Connections

Mystic scenery

Mystic Pizza on Mystic's main street

I don't know if this place appeared before or after the movie but I wasn't the only one taking a photo. 

After spending 3 hours at the seaport outdoor museum, we drove through Mystic proper and then over to New London waterfront.  We probably should have gone into New London itself as the waterfront was, well, too much waterfront, trains, tracks, cranes and infrastructure.  As we left we saw some beautiful homes and architecture in New London--from a distance, but were running out of time and energy.

I did get some late-afternoon shots of some picturesque pond-front homes on our way back to our hotel.

Obviously these are high-end homes, but I noticed that even the smaller homes on smaller lots had a lot of charm and character.  It is a beautiful area that I'd like to visit again for a longer time.

Behind a restaurant on Mystic River, just outside the museum

This was about 2:00 p.m. and already the wind-chill was in the air.  By sunset at 4:30 we were looking for a warm place and a hot drink.  It was exactly what I have always enjoyed about the autumn season:  beautiful colored leaves, warm days with a little nip of cold on the cheeks toward evening. 

Of course we had seafood for the evening meal both nights.  The first night our meal was accompanied by a "Flight of wines,"  5 different 3 oz. pours of wine which we shared and rated.  Great idea, a good-sized taste of 5 wines for $10.  For a quick 3-day trip we felt we sampled the flavor of the place--both in the food and in the culture.

Mystic Seaport Museum

A seaport museum of antique ships and support buildings

When my husband mentioned a quick trip to Mystic, Connecticut, I had no idea where we were going.  I had seen the movie Mystic River and found it to be powerful.  I had heard about but not seen the movie Mystic Pizza which launched Julia Roberts.  Sadly I admit that I did not know for sure which states bordered Connecticut and was surprised that we were to fly into Providence, R.I. and drive only 47 miles to Mystic.

My husband is the one who reads about and builds models of antique ships.  He is currently building a model of  The Charles Morgan, a whaling ship that operated for 80 years, making over 37 voyages--some as long as 5 years away from her home port.

I am a lover of museums of any kind but was still unprepared for how special this outdoor museum on the water is.  We spent 3 hours  walking onto ships and listening to knowlegeable people explain the culture of the sea and management of a ship's crew.  It was a fascinating experience.  One thing I learned is that life at sea was a very demanding and difficult one.  Just managing the live food on board--chickens and goats--would have had me wanting to go home.

Bob beside the Charles Morgan (above) and on board with a docent (below)

We both were amazed that there was still a lot of autumn color in Connecticut as late as November 13.  It wasn't the peak of autumn but the colors were still beautiful and made a perfect frame for the many typical colonial-style homes in the area.

 

Hawaiian flower

This unknown flower bloomed near the door of our rental house.

There was no one to ask its name but every morning it was a little different, a new bloom or a new red point. There is just something about it that gives me pleasure and peace.  Does anyone know this flower?

Leeward Hawaii

Hawaii Kai and Koko Crater from Makapu'u Point Trail

The simple crossing of a pass at Makapu'u beach changes the landscape from lush tropical plants to a drier look filled cacti, palm trees and succulents.  There is less wind so the lava-rock tide pools are more accessible. 

One morning when the parents were sleeping late, we took Clio to introduce her to tide pools, plumaria blossoms and cactus gardens.

Bob and Clio tide-pool walking near Sandy Beach

After collecting ocean-polished bottle glass, coral pieces and shell fragments, we drove a mile further to Koko Crater Botanic gardens.  Though several books had commented that after 30 years of work, the gardens still have a primitive look to them.   I loved this crater when we lived there in the late 1970's and I love it now.  The plantings have grown and matured.  There is a dedicated cactus garden, plumaria orchard and a section of viney trees.  The paths are natural, not paved, but they are wide and smoothe enough for wheel-chair access.

.

The plumaria orchards were the biggest surprise. They are large trees and we could just reach the lower branches. Plumaria flowers are the most common ones used in lei's for greeting people upon airport arrival and for honoring and thanking those in the community.

Clio picked up a blossom and carried it through the gardens, back to the house and kept it in a glass until it had turned brown.

Below is a photo of Clio and Bob.  He squatted down to show her something at her level, but she squatted down also.  I just happened to catch it on my digital cam.

