Santorini, Greece
If ever there was a postcard that came to life, it has to be those of the island of Santorini. Everything about our six day stay has been idyllic, serene and incredibly picturesque. As I write this blog, I am looking out across the white tile floor that leads to the Greek blue double wood doors that open to our patio. Alex and Madeleine are playing with the local kitties and beyond them stretch forever views of the Aegean Sea and the other side of the island. The dramatic cliffs across the way are roofed with clusters of snowy white villages, accented with the bright blue domes of the Greek Orthodox churches. It’s spectacular.
Since we arrived in Oia, we have been extremely content to fill our days surveying the daily routine of the people who live and work here. Our patio gives us the perfect opportunity to play the voyeuristic role of an outside observer. At 9:30am, the Greek woman who owns the hotel across the way, stands on her patio with her hand on her hips and gives her daily instruction to her two faithful workers. At 10:00am, the wooden Greek fishing boat comes into Armeni Harbor to pick up passengers for a tour of the caldera. At precisely 11:00am, three Greek cowboys wrangle their twelve jingling donkeys down the 280 stone steps that lead to the beach below. They will return to the village at 5:30pm, after having spent the day hauling weary tourists up and down the steep hill. At 6:00pm, the Greek Orthodox Church begins its nightly mass and the sounds of the Father singing his prayers waft through the entire village. The evenings are peaceful and when the sun sets on Armoudi Harbor, a whole new palette emerges and the cliffs of Santorini sparkle with warm golden lights.
We’ve spent our mornings walking the village buying tomatoes from one vendor, Greek olives and feta from another, and whatever else we could find for the day. The girls would feed the cats daily and quickly assigned names to match personalities – Luna, Panther, Molly, Scratchy, Shiloh, Tony Cajones, Spot, Lucy and Wiley! After reading, napping, sunning and noshing for a few hours, we would set off to hike the stairs to one of the two beaches. Alex, Matt and I plunged ourselves into the Aegean Sea on one of the hikes and it was icy cold! At night we’d cook, or grab a bite in town, then crash in our little sanctuary.
Our days were enhanced with the presence of our neighbors, Jim and Shell Warfield. Jim’s an emeritus professor of architecture from University of Illinois and he was in Santorini teaching a class to about 14 students. They were a delight to get to know and very interesting travelers. We had some good talks and might actually get to see them again when we’re in Shanghai in July. They left a day earlier then us and the “neighborhood” wasn’t the same without them!
We rented a car and spent the day driving around the entire island on our last full day. We stopped at three Greek Orthodox churches that were so incredibly beautiful. The last one was freshly painted for Easter and it was the most pristine vision I have ever seen. We ended the day at Armoudi Beach, famous for its fresh fish taverns. We chose our live fish and within 15 minutes, it was on plates on our table – it was wonderful.
We are leaving Santorini just before the mad crush of travelers show up for Easter and the four month holiday season that follows. The village has been scrubbed, stocked, trimmed and painted and have been the beneficiaries of the performance without the crowds. Another unplanned moment of perfection on this remarkable journey.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Rome
My heart sank a bit when the train pulled out of Monterosso and headed for Rome. It was difficult to imagine spending four days in a city of 2.7 million people after spending five days with Matteo, Carla, Marco, Anna, Fausto and all the lovely people we met in Cinque Terre. I felt almost disoriented the first night as we walked to Piazza Novona for dinner at a local Roman hang-out. Feeling energized after an authentic Italian dinner, I felt better prepared to welcome Rome and open myself up to the next few days of travel. Our little flat was located right across the way from the Vatican City and I swear I could hear the Pope singing in the shower the next morning.
