And So This DOES Come to an End!

November 25, 2010

And HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I have said this blog was over, and I really thought that I was through writing about my trip to Italy and Spain. And I really meant it! But then I would think about some more things I wanted to add. But this WILL be my final post-for this blog at least! I am clearly back from Rome and Sardinia and Spain....
I returned home four weeks ago yesterday. On November 5th, I had foot surgery on my left foot (at least I can drive!), so my “re-entry” was slowed a bit. There was three months of mail to go through, although I had paid most of my bills on line while I was away. I needed to (quickly) get out my winter clothing and put away the clothes I had lived in for three months. (I am still delighted that I had a minimalist wardrobe for the smallest “wheelie” suitcase in a four piece set! Its weight hovered around 33 pounds to stay within the Ryanair requirements. My one carry-on weighed roughly fifteen pounds, although it was only weighed for one flight of the six Ryanair flights.)
Writing my blog helped me to remember most of what I had seen and done while I was away, as well as sharing my travels with friends and family. (I did forget to include the sad turtles I saw-one was on Sardinia trying to climb up onto the sidewalk, and the other was in Aquilas crossing the street on the way to the Cope beach. I used a Google template, although I was late to learn that I could see how many people where following my escapades, as well as where they lived. I still don’t know who in Korea was reading it, but the statistics information was really interesting. I loved everyone’s comments and emails giving me feedback! It is too bad the Comment section is not too user-friendly, however!
I’ve heard back from some of the friends which I made along the way, so that has been great! I love to think that we might meet up again and share travel stories and a glass of wine! Francesca’s later Couch Surfing friends are benefitting from the Sardinia travel book which I left with her, as I lightened my load. Gloria’s husband has suffered from major heart attacks and surgeries on Tenerife, but his recovery sounds most promising. He will be home in early December. Kathy, our next door neighbor in Aguilas, is back home in Glouceseter, England, which she says is COLD, but their return to Aguilas is scheduled.
Before I had left in August, I had talked with someone in the Newton Adult Ed program. So shortly after I returned home, I lead a two hour session at the Newton Adult Education program on Vacation Home Exchanges. Thirteen people signed up for it, although only eight people actually came. One of the first woman who came to the class said, "I've been so looking forward to this class ever since I read about it in the catalogue! I've always wanted to do this, but I wanted more information!" That was a great start, and I was delighted. So I've been contacting other cities and towns in the area who have similar programs to see if they might like to add this to their program. At this point, it looks like six other communities are interested! However, I was cautioned that some of them do not get a good response for adult programs....In any event, I've decided to blog about what I've learned about Vacation Home Exchanges...at http://AtoZofVacationHomeExchanges.blogspot.com! It will not be limited to home exchanges, I am sure I will digress and talk about other travel topics, but I especially want to share my vacation home exchange experiences. I hope you will check out that blog also. Thank you very much for following my wonderful trip with me!

Last post on Wednesday

Ending a blog is not easy...there always is just one more thing to say! AND it does mean that my wonderful trip is REALLY OVER! So my last post will be on Wednesday, as that will mark my fourth week at home! For all my countdowns before I left, I've not counted much now that I'm home! (But I am looking to future trips!) Ten days after I returned, I had foot surgery on my left foot. Everything has gone well, and I'll be driving with a boot until December 16th!
Thanks for coming back...see you on Wednesday!

PS.My notes from the train as I left Venice

I had forgotten to add these notes which I made on my Blackberry on the six hour train trip from Venice to Rome the day befiore I left....


So I watch Italy fly by f 6 person comprt. Many tunnels block the view. Makes my ears pop a bit. Andy&Megan, Ping, Marco. Really wonderful to have made this jy. Firenze, Bologna, Padua, Maestre, Arezzo at 5:12, Did I ever hear of Arezzo before? Rigutino. Camucia. We don't even slow down as we pass Castilon. We stop at Terontola. That is ter-on-tola. Panicale.
Chiusi-Chianciano Terme.(Conductor called out Chiusi ChiaTerm) Hope I can find place nr Termini for big plate of pasta but may just head to the airport.
Very flat here. Evergree tree farms. Fields brown & raked & quiet unil nxt year. Lovely cloud formatns advertise sunny days ahead. People walkg home f work. Lvs on trees show foliage colors of reds & yellows& rust. Another conductor checks my ticket . Flat fields fly by.
laundry dryg on balconies filled w chairs&plants&misc things to make living easier.
Sun has come out to say goodbye!
Countryside, rivers, rushg streams
Hills, acres or hectares of vineyards
Waitg for harvest! Parallel to highways. Church steeples. I'm hanging on to remember it all-miss nothing! On top of the trees.another long tunnel. Ugly power wires! Subaru Forester in a field looks abandoned, but too new to have been.
Man w cart walks by callg out misc food items for sale. Can only make out cappicino f mumble. Vendors at the ballpark are far more articulate. His enunciation lvs MUCH to be desired!plus sm box of candy was €2.50!

Now it is time to reflect. Look forward; look back! 70 is just a number. "I thought you said she was 70!"
Every big trip is the trip of a lifetime!
Takg pix need to go to camera shop to see why it doesn't do what I think it should! So I'm defly nearly home thinkg that way!
Gamey fellow travellers crowded into this compartmt now! Most of them are sleepg.
SPECTACULAR SUN! After2 gray days of rain le sol e bellesimo!
The electronic traveller w head phone, Blackberries, ubiquitous mobile phone.
On the other hand I truly can not get on the plane soon enough tomorrow!
I've got my Kindle out & have read some of Crime & Punishmt but also Ca Rezzonico book which is only major tourist purchase I made. So if Kindle loses power I can read my tourist book.
I've abt another 90 minutes on the train and luckily it is till light. I DO want to make this last! Interstg to watch wires dip as we pass them. Are they electrical wires? Man ridg a white horse. And I'm sittg backwards. Tough now to keep my eyes open. Towerr w 7-8 levels to climb alongside tracks for? "I'm king of the castle?"
FAST train way over on another set of tracks.
Now a bit over an hour to Roma!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

