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Post by Owen on Nov 26, 2015 20:59:15 GMT
1 ~~~~~ Vera's "Best of Spain & Portugal" ~~~ March 2005 ~~~ VeeOne ~~~ 49
This travel tale was written by Vera and relates to a Insight Vacations Tour.
It was originally posted on the Insight Vacations forum.
Link to the Insight Vacations Legacy Forum Travel Tales Post ~~~ Comments & Tale & Question/Answer
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forums.insightvacations.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/64110241/m/582103983
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Post by Owen on Nov 26, 2015 20:59:57 GMT
Summary of Tour
This is my first tour with Insight, and I was very impressed with the excellent hotels and location, the included breakfasts and some dinners, and the comfortable bus with lots of leg room! I was traveling on my own on this tour, and opted to pay the single supplement. Since this is my first time in Spain and Portugal, I chose to do all the optionals offered.
The hotel rooms were all nice and very comfortable, beautiful lobbies, and all rooms were equipped with hair dryers and room safes. You are given a card key – once inside the room, you insert the card into a slot on the wall by the door to turn on all the lights. Since you’ll need your key to get back in your room, when you remove the card from the slot, all lights turn off when you leave. Only the Lisbon Marriott had an iron and ironing board. I could’ve left my travel iron at home because I didn’t need to use it all throughout the trip. I brought my travel hair dryer with me because I found that the hair dryers at hotels are not hot enough to dry my beautiful locks of hair Roll Eyes ! There are safes in all the rooms. In the Cuzco in Madrid, you’ll need a card (any card with a magnetic strip) to lock and unlock your safe. In the Reina in Valencia, you’ll need to give a 20 Euro deposit at the front desk and they’ll give you a key for your room safe. You get your deposit back once you give them back the key. All other room safes are locked and unlocked by the code that you have entered.
I’m a techno freak (or geek!) Eeker, so I had my cell phone with me to send text messages and check email (yes I know, I’m a freak!), and brought a portable storage device to store my digital pics, which saved me time from looking for places to burn my pics onto CDs. Thinking back, I should’ve brought a laptop or some smaller device with a keyboard to type my travels (it would’ve made my life easier as I didn’t like to write freehand) - words come easier for me when I have a keyboard attached to my hands Wink . I did notice that some of my fellow travelers brought a small notebook on the bus to record the information that Heather shared with all of us throughout the tour.
For digital camera users: don’t forget to change the time on your camera so that you can ensure that date/time are correct on all your pictures. Also, most digital cameras are equipped with a sound memo or voice memo – I found it useful to record a few seconds of information on a picture that I had just taken (when I get home, it saves me time from remembering what and where the heck the picture was taken!).
Now I’ll share the “journal” of my trip with you. It can get pretty wordy and lengthy so read them, skim them, or ignore them if you so wish. Lots to write so please be patient with me and I’ll try to get them all posted as soon as I can.
Hope you enjoy my experiences in Spain and Portugal as much as I did! Smiler
And finally, no names will be mentioned except for my name, Heather (TD), and Antonio (Driver) to protect the innocent. What happens in Spain & Portugal, stays in Spain & Portugal! Big Grin Big Grin
Hotels we stayed in:
MADRID: Cuzco Hotel
SALAMANCA: Hotel Stil Salamanca
OPORTO: Le Meridien Park Atlantic
LISBON: Lisbon Marriott
SEVILLE: Barcelo Hotel (supposed to be Sevilla Center)
COSTA DEL SOL: Hotel Melia Costa del Sol
GRANADA: Hotel Andalucia Centre (supposed to be Saray)
VALENCIA: Reina Victoria Hotel
BARCELONA: Hotel Melia Barcelona
MADRID: Cuzco Hotel
Optionals offered on our BOSP tour:
LISBON (2): Sintra, Cascais & Estoril Excursion, and Fado Evening
SEVILLE (1): Cordoba & The Mesquita
GIBRALTAR (1): Rock of Gibraltar Tour
BARCELONA (2): Montserrat & The Black Madonna, and Guell Park & Evening Drive
MADRID (2): Madrid Celebration Dinner, and Toledo Excursion
Vera
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Post by Owen on Nov 26, 2015 21:00:36 GMT
Day 1 (Friday Mar 4) – Arrive in Madrid:
I decided to fly to Madrid one day prior to the tour starting to give myself some time to recover from the jet lag. On March 3, I flew with British Airways from Toronto to London Heathrow, then Heathrow to Madrid Barajas Airport. This is my first time flying with British Airways and I was happy with them. Flight was comfortable for me and food was great. Loved the different choices of entertainment – 18 channels to choose from, plus each person had their own screen in front of them. I was also glad that I was able to check-in for my flight from London to Madrid when I checked-in at Toronto airport. Saved me time and I didn’t have to worry about my luggage (I just had to keep my fingers crossed that my luggage gets to Madrid the same time as I do). Had a 2-hr stopover in Heathrow and decided to look for the smoking lounge (I know, I know, you don’t need to say it, I’ve heard it all).
