We arrived in Barcelona on Tuesday, June 2nd after a 3-hour drive from Valencia. After our experiences in Valencia we didn’t quite know what to expect in Barcelona. The drive from Valencia was what we had become accustomed to; a lot of agriculture and some industry. We passed towns and cities with ancient buildings some of them still in use, others in ruins. As we pass these areas we try to imagine what life might have been like for the early inhabitants of those buildings. We have become accustomed to the dramatic landscape but nevertheless we were impressed when we finally reached Barcelona and were greeted by the sight of the magnificent thriving port.

Barcelona is located in the autonomous Catalonia region of Spain. The official language is Catalon although Spanish is also widely spoken. In the 1400’s Catalonia was the object of French advances, but with the uniting of Castille and Aragon under Isabella and Ferdinand the French were repelled and Barcelona remained under the Spanish crown.

We found our way to our hotel without too much trouble, I guess we’re getting used to the peculiarities of driving in Spanish cities. The Hotel Atlantis is an old yet elegant hotel that is located in the heart of the city; it is located by the famous walk known as La Rambla. As soon as we got our belongings situated in our room we wandered out to explore what was to be our home for 3 days. We walked down the street to La Rambla and again were amazed at the throngs of people just strolling, sitting in cafes, or shopping. The streets were full of life with young people, old people and everyone else in between. There were sidewalk vendors, street performers and of course the living statutes seemingly made of stone but coming to life at the sound of a coin in their cup. Sounds of languages from all over the world joined in creating an atmosphere of vibrant life. This was to be our first introduction at what has come to be one of our favorites cities.

After a nights rest we got up early the next morning had our breakfast at the hotel and set off for a day of exploring. We went to the nearby Plaza Catalunya which is a huge plaza at the head of La Rambla and found our favorite mode of sightseeing, the Hop On Hop Off bus. Our first route took us through the southern part of the city past historical sites and out to the port. Driving through the city we were struck by the fact that Barcelona is a constantly changing city. While there are the classic old historic buildings, there are also many buildings, dating from the early 1900’s as well as newer buildings that have become works of art. Barcelona underwent an architectural renaissance beginning in the 1920’s. An architect named Antoni Gaudi designed many of the buildings of that period. Gaudi, who lived from 1852-1926, was a designer in the Modernistic style. One of the first examples of his works that we observed was a building known as La Pedrera, Catalan for The Quarry. We were struck at the sight of this building with its majestic rooftop and individual balconies adorned with wrought iron railings designed to resemble ocean waves, but the best of his works was yet to come as we later found. Virtually every neighborhood that we passed through had buildings that were designed either by Gaudi or other architects many of whom were inspired by Gaudi.
The ride on the northern route of the Hop On Hop Off bus proved to be the most impressive. As I noted before Barcelona is constantly changing. The designs of neighborhoods encourage people to be outdoors where they might be socializing, strolling or just sitting while shaded by one of the many trees that have been planted throughout the city. Plazas and fountains are everywhere, statutes commemorating events or people seem to invite further inspection to delve into the rich history of this great city. We passed the stadium that hosted the 1992 summer Olympics and is now used by the University of Barcelona. We learned that this prestigious university was founded 500 years ago and where it was once the sole university in the city, today it is joined by 7 other universities that attract students throughout Spain as well as many other countries.

On Thursday we once again rejoined the northern route with 2 specific destinations in mind. Our first destination was to be La Familia Sagrada whose history dates from 1874 when the Spiritual Associatio of the Devotees of St. Joseph promoted the construction of a expiatory church dedicated to the Holy Family. In In 1882 the foundationstone of the crypt was laid under the direction of the architect Francisco de P. del Villar who was relieved a year and a half later by Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi promoted 43 years of his life to this work, the last twelve almost exclusively. Later on a generous donation was received and Gaudi turned the original project upside down to create an exceptional breathtaking project that is innovative in its design, forms and construction. Even today building continues in accordance with Gaudi’s wishes. The interior is scheduled to be completed for daily mass in 2010 while construction is scheduled to be completed in 2030.

When driving to La Familia Sagrada we caught glimpses of its towers peeking past neighborhoods blocks away. It is when arriving at the church that your jaw drops and your senses are dazzled by the façade and the majestic towers that are being built this very day. There are presently two facades dedicated to the Birth of Jesus and the Passion of Christ. Once completed there will be a third façade dedicated to the Glory of Christ resurrected. There will also be twelve towers dedicated to the apostles and four to the evangelists, one to the Virgin Mary and another, rising 170 meters, to Jesus.

Gerri and I paid our entrance fee of 10 Euros to tour the inside of this magnificent work and were amazed at the scope of the work completed so far. We tried to take in the construction techniques that are being used today by construction crews even as they are separated from the thousands of tourists that tour this ongoing work site. I even got Gerri to join me in an elevator ride to the top of one of the towers where we were treated to a spectacular view of this beautiful city. I might mention that the elevator ride to the top of the tower was a one way ride. Once at the top, you have to walk down a narrow stairway to get to the ground level. I enjoyed it because I was able to stop and photograph some of the statuary that are little more than specks when viewed from ground level.

We toured the basement museum to see replicas and plaster models used to plan and construct the church. We understood what is meant when they say that Gaudi designed the church upside down. In a room there is a string model Gaudi used to design the towers. What he did was to use string to figure the placement of each tower, then, rather than using complex mathematical equasions, he tied small sacks of sand that were weighted in proportion to the weight that each tower was to bear. When viewing the model through the overhead mirror, you can visualize the towers and understand how he designed the chuch upside down!

Our next stop was at Parc Guell (pronounced gway) which is a beautiful park that was part of the Guell estate. The Guell family was a patron of Antoni Gaudi and commissioned him to do many projects in the park. We found a large plaza with posts that support another plaza above. There were aqueducts used to transport water for the park; each of these bore Gaudi’s trademark design of curving columns to support the weight above. Everywhere we walked we saw how his work blended in with natural surroundings yet there were striking examples of his modernistic approach to design at the park entrance or at the plazas.

Antoni Guadi lived and worked in the city he loved. In July1926 he was struck by a tram. Having no identification on him and dressed poorly, he was taken to the paupers hospital. The next day he was found by friends who were looking for him, when they tried to get him to a nicer hospital he refused to leave, saying he needed to be with the poor people. He died 3 days after being struck; his death left a mark on the city and thousands came from miles around to mourn him. He is buried at the project that he loved and spent so much of his time at, La Familia Sagrada. But his work lives on in so much of this beautiful city.

We finished up our visit to the park and continued on our sightseeing trip through the rest of the city. As impressive as Barcelona is, nothing had as big an impact on us as did La Familia Sagrada and Parc Guell. Those two sites alone are worth a visit to this electric, vibrant city, but when you add in all the rest that Barcelona has to offer, this city rates as one of the top places to visit.