October 29, 2010

Tuesday morning-"going away day"-in Venice I woke up to an overcast day with forecast of 20% chance of rain. I walked around the corner to a bakery for some pastries for breakfast. The whole area was alive with street vendors of fish and fruit and vegetables and ladies with their shopping bags buying dinner for the night. It was fun to see!
I left Joan and Blake and her great niece Lacey about noon to tour Venice, and I walked over to the train station for my 1:07 train to Rome. It had been a lovely visit with Joan, and wonderful to see Blake again; she has just settled into her own apartment in Castlenaudry, which is near Carcassone. Joan and I had stayed with Blake when we went on the barge trip in Holland four years agon. Staying with Joan for the last leg of my trip was perfect, as she and I had planned our trips for two years!
My seat on the train was in a six person compartment. I LOVE trains! When I arrived, Megan and Andy from Portland, Oregon, were already there. He’s starting a graduate program in January, so he can teach middle school. They’ve another month before they head home; they had already seen much of Europe! Then Ping from southern China got on; she had been studying architecture in London for a year. They were all headed to Florence for a few days. Lastly Marco, who had just taken his exams for a doctorate in biomedical engineering, got on, and he also was going to Rome, where he lives. His English was quite good-although he didn’t think so. It was an interesting conversation to learn where the travelers had gone and were going! When they left, four native Italians got on, and then there was little conversation, unless one of them was on their cellphone!
The trip was really quite scenic...the picture happened to get the reflections of Andy, Megan, and sleeping Marco against the Italian countryside flying by.
Once I got to the Termini train station, I opted to go directly over to the airport. I was going to stay with Rita, the couch surfer I’d had lunch with near the Vatican, but that didn’t materialize. I had emailed the Hotel Milo where Shona had stayed, but I didn’t make a reservation, and I didn’t want to walk over there in the dark…it was the train station area, after all! With my history of all nighters to write term papers or study for exams in college, I was fine with “camping out” at the airport to be able to check in at 8AM. I sat near a couple and asked if they spoke English, and they did! They live in Kitchener, Ontario, and they were surprised to know that I had heard of it! They were very pleasant, retired Spanish teachers who love to travel; they said they were happy for the company to pass the time!? (The Canadians are so polite!) They left at 6:30, so I sat with them until they went to check in. (And it was good to be able to leave my suitcase on the free trolley with them rather than drag into the ladies' room!) Then I struck up a conversation with a couple from Renton, WA. They had spent a week with his brother in southern Italy; they were flying to Amsterdam followed by a ten hour flight back to Seattle. He said he was a life-long Celtics fan; he thought they were the best basketball team...harking back to the '50's and '60's. I could only nod my head, since I've never followed professional basketball. I did acknowledge that I am a "fair weather" Red Sox fan!
There were at least 100 people in the small area where I was in Terminal 3, and they all looked to be travelers with bags. However, there seemed to be a lot of people who were sleeping there that were probably homeless; they had no bags and were sleeping up on ledges and stretched out on chairs. Some of them had umbrellas they rigged up to keep the bright lights off them. (I had noticed one of the men of this group earlier picking cigarettes out of the trash.) Many were gone by 5ish.
Workers were repairing the elevators that night, so there was a lot of banging as well as welding going on throughout the night! Fast food restaurants started to open at 5:30, but one had been open all night, which was where I had bought my "dinner" of two slices of pizza and beer. I was actually pretty surprised-and disappointed-to learn that fast food restaurants were the only options, but then this was outside the check-in area. And yes, this included a McDonald’s!
I was able to check in about 7:30, and home was getting closer! We were late taking off, so we arrived in Boston 45 minutes late. Because of my very limited amount of sleep the night before, I did sleep on the plane. Melissa picked me up, and I'm not sure who was happier to see whom?!
And so now, I am home...doing what it takes to re-enter the world I left on August 4th. Getting back on the east coast clock, laundry, restocking the larder, going through three months' accumulation of mail, picking up my winter clothes at the cleaner, catching up with friends and family and real estate.... Luckily I arrived home in wonderfully warm weather, but the forecast of colder weather reinforces that I am indeed no longer in Spain....Looking out my living room window at the turning leaves of rusts and reds and browns, I TRY to think about all that I have learned and seen and done on my 2010 trips...it is really a wonderful kaleidescope of memories and experiences. So I will savor it all over and over until it is time to plan the next trip!

Visiting Ca Rezzonico on a Rainy day in Venice

October 25, 2010
When I knew I was coming to Venice, I decided I especially wanted to see Ca Rezzonico, because Robert Browning had lived there in his later years. (The English major is alive and living!) So this was our destination this morning! We were decked out in water-proof boots to protect us against aqua alta or high water, caused by full moon and barometric pressure. There is a closet full of boots here, and fortunately there was a pair of size 44 to fit me! We walked over there, and the rain started shortly after we started out. It took us about 45 minutes, as it was not a “straight” line there, but, then little is in Venice!

Ca Rezzonico is also called Mueso del Settecento Veneziano or museum of the 18th century. Originally owned by the wealthy Rezzonico family in the 1700’s, it is a grand old palazzo filled with ornate furniture and paintings and works of arts by many famous artists.
We could not take pictures inside, but could take some looking outside and the courtyard. One of my favorite things was an amazing and very detailed chandelier made of Murano glass! (It is pictured on the website.) We each got an audioguide, and learned a lot about the period. NEVER was there a word about the Brownings living here! Rick Steves had said it would take about 90 minutes, and that was how long it took us!

Afterwards we tried to find a jazz club, but by the time we found it-it was closed, and we were really starving. The website had said it opened for lunch. So we stopped at a small osteria on our way for tasty salad and gorgonzola piazza! It WAS faster to get home, and we hurried to stay as dry as possible! My really POOR umbrella bought in Verona for €5 wasn’t too good by the end of Verona, but now about four ribs are broken!
Joan’s friend Blake and her grandniece are arriving shortly from France, so I will see them tonight for dinner, and perhaps we’ll get to Peggy Guggenheim Collection in the morning, before I catch the 1:00PM train to Rome, in preparation for my 10AM flight on Wednesday.

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And on to Venice!!!

October 24, 2010
It was an easy, uneventful flight from Alicante to Rome yesterday, but I was a bit surprised when the Ryanair jet I stepped off was the only plane on the tarmac! I had forgotten that there were two airports in Venice. Luckily there was a bus to Venice everyone piled onto! I took the vaporetto to Guglie, where Joan met me.
One of the biggest perks of travelling solo is the interesting people you meet along the way. On my way to the Alicante airport I had a very nice chat with a young man from Holland who had been in Alicante for three nights. Then on the airplane to Venice, I took a window seat so I could see-or try to-see Venice as we flew in. The couple sitting next to me was from Alicante. Unfortunately they didn’t speak much English-better than my Spanish, of course! And Spanish-English my dictionary was in my suitcase! But we limped along to communicate. I told them about home exchanges, and they invited me to their house, if I return to Spain! (They don’t know my mantra, “Don’t invite me, I will come!”) They have three grown sons, and she told me all about them.
Today Joan and I took the train to Verona, an hour away. The weather was predicted to be 20% rain, but we had barely arrived, and it started to rain. For €8 we bought a Verona Pass, and we visited the Torre dei Lamberti, Teatro Romano (wonderful), Arena (3rd largest Roman arena), Chiesa di S. Anastasia, and the Duomo.
On our way into the city, we passed about 50 Lamborghinis, which appeared to be ready for a parade of some sort. As we walked to the Duomo, we heard singing, and we ducked into the door it was coming from. It was a church service in progress, and all parishioners were black. We stayed long enough to hear some speaking in English, so they were African, in all likelihood.
We took the train back earlier than we’d planned, as we were wet enough to call it a day-delightful as it had been!

More about Mallorca!

