sash was draped over my neck, then I was handed a big ceramic plate.  I cut the pig right down the middle with the edge of the plate to demonstrate how very tender the meat it. I thought that was the end…but no. Now I was asked to drop the plate onto the tile floor to show that it truly was ceramic and not metal.  I was a bit taken aback, but they cheered me on, so I dropped the plate to the floor where it smashed into pieces.






So tender, I could cut it with a plate!


And it worked!
We were all very well fed and the bus ride back to Madrid was very quiet. It was a tiring, but worthwhile, day.


Friday, April 12 - Last Day in Madrid

Unfortunately, Babs and I both woke up with a tickle in our throats and the beginnings of a bed cough...and when we went down to breakfast, we learned that several others of our group were up coughing all through the night.  Babs chose to stay close to the hotel all day to rest, but most of us joined the group for a visit to the near-by and built-to-impress Royal Palace.
The Madrid Opera House


Gardens of the Royal Palace of Madrid





The Royal Palace, if I remember our guide Marte correctly, was built to rival Versailles and is the second largest palace in Europe.  The first king to use it was Carlos III, aka Carlos the Big Nose, in the late 1700s, and his statue greeted us in the entry hall.  We could take photos in the outer halls, but in the baroque and rococo inner chambers with their ornate and beautiful clocks, tapestries, and gilded decorations were off limits to cameras.  The palace is still used frequently for state occasions, but King Felipe and his family actually live in a smaller, and probably more cozy, palace nearby.  In order to show a bit of the grandeur inside, I bought a postcard of the dining room and am including it below.
Carlos the Big Nose






The Coat of Arms of the King of Spain
The four quadrants represent the former kingdoms of
Castille, Leon, Aragon, and Navarre.
The rose at the bottom represents Granada.




  

The Royal Dining Room is still used for state events today.
My favorite exhibit in the palace were the pieces of art created by the winners of a school contest with the topic, "What does the king mean to our country?"  There were about 25 winners, and next to each of the creations was a photo of King Felipe speaking with the young artist who created the piece.  Very sweet!



After the palace tour, I walked back to the hotel to keep Babs company and to rest.  Since she and I had already explored Madrid before our tour started, we didn't mind missing out on the sightseeing in the afternoon.

Treasures of Toledo

Saturday, April 13 - Madrid to Toledo

Our group said adios to Madrid bright and early this morning and took the short bus ride to the beautiful hilltop town of Toledo, a UNESCO World Heritage city.  The weather was the best yet today, with bright blue skies and temperatures in the mid-70s.  Our bus drove us all the way around the city for panoramic views of the  Toledo Alcazar (fortress), the Cathedral, and the Tajo (or Tagus) River, which flows almost all the way around the base of the hill like a natural moat offering protection to the ancient city.  Buses are no longer allowed in the old city center, so we were dropped off at the base of the hill and rode into town on a series of about 6 escalators! A very unique and clever way to get us to the top.






Ancient ruins still stand at the base of the city.


The Alcazar (fortress) of Toledo


The Church of San Tome was built atop an old mosque -
as were many churches in Spain.




A map of Toledo in the road
Sadly, a bad chest cold was spreading through our group, and three of them, including Babs, were just too sick to join our guide for the walking your of the city, so Robert escorted them to our Hotel Eurico near the Cathedral while the rest of us followed our local guide to the highlights of Toledo.  As we walked through the narrow maze of streets, Juanjo pointed out various items of interest. Toledo is a sister city to Toledo, Ohio, so one of her streets is named in honor of this partnership.  We saw many ancient doors that have been in use since the 15th century!  Toledo has a 2,500 year old history that included the Roman’s, the Visigoths (whose stone carvings can still be seen on some of the walls), the Muslims who ruled from 711 to 1492, and finally the Christians.
Artist doing traditional damascene art - etching gold leaf onto black steel.


Celebrating Toledo's sister city in the U.S.A.


Juanjo shows us one of the many ancient doors still used in Toledo.






Stonework in a wall dating all the way back to the Visigoth period
in the 4th and 5th centuries.

