Madrid is much the same as we left it, though we've had more time to
appreciate its character. On day one we pretty much just wandered the
streets, down to the official royal palace. (The king now lives in the
suburbs, I believe). The reflecting pool was unguarded, so there were
maybe a dozen folks wading in the pool, cooling their feet from the 40
degree heat. That's 40 celsius, of course. You Canadians understand.
Dinner was paella and fried vegetables at a fancy place downtown,
where soccer played on the overhead tv and a scornful French woman and
her unruly children dissaproved of my American eating methods (picture
to come).
Today we got up and made a day of the museums. First was the Reina
Sofia, home to a collection of modernist art, most notably Picasso's
massive anti-war piece, Guernica. It's a painting perfectly suited to
his habit of destroying bodies to depict emotion; and it seems fitting
that long after the fascist regimes of Franco and Hitler are dust,
this protest of their damage is what survives.
The Prado is Madrid's other great museum, and home tpo countless works
by masters such as Rubens, Velazquez, and my two favorites, Goya and
el Greco. Funny how they're sort of opposites but both touch me - Goya
painted brooding secular things with short, dark people, and el Greco
painted tall, elongated saints in vibrant reds and blues.
Well, that's it for Mike's brief history of art. We did some shopping,
then had a last meal of melons and Iberian ham and returned to our
hostel to finish packing up for the trip.
--
Sent from my mobile device
Mike Ramberg
mramberg@visi.com
http://grebmar.net
buy my book: http://lulu.com/mramberg
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Toledo
We'v e had a good run on food here, as well. Barcelona started poorly
- it's touristy where we stayed, and crowded, so the quality was a bit
off. But starting in Valencia food has been fresh and delicious. One
local specialty is Jamon Iberica - ham of iberia. This is basically a
pig's entire leg, smoked and sealed in wax; servings are then cut
right from the ham and served on small bagutte rolls with olive oil
and cheese. Delicious. I'm told the ham varies by region, like wine,
depending on local salts and smoke... Mmm. Markets and supermarkets
have sections filled with ham legs for take-home. Seafood has been
fresh & tasty; calimari and mussels are the highlight - again, the
secret is a garlic and butter. One night in Almeria we ordered the
tomato salad. It turned out to be a simple plate of quartered
tomatoes, covered in olive oil with some garlic chunks. But the
tomatoes were so fresh and the oil so olivey it turned out to be a
food highlight - who knew? Gazpacho here is light and brothy, served
with diced vegetables you put in yourself. There's nothing spicy hot
here like Mexican food - it gets over 100 F here regularly, so my
theory is their food is light and refreshing, like the gazpacho.
Side note: if you see a 'menu of the day' posted, and it's evening,
don't order from that menu. It's for the day. Not the evening. Made
that mistake twice now...
Toledo is much more medieval than the other towns we've been to. The
buildings are rougher, with exposed stonework and less ornamentation,
except the cathedral, which is covered in statuary nooks, and squats
over its tiny plaza like an lopsided, surly angel shrugging one stone
wing in frustration at the turistas below.
There are many painting by the great el Greco in town; unfortunately
the works are closed while the buildings are being repaired, or
they're on loan somewhere, I'm not sure which. El Greco is even buried
here, in one of the churches whose altarpieces he painted. I was
milling about, mustering up the old feelings of awe and some such,
when one of the kindly old nuns who runs the place said something in
Spanish that sounded like el Greco, and Tomb. She gestured with a
finger, then flipped a switch, and a sqaure of light appeared in the
stone floor. Underneath I could see a grey box with a stone cross
resting on a marble slab. El Greco's.
Well, on to Madrid tomorrow. Three nights left. Hope all is well with you.
--
Sent from my mobile device
Mike Ramberg
mramberg@visi.com
http://grebmar.net
buy my book: http://lulu.com/mramberg
- it's touristy where we stayed, and crowded, so the quality was a bit
off. But starting in Valencia food has been fresh and delicious. One
local specialty is Jamon Iberica - ham of iberia. This is basically a
pig's entire leg, smoked and sealed in wax; servings are then cut
right from the ham and served on small bagutte rolls with olive oil
and cheese. Delicious. I'm told the ham varies by region, like wine,
depending on local salts and smoke... Mmm. Markets and supermarkets
have sections filled with ham legs for take-home. Seafood has been
fresh & tasty; calimari and mussels are the highlight - again, the
secret is a garlic and butter. One night in Almeria we ordered the
tomato salad. It turned out to be a simple plate of quartered
tomatoes, covered in olive oil with some garlic chunks. But the
tomatoes were so fresh and the oil so olivey it turned out to be a
food highlight - who knew? Gazpacho here is light and brothy, served
with diced vegetables you put in yourself. There's nothing spicy hot
here like Mexican food - it gets over 100 F here regularly, so my
theory is their food is light and refreshing, like the gazpacho.
