Europe – Page 6 – Destination NOW

The Roads to Stykkishólmur and Akureyri

Growing up, I remember watching an old Bob Hope/Bing Crosby movie entitled “The Road to Morocco”. It may have been the first “buddy” road trip movie ever made. It was a comedy that got its laughs from the strange costumes and mishaps that the two “buddies”encountered during their travel.

You’re probably thinking “yeah, so what’s the point? Well, unlike my usual digressions, there actually IS a point, that point being that at times I FEEL like I’m in a buddy movie. Perhaps that’s what happens when you travel with 14 of your friends.

We haven’t had as many mishaps as Bing and Bob, but we HAVE had our share of comedic moments.

Those of us who didn’t feast on fermented shark were greatly entertained by the facial expressions of Sam and Nancy. Believe me, they definitely weren’t acting.

SOME of us hiked to a nature reserve in a volcanic crater, on the coast. The hard part was SUPPOSED to be the climb down to the “flat”area, except the FLAT area was actually a bed of mud with rocks poking up haphazardly.

8569B9BA-76D7-42BE-A476-958DFAB97BE1 — At times, it felt like elves were hiding below the surface, trying to suck the boots off our feet.

We, however, were undaunted. A bit muddy, a bit wet, but definitely undaunted.

CEDF9846-B957-4082-B50A-04AF47687DF8 — Look, we are still smiling . Helen is using Sam as a wind shield. It is difficult to get a good group photo while standing in mud, being buffeted by wind.

Odd costumes? Yep, we had a few of those.

45D513C6-C8FC-4D4A-8831-374313FA8C3E — The Galapagos have blue footed Boobies; WE have blue footed buddies.

If YOU had been experiencing misty, windy weather, would you want to get on a boat to go chasing after whales? Neither did 10 of us. Instead, we elected to have a leisurely breakfast, a stroll through the botanical garden, and lunch in town. No mishaps and no funny costumes for us.

The whale watchers, on the other hand, had both. Sorry. No photos of them in their bright blue jump suits. All we got were very vivid descriptions of the experience from our participants. Sharmon reported sighting “two whales and nineteen puking passengers”. Fortunately none of our five were in her head count. Even more fortunate, the sea sick whale watchers had the foresight to come equipped with plastic bags. That presents another question. If you thought you were going to need them, would YOU get on the boat?

In the afternoon, eleven of us (including four from the morning adventure) decided to try our luck riding Icelandic horses. I’m happy to say that there was not a single incidence of motion sickness. We DID manage to model some pretty funky outfits.

D2886E63-FBFD-4AFF-9E21-0CC8ED617957 — Karen, Diane, Sam, Kathy, Carol, John, Helen, Sue, me. (Sharmon and Luis were still getting suited up).

Is it my imagination, or do some of us look like we are on our way to fight a fire?

Our ride took us through magnificent scenery. The air was clear and fresh smelling, unless you happened to be riding behind Diane. HER horse was desperately in need of the equine version of bean-o, emitting noises that would have had most third graders in hysterics. (Okay, so WE laughed too. )

F1FCCC78-6A54-4411-B6E1-D8C7FA8F1787 — But he looks so innocent!

Because we took so long getting fitted with helmets, choosing our trusty steeds, mounting and dismounting, we were running late for our dinner reservation. Modern technology came to the rescue. A google search for the restaurant phone number and a quick call via cell phone, and voila, problem solved.

We ended our “buddy movie” on a high note, having a great dinner at Strikiò Restaurant.

001896FC-8623-4DDD-B417-395304ED1EFE — Does this look like a rowdy group?

Three Wish Mountain

We were on a mission, leaving rainy Reykjavík in search of sunshine. Would we need to squander one of our three wishes on a request for some respite from the rain? Read on, if you want to find out.

First up on our way to Stykkishólmur was a stop at a wool studio.

When I had initially learned that the itinerary would exchange a visit to a waterfall for a wool demonstration, I was a bit distressed. Was I ever wrong! The presentation was quite wonderful. The explanation of the chemistry involved in dyeing wool was fascinating. In the OLD days, cow’s urine was a key ingredient; it has since been replaced with ammonia, and not just because of the smell, although that alone was a good enough reason for me. The problem is today it is too difficult to collect. The cows are allowed to roam free and don’t take too kindly to someone following them around with a bucket. The urine of old women also had characteristics that produced a particular color. I don’t remember the color or the age requirement, I DO remember several of us volunteered to donate.

Our next stop was at the Settlement Center in Borgarnes, where we were treated to a very interesting Norse history, including an opportunity to stand on the bow of a moving Viking ship.

Lunch in the second floor restaurant was delicious: a choice of tomato or lamb soup and a salad bar chock full of my favorite items. A nice surprise was that this lunch was now included, where at one time it wasn’t. Given the high price of food in Iceland, this was a welcome change.

