Tag Archives: travel

Holy Toledo!—Attractions in Spain’s Former Capital

2 Replies

The Alcázar, as seen from afar

Walking up one of Toledo’s many hills to the city entrance

Trees are beginning to bloom

Mosque of Cristo de la Luz

Museo de Santa Cruz

Toledo Cathedral / Catedral de Toledo

San Ildefonso Church / Iglesia de San Ildefonos (Los Jesuitas)

From San Ildefonso’s mirador de las Torres, one can see all of Toledo.

Toledo Alcazar / Alcázar de Toledo

Located at the highest point in Toledo and once used as a Roman palace, the alcázar was held by the Nationalists under great siege by the Republican army. Today it is the site of the Army Museum.

San Juan de los Reyes Musem Toledo / Museo de San Juan de los Reyes Toledo

Have you heard of Los Reyes Católicos? If not, you must not have visited many places in Spain, because they are everywhere. The Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, are often credited with the unification of Spain after the Reconquista.

Isabella and Ferdinand built this monastery to celebrate the birth of their son and their victory in an important battle. It was initially meant to be their eventual mausoleum, but they changed their mind and were later buried in Granada.

Tanto monta, monta tanto, the Catholic monarchs’ motto

Of course, Isabella and Ferdinand had a motto: Tanto monta, monta tanto, Isabel como Fernando. What it means: Isabella and Ferdinand were equals. All along the ceilings in San Juan de los Reyes, you can find their initials (F for Fernando and Y for Isabel, as Y was used in the old Spanish).

Tagus River Toledo / El Río Tajo Toledo

The Tagus River is the longest in the Iberian peninsula, beginning in central Spain and emptying into the Atlantic ocean near Lisbon, Portugal. Its impact can be heard in Portuguese songs and stories: “My hair getting white, the Tagus is always young.”

Toledo will always have a special place in my heart. I studied abroad there as a 21-year-old junior in college, and its narrow streets hold a mystique that hasn’t been diminished by the years. I still love wandering in and out of shops, catching a glimpse of the Middle Ages or the Renaissance or the Gothic. I love hearing the cathedral bells chimes, eating marzipan, and wondering at the beauty of a city quite unchanged by the passage of time.

About these ads

The Rain in Sevilla

11 Replies

Our trip to Sevilla got off to a rainy start. After checking into our hotel after an unsuccessful attempt to visit the dentist (another story altogether!), night had already fallen. Another thing falling? The rain, of course.

My first view of La Giralda

Luckily, Sevilla is still pretty, even amidst the drizzle. The Christmas lights were lit, and it was hard to feel discontent with the whole city wishing us Felices Fiestas (Happy Holidays).

Everything in Sevilla seemed so cozy

One of my favorite parts was seeing the juxtaposition of an orange tree with Christmas lights. Thus is Sevilla.

Luminous

Our friend from a town near Sevilla had recommended La Carbonería to us. La Carbonería, according to Tertulia Andaluza, was “the meeting point for the vanguard of Seville, a space for independent and alternative thought.” In the past, the site was a coal warehouse, thus the name, which in English would be “The Coalyard.” In 1975, Paco Lira converted it into the place it is today, a venue to hear and see flamenco, for ideas, for art of all kinds.

We saw a flamenco show and ate food off paper towels. It was an intriguing show. What’s more, it was packed. Good thing we got there early.

I found the female dancer especially intriguing. There was something there in her face, impossible to articulate but powerful nonetheless. She may not have been famous, but her whole self radiated the spirit of flamenco.

The next day we got up, and after a quick visit to the dentist who confused me with his sevillano pronunciation, we had some breakfast. Mario took his Cola Cao with extra sugar.

I had a tostada con jamón along with a café con leche.

Mario chose to go with a recommendation from our waitress, the pringá. Pringá comes from the verb pringar, meaning to dip or to dunk in this case, is made up of the ingredients from the traditional Spanish cocido, known as puchero in many places. The meat portion, which consists of things like morcilla (blood sausage), chorizo, and tocino (fat), is cooked along with the rest of the stew, and then made into a spread to eat with bread. Yum! Actually, it was quite good, we both agreed, although perhaps a bit more fuerte than the typical Spanish breakfast.