October 21, 2010
On Tuesday I wrote...I’m sitting at the Alicante aeropuerto waiting to see what gate where I’ll be boarding for Palma, Mallorca. I’m staying at Couch Surfer Ann Calverley’s home in Palma for three nights. She’s a 50-something Brit who came here six years ago to live. I’ve rented a car, so I’ll be driving around this island which is not too large, but travel books say the driving is narrow and twisty, so it may be like Sardinia! The mountains reach 5000+ feet.
Yesterday after I posted the blog update, I went into the Nativity Museum across the street from the hotel. (I gave the wrong website; it is www.lesmonges.es.) Well, I have to admit that I went in because it was there and free. Really, how different can a Nativity scene be? VERY! It turns out…there were about three rooms filled with display cases of all different scenes. (Some were not actually Nativity scenes , but still interesting, like the man butchering a pig! There was a Jewish Nativity scene. It was really terrific. Karen told me later, as she had gone in also that there was one done by Lladro.
There was a concathedral (the cathedral and the bishop share the same space), which I visited on my way to meet Karen at 7 at the Alicante Real Casino. We had seen a sign the day before about a free concert that night at 7:30; the man at the casino told us we should be there at 7, so we knew it was a popular event. We thought based on what this small notice said that this would be someone singing arias-no clue as to who was singing or exactly what they would be singing. It was WONDERFUL! It turned out to be a ten person chorus accompanied by two violins. We STILL don’t know exactly what they sang, as there were no programs, but we were delighted we had gone. The room was very ornate and added to the group’s period costumes.
And so about 5 on the 19th, I arrived at Ann’s, my couch surfing friend in Palma, Mallorca. I had rented a Hertz car. Anika (German woman) “checked me out”, called me Lady! (As in, "Lady, do you know how to get out of here?") She interrogated me about insurance in a most Germanesque way! I was momentarily concerned by this, even though my credit card would cover it….I was not a block from Ann’s place, and William hit me! He, of course, said, “De nada!” There was a small scratch, so I got his name and phone number(?). SWELL! Ann is great fun, and we chatted for a bit before going to a local restaurant for an Italian dinner.
Yesterday we drove into the mountains for some exploring.
We had a delicious lunch of tapas and cake in Galilea, before we headed back. I couldn’t WAIT to take the car back. It is lovely country, not unlike Sardinia. I dropped the car off with no problems. WHEW! Then we took the bus back to Ann’s. Last night we had a steak dinner at Luis’ right in her neighbor…delicious! On the way back, some of Ann’s friends were at the English pub we walked by, so we stopped for a drink and a visit. GREAT fun!
Today we went into Palma for Ann’s tour! She took me all over the city, and it also was GREAT fun. I especially wanted to see the Cathedral, as Gaudi-whose work intrigued in Barcelona-had helped redo the interior in 1904-1914. His work is whimsical and fun! Tonight about 7 we walked up to the charity shop where Ann works. They raise money to help underprivileged kids. Every Thursday they have a meeting, which is really a wine and snacks from 5-?.They are all British; some have been here for 30 years, some for much less. Shelly, who has been here for 30 years and was seriously “in her cups”, attacked me because Americans are not supporting Obama. And, she is also a real estate expert, so know that we had no conversation. Her house has been on the market for 4-5 years! HAHAHA
Tomorrow we will take the "hop on, hop off" bus to see the rest of the city. My flight back to Alicante is tomorrow about 10, and then Saturday PM, I fly to Venice for the last leg of my trip!

Experiences in Alicante

October 18, 2010
We are in our second day here in Alicante on the coast, a city of 300,000 people with a major airport. We left Aguilas yesterday about 8:15, dropped off the keys with a German friend of Joan’s, and arrived here about 10:30. There is a lot going on here, (but not much on Sunday)! This was all Karen’s idea and a great one, as Aguilas, charming as it was is pretty much a beach community for Spaniards and foreigners…NOT much to do at all! She found www.lesmonges.com, which used to be part of a convent, and is very charming and very reasonable. Plus it is in a terrific location in the Old Town near the port.
As soon as we checked in yesterday, we went to the Museu de Fogueres,
which celebrates the summer Solstice every June. It has to do with purification by fire to celebrate the solstice. The brochure says, “From June 20-24th, music, fireworks, parades, festival queens, effigies, and flames will fill the streets.” The museum is filled with ceramic displays, posters, mock ups of displays, and all sorts of memorabilia that were part of the event of years past.
Started in 1926, it is a fascinating piece of Spanish history that was completely new to me! Most ninots were made to be burned, but the ones in the museum were saved because of their beauty and realistic appearance. There may be more information at www.alicante.ayto.es.
By the time we were left the museum, there was nothing else open we could visit. So we had a leisurely, but nondescript lunch on the square nearby; I said earlier that we are getting into the Spanish calendar! Because it was Sunday PM, everyone was out on the ramblas enjoying the nice weather. There were kiosks where people were selling all sort of food and clothing. We stopped for a gelato (first one in Spain!), and walked along the marina in the sun. Then we stopped for beer and coffee still enjoying the wonderful weather. Alicante is known for its beaches, so we walked over to see one of them and then walked back around where it was time to stop for another snack!
Last night’s dinner was excellent, as we went to a tapas bar listed in every book we saw! It is somewhat like a susi bar, as we shared much of what we ordered like grilled eggplant and mushrooms, etc. Karen selected different fish and shellfish choices, which I did not. It was great fun and really good!
Today we visited Saint Barbara’s Castle in the city. There is a bus that goes up every hour, and we waited PATIENTLY for an hour, only to finally accept that it was not coming. So we went back to get the car at the hotel parking. It is not that far, but it is QUITE A CLIMB! Great VIEWS OF THE CITY AND AREA.
Pedro, the hotel owner suggested a nearby restaurant so we went there for a three course lunch, which we finished at 3:30! The first course which we shared was grilled sardines, red mullets, and another fish, calamari with salsa (I swear it was Bolognese sauce), as well a mixed salad. We ordered paella with shrimp, mussels, and squid. Two people have to share this, or one person would pay for two portions. It was better than what we had had at the hotel in Granada, but I did not love it….Oh, dessert was piece of lemon cake.
Tonight at 7:30 we’re going to a free concert we saw advertised, which looks to be a series of opera arias. We’ll have dinner somewhere after that. Karen’s flight to Barcelona tomorrow was changed so she has to leave her at 6ish for the airport; I leave for Palma, Mallorca, at 2.

Pottery, Lorca, and the Fericab 2010

October 16, 2010

On Thursday we invited the four British couples who have welcomed us into this little neighborhood for cocktails. Well, it should have been “billed” as a wine and cheese! Everyone but Jean came, as she was getting the flu. Karen made a wonderful guacamole; I concocted two hot tapas. One was made of eggplant, tomatoes, and onions; the other was garbanzo beans, tomatoes, and onion.
We had seen publicity for Fericab 2010 in Lorca, which is an annual horse show. Karen LOVES horses, so she wanted to go for last night’s event. Fericab had started on Monday and will run until Sunday. We drove over the scenic back roads to stop first in Totana, which was advertised as a big pottery center. Of course, most everything in Spain closes from 1-4 or 2-5; by the time we got to Totana and found the pottery area, we had about one half hour to visit one place.
This place reminded me a bit of Deruta, Italy, which we had visited in 2000. This shop is a family business, and Polo, the father and grandfather and the original potter, was there in the shop. They had a wonderful selection, and GREAT prices, but I did not succumb. (With three more Ryanair flights, I’m continuing to watch my luggage weight.)
On our way to Lorca, which was maybe fifteen miles away, we stopped at a truck stop for lunch. Karen had big casserole of sizzling garlic prawns; my (boring-but tasty) choice was spaghetti Bolognese.
The GPS saved us as it got us right to the arena where the Fericab was held. The arena was closed until five, so we had about a half hour for an interesting walk through the nearby Lorca neighborhood of grand homes (all behind fences).
At five sixteen horses and their trainers came into the ring to go through the “paces”. Each horse was rated on various points, and the winners were announced at the end. Karen said they were all stallions, so the winners would command higher stud fees.
At 9-ish (scheduled for 8:30), we saw the Espectaculo Ecuestre, Equestrian Spectacular, which was the grand finale for the day. This was six different trainers (one woman) riding their horses, who were trained to do some amazing things. For example, some horses could sort of “high step” on opposite feet. My pictures really don't capture it. The first rider was a ten year old boy (pictured) who did a wonderful job! Afterwards we saw him outside on his horse, he smiled broadly as we gave him a thumbs up and “Muy bueno”! One rider/trainer was riding one horse and had another one “in tow” to give the audience an idea of how they train them to perform.
Karen said what she had seen at Fericab was “fabulous…never seen horses like that before…impeccable performance”. They were Andalusians as well as Lippenzers (sp!).
About twenty minutes from home, we stopped for dinner at Venta San Felipe. It was now 11:15ish, so we’re settling into the Spanish meal patterns, as we prepare to leave Aguilas tomorrow for two nights in Alicante. At that point Karen will go off to Barcelona and then Madrid, while I go to Mallorca and then to Venice.

