Hello again! So lets get you caught up on the latest adventures. After hiking 3 of the 4 trails in the Cinque Terre, and sweating bullets on the last one, we were very open to the idea of finding a place in Vernazza to stay for the night, instead of finishing the 4th one and heading back to Milan. We came off the mountain, and decided to ask at each of the houses on our way into town that had "Rooms for Rent" signs on them. In the last three towns we had seen many signs like these, so we were hopefull that Vernazza would have a healthy supply as well.
At the first one that Tim saw, we rang the bell as indicated on the sign, but there was no one there. MIchelle had seen a sign a little earlier, so we turned around and went back the way we came a few steps. We were discussing how to contact the person on the sign when a man yelled hello from his balcony. We inquired about the room, and he said he was full. Feeling like this was going to be Milan, round two, just with more sweat and exhaustion than the first time, we turned to leave. He called us back and said his friend (the one owning the first sign that we tried to contact) might have a room. He made a few calls, while we waited what seemed like an eternaty. A man came walking down from the hill, and out balcony friend began chatting with him in rapid Italian. It turns out he did have a room available, and would we like to see it. Remembering Milan, we said a firm Yes.
The room was actually an appartment, complete with kitchen and living room/dining room. It had still not been cleaned from the last guests yet, but we were assured that the mans mother would come within the next 30 minutes to clean it. We were grateful, and headed out to explore the city.
We found the little cove of the town and watched as people were swimming in the ocean and laying out on the beach. Tim, who needs to put at least a toe in every body of water we see, wished we could swim in it later in the day. Michelle, who just wanted to sleep, was less than enthused. :)
We ate a slice of pesto pizza and an orange fanta and then headed back for some much needed showers. Refreshed, we found a place to eat, based on one of the recommendations from Rick Steves, and had an enjoyable evening listening to the surf on the ocean. There was a younger couple there who had just gotten engaged, so it was fun overhearing part of the conversation about how surprised she was, and watching her admire her new ring. Michelle, ever the sucker for romatic moments, bought and sent a rose over to their table as a congratulations. It reminded us of when we got engaged, with the ring tucked inside a dozen red roses.
Back at the room we creashed for some much needed sleep.
The next day we were up and about early, trying to hit the last trail before it got too hot. We were packed up and out the door by 8;15. We stopped off at a local bread store and bought a large pesto bruchetta and a few apples, and headed up the trail. No matter how early you get started though, you are going to get hot. This last trail was the hardest, 2 km with the highest elevation climb. And boy was it a climb. Just imagine going up as many stairs as you think you can possibly climb, then turning the corner and having another set of stairs. And every time you stop to rest, you see 2-3 mosquitos hovering about. It was not a pleasant beginning. But the pain was all in the first 30 minutes of the climb. From then on it was much more managable. We were glad to be going the direction on the trail that we were, as at the end there was an even larger set of stairs going down. If we had started the entire hike from this last city, we are not sure if we would have made it.
The last town was named Montorossa al Mare, and once we got there we headed towards the train station. There was one pulling into the station as we arrived, and we asked other travelers if it went to Milan. They said yes, but since we were not sure if we needed reservations, we asked one of the train employees who was hopping on the train. He said it was going to Milan, and ushered us on the train. Once on, with the train moving, h told us that we needed to pay 18 euros for the reservation fee. So, it ended up that this was not the train we wanted. For the regional trains, which also go to Milan, our eurorail pass allows us to ride for free. Woops. Lesson learned, never jump on a train without asking all the questions first.
The train ride was smooth, getting us back to Milan in 3 hours. Once we arrived we found an internet cafe and reserved two nights in another hotel in Milan. This time, we made sure to do it through a site we have used for a while, and one where we could read comments left by other people. We checked into the hotel and were pleased to see that it was clean, comfortable and had no remnants of other past guests. It looks like a business hotel, which is great for us.
We spent the rest of the day exploring Milan. We walked to the Galleria and the Duomo, which also took us by the Scala theater that we mentioned in our last post. Looking at all of the men and women dressed up was fun, they were all so elegant and the fashion really is interesting to watch. We could not pull it off, but they manage to!
We had dinner in the Galleria, Tim had Osobuco with saffron risoto and Michelle had a pesto gnochi. Tims meal was excellent, Michelles was good. It was then back to the hotel for a night of good sleep.