Next on the docket was a bit of sightseeing. Of course, you can’t go to Sevilla without seeing the cathedral and la Giralda.

La Giralda is a former minaret that the Christians made into a bell tower for Sevilla’s cathedral. It stands high above the Patio de los Naranjos (Orange Tree Courtyard). The area of the courtyard is supposedly the area the old mosque occupied, as two of the courtyard’s exterior walls belonged to. During the time of the Muslim occupation of Spain, the area served as the space for the Muslims’ activities, including cemetery and cultural events.

Seen from above, as we climbed the Giralda

Besides seeing the sites, we also wandered around a bit. Getting “lost” (is it possible to get lost with a smart phone nowadays?) is one of my favorite ways to see a city.

We had lunch at Bar Alfalfa, another recommendation from our Sevillana friend. A real winner! We really enjoyed the food we had, and with the prices in Sevilla, you can’t go wrong.

After a bit more wandering, we headed over to the Plaza de España, where it was already starting to get dark. Unlike most Spanish plazas, this one is not centuries old. It was built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition (often referred to simply “la expo” by Spaniards), which was held in 1929. Along its walls there are tiled alcoves, each of which represents a Spanish province, from Álava to Zaragoza.

It has also been used as a film set: in Lawrence of Arabia, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace,and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

Our day in Sevilla ended with—you guessed it!—more tapas at a popular local bar, Los Coloniales, located in the town center. These tapas included, of course, the typical Sevillan picos, a type of small crunchy breadsticks. They usually accompany ham/chorizo/cheese, but we found them to come with almost anything! Yum!

Have you ever been to Sevilla?

Not Just a Flyover

13 Replies

Esta entrada va dirigida a aquellos españoles que siguen mi blog, y, por eso, escribo en castellano. Además, nunca viene mal escribir en el idioma que quieres perfeccionar.

Como he trabajado con muchas personas de todas las edades aquí en España, creo que puedo decir con confianaza que la mayoría de vosotros querría visitar los EEUU algún día. Pues me alegro de que lo estiméis un buen sitio para visitar. Pero la verdad es que no me alegro de que sólo queráis visitar Nueva York. Nueva York no tiene nada de malo, pero… quiero animaros a visitar otros sitios, otros estados, precisamente sitios que no se encuentren en las costas.

¿Por qué? Os lo voy a explicar.

Soy de Indiana y, si lees mi blog, pues, a lo mejor ya os habréis familiarizado con mi estado (lo conoceréis por el nombre y no porque hayáis estado. Sólo Mario habrá estado, supongo.) Pero cuando me presento a la gente, no suele saber ni dónde está. Tengo que decirles que cerca de Chicago. Y lo entiendo. No es Nueva York, no es California y no tenemos famosos ni el Empire State Building ni Times Square ni la Statue of Liberty. No somos tan interesantes y no nos consideramos tan interesantes.

Mario piensa que somos interesantes, sin embargo

Pero EEUU es más que Nueva York. Es más que California. Somos un gran país, lleno de maravillas, naturaleza y gente maja. Tenemos de todo: playas, montañas, géiseres, grandes llanuras, atracciones turísticas estrafalarias (Wall Drug), la Ruta 66, el Gran Cañón del Colorado… y no he hecho mas que empezar.

Insisto en que el Midwest, como lo llamamos nosotros, no es una zona flyover (el término flyover se refiere a las regiones de EEUU entre la coste este y la costa oeste. Normalmente se usa en un sentido peyorativo, cuando uno quiere referirse a las regiones sobre las que se vuela en los vuelos transcontinentales.) Como he dicho, soy Hoosier (término que se refiere a la gente de Indiana). En mi estado no existen muchos sitios turísticios, pero, si alguien va a estudiar a una zona como Indiana, yo diría que qué bien, porque esa persona va a aprender cómo es la gente normal de EEUU, va a poder ver la vida diaria, va a conectar con la gente. De hecho, si va a cualquier estado del famoso Medio Oeste, también podría decir lo mismo.