We decided to spend our first day making the train trip to Pompeii to visit the city ruins. We were all astounded by how much of the city is still intact and the vast area of ground it covers. With Mt. Vesuvius looming in the background, it’s easy to imagine the fear and chaos that must have ensued on that day in 79AD when the volcano erupted. There were very few tourists on the grounds that day and many of the streets and building we walked around were completely empty, except for us. I was able to take some great shots of empty streets, which I have to believe is a rare sight at Pompeii. We were all impressed by the order and sophistication by which these people lived so long ago. The houses were spacious, the baths were decadent and the main area of town offered most of the goods and services we have in today’s modern world. The most impressive thing to me was the rich color that remained on the walls as decoration. I wouldn’t say Pompeii was filled with great painters, but it was obvious that color and décor were an important aspect of their aesthetic world. The cast moldings of bodies frozen in time, the forum, theaters and college, the countless numbers of preserved statues, vases and pottery, the patchwork marble countertops are just some of the gifts Pompeii has to offer. It was a full day, but we were really happy we made the effort because Pompeii is captivating.
The next day, our driver, Alberto, picked us up at 9:00am for a breezy tour of Rome! This was a great call, on Matt’s part, because we were able to efficiently see many of the important sites of Rome with out all the fuss. Alberto took us to The Forum, The Colosseum, The Circus Maximus, The Palatine, Trevi Fountain, The Domus Area, and of course, The Pantheon (the most impressive to me). In addition, Alberto drove us through old neighborhoods and pointed out the few chunks of the original city walls that still remain and gave us some great insight into modern Italian history, from his family’s perspective. It was a day well-spent because we were able to decide which monuments we wanted to re-visit on our own.
The next two days were spent in The Vatican and The Colosseum, both equally impressive in their own ways. I loved, loved, loved walking around The Colosseum. I thought it was fascinating. As I climbed the stairs to the second level of this giant, I could just imagine myself in the days of the Romans. My leather sandals would pad lightly under by loose linen frock as I carried my Big Gulp-size carbonated olive oil drink, my paper cone filled with fried muskrat noses and my poached possum on a stick, to the commoners section to watch the gladiator fights!
I would return to Rome in a heartbeat. There is so much to see and I really like the city!
My heart sank a bit when the train pulled out of Monterosso and headed for Rome. It was difficult to imagine spending four days in a city of 2.7 million people after spending five days with Matteo, Carla, Marco, Anna, Fausto and all the lovely people we met in Cinque Terre. I felt almost disoriented the first night as we walked to Piazza Novona for dinner at a local Roman hang-out. Feeling energized after an authentic Italian dinner, I felt better prepared to welcome Rome and open myself up to the next few days of travel. Our little flat was located right across the way from the Vatican City and I swear I could hear the Pope singing in the shower the next morning.
We decided to spend our first day making the train trip to Pompeii to visit the city ruins. We were all astounded by how much of the city is still intact and the vast area of ground it covers. With Mt. Vesuvius looming in the background, it’s easy to imagine the fear and chaos that must have ensued on that day in 79AD when the volcano erupted. There were very few tourists on the grounds that day and many of the streets and building we walked around were completely empty, except for us. I was able to take some great shots of empty streets, which I have to believe is a rare sight at Pompeii. We were all impressed by the order and sophistication by which these people lived so long ago. The houses were spacious, the baths were decadent and the main area of town offered most of the goods and services we have in today’s modern world. The most impressive thing to me was the rich color that remained on the walls as decoration. I wouldn’t say Pompeii was filled with great painters, but it was obvious that color and décor were an important aspect of their aesthetic world. The cast moldings of bodies frozen in time, the forum, theaters and college, the countless numbers of preserved statues, vases and pottery, the patchwork marble countertops are just some of the gifts Pompeii has to offer. It was a full day, but we were really happy we made the effort because Pompeii is captivating.