Granada and the Alhambra

October 14, 2010
We arrived in Granada about noon on the 10th and checked into the very charming Hotel Guadalupe, which was Karen’s treat. Located right across the street from the Alhambra, it is a delightful small European type hotel with full restaurant as well as bar and some food on the street level. Karen had made the Granada reservations for both the hotel and the Alhambra. Hotel was a GREAT choice! We parked in the Alhambra parking lot, so we could walk right over to the Alhambra yesterday morning.
After we checked right in on Sunday, we took the bus into Granada, which was a “hopping place”! Our first stop was the (free) Jose de Guerrero museum, which was open until 2. I knew nothing about him, but Karen said that the display did not include much of his better works. He did shows with De Kooning, so his later works are modern-free form….I didn’t get most of them, but Karen helped me appreciate some of them a bit more. She said that color on the ones on paper as opposed to those on linen was better .
By now were really hungry, so we found a restaurant nearby for a nice lunch. We shared shrimp beignets, and then I had pork tenderloin with mushrooms and fries with LOTS of ketchup packs! The beignets, which are popular in New Orleans, are a deep fired pancake with very small pieces of shrimp.
Our next stop was the Royal Chapel, the Capilla Real, which is the small chapel attached to the Cathedral. Built by Ferdinand and Isabella, there was some interesting religious art to see. The crypt contains their bodies as well as those of their daughter Joana (the Mad) and her husband Felipe (the Handsome). History has it that Joana carried Felipe’s coffin around with her for years, so she could open the casket every night to kiss him good night. A small museum is attached to it with Isabella’s crown, documents relating to Columbus’ journey, etc. The Cathedral had a huge long line, so we passed. Luckily when we looked at the guidebooks, they all seemed to give it lackluster comment; Fodor said “grand and gloomy monument”.
Our tickets to get into the Royal Palace (“brilliant use of light and space”) at the Alhambra were for 8:30; after a great breakfast at the hotel, we were there in plenty of time! They are very strict about BEING THERE ON TIME. If you are too late, you are out of luck. There is so much history here at the Alhambra, which means red citadel in Arabic. There are three parts: the Royal Palace (Palacios Nazaries), the Alcazaba, and the Generalife, the ancient summer palace. Fodor says, “The last bastion of the 800 year Moorish presence on the Iberian Peninsula… the Alhambra is an architectural gem where Moorish kings worked and played –and even murdered their enemies.”! The Christian conquest of southern Spain in 1492 and major earthquake damage in 1821 caused major restorations. The Royal Palace was actually built (“lightly and crudely”) with the idea that it would need to be renovated, so there is always a work in progress. The major project now is the Court of Lions, which are twelve lion statues which were long ago part of a fountain. They showed how they had taken each lion out of the display, wrapped each one carefully, and then carted probably fairly close for the restoration. Incredible! One phrase is in 9000 different places at the Alhambra; it means “only Allah is victorious.”. It looks like a cursive W with a nose on its left side! The final Moor ruler was Boabdil, who surrendered the Alhambra to Ferdinand and Isabella in Salon de Embajadores (Ambassadors); this was the same place where Columbus went to ask for and receive support for his BIG trip of 1492. (Boabdil’s mother, Aisha, said to him, after he lost the Alhambra, “Do not weep like a woman for what you could not defend like a man.”)
The Alcabaza is the earliest and the most ruined part of the Alhambra. The Torre de la Vela, a huge bell at the top, which up until recently was used to mark the irrigation hours for workers in the plains. The cross was first displayed from here on January 2, 1492.
The Rough Guide to Spain says, “Paradise is described in the Koran as a shaded, leafy garden refreshed by running water where the ‘fortunate ones’ may take their rest.” Generalife means literally “Garden of the Architect”. It is a SPECTACULAR display of water and gardens.
Before we visited the Generalife, we took a leisurely (of course!) lunch break and went to the San Francisco Parador, which is on the grounds. We ate outside on the patio overlooking the Generalife. We shared ham and cheese roll and fried eggplant with honey sauce. Delicious!!
We went back to the hotel and were planning to go back into the city and then up to the Albaicin for the sights and dinner. Luckily we did not go up there, because it rained so hard we would still be drying out! So we went back to the hotel dining room where we had paella. It was a first for me, and good, but not great. They used pork in it with shrimp and lots of rice.
October 12th was a national holiday in Spain, for Columbus’s Birthday, so most everything was closed. We left Granada mid-day and toured back through a part of Spain which our neighbors had just visited and raved about. More lovely country, but we really didn’t explore much!
Wednesday was laundry and regrouping day. I went to the library to print out my boarding passes for Mallorca and Venice. In less than two weeks, I will be home!
Last night teh Brits invited us to join them at their favorite tapas restaurant, where Karen and I had gone and were underwhelmed. We had made bad choices. There were ten of us, and everyone shared. We had fava beans (translated beens) with pork and pork kebabs with lots of bread. I also had bite of rabbit, which tasted okay, but a bite was good. Tonight they are all coming for wine and cheese.
Next Tuesday I am off to Mallorca for three nights and then Venice for three nights. I'm not sure how much I'll get to post before I get home-in case you are looking.

October 6, 2010

Well, being here could be the best of both worlds! I’m watching British TV and touring interesting country…off the beaten track…ALWAYS managing to find another “road not taken” (by many).…

Yesterday I went over to the city of Lorca, which is an easy forty minutes away. My French friends had been there and gave me some helpful hints about parking and getting around. The GPs did get me to my selected location, so I easily found parking. At the TI I learned that the archaeological museum (my first choice to stop at) is closed until November. Right next door I popped into San Mateo church right there, but there was a service, so I kept exploring. The TI was actually in the Casa de Guevara o de las Columnas, but to see this wonderful old Palace, I had to enter by the front door. The TI info says that the palace, built in the 17th century, represents one of the best examples of Lorca’s civil Baroque architecture. Only the first floor was open, as well as a side room which contains the fittings of an old pharmacy, so that was interesting. Some of the artifacts were an old IV bottle and a sterilizer for needles, etc.

Also nearby was the Artisan Center with a variety of interesting crafts from all over Murcia. There was a lot of pottery, so, of course, I took lots of pictures there! The prices were quite reasonable, so it is a good thing that I have three more Ryanair flights, or I would have been tempted to buy something.