Side note: if you see a 'menu of the day' posted, and it's evening,
don't order from that menu. It's for the day. Not the evening. Made
that mistake twice now...
Toledo is much more medieval than the other towns we've been to. The
buildings are rougher, with exposed stonework and less ornamentation,
except the cathedral, which is covered in statuary nooks, and squats
over its tiny plaza like an lopsided, surly angel shrugging one stone
wing in frustration at the turistas below.
There are many painting by the great el Greco in town; unfortunately
the works are closed while the buildings are being repaired, or
they're on loan somewhere, I'm not sure which. El Greco is even buried
here, in one of the churches whose altarpieces he painted. I was
milling about, mustering up the old feelings of awe and some such,
when one of the kindly old nuns who runs the place said something in
Spanish that sounded like el Greco, and Tomb. She gestured with a
finger, then flipped a switch, and a sqaure of light appeared in the
stone floor. Underneath I could see a grey box with a stone cross
resting on a marble slab. El Greco's.
Well, on to Madrid tomorrow. Three nights left. Hope all is well with you.
--
Sent from my mobile device
Mike Ramberg
mramberg@visi.com
http://grebmar.net
buy my book: http://lulu.com/mramberg
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Seville, and sunny
Today is the second holiest day of the year in Spain, the festival of
the ascension of the Virgin Mary. At 7 this morning, the statue of the
virgin was carried around the cathedral plaza by 40 men and displayed
to the gathered crowd, as is their tradition. We did not get to the
cathedral till after 9, but there was still a great crowd of locals
gathered, all dressed in their good church clothes, soaking in the
holiness. A brass band in heavy coats milled around, and a troupe of
chinese tourists came by wondering what was happening. One of them
asked what was going on, but she didn't understand christianity, or
virgin births, or rising to heaven. I believe in me, she said, and
then she went off looking for tickets.
We went out to the train station to book tickets for Toledo, and by
the time we returned the city had been shut down for siesta. Ouir
hostal is in the upscale shopping district, tucked away on a narrow,
dead-end side street, in a four-story building with a nice open
central court. But it felt odd that it was three o'clock on a bright
Saturday afternoon and the streets were deserted and the shops all
shuttered up. So we're back at the hostal, resting ourselves from the
100+ degree heat.
More later.
--
Sent from my mobile device
Mike Ramberg
mramberg@visi.com
http://grebmar.net
buy my book: http://lulu.com/mramberg
the ascension of the Virgin Mary. At 7 this morning, the statue of the
virgin was carried around the cathedral plaza by 40 men and displayed
to the gathered crowd, as is their tradition. We did not get to the
cathedral till after 9, but there was still a great crowd of locals
gathered, all dressed in their good church clothes, soaking in the
holiness. A brass band in heavy coats milled around, and a troupe of
chinese tourists came by wondering what was happening. One of them
asked what was going on, but she didn't understand christianity, or
virgin births, or rising to heaven. I believe in me, she said, and
then she went off looking for tickets.
We went out to the train station to book tickets for Toledo, and by
the time we returned the city had been shut down for siesta. Ouir
hostal is in the upscale shopping district, tucked away on a narrow,
dead-end side street, in a four-story building with a nice open
central court. But it felt odd that it was three o'clock on a bright
Saturday afternoon and the streets were deserted and the shops all
shuttered up. So we're back at the hostal, resting ourselves from the
100+ degree heat.
More later.
--
Sent from my mobile device
Mike Ramberg
mramberg@visi.com
http://grebmar.net
buy my book: http://lulu.com/mramberg
Friday, August 14, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Almeria.
We've been in Almeria for two days now, and time here slips by like a
thief in the night; when you notice, the day is gone. Almeria is a
smaller city on the Maditerranean coast; like Barcelona and Valencia
it has an old town, it also has a beach. What it doesn't have are
crowds; there are tourists but not mobs of them.
We spent yesterday at the beach, alternately bobbing in the light surf
and reading in the shade sipping a beautiful red summer wine poured
into a stein over ice. Then, after a nice walk to burn off the sips of
wine, we drove back to the hotel for dinner.