The next day, our driver, Alberto, picked us up at 9:00am for a breezy tour of Rome! This was a great call, on Matt’s part, because we were able to efficiently see many of the important sites of Rome with out all the fuss. Alberto took us to The Forum, The Colosseum, The Circus Maximus, The Palatine, Trevi Fountain, The Domus Area, and of course, The Pantheon (the most impressive to me). In addition, Alberto drove us through old neighborhoods and pointed out the few chunks of the original city walls that still remain and gave us some great insight into modern Italian history, from his family’s perspective. It was a day well-spent because we were able to decide which monuments we wanted to re-visit on our own.
The next two days were spent in The Vatican and The Colosseum, both equally impressive in their own ways. I loved, loved, loved walking around The Colosseum. I thought it was fascinating. As I climbed the stairs to the second level of this giant, I could just imagine myself in the days of the Romans. My leather sandals would pad lightly under by loose linen frock as I carried my Big Gulp-size carbonated olive oil drink, my paper cone filled with fried muskrat noses and my poached possum on a stick, to the commoners section to watch the gladiator fights!
I would return to Rome in a heartbeat. There is so much to see and I really like the city!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Cinque Terre
I’ve been anticipating our stay in Cinque Terre for a long time and, honestly, from everything I had learned about this area, had very high expectations. We were not disappointed. Our five days in this exquisite Italian paradise will remain in our hearts and minds as some of our best travel memories. Each of us has already planned our return!
We chose to make Monterosso al Mare (the northern most of the five cities) our base because we heard it had a nice beach area and it sounded quiet. After visiting all five cities, I really don’t think you could go wrong staying in any one of them, but we immediately fell in love with Monterosso and felt at home. It’s still a very quiet time to be traveling through the Cinque Terre, so the town and hiking trails were all ours. Monterosso is a tiny village, fairly flat, with a beautiful beachfront. We arrived with no reservations, walked through the pedestrian tunnel and stopped at the first hotel where we met Marco. Marco had no rooms available in his hotel, but he called his brother, Matteo, and set us up at Hotel Villa Steno, through town and set up on a pretty hill overlooking the town. Matteo and his wife, Carla, run Villa Steno and it is just beautiful. We had a two room suite with a huge balcony overlooking the town and crashing waves. The property is surrounded by lemon, tangerine and olive trees and ate night there is a steady serenade from hundreds of toads. The limoncino made from lemons picked on the hotel property is so good!
The first days we took off from Monterosso on the hiking trail that connects all five villages. The leg from our town to the next town, Vernazzo, is the most challenging, but the scenery was well worth it and we were thrilled to be back in nature. Along the way, we had incredible views of the next towns, olive groves and terraced hills of vineyards. Vernazzo is a colorful little town with a natural harbor area that is positively perfect. We stopped for some pesto pizza (the ligurian pesto from this area is to die for!) and salad down by the water, then headed back to the trail toward Corniglia.Corniglia sits up on a rocky hill and has a beautiful outlook at the top. By the time we reached Corniglia we had been hiking for about four hours. We decided to train back to Monterosso.
Along the trail we started talking with an American couple, Sussi and Larry, who live in northern Washington. We instantly connected and ultimately ended up sharing two fabulous meals with them. Sussi and Larry are down to earth, bright, and incredibly well-traveled and we just loved spending time with them. The girls were really inspired by their kindness and their travel stories – especially Larry’s stories about shearing sheep in New Zealand and picking tomatoes in Australia! We parted ways on a shared train to La Spezzia, but we have no doubt that we weren’t saying “good-bye”, but rather “until next time!”
On our third day we trained down to Riomaggiorio in the pouring rain! We still had a blast. We ran down to the Marina to have lunch at Dau Cila where Fausto served us great wine and three different types of bruschetta. We took some great photos and ended up talking with another fun couple from Newport Beach who there on sabbatical, painting in Cinque Terre. We decided to skip Manarola and head home to stay dry.
The time we spent wandering around Monterroso was so peaceful. We bought some local olive wood products for our new kitchen, ate at our favorite restaurant, Alta Marea, run by a really sweet couple, Anna and Marco, and walked up and down the beach collecting sea glass for Madeline. Matt and I ran up to the hill to the cemetery and we were the only ones there. We walked around for quite a while, reading family names and looking at photos of those who had passed. The Capuchin monk’s monastery sits below the cemetery, so we popped in just before service began. It was time to go back to the hotel to collect our bags to move on.