Bob and Clio in the Koko Crater Botanic Gardens

Byodo In Temple

Byodo In, showpiece of Valley of Temples near Kaneohe

I remember visiting this place before but I didn't remember the pervasive sense of peace and wonder that surrounds the building, gardens and ponds.  No longer a "believer" in supernatural intervention, I am perhaps more open to appreciation of a place that exudes calm and quiet beauty--from this magnificent replica of a Buddhist temple in Kyoto Japan to the simple bamboo forest on the outskirts of the property.

Surrounding the temple structure housing the gigantic Buddha were streams and ponds were many light-reflecting streams and ponds containing hundreds of Koi. You can see some koi in this photo of the open part of the temple.  A local author and World War 2 expert was signing the 4 volumes of his books and Bob stopped to chat with him.  They can just barely be seen on the near corner of the temple.

Book-signing at the Byodo In

When one crosses the bridge the first thing you hear is the deep melodious tone of the giant gong.  It is so large that it is struck by swing an 8-foot tree truck into it. The grounds are spectacular.  From meandering stream with two black swans to a small gift shop in the corner, everything is peaceful.

Only one swan made the photo

Until Hawaii I had never actually seen a bamboo forest other than in a tropical atrium of a botanical garden.  They are not majestic or sturdy and grounded.  They are spindly and green and somewhat fragile in the wind--but I absolutely love walking around and near these bamboo outcroppings.

Bamboo forest on Byodo In Temple grounds.

Windward Oahu

Kaneohe from the Pali Lookout

One thing we learned about the Hawaiian Islands when we lived there in the last 1970's was that each island has a leeward and a windward side.  The windward side is more humid and sometimes windier but it is also where one finds lush green growth year round as well as tropical forests that can be seen from this lookout on the Pali Highway.  We were staying about 10 miles to the right of this photo--in Waimanalo.

The Ko'olau mountains from our waimanalo front porch

When we lived in Hawaii we lived on the leeward side as that just happened to be where we found a house to rent.  It was interesting to see and feel the difference.  The difference was more than the climate.  It was also that Waimanalo was more of a small town with fewer tourists and more people who greeted each other by name in Mel's Market where "our" neighborshop shopped for staples and quick meals.

Waimanalo Beach at 8:00 a.m--almost deserted.

When we lived here, I never visited this beach.  It was a well-kept secret from tourists and short-term residents--and for good reason--as it is absolutely gorgeous and nearly private.  It is kid-friendly and boasts spectacular sunrises.  Unfortunately we, being on vacation time, never woke early enough to see one. 

The houses here are more modest but equally well-kept and funtional. I came away with a great love for "Nalo."

Best Laid Plans...

Getting from here (dinner in L.A with Fran) to...

....Coconut House in Waimanalo Oahu Hawaii.....

....definitely was not easy.  We planned to stay overnight in Los Angeles so that we could personally meet Fran, a fellow member of an online list, whom I've known as a cyber friend since 1998.  That part worked great.  We had a wonderful meal and a delightful visit.  We left the restaurant fairly early so that we could get enough sleep before catching a 5:30 a.m. shuttle to the airport for our flight to Honolulu. 

The uncooperative weather in the midwest delayed flights into L.A. which resulted in an oversold situation on the next two flights to Honolulu.  A friend sent me this prose poem by Naomi Shihab Nye and challenged me to put my own saga on paper.

This is what I wrote--with abject apologies to Naomi Shihab Nye:

Eleven hours in LAX,

March 1, 2007

-----

Three flights of people, two scheduled for yesterday

And one for today,

All with tickets to Honolulu from L.A,

Waiting to see who and how many can board

This early-morning flight

And who must wait until 8 o’clock tonight.

----

While two agents processed tickets,

Another made an announcement:

“Any confirmed seat-holder who gives up a seat

Will receive $400, a ticket to San Francisco on American

And a seat on Delta’s San Fran flight to Honolulu.

They will arrive at 10:25 tonight--Hawaiian time.”

Twelve people volunteered.

-----

Announcement:

“Today’s final flight from L.A. to Honolulu is now filled.

The next flight leaves tomorrow morning.”

Immediately the 10 or 12 stranded non-revs

gather to commiserate—and to plan.

With cell phones and lap-tops busy,

Information is exchanged.

We call Southwest, USAir, Alaska Air,

American and United.

Who flies to San Fran? 

Does Delta still have space if we get there?

-----

Dave, parent of a Delta employee, and his wife Pam tell us,

“We’re going to Maui and there’s room for 65 more

on the 5 o’clock flight, arriving at 9:30 Hawaii time.”

Al and Betty from Edmonton decide to stay

in L.A. another day.