High about the city is the Lorca Castle, called the “Fortress of the Sun”. Luckily Anne and Daniel had told me it was a challenging walk; there is parking up there, so off I went. Well, the road WAS another challenge…tight and narrow. It is usually one way, but they are doing work on the exit road, so a few cars did pass me. The castle was declared a Historical and Artistic Monument in 1931. It has been very well maintained and/or renovated! “For centuries it was the border between Muslims and Christians. In fact, the old cistern has become a small museum about the religions in the area.

There were not many people there, so it was really delightful to walk around and see it all. There were actually two separate towers on either side of the Castle. Other points included information on the water system, the Alchemist area, and the bakery. The bakery was found in 2000, and they renovated one to what it was, and the other is as they were found. I thoroughly enjoyed it all! To exit, I opted for a dirt road I had noticed over to the side. Once I got down, it took some time to find the road back, but at least no one pushed me off to the side of the little narrow road up!

On Thursday Karen arrived at the Alicante airport after a long trip via Denver and DC airports to Madrid with ten hours airport waiting time. We stopped in Lorca at the artisan shop to pick up a vase for Kathy’s birthday.

On Friday, we did some errands (gas, cake at market, etc.). In the afternoon we decided to go the beach, but UNFORTUNATELY we weren’t in the water ten minutes when Karen was stung by a jelly fish (medusa in espagnol)! We got out asap-well, actually, I was out first splashing and trying to scare off any other nasty critters, because I wanted to scare off the critter! We stopped by Jean’s as we were told that she is the “go to” person for misc. supplies, and her granddaughter had been stung. She scraped the bite hard with a credit card, and luckily got one of the stingers out, which made it much easier for Karen, who was in a lot of pain (like a 100 bees, she said!). We got home, and minutes later Kathy next door came in with her mobile. She had already heard the news and ended up calling Victor, the pharmacist, to get advice on the best thing for Karen to do. (She had already taken some Benadryl.) There is a small pharmacy here in the neighborhood, so we went to get something called Insect Bite (pronounced Insect Bitie), which helped to relieve the pain. We went over to the birthday dinner party at 7, and with a few glasses of champagne, she was feeling better.

Dinner was lovely! TONS of food! Morrocan lamb stew, chili, chicken pie, curried chicken, couscous, and tossed salad followed such wonderful appetizers of dates wrapped with bacon, an antipasto type plate of hams, cheese, and olives, and figs (high) wrapped with Serrano ham and goat cheese! Desserts were vodka mixed with red jello, food kabobs, and the chocolate tarte/cake we took. Kathy said we’d have to come back tomorrow for the left-overs! We met Val and Don, the fourth couple that they had gone on their trip with earlier in the week. What wonderful gracious people they all are! Kathy included me as part of the birthday celebration, which was very nice!

Tonight, Sunday October 10th, we are in Granada after a 2.5 hours trip through more mountains and very interesting country. It rained some of the time, so we hope that it will be nice tomorrow, as we are going into the Alhambra for the tour!
I´m having some trouble posting to the blog, so I´m not sure when I can add any pictures for a while.... Buenos noches, amigas e amigos! :))

October 5, 2010
Well, yesterday was fun, as I went off exploring again! My first destination was Huercal Overa, as one of the neighbors said it was an interesting place to visit, even though it is inland. The GPS, which died later in the day, but then resurrected itself(?), directed me part of the way, and then I decided “to do it my way”! It turned out that my way as really the old road, before the new road was finished. (I was trying to avoid anything that smacked of being a highway!) I could see the other road off to my right, as I took the little windy road through the mountains. All of a sudden the road was a dirt road; luckily only 20' off to my right (still) was the road I was avoiding, but I could and did easily drive onto it.
There was a good sized market in the town, but since I had been to a market recently, I did not stop. The roasting whole chickens were tempting! Little else in town did tempt me; it was more narrow and windy streets. The map showed the San Isidro tower to be nearby, but it turned out to be under construction, so that was out.
I drove on to Puerto Lumbreras, which should have been bigger, if the lettering on the map was an indicator. I passed signs to San Francisco and El Saltador, and decided to follow them. San Francsico was a very town with a church, bar/hotel, and market. I had read about an old swivel mill in El Saltador, but saw no sign for or anything, for that matter, except the post office! However, I did see a pomegranate orchard, which was a first!
Once I arrived in Puerto Lumbreras, I saw signs to the Castillo. I’m not sure why signs are not consistent. If you see them once, why not keep showing them until to get to the destination? In order to get to the castle, I had to go through a large open space, where there were a number of men setting up what looked like a carnival. Unfortunately I got all the way up to the top, only to see that the Castillo was ALSO under construction, so I could not go in anyhow.
While I was up there, I noticed an extension cord that went from an outlet down the hill to who knows where? It probably went at least 200 feet, but I could not see where it went…to the carnival or where?
So it was time to go home….I followed the signs to Lorca and Aguilas for a while, then turned off at the rotary/roundabout (as the GPS and the British call them). The road to Aguilas, which was about 1.5 car widths, took me over the mountains and through the Esperanza Reserve, which was really quite lovely, albeit a bit interesting when the two cars passed me coming from the opposite direction. I let a Mercedes SUV pass me, and he gave me aloud honk of his horn. Was he saying “Thanks!”, or “Get off of our roads!”?
The only unfortunate thing about yesterday’s outing is that my camera battery died after I took one picture. I got some on my Blackberry, but I’m having trouble sending them!
Kathy next door will be 62 on Friday, so she is having a party, and has invited Karen and me to join them. We’ll take a dessert and bottle of wine.
Today was a bright blue sky day, so it was a wonderful beach day. After all the terrible winds of the other night, the beach was quite a mess, so there was a truck there all morning picking up the seaweed.

More "About Aguilas"

These pictures are from Jean and Derrick's garden from the other day. They're especially happy with the Bird of Paradise with a double flower!



I’ve been “laying low” these last few days….pretty basic things I’d do at home-laundry, grocery shop, ho hum! Oh, yes, I have taken my book to the beach! I read Die Trying, my first Jack Reacher book by Lee Childs, in two days. Now I am between Bill Bryson’s The Lost Continent and John Updike’s Seek My Face. The former is very funny; the latter has not captivated me yet, so I may give it up. Unfortunately I have a bad habit of not stopping a book once I get into it-even when I do not like it! So I’ll see about the Updike book.
Every Saturday from 8-2, there is huge market in Aguilas. Last week I was in a hurry, so I didn't realize how big it is! They not only have produce, but also clothing and housewares and fish and you name it! Fun to see. It reminded me of the one I visited in Rome with Gianni, but probably not quite as large. Plus I ran into Hilde, the German woman I got the house key from, and Jean and Derrick!
Last night Kathy and Tony invited me to dinner, and (the other) Kathy and Dave were there. I could not find my camera (but later found it in the car), or I would have taken pictures of the meal. Tony grilled sardines (about 6-8” long) and prawns for the first course. I did try the sardine-not a lot!, and it was quite nice; I was pleasantly surprised! The entrée was a very tasty shepherd’s pie. She had thought she was going to serve chili, as that was what she thought was in the freezer container. I CAN relate to that! I contributed a chocolate tarte I picked up at Mercadonna,(one of the four markets in town I've visited!:)) which everyone seemed to like!
Today Kathy and Dave invited me to drive into Aguilas with them when they went to do some errands. They showed me where the library is, as we can use the computers and print things for free! It would have taken a long time to find it, as the “real” library is being renovated, and so the sign doesn’t say biblioteca! They also pointed out Pimento, which is supposed to be an excellent Tapas place.
After lunch I went to the beach, but it was so windy, I only stayed twenty minutes. The wind actually picked up after I got there. It is pretty sheltered here at the house, so I didn’t notice if before I left, but NOW I notice it. It even knocked over the drying rack with this morning’s wash. The wind is creaking through the house, and now that I am at the Mayari Hotel, it is roaring through here as well. It is nearly 7PM, so soon I'll go home to have dinner, some exotic eggplant vegetarian dish I'll whip up....
Adios for now!