Friday we start our homeward trip with a stop in Montpellier, Dijon and then a final stop in Paris before catching our flight home on Monday. We covered many miles in a little less than a month. We saw magnificent scenery, impressive structures and much of what affected European and world history. We met good people and had a lot of good food (desserts!) and some not so great food. Something that sticks out in my mind is that the world is an interesting place and there is so much of life to enjoy. I would encourage everyone to learn at least one other foreign language and keep an open mind to other cultures. As Americans we are used to things our way but there is a whole other world to explore and a way of life to enjoy, all we have to do is to reach out and enjoy it!

Welcome to Valencia -- Not Quite

We left Murcia on Sunday morning, After having so many busy, hectic days; it was nice to have a quiet evening by the Mediterranean Sea.

Before we left, we could see that people were setting up for what is their weekly flea market. So we decided to pop in and see how it’s done here. Spanish flea markets are very different from what we witness in the states. Flea markets here are weekly events where families come to buy all kinds of things ranging from clothing, kitchen utensils to fresh fruits and vegetables. As we wandered around we heard the constant calling by vendors as they hawked their goods. We stayed for a while then headed out to our next destination, Valencia.

The drive to Valencia was pretty uneventful; again we drove through pretty farmland and some minor cities. We passed some very interesting looking castles along the way, one in a city named Sax. Castles in medieval Spain were usually set up on a hill where it could be easily defended. Noblemen like marquis’ or dukes or a prince set up most castles as a stronghold against the Moors. One must remember that the sacred oath of every Spanish king was to drive out the Moors, so each castle had that purpose in mind. What is amazing is that many of those castles still remain and many of them are still in use. As a matter of fact the Spanish government has converted many of them into what are known as paradores, if ever you want a luxury vacation rental in Spain look into renting one.

Once we reached Valencia we set about trying to locate our hotel, that’s when I almost fell victim to a common scam. What happens is that when a tourist is in an area and stops for a signal light, some jerk will pull up close to them in their car and reach out and put something in the tire so that when the victim drives off they end up with a flat tire. Of course the jerk just happens to come along to let the tourist victim know that they have a flat. And of course they graciously offer to help change the tire and unload the trunk. Unfortunately for most people who fall for that, they end up being robbed of valuables. In my case I saw the jerk reaching out to the car, and not realizing what he was really up to, I just pulled the car forward. At the time I thought he was trying to mark up the car. He realized that I had seen him, so he “innocently” pulled over to the curb when the light changed. I pulled away and in hindsight I should have gotten out of the car to check the tire, but it was too late. The warning system in the car alerted me that I was losing air pressure. I was reluctant to stop because I didn’t trust the area, so I kept driving trying to reach my hotel, which was within a block or two. I finally pulled over and Gerri and I pulled all of our luggage from the trunk and piled it into the car and locked it to safeguard them. I changed the tire and made it to our hotel. The following morning I had to set out to find a repair place for the tire. There was the other surprise, unlike the states where we have specialty shops like Firestone Tires or Goodrich Tires or even a Sears store, Spain does not have that type of luxury. I searched around and the of 2 places that I found, one was a car detailing shop and the other looked like I wouldn’t want to take a kiddie car there. So I found a Peugeot dealer and you can guess what that was like. I left the car and a half day later and 281 Euro lighter ($400.00 USD), I left with a new tire. Needless to say I had a bad taste in my mouth for Valencia, which I tried to overcome, but it was hard to do. The good thing was that the hotel we had reserved was actually a spacious apartment, which gave us some room to spread out a little. So we settled in and made the best of things.

After dealing with the car, we set out to explore the city as best we could. We made our way to the nearest Hop On Hop Off bus location as we had come to discover that that was the best way to see any new city. The bus took us through the central part of the city past all the points of interest such as the inevitable cathedral and the bustling business district. When the bus made its way down to the port, Gerri and I found the perfect way to try to forget the troubles of the previous day, we took off our socks and shoes and waded in warm water of the Mediterranean Sea! Wading there in that warm water was so unlike stepping into the Pacific Ocean that we know at home. Whereas the water temperature at our portion of the Pacific is around 55 degrees average, the Mediterranean is very much warmer and invites you to wade or swim.

We eventually made our way to one of the local restaurants for a light dinner before heading back to pick up the car. It’s unfortunate that because of one jerk our visit to what is probably an interesting city was marred. Perhaps we’ll come back another day to give it another try. In the meantime we have another destination to get ready for, tomorrow we leave for Barcelona in search of a better experience.

A Mediterranean View

Saturday, May 30th.

We left Granada, the old and the new and headed to our next stop in the Province of Murcia. We are actually going to a town called Puerto de Mazzaron, we know not what to expect, it seemed pretty cool when I booked it though!

Our drive from Granada took us through farmland interspersed with some industry. It appears that agriculture is a mainstay of the Spanish economy. The land is fertile looking (so says this city boy) but seems to take on a character of it’s own. The rich red soil of one area gives way to brown or grayish or light colored soil in other areas. We can also see that the soil feeds other economic endeavors such as tile manufacturing. Our drive takes us through mountain ranges. From the Sierra Nevada Mountains that ring Granada, we now traverse the Sierra Madre mountain range. It’s interesting to note that of the many mountains and hills that we come across, each seems to have it’s own economic life. Some are cut away as if with a giant scalpel, some are gnawed away as if by a ravenous wolf to give whatever products they might yield.

The drive took us 2 and a half hours and we arrive with no clear expectations to plan our time. Our time to this point has been spent in bustling cities with wall-to-wall people and cathedral after cathedral. It seems that every town that we have passed on this trip has as its focal point, a cathedral, They are indeed a testament to the influence that the Church has had throughout history and also as the pivotal point they play in Spanish lives today.

We arrive in Puerto de Mazzaron in the early afternoon. For the FIRST time, we easily find our hotel, the La Cumbre, situated on a hill near the center of town. The hotel has colonial charm with wide marbled stairways. Our delight is that it has an elevator! Small delight to some, but to us a godsend as many older hotels in Europe have either no lift at all or one that is about the size of a broom closet. We quickly find our room and aside from the fact it has 2 twin beds, as most doubles in Europe have, it fills the bill for our nights stay. This is a day that we quickly find we are doing nothing but kicking back. No cathedrals, museums or other historic sights to see. The fact that our room has a private balcony with a panoramic view of the Mediterranean Sea makes kicking back the ideal choice! Now we ask; “What could possibly be better than sitting there on that balcony, on a beautiful, clear day, enjoying our dinner of pizza and some wine that we brought with us from France with the Mediterranean Sea as the backdrop?” By the way, the wine was a cabernet syrah, very mild, not too dry with a nice bouquet and Gerri had 2 refills!