The Pakistani couple tells Jeannene about a

Northwest flight from Maui to Honolulu ,

the last one of the day, leaving at 11:45,

But the news arrives just after she had hit “send”

on a non-refundable reservation for an overpriced room

almost an hour from Maui airport.

-----

The family gathers, confers, and concurs:

we’ll take the Northwest flight

And cross our fingers that my lawyer son

In his most persuasive voice

Can convince the hotel manager

To refund the reservation. 

He flashes “thumbs up.”

We are going to Maui!

-----

I call the car rental company we’d gotten through Hotwire.

They say they can’t hold the car that long and, besides,

They close at 1:00 a.m.  I call Hotwire. 

They say, “No problem! The reservation was prepaid. 

They’ll hold it for 24 hours,

but we have no control over their closing time.”

-----

We arrived in Honolulu at 12:40 a.m. grateful

that our luggage arrived on the flight we missed.

Bob and Dane ran to get the car.

Jeannene, Clio and I ran to get the luggage.

We decided by cell-phone where to meet.

We loaded the car and got out directions

Hoping our memories from 20 years ago

Would get us over the Pali Highway at night.

They did.

------

We drove into the driveway of our vacation house at 2 a.m.

The owners, knowing our plight,

Left us Hawaiian Guava drinks,

And for breakfast:

Kona coffee, maple syrup

And Macadamia nut pancake mix.

--The Aloha Spirit in action--.

-----

Debtorby,

Written March 12, 2007

-------

Needless to say, the next morning we were thrilled to see

this hot-tub in our back yard.

Pyrenean Favorite

Bob, Josep and friend in Asnurri.

One of my resolutions was to blog more often and to return to writing some of the stories that accompany the photos.  In reviewing my 2006 photos and blog entries, it occurred to me that my blog has become more photoblog than a combination of the two.  Perhaps that is because my life this past year has included more visual images than completed stories.  It has been said that a picture is worth a 1000 words--which reminds me that David Chinn has redone and re-started his blog, A Picture's Worth, which is definitely worth taking a look at.  The new version includes not only submitted photos but a paragraph or two of back story for the photo. This year I too hope to take the time to add some back story to my photos.

Back to Asnurri.  In September 2006 we spent 10 days with friends who live 5K from the Pyrenees.  Each of those 10 days we were taken on a personal tour to visit 13 of the thousand-year-old villages that literally hang off the steep inclines of the mountains.  These villages have tongue-tangling Catalonian names like Ars, Arséguel, Bescarán, Ansobél, Castelbó, Montferrér, Puigcerdá and my favorite, Asnurri, in today's photos. 

Our friends Josep and Angeles know most of the people in these small villages.  He, being a gastroenterological surgeon has, over the past 20 or so years, operated on many of them.  Because of their friendship with a family from Asnurri we were given a tour of their dairy and some information about the village.  We met a neighbor with two live rabbits in her hands who introduced them by holding them high and saying in Spanish, for our benefit as they speak primarily Catalan in this area, "para cena (for dinner)."  Much of the food consumed in this area is grown either on their own farms or purchased fresh in the twice-weekly markets in La Seu D'Urgell.  After a brief conversation we climbed the steep, narrow streets viewing a new breath-taking scene with every turn of a corner or gain of altitude.

 

Looking back on where we'd been

We climbed and circled our way through the small village, constantly amazed at the beauty.  I wondered how anyone could get any work done in the midst of so much to see. I was so preoccupied with the village itself that I took almost no photos of the exquisite views from so high in the mountains.

Even 1000 years ago drainage was a priority.

After viewing the village and taking countless photos we were taken to the dairy.  The feeding is all done manually but the milking is computerized and totally controlled for each individual cow.  The photo below is of the milking carousel.  As each cow steps onto it, her ear chip is read by the computer, her udder is washed with sterile solutions then the attendant hooks her to the milking machine.  By the time she completes the round, all her milk has been collected, measured and logged into her milking history. 

Milking carousel in Asnurri Dairy

(as always, for a larger image just click on the photo)

More 2006 Favorites

A simple flower garden in a 1000-year-old pueblito high in the Pyranees.

A typical example of blooming where one is planted.  These tiny villages hanging off of steep slopes manage to have decorative flower gardens as well as vegetable patches by using whatever containers they have at hand.  Some of the villages became indistinguishable from the others except for the direction and the distance from La Seu.  The stark earthtones of the old stone houses needed color and it was wonderful to see that in late September the flowers--and plastic containers-- were still adding bright colors.