Disfrutando de Chicago

En fin, a lo mejor un día vas a Nueva York. Y lo disfrutarás, seguro. Pero si tienes una oportunidad para volver, vete a otro sitio. Vete a recorrer la Ruta 66, como hicieron mis (nuevos) primos este verano. Vete a ver Yellowstone y las preciosidades naturales que alberga. Vete a las montañas de Colorado o Tennessee. No te decepcionarán.

A lo mejor podrás ver un mogollón de autobuses como Mario

Currently

13 Replies

I’m a sucker for Currently posts. You know, where the writer lists what he/she is doing currently. I’m also pretty nosy. Are those two related? Couldn’t be.

Here’s what I’ve been up to … currently, I’m:

Watching: Homeland and Dexter. If you’re not watching these shows, you’re either busy, ignorant, or just plain weird. My favorite of the two is Homeland, which captivated me from the very first episode, but this season of Dexter is helping to wash away the bad memories from seasons five and six, which I found to be subpar (for Dexter, anyway). These two shows are both from Showtime, and I would like to offer them my sincere gratitude, in the form of wine, cheese, or both (my favorite things, you know). Dear Showtime, you make my lazy Friday/Saturday nights on the couch with my husband so much more fun.

Reading: I just finished reading Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn. If you haven’t heard about it—well, where have you been? I had heard a lot of hype—that I’d read it in two days, that I’d love it, that it was “amazing” … So of course I was prepared not to like it, as is my wont when someone promises that I will. The premise is this: it’s Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary; she disappears. It looks bad for Nick. But there’s something else behind all the seemingly obvious signs of a struggle. I won’t spoil it for you. Read it, but I won’t lie: it wasn’t my favorite. I’m a fan of relatable protagonists, and neither main character was anywhere near likable. (Come on, I relate to Dexter! I’m not that hard of a sell.) By the end of the book, I just wanted both of them, Amy and Nick, to go away and be miserable together.
Thinking about: A trip to Munich in December. Mario once lived in Munich (if only for a year!), and Germany has been somewhere I’ve seen in pictures but never visited. I would love to visit a traditional German Christmas market, even if it means bundling up in six or seven layers to withstand the cold.

Loving: Our apartment! Mario picked it out while I was back in the States this August, and he did an amazing job. We’re not centrally located, but we’re still within the M-30, and we live right next to two great places for running: a park and Madrid Río. It’s very cozy, has lots of light, and we just got a new rug from IKEA, which, for some odd reason, just makes the room.
Listening to: Joshua Radin’s Vegetable Car (and all the rest of his album Simple Times), Mumford & Sons’ The Cave, and This Side by Nickel Creek, just to name a few.
Making me happy: Seeing all the Halloween decorations in the stores! I know it’s an Americanization and all, but I love Halloween. I love fall and crisp weather and autumn leaves and pumpkins and the smell of cinnamon/nutmeg/allspice and everything to do with the month of October.

What have you been up to currently?

What’s Cheaper in Spain

15 Replies

Starting a new life in another country requires time and money. (But having a wedding means people give you presents, so that helps.) We have to acquire—in one way or another—all the necessities: appliances, kitchen equipment, linens, and on and on. Things can add up. And quickly.

A lot of things seem to be more expensive in Spain: makeup, toiletries, electronics, cell phone rates, books, cars. It can seem overwhelming when you’re trying to furnish a new apartment!

Luckily, not everything is expensive in Spain, especially if you can find some cheap flights! Here’s what I’ve found to be cheaper

Fruits and vegetables, but you have to know where to buy them. (Hint: It’s not Carrefour.)
Alcohol, but wine in particular. I can find one of my favorites, Elias Mora, for around €6.
Olive oil. I don’t get it, because we make olive oil here (in California, for example), but it’s not cheap. I’ll be honest and admit that my favorite olive oil is Carrefour-brand Arbequina.