Today’s drive was a long one, blessedly broken up by several stops. Here we are viewing vertical lava flows. Our guide explained the geology behind this particular effect. I promptly forgot it.

396BE91C-D9AF-4906-A865-58AB18F96F5A — Luis is posing for all of the photography enthusiasts. By now, I can identify everyone from the back. From left: Karen, Kathy and Nancy ( and the fuscia arm in the far left corner is either Helen or Debby)

Finally, we arrived at Mount Helgafell, where, if you climb to the top without speaking and don’t look back, you can face the east and make three wishes. They have to be of positive intent, and you can’t tell anyone what they are.

6A3880C0-A91C-4DEE-BD32-FFCC9CDB83F3 — I’m facing the east, have made my wishes, and am now allowed to look behind me.

Being a generous soul, I gave one of my wishes for the good of our entire planet, (excluding Russia), one for Mike and me and one for a family member in need of a wish. We’ll see if the Viking version of prayer works. (At least none of us got turned into a pillar of salt!)

Mt Helgafell deserves a few more photos, so here goes:

The ascent was rather easy, because the path was well maintained, and the view was worth every step. Although we hadn’t really found the sun, at least it wasn’t raining, and there were some patches of blue in the sky.

49E3DE40-C69F-42EC-98D5-68A69852CF44 — The two Canadians: My blogging buddy Nancy (in red) and my newest friend, Sue.

Our second day on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula was also quite full, starting with a visit to a waterfall. This short video, done by Mike, captures the beauty of the waterfall better than any of my photos, but if you don’t want to hop over to YouTube, this is for you.

F33D1211-FA1F-49D3-9611-448DE3BD1DA8 — There’s one in every crowd. OURS is called Luis.

Kathy expressed an interest in bird life, so Hlynur took her for a little walk in a nesting area. Wonder what happened? Mike managed to get this action shot of Kathy being dive bombed by an angry mama bird.

It looked like a scene from an Alfred Hitchcock movie. You know which one.

To be continued…

Reykjavik, Iceland

If your idea of the perfect vacation is warm days full of continuous sunshine, then Iceland should definitely NOT be on your bucket list. If, however, you are intrigued by quirky experiences, visually spectacular landscapes, geology, elves and trolls, go ahead and book your trip.

59A46220-4E2D-4D6D-BEF5-4A10E67F2C17 — I was amazed that the plants were thriving in this cold, gray weather!

Those of you that have been following me know that I am a lazy, somewhat random blogger, but my friend Nancy is not. If you want interesting, timely accounts of our trip, hop on over to her blog. She’s done such a fine job, There is no need for me to take you over the same ground. Instead, my post is a loose collection of whatever caught my eye.

Although Mike and I arrived in Reykjavik a day before the tour officially started, we took it slow, using our extra time TRYING (and failing ) to get over jet lag.

The one in the middle belonged to a giraffe

While in Reykjavik we DID manage to make it to the museum Nancy (intentionally and wisely) missed. Unless you are particularly intrigued by pickled whale penises, I recommend you do likewise. Save your $15,000 kroners admission fee ($10,000 for seniors) and buy a glass of wine instead. Good news: You can tour the gift shop for free.

My family will be pleased to know I did NOT do any Christmas shopping there.

I am particularly fond of outdoor art and Reykjavik had plenty of it, both traditional, like the statue of Leif Erikson ( a gift from the USA), and unconventional (on the sides of buildings).

Icelanders are hearty souls. Check out this sign above one of the restaurants. For those of us not familiar with the metric system, 5 degrees Celsius translates to a balmy 41 degrees Fahrenheit. While we were in town, the mercury skyrocketed all the way up to 52 degrees, still WE drank our coffee inside!

The Hilton Reykjavik is a lovely hotel some distance from the town center. No matter. During our stay, we were content to spend our evenings at the hotel. One night, Mike organized a surprise party to celebrate the start of the last year I’ll be in my sixties. Yes, that banner DOES light up and yes, it WILL be used again for the August birthday girl in my life.

The second night at the hotel, everyone was gathered either around the big screen TV in the lobby area, or by the smaller one in the bar, to watch Croatia win the soccer semifinals.

FD6764FA-8791-4A53-A5D1-A1DDC1CF9479 — No restaurant meal for THESE soccer enthusiasts!

Although ours is an organized tour, it is possible to go off on your own. Sam did just that, hiring a guide to take him salmon fishing on a “two rod river”. What is THAT, you ask? Well, for that one day, Sam and the guide (2 rods) “owned” the river. No one else was allowed to fish there. Was he successful? Well, OUR tour guide took home two of Sam’s three salmon. (Photos courtesy of Sam’s guide).