Arrived in Madrid around 3:30pm. I had a bit of a scare because I couldn’t find my luggage and I had visions of having to go shopping for clothes before the tour started (which, come to think of it, would not have been a bad thing). My luggage was one of the last ones unloaded onto the belt – so big sighs of relief! Took a taxi to the Cuzco Hotel, which was about 15-20 minutes from the airport. On the way to the hotel, I noticed 2 interesting buildings – one on each side of the street – they were different because it seemed like they were protruding onto the street. Interesting architecture.
The Cuzco hotel doesn’t look like much on the outside, but very nice inside. Rooms are nice and comfortable. Decided to take a nap when I got to my room. Around 8pm, I had dinner at the restaurant located in the lobby, which also had a bar. Practiced my “hola”, “gracias”, “buenas noches”, and “la cuenta, por favor”. By the way, the hotel also has internet access available in the lobby (3 Euros for 15 mins, 5 Euros for 30 mins, 9 Euros for 60 mins).
Pretty tired from the flight, so back to my room I went. Unpacked, read my book, and then off to bed.
Day 2 (Saturday Mar 5) – Welcome meeting at 6:00pm:
My intentions were to get up early so that I could do a little bit of exploring around the city before the welcome drink at 6pm. Alas, I must’ve been more tired than I thought because I ended up sleeping for most of the day! Woke up around 3:30pm, relaxed for a bit and then got ready for the welcome meeting at 6:00pm.
Heather Hand is our Tour Director - she was amazing and did an excellent job!! Originally from Britain, Heather has lived in Spain for many years. She speaks about 7-8 different languages, including 3 of 4 languages spoken in Spain. TD Heather had just finished a tour before our BOSP. We also found out later on, that after our tour she was doing the Road to Rome, then Morocco. Busy lady with a great sense of humour!
I introduced myself to some of the other travelers. Sangria, orange juice, chips and nuts were served. There were 30 of us on this tour – 9 were from Canada and the rest were from the U.S. There were 4 of us including myself who were solo travelers. TD Heather shared some tour information, and then various questions were asked and answered. Someone suggested that we each get up, introduce ourselves and say where we were from – great way to see who your fellow travelers were. Heather will talk to us about the Optionals tomorrow.
Heather will also arrange our wake-up calls that are set for 45 mins before breakfast time. But you should also have a backup alarm just in case. Tomorrow, breakfast is at 8:00am, and we leave for Salamanca at 9:00am. Luggage out at 8:00am, which means you leave your luggage right outside your door at 8:00am and the porters will bring them down to our driver, who will load them onto the bus.
After the meeting, some of us had dinner at the restaurant in the lobby. Then off to my room to re-pack and get some sleep.
Day 3 (Sunday Mar 6) – Madrid to Salamanca:
Cuzco Hotel: Breakfast buffet at 8:00am – eggs, sausages, hot peppers(!) cereal, fresh fruits, cold cuts & cheeses, various breads, juices, coffee, tea, etc.
We met our tour driver, Antonio, who is Portuguese and lives in Lisbon. Antonio was an excellent driver! Heather gave out road maps of Spain and Portugal to help us track our journey. As well, Antonio turned on both TV sets (one in front of bus, the other halfway down the bus) - Tour bus has GPS, so you can follow the travel route using your map and TV.
We are on the road at 9:00am - en route to Segovia, Avila, then Salamanca. It’s Sunday and stores are closed in Spain. Heather said that this is a day for Spaniards to spend time with family. No trucks are allowed to travel on the roads unless they have a permit to drive on Sunday (ie. Trucks delivering perishable foods). I also noticed that there was still snow on the hills and mountains – it turns out that this will be the only time I will see snow during this trip. Hurray!