Traveling to other countries, which—duh!—is due to shorter distances, but still. It’s cheaper!
Climate control. Okay, this is a cop out, because the reason it’s cheaper is because of a lack of a) heating in the south, or b) air conditioning in the northern regions. I have heard there are apartments in Madrid with some air conditioning, though. My environmentalist friend Kristin would remind me of all the good this is doing for the environment, however, and thus I try not to complain.
Eating out, but only if we’re talking about tapas-style eating out. There aren’t nearly as many chain restaurants or fast-food restaurants in Spain. (Thank goodness!) Thus, you can’t go grab Chipotle for $8 any time you want. But going out for tapas is cheap, fun, and filling. The idea of tapas is getting big in the US, but I honestly don’t think it’ll ever work out. There’s no culture of tapas, and the idea of going from place to place for dinner, which we eat way too early anyway, won’t likely catch on here anytime soon.
University tuition, but keep in mind it’s actually paid for by your taxes (85% of it, according to Público.es). So, you may only spend between 535 and 1,280 per academic year, according to Master’s Portal. (Mario came up with this one, and he wants to clarify that the trade-off may have to do with Spanish universities not exactly being world renowned.)

In the end, I realized the one thing that’s chaper in Spain is food. Good food, that is. Thank goodness. I love food!

What do you find cheaper (and/or better quality) in Spain? What do you find more expensive?

Moon of Honey—Cinque Terre

9 Replies

You’ve heard of the French Riviera. But have you heard of the Italian Riviera?

I recommend it. I had seen pictures of the Cinque Terre (“the Five Lands”), but pictures alone are just that. They can create a false image, a mirage. But in this case, pictures were just the beginning. Cinque Terre is much more beautiful than I had imagined.

The five villages of the Cinque Terre are scattered along a coastline approximately eleven miles long. Each village is separated from the others by high cliffs that once impeded travel by anything but boat. Last year, a freak rainstorm hit the Cinque Terre, flooding the towns with upwards of twenty-two inches of rain. Two of the five towns, Monterosso and Vernazza, were virtually buried, and the townspeople were stranded, without water or electricity. Today, you can barely tell anything happened—in fact, I did not learn of the flooding until after the fact.

We started in Manarola and walked to Corniglia in the suffocating heat. But at least there was an ocean breeze as we climbed the 382 steps to arrive in Corniglia.

Along the way, we had some great views

In Corniglia, we meandered through the streets, stopping to glance over the local products, prodotti tipici.

After pausing just long enough to realize we were hungry, we set off for the restaurant, where we had been promised a delicious local lunch—octopus was on the menu, much to Mario’s chagrin! The restaurant was perched on a cliff with a perfect view of the blue Mediterranean. Indeed, there was much seafood. I tried it all, even though I tend to stick to shrimp for my seafood choices. I actually enjoyed one of the octopus dishes, but was unpleasantly surprised by a dead bee on my plate, which effectively took away any appetite I had. I settled for the second course, a simple but elegant combination of fresh pasta and pesto. I can’t say no to pesto!

After our carbo-loading session, it was time for the big hike to Vernazza. The hike took us along a steep path, and we climbed up high through terraced olive groves toward Vernazza, stopping periodically to take pictures and exclaim, “¡Dios mío! ¡Qué calor!” like all good Spaniards do.

Vernazza

In Vernazza, we sat along the pier (which you can see to the right of the village) and watched the waves crash against the rocks. We weren’t exactly cool, but close enough.

After a brief rest, we hopped on a train to Monterosso, where Mario took a dip in the sea, and I sampled the local white wine in a café nearby. Different strokes for different folks.

My view

After our relaxation sessions, we boarded a boat to Riomaggiore, where the famous Via dell’Amore (Lover’s Lane) begins. According to Smithsonian Magazine, until the twentieth century, the villagers in the Cinque Terre were quite isolated and very rarely married outside their own village. When a trail was made between Riomaggiore and Manarola, villagers saw an opportunity, even though there were frequent landslides that closed down the trail. “

After World War II, the trail was reopened, and became established as a lovers’ meeting point for boys and girls from the two towns.

As you travel along the pathway, you’ll see many padlocks, which lovers would close together, thus symbolizing their eternal nature of their love. Or so they say. I just think it’s a lovely spot to dar un paseo, if you will.

And it doesn’t hurt to have your favorite person with you either.