Costa Brava Favorite

Tossa del Mar

I have now visited this wonderful small town two times.  The dominating feature is, of course, the castle/fort with its four towers.  With the need for canons to protect against pirates long past, the town now is a lovely tourist destination city where many people live year round.  The contrast between the brown castle and the white Mediterranean-style buildings of the town makes it such a lovely place to explore.  The castle now contains small cozy restaurants  with subtle lighting and great food as well as beer and paella places. 

I loved all the towns we visited along and just inland from this beautiful coastline, but Tossa especially won my heart.

A view from the upper part of the castle to a tower and the town below.

Zarauz

Rent-a-Tents along the Beach at Zarauz in Basque Country of Spain

We had passed the autopista exit for Zarauz last night but it was getting dark and we wanted to find a hotel and get settled for our two-night stay in San Sebastian.  The afternoon after the Regatta we drove about 20 minutes from San Sebastian to a pictoresque small town with a fantastic beach.  There was no parking in the center of town but plenty of parking along a park within easy walking distance.  Along the way I took many photos of wall art and public sculptures which are typical of this lovely town. 

Wall mural in Zarauz

Colorful sculpture in Zarauz.

Another wall mural with bikes and moto added for effect.

I absolutely loved this lovely, clean town with "quality of life" evident everywhere: the mixture of old and new, the availability of affordable services and entertainment for all ages, fantastic food and a friendly approachability to visitors.  I could easily spend a few days in this place.

San Sebastian Regatta

Foggy view from our hotel just before sunset in San Sebastian

We left Situse and Esti off in Bilbao about 4:00 and arrived in SS about 5:00.  It took us more than half an hour to find a hotel.  We couldn't understand why everything was full.  We paid more than we wanted to for the last room in our hotel, but it was conveniently located by the river walk rambla--15 minutes one way to La Concha Beach and about the same distance along the river to Old Town.  We decided to do Old Town for dinner and catch the beach walk the next day. 

The next morning we walked toward the beach at La Conca and found a cafeteria with outdoor seating for breakfast.  As we sat with our tortilla de papa (potato-onion omelette) and a coffee (no free refills), we saw a group go by wearing yellow shirts and waving yellow flags.  A few minutes later we saw blue shirts, then green, then a huge group wearing red shirts and marching with a band.  We asked what was going on and were told it was "The Basque Country Regatta Championship."  The Basques have long been known for their sailors.  In days past they used these 17-men rowing vessels for hunting whales. They'd harpoon a whale and hang on until it became tired. Talk about a Nantucket Sleigh Ride!

The Sailor Band:  a group of real Popeyes

I wonder if the Popeye costume was inspired by these Basque Sailors.  They sing the Popeye song--in Spanish: The first line is Popeye (Po-pay-yay)  Marino soy.  (Popeye the sailor I am.) This was one of several bands that marched along the route to the port where the boats entered the water, loaded the crew and made their way into the bay.

The group in the red are the defending champions--and local favorites.

Tickets for every possible viewing place--up on the cliff sides, on top of buildings, all along the beach--had been sold in advance.  We thought about buying one but the lines were outrageous and we had planned to go to Zarautz this day and be back by dinner.  We certainly felt the enthusiasm and festivity--and now we knew why the hotels were full.

When we arrived back from Zarautz, the Champion had been crowned and the crowds had dispersed leaving just a few die-hard beach fans to watch the sunset.

People-watching

Photos snapped of seniors along several of the public walkways.

In all the cities we visited in Spain there were tree-shaded walk-ways called 'Las Ramblas."  Somewhere along most of them there is a playground built on some type of padded outdoor surface.  Grass is reserved for public gardens.  There are dozens of permanent benches, or if alongside a beach there will be movable chairs.  In the Casco Viejo (Old Town) of each city there are pedestrian-only streets with lanes on each side for bicycles.   

One thing we noticed over and over again: the custom of women walking side-by-side in lock-step with arms linked--sometimes three or four women walking together with arms linked--but men?  Never!

I love the fact that people walk everywhere and measure time by minutes on foot:  It's a 10-minute walk from the hotel or 20-minutes to the beach. We did our share of rambla-time.  During our trip we walked between 5 and 10 miles per day except for the two longest days of driving.  And because of that I actually lost weight on vacation.  Well, the wonderful healthy seafood and fresh vegetables didn't hurt either.