Quiet Day in Aguilas

This morning, I stopped by Jean and Derrick's (from outside London) to take some pictures of their lovely garden. Then I sat and chatted with them for a few hours-time does fly! She asked me what I missed most, and I said, "Talking!" No surprise, there, I guess....But it has been very interesting...this not talking much at all!
After lunch, I went into town to see if I could find the Roman Baths I read about with no luck....NEXT time! After a quick stop to the grocery store, I came back to-of course-go to the beach about 4! I didn't see any of the neighbors, so I sat by myself. After I'd been there quite a while,I did, and they asked me to join them for an end of the breach day drink, so, of course, "Don't invite me...." There were three couples, and it was just like watching a British sit-com. VERY funny! (And speaking of TV,Tony offered and later came over to get the TV to work with loads of British TV stations.) They and another couple are planning a trip to Baza and Granada next week. However, the men want to watch the Ryder Cup, so there was much discussion around that and the upcoming trip. (And there was some dialogue about how the Americans had let the Ryder Cup get so boisterous when it was in Brookline....)
So that is the update...not alot of excitement, but once Karen arrives, I'll be RIGHT BACK IN THE VERY SERIOUS TOURIST MODE!! Adios! And thanks for the comments!:))

Visit to the Castle in Aguilas

September 29, 2010
Yesterday after I found the ATM(!), I visited another small and quite deserted beach nearby. Called the Cope de Torre, it is more like a lot of pumice type rock with a little sand, and the water is quite clear. While there, I finished Michael Connolly’s The Last Coyote! But in the on-going quest for hot water, when I went to take a shower, once again, there was no hot water. Well, I am delighted to report than I figured out the tank was empty. But, since I am not keen on how the flame flares up when it first ignites, I prevailed upon Derek to see if he could help me out, which he did. However, that remedied one problem, but there is not still hot water everywhere in the house. So Roger was called back in! (He must be the engineer!) He said that one of the fixtures must need a new washer, as there is not enough pressure to force hot water through that faucet. But there IS hot water in the kitchen sink and the shower on the first floor, so we should be good until we leave!
Today I took a walk around the neighborhood, up the hill near the house, which goes over to the little Torre beach, should I wish to walk that far, but I won’t with a beach chair! I also found Kati’s bakery and coffee shop, where I stopped for a coffee and chocolate covered donut. After lunch I went back to the Torre beach, and there was another couple there with two umbrellas. It was 2 o’clock, earlier than I have been to the beach here, so I wondered if I should have brought an umbrella. But I wasn’t facing the sun, so it turned out to be okay! This couple, Anne and Daniel, is from Bordeaux, so I got to practice my French a bit. Another day I’ll take the French –English dictionary here in the house. They’ve been coming here for five years and apparently know Joan and David. They may have even stayed here once. I couldn’t figure everything out!

September 30, 2010
This morning I visited the Tourist Information center (TI) in the center of Aguilas, so I was able to get a lot of information about the area and Lorca. Then I climbed up to the Castle of San Juan de las Aguilas, built in 1756 to repel Turkish and Barbarian pirates. Recently restored in 2007, the impressive castle can be seen all over the area. The entrance fee was a mere €.60, so they must not make much money here even in the summer! Unfortunately everything was in Spanish, so I could only “look at the pictures”. Now, though I will be able to learn what I can visit nearby before Karen arrives!
This afternoon I returned to the beach for a quick swim, but the French couple did not reappear. Now I am at the Hotel Mayari again, which is near the house. It is a very quiet little place which has a great view!
I’ll have to come back in the morning to have some of the wonderful coffee he just brewed!

Learning about Aguilas and Area

September 27, 2010
It is still quite dark here at 6:30AM. Soon the time will change here also, but I don’t know when.
Home exchanges among other things are about plain regrouping! I TRY to be flexible! For example, the bed I’m sleeping in has a mattress pad, but unfortunately it has a plastic underlining on it! (Joan has young grandchildren....) So if I’m not yet asleep, I hear the sound of the plastic crinkle as I move about. Luckily I’m sound sleeper! (Interestingly enough I bought a similar mattress pad for a guest bed once, but I cut out the plastic, because I figured it would be too annoying to the guest-actually it annoyed me not even using it!) It does not,however, keep me from sleeping! This house at least has screens, but there are also metal screens to keep out the heat. Last night I pulled it so tight, it wouldn't come down, but "Tony to the RESCUE!" He fixed it and showed me to do the same, if I do that again, which is pretty unlikely.
Somewhere I had read that the British had discovered the wonderful weather here early in the 20th century, so they started coming here then. I don’t know how recently they started buying second homes here, but there is a huge population of British and Germans (and others no doubt) who come for extended periods. Usually they come for two or so months at a time, before they return home for a few months. Most keep their homes “back home”. But this huge population of “foreigners” certainly has an impact on the original citizens living here. I would imagine that the younger, educated generation would appreciate the ex-pats’ impact on their economic and tax base. However, others are just resentful; would they like to be living somewhere else and retired? There’s a small neighborhood market nearby which Kathy said has very good bread. However, Tony commented that he thought the owners “don’t like us very much”.
There is also big agricultural base here, as you can see farm after farm from the highway. They look like greenhouses covered with plastic. They seem to be all types of crops-fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Along the road there was a billboard for iceberg lettuce (not Foxy!). When I arrived last Friday, the traffic going the opposite direction was stopped for miles. Some truck, now long gone, had accidentally unloaded cases and cases of tomatoes all over the highway. All I could see was a policeman trying to pick them up?! But I was going the speed limit, so I could not really see what was happening.
Today is a cloudy day, and I thought it looked like rain was coming. I drove to Mojacar (pronounced something like Mohackar), which is about an hour away. Between here and there was not much to see but a series of small towns. Mojacar is in Andalusia and really looks like a white town up on a hill, but I don’t know if it is classified as such. It is very touristy, but quaint! There were miles of deserted beaches and a sweet little chapel, and tons of touristy shops and restaurants which did not snare me! I briefly talked with a couple from Newcastle, who hadn’t been there for twenty years. I took an alternate route home, which was more scenic. The GPS had sent me via the highway-a toll road, no less.
And speaking of highways, the roads are very good here, but then there is plenty of room in the wide open flat space of the plains! Roads outside of town are mostly four lanes, so I’ll not be complaining about the roads! This mess of small plastic clips was all over the opposite lane on the way home.
I was back to the beach for a late afternoon swim. Another British Kathy whom I had met when I first arrived stopped by to chat, as she and her husband were leaving. They invited me to join them at the bar for a drink, so I met two more British couples. Some of them have been fully retired for five plus years, so they’ve been coming on the two month here, two months in London or Newcastle, etc. rotation. Kathy and Tony have just retired this year, so this is the first time they’ve been here this long.

