History lessons in Lisbon

This is the last day of the Portuguese experience. Tomorrow we head back "across the pond" and bring an end to the blogs. Hope you've enjoyed them.
A lot of interesting history pack into today as we toured parks, then seaside monuments in nearby Belem. This is where the river meets the Atlantic, so many forts were built in the past, including the Tower of Belem, to keep out the pirates and encourage spice trade. The Monument to the Explorers honors the brave men like Magellen and Vasco de Gama, who set sail from here in the 15th/16th century.  The monestery (1503) with church, where people came to pray for the adventurers, was huge and ornate. It houses the "official" grave of Vasco de Gama. One delightful stop was to the coach museum, a converted riding school with ornate 18th century hand-carved horse drawn coaches. Our discovery today was warm custard tarts fresh from the famous Pastries de Belen shop! A great way to end the day. The Farewell banquet is tonight at a rooftop restaruant.
Today's pix: Belen Tower;Monument to the Discoveries; inside the monestery church

Lisbon and Surroundings

It was our first and only day of rain as we took a day trip to nearby Sintra, the  fishing village by the Atlantic  Ocean, then up to Cascais, the mountainous region where palaces, estates, and golf courses rise high above the common man! Beautiful and powerful surf below in Sintra and, in Cascais, lovely wooded landscape leading to our tour of the palace (summer home from the 1400's of Henry the Navagator's folks). Topped it off with lunch and shopping for regional specialties. The rain stopped by afternoon for our first walking tour up and around the hills of Lisbon, riding the ornate outdoor elevator down from the top. Dinner was on our own with friends and we enjoyed  excellent filets of fish - swordfish, grouper, salmon, though one held out for lamb.
Today's pix: Fishing harbor of Sintra; pastry shop in Lisbon; view of the castle/fort from the elevator.

Cork and Pork and Storks in Portugal

Off to new "learning and discoveries", as Grand Circle calls our out-of-the-way adventures. Now in Portugal, we had a real highlight of the trip today, a detour through the back country to the prestigious family owned "Brito Paes" Stud Ranch, on which property six generations have bred and sold Lusitanian horses. It is family run now by a widow and her 3 sons. Maria also has built a lovely  separate guest diningroom in which a local staff of women served us a fine lunch. They raise the horses for the first 4 years and do some performance training as well, so we saw a demonstraion with several of these beautiful animals. Along our drive we saw many storks in nests up on the utility poles in the country. We also passed the (black) pig farms (remember that expensive dried ham?) near the forests of cork (oak) trees. Stopped to examine the peeled bark trees, from which all those good wine bottle corks are made. Sunset arrival into Lisbon tonight.
Today's pix: lunch at the farm; Lusitanian horse show; peeled cork tree

Festive Seville!

The church bells are all chiming in competition as I write this on a Saturday full of weddings. You must put this city on your Bucket List. It is the amalamation of  all history from before Christ to the present and promises beauty, richness in culture and arts, and the excitement of the new generation. Spain has sorely felt the slump in the European economy, but the cities still feel vibrant (thanks to tourism!). Highlights today were tours of the Plaza de Espania, built as part of the big1929 Iberian Exhibition, wandering the streets of the old Jewish quarter, visiting the magnificent gothic cathedral, (1400), once a Moorish mosque (1100), which houses the tomb of Christopher Columbus, sharing more tapas with friends. Tonight we saw a flamenco show before our fashionably late dinner at 9:00 (still can't get used to eating at such a dark and late hour).

