Adios, Espana!

So I'm sitting on the bed at the Nuevo Boston Hotel in Madrid.  It's a conference and business center full of busy people scurrying to this meeting or that one, and almost everyone speaks perfect English.  Our driver picked us up from the train station, and as we drove into the city (the new/modern city - not the old city centre), I came to the realization that I'd not seen a modern city (or the modern section of a city) in almost a month.  Sigh.

So we bid a fond and sentimental farewell to Spain.  We will undoubtedly take it home with us.  I expect we'll be speaking Spanish to each other for at least a week or two.  I'll go to the market and look for olives and Spanish olive oil.  I'll find a recipe for paella.  It'll be great.  But it won't be the same.

That's the hard part about traveling...at some point it's time to go home.  That time has come.

Thanks for keeping up with us.  I keep a travel blog not only for you, but for me...next week I'll look back and read all my posts and feel the warmth all over again that I've felt from this country and it's people.

Adios, Espana.

Oviedo - A beautiful hidden gem

Fairly far off the beaten tourist path is a city that has been on the pilgrimage path since the very beginning.  The very beginning.  The first trek to Santiago was made from here by King Alfonso II in 819 when he heard that the bones of St. James had been discovered there.  That trek was called the Primitive Camino - the first walk.

Oviedo was sort of a pit stop for pilgrims on their way to Santiago.  Once they arrived at the cathedral here, they found water, food, communion, etc.

And a really cool archway leading them to the path to Santiago.  Can you see how the arch is twisted...it's like a elbow showing the way.

Inside the chapel is beautiful as well.  It's not the biggest chapel; it's not the smallest chapel.  It's not the most ornate; it's not the simplest.

But what it is, legend has it, is a resting place for the head shroud that was under the shroud of Turin.  DNA and dating experts say that the blood is a match to that of the Turin shroud, and the cloth is the same kind and of the same time period (which cannot be proved to be the same time jesus died).  Whether you believe that stuff or not, this is still pretty cool.  The shroud is the piece on top of the silver crate.  It was once in the crate, but there's really no story of how the crate came to be in Oviedo.  I suspect someone picked it up at a yard sale and brought it with them while on El Camino.

Another item brought along with pilgrims is this olive tree, planted in the cemetery of the cathedral.  We know they brought this with them, as olive trees are not indigenous to northern Spain.

The city of Oviedo is full of public art - there's a sculpture in every plaza and on many of the busy corners.  This one in honor of Rufo.  Rufo was a homeless dog that roamed the city centre and was taken care of by local shop owners and residents.  Rufo died in 2015, and this sculpture erected.

There are no olive groves or wine vineyards around here, but there are apple orchards.  They use the apples to make Sidre (cider).  And it's delicious.  It's sort of a sour, bubbly cider that you have poured for you - in small quantities - by the experts.  You drink it while it's still bubbly, and then the waiter will pour you another couple of sips.  Fantastic!

There's a giant cask at the end of what is basically restaurant/sidre row.  Yum!

Sadly, we head back to Madrid tomorrow and will be on a plane home the day after.  It's been a wonderful trip.  So many surprises.  So much history.  So rich a culture.  We'll be back.  Maybe you can come with us!

On to Oviedo

This morning our driver picked us up, and we were on our way to Oviedo.  It was a three hour drive, and in rain, mostly.  (So I suppose it does stay mostly on the plain.)  But when we arrived in Oviedo, the sky began to clear up and the sun came out.  I guess I'll take responsibility for that.  We didn't have a tour today, so we walked around on our own for a bit.  One more tour tomorrow and, day after that, we start the journey home.

We're suddenly in that mode.  You know: You've had a great vacation, but now the days are winding down, and you begin to think about what you have in the fridge at home and what's on your calendar next week.  Over the duration of our trip, we've added a suitcase and a large tote to help carry all of our shit.  We recently moved all our dirty clothes into a separate bag and locked it - only to be opened when we arrive home (like it's a Christmas present or something).  We've repacked our carry-ons with fragile items and loaded all of our "to-be-worn-clothes" in the top of our respective suitcases.