Mundaka

The Basque city of Mundaka, a port city not far from Guernica

This small town is one of my favorites.  Young and old seemed active and contented here. The views and food were great. We stopped at a place that Esti knew to get some water.  There was a wedding party there but when we were ready to leave, one of the wedding party had heard what Esti asked and motioned her inside and she came back with four bottles of water.  Everywhere the people were very friendly.

Having bocadillos (small sandwiches) and fried calamari in Mundaka

Before driving back to Bilbao to drop them off at a Metro stop, we had a leisurely lunch under the trees in Mundaka.  We ate at the traditional lunch time at 3:00 p.m.

Guernica and Bizkaia

Life-size reproduction of Picasso's painting on a wall in Guernica Spain

I had read some about the bombing destruction of Guernica in 1936 by Hitler and Franco's rebels, but to walk the streets and see first hand the few buildings of the original city left standing made a lasting impression of the horror depicted in Picasso's work.  Guernica now claims the title "City of Peace" and the new buildings and the general ambiance certainly gives a peaceful impression. To read the next-day eye-witness account of the bombing, click here

Our guides through the city and the area around Bilbao were Situse and Esti.  Situse, brother of Rita--our host in Barcelona--had just returned from Hawaii and was staying with his girlfriend Esti until he could find a job in Bilbao and they could get a place together.  Rita called him and he and Esti, who was raised in Bilboa and familiar with the area, volunteered to show us around Bizkaia (the area along the Bay of Biscay.)

Situse, Esti and Bob on "viewing stools" facing the Bay of Biscay.

Esti said she prefers to call them meditation stools as looking out over the water and the lush green coastline always puts her into a meditative state of mind.

The coastline view of the bay from the Viewing Stools.

After stopping along the coast a few more times we went walking through an Ecological Preserve, had Pinchos (another word for tapas) for lunch in Mundaka and visited several more scenic spots before we had to take them back to Bilbao then drive almost 2 hours to San Sebastian for a two-night stay there. The Basque area is absolutely beautiful.  The food is fantastic, and the people are very friendly.  More than once we stopped total strangers on the street and asked for directions to parking or hotels or where we could have "comida tipica" (typical food of the area). They were always very approachable and helpful.  I must say, however, that my Spanish served us extremely well..  After we left Situse and Esti, we heard no English--other than the requisite English-speaker at the hotel check-in desks--until we returned to Barcelona. There are things we could not have done without some basic Spanish.

The Guggenheim at Bilbao

The Guggenheim Museum at Bilbao Spain

We checked into our hotel at 6:00 p.m. to find out that the museum closed at 8:00 and was a 20 minute walk from our hotel.  It was a beautiful walk, however, and we had plenty of time to take an audio-tour in English and to view the highlights of each hall.  It was very interesting to see the temporaryt Exhibit on Russian Art, most having to do with Stalin, but the permanent exhibits and the building itself were the things that will stand out in my memory.

 

The rear of the building with walkways leading under the bridge.

We were privileged to see the building in the afternoon, at sunset and at night.  I tried photos at the darker times but the only one that worked was this one of the riverwalk near the museum, just after sunset.

River walkway leading toward the rear of the Guggenheim.

Actually the walkway leads to a plaza where one can walk either to the front entrance or along the river to the rear of the museum.  The front entrance is pretty un-spectacular, compared to the rest of the museum, but it does have one much-loved and photographed attraction: the flower puppy.

The flower puppy was still in its prime on September 8, 2006

Driving to Bilbao

In an earlier post (Sept 30) from my travel journal I had described the actual drive but not the scenery or cities.  Our first stop off of the Autopista was Zaragoza.  We spent about an hour walking the Plaza de Pilar and seeing the Cathedral de Pilar then decided to drive on to Logroño for the night.

A breathtaking fountain view in Plaza de Pilar.

We quickly learned the first round-a-bout after exiting the autopista would have a sign directing  us to the Casco Viejo or "Old City" and that was where we invariably began to experience a new place. We first stopped at this fountain, then walked over to the cathedral below and toured it.  This was a spectacular work of art with a roof design around the spires that I'd only seen once before.

The Cathedral de Pilar:

Once we passed Zaragoza, we were in lush green countryside with wind generators on the rolling hills and solar panels in the valleys--and all the road signs were in two languages:  Spanish and the Basque language of Eucadi.

More Catalonian food

Final night in Barcelona with Rita in another neighborhood restaurant.