We are about to catch a train to Lake Maggiore today. The hotel should have internet, so we can catch you up on our day trip to Lake Como that we did yesterday. Ciao for now!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
We left our sweat on the Cinque Terre
Before we get to the Cinque Terre, we will tell you of our adventures in Milan hotels. We arrived at the Milan airport around 11:00 pm, and began looking for a room. You see, when you make last minute plane reservations, you dont always have time to also look for hotel rooms. So, since we had easily used a train station room reservation agent in the past to help us find rooms, we figured that we should be able to do it again with some luck, although maybe not the best deal on a room.
We found a room reservation station in the airport, not the typical tourist information booth, and were greeted by a smarmy man who said that there was a festival in town, and there was only one hotel with openings. He quoted us two prices, one for a room with a bathroom in the room, and one with a shared bathroom. We asked if we could have a moment to discuss the options. When we came back and asked for the room with the shared bathroom (which also came with a lower price) low and behold it was no longer available. In the 2 minutes it took us to discuss the options, it was snapped up by someone else. Not liking the bait and switch going on, we opted to find a place on our own.
We took the bus into town and then the metro to the central train station. While waiting for the metro we met an older couple from Ohio who were just leaving the Scala theater after a show. They talked to us about where there were many hotels, and we set off in that direction. We began walking around to the different hotels nearby asking if there were open rooms. The first one had a room, but it was 400 euros a night. You can do the conversion yourself, but it is a little outside our desired price range. After the 7th hotel with no openings we started to hear some options in the upper end of our price range. We kept walking following the signs to the next hotel, and happened upon the Rally Hotel, a "2 star" hotel (out of 5 stars). We walked in and they had rooms available, but the place smelled of incense. We negotiated for a price, decided we would keep looking, turned to leave and he dropped the price further. Maybe this should have been our first clue. We agreed to the room and were given a key. Glad to finally have a place to rest our head, we opened the door to the room.
What greated us was the instant smell of moth balls and heat, as the windows were firmly closed. There was a presentable enough bed, but it looked like the room had undergone no major renovations in around 30 years. We unpacked and began getting ready for bed. We also packed smaller day packs with a change of clothes in anticipation of our next trip. The shared bathroom echoed the years of the bedroom, except that there was an indication that we were staying in the red light district. That is as far as we will go with that description. Back in the room, Michelle decided to open the wardrobe to see if there was an extra towel, and found another indication we were in the red light district. Needless to say, we were not interested in meeting any of the other "guests". As we went to bed Tim also leveraged a chair underneath the doorknob. Can never be too cautious!
A fitful nights sleep ensued, and we were up at 5:30 am to get out of there to jump on the earliest train to the Cinque Terre. We have never been so excited to be out of a place before, and were surprised as we headed to the exit to have no one behind the front counter. A very sleepy hotel manager finally emerged froma back room, took our key and unlocked the front gate so that we could leave. Michelle still gets shivers thinking about being stuck behind a locked gate at that place.
Happily out, we made our way to the train station, checked our big bags into checked luggage, and headed onto the train with our day packs. The train ride was 4 hours long, with stops to many small villages along the way. Both Tim and Michelle caught up on a bit of sleep, which was not easy.
We took the train all the way to Riomaggiore, which is the farthest city south in the Cinque Terre. We arrived around 11:30, filled our water bottles (the first time), and did the first hike to Manarola easily. This first hike is the easiest of the 4, with an estimated time of 20 minutes for completion. The sights were beautiful, and the walking easly, and they should be, since this was the trail of love.
We had lunch in Manorola at a restaurant recommended by Rick Steves called Aristide. We shared a seafood sampler platter, Tim had the pesto gnochi and Michelle had the pesto lasagne. We loved all of it, especially the octopus on the seafood sampler. Who would have thought that octopus tasted so good when you prepare it correctly!
We filled the water bottles again and continued on the trail to the next town of Cornelia, dipping our toes in the water at one of the beaches along the way. This was a harder hike, and as we were now in the full sun of the day, there were precious few shady spots. Tim donned his hat, and Michelle opted to use the umbrella, not for the rain, but to keep the sun off of her as much as possible. In Corneila, we stopped for ice cream and bought more water. We then found a place to fill our water bottles yet again. Hydration is key to hiking mid day!
On the trail from Cornelia to Vernazza we had sweat dripping off of us. Lots of stairs, as this trail had the second highest elevation shift of all 4 trails. We were rewarded with beautiful views of the ocean and surrounding hillsides. But it was so hot. Hiking down into Vernazza, we decided to try and stay there for the night. Again, not having a reservation anywhere, flashbacks of the rat hole in Milan kept appearing. But this time, we were much more cautious.