Honeymoon series: Venice, Florence

Moon of Honey—Florence

10 Replies

Florence, once considered the most important city in Europe, had its fling with fame—from 1865 to 1870, for one brief (shining) moment, it replaced Turin as the capital of the newly formed Kingdom of Italy. Alas, it was replaced six years later by Rome, even though the Florentines had taken pains to modernize the city by tearing down medieval houses and replacing old markets.

Don’t worry Florence, Mario still thinks you’re the prettiest. Of the three cities we visited on our honeymoon, the one that most impressed Mario was Florence, with il Duomo, broad avenues that encircle the old city, and plethora of Renaissance art. (It’s known as la culla del Rinascimento, or the “cradle of the Renaissance,” after all.) This explains why we have a separate folder for all the pictures of il Duomo, too.

Florence is the city for Renaissance art. Here you’ll find Michelangelo’s David, the Uffizi Gallery, the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), the Pitti Palace, and much more. Some notable residents include Dante Alighieri, Donatello, Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Niccolò Machiavelli, the Medici Family, Galileo, Amerigo Vespucci, and Florence Nightingale.

We took full advantage, of course.

Il Duomo

Il Duomo, or the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, is Florence’s main church. Its exterior is marble—shades of pink, green, and white, to be precise. During a certain part of Italy’s history, the churches were made up of three separate buildings: the baptistery, the belfry, and the church itself. We climbed up to the top of the cathedral’s dome.

Don’t you wish this were you?

We also visited theBasilica di Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross), where some of Florence’s most famous citizens are buried, people like Machiavelli, Michelangelo, and Galileo.

Unfortunately, it was under construction, as happens a lot in Europe

We enjoyed the courtyard

Dante’s tomb

Michelangelo’s tomb

Inspiration for the Statue of Liberty

Galileo’s tomb

The Ponte Vecchio, or “Old Bridge,” was and is a site of commerce, of jewelers. In the 16th century, Ferdinando I de’ Medici ordered that the jewelry shops replace the butchers, whose shops didn’t exactly smell like roses and who sometimes tossed their unsold goods into the Arno River below. It is also the only surviving bridge from the German retreat in 1944.

Another beautiful site, that perhaps many do not know about, is San Miniato al Monte (St. Minias on the Mountain), a church located at one of Florence’s highest points. It has great views as well.

You can see the church just barely; it’s the white building blocked by the rather wispy tree

We stayed a while and watched the sun set.

It was a perfect ending to our stint in Florence. The next day we began our journeys around Tuscany and Liguria!

Stay tuned for more …

Moon of Honey (Luna de Miel)—Venice

19 Replies

In Spanish, honeymoon is luna de miel; literally “moon of honey.” If you’re my husband (ohhh, doesn’t that sound weird and oh so nice at the same time!), a moon made of honey would be welcome. Mario and Winnie the Pooh love honey about the same amount. If you are what you eat, Mario would be bread, olive oil, and honey. Probably in that order. (I would be tomatoes. Boring.)

Thank you for letting me completely off track. We spent our honeymoon in Italy. Italy! To Spaniards, Italy is a short plane ride away; to me, Italy is a dream honeymoon. I imagined Venice, its canals snaking quietly through the city, Florence with its marble-covered cathedral and Renaissance art invading every church, Rome with its quiet ruins … we got all that. I forgot to imagine the heat.

We arrived in Venice at 10 p.m. and stepped out of the airport in search of a bus. I had forgotten how humidity envelops you, invades your lungs and your pores, causes the air itself to feel heavy and dense. We nearly gasped. Oh yes, the heat was already upon us. Sweat, we would.

Luckily, our hotel, located right on the Grand Canal, had air conditioning. Sweet, sweet, environment-destroying air conditioning. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

We set off to explore the city immediately after breakfast, winding our way down alleys and stopping at numerous dead ends, consulting the map every two minutes. Venice was a maze, but we were determined to conquer it.

We found our way to Piazza San Marco, St. Mark’s Square, where the Basilica of San Marco overlooks one of the most beautiful piazzas of Europe, the heart of Venice. To the right of the Basilica is the sea, the bay of San Marco, which was the way the people arrived—by boat. Also in this square is the Doge’s Palace (try not to read that as the dog’s palace). The Doges were the rulers of Venice for over a thousand years.