Driving here is hectic and stressful, though not unrewarding given the
challenges involved. Streets are narrow, lanes unmarked, and other
drivers are alternately ballsy and courteous, and sometimes both at
once. We're in a Toyota Yaris, a tiny car with great handling, but
still often pass cars - parked or otherwise - with what feels like
less than an inch of clearance. Street signs are ambiguous, parking
rules lax. Two nights ago, following the example of locals, we drove
up over a sidewalk and parked on the dirt margins of an undeveloped
lot. No ticket, no tow!
Fun, perhaps unrelated tourist fact: In Valencia, the names on the
posted plaques didn't match the names on the map!
We spent a few hours in Aslcazabar, the great fortress on the hill on
the outskirts of town. For centuries it has sat there as a defense,
though it changed hands several times as the christians and moors
traded dominance in the region.
Well I could go on but we're getting ready for a short drive along the
coast to capo del gato. We'll let you know what's there when we find
out...
--
Sent from my mobile device
Mike Ramberg
mramberg@visi.com
http://grebmar.net
buy my book: http://lulu.com/mramberg
thief in the night; when you notice, the day is gone. Almeria is a
smaller city on the Maditerranean coast; like Barcelona and Valencia
it has an old town, it also has a beach. What it doesn't have are
crowds; there are tourists but not mobs of them.
We spent yesterday at the beach, alternately bobbing in the light surf
and reading in the shade sipping a beautiful red summer wine poured
into a stein over ice. Then, after a nice walk to burn off the sips of
wine, we drove back to the hotel for dinner.
Driving here is hectic and stressful, though not unrewarding given the
challenges involved. Streets are narrow, lanes unmarked, and other
drivers are alternately ballsy and courteous, and sometimes both at
once. We're in a Toyota Yaris, a tiny car with great handling, but
still often pass cars - parked or otherwise - with what feels like
less than an inch of clearance. Street signs are ambiguous, parking
rules lax. Two nights ago, following the example of locals, we drove
up over a sidewalk and parked on the dirt margins of an undeveloped
lot. No ticket, no tow!
Fun, perhaps unrelated tourist fact: In Valencia, the names on the
posted plaques didn't match the names on the map!
We spent a few hours in Aslcazabar, the great fortress on the hill on
the outskirts of town. For centuries it has sat there as a defense,
though it changed hands several times as the christians and moors
traded dominance in the region.
Well I could go on but we're getting ready for a short drive along the
coast to capo del gato. We'll let you know what's there when we find
out...
--
Sent from my mobile device
Mike Ramberg
mramberg@visi.com
http://grebmar.net
buy my book: http://lulu.com/mramberg
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Valencia day 2
We´ve spent most of our time in Valencia in the old quarter, a beuatiful, charming region of narrow streets, sidewalk cafes, and iron-balconied architecture. The streets come together at plazas where large civic building stand in over-ornamented splendor, angels and horses and gods and local heros in marble standing over everything. It began to rain last night as we were eating mussels and shrimp drinking fine wines. It rained hard for a few minutes and we scooted under the umbrellas. When it stopped, several children ran out to play on the wet marble plaza, splashing in puddles and chasing each other, so even the rain turned out to be charming.
More rain this morning that came down sideways, trapping us in a cafe for an extra coffee. Right now we´re doing laundry in a charming laundromat, and Akasha is scouting for a place to have lunch.
This really is a cool city. There´s a remnant of the old riverbed that must have long ago silted over, but it still cuts a channel through the heart of the city and is now a long, thin park with soccer pitches and groves of trees and hibiscuses. The trees lining the streets are orange and lemon, and they are currently bearing ripe fruit. We ate an orange that had fallen into a fountain, and are sorry to report it was a little bitter. So it isn´t quite paradise.
Okay, all for now. Tomorrow we get a car and head south.
More rain this morning that came down sideways, trapping us in a cafe for an extra coffee. Right now we´re doing laundry in a charming laundromat, and Akasha is scouting for a place to have lunch.
This really is a cool city. There´s a remnant of the old riverbed that must have long ago silted over, but it still cuts a channel through the heart of the city and is now a long, thin park with soccer pitches and groves of trees and hibiscuses. The trees lining the streets are orange and lemon, and they are currently bearing ripe fruit. We ate an orange that had fallen into a fountain, and are sorry to report it was a little bitter. So it isn´t quite paradise.