When we update again, we will tell you about our second round of finding last minute accommodations. For now, know that we are safe, back in Milan, and we will try to get you current with our next post. Ciao!
We found a room reservation station in the airport, not the typical tourist information booth, and were greeted by a smarmy man who said that there was a festival in town, and there was only one hotel with openings. He quoted us two prices, one for a room with a bathroom in the room, and one with a shared bathroom. We asked if we could have a moment to discuss the options. When we came back and asked for the room with the shared bathroom (which also came with a lower price) low and behold it was no longer available. In the 2 minutes it took us to discuss the options, it was snapped up by someone else. Not liking the bait and switch going on, we opted to find a place on our own.
We took the bus into town and then the metro to the central train station. While waiting for the metro we met an older couple from Ohio who were just leaving the Scala theater after a show. They talked to us about where there were many hotels, and we set off in that direction. We began walking around to the different hotels nearby asking if there were open rooms. The first one had a room, but it was 400 euros a night. You can do the conversion yourself, but it is a little outside our desired price range. After the 7th hotel with no openings we started to hear some options in the upper end of our price range. We kept walking following the signs to the next hotel, and happened upon the Rally Hotel, a "2 star" hotel (out of 5 stars). We walked in and they had rooms available, but the place smelled of incense. We negotiated for a price, decided we would keep looking, turned to leave and he dropped the price further. Maybe this should have been our first clue. We agreed to the room and were given a key. Glad to finally have a place to rest our head, we opened the door to the room.
What greated us was the instant smell of moth balls and heat, as the windows were firmly closed. There was a presentable enough bed, but it looked like the room had undergone no major renovations in around 30 years. We unpacked and began getting ready for bed. We also packed smaller day packs with a change of clothes in anticipation of our next trip. The shared bathroom echoed the years of the bedroom, except that there was an indication that we were staying in the red light district. That is as far as we will go with that description. Back in the room, Michelle decided to open the wardrobe to see if there was an extra towel, and found another indication we were in the red light district. Needless to say, we were not interested in meeting any of the other "guests". As we went to bed Tim also leveraged a chair underneath the doorknob. Can never be too cautious!
A fitful nights sleep ensued, and we were up at 5:30 am to get out of there to jump on the earliest train to the Cinque Terre. We have never been so excited to be out of a place before, and were surprised as we headed to the exit to have no one behind the front counter. A very sleepy hotel manager finally emerged froma back room, took our key and unlocked the front gate so that we could leave. Michelle still gets shivers thinking about being stuck behind a locked gate at that place.
Happily out, we made our way to the train station, checked our big bags into checked luggage, and headed onto the train with our day packs. The train ride was 4 hours long, with stops to many small villages along the way. Both Tim and Michelle caught up on a bit of sleep, which was not easy.
We took the train all the way to Riomaggiore, which is the farthest city south in the Cinque Terre. We arrived around 11:30, filled our water bottles (the first time), and did the first hike to Manarola easily. This first hike is the easiest of the 4, with an estimated time of 20 minutes for completion. The sights were beautiful, and the walking easly, and they should be, since this was the trail of love.
We had lunch in Manorola at a restaurant recommended by Rick Steves called Aristide. We shared a seafood sampler platter, Tim had the pesto gnochi and Michelle had the pesto lasagne. We loved all of it, especially the octopus on the seafood sampler. Who would have thought that octopus tasted so good when you prepare it correctly!
We filled the water bottles again and continued on the trail to the next town of Cornelia, dipping our toes in the water at one of the beaches along the way. This was a harder hike, and as we were now in the full sun of the day, there were precious few shady spots. Tim donned his hat, and Michelle opted to use the umbrella, not for the rain, but to keep the sun off of her as much as possible. In Corneila, we stopped for ice cream and bought more water. We then found a place to fill our water bottles yet again. Hydration is key to hiking mid day!
On the trail from Cornelia to Vernazza we had sweat dripping off of us. Lots of stairs, as this trail had the second highest elevation shift of all 4 trails. We were rewarded with beautiful views of the ocean and surrounding hillsides. But it was so hot. Hiking down into Vernazza, we decided to try and stay there for the night. Again, not having a reservation anywhere, flashbacks of the rat hole in Milan kept appearing. But this time, we were much more cautious.