September 28, 2010
This is a “home” day, so I have figured out the laundry system here, and shortly I’ll go to the internet spot to post this. (By the way t oday here at Los Geraneos the TV is showing a talk show, not sure if it "The Bacherlotte" Spain style or what. On Sunday they were watching car races.)
I also need to find an ATM here. I'm always a bit curious/stressed before my first ATM attempt in a new place. So far on this trip I've had no problem, but last year it happened once....The Aguilas Plaza will be my first stop, as I'm sure they must have several ATMs there.
Last night it rained, and today is blue sky-cloudy, although my car registered 31* when I got into it at noon. There is a walk nearby to another beach, which I’m going to follow later on. I’m devouring Michael Connolly’s The Last Coyote! I also downloaded the Lonely Planet Spain book, as I didn’t bring a guidebook in the interest of luggage weigh. So I'll see what other places of interest are near by to save some longer trips like Lorca, Cartagena,and Murcia, for when Karen is here.

From Badesi Sardinia to 83 Avenida Rio Segura, Calabardina, 30889 Aguilas Murcia, Spain

September 23, 2010
I was up early for the last wash, bed change, and cleaning, before I left Badesi. I arrived at the quiet little Alghero Airport far earlier than I needed to, but it was time to leave! So I read and actually finished The Shadow of the Wind while I waited. Because of the striking air traffic control in France, we left two hours later than we were supposed to. Then the captain came on the loud speaker saying that we were going to be delayed another two hours. I thought it was a joke, but he never laughed, so I thought we would be there for two more hours, but that was not the case-luckily! So I had two hours of sleep at the Best Western in Madrid to get the 6AM shuttle to leave for Alicante on an 8:10 flight.

September 24,2010
At the Alicante airport, I picked up a bright blue four door Renault Elf, and drove to (exchanger) Joan’s German friend Hilde to get the keys.(She waited for me all day yesterday, since Joan told her that was when I was coming! Woops!) Before I even got in the door of this house, I met three British neighbors! Kathy and Tony from Gloucestershire live right next door in probably a unit with the same floor plan as this one. (NB. When I was in the Cheltenham several years ago on a swap, and Kathy and I lost our water supply, the water treatment center was in Gloucester!) So I’ve picked up some groceries and am off to bed early. It’s also interesting geography with lots of mountains, but also lots of plains, so far it has not been as dramatic as Sardinia. And it is still very hot! Maybe even too hot to go to the beach during the day!

September 25, 2010
Well, today may have been a bit of a fool’s errand, but who knows! When I checked out the car yesterday at Avis with not much sleep, I didn’t even look at the car for scratches, etc…. But late yesterday pm, I noticed a small nick on the rear left panel. I called Avis and after going from person to person, I finally got to Elayna. I explained the situation, and she said, “How do I know you didn’t do it? I replied, “You have to trust me.” Basically she said she wasn’t getting paid to trust me. She told me to go to the Murcia airport to show it to them.
So about 10:30 I put Murcia into the GPS and started. (Before I left, I found out there was no hot water. so much for washing my hair!)
Now, if because the airport is called the Murcia Airport, I should NOT have assumed it is in Murcia, which I did! Because not only is Murcia the name of a city, it is also the name of the whole province! So until I figured this out, I was going in the wrong direction, since the airport is much closer to Cartagena!
Got to Avis, and got it all resolved, so I shouldn’t have a penalty, when I turn the car back in on October 19th! Oh, and by the way, it is probably about 112 miles each way……..HMMMMMMMMMMMMmm. “If you’re happy and you know it, stamp your feet!”
About 5 I went down to the nearest beach-maybe an eight minute walk-with Kathy and Tony for a swim. It seems like no one goes to beach between 10 and 4! We stopped for a beer at the little bar there, which they said has the best paella and calamari. I’ve never yet had paella, so I won’t be a good judge, but I’ll let you know when I’ve tried it. Karen, who is coming over on October 7th loves paella, so she'll be a much better judge. (Karen lives in Denver; when we went to Peru five years ago,our mutual friend Nancy Foster introduced us, and we roomed together on that trip.)

September 26
Well, this morning I had a bit of a panic attack, as I thought that I’d left my Blackberry charger and the electricity converter in my travels. Luckily I FOUND IT!!!! One of my thoughts at the time was 'I’m ever so annoyed that I’ve become a slave to technology!' So I would have been (sort of) like the old English poets I talked about in Rome doing the Grand Tour!

The place where I am staying is very comfortable with a pleasant patio and deck space. Built four years ago, it is a four bedroom, three bath duplex. Across the street all the units look to be attached; I can see at least four For Sale or For Rent signs! Tony said they are probably asking €220,000, but the “estate agents say they should be asking €180,000”! (Ah, the universal real estate dilemma!)
According to Kathy, these units (maybe eight in all?) were designed by an architect who lives above these units. Because he wanted to see the ocean, he ended up lowering the elevation of these units. Several of them have had huge water problems, because of the rain coming down the mountain and running down this street, and down into the garages. One woman lost her car which was parked in the garage! There was a problem here, but Joan only said “unforeseen circumstances” meant the garage would not be available. I’d not want to park down there anyway. The incline would be a real challenge to anyone, let alone someone NOT used to a manual shift!
Between Tony and Roger, another British neighbor, the hot water heater is running fine now! The flame seems high when it goes on, but they say that is how it should be. Learning about the different systems is always interesting!
I drove into Aguilas, which is a mixture of farming and tourist town. I had seen this shepherd later yesterday herding these sheep. Today I saw him sitting here as they fed off the hillside.
I'm at Los Geraneos, a restaurant-bar near by where there have free internet, so I'm sitting here drinking my €1.20 COKE Light and catching up. GOOD thing I brought my little Acer Notebook! They also have access at the library where we can print things, so Kathy and Tony had said they'll take me there. Shortly I'll head off to the beach for another swim. Ah, but first, I decided to have a snack. CAROL, they have tapas here! So I ordered a dish of what is just like what Gloria made and called Insalada rossa (with potatoes and tuna, etc. Can't imagine what else. It is a bit salty, but tasty!) for €1.50.
Mateo, the bartender here at Los Geraneos,speaks no English, but Natchez, short for Ignacio, does speak English, so he helped me order. It turns out that his father was in the Spanish army, so they spent five years in Alexandria, VA back in the early '80's.
So that is Spain,Chapter 1! Adios!

End of My Explorations in Sardinia

Well, this will be last entry in Italy, as I fly to Madrid tomorrow, and then Friday morning, I will fly to Alicante to pick up the rental car and drive to Aguilas.
Yesterday, as you may have seen on Facebook, I did a “church” tour. It was a gray, overcast day that threatened rain, which never materialized. The churches were all very old; some were totally abandoned. The only one that was actually open was the Basilica della Santissima Trinità di Saccargia, built in 1116, and still used today. The legend has it that it was built by a couple who had the “revelation” that they were going to have their first “longed-for child” while camping at that location. In my wanderings I came across a petrified forest in Carracuna, which was interesting! I saw nothing about it in any guidebook I saw.