Today's pix: Plaza de Espania; Cathedral of Seville; Christopher Columbus tomb; Flamenco theater

From Sea to Mountain tops

Left our resort by the Meditteranean Sea at sunrise today and climbed up into the beautiful mountains to Ronda, (3,300 ft.), one of the whitewashed villages that dot this region. Learned that Spain is second only to Switzerland in European mountain ranges. Ronda, itself, is divided by a deep chasm and offers spectacular vistas of the mountains and furtile farmland below. The city boasts the first bull ring (1700's),the sport beloved by folks such as Earnest Hemingway ("For Whom the Bell Tolls") and Orson Wells, whose ashes are buried in the bull ring. We enjoyed tasting premium "five chestnut" ham, from the black pigs who are free range and feed on chestnuts and truffles - outrageously pricey and not exported, then we toured the bull ring, learning about the history  of the "sport" and famous bull fighters. Tapas lunch al fresco and a bit of shopping.
On to Seville tonight.
Today's pix: Ronda and chasm; watching the art of cutting fine ham paper-thin, Ronda's bull ring

Lost Morocco

No, we weren't lost in Morocco yesterday but the blog went into cyberspace. TI'll try again. Our optional tour took us by ferry over the Straits of Gibralter to Tangiers for an exotic dip into Africa. Mohammed (who else!) guided us by bus high up through the hills to view the beautiful homes of government and royal persons, sit on camels, and overlook the expanding city. Eight different cultures coexisted in adjoining neighboroods in thre mid-20th century - several Arabic and Muslim groups, Spanish, French, Portuguese, British, American - for a very iternational city. We walked through the souks and marketplaces of the old medina, had a fabulous Moroccan lunch at a posh hotel, and took in the obligatory rug demostration/mint tea experience. A great, if overwhelming, adventure.
Pix: Lainey with the twins; spice market and lesson, olives; carpets

Grand Circle Highlight

One of the most special events of a Grand Circle trip is the visit to a local coop and to a home hosted meal with a (non-English speaking) host family. Today, after a tour of the coastal city of Malaga, birthplace of Pablo Picasso and, don't forget, heart throb Tony Banderas, we drove up into the lovely mountains to a little town where we broke into groups of 6, for  a sumptuous home-made 4 course dinner with our hosts. Marge got to be the translater for our group!
Today's pix: coop whre inlaid wooden boxes, tables, etc. are hand-made; our host's 100 year old house and 300 olive trees; our delicious meal

Africa moves to Spain

Beautiful sunrise as we drove to Granada, nestled in the hills by the Sierra Navada. This university city boasts the magnificent Alhambra, old walled fortress/city built by the Moors in the 1200's. This was an Islamic community of 2,000, plus all the sultons, their soulders, wives and concubines. Queen Isabella and Ferdinand came along in 1492, liked it so much they stayed. The Christian monarchy attemped to build their own palace but, as wars will have it, ran out of money before anyone could inhabit it. Don't know if economics and politics have changed much.
The province of Granada is known as the olive oil capital of Spain. Export more than any other country!
Drove down to Torremolinos, resort town on the Coasta del Sol, for our next three nights. We're getting weary!
Today's pix: scenes from Alhambra

Religious Recycling

Cordoba, in the state of Andalucia, was founded by the Romans  @ 200 years B.C. The iconic symbol of Cordoba is La Mezquita. Originally the religious home to early Christians, (San Vicent Basilica), it was destroyed in the 700's during  the Islamic invasion from Africa, to be replaced by a mosque inspired  from Damascus. The mosque was built in three stages throughout the next 500 years till King Ferdinand lll reconquered Cordoba in the 1200's and, in the 1500's the Catholics built a cathedral right in the middle of the mosque! They even covered the minaret with a bell tower. A bit of religious pushing and shoving for several centuries more, but thank goodness they didn't destroy each other, as the building is amazing, joining the two cultures. That's today's history lesson...
Walking the old walled city found us at another lovely tapas restaurant. Favorite drink has become a "Clara" - beer and lemon Shwepps.
Today's pix: Old Roman bridge (reconstructed) to the city; Catholic cathedral and Islamic mosque sharing space; 19 sections of mosque separated by arches.

Holy Toledo!

Left the bustling city life in Madrid today to "chase windmills" with Don Quixote in the province of Castille La Mancha. Toledo is a medieval walled city in which Jews, Catholics, and Muslims lived peacefully together for the 400 years after the reclamation of Spain in the 1600's. Visited the world famous painting, "Burial of the Count of Garza" by el Greco. We are enjoying al fresco lunches in quaint tapas cafes. This afternoon our comfortable coach took us through miles of olive groves into Andelucia for tonight's stay in Cordoba.
Today's pix: Holy Toledo; Marge and Lainey with Cervantes (author of "Don Quixoti"); windmills of la Mancha

Monarchs and Conquests and Wars---Oh My!