When we update again, we will tell you about our second round of finding last minute accommodations. For now, know that we are safe, back in Milan, and we will try to get you current with our next post. Ciao!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
A funny thing happened on the way to the AIRPORT ...
YOu may be asking yourself why two smart people, with perfectly valid Eurorail passes, might be writing a blog about the experiences in a Barcelona airport. For the answer to that, we have to take you backwards a few days. Come follow us on this new twist to our journey. :)
So we woke up early from our hotel room in Barcelona, ready to go to the train station and book our train to Nice, France. We had a nice breakfast of grapes and juice (clearing the fridge in the hotel room of the last random pieces of what we bought) and packed up everything on our sacks. After having checked out and stowing our luggage, we made ur way tot eh train station. We asked the nice genetleman about the departure times, thinking we would be able to get space on the night train, and were informed that at 8 pm there was a scheduled Frenc train strike. Yup, at 8 pm we could be stuck at whatever town we were in, if the conductors decided to stop at the dot, or we would be stuck in Nice if they let the trains go through to their destinations. Either way, the strike would last at least 2 days (sso much for those day trips via train from Nice to Monaco and Cannes) and that the strike might last longer than 2 days if it was extended. So, any train travel in France was dicy at best.
So imagine yourself having spent the last 10 days in Spain and Portugal, ready to move onto the next country, and finding yourself stuck, as the only border country with Spain tot eh east is France. no option to skirt around it via another country. No securty that the money you spend will be for transport somewhere, or a grand donation to the french train lines. So we did the onlly thing we felt had security to it, we looked for flights out. We figured a flight would be an added cost (ugh), but if it saved the timing of the rest of our trip, then it was worth it.
Since we checked out of our room, we could not use their internet access, so we found a wifi connection at a local cafe. With two cafe con leches and small sandwiches in hand, Tims fingers flew trying to find flights using the ipod. Did we mention what a life saver this thing has been? :)
With a flight at 8:05 pm secured (we thought, no way to print a confirmation from the ipod!) we then tried to plan the rest of our time in Barcelona. We tried the Picasso Museum, which was an interest for Michelle, but it was closed. We then wandered around the Gothic quarter, and ate out first churros con chocolate with a yummy tropical icee. We then walked around Las Ramblas, which is a main shopping area. We visited a marketplace that sells fruits and meats, and tried a hot pink kiwi tasting fruit. We then went to the Guell park, which was designed by Gaudi. Then back to the hotel to pick up the baggage.
We left about 4 hours to get there, and were proud to have been there and ready to take off in 2 hours. The flight to Milan was uneventful, which is good. :) We arrived at the airport and had our luggage by 9:30.
More to come on the interesting search for a hotel for the night, and the rat hole where we finally stayed. Also an update on the events of this last day in the Cinque Terre. Yeah, the next post will be a fun one. :)
Depending on access, it might be a little while before we post again. Yes, the pink water bottle is back in our hands, for those that were worried about its fate. And a Happy Birthday to Michelles dad (on the 26th) and Michelles sister Shelby on the 29th!
So we woke up early from our hotel room in Barcelona, ready to go to the train station and book our train to Nice, France. We had a nice breakfast of grapes and juice (clearing the fridge in the hotel room of the last random pieces of what we bought) and packed up everything on our sacks. After having checked out and stowing our luggage, we made ur way tot eh train station. We asked the nice genetleman about the departure times, thinking we would be able to get space on the night train, and were informed that at 8 pm there was a scheduled Frenc train strike. Yup, at 8 pm we could be stuck at whatever town we were in, if the conductors decided to stop at the dot, or we would be stuck in Nice if they let the trains go through to their destinations. Either way, the strike would last at least 2 days (sso much for those day trips via train from Nice to Monaco and Cannes) and that the strike might last longer than 2 days if it was extended. So, any train travel in France was dicy at best.
So imagine yourself having spent the last 10 days in Spain and Portugal, ready to move onto the next country, and finding yourself stuck, as the only border country with Spain tot eh east is France. no option to skirt around it via another country. No securty that the money you spend will be for transport somewhere, or a grand donation to the french train lines. So we did the onlly thing we felt had security to it, we looked for flights out. We figured a flight would be an added cost (ugh), but if it saved the timing of the rest of our trip, then it was worth it.