The thing about Cinque Terre that made it so special was that we connected with literally everyone we came in contact with. People are happy here – why wouldn’t you be? I felt a little like the main character in the movie Local Hero (you have to watch this movie – a classic). It’s hard not to fall in love with this place and fantasize that maybe someday we’ll be the couple running the Hotel Villa Steno, or some great restaurant or olive oil specialty shop. We can’t wait to return- maybe next time with our bikes!
I’ve been anticipating our stay in Cinque Terre for a long time and, honestly, from everything I had learned about this area, had very high expectations. We were not disappointed. Our five days in this exquisite Italian paradise will remain in our hearts and minds as some of our best travel memories. Each of us has already planned our return!
We chose to make Monterosso al Mare (the northern most of the five cities) our base because we heard it had a nice beach area and it sounded quiet. After visiting all five cities, I really don’t think you could go wrong staying in any one of them, but we immediately fell in love with Monterosso and felt at home. It’s still a very quiet time to be traveling through the Cinque Terre, so the town and hiking trails were all ours. Monterosso is a tiny village, fairly flat, with a beautiful beachfront. We arrived with no reservations, walked through the pedestrian tunnel and stopped at the first hotel where we met Marco. Marco had no rooms available in his hotel, but he called his brother, Matteo, and set us up at Hotel Villa Steno, through town and set up on a pretty hill overlooking the town. Matteo and his wife, Carla, run Villa Steno and it is just beautiful. We had a two room suite with a huge balcony overlooking the town and crashing waves. The property is surrounded by lemon, tangerine and olive trees and ate night there is a steady serenade from hundreds of toads. The limoncino made from lemons picked on the hotel property is so good!
The first days we took off from Monterosso on the hiking trail that connects all five villages. The leg from our town to the next town, Vernazzo, is the most challenging, but the scenery was well worth it and we were thrilled to be back in nature. Along the way, we had incredible views of the next towns, olive groves and terraced hills of vineyards. Vernazzo is a colorful little town with a natural harbor area that is positively perfect. We stopped for some pesto pizza (the ligurian pesto from this area is to die for!) and salad down by the water, then headed back to the trail toward Corniglia.Corniglia sits up on a rocky hill and has a beautiful outlook at the top. By the time we reached Corniglia we had been hiking for about four hours. We decided to train back to Monterosso.
Along the trail we started talking with an American couple, Sussi and Larry, who live in northern Washington. We instantly connected and ultimately ended up sharing two fabulous meals with them. Sussi and Larry are down to earth, bright, and incredibly well-traveled and we just loved spending time with them. The girls were really inspired by their kindness and their travel stories – especially Larry’s stories about shearing sheep in New Zealand and picking tomatoes in Australia! We parted ways on a shared train to La Spezzia, but we have no doubt that we weren’t saying “good-bye”, but rather “until next time!”
On our third day we trained down to Riomaggiorio in the pouring rain! We still had a blast. We ran down to the Marina to have lunch at Dau Cila where Fausto served us great wine and three different types of bruschetta. We took some great photos and ended up talking with another fun couple from Newport Beach who there on sabbatical, painting in Cinque Terre. We decided to skip Manarola and head home to stay dry.
The time we spent wandering around Monterroso was so peaceful. We bought some local olive wood products for our new kitchen, ate at our favorite restaurant, Alta Marea, run by a really sweet couple, Anna and Marco, and walked up and down the beach collecting sea glass for Madeline. Matt and I ran up to the hill to the cemetery and we were the only ones there. We walked around for quite a while, reading family names and looking at photos of those who had passed. The Capuchin monk’s monastery sits below the cemetery, so we popped in just before service began. It was time to go back to the hotel to collect our bags to move on.