A City of Fascinating Tales - Granada

As the famous song goes, “Granada….I’m falling under your spell. And if you could speak, what a fascinating tale you would tell.” Walking in Granada the streets, bridges and buildings seem to speak of a Granada old and ancient and yet transcending into the 21st century. Ancient Granada first founded by the Ibero tribes who colonized the Iberian Peninsula, became a stronghold of the Roman Empire later to fall to Moorish tribes crossing the straits of Gibraltar in search of new conquests.


Our main objective was to visit the Alhambra. Luckily, we ordered tickets ahead of time since John read it was the best way to guarantee admission. The design of the famous Alhambra tells a tale of its Moorish roots, roots that followed the ancient design of Medina. The Alhambra epitomizes the grandeur of a Moorish civilization. A design that later was encompassed into what was to become the seat of a Christian royalty. Both Islamic and Christian beliefs hold that water is the purifier of man’s soul and so the use of fountains and baths are evident everywhere at the Alhambra. Christian craftsmen signaling the start of a new order further embellished Moorish craftsmanship that created magnificent domed ceilings of alabaster, wood and tile. In touring this world famous place, we understand its strong attraction to people from everywhere, even after all these years. We couldn’t get over the intricate detail of the designs of the ceilings, archways, columns, and windows. Lush gardens were grown to create a sense of peace and tranquility, a site so tranquil that Carlos V considered the Alhambra his favorite place to repose to when in Granada. As we walked through the same gardens, we felt the same senses. All this belies the fact that the Alhambra, once the stronghold of a Moorish conquest, was to become the symbol of their final retreat from Spain,

We toured the Alhambra in the evening after exploring the city for hours; we climbed the steep spiraling streets to reach the summit of the hill that bears this mighty fortress. From there we could see across valleys to what is today a modern Spain all the while seeing evidence of the wall that encompassed this city in ancient times.. Earlier in the day we walked the narrow cobblestone streets next to the Rio Daro. We stepped into the ancient Arab baths built in the 6th century. We saw the ancient pipes used to pass water to the baths; we learned that an underground chamber was created to heat water and also learned the baths played an important religious and hygienic role in Islamic life. We later stepped into the Museum of Archeology to view specimens of diggings into ancient Ibero tribal life. We saw the remnants of Roman and Greco statuary depicting that civilization so long ago. There were exhibits of how this area of the European continent progressed from the Stone Age, into the Bronze Age and later into a more industrialized age.

All this view of antiquity gave way to an appreciation of our modern life as we settled into a sidewalk café for our evening dinner. Then to our modern chariot for our drive back to our 4 star hotel, The Abades Nevada Palace. A look into the past gives one a deeper appreciation of today and of what tomorrow may bring.

Sevilla Has Soul!

They say Cordoba has the amazing Mezquita and Granada has the great Alhambra, but Sevilla has a soul. Bullfighting and flamenco still thrive in this city of Carmen and Don Juan. This lively, flamboyant city boasts of being the gateway to the New World in the 16th century and thrived when Spain did. We arrive at our hotel from Cordoba too early to check-in, so we decide to take a walk and get our bearings. We discover our hotel is central to everything we want to see, so we’ll be doing miles of walking once again. After checking in and having dinner at a local restaurant we decide to call it an early night. All the dust and dirt in the old streets and buildings has brought on some allergy attacks for both of us, so we want to be fresh tomorrow with so much to see. On Wednesday morning we have a wonderful breakfast at the hotel and head out early. The Cathedral and Giralda Bell Tower are only about a mile away, so we head out through the cobblestone streets and shops and take in the lively neighborhoods along the way. This remarkable Cathedral is the third largest church in Europe and the world’s largest Gothic church (it’s in the Guiness Book of Records), where Christopher Columbus’ tomb lies, where paintings by famous artists hang and, once again, we are awestruck by the incredible artistry of the church. Luckily we’re allowed to take pictures inside, so John is snapping shots left and right. After an hour or so of touring this ancient place, we decide to sit down and try to take it all in, but we feel overwhelmed. Once we complete our tour of the Cathedral a few hours later, we decide to visit the Alcazar, not another church. Boy, are we glad we did! This was originally a palace built for the governors of the local Moorish state in 10th century and still serves as a royal palace, the oldest in use in Europe. Major renovations were done in the 14th century and, as we saw outside, they are still excavating parts of the palace. The Admiral’s Apartments are where Queen Isabel met with Christopher Columbus after his New World discoveries and where plans were made for such adventures in the New World. The Alcazar is filled with many apartments where royalty lived, gave birth, conducted business, and enjoyed entertaining dignitaries. Outside are various gardens with exotic plants, fountains, private courtyards and all surrounded by walls, like a fortress. It’s so large it resembles a park but feels tranquil and relaxing.

We closed out our day in Sevilla with dinner at a sidewalk café. In Spain, as well as in France, sidewalk cafes are the place to be. Whether meeting with friends for a bebida and a bocadillo (beverage and a light sandwich) or having dinner with the one they love, a sidewalk café is the place to be. Aside from having a place to refresh yourself, you will find yourself part of the ambience that makes a trip to Spain an experience to treasure.

Buenos noches y hasta luego!

From Ancient Cordoba

We left Madrid on Sunday, May 24th for our next destination, Cordoba. We spent a busy 4 days in Madrid with all its modernity juxtaposed with old Spain and have little expectations of what lies ahead in Cordoba. Our ride is quiet and comfortable as we drive along the autovia. Our drive takes us through a modern country past fertile farmland amidst gently rolling hills and towns named after saints such as Santa Cruz de la Mudela. We drive past thriving factories making the goods that Spain uses and supplies to the rest of Europe. In the province of Jaen we are treated to a breathtaking view of an imposing mountain pass that seems to be sliced from the highway we are traveling on.

We finally reach our destination after 3 and a half hour drive. Our first taste of Cordoba is being detoured from the street that we are seeking due to a festival. We cross the muddy Gualdalquivir River into what seems to be a gateway into the past. The modern age convenience of our GPS has directed us onto streets that left little tolerance for horse drawn carts let alone modes of travel like a car. We drive through streets that are barely wide enough for the car, in fact in many areas we are straddle the street with our wheels on what pass for sidewalks. Pedestrians duck into doorways to allow us room to pass as we navigate past buildings with just inches to spare. We finally reach our destination, the Hotel Maestre Minotel. Actually we had to park about 2 blocks away and walk down to the hotel to make sure it was the correct one and that they had a parking garage. Once that was established I went back to get the car while Gerri got things situated in our room.

The Peugeot that I am driving is an outstanding product of European engineering. One of the fine features that I have come to rely on is the proximity warning system. On each corner of the car and at the front and back there are sensors that give a visible and audible warning whenever the car is too close to any object. The warnings have been coming fast and furious as I navigate the streets of old Cordoba and now into the hotels underground garage. This trip has really shown me why Europeans value small cars and motorbikes, if I lived here I would be right there with them in my choice of vehicle to drive.