Since we checked out of our room, we could not use their internet access, so we found a wifi connection at a local cafe. With two cafe con leches and small sandwiches in hand, Tims fingers flew trying to find flights using the ipod. Did we mention what a life saver this thing has been? :)
With a flight at 8:05 pm secured (we thought, no way to print a confirmation from the ipod!) we then tried to plan the rest of our time in Barcelona. We tried the Picasso Museum, which was an interest for Michelle, but it was closed. We then wandered around the Gothic quarter, and ate out first churros con chocolate with a yummy tropical icee. We then walked around Las Ramblas, which is a main shopping area. We visited a marketplace that sells fruits and meats, and tried a hot pink kiwi tasting fruit. We then went to the Guell park, which was designed by Gaudi. Then back to the hotel to pick up the baggage.
We left about 4 hours to get there, and were proud to have been there and ready to take off in 2 hours. The flight to Milan was uneventful, which is good. :) We arrived at the airport and had our luggage by 9:30.
More to come on the interesting search for a hotel for the night, and the rat hole where we finally stayed. Also an update on the events of this last day in the Cinque Terre. Yeah, the next post will be a fun one. :)
Depending on access, it might be a little while before we post again. Yes, the pink water bottle is back in our hands, for those that were worried about its fate. And a Happy Birthday to Michelles dad (on the 26th) and Michelles sister Shelby on the 29th!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The tapas of our last four days
Hi all!
We know that it has been a while since the last post, and for that we are sorry. We have a wifi connection here in Barcelona, but no computer. So here is another post care of our iPod. We have gone from Lisbon to Barcelona, and will be on our way to Nice France tomorrow morning (hopefully!) So here are a few highlights from the last four days.
From Portugal
A day spent at Cascais to dip toes in the water, to Cabo da Roca the most western tip of Europe, and the to Sintra to view some amazing houses, castles and gardens (Momma Kapka you would have loved it!)
Ricardo our new friend at the hotel
An attempt at fado (not so successful on that one)
A visit to the Castel St Jorge in Lisbon (beautiful views)
Meeting a mannamed Antonio and his daughter at an antique tile store who talked to us about the history ofPortuguise tile and shared a glass of port wine with us
For Barcelona
Not a good start as the first few people we met were bad - started as a big city full of people with big city attitudes
Finally seeing a bullfight after trying to in two other cities, which was a thing to experience once in you life, and for us, only once
Seeing the houses Gaudi designed
Going to Montserrat for the afternoon
Sleeping in this morning
Finally doing two loads of laundry amidst the fun
Well we hope you enjoyed these small tidbits of our last four days. We should get to bed. Tomorrow is another day to have a ball!
We know that it has been a while since the last post, and for that we are sorry. We have a wifi connection here in Barcelona, but no computer. So here is another post care of our iPod. We have gone from Lisbon to Barcelona, and will be on our way to Nice France tomorrow morning (hopefully!) So here are a few highlights from the last four days.
From Portugal
A day spent at Cascais to dip toes in the water, to Cabo da Roca the most western tip of Europe, and the to Sintra to view some amazing houses, castles and gardens (Momma Kapka you would have loved it!)
Ricardo our new friend at the hotel
An attempt at fado (not so successful on that one)
A visit to the Castel St Jorge in Lisbon (beautiful views)
Meeting a mannamed Antonio and his daughter at an antique tile store who talked to us about the history ofPortuguise tile and shared a glass of port wine with us
For Barcelona
Not a good start as the first few people we met were bad - started as a big city full of people with big city attitudes
Finally seeing a bullfight after trying to in two other cities, which was a thing to experience once in you life, and for us, only once
Seeing the houses Gaudi designed
Going to Montserrat for the afternoon
Sleeping in this morning
Finally doing two loads of laundry amidst the fun
Well we hope you enjoyed these small tidbits of our last four days. We should get to bed. Tomorrow is another day to have a ball!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
A train, a train, a car, and another train
A quick update for you all on the happenings of the Hardleys. We have 16 minutes on the clock, so away we go!
The last couble of days have beena bit of a blur, with lots of running around to do. On our last day in Seville we took a free walking tour of the city that one of our new hostel friends helps to lead, and it was a great refresher on the history of the city. We talked to the guide a bit about how our experience with tapas has been so so, and he offered to take us to his favorite place. Let me say, we were bummed to have found it so late, but excited because these were the best tapas at the most reasonable prices. During our time in Seville we tried to branch out of the comfort zone where tapas were concerned, and this place was one that did not dissapoint. It was wonderful.