The thing about Cinque Terre that made it so special was that we connected with literally everyone we came in contact with. People are happy here – why wouldn’t you be? I felt a little like the main character in the movie Local Hero (you have to watch this movie – a classic). It’s hard not to fall in love with this place and fantasize that maybe someday we’ll be the couple running the Hotel Villa Steno, or some great restaurant or olive oil specialty shop. We can’t wait to return- maybe next time with our bikes!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Aix en Provence/Monaco/Nice
We left St. Felix and drove along the southern coast of France to Aix en Provence. We only stayed in Aix for 24 hours, but we loved the old town flower and food market, the sophisticated French feel of the locals and the vibrant energy of the younger generation. We walked all over the city, had some good meals, bought some French pottery and headed for our next destination, Monaco.
We were invited to stay in our friend, Gerard Fosalli’s, hotel, the Vista Palace in Monaco. The Vista is one of those landmark hotels in Monaco that sits way up high on a hill and has forever ocean views and gorgeous panoramic views of Monaco. We had not seen Gerard since he left LA five years ago, so we were really happy to get the chance to spend some time with him. He took very good care of us and we had an incredible suite with views, views and more views! We ventured down to the Casino and harbor area one night and WOW – what a scene! The value of the expensive cars parked outside the casino could end world hunger. The money that passes through Monaco, from all over the world, is astronomical. Historically, the country itself is a bit of a phenomenon, but there’s no denying the absolute beauty of the environment. After completely pampering ourselves for three days, we headed to Nice to do some errands!
Nice was another 24-hour quickie just to drop off our rental car, mail some boxes and catch the train to Cinque Terre. We did have the afternoon to walk along the beach and have a really great meal (our best pizza yet), and just mosey around town. The color of the ocean in Nice rivals the waters off the coast of the Yucatan. The ocean is light green, almost white, when it hits the beach, then darkens to a turquoise green that is unreal. The beaches are rocky and it was really windy, but the skies were blue and the sun was bright and we realized that our souls were at peace and it felt like home being close to the ocean again.
We’re really excited about Cinque Terre. We’re staying for four days in Monterosso al Mare and plan to hike the trails and see all five cities of this beautiful region!
We left St. Felix and drove along the southern coast of France to Aix en Provence. We only stayed in Aix for 24 hours, but we loved the old town flower and food market, the sophisticated French feel of the locals and the vibrant energy of the younger generation. We walked all over the city, had some good meals, bought some French pottery and headed for our next destination, Monaco.
We were invited to stay in our friend, Gerard Fosalli’s, hotel, the Vista Palace in Monaco. The Vista is one of those landmark hotels in Monaco that sits way up high on a hill and has forever ocean views and gorgeous panoramic views of Monaco. We had not seen Gerard since he left LA five years ago, so we were really happy to get the chance to spend some time with him. He took very good care of us and we had an incredible suite with views, views and more views! We ventured down to the Casino and harbor area one night and WOW – what a scene! The value of the expensive cars parked outside the casino could end world hunger. The money that passes through Monaco, from all over the world, is astronomical. Historically, the country itself is a bit of a phenomenon, but there’s no denying the absolute beauty of the environment. After completely pampering ourselves for three days, we headed to Nice to do some errands!
Nice was another 24-hour quickie just to drop off our rental car, mail some boxes and catch the train to Cinque Terre. We did have the afternoon to walk along the beach and have a really great meal (our best pizza yet), and just mosey around town. The color of the ocean in Nice rivals the waters off the coast of the Yucatan. The ocean is light green, almost white, when it hits the beach, then darkens to a turquoise green that is unreal. The beaches are rocky and it was really windy, but the skies were blue and the sun was bright and we realized that our souls were at peace and it felt like home being close to the ocean again.
