Back in my favorite cafe the day after Dan has returned to Florida....hopefully I can write without too much emotion as I mourn his return and rejoice in our visit! What a lucky mother I am to have an almost 3 week visit with my 28 year old son...and, based on his interaction with a certain young woman, it is lucky I got it in when we did!
We had several days together in Vigo before our trip and at the end of it which worked out very well. Dan had the chance to meet some of my friends here, go to my school with me and help with a class (movie discussions which will not surprise those of you who know him!),visit with my friend Leticia who popped through for a couple of days, attend the Dia de los Reyes parade the evening of January 5th and generally see my Vigo. The morning of December 22nd, we hopped the bus to the airport and also the pick-up site of our rental car, Sparky - so dubbed because she was a Chevrolet Spark - a mini-compact. With a map, Jill (our GPS) and Dan's calming effect on me as the driver, we set out for Portugal!
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| Sparky |
Two hours later, we parked at our hotel in Oporto, the Hotel Aliados. We immediately set out to look for a place to eat recommended to us by my friends here, Ed and Rebecca. It was delicious homestyle food (pork, cabbage, black beans and rice) and very popular...notice the unlabeled bottle of wine on the table; they charge you 1.50 euros no matter how much you drink! No, Mom, I only had a glass for "digestion" as they say here.
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| Casa Guedes - home cooking! |
Then, per my friend Felipe's orders, we went to the Majestic Cafe for our coffee and dessert.
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| Majestic Cafe |
After all that, a long walk along the Duero River was just what we needed and did. We finished the evening at a cafe listening to Fado music, the local ballad style of singing. The next day, we got in the car and we were headed out of town when a bus driver honked and pointed at our right rear tire. We pulled over and looked and sure enough, it was almost completely flat. Dan asked for directions to the nearest air and as we drove looking, we saw a Michelin sign so I stopped. An employee of the garage brought a tank of air to the curb to fill the tire and then asked if we wanted him to check it for a flat (all this Portuguese from him and Spanish from us!)? Fortunately, I decided "yes" and he put it on a lift, took off the tire and found a screw imbedded, repaired the tire, aired the other three, put valve caps on all four tires and charged us ONLY 5 euros for this incredible act of kindness while we waited! We headed for Lisboa via stops recommended to us by Cristina and Fernando, who helped immensely in the planning of our journey. Couple of asides: we had brilliant sunshine EVERY day of the entire trip and, the Portuguese government must make a mint on all of the road tolls!!
First stop on way to Lisboa was Coimbra, a medieval university town set high up on a hill and defined by old buildings linked by narrow, winding streets - we walked them because as you will see, we drove way too many of them later in the trip! Lucked into a cute lunch spot with a friendly owner who gave us maps, brochures and good advice on how to see the town.
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| Typical Portuguese tiled buildings |
Back in the car and on to Nazaré, oops, missed that turn! Oh well, on to Óbidos! Since it got dark at 5 PM in Portugal (different time zone), we wouldn't have had time for both anyway. Óbidos is a tiny medieval town still completely enclosed by its walls... which also had a Christmas fair going on for the kids! We ambled through and saw the town and its parador and I finally purchased a winter purse of cork - pretty interesting, I think! Don't know yet if it'll pass my daughter's inspection... Stopped for a taste of the traditional treat: small dark chocolate cup filled with sour cherry liqueur. Cup was great but liqueur tasted like Robitussin cherry cough syrup, ick!
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| Main street of Obidos |
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| View from parador out over the countryside |
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| Chocolate cup and liqueur |
Dan did well with his rich hot chocolate, he said. Back on the road again to Lisboa...Jill earned her fee getting us into the city center and finding our hotel after dark. We even had free parking! One weird thing in Portuguese hotels is that you have to purchase wifi time in hourly increments...tough on Dan and his Skyping of the young woman!
Next day, we did a very wise thing, we purchased Gray Line city tour tickets at their reduced winter rates so we could hop on and hop off and see all the sites in our one allotted day...which happened to be Christmas Eve. We began with a ride through the converted site of a 1990's exposition: quite modern and futuristic. Next, to the old town area of Alfama where we climbed to the top of a hill to see the Castle. Stupendous views and it was all free for Christmas Eve!
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| View from castle over Lisboa to river |
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| One of them is the gargoyle! |
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| Lisboa tram |
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| Typical Portuguese bakery |
After our descent, we hopped our bus to Belém - a traditional area of town by the Tejo River. Of course, we ate at Pasteis de Belém and had their grilled sandwiches with their well-known dessert, a custard type tart that quite literally, melts in your mouth...and I don't normally like custards or puddings!
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| Eating at Pasteis de Belem |
We explored the Museo de la Marítima which Dan especially liked. Returned on our bus to the Centro (downtown) and our hotel. For Christmas Eve, our hotel recommended we try a nearby Indian restaurant, which we did. Excellent food and we met a family from the same small town in California as my college roommate, Beth, and her family! It is a small world as I have been reminded so many times during my Spanish adventure.
Christmas Day and we are off again heading due east for Spain and specifically, the town of Mérida. Dan's first stay in a hostel, he said, and why didn't it have bunk type rooms? He learned that "hostel" means many different types of lodging, including our room with its own bath! After circling for 30 minutes or so looking for a parking place (not many cars get moved on Christmas Day), we finally found one very close to hotel after all! Once again, the hotel sent us to a very good local place for tapas for our Christmas Day dinner...shrimp, pork tenderloin, potatoes, salad, wine, bread....yum!
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| Christmas Day tapas |
After eating, we walked through the deserted town to the river to see the Roman bridge and check out the hours to see the rest of the Roman ruins the next day. And, they were fantastic!! Amphitheaters, theaters, old homes, Alcazaba, columbariums...all in excellent condition considering their age.
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| Roman bridge |
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| Amphitheater for gladiators |
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| Theater for actors |
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| Way to water cistern |
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| At top of theater steps |
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| year is 35 AD for this tombstone |
The streets were hopping on the 26th and we enjoyed watching all the activity as everyone was out "paseando" (strolling and windowshopping). Back to Sparky and on to Sevilla...everything was about 2 1/2 or 3 hours away so we never had a long drive which was very nice.
Arrived in Sevilla without incident but drove in circles for a while when we got there...police had streets blocked off for holidays which Jill did not know. With help of Sevilla map in book and Jill, we finally found our nice small hotel which incredibly, had parking 1/2 block away!
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| Our hotel in Sevilla |
Very nice receptionist recommended two local places for tapas which we headed out to try: more pork, cold cuts of unbelievable Iberico pork products, pate, a hamburger for Dan!, asparagus, sanmorejo ( a creamy gazpacho), real gazpacho and more I can't remember! We wandered happily for a long while checking out the new city...only problem was when we tried to return, we kept wandering in circles! You'd think it would be hard to "lose" a cathedral the size of Sevilla's, but we did for a good while! Finally, we located it and thus, our hotel. Returned to do some hand wash so we could be clean the rest of the trip...The next day we found out why the guide book said don't try to do the Cathedral and the Alcazar in the same day! We refueled for breakfast at a local cafe where the hit was the chocolate y churros. they thought we were so funny when we asked them to take our picture!
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| Chocolate y churros |
We started at the Cathedral which was so large it was a bit overwhelming to me and a little creepy to Dan. We both enjoyed our 34 story hike up to the top of the Giralda, the minaret at the Cathedral left from the Arabic days. From 711-1492 AD, Spain was under Arabic dominion. The views from there were stupendous.
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| Sevilla Cathedral |
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| View from Giralda including bullring |
Next we went to the Alcazar and our confession is that we spent most of our time outside on yet another gorgeous day in the superb gardens...they even had a labyrinth which was a little scary for me! No pictures because my batteries and back-up batteries were dead. When we left, we ended up in a plaza in the sun where Dan napped and I watched two young children play together who reminded me of Dan and Laura at that age...what a blessed life I have had. We capped the day by going to La Carboneria, a local place where Flamenco is performed for no fee and the drinks are cheap! Mainly locals there including complete families...late night but wonderful day.
Off to Granada - decided to skip Cordoba and stay two nights in Granada instead. Found our Pension Landazuri located just where we wanted: in the thick of things! They also had parking just down the street - yea! Run by a mother and her two daughters...definitely had the feminine touch on decor and plants! No wifi (poor Dan) but we could walk 1/2 block to the Plaza Nueva and get a password from the news vendor and talk 30 minutes for free! It must be love when you're willing to talk outside at 35 degrees!