There are more pictures of me because Mario is very camera happy

If you lived in Ancient Venice, you had to be wary of your neighbors. Around the palace we saw these mail slots, which were for nontie serete (secret denouncements), if you wished to snitch on your neighbor for their wrongdoings. And there were no appeals for death sentences. Good luck!

Afterwards, we wandered around a bit more and tried not to get lost

Mario’s new boat

Venice in the afternoon

Everybody was hot that day

Next we splurged on a gondola ride. Sure, they’re totally a tourist trap, and they definitely overcharge. But still, you’re only in Venice on your honeymoon once, so live it up. Back in the 17th and 18th centuries, this was a major form of transportation, and there were upwards of eight to ten thousand gondolas in that time period, whereas today there are only about four hundred, mainly used by tourists.

Our gondolier talked to Mario about Italy’s defeat in the Eurocup and then took a few phone calls

We came back to a big leak in our room, so we headed downstairs to reception to ask for help. They changed our room … to a suite overlooking the Grand Canal, which normally costs approximately a gazillion dollars per night. Score! They told us we would have to change the next day, but in the end we got this amazing room for two whole nights. Needless to say, we didn’t complain.

We also couldn’t complain about our breakfast setting. The breakfast itself was superb, with everything from tomato juice to yogurt with toppings to scrambled eggs to meats and cheeses. And, of course, lots of cappucino.

Back in Piazza de San Marco

We spent a lot of time in Venice exploring. Besides the Piazza de San Marco and the Doge’s Palace, there’s not a whole lot of “sights” to see, but there are a lot of places to be explored. Including a very interesting bookshop that I thoroughly enjoyed. But don’t ask me how to get there.

Venice is not made for the busy tourist. Instead, it’s for the tourist with time and patience, the one who wishes to be and not do. It’s hard to accept for some, but once you do, Venice grabs hold of you and stays with you.

Photo by Mario

Scenes from Ávila

27 Replies

Another check mark on my list of cities to see in Castilla y León: Ávila. It seems Mario has family en todas partes, and thus our visit to his aunt and uncle’s house did not go by without a visit to the famous muralla de Ávila (wall of Ávila).

Ávila is known for its wall (seen above), as well as where Saint Teresa of Ávila was born. Santa Teresa de Jesús is the patron saint of headache sufferers (apparently), so if you’re suffering from a headache, she’s your woman!

Ávila Wall2

This guy popped his head out. What a weirdo.

Picture of Mario’s family (L-R): Mario’s godfather Alberto, his godfather’s children Sergio and Sara, his brother Víctor, his uncle Jesús, Alberto’s wife Lola, and his father Jesús.

Ávila Wall6

A lion statue in front of the cathedral

But Ávila’s real claim to fame is that its famous sweet, Yemas de Santa Teresa (egg yolk cakes), are actually too sweet for Mario.

Who knew such a thing was possible?

Have you ever been to Ávila?

How Do You Travel?

15 Replies

I read a lot of travel blogs, and don’t get me wrong—I love them—but I’m admitting it: I’m no traveler. You may be asking yourself, Wait. If she’s no traveler, why is she always traveling? Good question, my friend.

It’s for the food. Yum! (Kidding. Mainly.)

I like staying put, whether that means staying put in the US or staying put in Spain. I like my home, my things, my comfort zone. I like knowing I’m insured. You know, lame things like that. I know that these aren’t great excuses—heck, there’s even backpacker insurance out there for you people who are adventurous (read: more adventurous than me)!

Me at my most comfortable: warm pub, a good drink, and great company.

Nowadays when I travel, it’s mainly to reunite with that boy of mine or to see friends/family (like my trip to Houston last July). I am not a person that has a natural itch to travel just for travel’s sake. Instead, I have to be prompted by pictures like the one above or by posts about other blogger’s 7 Super Shots.

Sometimes I do feel a bit alone in the travel blog/expat blog world. I mean, I love seeing new places, true. But I also love my bed. Are these things irreconcilable?

Kaley…& Más