After settling into our hotel, we set off to see the sights. Cordoba is a centuries old city that was once the center of intellectual pursuits while much of Europe was still in the Dark Ages, Christianity, Judaism and Islam thrived here as equal partners in the social order. A famous scholar and philosopher was Maimonides (1135-1204) who was raised on Jewish scripture and Aristotle’s philosophy. He wrote the Guide of the Perplexed in Arabic, in which he asserted, as the Christian scholar St.Thomas Aquinas later would, that secular knowledge and religious faith could go hand-in-hand. Maimonides was eventually driven out when starting in 1147 the fundamentalist Almophads assumed power. He was driven out and went to Cairo where he eventually found work as the Sultan’s doctor.

Gerri and I explored the city enthusiastically and spent hours at the famous Mesquita. The Mesquita was built in 784 A.D. and for centuries was the center for the Islamic faithful. Walking into this ancient temple you can’t help but be impressed with its size. We learn that 5 times a day a mullah would ride a horse to the top of the tower to issue a call to prayer. The Reconquista (Reconquer) of Moorish Spain was completed in the 1200’s, after armies led by leaders such as El Cid drove out the Moorish occupiers and re-established Christianity in Spain. The Mesquita was left intact for the most part but was converted into a cathedral. When seeing all the chapels and the main altar as well as all the artwork by Goya and other renowned artists you can’t help but feel that the Christian re-conquest was meant to be noticed and adhered to by all. Walking into the Mesquita is a jaw dropping experience; we spent hours there spellbound by artwork of famous artists, gold and silver gilded altars, not to mention artifacts and tapestries from as early as the 6th century.

For more than 2 centuries after the re-conquest Jews lived peacefully under Christian Spanish rule. But starting in the 1400’s the Inquisition began and eventually they too were forced out. Learning more of Phillip II we gain the impression that it was his failure as a military leader and as a king that caused him to look for scapegoats in order to improve his stature.

We finished up our visit by walking to the modern part of Cordoba to see the contrast between the ancient city and what is now a large thriving metropolis. We are struck by the contrast between old and new.

As we walk the cobblestone streets I can’t help but wonder what it must have been like for my great great grandfather, Marcos Evangelista, as he walked these same streets as a young man. What expectations could he have held as he left this ancient city for a life in a new world of 1825? What would he think of the city he knew then and what it has now become?

El Escorial

It’s Saturday, May 23, 2009 and after a few days of humid, hot weather in Madrid, we wake up to a somewhat drizzley and a cloudy day. We got a late start today because we were waiting for someone from the rental office who never showed up, but we didn’t let that dampen our spirits. Today we visited the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial which was highly recommended by a friend. After a short, enjoyable ride just outside of Madrid, we come to the impressive building which is considered a historic legacy of the Spanish Crown and helped form Spain’s cultural identity. The Monastery was built between 1563 and 1584, designed by Juan Bautista de Toledo and Juan de Herrera and founded by Philip II. It was intended as a mausoleum for his father, Charles V and a monument to commemorate the victory in the battle of Saint Quentin on August 10, 1557. In touring the ancient structure, we are treated to a gallery of paintings by famous artists such as El Greco and Ribera, an architecture museum of materials, machinery tools and plans, a royal pantheon where Kings of Spain from Charles V to the present day are actually buried (a little eerie), a basilica which is the center of the Monastery with 45 altars, gardens, and a royal palace of rooms used by Philip II, one in which he lived his last days. Unfortunately, we are not permitted to take any pictures inside. The starkness of the stone walls and floors contrast some of the royal rooms decorated with ornate paintings and woodwork. Many of the vaulted ceilings were painted by famous Italian and Spanish painters and depict various styles. All the winding stairways, the drafty rooms and hallways, made us feel like we had stepped back in time, walking through a castle. One of the rooms is filled with a Gallery of Battles, depicting famous battle scenes and formations. This huge room was extremely impressive. The artwork and craftsmanship needed to build such a structure so many years ago is extraordinary. We are amazed at the precision achieved using such basic, primitive tools. The grandeur of this monastery with all of its treasures belies the fact that it was with Phillip’s reign that the decline of the Spanish empire began, ending with the defeat of the Spanish Armada by the British.

It’s getting late and the tour is over, so we decide to go over to the Valley of the Fallen, to see if it’s open. It’s only 6 miles away and a 500-foot-tall granite cross marks an immense and powerful underground monument to the victims of Spain’s 20th-century Civil War. John wanted to visit it, but we arrive too late, it’s closed. So we decide to head back to Madrid and have dinner. We return to a little neighborhood restaurant we ate at Thursday night and order something from the menu that we have NO idea what it is…it was delicious. We have been very adventurous in trying different foods and have been lucky because everything has been good so far. Tomorrow we head for Cordoba, a place of special significance to the Gonzalez clan

Hola!

We left Burgos and headed to Madrid allowing time for us to get lost, as has been the usual occurrence. We are still having problems programming the GPS; when we enter the name of a province we have to know the exact town. In this case we are headed to Madrid (province) and Madrid (town) the problem has been that when we enter a street name, the GPS pulls up the most commonly used names that are in its memory. I have been entering the name as it was given to me, such as Calle de la Coruna. Of course that name is not in the memory bank so I have been stumped. But somehow with a combination of Google maps, country maps and the GPS we have managed to find our way. Then after making a wrong turn or two in Madrid I tried just entering the street name, in this case Coruna, and it popped up! We were guided straight to our destination and as a matter of fact we were 2 hours early!

We have rented an apartment for 4 days in a district that is about 4 miles from the center of town. The apartment is a great little studio with all the comforts of home. My only complaint is that my internet connection has been sporadic. We have been able to do our laundry, which is a time consumer in itself. European washers are a lot smaller than the ones we are used to using. Four pairs of jeans and you have a full load that will take an hour and a half to wash; the dryer will take an equal amount of time to dry the clothes. Luckily we can start the wash and then do something else.

It’s great to have this little apartment; it’s located in a typical neighborhood with shops, restaurants nearby and a supermarket right around the corner. Living here for a few days gives us a real feel for living in a Spanish city. It also gives us a real convenient home base.

On Thursday we took a taxi down to the Plaza Mayor, which is the best place to start touring Madrid. At the Plaza there is the tourist information center where you can get maps of the city and any other tourist information you need. The Plaza is a huge public place with all kinds of life and activity going on; even the living statues are fun to watch.

There is a lot of construction going on in Madrid. Since Madrid lost their bid for the 2012 Olympics, they are making a bid for the 2016 games. Another thing I have notidced is that they gut the insides of old buildings; they take everything out right up to the walls. Then they rebuild from the inside out using new steel beams and new construction techniques. That way they preserve the facade of buildings while making them safe and modern. This is also part of their economic stimulus plan to put people to work to help with the 15% unemployment rate in Spain.