The first major stop was the Chapel of Santo Tome, which contains El Greco's most famous painting, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz. Juanjo's discussion greatly enhanced our appreciation of the remarkable painting. We were not allowed to take photos, so I borrowed one from Wikipedia Commons.
           "The Burial of Count Orgaz" by El Greco         
Borrowed from Wikipedia Commons
Nearby is the old Jewish quarter of Toledo, including the Tránsito Synagogue, which is now the National Jewish Museum of Spain.  The synagogue was built in 1356, and some of the original tiles, a portion of the floor, and other decorations are still in place.  The decorations were strongly influenced by the Islamic art of the Moors who ruled Spain for so long.  Hebrew script was found side by side with Arabic calligraphy, as Arabic was the official language at the time of the building of the synagogue. 


The gorgeous wall ornamentation was all done in stucco!


The Islamic influence is clearly visible in the synagogue.








A portion of the original floor was preserved.


The women's gallery is upstairs.


Artifacts in the small museum

Hebrew and Islamic script side-by-side.
When the Synagogue was built, Arabic was the official language.
1492 was a landmark year in both Spanish and world history.  We all know that Columbus sailed the ocean blue, but it was also the year in which Ferdinand and Isabella defeated the last Muslim stronghold in Spain (Granada) and expelled both the Muslims AND the Jews.  They were given the opportunity to convert to Christianity, and many did, but naturally, those converts were the first to be suspected of heresy when the Spanish Inquisition came along.

Along with its rich history, Toledo is known for its marzipan, a sweet treat of almond paste molded into many shapes.  There were many shop windows displaying their gorgeous selections, and Robert treated us all with a sample.



We walked back toward the hotel through the crowded Plaza Mayor.  Music filled the air as the tourists and locals enjoyed the Semana Santa festivities.  The final stop of our tour was the magnificent Toledo Cathedral.  Once again, my photos simply can’t do justice to the immensity of the cathedrals.  The huge golden altar was fabulous, although hidden somewhat from sight by large iron bars holding onlookers back.  The choir room was impressive with its rows of misericordia (mercy) seats that allowed the choir to rest while appearing to stand.  It also contained the sweetest statue of a smiling Mary with the infant Jesus.  In one corner of the cathedral was a bright ray of sunlight where a hole had been cut into the ceiling to create a Baroque host of angels peering down.  Apparently, this had been very controversial, as some feared that the hole would cause the heavy roof to collapse. The most amazing sight of all was the Monstrance, three and a half tons of gold and jewels used to carry the Host on the feast of Corpus Christi.  
Crowds in Toledo's Plaza Mayor

Toledo's Cathedral
The Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo






This hanging hat marks the spot where a cardinal is buried.
There were several of them hanging from the ceiling of the cathedral.


The huge altar hidden behind an iron screen


I loved the sweet smile on this statue of Mary.


Over the choir loft


Misericordia (Mercy) chairs



One of the most amazing sights in the Toledo Cathedral - 4 and 1/2 tons of gold and silver -
The Monstance of Arfe - used the carry the host during the Feast of Corpus Christi

Baroque "skylight" filled with figures.
"El Tranparente"








The Sacristy in the cathedral had been turned into a museum holding religious art from a number of well known artists.
Ceiling fresco by Luca Giordano 


El Greco's  El Expolio (The Disrobing of Christ)









Carravagio - John the Baptist


Comontes - Adoration of the Three Kings





Following our walking tour, I returned to the hotel to go to lunch with Babs.  We ordered a little food at Placido, a very nice restaurant which specializes in game meat.  We enjoyed the lovely weather on the outdoor pation, but unfortunately, neither of us had much appetite, so we spent the rest of the day resting in the hotel room.  Our colds were definitely getting the better of us for much of this trip, but we just accepted that we would have to take things at a slower pace than usual.

On the Road from Toledo to Granada

Sunday, April 14 - Saffron and Windmills

Today's bus ride had me humming "Man of La Mancha" all morning as we prepared to tilt at windmills on the hills of La Mancha, land of Don Quixote (or, as they spell it here, Don Quijote). 

It was a fairly long day on the bus, but with some interesting stops along the way.  We left Toledo, walking through the quiet early morning streets and past the ancient ruins of the Moorish baths dug into the hillside below the town.


Muslim Baths below Toledo
The landscape on the first half  of the drive was mostly flat and dry, but after an hour or so, we spotted rows of huge white and blue stucco windmills dotting the tops of the hills of La Mancha above the town of Consuegra.  Our first stop was at the home of a family that farms saffron.  Maria Jose and her children provided us with some tasty snacks, all of them flavored with saffron, and talked about the painstaking process of growing and harvesting the precious little flavorful stamens of the flower.
Maria Jose describes saffron farming


Saffron flavored goodies
Next, we drove up one of the steep hills and had the opportunity to go inside one of the windmills  and learn about the process of milling the grain.  Some of these mills are still in use!  From this high hill, we had some lovely views of the plains and hills below, including our first glimpse of the many olive orchards we would see on the rest of our trip.