And, in grand Michelle fashion, as we were leaving she left her water bottle at the restaurant, only to remember it 20 minutes later when we were half way across town. And unless you start thinking that this is Tim writing this post, you would be wrong. My penchant for loosing things, keys, sunglasses, water bottles, is somewhat of a legend in my hometown. In fact, during the 07 trip, I left the original pink water bottle on a train to Pisa. Yup, just plain walked off the train without it. My friend Tiffany bought me a new one as a welcome home gift, and almost lost it too! So after shopping on the other end of town and picking up some great pottery, we tried to find the restaurant again. Not so easy when someone took you there the first time, so you were not exactly focusing on the details of how to get there. But Tim is an amazing navagator, and he found it easily.
That little excursion set us back about 20 minutes in the plan to get to the train station on time to catch a train back to Lisbon, and we had to hustle to get there. Our friend at the desk of the hostle strongly suggested that we did not try to run the mile or so to get there, but instead take the bus. We grudgingly agreed and set out for the stop. When we arrived, our bus was there and we were able to easily hop on. Talk about timing!
The train ride to Madrid was uneventful, the movie they showed was >Burn After Reading, which to us is the single worst movie in the history of bad movies. Feel free to disagree, but the only saving grace is that Brad Pitt is pretty funny, other than that, I cant get behind where the movie is going. Anyways, we got there in time to catch the next night train out to Lisbon, except that it was leaving from a different station about 4 miles away. We were asking a gentleman how to get there, and with his directions we were off. A few minutes later guy about our age came up to us and offered a ride, since his house was right near the station. We agreed, and were treated to a great ride on the freeways of Madrid without us risking life and limb. :)
The train to Lisbon was fun, we had never had a private coach before, and we explored ever nook and cranny, seeing how they made things pull double duty so that they could have so many ammenities in such a small space. I love trains that way, so industrious. The train made frequent stops, and if it hit the breaks hard, it filled the interior with a burned break smell, but overall it was fine. I donºt know if I would want to do it every night, but for one night, it worked well.
Well, time is running out and we have not even gotten to the things we did today. I believe the hotel in Barcelona has free internet, so we will have to catch you up there. Tomorrow is our last day in Lisbon, then a night train to Madrid and a morning train to Barcelona. We should be there around 1:30, which will let us catch up on sleep and our journals. Until then!
The last couble of days have beena bit of a blur, with lots of running around to do. On our last day in Seville we took a free walking tour of the city that one of our new hostel friends helps to lead, and it was a great refresher on the history of the city. We talked to the guide a bit about how our experience with tapas has been so so, and he offered to take us to his favorite place. Let me say, we were bummed to have found it so late, but excited because these were the best tapas at the most reasonable prices. During our time in Seville we tried to branch out of the comfort zone where tapas were concerned, and this place was one that did not dissapoint. It was wonderful.
And, in grand Michelle fashion, as we were leaving she left her water bottle at the restaurant, only to remember it 20 minutes later when we were half way across town. And unless you start thinking that this is Tim writing this post, you would be wrong. My penchant for loosing things, keys, sunglasses, water bottles, is somewhat of a legend in my hometown. In fact, during the 07 trip, I left the original pink water bottle on a train to Pisa. Yup, just plain walked off the train without it. My friend Tiffany bought me a new one as a welcome home gift, and almost lost it too! So after shopping on the other end of town and picking up some great pottery, we tried to find the restaurant again. Not so easy when someone took you there the first time, so you were not exactly focusing on the details of how to get there. But Tim is an amazing navagator, and he found it easily.
That little excursion set us back about 20 minutes in the plan to get to the train station on time to catch a train back to Lisbon, and we had to hustle to get there. Our friend at the desk of the hostle strongly suggested that we did not try to run the mile or so to get there, but instead take the bus. We grudgingly agreed and set out for the stop. When we arrived, our bus was there and we were able to easily hop on. Talk about timing!