Okay, all for now. Tomorrow we get a car and head south.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Goodbye Barcelona, hello Valencia
We spent much of yesterday at La Sagrada Familia, Anton Gaudi's
masterpiece, show-stopping cathedral, a re-invention of cathedrals yet
still rooted in their cassic form. I was fascinated at how the seeming
randomness is actually rooted in advanced geometric shapes; hyperbolic
rhomboids, or some such name; I have no memory for technical things
and limited internet access, which is just as well since I should be
soaking up sights and not googling gaudi for hours on end anyway.
We left Barcelona this morning at 6 am, riding the early metro with
working girls and early packers like ourselves. The train to Valencia
was beautiful, a coastal smooth ride past orange groves and castles
perched along sweeping tops. Valencia itself is a pretty, renaissance
feeling city with marble sidewalks and brightly painted cupolas. We've
just checked in and are resting up before storming the sites.
masterpiece, show-stopping cathedral, a re-invention of cathedrals yet
still rooted in their cassic form. I was fascinated at how the seeming
randomness is actually rooted in advanced geometric shapes; hyperbolic
rhomboids, or some such name; I have no memory for technical things
and limited internet access, which is just as well since I should be
soaking up sights and not googling gaudi for hours on end anyway.
We left Barcelona this morning at 6 am, riding the early metro with
working girls and early packers like ourselves. The train to Valencia
was beautiful, a coastal smooth ride past orange groves and castles
perched along sweeping tops. Valencia itself is a pretty, renaissance
feeling city with marble sidewalks and brightly painted cupolas. We've
just checked in and are resting up before storming the sites.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Barcelona
We arrived in Barcelona on the AVE around 3, found our hotel, and wandered down to the beach. There's a monument to Columbus here, a statue of him on a five-story pedestal with an ornately decorated base - it's quite similar to the one in Madrid, and I believe there's one like it in New York city's Columbus circle as well - curious, how secular monuments become traditional, like the saints or buddahs.
The beach here is a classic swimming beach, long, with golden sand and a fairly steep drop-off, and packed tight with bathers in various states of display. The water is filled with copper-colored flakes, like glitter, and sparkles under the sun like confetti.
We came back up through the gothic quarter, a vestigial maze-like neighborhood of tiny alley-sized streets, dark and ancient but modernized with metal rolling doors, some painted with vivid graffiti, that shut after working hours. At night, like Madrid, the lighting lends an artificial aspect to the scene, like a movie set or stage where you get to watch and interact.
Today, on to Gaudi's masterpiece, la sagrada familia. Take care, all.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
The beach here is a classic swimming beach, long, with golden sand and a fairly steep drop-off, and packed tight with bathers in various states of display. The water is filled with copper-colored flakes, like glitter, and sparkles under the sun like confetti.
We came back up through the gothic quarter, a vestigial maze-like neighborhood of tiny alley-sized streets, dark and ancient but modernized with metal rolling doors, some painted with vivid graffiti, that shut after working hours. At night, like Madrid, the lighting lends an artificial aspect to the scene, like a movie set or stage where you get to watch and interact.
Today, on to Gaudi's masterpiece, la sagrada familia. Take care, all.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Barcelona!
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Leaving Madrid
We're waiting in the Renfe station for tickets to Barcelona. Madrid is a sprawling, muscley city of monuments and fountains, scooters on cobblestone and a functional, no-nonsense big city attitude. It's also, like Minneapolis, pretty well torn up with construction. It wasn't till later, when the sun went down and we were walking home from a restaurant, that the city's romantic side came out, with its high white monuments lit and glowing against the dark sky and hazy moon.
Now, on to Barcelona on the AVE.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
Now, on to Barcelona on the AVE.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Spain at last
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Monday, August 3, 2009
Waiting to board...
We're at gate G11, a short pause in a busy morning - funny how when you're getting ready all day, three in the afternoon can still feel like morning - and it's been a day where just about everything has happened, from tech calls to BlackBerry to misplaced passports to gas leaks outside my house. Hopefully Spain will still be there when we arrive.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Going to Spain tomorrow!
I'm heading to Spain with Akasha tomorrow. I hope to post stuff that's happening here, somehow, and hope also that you'll follow along. There are links with our itinerary to the right.
Also, Akasha is blogging as well - she may be more regular at this than I since, she's generally the more social of the two of us. Here's here site:
http://anyoldwindthatblows.blogspot.com/
Also, Akasha is blogging as well - she may be more regular at this than I since, she's generally the more social of the two of us. Here's here site:
http://anyoldwindthatblows.blogspot.com/
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