The plains of La Mancha






Next to the windmills was the massive  ruin of the 12th century Consuegra Castle, which actually remained in use for centuries due to its advantageous position with a 360 degree view of the flat plains below.  If I understood correctly, it was not destroyed until the Napolaeonic Wars in the 1800s.  From the hilltop, we could hear the drums of one of the Semana Santa processions taking place in villages and cities all over southern Spain this week.






Remnants of an ancient outer wall of the castle

We stopped for a group lunch in the small town of Puerto Lapice , then it was a couple more hours drive to the gorgeous land of Andalucia, the region of southern Spain where we will spend the rest of our tour.  We arrived JUST in time.  The streets that led to our hotel were in the process of being shut down for the beginning of Semana Santa, Holy Week.  Our bus had to drop us off about a half a mile from our hotel, and we dragged our suitcases through thick (really THICK) crowds of tourists and locals filling the streets from side to side.  I had a bit of a scare when I suddenly realized that the members of my tour group had completely disappeared…both in front of me and behind me!  Somehow, in the crowds, I had missed seeing them turn onto a different road.  I did know the name of the hotel, Hotel Anacapri, so I asked a nice looking man who was SO gracious!  He looked up the address and actually walked me right to the door of the hotel!  What a nice introduction to the people of Granada!

That evening was one of the most glorious of our trip!  (With the sad note that Babs was too ill to join us.)  We all shared taxis to travel up to Albayzin  and the St. Nicholas viewing point high above the city that looks across to the breathtaking sight of the Alhambra glowing in the sunset.  The mountains, covered with snow from the recent wet weather, created a dramatic backdrop for the gorgeous golden building.
Our first view of the Alhambra with the white Summer Palace on the left
and the snow-capped mountains as a backdrop.
















The Summer Palace



We enjoyed a delicious group dinner at Las Tomasas Restaurant with that glorious view in front of us.  As the sun went down, the lights came up on the old fortress.  Stunning!  (Lots more about the Alhambra on tomorrow's post.)






   



Grand Granada

Monday, April 15 - Hospitals and Palaces

Today was not quite the busy sight-seeing day in Granada we had expected, but it included one of the most glorious visits…the absolutely astounding Alhambra.  The morning was free for our tour members to explore the city, but before our afternoon visit to the last stronghold of the Moors, four of our group got to try out the Spanish medical system.  Our bad colds and coughs had finally gotten the better of us, so Robert accompanied us in two taxis to the private hospital in town, which was able to provide an English language translator.  Babs and I were pretty lucky and got in fairly quickly.  The urgent care waiting room filled up pretty quickly after us, and the other two ladies from our tour had to wait quite a while to see a doctor.  

Our translator, Lucila, was adorable.  She took great care of us, making sure we knew where to go and sitting with us in the doctor’s office to make sure he understood our symptoms and that we understood his diagnosis and prescriptions.  It was kind of funny…each of us saw a different doctor.  We all had very similar symptoms.  But we all left with different prescriptions.  Babs was probably the worst off…a bad bronchitis, but happily, not pneumonia.  Her fever had finally broken during the night, but she needed antibiotics.  I just got some heavy-duty cold medications for cough and congestion.  Well, enough about health issues!  With the right treatment, we all finally turned the corner and were able to begin to really enjoy the rest of the trip!  

That afternoon, our entire group except Babs, who was still not up to the long walk around the large palace grounds and buildings, piled into a number of taxis and returned up the hill to the Alhambra.  This fortress was first a Muslim palace for the Nazarid Moors.  Granada was the very last place in Spain to be conquered by the Christians in 1492.  (Our guide, Robert, pointed out that the “Reconquista” was not a RE-conquest.  The Muslims had ruled Spain for centuries.  They were not invaders any more than the other populations on the Iberian Peninsula.  This was their home since the 700s.  So the Christian take-over of Spain was simply a conquest of the Moors.)
Christian symbols overlaying the older Muslim designs.
As with so many other of the Muslim sites in Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella turned this fortress into one of their palaces.  Happily, Isabella loved the beautiful and intricate Muslim designs and calligraphy that cover so many of the walls in the palace, and ordered them to be preserved, allowing us the opportunity to enjoy their beauty today.

