Month: November 2017

Once we left the flat gray surrounds of Zaragoza, our drive to BILBAO
was quite scenic – through Rioja and two small mountain ranges. We are now in the Basque region of Spain, which has its own language that coexists with Spanish (as does Catalan in eastern Spain), and a definite regional cuisine. One of our favorite things was Pintxos (pin-chos),

small bites of food (ham, cheese, salad, croquettes, meats) on a slice of bread dressed with various sauces and held together by a toothpick. We found a collection of Pintxo Bars at the Mercato de la Ribera…sort of a Basque ‘food court’ that we liked so much we went for lunch twice!

One of Bilbao’s claims to fame is the Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Gehry (we seem to be on a Gehry trail…).

The building is spectacular from every angle

and, according to our guide, sparked a renaissance in Bilbao when it opened 20 years ago.  Since then, there has be a surge of housing, infrastructure, green space, and novel architectural projects that contribute to making this a favorite of ours among cities in Spain.
We also used the 100-year-old Funicular to get to the top of the summit of Artxanda (pronounced: ar-chan-da)

for some awesome late afternoon views of the city.

We chose to spend two nights in GIJON (pronounced khi-hon, which sort of sounds to me like hee-haw…)

to break up the drive from Bilbao to Santiago de Compostela. The drive through mountains and valleys along the coast was lovely, and we’ve enjoyed exploring the town.
Gijon is the capital of the region of Asturia. One of the things for which this region is known is Sidra Natural  (apple cider).  The stuff is bone dry and delicious. But the real art is in the pouring. When you go into a Sidreria, your waiter pours you a shot from a bottle held high overhead.

As you drain your shot (about two ounces), he pours again.  Our bottle cost only 2.50⍷ and, sadly, we couldn’t even finish it!

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA is the terminus for pilgrims/hikers who traverse the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James). One of the 12 apostles, St. James preached extensively here in Galicia. After he was martyred, his body was brought back here for burial. The grave was rediscovered in 820AD and pilgrims began to flock here, coming by multiple routes across Spain, France, Portugal and even England. Today, more than 250,000 pilgrims travel here annually  and  many describe it as a very meaningful journey. We learned more about the pilgrimage tradition around the world in the Museo das Peregrinacións e de Santiago,

and picked up a map of the routes at the International Pilgrimage Center for future reference…

The major sight here is, of course, the Cathedral. Sadly, the outside was covered in scaffolding, but it was still an impressive place. We arrived during the noon ‘Pilgrim’s Mass,’ which really brought the church to life. The centerpiece of the main altar is a gold statue of (you guessed it!) St. James…hard to get close enough for a great photo, but I did my best…

Pilgrims (including us) climb behind the altar and touch the back of the statue. This reverent act is supposed to bring blessings.
The town surrounding the cathedral is a warren of lively narrow streets, all reserved for pedestrians. 
Many of the sidewalks are arcaded since, apparently, it rains a lot here.

Our last day here was Thanksgiving.  We celebrated by having lunch at Pedro Roca, a Michelin starred restaurant, where I had sweetbreads and Rick had lobster.

Not exactly turkey and stuffing, but we’ll have that another year…

Tomorrow we head for Portugal, our last country on this leg of the adventure.

After a brief stop in PARAZA (Languedoc) to visit our friends Marie-Jose & Harry, at their chambre d’hôte, Domaine Méditerranée, we’ve now moved on to Spain.  Our last few days in France were extremely windy (25-35mph!). Even the picturesque plane trees were swaying!

But, as soon as we crossed into Spain, on the other side of the Pyrenees, the wind was gone!

First stop, GIRONA. About an hour north of Barcelona, we are in the heart of Catalonia.  This was brought starkly to our attention when, on our first full day in town, the government called a general strike and everything was closed…museums, historic sites, most shops and grocery stores, all shuttered.  We didn’t observe any demonstrations, but saw a number of flag-draped people walking around – presumably coming from these gatherings.  The politics of Catalonian independence are on full display here with flags and banners on most buildings.

On a guided walking tour (the day following the strike),

we climbed to the top of the old Roman city walls,

and crossed a bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel, some years before he built his eponymous tower in Paris,

for a view of the colorful riverside houses that distinguish Girona.