From the Plaza we head to the Palacio Real del Pardo; the Royal Palace dates from the 1700’s, has over 2800 rooms and had been the home to Spanish kings, such as Carlos V. It is no longer the home for the royal family but is open for tours except when there is an official state function. Walking the Palacio again you are struck by the beauty and the ornateness of each room. There are gold and silver items like serving trays, there are fine porcelain vases, there are ornate tables and chairs, tapestries that date from the 1600’s paintings by Goya. Goya was commissioned to do a lot of the artwork including portraits of Carlos V; doing basically sealed his credentials to become one of the greatest artists of his time. We wandered the palace for over 2 hours and the area that was the most impressive was the Royal Armory. Most of us have probably seen replicas of medieval armor, but nothing is as impressive as seeing the real thing. There was battle armor, jousting armor and parade armor there was complete armor for the horses. It was mind blowing, unfortunately there is no photographing anywhere inside the palace. There are guards in every area of the palace to enforce that rule.
After leaving the Palace we headed over to the Museo del Prado. Again this was an impressive place to see from outside. Since the lines were extremely long we decided to just look outside and then head out to see other areas of the city. We walked past other museums, official buildings and the Spanish military headquarters. We wanted to see Spanish neighborhoods so we kept walking, we walked and walked until we finally reached our apartment. When I entered our entire route into Google maps it showed that we had walked 23.5 miles. Not including all the walking we had done with the Palace and at the plaza! We were beat so we freshened up and went to a local place to eat then headed back to the apartment for the night. Tomorrow will be another day to explore Madrid, I can assure you that we will not be walking all that distance again!

Friday May 22

We have left our apartment after breakfasting on our usual cafe con leche and a light bread. This morning we are going back downtown, but we are taking the metro! The metro station is a nice easy walk from the apartment, the cost is 1 Euro to go anywhere in the system. The station is relatively clean and easy to find your way around. We get on the train and among commuters and other travellers and get off at the Sol station. Up at the surface we are in the midst of downtown life and activity. Sol plaza is the starting point for all addresses in Madrid as well as for all kilometer measurements in Spain.

We head over to the find the Hop on Hop off bus and find ourselves walking to the Palacio Real again. Good thing because we were able to get a good seat on the top deck, as the bus arrived at the Plaza Mayor stop, there were hundreds of people waiting to board. Today is just a day for riding the bus and catching up on some things that we missed yesterday. As it turns out we had covered a lot of things just by walking around yesterday. We rode the bus on its route for a few hours then headed back to the Plaza Mayor to people watch. It seems that everyone is out for a Friday afternoon. As it gets later in the day there are literally thousands of people out. There appears to be a heavy police presence to prevent any problems. In all this time we have not been bothered by anyone. There was only one guy who looked suspicious when we are at a restaurant having dinner. He looked like he might have been looking for an opportunity to grab something and run, but he soon left. I had my camera case fastened to my chair so he would have had take a big American with him if he wanted my camera!

Dinner was at a restaurant in the plaza. Gerri and I shared a paella, it was good tasting but I'm proud to say that Gerri claims that mine is better! Que suave! After dinner we walked around somemore, had dessert at a local place then headed back to the metro for our ride back to the apartment.

Tomorrow we plan to drive to El Escorial; The Valley of the Fallen and to Segovia. We'll see how that goes.

The Land of El Cid

Monday, May 18th

We have left San Sebastian after spending the morning taking in more of the sights, of which there are many. Our destination this morning is the area of Santander which is another coastal city further south. We pass through the thriving port city of Bilbao, past numerous factories that are contributing to a modern Spanish economy and follow our course to what is supposed to be our evenings rest.

Planning a journey like this has taken a lot of time. I have spent countless hours researching destinations and especially accomodations. Our next stop proves to be the challenge of all my planning.

Marie guides us on the autovista past towns and villages and directs us off the autovista in a town called Colindres. Another look at our confirmation and the Google map that I had prepared at home, shows our destination to be just outside of Santander and slightly in the mountains. The description of the hotel purports it to be a quaint, 17th century stone structure nestled between the sea and the mountains. We follow Marie's directions, read the directions from the hotel and pick up on the part that says to continue past the cows and turn onto a winding country road. Not having seen much signs of civilization to this point, cows out in a field leads us to believe that we are not too far away from spending the night in country charm. Marie guides us up a narrow winding road and at her final exhortation to "Turn left" and "You have arrived at your destination" we look around to find ourselves in the driveway of what appears to be a rundown home with some kind of large farm tractor looming in the way. We quickly decide that particular spot was not where we wanted to be at that moment so I put the Peugeot in reverse and backed out of there as quickly as I could. Once the tractor was past us, I called the proprietor of the "hotel" and told him I was looking for his property. He told me that his was a property beside an old church and it had a swimming pool. A little searching and I see the old church and the property. It appears that the only redeeming quality of this "hotel" is the swimming pool. The "hotel" looks like nothing more than someones house, there is not even a sign to estalblish this as a hotel or even a b&b. I place another call to tell the gentleman that we have found the property but thanks but no thanks we would not be staying the night. So we head back down the mountain and stop to set a new course at what was supposed to have been our next days destination, Burgos. A call to the hotel assures us that they had a room for me for 2 days and so we are on the way. So much for a day at the seaside! Rats!

We eventually get to the city of Burgos. I had been expecting a university town with quiet, cerebral streets. Instead what I found was a modern city bustling with traffic and activity. We find our destination, the Hotel Maria Luisa and check in for a 2 night stay. The hotel is in a large building that is part residential and with commercial stores at street level. The decor gives the impression of an old classic hotel. We get to our room and find that it meets our expectations completely. So we settle in and then go off to find a place to eat. Our quest for nourishment leads us to a little cafe near the old part of Burgos named La Celestina. The place is a somewhat noisy hangout for local people. We look at the menu and decide on a combination plate that includes a Spanish tortilla which is by no means similar to the tortilla of Mexico. This tortilla is made of eggs and potatoes, you can also get it with ham or countless other ways. It's intended to be a meal in itself and not just part of a meal. Along with this comes Spanish chorizo, which I have always favored, and something called morcilla. Morcilla evedently comes in large rolls and pieces are cut off to be cooked. The taste is absolutely tantalizing to the taste buds! That is something that I am definiteley going to have to find when I get back home!

A 2 night stay in Burgos is definelty the thing to do as we come to find out. The following day we get up have breakfast and set off to explore. We find ourselves in the old section of Burgos and are again amazed with a huge central square leading to what has to be the most imposing, impressive cathedral that we have seen since coming to Europe. The grandeur of La Catedral de Burgos rivals that of Notre Dame in Paris. It was from here that the political and religious will to fight the Moors and drive them from the the Spain that they had invaded and occupied for over 600 years. From the outside you see a confluence of designs, from Gothic to Romanesque to a contemporary design of 200 years ago. The towers themselves date from the 13th and the 14th century. Inside there are treasures to behold as you walk past chapels dedicated to various nobility of Spanish life from the chapel built and dedicated to the Granconstable of Burgos to the chapel built by King Alfonso to convince El Cid that he had nothing to do with the killing of his brother.