We got to Segovia around 10:00am. The bus made a short stop for us to take pictures of the view of the city – panoramic shots of Segovia and its city walls. The weather was a bit chilly (thank goodness I brought my coat, scarf and gloves!) We then stopped at the Plaza of the Aqueduct to see the magnificent 2000 yr old Roman Aqueduct up close. Took more pictures (the first of the hundreds I will take on this tour!). Since it was Sunday, there were only a few people walking about and the stores were closed except for some souvenir places and restaurants. This is also where I learned to say “Quiero comprar una botella de agua” (I want to buy one bottle of water), you will be asked “Pequeno o grande? (small or large) – I found that this knowledge would serve me well throughout this tour whenever I had the urge to quench my thirst. Bought postcards and went to meet the bus around 11am.
We’re off to the walled town of Avila, the birthplace of St Theresa, where we arrived after 1:00pm. This is where we stopped for lunch, and walked around to browse the shops. As we were leaving the city, the bus stopped by the Four Posts (with a cross in its centre) for a 5min photo taking of Avila surrounded by its massive walls. Left Avila around 2:30pm for Salamanca.
Heather mentioned that we would see storks along the way. They are here for about 3-4 months and nest atop houses, churches, etc. Their nests are not disturbed or taken down. There is a superstitious belief about them, though I cannot recall what it is exactly about. The birds come back each year to the same nests.
Arrived in Salamanca around 3:30pm. We went to the Plaza Mayor, which is the main plaza in Salamanca. We were given some time to walk around by ourselves - the sun was shining, few tourists, and it was nice to be able to walk around at leisure. We saw the Gran Hotel where we were originally supposed to stay for the night. It would’ve been a great hotel to stay at because it’s right by the Plaza Mayor. But we were told that it had since been sold and the owners will convert them to apartments. Some of us visited the Cathedral and some even walked up the tower to get a great view of the city. You can also visit the House of Shells (it’ll cost you 3.50 Euros to get in), or the Museo Art Nouveau Y Art Deco for about 4.00 Euros. We also noticed that there were a lot of “frogs” (in figurines, candies, etc) found in stores around the Plaza Mayor. According to Heather, there are lots of myths about the frogs (ie. Find 7 of them and you’ll have good luck, etc). Some of our fellow travelers met an American studying at the Salamanca University. She told them that there was a painting at the school, whereby if you find 1 frog on the painting, you’ll pass your exams and do well in school. Okay, so there are lots of myths about frogs.
Got to the Hotel Stil Salamanca around 5pm. Nice rooms, but it looks like we were the only ones staying at the hotel. Some of us went to the bar for drinks before dinner and had a chance find out more about each other. Dinner was at 7:00pm. Heather said that the Spanish have about a 3-4 hour siesta in the afternoon and then eat dinner much later (around 9 or 10pm) than we are used to at home. Dinner at the hotel consisted of paella with vegetables, beef stew with potatoes/carrots/olives, and a tapioca type of dessert that you had to put sugar on it. Needless to say, I passed on dessert after taking a small taste, and settled for a café con leche.
Tomorrow, it’s breakfast and luggage out at 7:30am. We leave for Oporto at 8:30am. |
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Post by Owen on Nov 26, 2015 21:01:03 GMT
Day 4 (Monday Mar 7) – Salamanca to Oporto:
Hotel Stil Salamanca: Breakfast buffet at 7:30am – cereal, cold cuts & cheeses, fresh fruits, various breads, juices, tea, coffee, no eggs/sausages.
We’re off to Oporto at 8:30am - it’s “bom dia” for good morning and “obrigado” for thank you. Bring your passports with you, just in case it was needed at the border in Portugal. Turns out we didn’t need to show them. Right after the border (at Vilar Formosa), we made a brief stop for those who needed to go to the bank, then back on the road again. Don’t forget to turn your watches back 1 hour. Throughout the BOSP tour, Heather was pretty good at knowing when to do pit stops every couple of hours, so I won’t be mentioning pit stops or lunch stops often (unless it involved shopping).