While Sam was fishing, the rest of us were touring the Ocean Cluster House, an absolutely fascinating place. With most of my family still living in or near New Bedford, Massachusetts, I am well aware of the impact changes in the fishing industry can make on an area’s economy. Icelanders dealt with fishing restrictions very creatively. They don’t (can’t) catch as many fish, so they have figured out how to extract maximum value from every pound of fish they are allowed to catch.
This jacket is made entirely of processed fish skin. It is incredibly soft. Yes, I touched it.

Fish skin is also being used as bandages. Apparently, the fibers in cod skin are more similar to human skin than the skin of pigs, so the bandage can be absorbed into the body.

Other products are used for cosmetics—fish intestines for hand cream, because (according to the Ocean Cluster House guide) someone noticed that Icelandic fishermen have very soft hands, and figured they got that way from handling fish intestines. (My Dad must have steered clear of fish intestines!)

Even fish heads are utilized. They are dried and exported to Nigeria for use in soup!? By using all parts of the fish, Icelanders have upped the value from $8 per pound to about $3000.

Better yet, because these products are manufactured in Iceland, they have created new industries and new jobs. That’s a good thing, because today’s Icelandic trawlers are able to catch 200 metric tons in one trip, with far fewer fishermen, doing very little actual fishing; they now just monitor computers that run the equipment.

Our last stop was at the National Museum, an incredibly beautiful building, where we learned Iceland’s history through artifacts, clothing and household items. Given that we will be riding Icelandic horses in a few days, I was particularly interested in the saddle exhibit.

Fortunately women are no longer required to ride sidesaddle or wear corseted riding habits.

Next stop, Stykkishólmur. Okay, so we have already been there for two days, and are now in Aqua-ree-ray (That’s how it is SAID, not how it is spelled). I’m just having too much fun to keep current!

Fire and Ice Fun for Fifteen Friends

Some people collect stamps or coins or shoes. Me, I collect people. Once I decide I like someone, it is hard to get me to let go. So what do you do when people you really like are scattered all over North America? Why, you plan a trip with that assortment of very interesting souls.

Are you curious about what happens when you put 15 friends together for 12 days on an island, coming within 40 miles south of the Arctic Circle? Me too. For all you inquiring minds out there, I have good news. One of my traveling buddies is also a blogging buddy, so for THIS trip, you will have two, yes TWO blogs to peruse–this one, and the Canadian version of our Iceland Adventure. Nancy is a fantastic photographer who always provides excellent information about the places she visits. Another plus: her blog keeps pace with the trip, while I usually lag far behind. (Translated: Nancy will likely be doing MOST of the blogging). If you sign up to follow her posts, they will be delivered automatically to your in-basket, just click on that blue link above to be transferred over.

Some demographics: Our group is composed of 5 men and 10 women: 4 from Boston, 4 from New Jersey, 2 from Ohio, 2 from California, 1 from Oregon and 2 from British Columbia. 6 have never been on a group trip before, and 8 have never been on an OAT trip before. 11 of us are retired. 2 of the husbands were foreign-born: (Argentina and Jordan). I’ve known some members of the group for decades (the longest friendship is 53 years,) but others are newer relationships, including 1 traveler who I’ll be meeting for the first time when we arrive in Iceland.

Where will we be going, you ask? After exploring Reykjavik, we will be traveling west and north to places with unpronounceable names. Akureyri, I am told, is located just 40 miles off the Arctic Circle, in case you were wondering. We then are flying back to Reykjavik, for a visit to the Golden Circle, before heading home.

For all you visual people out there, I have included a map, of sorts.

I’m excited about seeing the wonders of Iceland–the land of fire and ice. But I’m equally excited about spending time with this great group.

Several of us decided to fly in a day early, arriving at Keflavik airport around (groan) 6 AM. It takes about an hour to get luggage and emerge from customs, then roughly another hour to get to our hotel. I think it is a pretty safe bet that our rooms won’t be available at 8 AM, or for at LEAST several hours, so I have loaded up on suggestions from the OAT Forum of what to do in Reykjavik till we can crash in our hotel rooms.

Hope you join us for what we expect to be a very fun party!

At Least Ten Reasons to become a Portugal Global Volunteer

Are you considering becoming a Global Volunteer? Wondering which program is best for you? I’ve volunteered six times, in five different countries: St Lucia, Vietnam, the Cook Islands & Mexico, where I volunteered twice, and most recently Portugal. I’ve done blog posts about four of them, describing how each program was wonderful in its own way, and oh, so very rewarding.
Because I get sucked into all of the “top 10” lists, I decided to do one that will encourage you to consider spending two very worthwhile weeks in that fantastic part of the world known as Portugal.