The chapels alone are gilded with golden altars or at least with fine woods in most cases. The main church which still functions as the worship place for many Burgosans is breathtaking with its main altar towering at least 20 feet high. We follow our self guided tour and marvel at the art work, the ancient processional crosses and we stand at the grave of El Cid el Campeador. The famous El Cid who mounted campaigns against the Moors to drive them from Seville, Granada, Cordoba and all of Andalusia to the south. At this moment we can almost feel the part of history that still drives most Spaniards today, for we are in the cradle of European civilization.

We close out our day with another dinner at La Celestina and head back to our hotel for a nights rest before heading to our next destination, Madrid.

Ongi Etorre --- Bienvenidos

Sunday May 17th

We have left the beautiful,lively city of Bordeaux. Our destination this day is San Sebastian, Spain. Driving out of the city we passed beautiful buildings. Architecture in Europe is a treat to see, in most cases it requires an artists eye to create what we now enjoy. Bordeaux is a city that one would want to spend at least a full day to explore the city, and another day in the vineyards.

Marie guides us past the waterfront and onto the autopista. We navigate through picturesque countryside under cloudy skies with occasional rain. Driving in France has been a pleasure so far and the workmanship of the Peugeot is evident in the fine details as well as the engineering of this machine. The French are a lot more civilized in their driving, at least they are when away from Paris.

About an hour and a half later, as we have been climbing the Pyrenees, we have now crossed the national boundary which will thrust us into a new culture, Spain. This first presentation of Spain shows the gains that have been made by the Basques since the death of Generallisimo Francisco Franco. Road signs are now posted in the Basque lanquage as well as in Spanish. During Franco's regime the Basques were forbidden to teach their language much less practice their customs. We have now been welcomed in Basque, "Ongi Etorre." Driving into this part of Spain you can't help but feel that you have somehow stepped into a postcard. The hills are vibrantly green, a product of the Atlantic storms that kiss this part of Spain.

Soon,after having been treated to many dazzling visual delights, we arrive in San Sebastian and our hotel The Silken Amara Plaza, a luxury hotel not far from the city centre. The first thing we do is to get over our impression of this modern hotel with more amenities than the typical European hotel. We have an elevator to take our baggage up! And --- we can fit all our luggage, and ourselves in and still have room for more!

Then a quick trip to look for something to eat. Arriving on a Sunday afternoon, at what is typically what we call siesta time, is not the most conducive to finding a place for dinner. We are too hungry to sit at a cafe for coffee, so we end up at the hotel's cafeteria. We order a simple meal, and a simple red wine. The waitress brings a bottle and leaves it in my care. Mistake! But what the heck, wine is a staple here, right? Dinner is a leisurely affair, the perfect complement to a near perfect day. The wine is perfect too, not too dry with a nice mellow nose. I have a glass, Gerri has a glass, I have another glass, Gerri has a half a glass. I then have another glass, then another. Ohhhhh! Somehow I now feel sleepy, can't understand that, I was feeling fine before. Dinner is capped with off with a fine cup of Spanish coffee and then off to our room we go. I lie down on the welcoming bed, the best since coming to Europe and a second after my head hits the pillow I am out for the count.

An hour later I awake, refreshed, rejuvenated and raring to go. Gerri, the poor thing has to wash her hair. Heh - heh - heh!!!! Hey, I don't have that commitment, alright?

Anyway, I figure I will go out in search of an ATM to get some Euro. I don't find a machine until I reach the centre. I find a machine, treat it gently and get my cash. I then figure that what the heck, my hair is fine and I'm down here, so I might as well make the most of my time and see some of the sights. So I wander here and there, a left turn here, a right turn there, another left another right and soon I have walked through another amazing plaza filled with hundreds of people enjoying their evening socializing. More sights and golden beaches bordering on emerald seas. And then it's time to get back to the hotel. Let's see, a left here a right there and another left --- or was that a right here then a left then a right or ????? I wander around like I really know where I am. I really did mean to walk down that street that ends at another. Which way, left or right? Oh well I can always back track can't I? Where is Marie when I need her? Anyway, 2 and a half hours later I am back to the hotel. I think I should have done my hair. Gerri is waiting, she was the smart one, she did her hair. The local irtzaintza (police) have not been called out to find this lost American and all is well. Or it will be as soon as I atone for my errant ways --- yes dear.

Two and a half hours later, here he comes...what turned out to be just a visit to an ATM, turned into sightseeing (without ME!!) and, of course, getting lost. Something strange has happened here in Europe...John, who ususally has an excellent sense of direction and a good internal compass, gets turned around quite easily...and me, who is well known for being "directionally challenged" usually finds our way back to our hotels!! This doesn't mean we haven't gotten lost together, it's just that I usually figure out when we are going in the wrong direction. No more walks alone!! The next morning, we decide that San Sebastian is too beautiful to leave without visiting more of its sights, so we head out and enjoy this picturesque, historical seaside city. We are impressed with the work being done to preserve the ancient structures and the efforts made to maintain the old world charm of the city. Heading back to the hotel after a few hours, we get a little lost, again, but by now we decide it's part of discovering more of a city, so we take it all in stride. Now on to Santander and a new adventure.