We’re really excited about Cinque Terre. We’re staying for four days in Monterosso al Mare and plan to hike the trails and see all five cities of this beautiful region!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
St. Felix-Lauragais
I’m sitting at an old French farm table in the kitchen of the most charming cottage I could have ever imagined. The white candles are lit on the table, the girls are listening to the Beatles in the other room and Matt is, again, cooking us a fabulous dinner with fresh food he picked up at the market today. Life came together when we arrived in St. Felix, a very tiny town in the south of France, half-way between Toulouse and Carcassonne. St. Felix is a heavenly little town perched atop a hill, accented by a beautiful old cathedral and surrounded by green fields of grass that have finally given me the true meaning of green. There is a country path, a two mile loop, which takes you out of town, down a grassy road specked with little white flowers and up to a ridge that has a panoramic view of St. Felix on the left and an infinite view of French countryside on the right. The four of us walked the loop yesterday and we were thoroughly consumed with the scenery. This is the kind of place that you might read about in a great novel or poem, but never expect that it might actually exist. St. Felix is bucolic and all four of us have been immediately captured by its simplicity, beauty and French country pace.
We are staying at the cottage for five days. We are doing nothing! The girls spend their days playing with the kitty in the backyard, making fairy houses, watching the Aristocats in French, helping Daddy cook and taking pictures. Matt and I are soaking up the chance to move around in the lovely surroundings so we run, hike and kiss a lot. After traveling for two months and visiting some of the most important sites, museums and monuments in Europe, we are relishing our time to chill and do nothing. Alex has befriended Madame Chicco, a sweet, local woman who watches after the cottage. They speak in French and English and neither understands the other, but they have become fast friends. We are definitely loving the chance to cook, drink tea, play cards, be silly and relaxed, and away from the daily bustle of life with people.
Last night, at about 9:00, we decided to venture out from the cottage for something to eat. We drove to the small town of Revel and had a nice meal and a good time with the friendly local people. Everyone is so kind and we feel so welcomed as travelers. Today we’re leaving St. Felix and I think if we took a family poll, everyone would vote to stay a little longer, but we have hotel plans at Aix au Provence and two nights in Monaco at our friend, Gerard Fossali’s hotel, The Vista. We are renewed, reenergized and forever humbled and enhanced by our trip to St. Felix. We send a warm thank you to Lisa and David for sharing their cottage, and lovely town with us! St. Felix is at the top of our “Return To…” list.
Off to Provence, Monaco and then to Cinque Terra, Italy. Life is good.
p.s. Check out Alex’s photos from St. Felix on the Picasa link. They are so creative and beautiful and she really captures the sprit of the entire experience.
I’m sitting at an old French farm table in the kitchen of the most charming cottage I could have ever imagined. The white candles are lit on the table, the girls are listening to the Beatles in the other room and Matt is, again, cooking us a fabulous dinner with fresh food he picked up at the market today. Life came together when we arrived in St. Felix, a very tiny town in the south of France, half-way between Toulouse and Carcassonne. St. Felix is a heavenly little town perched atop a hill, accented by a beautiful old cathedral and surrounded by green fields of grass that have finally given me the true meaning of green. There is a country path, a two mile loop, which takes you out of town, down a grassy road specked with little white flowers and up to a ridge that has a panoramic view of St. Felix on the left and an infinite view of French countryside on the right. The four of us walked the loop yesterday and we were thoroughly consumed with the scenery. This is the kind of place that you might read about in a great novel or poem, but never expect that it might actually exist. St. Felix is bucolic and all four of us have been immediately captured by its simplicity, beauty and French country pace.
We are staying at the cottage for five days. We are doing nothing! The girls spend their days playing with the kitty in the backyard, making fairy houses, watching the Aristocats in French, helping Daddy cook and taking pictures. Matt and I are soaking up the chance to move around in the lovely surroundings so we run, hike and kiss a lot. After traveling for two months and visiting some of the most important sites, museums and monuments in Europe, we are relishing our time to chill and do nothing. Alex has befriended Madame Chicco, a sweet, local woman who watches after the cottage. They speak in French and English and neither understands the other, but they have become fast friends. We are definitely loving the chance to cook, drink tea, play cards, be silly and relaxed, and away from the daily bustle of life with people.