Highly motivated, interesting students:
My assignment was English conversation at the Polytechnic Institute of Beja,My group, seven of the twenty four members of our class

where I spent evenings chatting with adults who already had an impressive grasp of English, but wanted the opportunity to practice and to improve their pronunciation.
Three of us taught together, breaking the students into smaller groups after the first forty five minutes of the two hour nightly class.
Other volunteers taught at the high school, middle schools and the prison. Some tutored restaurant owners and staff.
Interestingly, we each thought that WE had gotten the best assignment, which leads me to the next reason.

An Incredible team Leader:
Joe has been leading teams to Beja, Portugal for many years, and his extensive experience really shows. He quickly sized up the 10 of us and figured out which volunteer best matched which assignment. He’d give Match.com a run for their money, if he ever decided to get into the dating business!
Joe knows all Beja’s historical sights, the most fun restaurants, the best excursions for the weekend, the cultural events, where you can get your laundry inexpensively done…everything you need to know to thoroughly enjoy your non-volunteering hours.Our leader, Joe, in the black tee shirt, left front

Interaction with the Community:
When I say that Joe knows everybody in Beja, I’m not exaggerating. One night, we enjoyed dinner with Beja’s mayor and councilwoman. And yes, those are gifts the councilwoman is holding.

What was in the bag? Lots of local goodies, including my favorite–chocolate from the shop down the street.

Lasting friendships:
Laurie, Jeanne and I met when we volunteered in St. Lucia in 2012.
Although Jeanne and I volunteered together in Mexico in 2017, this was the first time since that first meeting that I had had the pleasure of spending time with Laurie. Having her as my “partner” at the University made it even more fun!
The best part? I now have SEVEN new volunteers who I would be thrilled to see on a future assignment.

Shared Experiences:
It almost felt like I was back in college. Because we pretty much took over the first floor of the Hotel Bejense, I knew just about everyone in every room on that floor. There was always someone to play with, just like back in the dorm. Want to have a chat over a cup of tea? No problem. Just walk down the hall, to the breakfast room and along the way, you are sure to bump into a buddy or two.
The hotel also had a cozy lounge, in which we gathered every night to share our experiences, before heading off to dinner. As you can see, experiences weren’t the ONLY things we were sharing! Our fee for Global Volunteers covers our housing, food, transportation to the work site but not wine. Again, no problem. We took turns purchasing wine, cheese and other snacks to make our evening meetings more enjoyable.

Serpa Cheese Festival:
Okay, so there is no guarantee that a future program will take place during the Cheese Festival. We just happened to luck out. (That cheese in the photo above was purchased at the festival by one of the volunteers.)
There were LOTS of free samples of cheese AND wine AND chocolate!
Not only that, but we got to experience “Cante Alentejano”. Okay, so I will never make my fortune as a videographer, but this 33 second clip will give you an idea of this very stylized art form.

Evora:
Global Volunteers are free to travel during the weekends. Because public transportation is reliable, comfortable and inexpensive, we took the bus on Sunday to the beautiful city of Evora, spending the day enjoying all that it had to offer, like the Roman Temple,

the Chapel of Bones.

and even more music!
Beja:

There is so much to say about this lovely place that I devoted an entire blog post just to Beja. Click here if you want a closer look at this delightful town. It is so worth visiting.

Lisbon
It is also impossible to list all that Lisbon has to offer as one entry in a 10 item list. So, Lisbon ALSO has its own post. But here’s the best part: It is SO easy to get from Beja to Lisbon by bus. The bus station is just a short walk from the hotel. I was surprised that it was so inexpensive–just 14 Euros to ride in comfort with access to free wifi. Notice the stop in Evora.
Venture Outside of Your Comfort Zone:
Why not stretch your limits? Try something new and exciting? You may make new friends, accumulate lots of memories and experience another culture in a way that is not possible when you are just passing through, visiting the usual tourist sites.

Is Lisbon on Your Bucket List?

If Lisbon isn’t on your bucket list, you need to get it on there. Right now.

Why? Great food, amazing history, beautiful sights, wonderful side trips, friendly people, affordable hotels, great public transportation, and relatively painless flights–what more could you want?

Our stay in Lisbon was just long enough to convince us that we have to return to spend more time taking in everything that it has to offer.

Although the weather wasn’t perfect during our visit, it certainly was better than what we are experiencing today, the day after Easter, here in New Jersey! But then, snow days are made for us retirees to look through our travel photos and blog about our sojourn. Am I right?

Because we were on a Grand Circle Tour (Sister company of Overseas Adventure) our time was planned for us, with a guided tour that included Lisbon’s more popular sights.

The Parque of Eduardo VII was a great vantage point, offering a panoramic view of the city and the Tagus River.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a European city tour unless you stopped at a cathedral. This one, at the Jeronimos Monastery, happens to be Vasco de Gama’s final resting spot. It is also the place where explorers and sailors went to pray before heading off on their journeys to the edge of the earth.