The train ride to Madrid was uneventful, the movie they showed was >Burn After Reading, which to us is the single worst movie in the history of bad movies. Feel free to disagree, but the only saving grace is that Brad Pitt is pretty funny, other than that, I cant get behind where the movie is going. Anyways, we got there in time to catch the next night train out to Lisbon, except that it was leaving from a different station about 4 miles away. We were asking a gentleman how to get there, and with his directions we were off. A few minutes later guy about our age came up to us and offered a ride, since his house was right near the station. We agreed, and were treated to a great ride on the freeways of Madrid without us risking life and limb. :)
The train to Lisbon was fun, we had never had a private coach before, and we explored ever nook and cranny, seeing how they made things pull double duty so that they could have so many ammenities in such a small space. I love trains that way, so industrious. The train made frequent stops, and if it hit the breaks hard, it filled the interior with a burned break smell, but overall it was fine. I donºt know if I would want to do it every night, but for one night, it worked well.
Well, time is running out and we have not even gotten to the things we did today. I believe the hotel in Barcelona has free internet, so we will have to catch you up there. Tomorrow is our last day in Lisbon, then a night train to Madrid and a morning train to Barcelona. We should be there around 1:30, which will let us catch up on sleep and our journals. Until then!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Forever running out of time
Sorry for the abridged post, we were told the computer use was ending in 5 minutes so instead of finishing the post we thought it best to email hostals in Portugal so that we have somewhere to stay two nights from now. We are now emailing on our iPod, which means I am typing with one finger. Tedious, but a life saver. thanks Greg and Brenda for a great Christmas gift!
Tomorrow we will go across the bridge to the other side of town and do some shopping. :) Michelle is excited, Tim . . . not so much. Talk to you from Portugal.
Tomorrow we will go across the bridge to the other side of town and do some shopping. :) Michelle is excited, Tim . . . not so much. Talk to you from Portugal.
Of cathedrals and palaces
Hello all!
Just spent our second day in Seville, and we are still having a great time. We treated ourselves a bit, and slept in until 8:00. Since we have received 4-5 hours of sleep every night, to have 7 hours was a rare treat. After a quick breakfast provided by our hostal (bread, cheese, orange juice and coffee) we were off. Tim won´t drink coffee at work because it makes him wired, but he is on this vacation?!?
Our first stop was supposed to be the Alcazar of Seville, a royal palace that is still used by the king and queen of Spain today. But to get there, we had to walk by the cathedral. And since we saw an open door, we just had to walk in and check it out.
Inside is the most amazing church, for height, width and historical significance. We were pretty sure that the reason we got in was because they were doing a morning mass. As we walked in and heard the chanting of the choir and the paritioners to the sound of the 7,000 pipe organ, it was confirmed. We are never sure what to do in those moments, turn and leave? Stay and explore the church quietly? Join in the mass? Not being from the Catholic tradition, we are never sure what to say, and when to sit or stand. We have been to one mass that we can remember at Grandma and Grandpa Saskas (Michelle´s grandparents) ánd all we could remember was how to make the sign of the cross. We decided that if we could sit to the side and not detract from the service, it would be interesting to attend mass.
So we followed the cues from others and imitated their behavior. Apparently we were not alone, as in the beginning there were about 25 total worshipers, and when one older gentleman stood, we all looked at him and slowly rose, and as he sat, we all sat. As the service went on, the other tourists left, and other parishoners joined, so that it did not look as obvious that we were following their lead. In this mass they were giving communion, and we refrained, feeling that it was not appropriate. It was amazing to worship with others, even though it was all in Spanish so we did not completely understand it all.
After mass we were escorted from the church so that the museum staff could begin welcoming the paying public. So we left the church, went around the corner, and got in line to pay to enter again. There was much of the church we did not see that we thought it worthwhile. And it was. Once we entered we quickly made our way up to the tower, one of the last surviving pieces of the mosque that used to stand where the church now does. Christians tore down the mosque, but kept the tower, and we were glad they did. Instead of stairs to get to the top, it is a long winding ramp, where men used to ride up on horseback 5 times a day to ring the bells calling the Muslims to prayer. You can still see the grooves at the top where the horses grew tired and took more steps, wearing down the stones at a greater rate. The views were amazing, as you could see the city all around. There were also maps identifying the major buildings in the city by their rooftops.
We were quickly joined by a few tour groups and many other individual people, amd decided to decend the tower shortly thereafter. Brilliant idea Tim to do this first, as he could forsee the crowds if we waited. Sure enough, 30 minutes later there was a long line of people waiting to ascend at the base of the tower. We toured the rest of the church, noting the treasury with its ancient relics, including a "piece of THE cross". Also seen was the most valuable crown in Spain, with the worlds largest pearl set within it. Interestingly enough, we could not see it for a time, as there was a smaller pearl within the crown. Then we focused on one of the small angels on the crown, and noticed that its body was the pearl. The pearl was naturally formed in the shape of a torso and the beginnings of legs. Amazing!