Though tapas and montaditos can be found in most areas of Northern Spain, this restaurant specialized in "typical" Catalonian food.  The next photos will show close-ups of our meal. We had tapas plates of grilled vegetables, a kabob with fresh wild mushrooms and small yellow potatoes and the new food for me: caracoles (land snails.)  It had rained for several days and when that happens, all the locals are out hunting for setas--or bolets in Catalan--for their own use and to sell to restaurants. I actually loved the snails.  They were boiled, sauteed in olive oil--of course--with salt, pepper and garlic then served with a mini-fork to pop them out of their shells and into our mouths. Absolutely delicious!

Kabob, mushroom and potatoes:

Grilled seasonal vegetables:

Caracoles:

Barcelona tapas bar

Taking this photo into the mirror, I'm not quite hidden by the sign

The first night in Barcelona Rita took us to Cerveseria Catalunya, a local tapas bar in her neighborhood.  Though I've been in tapas bars before, this is absolutely the most fantastic one I've seen.  The people were cordial, not too loud.and extremely friendly.  The tapas and montaditos were exquisite and too numerous to count. When the man in the blue shirt next to Bob learned we were from the U.S. he ordered three more glasses and invited Rita and us to share from his bottle of Cava (Spanish champaign) from Villa Franca.  We tasted as many of the montaditos as we could possibly hold and returned home for a much-needed good sleep to conquer jet lag.

Below is a photo of more of the display case on our side of the bar.  On the other side it was possible to order many varieties of tapas:  small plates of fish, meat and vegetables to share.

Tastes of Barcelona

In the case of food, pictures are better than words. In Barcelona, most meals--at home or at restaurants--depend heavily on local markets like the famous La Boqueria on Las Ramblas. Here are a few photos taken in this magnificent market.

Fruits:

Nuts:

Meats and Cheeses:

Meditaranean Seafood:

For locals and Adventurous eaters:

Tomorrow some photos of dishes new to me.

Driving to Bilbao

Map of Northern Spain marked with our routes from Barcelona

Tuesday, Sept. 7

During the morning while Rita was working, Maite came over to visit.  We talked for a while and then she took us to a place she liked on Rambla de Catalunya and bought us bocadillos (small sandwiches) café and postre (dessert). We talked until time for us to pick up our car. She walked us with our luggage to Avis, hugged us goodbye then disappeared into the Metro opening.

---------

We picked up our little Ibisis, with minimal amenities except for AC.  Bob needed only a short time to become re-acquainted with the manual-shift transmission that we both drove exclusively until the mid-eighties. As directed we made our way onto the Diagonal out of BCN and onto the AP2 (autopista 2).  The autopistas are high-speed, low traffic pay-as-you-go highways.  They are more expensive but leave little opportunity for wrong turns.  Even the gas and food concessions are a part of the autopista system—no hunting for a gas station, clean restrooms or quick food and drink.  The most stressful part of the trip was exiting--and finding again--the correct AP as we ventured into one of the old cities.

---------

Our first stop was Zaragosa.  We found the old part of the city and parking facility very easily.  We had thought to spend the night here but discovered that the city was crawling with tourists and what seemed like hundreds of buses.  We had coffee and agua mineral sin gas, also called agua puro or still water.  We found that three English words/phrases were universal:  still water, parking and shopping.  Even the signs indicated the last two in English.  After visiting the Plaza de Pilar, the cathedral, a tribute to Goya we decided that we wanted a different ambiance for the evening and continued on to Lagroño which Josep had recommended.  We arrived late—after 10.pm--without a hotel, but were fortunate that the first one we tried made a call and found a beautiful, affordable hotel nearby with underground parking for our rental car.

--------

Having eaten a small lunch before we picked up our car we were extremely hungry.  We walked just a few blocks from our hotel to a cafeteria with outdoor seating.  We ordered food and wine and were discussing the day when a couple at the next table heard us and asked where we were from.  We told them and they said they were from Wisconsin.  We said, Oh, our son lives in Appleton.  They also were from Appleton. 

----------

Appletonis not a large place.  They took our card and email and were going to contact my son and his wife.   We talked with them for almost an hour—a very interesting couple- These were the first of only two American couples we would meet.

-----------

(A little parenthetical commentary here:  The people in Barcelona, our friends and the rental car people, assured us that we didn’t need to make reservations at a hotel this time of year and could remain flexible enough to decide in the moment.  Wrong! In Logroño, which we absolutely loved, there was a huge wine festival going on and since Logroño is the prominent city in the red-wine region of La Rioja, we were extremely lucky to have found a room.)