To honor those seamen, the cathedral roof was designed to resemble sailors ropes and knots. You can’t tell from the photo–you’ll just have to trust me on that one.

At the end of our visit, JuanJo, our tour guide, surprised us with a special treat, the custard tart for which Portugal is famous. This particular bakery is supposedly the one that does it best because it was the sole recipient of a super secret recipe, developed by monks. This recipe is as closely guarded as the coca cola formula, or so we were told. I didn’t have the heart to share that I had equally delicious custard tarts from a bakery in Beja. I was told the nuns developed THEIR recipe to use up egg yokes. Why? Because they used the egg whites to starch their colors and headgear, so had a mountain of excess yokes they didn’t want to waste. On our drive to Belem Tower, we passed this street art, made entirely of garbage. The raccoon’s eyes are discarded tires!

Sorry the photo is so pixilated–it was shot from the bus, with my iPhone. But I hope you can see that this is a beautiful and imaginative piece. The artist, Artur Bordalo, has created many murals throughout Lisbon. What I didn’t realize was that I had seen his work already, in beautiful Beja. Remember the rooster from my earlier post? Check out Bordalo’s signature at the bottom right. I loved that rooster even BEFORE I learned it was constructed out of cast off materials.

The Belem Tower was built in the early 1500’s near the mouth of the Tagus river to defend Lisbon from the bad guys. Really? THIS is what their fortress looks like? All decorative and ornate? It looks more like Cinderella’s Castle than Fort Apache!

The second landmark on this side of the Targus River is the Monument to the Discoveries, created in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator.

What is really cool is the pavement in front of the monument, a mosaic map of the world, complete with ships and mermaids.

Climbing the sides of the monument are important Portuguese historical figures, like Vasco da Gama, Magellan and of course, Prince Henry at the front. St Francis Xavier made it onto the monument, but not into my photo.

Across the Tagus you can see what looks like a cross. It is actually a statue of Christ, with arms outspread like the one in Brazil.
Also notice the bridge. Remind you of any place in the USA?

After hitting many of Lisbon’s “must see” attractions in the morning, we had the afternoon to wander. Our hotel, the Mundial, was ideally located near cafes, shops, restaurants, and beautiful squares, perfect for people watching while munching on one of those delightful pastries.

Believe it or not, this square is perfectly flat. Those “waves” are a pavement optical illusion!

Dinner that evening was in a former Moorish palace that was briefly a casino before becoming the restaurant– La Casa Do Alentejo. We dined in the gorgeous private room on the third floor.

Okay, so I had a little wine before taking this picture, but I at least I DID get the decorative ceiling and the mirrors on the walls!

The second floor was beautiful too, with tiled walls

The next day we visited the Royal Palace in Sintra. Sintra is a lovely little city an easy day trip from Lisbon.

As one would expect, the Royal Palace was filled with beautiful art and treasures of all kinds. I particularly liked this chandelier. Hard to believe, but my iPhone 7 took a better photo than my Panasonic Lumix.

The other unique item that caught my eye was this painting. That sure looks like a negligee that he’s (our guide said it was St. John the Baptist–but who knows) either wearing or holding in front of him, and is that a toy horse? If not, then what is it? This has to be one of the strangest paintings I’ve seen in a LOOOONG time!

On our way back to Lisbon, we stopped at Cascais, a lovely seaside town, which is even closer to Lisbon, and is serviced by frequent trains. We arrived just in time for the heavens to open in a colossal downpour, but no biggie. We were with 36 new friends, so several of us ducked into a restaurant where we enjoyed delicious roasted chicken, great wine and even better companionship. No photos of our bedraggled, sodden group will ever be posted. I promise!

Because I had spent two weeks with Global Volunteers before joining the tour, I was able to visit Evora, another great site about an hour by bus from Lisbon. But I’ll save that for another post.

Portugal in general and Lisbon in particular will not disappoint!

Spectacular Seville

So what if it rains in Spain? Seville is still glorious! I LOVE this city. Yes, we did get caught in a cloudburst or two, or three, but that just made us appreciate the sun even more.

High winds prevented us from entering the Plaza de España at the scheduled time, but we got lucky. As we were leaving Seville, JuanJo noticed that the plaza had been reopened, so off we went. Because we were there so early, we had the plaza to ourselves.

JuanJo explaining the significance of the tiles in the Plaza de España

What made Sevilla so wonderful? Well, the city preserved the incredibly beautiful buildings from the 1929 World Exposition. The architecture is beautiful— even better than Disney World!

For the history lovers, a visit to the Cathedral is a must.

25A5FF6A-984E-4C76-8B10-C0243FFB2D4E — Yet another recycled mosque, with a minaret converted to bell tower. This one has a Phoenician goddess atop

It is here that you will find the massive tomb of Columbus. And yes, he really IS in that big box. National Geographic did a story about the DNA analysis that was performed on the box’s contents. It matched the DNA of Chris’ son and brother. (There had been some doubt about who those bones REALLY belonged to).