There were also some other unusual treasures, like literal body parts from various saints. Hum . . .
The coffin holding the body of Christoper Columbus was also on display in the middle of the church. It was held up by 4 kings representing 4 different territories in what is now Spain. The men were wearing "flowing" robes all made out of metal and were around 9 feet tall.
After we had explored the church, we made our way over to the Alcazar, the royal palace. It is the oldest European palace still being used as a private residence for royalty. Like many things in southern Spain, it was originally designed by the Moors, and overtaken by the Christians. You see the Moorish influence in the amazing tilework and beautiful ceilings. There are also vast gardens and too many fountains to count.
Just spent our second day in Seville, and we are still having a great time. We treated ourselves a bit, and slept in until 8:00. Since we have received 4-5 hours of sleep every night, to have 7 hours was a rare treat. After a quick breakfast provided by our hostal (bread, cheese, orange juice and coffee) we were off. Tim won´t drink coffee at work because it makes him wired, but he is on this vacation?!?
Our first stop was supposed to be the Alcazar of Seville, a royal palace that is still used by the king and queen of Spain today. But to get there, we had to walk by the cathedral. And since we saw an open door, we just had to walk in and check it out.
Inside is the most amazing church, for height, width and historical significance. We were pretty sure that the reason we got in was because they were doing a morning mass. As we walked in and heard the chanting of the choir and the paritioners to the sound of the 7,000 pipe organ, it was confirmed. We are never sure what to do in those moments, turn and leave? Stay and explore the church quietly? Join in the mass? Not being from the Catholic tradition, we are never sure what to say, and when to sit or stand. We have been to one mass that we can remember at Grandma and Grandpa Saskas (Michelle´s grandparents) ánd all we could remember was how to make the sign of the cross. We decided that if we could sit to the side and not detract from the service, it would be interesting to attend mass.
So we followed the cues from others and imitated their behavior. Apparently we were not alone, as in the beginning there were about 25 total worshipers, and when one older gentleman stood, we all looked at him and slowly rose, and as he sat, we all sat. As the service went on, the other tourists left, and other parishoners joined, so that it did not look as obvious that we were following their lead. In this mass they were giving communion, and we refrained, feeling that it was not appropriate. It was amazing to worship with others, even though it was all in Spanish so we did not completely understand it all.
After mass we were escorted from the church so that the museum staff could begin welcoming the paying public. So we left the church, went around the corner, and got in line to pay to enter again. There was much of the church we did not see that we thought it worthwhile. And it was. Once we entered we quickly made our way up to the tower, one of the last surviving pieces of the mosque that used to stand where the church now does. Christians tore down the mosque, but kept the tower, and we were glad they did. Instead of stairs to get to the top, it is a long winding ramp, where men used to ride up on horseback 5 times a day to ring the bells calling the Muslims to prayer. You can still see the grooves at the top where the horses grew tired and took more steps, wearing down the stones at a greater rate. The views were amazing, as you could see the city all around. There were also maps identifying the major buildings in the city by their rooftops.
We were quickly joined by a few tour groups and many other individual people, amd decided to decend the tower shortly thereafter. Brilliant idea Tim to do this first, as he could forsee the crowds if we waited. Sure enough, 30 minutes later there was a long line of people waiting to ascend at the base of the tower. We toured the rest of the church, noting the treasury with its ancient relics, including a "piece of THE cross". Also seen was the most valuable crown in Spain, with the worlds largest pearl set within it. Interestingly enough, we could not see it for a time, as there was a smaller pearl within the crown. Then we focused on one of the small angels on the crown, and noticed that its body was the pearl. The pearl was naturally formed in the shape of a torso and the beginnings of legs. Amazing!
There were also some other unusual treasures, like literal body parts from various saints. Hum . . .
The coffin holding the body of Christoper Columbus was also on display in the middle of the church. It was held up by 4 kings representing 4 different territories in what is now Spain. The men were wearing "flowing" robes all made out of metal and were around 9 feet tall.
After we had explored the church, we made our way over to the Alcazar, the royal palace. It is the oldest European palace still being used as a private residence for royalty. Like many things in southern Spain, it was originally designed by the Moors, and overtaken by the Christians. You see the Moorish influence in the amazing tilework and beautiful ceilings. There are also vast gardens and too many fountains to count.
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