A day of European history that most of us didn't learn in public school. Side trip 30 miles out of Madrid to the mountains to visit Escorial Monastery, built in the 16th century by Phillip ll, and housing 500 years of dead royalty - oh but the crypts are beautiful! Nearby is the Valley of the Fallen, mausoleum and basilica dedicated to 40,000 buried souls from the Spanish Civil War  (1936-9) and consecrated by Pope John XXlll. Back in Madrid this afternoon, some of us toured the Royal Palace of Madrid, as oppulent as Versailles - it's good to be the king. Brief rain this afternoon smelled good.
Our "discovery" tonight was our walk to the chocolateer for Spain's national delicacy - hot chocolate (thick!) and churros.
Today's pix: Gardens at Escorial Monastery; Royal Palace of Madrid; Chocolate and churros!

Buenos Noches!

Madrid

A brief flight from Barcelona to Madrid yesterday. This is the geographic center of Iberia and the capitol of Spain. So many periods of coquest in Spain have given it a rich heritage of mixed cultures, four official languages and seventeen "states".  Our pre-trip group from Barcelona met with the  main group and trip leader, for a welcome sangria and an evening walk through the crowded plazas of the city - the evening begins LATE here! Everyone out because of the  beautiful Weather.
Today we dug right into the heart of big city life - our private coach tour of the highlights, al fresco lunch and afternoon on our own to explore the Prado Museum or Retiro Park. Tonight is our Welcome dinner at a fine restaurant!
Today's pix:  Prado Museum; Retiro Park; City Hall

Strolling Old Barcelona

Today we visited the old part of the city, closer to the harbor, strolling  from our hotel all the way down the famous Rambla, (pedestrian thoroughfare) divided into 5 districts. Our guide took us through the colorful marketplace filled with meats, seafood, produce, sweets, etc., then we were turned loose to find our own adventures. Marge and I headed for the opera house, then our mid-morning coffee and pastry at a quaint alley way pastry shop. Refreshed, we walked to the Picasso Museum to see an exhibit of his "blue period". Discovered another cute bistro nearby for  a lunch of tapas. Home now for naps!
Today's pix: Las  Ramblas; market; Picasso Museum

Discovering Barcelona

We are staying in the former late  19th/early 20th century "bourgeois" neighborhood of the city - ripe with architectural competion of  "modernisme", competing with the "belle epoch" period in Paris. This is a beautiful city, 3rd largest in Spain and center of  the province of Catalunya, with its own language which confuses the Spanish speaking folks like my buddy, Marge! Today, after a walking tour of the neighborhood, we took the double decker hop on/hop off tourist bus for Parc Guell, Gaudi's fantastical landmark overlooking the city.
Today's pix: stain glass windows of Sagrada Familia; Gaudi's "House of bones"; Parc Guell.

Vaya con Dios!

First Impressions

Arrived in Barcelona by Sunday sunset. Off to bed in our nice hotel, then up for a full emersion into the Catalynian culture with a guided tour of the city. Highlight was the  Sagrada Familia, the ecsentric genious's unfinished masterpiece. Too amazing to put words to!

Journey from Colorful Colorado

Tomorrow the journey begins from snow-capped Rocky Mountains to sunny Spain. Lainey and Marge meet at Denver International Airport (DIA) to board our over night British Airways  flight to London, then on to Barcelona, arriving Sunday evening. A long day's journey into night.

And away we go ...

Dear Family and Friends,

New adventures await, this time Spain, Morocco, and Portugal. My buddy, Marge, and I will be with our Grand Circle Travels "family" for 19 days, leaving October 12, and would love for you to "come along".  I will be creating a blog along the way.  Periodically I will be making posts like this one and they will show up in your email with the subject name "...".  You do not have to do anything to follow along. (Do not reply to these "..." emails.)  Enjoy your armchair travels.

"La lluvia en España se mantiene principalmente en la llanura."