Some Italian Trivia-As I wrap up the Sardinia portion of the blog, I wanted to share some miscellaneous observations I’ve made during my time in Italy.

Change or Cambio
Well, I’m not sure why, but every single cashier in every single supermercato in Italy insists on getting –or trying to get- the EXACT CHANGE FOR EVERY TRANSACTION! To the penny or .01euro. On occasion they get somewhat indignant if you have only a big bill with NO change.

Ice
How did Americans get into the habit of putting ices into drinks? What is the history of the ice cube? (Even though my new refrigerator does have an automatic ice maker, I don’t use a lot of ice at home.) However, there is definitely something about ice-especially in the summer-that makes a cold drink tastier with ice in it! However, it is very uncommon to get ice in a drink in Italy. When we asked for it in Rome, we would get one ice cube. There are no ice trays here, although yesterday I saw them in a market for the first time.
So I needed to get a bit creative to have ice for water or soda. In Rome I used the little plastic gelato cups like an ice cube tray. Here in Badesi, I cut off the big 1.5 liter water bottles and filled them with water, so when I filled it with water or iced tea, the “ice cube” was already in the “glasss”. Ah, the proverbial “necessity is the mother of invention”….
Then I found in the drawer where plastic bags, tinfoil, etc. are stored, two boxes of "Sachetti Trasparenti Cubetti Ghiaccio con alette di chiusure” made by the Cuki Company. This is a box of individual plastic bags that you pour water into and each sachetti-bag makes twenty-eight SMALL ice cubes. I tried it once, but I really didn’t do it quite right-little tricky. And, of course,when all else failed, we’d fill the water bottles the night before to have some ice in the bottom….
Shop Hours
Everyone knows that most shops in Europe close for lunch. In Italy, most of them seem to close from 1:30-4:30-even some of the gas stations. SISA, “my” neighbour market here stayed open all day on Sunday until two weeks ago, when apparently summer ended. Some markets even close mid-day during the week.

Dish draining system
There is a small rack up over the sink where you put the dishes which you have washed to drain and dry. (I posted a picture of this on Facebook.) Gloria had this in Nice, but I’d never seen it before then.

So I’m changing languages and dictionaries and am off to Spain for four weeks.
Hasta luego!

Trip to Argentiera with the AFS Group

Well, I've started packing, as I leave here on Thursday for Spain!
Yesterday Francesca invited me to go on the AFS outing to Argentiera, to see "the ghostly ruins of its silver mine, once the most important on the island". Lonely Planet The Romans first mined it, and it was mined up to 1960. And it is ghostly! There is a very small cove of a beach, which was very rough yesterday. There are eight students based here in Sassari, and no more than two of them are in the same school. Most of them are here for the whole year. There is a boy from Bethel, CT. Of course, I went to talk with him; he could have been from Bethel, ME! Most of them have only been here less than a week, so they are still pretty shy. Except for the Spanish speaking students, their Italian is quite elementary-EASY for me to say!
They held a short program at a school, where each student introduced him/herself. Then we drove around to look at parts of this sad little town. It is so small; there cannot be too much tourist activity. Afterwards we met at a beach where everyone had the picnic which they had brought. Some of the parents had been AFS students themselves. Many of them did speak English also.
Francesca and I left early, as she needed to go see her mother at the hospital in Alghero. I just sat in the car and had a catnap!
On our way back to her house, we stopped in the city of Alghero, a major city and port, which still has its street signs in Spanish and Italian. We got a gelato, walked around abit, and saw that there was alot of activity at the Duomo. We had actually seen three young priests walking towards the church wearing basic black robes and carrying what looked to be off white long, fancy surplices. Francesca wanted to go in to see what was happening, and that was fine with me. We only stayed about ten minutes, as it had not yet started, but that is as close as either of us had ever gotten to priests' ordination. There was a huge crowd, and the dress was from very fancy to very casual!
We got back to her house in plenty of time for me to drive home before it got dark.

Meeting Couch Surfer Francesca!

Well, it turned out that the Guatemalan AFS student who is at Francesca's was sick today, so I went to her home for lunch and ANOTHER outing (with her driving!:)). She lives in Sassari just outside of town, and I have passed her street three times before today.
Lunch was at 1:30, which would give her son Simone time to get home from work. I did get lost, since the GPS couldn't pick up the address she gave me. (Later the satellite did get the actual street!) She came to meet me, and I followed her back to her house. She had prepared a lovely lunch of mushroom(?) risotto and chicken and melone with a very nice red wine. (She had a scale in the bathroom, which I dared to step on. OH, MY, I hope it is right!!!)
Francesca is 50, and her husband died of a heart attack four years ago. She has a lovely home, which they built twenty-three years ago. She has another son, Andrea, who is studying engineering in Genoa. Simone, an architect, also studied there; he came back to Sassari, but Francesca thinks that Andrea will not. There are thirty trees in the backyard-apple, orange, mandarin orange, lemon, and olive. She has enough olive trees to provide her enough olive oil for the year!
I had written to Francesca last June to see if I could stay there before I moved into my swap, but that wouldn't work because Rodolfo(who speaks Spanish, English, Italian, and ?)was coming. When I arrived early in the month, I checked in with her, but her mother has been very sick. Francesca is the only daughter with five brothers, so it seems like it has all fallen on her. After lunch she was telling me more about her mother. She is 71 (!) and looks 90. She apparently has had many health issues over the years, including having lost a kidney. Her father, who is 80, had a plumbing and heating business, which all six of them now work in. All, but one of the brothers is married.
After lunch Simone and Rodolfo left for the beach at Stintino, which Angela had told me the other day, was THE most beautiful beach. We were going to Alghero to meet her friend Anna. When I mentioned what Angela had said about Stintino, Francesca offered to take us there on the way to Alghero. She loves to take people around Sardinia, and I was most appreciative!
Stintino, which is now one of the ten richest communes in Italy, has a population of 1000, which expands to 30,000 in the summer. I'd not want to be there then, as I can't imagine how anyone gets anywhere! She said that people go down to the beach early in the morning and put their beach towels down to "save a spot" for when they go to the beach. (Maybe that is how the "saving" of parking spots with chairs in wintry Boston started!?) But today Stintino was quite and quaint; the beach WAS very nice. (I'd thought about driving over there next week, but now I can just go to the Badesi beach!)
Francesca also told me about the towers in that part of the island, which were built when Spain governed the island. A tower was built and within its sight, another tower was built, and so on around the island; so each tower served as a "look-out". In my time there today, I did see many towers.
We drove to Alghero, where we picked up her friend Anna, who works in a bank. She had spent the day on the beach, so she was happy! She said there were only three people on her beach, which was not the case at Stintino! However, it was not the summer crowds.
We were very close to Capo Caccia, which was another spectacular sight! Caccia means wild pigeon hunting(DK Sardinia book), which was once popular there. There is also a place where you can climb down 656(!) steps to the caves of Neptune's Grotto. Grotto is down this spot. (And by the way, that makes my climbs up and down the Spanish Steps NOTHING! 656 steps = 50 flights of stairs! SURE!) We headed back to Francesca's, so I could get on the road ASAP, since it would be dark by the time I got home. Today was all wonderful, and another interesting mixture of delightful new people and new places!