Listen to Marie

Since leaving Normandy we have made an overnight stop in Nantes to avoid too long of a drive to Bordeaux. We slept in what was little more than a closet, had a very disappointing breakfast at the hotel, and had to fight with the GPS. Not good! The GPS would not accept the address I inputted, a call to the hotel to find the name of the district was fuitless as the person who answered could not speak English. So I had the bright idea of inputting Le Petit Bordeaux. Just get me there Miss GPS who we have by this time named Marie,and off we go! Marie guides us through Nantes and onto the highway. We travel along at speeds of 110 to 130, I know you're thinking wow! Take your seat please, that's kilometers per hour not miles per hour! Driving on French highways isn't so bad. For the most part people drive the speed limit and aren't the obnoxious idiots we find on American highways. Maybe the fact that the gendarmes levy fines on the spot if they stop you has something to do with it. We drive along through fog and rain following Marie's directions. She tells us to turn right, we turn right, she tells us to turn left we turn left. Finally she tells us to take an exit and the screen shows we are only 30km away from Bordeaux. We take the exit, pay our toll and are prepared to meet the fair city of Bordeaux. We drive on minor roads, past roundabouts wondering where is our destination. A doublecheck on the map doesn't show us anything useful, we're just confused more than before. So we figure that Marie knows what she's doing, even if we don't and so we follow her directions. We drive along all the while counting down the distance to our destination. Finally the screen shows 600 meters to our destination, but a quick around shows us that something is terribly wrong. This is not the Bordeaux we have been expecting. Le Petit Bordeaux is nothing more than a hamlet out in the middle of vineyards and approximately 130 km from the Bordeaux we seek. So we look at the map again, find a town close to Bordeaux, feed that information to Marie and off we go secure in the knowledge that Marie knows what she is doing, even if we don't. We eventally find the REAL Bordeaux and are by this time relying on a combination of Google map directions as well as some directions printed on the hotel confirmation. We make a few wrong turns, go past the inevitable roundabout and finally locate our hotel --- we think. The directions say to park in a public garage and then walk 150 meters to the hotel. So we do as directed, schlep our luggage to the surface street and look for the hotel. No hotel in sight, leastwise none that I would want to spend a minute in let alone a night. We decide that Gerri should stay put while I go off in search of our humble abode for the night. Finally I find the hotel and go back to lead Gerri back to my find. A turn here a turn there and I will close in on my life partner! Wrong!!! Where is my wife?? With visions of her sitting on a French sidewalk looking like a hapless traveler surronded by sympathetic eyes, I turn a corner and there she is! I have found her and off we go with a turn here and a turn there we finally close in on where we will spend the night, the Hotel Gambetta. Looking down the street that is teeming with pedestrians mon fair ami tells me that she could see the hotel from where she head been waiting for me all the while. I find that hard to believe, but she later proves me wrong. Mer! Entering the heart of Bordeaux we had been amazed at the number of people in town squares and appearing to be out for the day. It turns out we arrived at about the time that the nightly social ritual begins. Many of the streets are closed to traffic including the street our hotel is located on and people are just walking, shopping and sitting in sidewalk cafes as they have a beverage and socialize. There are throngs of people everywhere. We trek up to our hotel room to secure our luggage and then hurry down to join all the action. We walk around and then try to find a place for dinner. The first place we choose the waiter looks at us as if we were complete idiots and conveys to us that we should come back at 7:30 if we want dinner. OK, we can do that, let's just walk around some more. Luckily we find a place to buy a smoothie to tide us over for a couple of hours. As Americans we just don't get it, this is the hour to socialize and then have a leisurely dinner. Dinner time comes and we go in search of a place to eat. In France restaurants are required to post a menu outside of their establishment so people can peruse it to decide where to eat and at what price they can expect to pay. We settle on a restaurant in another plaza teeming with people across from a church. A scan of the menu revealed various choices so I settled on a dinner comprised of a sea food salad and a salmon filet, Gerri chose calamar espangole and of course we had to have a bottle of wine. Dinner was served and we reveled in what was the best dinner that we had in France. The main course was prepared with the best of ingredients and the most creative, tastiest sauces I have ever had. We sat there for a couple of hours enjoying a leisurely, unhurried meal topped off with a cup of espresso. Something we just don't indulge in home in the USA. We should all take a lesson from the Europeans and tear ourselves away from the television, video games and garage time visits and sit down and smell the roses, even if that rose is a good cup of espresso. For all the people that were walking, talking and visiting, never once did we see anyone with any kind of attitude or belligerence. Just people out to have a nice time as they got caught up on the news of the day. A great time to be here!

A Tribute to Heros

Friday, May 15th and we bid adieu to Bayeux, but first a stop at the local patisserie for a fresh pain au chocolat for me and a great raisin treat for Gerri and 2 cups of great coffee. A stop at the local market for picnic supplies and we are all set for the next stop, the Normandy coast and the D Day beaches.

I set the GPS for the shortest route instead of the fastest route, what a great choice that was! Our drive takes us into the heart of the French countryside through narrow rodes wide enough for one vehicle, past ancient farm houses and fields tended by hard working farmers. We are thrilled to get close to the typical French farmer, something you just can't see or feel from through the window of a bus.

Enjoying this part of the trip, set the stage for a broader comprehension of the purpose of what was the greatest military action of the world, the D Day Invasion.
We arrived at Utah Beach, site of bloody fighting by American and British units. The beach is long and flat with high cliffs at either end and guarded by Nazi heavy weapons. The weather is cold and wet as we walk the beach each in private thought of events so long ago.

We then head to Omaha Beach, a name that is known to so many people because of the heroics depicted by actors. Walking here you can almost feel the chaos and anguish that was felt by real people, not actors.

Our next stop was to the American Military Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach. Entering the building one must go through a security check point. It seems so incongruous that the final resting place of 9,000 fallen GI's should have to be so zealously guarded against possible damage or abuse. We walk through the memorial reading the stories of ordinary people called to arms to rid the world of an evil menace. We read the story of the 5 Niland brothers, all serving at the same time in various military units and all killed in action at the same time. They were the basis for the movie, "Saving Private Ryan."

We then walk outside to get a better mental picture of Omaha Beach and the obstacles it presented to our troops. We finally get to hallowed ground, the final resting spot of 9,000 of the service members killed in this battle to free Europe. The wind is cold, wet and biting, typical for this time of year in Normandy. Yet this is only a small sample of what our troops faced and of what the war planners had to consider in making the decsion to invade. As an Army veteran, my thoughts were of the odds faced by these guys and also of the Army nurses who went with the invasion to tend to the inevitable casualties, many of them also lost their lives on these sands. My thoughts turned to the uncle I never knew who survived the invasion only to lose his life a few days later in a nearby village. Heros all, eternally at rest in the land they fought for so valiantly.

We left Normandy and set our GPS course for our 2 hour ride to Nantes, our overnight stop before heading to Bordeaux.

Adieu Paris

Thursday, May 14th and we are on the way to our next stop, Bayeux. But first a quick cab ride to the Peugeot delivery center to pick up our leased car. The cab ride give me a first hand experience of a ride through a Parisian roundabout. That is an experience in itself, if you can imagine having a can of marbles, shaking them up and then throwing them in a bowl with exit cut outs yet somehow none of the marbles touch each other then you have a good idea of a Parisian traffic roundabout. No stop sign for what could be 6 or 8 streets converging together and everyone getting there at the same time it's a marvel to watch. Somehow everyone gets through without a scratch. In fact in our entire stay in Paris we only saw 2 cars that had bashed in doors or a fender.

We pick up our car, a very fancy model 407 with all kinds of bells and whistles. I almost feel like a Frenchman. I am driving a French car with French license plates and it's registered in my name. Mon dieu! We head out for what should be a 2 and a half our ride to Bayeux. But it takes us an extra 90 minutes because ---- because?
you guessed it, a serious car and truck accident shut down the freeway. We detour around that and make it to our destination later than we had anticipated.

Before arriving at Bayeux we paid a brief visit to Caen, the site of the D-Day memorial museum.The museum is a moving memorial to the soldiers and sailors who participated in the D-Day invasion. There are artifacts of course, but the things that are most moving are the stories of individual heroes and probably the most impressive are videos of the invasion and of the effect that the Nazi occupiers had on the French.