The people standing beside the tomb will give you an idea of how enormous this memorial is.

Columbus set sail for the new world from Seville, and it was here that he (and others) brought all the gold plundered from south and Central America.

49FC7798-DFD5-4131-A16C-47D83AB439BD — It was impossible to capture ALL of the grandeur of the main altar in a photo

Seville has its legendary martyrs. Justa and Rufina, two sisters, are honored with a stained glass window and in a painting.

Their story? They refused to sell their pottery for a pagan festival, so after much crockery breakage, (on both sides), the sisters were imprisoned, stretched on the rack, made to walk barefoot to the nearest mountain range without water or granola bars. Justa died of hunger and thirst,
but Rufina hung in, only to be tossed to the lions.

As you can see from the painting, the lion didn’t finish her off. Finally, she was either strangled or beheaded (or both, it isn’t clear). It was hard to keep a good woman down back then!

If history and religion doesn’t do it for you, not to worry. Seville offers much more:

Cobblestone streets lined with shops and restaurants,

Carriage rides around the old town,

and FLAMENCO!

We weren’t here long enough. Seems like I’m saying that a lot on this trip.

Next stop, Portugal.

Spain Smorgasbord

By the 8th day of our Grand Circle tour, we had visited Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Cordoba, and Torremolinos, with a side trip to the very British Gibraltar. Next on our itinerary was Malaga, but Mike and I decided to engage in an Australian tradition and “Chuck A Sickie”. For those of you that didn’t have the pleasure of spending two weeks with an Australian Global Volunteer, that term roughly translates to “Playing Hooky”.

Although the Costa del Sol averages over 300 days of sunshine per year, today was the first time I needed to wear my sun hat.

I’m sure our fellow travelers had a perfectly marvelous day enjoying the sights of Malaga, and the home hosted lunch in a nearby village as much as Mike and I enjoyed spending the morning strolling along the beach, taking in sights like this.

I would have loved to see what this tribute to Elvis looked like before the rain decapitated him.

But what about those other glorious cities? Don’t worry, I’ll do a little flashback, with visuals.

We got just enough of a taste to determine that one of these days, we will be back to those lovely cities, and next time, we will linger.

Our time in Toledo was limited to a few hours enroute to Granada. The old city sits 6 escalator rides above the new city, and let me tell you, we were all very grateful we didn’t have to climb all the way up the hill in the rain.

89F0FDF4-3849-4C49-9C3B-456075D8304B — Even after we arrived at the “top”, we still had some hills to climb.

Our stroll through Toledo’s Jewish quarter ended at the oldest synagogue in Europe. This unique building was constructed by Moors, because at that time they were reputed to be the best builders. Of course, they were not familiar with synagogue construction, so the Jews ended up with a building that had a distinctive Muslim flavor.

E8355D59-2D68-482E-811D-B74CD818E62B — Notice the cross? This building is a reminder that at one time, all three religions were able to peacefully coexist—pre Ferdinand and Isabella reign.

For anyone planning a trip to Toledo, please be aware it is much more than amazing history, great food and panoramic vistas. Thrill seekers, take a look.

46619F4D-03D6-4F01-A66F-07326B9C9868 — Maybe next time, if it isn’t raining…

One of the many things that I love about traveling with Grand Circle and OAT is the unexpected stops along the way. We had a bathroom and refreshment break in Puerto Lápice, a little village in Castille La Mancha, where we discovered a three room Don Quixote museum.

I love that Don Quixote is sculptured out of words

Who would expect such art in a little village museum? Not me.

Because I spent so much time in the museum, I had to order my glass of wine “to go”, which I proudly did in Spanish. An important phrase: “para llevar”. But the effect was spoiled, just a bit, when the bartender started speaking to me in perfect English.

Not surprisingly, most of our time in Granada was spent at the Alhambra. Okay, so we all know that Washington Irving wrote “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, but how many know that he also was instrumental in saving the Alhambra from being destroyed? His “Tales of the Alhambra” caused the Spaniards to take a second look at what is now the most visited attraction in Spain.

Alhambra ( Al = “the” in Arabic ) is a palace, a fortress, a small city, overlooking Granada. Unfortunately, when Napoleon conquered Spain, his soldiers removed all of the furniture, rugs and tapestries, ( I believe the correct term is “looted”) but the walls, ceilings and courtyards give you a hint of the grandeur that once existed. Check out the ceiling in the women’s quarters.

The exteriors of Moorish buildings were very plain. All of the ornamentation was inside, in the private spaces, like these beautiful courtyards.

The Moors ruled Spain for almost 800 years, and their impact on the Spanish language continues today. Many places begin with “Gua”, like Guadalcanal, Guatemala, Guanajuato — all derived from the Arabic word for water.