---------

The next morning we were, as always, awake before the locals and wandered through the Casco Viejo (old city) enjoying the bustle of people having coffee and pastry before work. The narrow streets were full of trucks delivering fresh produce and other necessities for cafés and other businesses.  I took dozens of photos of the bridge, the parks, and the fountains.  We stayed for lunch since we were only 120 K (about 72 miles) from our destination:

---------

Lunch in Basque country is the biggest meal. This was our first experience since Italywith the Menu of the Day listing: “Dos platos, vino, pan, postre and café,” in this case for 9Euros (2 courses, wine, bread, dessert and coffee.) One can choose one from a list of “starters”—mostly salads, soups and vegetables-- and one from a list of 4 or 5 meat dishes.  We ordered a bottle of water in addition and the water cost twice that of the bottle of wine which was about the same size.  We finished our lunch about 2:15 almost an hour before the local lunch rush would begin.

---------

We picked up our car and bags at the hotel and said goodbye to this wonderful city and were off to Bilbao , the capitol of Basque country.

Wednesday September 8

Even with a stop in Vitoria, a Basque city of which the “Casco Viejo” (old town) was bombed in 1936 and rebuilt after WW 2, we arrived at our hotel in Bilbao and were checked in and on our way to the Guggenheim by just after 6.  The museum closed at 8 p.m. so we walked the 20-minute walk rather quickly.

-------

 

The titanium-covered Guggenheim building IS the main exhibit.  They have begun to accumulate some permanent collections and continue to have temporary exhibitions that rotate through the 3 main floors—but the structure itself is what I will remember.  We took an audio tour in English and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The building is constructed on stone, marble, glass and titanium.  The only surface that is not curved in some fashion is the floor.  The general impression is of movement and progression of the form of the building.  After completing our tour about 15 minutes before closing, we purchased a book and some souvenirs from the gift shop and went outside to have drinks with the locals and tourists at one of the outside bars just across the way.  The sun was just setting and we made our way back to the hotel in twilight with lights and colors reflecting into the river which runs along the walking path leading to the museum.

-------

We stopped for a light meal of tapas (small plates of food to share) and montaditos (finger foods mounted on crusty bread circles). then returned to our hotel to watch CNN and check up on home news.  This was the first time we’d had news in English.

Journal--first two days.

September 4-7, 2006

It is Labor Day and we are on our way to Barcelona and a new adventure, once again staying in the home of someone we’ve never met in person, a friend of Marta who lived in our home for a year and whose parents, Josep and Angeles,  Paula and I stayed with in 2000.  We had been invited to stay with Josep’s sister in Barcelona but she recently had abdominal surgery and has begun a series of radiation therapy sessions and did not feel up to having company so Marta arranged a place with her friend Rita who lives right in the heart of Barcelona.

-------

(The first paragraph I wrote by hand in a small paper journal.  The rest I am writing on computer using my Cruzer flash drive.  I can save the text and print it out at home.  Since we have computer access 12 of the 18 days, I decided to try this instead of laboriously writing it all by hand.  I can print it out and paste it in my larger journal along with photos, postcards and parts of brochures. The one problem seems to be transferring letters and symbols from a keyboard set for Catalan.)

--------

We rode Business class, a possibility for retirees of the airline if there are seats available.  We arrived, well rested at 11:30 a.m. on Sept 5, cleared customs and by noon were in a taxi en route to Rita’s apartment and were in bed sleeping by 1 p.m. Barcelona time.

--------

After a short nap we walked four blocks to Casa Mila a.k.a. La Pedrera which means rock quarry because the walls appear to be carved from rock.  Inside is an apartment furnished as it was when Gaudi lived there.  It is interesting but the real attraction is the roof.  Gaudi believed in creating beauty everywhere possible.  Around each air shaft, each stairwell, every cover for heating or water etc. he built magnificent monoliths and covered many of them with mosaics of his own design.  Some were tiles broken and placed in specific patterns.  Some were broken bottles of various colored glass.   A path of steps and curves, arches and pinnacles creates an amazing sight.

-------

We walked Las Ramblas to the end where the statue of Christopher Columbus stands and then across the bridge to the Tapas House at the Entrance to the Port where we ate a light lunch of six  Montaditos each—small appetizers “mounted” on crisp pieces of  baguettes.

We had red wine and mineral water.  The wine cost half the price of the same quantity of water.