Heather handed out the list of Optional excursions that are offered on our tour: Fado evening, Sintra/Cascais/Estoril, Cordoba & The Mesquita, Rock of Gibraltar Tour, Guell Park & Evening Drive, Montserrat & The Black Madonna, Madrid Celebration Dinner, and Toledo Excursion. I signed up for all of them. Heather asked for our completed list back so she gets an idea of the number of sign ups for each optional. (She collected payment for optionals on Day 5 as we traveled to Fatima).
A highway is being constructed almost parallel to the road we are traveling on to Oporto. Heather mentioned that the highways should hopefully be done by next year. Meanwhile, the roads we are traveling on are winding, with many mountain views. TD also pointed out the mimosa trees, eucalyptus trees planted throughout Portugal, and orange trees that produce bitter oranges while the orange bushes produce sweet oranges (a fact I did not know). During the longer road trips, it’s a good chance for you to take a nap (which I often did), write in your journal (which I often did not because I chose to sleep instead), read a book, or just stare out the window and look at the views – most people took naps.
I know we made a lunch stop at some point in time but can’t seem to remember where or when - but after that, we got to Oporto around 1:00pm (now Portugal time). We drove around the city while Heather commented on various points of interest around the city, and we saw many houses and buildings with beautiful glazed tiles. TD also pointed out the magnificent Dom Luis I bridge (built after the school of Eiffel). We crossed the River Douro, and made a short stop by the harbour side to allow us to take pictures of the city from across the river, as well as the Dom Luis bridge and the boats docked along the river – what a magnificent view! Though it was a bit chilly, the sun was shining brightly. There were many restaurants with outdoor seating along the harbour, and I am sure they get very busy during the summer months with people strolling around or sitting at one of the restaurant/bars having a drink or two or three!
Then we’re on a short ride to Grahams (around 2:30pm), one of the many wine stores that house the famous port wines. We were given a tour and history of Grahams by one of the guides, and a wine tasting session afterwards! The wine tasting session included a glass each of 7 yr old, 10 yr old, and white port wines. I ended up buying a bottle of their dry white port (for 8.80 Euros), which we were told is not exported and can only be bought in Portugal. Also purchased a few gift boxes of port, which was a green tin can that included a small bottle of the 7 yr old and 10 yr old port for 7.00 Euros per box. Now it turns out that when we were in Sintra (Day 6), you could buy these same boxes for 5.00 Euros – oh well, though I know it now, I didn’t know it then!
Heather and Antonio went to the hotel while we were touring Grahams, so Heather had our room keys when we got back on the bus. Got to the hotel around 4:00pm - Le Meridien is a beautiful hotel, and the rooms are large! As we entered the lobby, we were welcomed with guess what? – a glass of port! Okay, now we’re a little tipsy from all that wine, so some of us went outside for a smoke before unpacking. You can smoke anywhere in Spain and Portugal, which was something I had to get used to as I automatically go outside. So outside we go to admire the blossoming flowers and enjoy the now warmer weather (hurray!). The workers were doing some drilling in the hotel so it was difficult to take a nap or do anything in your room – not only was it too loud, it felt like you were at the dentist chair! So a few of us decided to meet in the lobby and sit on the very comfortable couches and drink some more wine before dinner.
Dinner was at 7:30pm and it was fabulous - great salad, grilled salmon with vegetables, and a delicious dessert (though I forgot what it was, I do remember it was just delicious!). Heather mentioned that the Sheraton hotel is right beside Le Meridien – it’s a newer hotel and just as fabulous. The March tours will stay at Le Meridien and then it’s the Sheraton hotel for the rest of the year.
After dinner, it’s back to the comfortable couches for some smokes and interesting conversation before we called it a night.
Tomorrow, we leave Oporto and head to Fatima, Obidos, and then Lisbon. Breakfast and luggage out at 7:30am, depart 8:30am.
Day 5 (Tuesday Mar 8) – Oporto to Lisbon:
Le Meridien: Breakfast buffet – eggs, sausages, crepes, pancakes, fresh fruits, cold cuts & cheeses, cereal, juices, various breads, tea, coffee, etc.
We left Oporto at 8:30am – heading towards Fatima, Obidos, then Lisbon. We arrived at Fatima around 10:30am. Prior to starting this tour, I was worried that the weather was going to be on the colder side and also wondered about how much crowds we will encounter. So far, the sun has been shining almost all the time, no rain, and the weather is getting warmer as we move on with the tour. As well, I like how there are no crowds in places that we have visited so far, which allows us to move around more freely.