Another city with beautiful Moslem architecture is Cordoba. The Roman temple/Church/Mosque/Cathedral is an architectural wonder. Walking through its spacious interior, you literally travel through time, starting with the preserved Roman tiles, below the existing floor—

to the former mosque, built with recycled columns, which was wisely preserved by the Catholics —

and now is in the center of the mosque.

6AA5DFC2-3591-4072-A721-B998D76F6B2C — In this photo, you can see the Mosque’s red and white arches next to the cathedral’s main altar.

Cordoba is magnificent!

888B3959-5065-4EB2-A63B-EE68B3F22773 — The church’s bell tower was constructed around the minaret.

I guess some place has to be the least favorite, and for me, Gibraltar gets that honor. Maybe it was because the limestone WW2 tunnels were dripping water, and were dark and gloomy,

10D2E378-922D-4EE3-8D99-55E710F3883D — One of the few places that wasn’t too dark or wet to photograph

as was the weather.

Whatever the reason, I was not as wowed as I was by the other places we’d visited. Even the Barbary apes were a disappointment. We only saw four.

Two more days in Spain, three in Portugal, and then we are back to the USA.

Goodbye Beja, Hello Madrid

It was raining when I boarded the bus in Beja for the two and a half ride to Lisbon. The weather matched my mood–I was sad to leave all the new friends I’d made in Beja: the wonderful students I’d gotten to know during our two weeks together, the great “Team of Ten” Volunteers, our fantastic team leader. There were lots and lots of goodbye hugs.

Note to future visitors to Portugal–it costs only 14 Euros for a bus ride from Lisbon to Beja, on a super comfortable bus with free Wi-Fi. If you are visiting Lisbon, why not spend a night or two in Beja? Escape the traffic and crowds, enjoy the history, archaeology and cultural treasure of this intriguing Alentejo town.

Two cab rides and a flight later, I was in Madrid, reunited with my main man.

Here’s where we will be traveling over the next two weeks. First stop is Madrid. ( I lifted the map off the Grand Circle website. THEY are the ones that cut Madrid a little too closely.) The star is my feeble attempt to show the approximate location of Beja. You now have a rough idea of where this “don’t miss” town is located. Okay, so I would never be a successful map maker, but I give myself an A for effort.

The long, unusually dry period Portugal and Spain had been going through ended during our second week in Beja. The rain is expected to continue during most of our remaining trip. Oh well. They need the water, so the rain is a blessing. Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.

We spent the morning of our first full day in Madrid on a bus tour around the city. First stop, the Egyptian temple of Denbod. No, this was not stolen during a military campaign. Had it not been moved, stone by stone, when the Aswan Dam was created, it would have been under water, just like the Temple of Dendur, in New York’s Metropolitan Museum.

Next stop– the royal palace, where we arrived just in time for the changing of the guard.

Juanjo, our guide, had warned us to be on the lookout for pick pockets. He explained they usually look like tourists, holding maps or cameras with one hand and reaching into your backpack with the other. Well, Linda, a member of our group, saw one doing just that, to a Chinese tourist. She was close enough to slap the pick pocket’s hand away.

A lot of good those guards were! A sharp eyed American woman with quick reflexes foiled the thief. Did I witness any of the excitement? No, I was my usual oblivious self.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to wander through any of the 2,800 rooms in this Versailles inspired palace. Instead, we decided to spend the afternoon in the Prado Museum, ogling the artwork by Goya, el Greco, Rubens and others.

My only regret: I wish I had researched the Prado more thoroughly, so I could have focused on certain pieces, and figured out the most efficient way to get to them. Talk about sensory overload! No photos were allowed inside the museum. I just have to be content with the images inside my head.

Although we could have spent our second day exploring more of Madrid, we chose the optional guided tour to El Escorial. This palace/ monastery/ school/ church was constructed by King Francis II, son of Charles V, one of the Holy Roman Emperors. The Escorial is shaped like a grill (yes, as in George Forman) to honor Spain’s own St. Lawrence. Why a grill, you ask? Well, that is how he met his end, by being roasted to death. (Yes, humans are strange and savage creatures)

Philip II had the building designed so that he could lay in his bed and see the altar in the cathedral. All he had to do was open his bedroom door and he was in church. Because his bedroom was off to the side, the rest of the congregation couldn’t see HIM in his pajamas (or whatever Kings wore back then).

Philip’s chamber, including the bed he died in, and his chamber pot, were all part of the tour, in case you’re wondering, as is a huge painting of St. Lawrence on the griddle.

We also visited the Valley of the Fallen, a memorial to those who died during the Spanish Civil War. This was a truly impressive and very moving site.

The memorial consists of the largest cross in the world, under which a Basilica has been carved — out of the hillside. It is hard to gauge the size of the memorial from this photo, but to give you an idea, the cross alone is 500 feet high.