The grounds consist of several distinct buildings: the Summer Palace, Palacios Nazaríes, Charles V’s Palace, which is a Renaissance palace built atop the older Muslim structure, the Alcazaba Fort, and the gorgeous green Generalife Gardens.

Our guide, Margarita, started our tour in the gardens, wandering through forests of trees into little squares filled with the same flowers that grew here in Muslim times (as determined by traces of seeds and pollens found there.)  








The oldest garden in the world fills the courtyard outside of the cool, white Summer Palace – 700 years old!  The sound of water from little streams, ponds, fountains creates a sense of calm and enchantment.
One of the world's oldest gardens - 700 years -
in a courtyard of the Summer Palace







The Summer Palace sits on a hillside apart from most of the fortress, so we walked back past the ruins of old residences that used to stand here.  The next stop was the Monastery of San Franscisco where Isabella wished to be buried alongside her Ferdinand.  Their original tomb, a simple slab at her request, still lies on the floor outside the monastery.  But several years after their death, her grandson, Emperor Charles, ordered that their bodies be transferred to the new chapel near the Granada Cathedral.




The original simple tomb of Ferdinand and Isabella
before their grandson had their bodies moved to the new chapel in Granada.


The highlight of the visit was the Palacios Nazaires, a huge palace intricately decorated with Muslim designs covering many walls from floor to ceiling, with thick arches leading from one room to another, and ceilings literally dripping with ornamentation. 













Stalagtities of stucco dripping from the elaborate ceiings of the palace.





One of those rooms was the very room in which Columbus received his commission from Ferdinand and Isabella to search for a new route to the Indies.  Columbus has been getting a bad rap lately as the world becomes more compassionate  about the way colonization oppressed indigenous peoples.  But there is no denying that, for good or bad, his voyages changed the future of the world, and I always get a little thrill when I know I am standing in the same spot as well-known historical figures. 
The room in which Columbus met with Ferdinand and Isabella.

Fragments of the original floor of the room

Our next stop was Charles V's newer Renaissance style palace.



Our visit to the Alhambra was one of two my favorite of the entire trip (the other being Sagrada Familia.)  It is just almost beyond belief.  But the excitement wasn’t over yet.  From our hotel room, I could hear the sounds of drums and a band coming down the nearby Gran Via.  I ran out with my camera just in time to see one of the many processions of Holy Week coming down the wide street. 

Holy Week is celebrated all over the Christian world, but nowhere is it celebrated with such passion and enthusiasm as here in the Andalucia region of Spain.  Every town and all the churches have groups of people called Cofradias, or “Brotherhoods.”  These groups, over the years, build elaborate floats commemorating the last week of Christ, and all throughout the days of Semana Santa, they parade through the streets of the towns.  Hooded penitents and priests holding tall crosses of silver lead the parade, followed by loud bands of trumpets and other brass instruments.  Members of the brotherhood compete for the honor of carrying the large heavy floats which they lift onto their shoulders and carry through the crowded streets to the slow beat of drums.  The scented smoke of incense fills the air in front of the floats which are decorated with gold, silver, fresh flowers, and dozens of candles that light up the statues of Mary, Jesus, and other figures.  It is very impressive and moving, and for the people here, the highlight of the entire year.

Incense fills the air with scent and smoke.




Ronda

Tuesday, April 16 - A Home Visit and a Clifftop Town

Today was another travel day as we moved on from Granada to Ronda, but it included a surprise stop in the tiny town of Salinas where our group was divided into smaller groups of about six people and invited into the homes of local families who provided us with lovely home cooked breakfasts!  My group’s hostess was a tiny little woman who proudly showed us her home and photos of her children and grandchildren.  She had absolutely no English and several of us had VERY limited Spanish.  Robert had told us that we were going to have to just find some way to communicate, and that would have been fun, but our group cheated a little because Marthe, one of our tour group members, is from Mexico, so she was able to help us have a more satisfying conversation.  I was able to convey in my very limited Spanish that I live very close to Salinas, California.


This stubborn fellow would not move even when our car was almost on top of him.



Our hostess

Jan gets a cuddle from the family dog.
We ate and chatted for about 45 minutes, then our hostess took us for a stroll around the little town before we met the whole group to continue our fairly short journey to Ronda, one of the “white hill towns” that dot this region of Andalucia, so called because most of the buildings are painted white as protection against the very hot and dry summers in this area.  Along the way, we saw literally miles and miles of hills covered with olive trees.  