Last night, at about 9:00, we decided to venture out from the cottage for something to eat. We drove to the small town of Revel and had a nice meal and a good time with the friendly local people. Everyone is so kind and we feel so welcomed as travelers. Today we’re leaving St. Felix and I think if we took a family poll, everyone would vote to stay a little longer, but we have hotel plans at Aix au Provence and two nights in Monaco at our friend, Gerard Fossali’s hotel, The Vista. We are renewed, reenergized and forever humbled and enhanced by our trip to St. Felix. We send a warm thank you to Lisa and David for sharing their cottage, and lovely town with us! St. Felix is at the top of our “Return To…” list.
Off to Provence, Monaco and then to Cinque Terra, Italy. Life is good.
p.s. Check out Alex’s photos from St. Felix on the Picasa link. They are so creative and beautiful and she really captures the sprit of the entire experience.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Toledo/Barcelona – Spain
As a family, for obvious reasons, we have anticipated traveling to Toledo, Spain for a long time. After an overnight train from Paris to Madrid and a quick train ride to Toledo, we finally arrived in our namesake city. It was lovely… until the food borne illness set in! Something in Toledo didn’t agree with the Toledo’s. We made a valiant effort to enjoy Toledo as much as we were capable of. There are few pictures (none of Flat Laird), we bought not one “Toledo” souvenir, and basically Toledo wasn’t as pleasant as we had hoped. All I can say is “I love our travel doctor” and “Thank goodness for Cipro!”
Toledo is actually quite interesting - built atop a rock (like every other city in Europe that wanted to defend itself from Roman conquest) and has a winding river, the Rio Tajo, that wraps around its edges. Every aspect of the old city still remains. To look at the city from across the river, you see an impressive cathedral, called The Cathedral, and a very monochromatic landscape of houses, bridge crossings and castles. We took an hour long open train ride around the entire city and we really enjoyed that – especially since we were sitting down. We stayed in a very charming hotel called the Hotel El Greco and walking around the town was really a unique experience. We got the feeling that life is, and always has been, good in Toledo. The elders of the town look healthy and well groomed and very happy to remain on their little “island” of Toledo. We were definitely on the mend as we headed to the train for Barcelona!
Barcelona was a nice surprise for all of us. I actually expected Barcelona to be a much smaller, quieter, beach town. It’s not! It’s a big city with lots to see and lots of people. Once we figured out what we wanted to see, we were pleased with our visit there. Our hotel was perfectly located on Calle Princesa, and there was a great Udon noodle shop downstairs that we ate at twice for “healing food”. Yummy. We also happened upon another Maoz falafel shop, which made us very happy. The first thing we did was took the kids to the Aquarium at the wharf. It wasn’t exactly what Matt and I wanted to do, but we sensed the kids needed a “kids” day, so we went. It was fine, and they loved it. We also took another Fat Tire Bike trip around Barcelona with one of Mike Franz’s’ friends, J.J. The tour was fun, but not at all like the great time we had with Mike in Paris. Some of the best moments in Barcelona came on our last full day when we were walking down to the metro to go to the Park Guell. We happened to turn down one of the old town streets and we came across the Parade of the Gigantes! It was so cool. About 50 giant (maybe twelve feet high) puppets, made up like Spain’s kings and queens and other various characters, came parading by us. We stopped and laughed and took a slew of pictures and marveled, again, at our timing. The Park Guell was truly a sight. Decorative, organic design at it’s best. Really magical and fun to explore. Gaudi’s cathedral is an impressive undertaking that, to date, still is nowhere near being completed. Gaudi’s cathedral reminds me of wet sand dropping sculptures. The architecture is unlike anything I have ever seen and I can see why Spain has a love/hate relationship with Gaudi (though he has been dead since the 20’s).