A little before 8 p.m. we met Rita and the three of us walked down the Rambla Catalunya to Cerveseria Catalunya –the best place I’ve seen for tapas and montaditos.  There were more than 50 varieties, all of them made in the restaurant/bar.  The tapas plates included pescaditos fritos-- small fried fish,  pinchos—small whole calamari the size of a finger and other plates of several pieces of one thing.  The montaditos included small mini-tenderloins on toast with a wonderful sauce, crab, minced mushrooms, jamon Serrano—cured ham--and many more.

-------

The next day we took the metro to Gaudi´s famed La Sagrada Familia—Holy Family—cathedral.  Gaudi was hit by a trolley car in 1926 and died with only a small portion of the work completed, but he left behind a complete scale model and all his blueprints and plans.  Work has continued for 80 years now and some estimate it will continue for 50 years more.  Work is just beginning on the nave and they are still forming specially shaped blocks in concrete molds.  It is an amazing work of art complete with details rarely seen today.  It is supported by a foundation whose main source of funds is the entrance fees paid by tourists from all over the world.  I was told that when the money is insufficient, the work stops until money is once again available.

-------

We retraced some steps that Paula and I had walked in 2000,  stopping for fresh squeezed juice in La Boqueria  market, meandering through the Old Town—Barri Gotic, and discovering the completely redeveloped BORN, a formerly neglected area around an old covered market with a picturesque multi-colored tiled roof.  The building is at this time still empty but serves as a recognizable landmark and namesake for the area as Born means market.

-------

At the locally respectable hour of 3:00 p.m. we stopped for lunch along the rambla then took the metro “home” for a short rest.

-------

In the evening Rita called the Avis around the corner from her house and negotiated the price and terms which included an airline employee discount and extra kilometers.  Our trip to Basque country is estimated at 1400 kilometers on the AP (autopista) and we will drive off the AP to see a few small villages.

-------

Today is the 7^th and we leave Barcelona at 1:00p.m in our first attempt at driving in another country. Spain is quite organized and the signs are easily understood so I don’t anticipate any problems.

80 years and counting...

La Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona

Two Metro stops from Rita's house and we visited Gaudi's famous work to see how it was coming.  The mammoth project was incomplete when he died in 1926 but his plans and models were complete so work has continued for 80 years--and some estimate it will continue for 50 more.  I do not visit cathedrals for their religious significance but for the art--and magnificent art it is!  On the link from my previous post there are many photos of this cathedral in process.  I saw it first in 1996, again in 2000 and now.  During the first visit, there were no tops on the spires.  Now those are almost finished and they are working on the inside.

It is labor-intensive work and is funded mostly by donations from a foundation and entrance fees from visitors.  It an exquisite monument to art.

Barcelona afternoon

We spent our first afternoon in Spain on the roof of Casa Mila.

The woman we were staying with lives just a few blocks from this Gaudí-designed building so after a short nap we had espresso on La Rambla Catalunya and walked over.   The city of Barcelona is sometimes called the city of Gaudí because his architectural influence is so dominant.  This building also houses the apartment he lived in and it remains furnished today as it was when he lived there. 

Gaudí believed that air shafts, stairwells, electrical and mechanical access areas need not be merely utilitarian so he covered them all with this elaborate sculptural roof park.  I am amazed at his versatility and imagination.

The photo above was taken looking down into a floor mirror on the floor of a hallway through which we passed going to the roof.  The brick and wood ceiling and the stringed structure of weight and balance objects are reflected--along with my husband's face.

Click the link for more photos of amazing contributions by Antoni Gaudi.  Though we didn't go to Parc Guell this visit as we only had two days in Barcelona, check out the photos of this amazing park.

Catalonia, here we come!

Photo taken April 2000 just outside Ursegel in Northern Catalonia, Spain.

My friend Paula and I visited this and many other small 1000-year-old villages in Catalonia just a few kilometers from the French border.  This photo shows the Pyrenees, still snow-covered, in the background.  I have wanted my husband to see this part of Spain for so long and now we are going.  Tomorrow we fly to Barcelona.

We'll spend a couple of days getting off jet-leg and onto  the Spanish time schedule while becoming re-acquainted with the land of Gaudí, jamón serrano and tapas.  We plan to rent a car and travel for 5 or 6 days on the side roads through the small villages of the Basque area and the Northern coast along the Bay of Biscay from Bilbao to San Sebastian then back to Barcelona.

Next we'll take a shuttle va