Fatima is breathtaking and amazing – above the plaza where the Basilica and the Chapel of Apparitions are located, the sky was so blue! There were no crowds and it just felt really peaceful and serene. We got there in time to hear mass at the Chapel of Apparitions, an open-air church that is built on the site where the Virgin Mary first appeared to the 3 shepherd children. All seats at the chapel were full, so some of us stood at the back (in the opened part of the church). Though the mass was conducted in Portuguese, it was easy to follow the prayers. I saw a young man on his knees circling around the Chapel, with a rosary in one hand and a photo of a boy in the other. I also saw a few women on their knees, heading down the path that leads to the chapel. I am really glad I got a chance to be here amidst the peacefulness around Fatima, surrounded by people in prayer – personally; I was spiritually moved by the experience as it makes you feel that your prayers are indeed heard.
We walked up to the Basilica where another mass was being conducted inside. There is also a glass enclosure outside the Basilica that houses an altar; and looking back at the plaza from the Basilica, you can envision the place filled with thousands of people coming to hear mass.
After buying some souvenirs at the stores outside of the plaza, we met the bus at 11:50am and left Fatima for Batalha. We arrived at the Batalha Abbey around 12:15pm to visit the Chapel (inside the Abbey) that houses the tombs of King Joao and his wife Queen Philipa of Lancaster, and their sons. Beside the Abbey is a small plaza with restaurants, shops, bank, etc. For lunch, we stopped at a restaurant located in a corner in the plaza – they had soup, sandwiches, and all kinds of mouth-watering pastries. My favourite was the “custard tart” (I forgot what it’s called in Portuguese), where the crust of the tart is not a cookie-like crust but a delicious flaky crust! Yum! This is the beginning of my obsession for this dessert! And as it turns out, you can only get them in Portugal, and can nowhere be found in Spain. So if you try it and like it, eat as much as you can before you head back to Spain! I did, and it’s even more delicious when it’s warm (hint: a pastry shop in Sintra serves them warm)!
Left Batalha around 1:30pm and arrived at Obidos around 2:30pm. (Note: because I hadn’t yet changed the time in my camera – filling the blanks from my journal using my photos are driving me crazy! Aaargh! Lesson learned – make sure you change the time on your camera accordingly. Boy, I can’t wait until I get to the part when we go back to Spain - I can’t remember when I changed the time on my camera then! Oh well!)
Where was I? Oh yes – Obidos, a quaint village with homes and lots of shops on either side of the streets. Once again, there are no crowds and we have a much warmer weather with the sun beating down on us. I can only imagine how hot it would be in the summer! A few of us (definitely not me!) were fit and energetic enough to climb the walls around the village for a better view. There are 2 main streets - we walked up one street and browsed the many shops and when it was time to meet the bus, we walked back down the other street towards the main gate (stopping by the store for some agua and much craved potato chips!). The outside walls of the homes, shops and churches are all painted white with either a blue or a yellow stripe painted at the bottom. Heather told us that houses are painted blue at the bottom of the house for “protection” (to protect the home). Blue and white signifies the Virgin Mary’s robe colours. And although other colours are used, blue and white are found mostly in the Portugal region than any other region.
We left Obidos around 3:30pm and arrived at the Lisbon Marriott around 4:30pm. Great hotel! We sat outside at the patio before heading up to our rooms, and noticed that the bar also offered some tapas to go with your drinks. So I get to my room to find that I have a huge bed AND a balcony overlooking the city! The room also has an iron and ironing board (this will be the only hotel on the tour that has an iron). I did bring a travel iron that I never used on this trip.
For dinner, it’s the Fado Evening optional tonight at 8:00am. We went to a family owned restaurant in Sintra (we had the place to ourselves), which is about a 30-minute drive from the hotel – since it’s rush hour, we’re meeting at 7:15pm to head out on the bus. The temperatures dipped from 20 degrees Celsius in Lisbon to 11 degrees Celsius by the time we reached Sintra.
Dinner: Olives, cheese, croquetas, and a wonderful salad to start. Main course is various grilled meats (pork, beef), chicken, fish, and vegetables & potatoes. