Captain's log - Supplemental

16-May-2022

We started the trip home with a thrilling taxi ride at breakneck speeds through empty streets to the train station in Sevilla.  I thought we went through some kind of wormhole when I saw the street sign at the entrance door.

No Dorothy it's not Kansas, just the street named Kansas City in Sevilla. The Sevillians (sp?) love Kansas City.  It's their sister.

A fast ride on the AVE train at 160 mph got us to Madrid in no time. Another 20 min ride on the subway from the train station landed us at the Madrid Airport Terminal 4 just in time for a scheduled Covid test.  The Covid test office had many people standing outside waiting and no one explaining the protocol.  After some investigation we found out that the people outside had no appointment but we did so we waited with the appointment folks on the Group 'W' bench until our turn came up. 

Our noses reamed out with a Qtip, we made our way to the only nearby restaurant to have a spot of lunch and await our test result.  It was a Scottish place called 'McDonald's'.  I violated a long established personal rule to never eat a hamburger at McD's and regretted it. The Model got a chicken sandwich which was a bit better.  The bad lunch was forgotten when we got our email saying, 'RESULTADO = NEGATIVO' which meant we could now head home after a stay in the airport Hilton overnight.

Our plane was originally scheduled to fly Madrid to Toronto but that flight was canceled.  Our new route was Madrid > Munich > Toronto > Chicago. We checked our bags since we were on the way home with no expectation that they would meet us in Chicago.  They didn't.

After another cancellation, rebooking, gate change and rescheduling in Toronto we finally made it to good old ORD.  A nice Uber driver named Joseph took us on the final leg home.  Our bags are currently on the beach at Ibizia or on a boat to Italy and having a fine trip. Someday we may see them again. 

Our kids and the neighbors decorated the place to let us know they didn't forget us.
Thanks folks.

And a fine time was had by all.

Alcazar and Farewell

 14-May-2022

Today we'll knock off the last palace on the trip. The Alcazar was built by the Moors and turned over to the Christians after the Reconquista. It was then used by the Spanish royal family for a summer home for 500 years.  They had a really nice backyard.

And a scale model of the Santa Maria.  I think maybe Chris was sniffing some of the model glue when he came up with idea for the trip.

We also saw the king's water organ that had no water (and no organ).

There was some tomfoolery at the end of the visit.

Then it was back to Mozart's place for an afternoon siesta and to put on a clean shirt for the carriage ride to the Farewell Dinner.

But first a stop for a bridge picture.

We went to a new-to-Rick Steves restaurant since the place the tour usually went got Covided out of business.  As usual William made a great choice.  I only took one picture at the restaurant, I was busy enjoying my last pretty slices of Iberian ham.

They all look hungry.

We all strolled back to Amadeus, enjoyed a last nightcap and started frantically arranging a COVID test at the airport. The trip was over at breakfast the next day but we were long gone to the Madrid train by that time. 

We really want to thank William for a fantastic trip due to all his efforts and a bit of luck with the weather.  It was also luck that we had William for a guide since he doesn't do as many tours at the other guides. For our last piece of luck that would be spending 2 weeks in crowds, buses, trains and planes and NOBODY GOT COVID! (yet).  William nags about masks a lot and the nagging paid off.

Bye until next time.

Christoforo and Dancin' Shoes

 13-May-2022

Checked in to the final hotel in Sevilla on our tour today.  This place has a musical theme so it's named 'Amedeus' of course.  There are musical instruments on display throughout the public rooms.

There are even loaners if you forgot to bring your harp.

The Barber was closed today so we took a tour of the church with the Macarena aka Weeping Virgin statue.  Nice church and they had a museum with a lot of chochky from the big parade every year.

The Weeping Virgin's ride for the parade

She didn't start weeping until I told her what we paid for the trip.

After a bit more of orientation around Sevilla we headed for the next stop, the biggest Gothic cathedral in the world. It was very large indeed.  I would hate to heat this place. Here is a shot of one of the giant organs.

This place is also famous for being the site of Christopher Columbus' grave.  Here's old Chris in the box.

We wound up the evening with a Flamenco show.

It was an energetic show with castanets and lots of banging on the wood floor.  Lets just say that these folks don't bother paying for a health club membership.

 

Horses, horses and more horses

 12-May-2022

Today was horse day.  We started with a visit to Yeguada la Cartuja which is the modern version of a horse breeding farm originally established by Carthusian monks in the 15th century.  The monks bred fighting horses for the king and they were pretty good at it.  And you thought they only made brandy.

The folks at the horse farm breed a modern version of the Spanish horse that  was spread around the Western hemisphere after Columbus.  Nowadays they are bred for show horses doing dressage and cart work. 

Unlike the bull farm, these guys use artificial insemination and surrogate mothers to speed up the production of colts and get a better handle on lineage.

These colts are newborn and are just learning to walk.  They are kept in a pen with the brood mares. The colt in the pic is only a few days old.

This farm sells Carthusian horses  to  private buyers so we saw a German grandma and grandpa looking at samples with their horse loving granddaughter. The horse they select will be flown home on Lufthansa, horse class.

To continue the horse theme we took a bus ride to the Jarez horse fair (may be in Spanish, look at the pictures).  This is an event where everyone gets all dressed up and the folks with horses bring them out and parade around. 

That dude on the left really does have a blonde on the back end of his horse.

Most of the ladies dressed up like  this.

It is a huge party and we were only there for an hour or so.  It will really rock when the sun goes down.  We even saw the President of Andalusia who is a crook according to Santiago our bus driver.

There was sherry all around because this is sherry country and TioPepe sherry is a big sponsor of the fair.

Very few gringo tourists around, easy to spot because they were the only ones wearing shorts.
Here's a picture of one.

A fine, horsey day.

Bulls and Olive Oil

 11-May-2022

Today was a big day.  We learned where two of the most important items of Spanish culture originate; fighting bulls and olive oil.

First the bulls.

He's no Ferd'nand.
Needless to say we didn't get out of the bus.

Usually on  these tours we see the story of something that you knew about already.  Wine comes from grapes etc.  But the bull story is a new one.

Our bull farm belongs to a bullfighter named Rafael Tajeda. Raf knew that he would be out of the bullfighting game eventually so he started a farm to raise fighting bulls. There is a small ring where they study potential breeding sources but the trick is, they  only  test the COWS!
If you put a bull in a ring once, he knows the routine and is too dangerous to put in a ring again.  

When a bull goes into a bullfight, that's the first time he has ever seen a bull ring.
To determine breeding decisions, they put the cows in a ring and see which ones have the desirable traits to produce good bulls.

Rafael stopped by to show us his scars and answer questions. Bulls are usually killed at the end of the fight but Rafael says  that sometimes the bull does  such an impressive display that the crowd demands his life is spared.  If this happens, the bull gets to retire to the farm and crank out little bulls. This happens the old fashioned way, no artificial insemination like the horses.

We'll hear about them tomorrow.

We even got to see the Toreador training room where Barney and Bernice tried out the bull simulator.  Barney says he would have let her live.  Bernice says she would have gored him.

 

Next stop was a place called Oleum Viride,  a family owned organic farm and olive mill.

Louis took us around and explained in great detail how the process works. I always thought olives are pressed to produce oil.  Nope.  The oil is extracted in a multi step process with centrifuges that spin the mush from crushed olives to get the oil.  This must be done in less than 4 hours or the olives  go bad.  Once extracted the oil is stored in tanks with nitrogen to keep out the air.  After packaging the oil must be protected from light and air to keep the taste.

The bottom line is that you are consuming crappy  olive oil.

Louis and his family spent a lot of time during the Covid lockdown developing various flavored olive oil blends  The Model bought a lot of it.

After the tour the family provided a picnic where we had a lovely meal and tried out Louis' wine and Vermouth.  Spanish Vermouth isn't like the stuff we use to make martinis, it's made with red wine and flavored with spices. 
I didn't like it.

Bulls and a Bridge

 10-May-2022

Today we visit Ronda Spain, home of Spain's oldest bullring. Ronda also has a kick-ass gorge that separates the North (Christian) and South (Moorish) sides of town.  Nowadays it doesn't separate anything because nobody goes to church.  

The bullring is impressive but don't worry, we didn't see any bullfights.  The bullfights are held in September and everyone is looking forward to them. Tomorrow we will go to the farm where the bulls come from.

Even more impressive is the bridge over the gorge.  Below is a photo.

This bridge was built in the 18th century.  Imagine a bunch of  folks deciding to stack up enough bricks to build this thing.  I got tired just eating lunch at a restaurant with this view.

Besides the bridge and the bullring, Ronda is mostly a bunch of souvenir shops.

We stayed in a lovely hotel in the countryside with a beautiful rose garden.

The bar worked on the 'honor system'.  Make your own drinks and mark down your room and what you  had on a sheet of paper.  

My fellow travelers were foolish enough to disclose their room numbers.

Granada and the Alhambra

 9-May-2022

Granada is the home of the Alhambra, a Moorish castle and later the summer home of Charles V.  It is fortress on a cliff overlooking the city of Granada. It is one of most famous examples of Islamic architecture.  After the Christians reconquered this part of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella moved the capital to Granada. This is the spot where Christopher Columbus received his orders to 'Go West young man' and find a route to India to avoid those nasty Turks.  Some say he succeeded.

Alhambra at sunset from our dinner spot.

After a nice dinner with a great view we strolled back to the hotel to prepare for our tour of the Alhambra tomorrow.  Hope it isn't too hot.

Just kidding.  The weather has been really good, no rain and nice temps.

The town of Granada is a tourist heaven.  If you go to a bar and order a drink, they always bring you a tapa for free which is  a small snack.  Every time you order a drink you  get another tapa.  Three or four drinks and you've had dinner.  And  you have a hard time walking home.  Wonderful tapas customs in Granada.  

Good ice cream too.

The Unreachable Star

 08-May-2022

This is Miguel de Cervantes territory so we are hanging out at the windmills today.

This kind of windmill...

Not this kind..

So everyone in this neighborhood makes money from good old Miguel after he invented the novel with 'Don Quixote'.  The windmills are only a couple of hundred years old but the symbolism is still here.  Every shop is littered with stuff right out of 'Man from La Mancha' since we are in La Mancha. If Cervantes knew how much money he could make from one novel he probably would have written many more.

It turns out that Cervantes real life was even more amazing than his stories.  He lost an arm in the navy, was held captive by Barbary pirates for 5 years and later rejoined the navy.  He was a tax collector and government official before writing his best stuff.

After the windmills we stopped for lunch and then visited a small shop that sells saffron.  It takes 250,000 crocus flowers to produce 2 lbs of saffron and it is the world's most expensive spice.  We bought about $20 worth and the family  thanked us with a shot  of wine and a cookie.

Here's a million dollars worth of saffron.

After the saffron raid we moved on to Granada which is one of my favorite towns in Spain.

Holy Toledo

 08-May-2022

This is the original Toledo we are visiting today.  Not  that one in Ohio, although it turns out they are sister cities. There is even a street named for Toledo OH.

At one time, Toledo was the capital of this part of Spain.  When the kingdoms combined to make Spain a whole country the king decided to move the capital to Madrid in the center of the country.  Toledo is almost as hilly as Portugal so we got a workout on the usual tour of the city.

The cathedral is huge and we saw a wedding.  Cool car for the bride and groom of course.

The cathedral is really over the top.  It took the local peasants 270 years to build  and pay for it.

Our local guide took us through the Jewish quarter where there are no Jews since Queen Isabella kicked them all out in 1492.  They still maintain tourist gimmicks though.

Tomorrow  it's on to La Mancha and the windmills.

Aqueducts and piggies

 06-May-2022

Today we are on a day trip to Segovia, about an hour from Madrid.

The big deal in Segovia is the 2,000 year old Roman aqueduct. If you don't notice it they'll let you know.

The aqueduct is an amazing feat of engineering built with granite blocks and no cement or mortar.

Of course we checked out the local palaces and churches but the highlight was a dinner at restaurant Jose Maria. Specialty of the house is roast suckling pig. I won't describe the experience, let's just say it wasn't kosher.

Click below for a Youtube video of the pig splitting ritual...

Back to Madrid for the nightly stroll that starts around 11pm.

The Royal Palace

 05-May-2022

A visit to the Royal Palace in Madrid.

Too tired to write much today.

The Royal Palace is a big place with lots of nifty pictures and furniture.  It is a bit old and dusty and even the king doesn't want to live there.  He lives in a small palace in the 'burbs.

Here is a sample...

AVE to Madrid from Barcelona

 04-May-2022

A fast train to Madrid

The AVE train runs from Barcelona to Madrid; quickly. At several hundred kilometers per hour it's almost like flying but without seat belts and you can go get a beer in the cafe car.

Our goal today is the del Prado art museum. This place is packed with paintings by Goya, El Greco, Velazquez etc. The art is well displayed and the visitors are on timed entry so the crowds don't get too large.

We have been to other famous museums (prior to Covid) that would become packed with Asian tourists in large groups. Since Covid is still causing lockdowns in some countries, the crowds are smaller. Most of the tourists we've seen have been Europeans.

For an afternoon snack you can't beat churros and chocolate. Not the churros from Costco or the Mexican place in Aurora either. These churros are thin and not doughy, deep fried and very tasty. Much tastier when dipped in a bowl of chocolate.

We topped off the evening with a visit to a bar that serves 180 Spanish wines. No we didn't try them all.

Sagrada Familia

 03-May-2022

It's time for the best sight in Barcelona, the Sagrada Familia Basilica. They've been building it for over 100 years since Gaudi designed it.  Things were slow for quite a while but in the 80's the Olympics injected a lot of money so they managed to build enough of it to make  it a major tourist attraction.  The goal was to finish by the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death.
The poor guy was hit by a streetcar in the beginning of his most famous piece of work.

Covid has changed that schedule; no tourists means no money. Most of the building is complete with only  the front entrance remaining to be finished.  This is  a view of the East side.  When the front is complete they will  tear down a couple of blocks of buildings to provide a grand plaza at the entrance.

To say it is spectacular is an understatement. The outside is breathtaking and the inside even more. Here is a link to a Youtube video about Sagrada Familia but nothing compares with the real thing. 

<Click for video>

Skip the ads if they show up.

This is the most spectacular piece of architecture we have ever seen.  When it is completed in 10 or 15 years it will be an unmatched piece of art.

 02-May-2022

First official tour day but no activity until the meet and greet at 5pm. Our guide for this tour is a retired American Spanish teacher from Seattle. He's been a Rick Steve's guide for about 15 years but not working for the last 2 years.  He's having fun reconnecting with all his friends and fellow guides in Spain. 

First full day in Spain, time to ramble around.  What better spot than La Rambla. When Spaniards in Barcelona go for a walk they end up on La Rambla, a wide street with a lot of restaurants and cafes along the  way. All of the places on La Rambla are rip-offs serving watered down drinks for $15 but if you move off the main drag and go to the side streets there are many nice places to be found.  Of course there are some unusual places also, like this one.

Dinner was at a family restaurant where we were introduced to some Spanish specialties and of course good wines.

Tour over after breakfast - Moving on to Spain

 01-May-2022

But we were long gone before breakfast.  At 5:30 am the cab picked us up for a fast ride to the airport.  We weren't late but there was no traffic he just  drove really fast. 
After a quick flight we landed in Barcelona, breezed through customs and grabbed the Aerobus to downtown.

Our hotel room was smallish but the hotel makes up for it.  Nice pool and garden, right near the main drag and good service.  

Model in the garden

Breakfast includes fresh orange juice, Champagne for mimosas and vodka for screwdrivers.

We went for a walk after dinner and bumped into an impromptu opera session with four guys standing in an alley among tall gothic structures so the sound was great.  One guy had a speaker and a cell phone for music.  The experience was unique.
Here is a youtube video we shot last night.

<Click for video>

Of course we put a Euro in the hat.

One more walking tour and the windup

 30-Apr-2022

Today we met Maria, another tour guide.  Maria does a walking tour of Porto to make sure we don't miss any hills.  As an added treat, we end the tour on the riverfront which is at the bottom of every hill in Porto.  Luckily, the #500 bus takes us back up  the hill. 
Portugal is a bit like Avenida; almost all women are named Maria.

Checking out the bridge to Gaia

Tonight is our last night in Porto and on the tour so we'll have a goodbye dinner together.

Nice restaurant.  I had the veal cheeks.  Looked like he was smiling.

The Gang

It was a good group and a great tour.  Now we'll move on to Spain and check out the wines there.

Porto for the Food - And the wine

Beautiful weather today for a trip to the hilly city of Porto with Carlos and his Magic Bus.  Carlos is on his first Rick Steves tour and it will not be his last.  He passed his initiation with flying colors. Carlos can actually  make the bus bend in the middle to get around the impossible corners on narrow streets. We said goodbye to Carlos and the bus for this tour.

Our hotel is right on the main pedestrian/shopping street in town.  Nice refurbished rooms since the hotel hasn't been doing much business for a couple of years. They did keep the old-timey phones. Here's a shot of an old man trying to figure out how to make a video call.

Busy day today. Lots of hills we haven't climbed yet but we are taking a food tour of Porto so we'll get them all.  The food tour guide claims his favorite food city is Chicago.  I asked him his favorite Chicago restaurants and he mentioned a hot dog stand and Lou Malnotti's.

Speaking of food, the model has been about her usual hobby taking food pictures when we eat.  Here are some samples:

Oops.  Sorry for that last one from some catacombs in Coimbra, hope it didn't ruin your appetite.

After our food tour we took a boat ride on the Douro River.  I was happy that there were no hills to climb.

Porto is great and we loved it.  It felt like Porto is the 'San Francisco' of Portugal and Lisbon is the 'New York'.

More Porto fun tomorrow. Stay tuned.