I would return to Barcelona, but with different expectations. I really can’t imagine the city in the dead of summer with the heat and the packed beaches (which are incredibly disappointing) and all the tourists. It’s feels like a city that doesn’t exactly love its tourists. Speaking fluent Spanish is hardly an asset. In fact, most of the service people look at you like you are speaking Japanese instead of a language that somewhat resembles theirs! That’s o.k. We kept smiling and making our way around and really did enjoy Barcelona!
As a family, for obvious reasons, we have anticipated traveling to Toledo, Spain for a long time. After an overnight train from Paris to Madrid and a quick train ride to Toledo, we finally arrived in our namesake city. It was lovely… until the food borne illness set in! Something in Toledo didn’t agree with the Toledo’s. We made a valiant effort to enjoy Toledo as much as we were capable of. There are few pictures (none of Flat Laird), we bought not one “Toledo” souvenir, and basically Toledo wasn’t as pleasant as we had hoped. All I can say is “I love our travel doctor” and “Thank goodness for Cipro!”
Toledo is actually quite interesting - built atop a rock (like every other city in Europe that wanted to defend itself from Roman conquest) and has a winding river, the Rio Tajo, that wraps around its edges. Every aspect of the old city still remains. To look at the city from across the river, you see an impressive cathedral, called The Cathedral, and a very monochromatic landscape of houses, bridge crossings and castles. We took an hour long open train ride around the entire city and we really enjoyed that – especially since we were sitting down. We stayed in a very charming hotel called the Hotel El Greco and walking around the town was really a unique experience. We got the feeling that life is, and always has been, good in Toledo. The elders of the town look healthy and well groomed and very happy to remain on their little “island” of Toledo. We were definitely on the mend as we headed to the train for Barcelona!
Barcelona was a nice surprise for all of us. I actually expected Barcelona to be a much smaller, quieter, beach town. It’s not! It’s a big city with lots to see and lots of people. Once we figured out what we wanted to see, we were pleased with our visit there. Our hotel was perfectly located on Calle Princesa, and there was a great Udon noodle shop downstairs that we ate at twice for “healing food”. Yummy. We also happened upon another Maoz falafel shop, which made us very happy. The first thing we did was took the kids to the Aquarium at the wharf. It wasn’t exactly what Matt and I wanted to do, but we sensed the kids needed a “kids” day, so we went. It was fine, and they loved it. We also took another Fat Tire Bike trip around Barcelona with one of Mike Franz’s’ friends, J.J. The tour was fun, but not at all like the great time we had with Mike in Paris. Some of the best moments in Barcelona came on our last full day when we were walking down to the metro to go to the Park Guell. We happened to turn down one of the old town streets and we came across the Parade of the Gigantes! It was so cool. About 50 giant (maybe twelve feet high) puppets, made up like Spain’s kings and queens and other various characters, came parading by us. We stopped and laughed and took a slew of pictures and marveled, again, at our timing. The Park Guell was truly a sight. Decorative, organic design at it’s best. Really magical and fun to explore. Gaudi’s cathedral is an impressive undertaking that, to date, still is nowhere near being completed. Gaudi’s cathedral reminds me of wet sand dropping sculptures. The architecture is unlike anything I have ever seen and I can see why Spain has a love/hate relationship with Gaudi (though he has been dead since the 20’s).
I would return to Barcelona, but with different expectations. I really can’t imagine the city in the dead of summer with the heat and the packed beaches (which are incredibly disappointing) and all the tourists. It’s feels like a city that doesn’t exactly love its tourists. Speaking fluent Spanish is hardly an asset. In fact, most of the service people look at you like you are speaking Japanese instead of a language that somewhat resembles theirs! That’s o.k. We kept smiling and making our way around and really did enjoy Barcelona!
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