The Salinas elementary school


Olive tree groves and the bullet train track seen from our bus.

One of the many "Piedras Blancas" or White Towns nestled in the hills of Andalucia.

Ronda was lovely, and I would have been happy to spend more time here, but unfortunately, this was just a day trip.  The town is built along the edge of a very deep gorge, with beautiful views out into the green countryside.  I’m so glad we came at this time of year.  Andalucia enjoyed a fairly rainy winter, and the fields and hills have been green and filled with colorful flowers…yellow mustard and bright red poppies, purple wisteria, and great white blossoms on the trees. 

Our first stop was a group visit to the large blazing white bullring, the oldest in Spain. Ronda is famed as the first home of bullfighting,  and the inner halls of the bullring were lined with bullfighting-related memorabilia.: matadors' costumes, posters and photos, saddles, swords, etc.  I am not a fan of bullfighting, but it is culturally important to the Spanish. But even here, there are a growing number of people who question its value.  More about this topic in the next post, where we learned much more about it.
Plaza de Toros - One of the oldest and largest bullrings in Spain






A practice ground for matadors

Interior of the billing

Artifacts in the museum


Afterwards, Babs and I wandered through the town down to the huge stone 18th century “New Bridge,” which spans the deep gorge.   Buildings perch precariously right on the edge of the precipice, but the views are spectacular.  








We walked slowly through the town, peeking into the tourist shops.  I explored a large ruined palace of some sort along the edge of the gorge, but there was no sign that I could find to identify its former purpose.  We ended back in a lovely park and joined some of the others at a little outdoor café for drinks and ice cream. 














Our hotel that night, the Molino del Arco Hotel, was out in the countryside below the hill town – a beautiful spot with its own lovely gardens.  We had a very good group dinner in the large dining room, then headed to bed early.  It was just a nice relaxing day.


The scene from our balcony

Some of our group enjoying late afternoon cocktails

Leslie and Vito under the orange trees





On the Road to Arcos de la Frontera

Wednesday, April 16 

Ronda and Arcos de la Fontera are two of Los Pueblos Blancos, the white towns that perch on the hillsides in this region of Andalucia.  Today we traveled from one to the other with two fascinating stops along the way.
Zahara de la Sierra - one of the Piedras Blancas
I wasn’t entirely sure how I was going to react at the first stop.  The ranch of Reserva Tauro raises bulls for the bull ring, and I’m not a fan of bullfighting.  But the visit was interesting – and enlightening!  The ranch manager talked with us at length about the raising of these animals.  Unlike industrially farmed animals, who are often raised in appalling conditions and then slaughtered for their meat at the end of a short and sad life, these bulls are raised in relative luxury.  They graze in lush pastures and sleep under spreading oak trees.  The people we spoke to truly respect the animals and provide them with the best care.  

Other than contemplating the fate of the bulls, I must say the visit was lots of fun.  The ranch also raises beautiful horses who were the friendliest I’ve every encountered.  All of them came trotting over to meet our group and were perfectly happy to be stroked and petted.  We were also joined by Lola, a big white dog who practically climbed into my lap when I scratched her behind her big ears. 







Lola the ranch dog gets some love from Gin.



After visiting the horses, we loaded up onto the bus for a tour of the ranch.  Of course, to breed the bulls and horses, you have to have the mamas, and there were several young calves nursing or playfully butting heads, and two beautiful colts, one two-week old and another just born a week before.




The colt on the left is two weeks old and the one on the right is just one week old!



Back at the stables, we got a lesson in the art of bullfighting, with (often hilarious) demonstrations of the matador’s moves by members of our group. 








This cart is used for practice by the matadors.
Our visit ended in the ranch's small museum meeting with a famous matador, Rafael Tejada, who gave up a career in engineering to follow his passion.   I remain opposed to bullfighting.  There is still that last twenty minutes of the bulls' lives that I continue to have trouble with.  But when we compare their lives to other animals that are slaughtered for food, I must say, they have the better life for the first 99.99% of it!







Rafael Tajeda spoke with us about his life as a matador.
Our next stop was Oleum Viride, an olive farm and olive oil mill.  The owner gave us a tour of the mill and demonstrated the process of extracting the oil from the olives.  The mill makes its own brand, but it also mills smaller amounts for local farmers who bring their olives to be milled for their family’s use.  We enjoyed a nice lunch of local dishes (including a healthy portion of olive oil, of course), then we continued on to Arcos.