We then headed south, past Barcelona along a dramatic Mediterranean coastline,

to TARRAGONA.  This coastal city is home to a wealth of Roman ruins.  I don’t think I ever appreciated how much of Western Europe was occupied (and developed) by the Roman Empire!  This Roman circus,

a well-preserved amphitheater,

and an aqueduct (about 10 minutes outside of town)

are among the best.
A tradition in Tarragona is, in September during the feast time of Santa Tecla (the city’s patron saint), teams of people (mostly young men) stand on each other’s shoulders to form ‘human castles.’ This monument depicts this unusual activity.

we are still in Catalonia, but we see many fewer flags and protest signs here in Tarragona.

ZARAGOZA was one of the least scenic we have experienced.  The land was flat and gray without mountains or many trees.  And the wind has returned! Wind speeds of 25mph can blow our little car around on the highway.  But, once we got to our destination, we found the town to be quite interesting.  It is the largest city (except Paris) that we’ve visited thus far on this leg of our travels (pop. 800,000). Our host thoughtfully provided bus passes, which we found very useful getting into the central city.
One of the city’s main attractions, the Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, seemed to glow in the late afternoon light.

The legend of this church is that, in 40AD, the Virgin Mary appeared to St. James (Santiago) atop a marble pillar on this spot.  A small chapel was built around the remaining pillar, followed by a series of bigger and grander churches and, finally, this enormous basilica.
On a walking tour we saw the remains of the Roman amphitheater…these guys were everywhere!

and the Islamic influence in the architecture of churches.

The Goya Museum showcases the work of a native son. and in the Aljaferia  Palace, we saw an Islamic palace on top of which was built a Catholic palace, which is now the site of the Aragon Parliament.

More Spain to come…

In December of 2016, we stopped in ARLES on our way from the Languedoc to Colmar.  We lucked into a lovely Airbnb with an awesome host and vowed to return and make this our home base for exploring Provence.  So here we are, settled in one place for a MONTH!! The house and the host are as great as we remember and we are so glad to completely unpack our suitcases and settle in.
This place is a smaller version of our old house on Patterson Park – wine cellar in the basement (stocked…pay as you consume), wonderful kitchen on the ground floor, master bedroom and bath on the second floor, and bonus room with a nice outdoor porch (and a half bath) on the top floor. But unlike PP, we have a garage!!
         

ARLES is an ancient city that was a Roman capital over 2000 years ago.  Among the Roman ruins are an Arena with a capacity of 20,000 (a stone’s throw from our house),

where, a few days after our arrival, we watched a ‘Bull Game,’ where some 20 young men dash by the bull trying to grab a ribbon from between the bull’s horns.  The bull is clearly in charge in this ‘fight’ and, though he might get tired, he doesn’t get hurt.

The Musée Départemental Arles Antique (Arles’ Ancient History Museum), built on the site of the Roman chariot racecourse, provides a wonderful historical overview of ancient Arles. A recent addition to the museum is a painstakingly restored Gallo-Roman boat that was discovered in 2006 buried in the silt of the Rhone River.

Arles is a comfortable sized town; easily walkable and, though not as polished as its bigger neighbors like Avignon & Marseille, is a great base for exploring the region.

The area closest to Arles is the ALPILLES REGION.  A short drive outside of town is the Abbey of Montmajour (AD 950) where A Lion in Winter was filmed,

and the ruins of a Roman aqueduct that once provided Arles and the surrounding farms with fresh water.

A bit farther on is the hilltop town of LES-BAUX-DE-PROVENCE. Arriving in the lower town, the walk up to the castle ruins seems intimidating. But the gradual uphill climb through a pleasant town made it easier. There are many ancient armaments (like catapults) on display

and the views are spectacular!

SAINT RÉMY-DE-PROVENCE is pretty, tidy town where the primary draw seems to be shopping (?!). It is apparently quite popular with tourists and we did find some delicious (and expensive) chocolates there. Just outside Saint Rémy, the ruins of the Roman town of Glanum, dating from the first century BC.  It was a cold and windy day, but a very interesting site to see.

Adjacent to Glanum is the St. Paul Monastery & Hospital, a mental hospital where VanGogh spent a year (1889-1890) near the end of his life. During that time, he produced 143 paintings and 100 drawings, most of which depict the hospital and its surrounding fields and flowers.  Copies of many of these are on display here near the scene memorialized in the painting. It is a very peaceful place that is still in operation.