We have one more beer to drink (one of the several we purchased way back in Granada) and some chocolate to eat (which we bought long ago in Barcelona) before we leave the country.  It will be interesting clearing customs in New York.  We have vacuum-packed meat from Aracena and the jamon tasting.  We have sherry and sweet wine from our friend Rosa.  And we have about a ton of guide books, magnets, coffee cups, and other souvenirs (which, in the past no one really cares about).  We should be okay, but you just never know.

I've been working on an idea for a series of articles about this trip (and traveling in general).  I'll keep you posted should they ever actually get written.  For now, it's bedtime and dulce suenos.

Tomorrow: Oviedo's magnificent chapel!

A report about doing nothing

Today happened to be a great day to relax.  The beautiful weather from yesterday has gone gray and drizzly, so there's not much light filtering in from the black out curtains.  Aaaaaaahhhhhh.

We slept in until about 9:30.  Joe got up in time to make it to the hotel breakfast downstairs.  Me? not so much.  I finally got my shit together, and we set out to walk a bit around 11:30.

There's a park not far from the hotel that hosts a really tall, really old eucalyptus tree.  From here, you get a really nice view of the cathedral (pity it's under scaffolding).

Also sort of a shame it's cloudy - I'm sure it's lovely on a sunny day.  I guess I can't have everything.

We walked on. It's Sunday, so a lot of the shops are closed.  Don't get me wrong, the souvenir shops and restaurants around the city center (where the big hotels and tourists are) are open, but many of the small local shops are shuttered.  

Since I didn't have breakfast, I was getting hungry about 1pm (way early for lunch here), but we found one of our tour operator's recommendations open and ready for business.  It's called Taberno de Bispo.  And it's yummy!

You know, after this trip, I may never eat a full meal again...I love the idea of tapas.  Note to self: must find tapas cookbook.

After lunch we headed back to the hotel for a leisurely cafe and a nap.  We'll go out again later, but for now, it's all about chillin'.  Zzzzzzzzzz

UPDATE

While sitting around doing nothing, you discover there are some pretty interesting things around you.  For example:

The hangers in our closet - fit for a pope

And on TV?  The Simpsons...in German

Tomorrow we head to Oviedo for two days, then back to Madrid and then home.  It really snuck up on me...vacation's almost over.

Travel day to and Saturday in Santiago de Compostela

On Friday we flew from Seville to Santiago de Compostela (Santiago).  One of the domestic airlines in Spain is Vueling - god jesus save us from Vueling.  While rated one of the best domestic airline in Spain, the flights are really crowded, and the seat pitch is about 30 inches.  30 INCHES!!!  That's insane - especially for over-sized Americans.   And they are rigorous about carry on size and charge you unbelievable fees for check-in luggage.  Translate that: it's hard to travel for as long as we have and not get pinched on baggage fees.  Sigh.  I'm taking the train next time.

Saturday we had a guided walking tour around the city centre, and then we wandered around on our own.  Hot chocolate in the park, tapas y cerveza on one of the medieval street cafes,

then a delightful snack back at the hotel bar before returning to our room for a siesta.

The city was founded basically in the first century when the bones of St. James were discovered in a crypt.  Ever since then, pilgrims have made the walk to Santiago to the cathedral which now houses his tomb.

You may have heard of this pilgrimage, it's called El Camino (the way).  There are several paths from all over Europe, but they all lead to the plaza just outside our hotel.

Pilgrims are guided by yellow arrows along the trail, and by a seashell once they are in town, towards the plaza and cathedral.

Pilgrims do it because it's there, because the walk gives them time to think and to shed their sins or problems.  By the time they reach the cathedral, they are ready to discharge the old and start with a clean slate.  It's a very daunting, but rewarding thing to do.  I applaud them.