Arcos de la Frontera is a small town with a more modern section near the valley floor and the old medieval town perched high above.  Our bus could not make the trip up the small road to the top, so we hopped out and walked the 15 minutes or so to our hotel, El Convento, built just behind an old convent (another one in which the nuns make and sell cookies). What a gorgeous spot!  Our hotel was perched right on the edge of a deep cliff and most of the rooms had balconies festively decorated with tile and spectacular views of the countryside.  Unfortunately, after our last few days of lovely weather, a little storm front had moved in, and a fierce wind kept us from enjoying quiet time on the deck.


This statue celebrates the Semana Santa processions


Babs on our hotel balcony.

It was a rainy, windy day...but what a view!

The convent that provided the name for our hotel
We ended the day with a group dinner at Restaurante El Convento, which the owner, Marie, prepared especially for us.  It was another very enjoyable day!

 Day Trip to Jerez – Home of Horses and Sherry

Thursday, April 17 

Two more special treats today!  Our bus drove us to the city of Jerez, home of the Fundacion Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre, (the Royal School of Equestrian Arts).  The complex is an actual school where students come from all over Europe to take regular college studies, but the focus for all is the art of dressage.  Robert had been misled as to the time of the performance, so we had an hour or so to walk around the beautiful grounds and visit the small museum.  






The school's museum
Friends who follow my "Travels With Robby" blog know that I love to spot birds on our travels.  Today had two good sightings.  Two European storks were nesting on the tall stacks atop the stables, and Babs spotted an African hoopoe bird on the lawn!  I had seen this bird in Africa several times but didn’t realize they come so far north.  It’s easy to forget that Morocco is just south of Spain!



African hoopoe - He was so busy chasing bugs that it was hard to get an un-blurry shot.
We were treated to an amazing show of highly trained horses and riders doing what almost appeared to be dance.  The horses wove around the arena in intricate patterns, stepping perfectly in time with the beat of the music.  The riders gave almost imperceptible directions to the horses.  No photos were allowed in the show (although I think some people in the audience cheated.)  However, here is a link to a YouTube video produced by the school so you can see these amazing riders and horses in action.

We returned to Arcos where we marched back up the hill behind a group of Roman soldiers at the end of another Semana Santa procession.  Along the way, we saw the plaques of each of the town's Brotherhoods, and this year's poster of for this year's celebration.  Unfortunately, the Convent was closed, so we weren't able to enjoy the goodies displayed on their poster.


Posters commemorating the Brotherhoods of Arcos de la Frontera


More convent cookies
Babs and I rested for most of the afternoon, still recovering from our chest colds, but at least the storm had passed, so we enjoyed the beautiful scenery from our balcony.


The day still held one more evening activity.  Robert, our guide, has been getting training on sherry, wine that gets its name from its birthplace in Jerez, the town we had visited this morning.  He taught us about the wine, which is basically an aged white wine.  As he talked about the different types, and the different fermentation processes used for each, he provided samples four types of sherry from the Fernando de Castilla winery for us to sample:  Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso, and Pedro Ximenez – and he and promised that we would all find one we loved.  I wasn’t so sure.  I’ver never been fond of the sherries I have had in the past…but his fourth sample, the sweet Pedro Ximenez, was a winner! 
Robert instructs us in the art of sherry-making - and tasting!



Tapas and sherry

My favorite - the sweet Pedro Ximenez

 Semana Santa in Sevilla

Friday, April 18 

As our group gathered in the lobby of our Arcos hotel, we could hear the drums and horns of an early morning Semana Santa procession outside.  I think this was my favorite procession of the entire trip!  It was the only one not surrounded by huge crowds blocking our view.  In fact, it seemed that every citizen of the town was actually marching in the procession.  Dozens of men, women, and children, all wearing purple robes, walked (some barefoot) in front of a float of Jesus carrying his cross to Calgary, followed by a float of his grieving mother, Mary, and Mary Magdelene.  More Roman soldiers ended the procession.  Again, my description doesn't do justice to the emotional impact of these processions.  Some of the observers, including our own guide, were in tears at the beauty of the event and sincere devotion of the faithful.