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| Dan Skyping in freezing temperatures |
Next morning we fortified ourselves with an American breakfast at Pension cafe and set out walking to see the Alfarin (Arab quarter) and the Sacromonte (gypsy quarter). Sacromonte won because there was a very interesting Center for Interpretation about gypsy life which we toured.
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| Gypsy cave |
We stopped for some coffee and chocolate and then headed for the Alhambra.
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| View of Alhambra |
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| Generalife at Alhambra |
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| Nasrid palace |
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| Ceiling in palace |
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| Wall in palace |
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| View of Granada from Alhambra |
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| Skiing mountains viewed from Alhambra |
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| Fort at Alhambra |
You reserve an exact time down to the half hour for your tour but can wander grounds before and after your palace tour. Our tour was at 3:30 PM so we went at 2 PM and toured other parts until our time for the Nasrid palace. Even though I went there 40 years ago, it's still an unbelievable site - gardens, water, tile, painting, everything is spectacular. Also had the chance to see museum exhibit on Escher - very appropriate with his repetitive patterns and all the tile patterns. Closed out our day eating more delicious tapas at a local Bode .
Now we headed toward the town of Baeza but we planned to stay at Hacienda La Laguna, located about 8 kilometers out of town. Unlike most of our hotels which we found in Lonely Planet's book on Spain, I found this one on hostelworld because book recs were all too expensive. It turned out to be a school for hotel and restaurant management! We got winter rates so it was very nice...excellent meals and room...and all located in the middle of an olive grove! Dan and I did some good walking amongst the very old olive trees.
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| olives ready to be picked |
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| huge trunks=very old trees |
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| typical stone house w/banner many houses display |
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| Close-up of banner |
We drove into Baeza, another medieval town, and walked its streets...Dan even gave tennis advice to a young local boy hitting balls against a medieval wall! That evening, I was 'forced' to drink a beer in the cafe while Dan Skyped 'her' again...Amanda is her name. We were thinking of Laura A the entire day as it was her birthday - 26, gulp!!
New Year's Eve and we would be in Toledo...if we could EVER find a parking garage and stop having Jill send us down streets that were so narrow we had to fold in both mirrors on a tiny car! I was very close to losing it but Dan's calmness prevailed and we eventually found a garage which wasn't even that far from our hotel...good thing since we were afoot with our bags! Cute hotel near Toledo cathedral...had an 11th century view into Moorish well under glass floor in the lobby!
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| Hotel Casa de Cisneros in Toledo |
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| View from our hotel window |
One of best included breakfasts, too...excellent chocolate croissants! We were starving when we arrived so once again owner sent us to his local place and we were only gringos there. Dan had a local pork stewlike dish and I had venado(deer!) that tasted like beef bourginon(sp?) to me. We then shopped and saw many swords and much jewelry.
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| NYE race in Toledo |
At 11 PM, we decided to head for the main square and see what was going on for New Year's Eve - wow! There was a live band called the Kronos who played a little bit of everything, including some 60's! Dan was hungry again so we found a mini-mart type store and he got two hot dogs and we got some grapes. In Spain, instead of blackeyed peas on New Year's Day, you eat 12 grapes beginning at the stroke of midnight and have to get them all in your mouth before it's midnight! We did it so hopefully the good luck will find us...Toledo is a beautiful town and when a friend asked, Dan said it was his favorite.
Last stop, Salamanca! Cold and colder here...let Dan out of car and he finally found our hostel for us...energetic desk clerk ran in front of us to the garage where we could park! Friendly place and told us where the tapas street is that the locals go to...a little hike but worth it! Remains of NYE's parties were still in evidence but we ate 7 tapas and 6 drinks for about $20 - all excellent and one was even guacamole because the guy lived in Mexico for a while! We walked around the town and saw the main sights AND an interesting chocolate shop but when the sun went down, we went in because it was cold!
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| Plaza Mayor in Salamanca |
Last day of trip is January 2nd, Monday, so we get up, eat breakfast and hit the road for Vigo - longest day of driving, a whopping 4 1/2 hours! Texas is big, isn't it?! Retraced our steps and returned Sparky and Jill and took bus back to my piso. Good to be home and fun because Leticia is coming later tonight!! More later about Dan´s last few and Leticia´s few days in Vigo...
