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.

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

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!:))