Bayeux is one of the first towns liberated in the D-Day invasion. Walking around the town you get a sense of old Europe with ancient buildings and cobblestone streets. As in most French towns there is a hugh cathedral there that somehow escaped damage from the war as did most of the town. If you ever saw the movie, The Longest Day, the bridge that the Allies had to hold is located in Bayeux.

We wandered around like a couple of locals, or should I say lost tourists, and headed back to our hotel to catch up on some much needed sleep. Ever since we got to France we hit the ground running and kept going.

A Time to Reflect

Wednwesday morning finds us up bright and early. First order of the day is breakfast in the hotel, jeez those croissants are good! I also have to take care of my next best friend Othello. I bought him some treats last night, this my effort to improve Franco-American relations. As you know they've gone to the dogs in the past.

After breakfast we make our way to the Hop On Hop Off bus. Our destination is the Lourve. After a short ride we arrive and walk through the first archway and into a big courtyard, we continue walking to the main courtyard and entrance. Going through a second archway we find ourselves in the second courtyard which is a grand plaza. You can just imagine French royalty and their court traversing the cobblestone roadway as they arrived to revel in their opulence. We purchase our tickets and enter the public gallery which has been constructed underneath the courtyard. We make our way to the Denon gallery which houses the Mona Lisa. Entering the gallery we soon find ourselves in the Italian art wing. Entering that wing is like entering a time warp that literally takes your breath away. You are standing among works of artists from at least the 15th century! There aren't enough words to describe what you see and feel as you walk the hallways filled with the works of masters beneath the gilded ceiling that are in themselves works of art. We walk and gaze at paintings by so many artists known only to true art buffs. On the way to the Mona Lisa we walk past works of Da Vinci. Finally we come to the gallery housing the object of our search. Many of us have photos and caricatures of this famous painting, but nothing can describe the feeling that you get when you see the original Mona Lisa! We spend 4 hours at the Lourve and leave with the realization that our brains are on overload and that you would need at least a week to see everything. After resting our fleet feet for a moment or two we head to our next destination, Notre Dame Cathedral.

Notre Dame, the onetime worship place of French royalty and now the main cathedral in France is at once striking. Taking in it's majestic presence you realize how mortal we are and are like a grain of sand that forms the mortar to bind the stones of man's aspirations. You walk into the cavernous vestibule and make your way past countless side chapels. You look at wood carvings that were carved centurys ago and then you come to the main altar and have to reflect before it in silent thought. Our only regret is that we were not able to hear the famous organ that belongs to this grand cathedral.

We decide to end our day because we are dog tired. And besides, we have an Italian restaurant to find!

Bonjour Paris!!!

May 11th and we are finally in Europe! We landed in the City of Light at 12:30 p.m. after a trip of more than 11 hours from San Francisco. Our trip was uneventful, French passport control was a breeze, a computer scan of our passport, an official stamp and we're soon on our way to collect our bags and go through customs, except none was there. I can only imagine what kind of contraband could have been smuggled in with out anyone there to inspect. Our answer to the missing customs officers question was soon to be answered. We made contact with our shuttle driver, I never have had someone waiting for me at the airport with my name on a sign. Jeez, I felt so special - yeah right! Anyway, the shuttle driver went to retrieve his vehicle as Gerri and I waited along with two other women passengers who had already waited for an hour. The driver soon came back and said that security would not let him move his vehicle because of a package. We understood him to mean that there was a package in his vehicle and his vehicle was impounded. But that was not the case, the package was actually an unidentified package left in the parking lot and was soon to be blown up by the assembled police and military units on the scene.

Soon after the dispatch of the errant package we're on the way for a 40 minute trip into Paris itself. We head onto the peripherique autoway amid all the traffic and my mind is immediately thinking of all the horror stories that I have heard about driving in Paris. Shoot, this is no worse than driving on the LA freeway in the perennial rush hour traffic. Piece of cake or so I think. I will soon be proven wrong, extremely wrong.

We check into our hotel and take a long needed nap. Airplane travel is not the most conducive to sleep, especially when you're faced with a 9 hour time difference. After our nap, we awaken somewhat refreshed and venture out to see what lies in store in this, our first leg of our journey. First stop is around the corner to Rue Cler which is a popular tourist destination. We soon find a vendor making authentic crepes and settle on a banana crepe garnished with Nutella. Good stuff!

We explore the local area and take in our first hand view of the Eiffel Tower. After sitting and marveling at the creation of Gustave Eiffel, we head back to our hotel for a nights rest.

Tuesday morning we awaken to the sound of rain, pouring rain. Rats!! No matter what, we are going out, rain or no rain! After breakfasting on the specialty of the house, homemade croissants and jams, we head out to discover Paris as many have done before us. First stop is the Eiffel Tower where we stand in line with many other brave souls with undampened spirits. A quick elevator ride in 2 different elevators and we are at the top. We are so high, that we are literally in the clouds and have little to see but mist, mist and more mist. Oh well, at least we're here!

We head over to the Hop On Hop Off bus where we avail ourselves of our quasi self guided tour to explore this enchanting city. The nice thing about using this bus is that it goes on a fixed route to all of the sites and provides a recorded narrative to explain what you're seeing. Anytime you feel like gettig off to explore a site, you just get off the bus and then wait for the next bus to resume your sightseeing.
A great way to go, better than just wandering off by yourself to explore. We hit all the highlights of L'Arc de Triomph, the Champs de Lysee, Notre Dame, the Louvre and countless other sights to see. A full day of sightseeing, a disappointing steak dinner and we are settled back into our hotel to rest up for another day tomorrow.
Our goal tomorrow is to see the Louvre and Notre Dame and to walk by the Seine River. And to have dinner at that elusive Italian restaurant that we were looking for when we had to settle on that steak!!!

The Planning Stage

They say that every journey begins with a single step. After first talking and thinking about travelling to our ancestral home over 30 years ago, Gerri and I have finally come to the realization that now is the time to travel. Our first step has been in the planning of our dream trip to Spain with a few stops in France. As with most things in life, planning dictates the path that one will take. Our planning has started and soon we will begin to experience the thrill that many people enjoy every day as we soar off to unknown adventures. We plan on flying into Paris and spending a few days in the 7th arrondisement at the Hotel Valadon . The internet and Google have been my best friend as I investigate lodging, places to go, sites to see and everything else that might have anything to do with travelling. Travel forums have been my hangout, reading advice from others. Luckily there are a lot of people who want to share their thoughts and experiences. . After exploring Paris we will pick up our leased car from Auto France and drive to the Normandie coast where we will spend the night in Bayeux. From Bayeux we will travel to Nantes for a day then to Bordeaux for another day then onto Spain! Our first stop in Spain will be in San Sebastian where we intend to find a spot on the beach and revel in the realization that we have finally arrived in our ancestral home, Spain! May 10th will soon be here as we start our adventure from the City by the Bay


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