Art therapy is used here and the gift shop sells some impressive items created by patients.

We made a day trip to AVIGNON by train (20 minutes!).  There we toured the Palais des Papes, where the Popes lived for a little more than 100 years beginning in 1305. The structure itself is like a cross between a fortress and a monastery.

Its empty rooms were made more interesting by an exhibit of sculptures by African artists.

The Pont Saint-Bénezet was once one of the longest bridges in France, spanning two arms of the Rhone and is the subject of a familiar children’s song…Sur le pont d’Avignon… Only 4 of its original 22 arches remain, but it is still a sight to see.

Our visit to CAMARGUE began in Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, a typical beach town filled with cafes, shops, mini-golf, and a lovely beachside promenade.
We also stopped at the Musée de Camargue, where we got a better idea of the importance of this region at the delta of the Rhone as it enters the Mediterranean. Most of the rice consumed in France is grown here; the Fleur de Sea de Camarge is a highly prized salt; and the marshes provide a spring and summer breeding ground for herons and flamingos. Sadly, most of the birds had flown to their winter homes in the south…

We made two trips to MARSEILLE, one on our own and one with our host, Bernard. We took a boat ride out to islands, Port Frioul & Chateau d’If (of Count of Monte Cristo fame).

When Bernard and his wife, Jo, took us to Marseille, it was great to have a knowledgeable guide.

Bernard drove us into the city along the coast, along the Corniche Président Kennedy (very ritzy waterfront homes) to Callelongue – a fishing village at, literally, the end of the road

before doubling back up to the top of the town to see Notre Dame de la Garde, a basilica that is the city’s landmark site. The church itself is impressive,

but the 360º views from its terrace is why most people venture up here.

We had lunch at Etienne, a pizza restaurant crowded with locals (not a tourist in sight…) where we had the specials – anchovy & cheese pizza and grilled seiche (cuttlefish) washed down with the house red wine.
On the walls were photos of celebrities who frequent the place including a very young Michael Caine and Anthony Quinn.  This place has been around for some time!!

We explored the Le Panier District, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Marseille that has a chic patina

and contains one of the largest and coolest hardware stores I’ve ever been in.

One last look at the Vieux Port in the late afternoon light before heading back to our home in Arles.

Of all of the aqueducts we’ve seen, the Pont de Gard is certainly the highlight.  It is huge, perfectly preserved and has a museum that makes the construction and use of aqueducts very clear (and even more impressive!). Most of the water was carried underground in lead pipes…those Romans were awesome plumbers!

Only when they got to a valley (remember this was all gravity flow) did they need to build a structure to carry the pipe. Wow!

Now from the sublime to the ridiculous…between the Pont du Gard and Uzes (another forgettable, cute shopping town), we came across the Musée de Bonbon, which was really just a huge Haribo gummy bear store. Since these are my favorite candies, we just had to stop…

NIMES was the destination for all of the water from the Pont de Gard aqueduct. A wealthy Roman city that gained prestige because of the plentiful water. Since the Middle Ages, Nimes has exported denim (de Nimes = from Nimes). The major sites here are a well-preserved arena,
the Maison Carrée, a stunning Roman temple reminiscent of the Pantheon,

and a first-century Temple of Diana, most likely in reality a Roman library.

We couldn’t be in this area without visiting the CÔTES DU RHONE. It is really quite a scenic drive between towns with familiar names…Vaqueras, Beaumes-de-Venise, Gigondas.

And the wines we tasted were delicious!

Rick had a birthday this month which we celebrated at L’atelier de Jean Luc Rabanel, a Michelin 2-star restaurant in Arles.

The Train de la Côte Bleue is a slow train along a beautiful southwestern Mediterranean coastline from Marseille to Mirimas.  I’m a fan of trains, and was eager to do this trip. The first half of the trip (out of Marseille) was incredibly scenic; the rest not so much. And it would have been better to have done this in the morning, when the sun would have been on the non-scenic side of the train.

Our last four days in Arles were graced by a visit from my son, Andy, who traveled here from his home in Bend, OR. We all took a day trip to Aix-en-Provence, but the best times were Mom & Andy wanderings around the old city of Arles…hugs, conversation (!) and just quality together time.

We are off to wandering again…this time Spain and Portugal…for the next 6 weeks or so before coming back to the States for the holidays.