Bare feet on two of the faithful







The bus ride to Sevilla was only about one and a half hours.  We arrived too early to check into our hotel, so Robert took us to the huge park, Parque de Maria Luisa, which holds the grand buildings built for the Iberian-American Exposition of 1929.  We had a lovely walk through the park, learning about the history of the exposition and admiring the architecture.









The Royal Coat-of-Arms of Spain



The most impressive building – in fact, another of the most stunning I have ever seen – is the semi-circular building that curves along the edge of the large Plaza de España.  The building was built to showcase Spanish technology and industry for the Exposition, but it now houses mostly government offices.  There is a moat running along base of the building with four bridges that represent the four kingdoms of early Spain.  Two tall ornamented towers stand at each end of the building.  It is so impressive that it has been used as a filming location for several important films, including Lawrence of Arabia and Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones. 












We had time to settle into our hotel, Hotel Amadeus.  It comes by its name honestly, with many instruments decorating the walls and lobby rooms.  Babs and I had a lovely huge room on the top floor with a bathtub right in the bedroom! 




After lunch, we met our local guide Conce who walked us down the pedestrian street, Calle Mateos Gago, to the nearby Sevilla Cathedral, the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world.  As with many Spanish churches, this building began life as an Islamic mosque.  The Renaissance style bell tower, Giralda, was originally the minaret, but it is now topped by a statue representing the triumph of the Christian faith.
Calle Mateos Gago





Conce led us through the interior, sharing the highlights: the Baroque carvings of the choir, the huge and highly decorated altar, a famous painting of “The Vision of Saint Anthony” by Murillo (made even more famous when some art thieves cut the face of St. Anthony out of the painting!  It was discovered and replaced.), the reliquaries holding bits of various saints.  At one point, I noticed a large tomb held aloft by four figures and figured that someone important must be buried here.  Sure enough, this is the final resting place of Christopher Columbus.  Final, that is, after resting in several other places.  It is said that he traveled more after his death that before! 




The Vision of St. Anthony






The Altar

Detail from the altar




The tomb of Christopher Columbus



I couldn’t remember all the places he traveled after his death, so I’m including is a paragraph from Wikipedia discussing Columbus’s various burials: 

“On 20 May 1506, aged probably 54, Columbus died in Valladolid, Spain. His remains were first interred at Valladolid, then at the monastery of La Cartuja in Seville (southern Spain) by the will of his son Diego Colón, who had been governor of Hispaniola. In 1542, the remains were transferred to Colonial Santo Domingo, in the present-day Dominican Republic. In 1795, when France took over the entire island of Hispaniola, Columbus's remains were moved to Havana, Cuba. After Cuba became independent following the Spanish–American War in 1898, the remains were moved back to Spain, to the Cathedral of Seville, where they were placed on an elaborate catafalque.”

We had the rest of the afternoon on our own, so Babs and I found a very nice restaurant on Calle Mateos Gago where we shared a variety of interesting tapas.  I love this style of eating…little bites of lots of flavors!

That evening, we joined our group at La Casa del Flamenco for more of the heart-pounding rhythms of flamenco music and dance.  It was a lovely and intimate show with a small audience around three sides of the small stage allowing us all a close-up view of the wonderful performers. 









Adios, España!  – Our Last Full Day in Spain

Saturday, April 19 

After the very good breakfast at Hotel Amadeus, our group joined another local guide, Mercedes, for a walk around our neighborhood, ending at the Sevilla Alcazar, the large palace/fortress behind the Cathedral.  This building, too, began as a Muslim fortress, and – like the Alhambra – still retains the Moorish influence in the Mudejar architecture, arches, and elaborate decorations.  The palace is gorgeous and, like the Plaza de España, has been used in films, including Lawrence of Arabia and Game of Thrones.





Entering the Alcazar of Sevilla








The portrait of Mary above included the figure of Columbus (the bearded man without a hat).









A celestial ceiling




















After Mercedes led us all through the many gorgeous rooms, Babs and I took our own tour of the gardens behind the palace, then returned to the hotel to begin the bittersweet task of packing for the trip home. 















As I was packing for the trip home, I heard the drums and horns of another Semana Santa procession and raced downstairs for one last look of this cultural fiesta.














We met all of our tour companions for a final cocktail hour on the rooftop patio of Hotel Amadeus, then we all walked to Casa Carmen for a spectacular farewell dinner.  This was a lovely group of people with whom to share our travels.  It was hard to believe that our time together had come to an end!    Adios, Amigos!  Happy Travels!