Me?  I take pictures of the sunset.

Tomorrow is Sunday, and for the first time since New Years Eve, we do not have a tour - or anything for that matter - on our calendar.  I totally plan to sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast, take a walk, drink some beer, take a nap...just relax.  I am certain that, even in this beautiful city with so many things to do, I will be able to do nothing.  

Day Five: Seville - Trip to Jerez de la Fontera

Jerez is known for its Flamenco, its motorcycles, its horses, and its Sherry.  We indulged in three of the four today!

It's a beautiful old city - from the 1300s - that exudes warmth and charm...and that not just the Sherry talking.  We started off with a quick walk around town to see some of the best architecture (churches, palaces, and ancient walls).

Gorgeous, right?!  So, about the horses.  Jerez is the home of the world renowned Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art.  There's a special breed of horses - like the Lipizzaners of Austria - and they are trained like synchronized swimmers.  Very precise and very impressive.  Here's the ring at the school:

The beautiful horses

Crazy tricks

After the performance at the arena, we headed for a Tabanco - a sherry and tapas bar.  Ain't nothin' wrong with that!

We even got a show from some Flamenco stars of the past.  It was an amazing jam session that lasted over an hour.  Then it was time for a siesta.  We were amazed that when we left this bar most of the shops and restaurants were closed for the afternoon.  Not so unusual in a small town in the summer...but it's winter, and Jerez is a city of over 200,000.  Oh, well...so much for shopping this afternoon!

But here's what we're really here for...a sherry tasting at Tio Pepe's.  The largest winery in the region and the oldest - since about 1835.  We signed on for the tour and a tasting.  

You've heard of the Angel's Share and the Devil's Share?  This is the mouse's share...I'm not kidding.

One of the cellar masters used to leave wine out for the mice.  Sure enough, they'd climb up the little ladder  for their share!  The tradition lives on, and the mice at Tio Pepe's are really happy!

Tomorrow is a travel day as we head north to Santiago de Compastelo.

Day Four: Seville - I want to show you my favorite pig

Today we went to a jamon farm/factory.  The special black pigs of Iberia, whose meat is world renowned as some of the finest jamon, grow up right here at Eiriz in Corteconception...about an hour from Seville.  These pigs are raised on a diet of acorns and very little grain for their whole 2 1/2 years.  And their delicious jamon is proof of a good life.

They stroll around the farm with about a hectare of land each, eating everything they want, sleeping whenever, never in a cage or herded with a crop.  They have a great life.

And dulce suenos.

When their time is up, they are taken by limousine to the processing plant, and then returned here for packing and shipping.  It's a process that takes this small family operation about five years per pig (and they process about 1500 pigs per year.)  And it's worth every minute.  You know, it seems cruel to let a pig live the life of Riley only to slaughter it for our enjoyment, but that's why we're at the top of the food chain.  And if broccoli tasted more like bacon, I might consider becoming a vegetarian.  

Yep, that's a shit ton of jamon.  And here are two more hams.

At the end of our tour of the farm and the packing plant, we were treated to a tasting.  Delicacy-level jamon, lovely local wines and...I'm sorry, did I mention the jamon?  That's some pig.

We left Corteconcepcion and headed for Aracena and the Cave of Wonders.  Now, being from Texas with Carlsbad Caverns not too far away, I wasn't expecting that much.  But dayyam...what an impressive cave.  It's another crazy story about a shepherd stumbling onto the cave while looking for a lost sheep in the early 1900s.  And what he found was incredible.

The pictures hardly do it justice.  

Finally, to cap off our day we hit another Flamenco joint, El Arenal.  The dancers were fantastico!  One of the women was fairly young, and she was so beautiful and graceful...totally mesmerizing!

Tomorrow Jerez and a sherry tasting.  I am living the life of an Iberian black pig!