The bones of around 40,000 people are buried In the basilica. One more example of man’s inhumanity to man.

Time to move on, to Toledo and Granada, even though there was much more to see and do in the beautiful city of Madrid.

Beja, Portugal’s Hidden Gem

Tired of touristy places? Want an “authentic”experience, where the locals are friendly, gracious and actually happy to see you? Yet ANOTHER advantage of serving as a Global Volunteer is the organization finds these places FOR you –places I would probably never would have discovered on my own.

I feel like I’ve been dropped into a magical spot. The lovely city of Beja just oozes charm. Its cobblestone streets haphazardly lead in many different directions, much worse than in Boston. Who would have thought that was even possible? Fortunately, in Beja, you can WALK everywhere–to work assignments, to dinner, for coffee, to the bus station, to its many attractions.

Streets are pretty quiet before 9 AM, but things liven up around 10:30, the “official” coffee break time.

Art is EVERYWHERE. Here are just a few examples. This sculpture is controversial. It reminds me of trees. What do YOU see?]

In 1983, while excavating for a house’s foundation, Roman ruins were uncovered. The property’s owner was persuaded to build his house elsewhere, and voila, by 2004, this architecturally intriguing museum was created. Okay, so in Italy you can visit all kinds of ruins, but in Beja you can walk OVER them, atop a glass floor. For those whose eyes glaze over at the thought of another museum visit, this is the right place for you. Small, but oh so interesting.

I couldn’t figure out how to photograph the dwelling’s private bath. Here’s my poor attempt. Guess you’ll just have to go there.

Although the residents were aware of Pax Julia’s importance to the Romans, (Beja’s name back then), they didn’t know that the area had been inhabited much, much earlier. The museum contains artifacts dating back to 3000 BC. The Nucleo Muselogogico ( The name is almost as big as the museum) is free, as are the blue booties you wear to protect the glass floor.

Close by is the Regional Museum, which was originally a convent for women. Across the street is the theater, formerly the convent for men. The passageway that once ran between the two buildings (no doubt only used by the servants, to carry supplies back and forth), no longer exists.

The Regional Museum is the only one that charges a fee–just two Euros, and it is well worth it. In addition to all of the precious church items,

there is also a fine exhibit showing the process for restoring paintings. If seeing how St. Bartholomew was flayed is your thing, then you definitely need to find your way to the paintings room.

If instead, you are a literature buff, you can go upstairs to view the window through which Sr. Mariana gazed longingly, awaiting the return of her knight in shining armor. Yes, the author of the famous “Letters of a Portuguese Nun” lived in this very convent.

I mistakenly thought that being sent off to a convent was not a fate I would have desired. But that was BEFORE our guide pointed out its many advantages: unlike married women, who became their husband’s servants, rich girls got to bring THEIR servants WITH them to the convent. Freed from toil, they were educated, spending their days praying, reading and being waited on. I never thought of it quite like that. An additional bonus? You didn’t die in childbirth. Of course, there was always a chance you could be bricked into a wall, if you made a real good friend across the passageway, who got to know you in the biblical sense.

On the outskirts of town is the fortress (they refer to it as a castle) with the tallest tower on the Iberian peninsula. It has 198 steps and is 40 meters high (or 131 feet, but it is already on a hill, so it feels even higher).

Can you imagine trying to navigate these steps, wearing your armor while trying to dodge arrows and rocks, or whatever they were using back then?

I’ve been told you can see Spain from the top. But then, they could tell me I could see Russia from there, and I probably would have believed them.

The view from the top. Could that be Spain on the horizon?

The Hotel Bejense is a great choice if you are looking for the 3C’s: clean, comfortable, cheap. For about $57 a night, you get a small room, with a private bath (complete with hair dryer, and towel warmers), breakfast, great Wi-Fi, a flat screenTV with many English channels, on a pedestrian walkway. Right next door a pastry shop with incredibly delicious offerings. Good thing we walk so much, because we are visiting the pastry shop at least once a day, sometimes more.

If you want to splurge and spend almost $90 per night, (off season rate ) you can always stay at the nearby Pousada de Sao Francisco, another former convent.

Four of us opted to have lunch there and to conduct our own self guided tour. I know what my sisters are thinking, so I will answer the question. YES, we WERE allowed to wander through the convent.

Speaking of food, you won’t go hungry in Beja. You have LOTS of choices, from the rather expensive (non Global Volunteer lunch at the Pousada) to the incredibly affordable and everything in between. My favorite restaurant is Les Infantes, where we were served fantastic “Tuscan Pasta Salad”. Take my word for it, if you are in Beja, you HAVE to try it.

Les Infantes, early in the evening, before it got busy.

Beja—a small city with a big heart!

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: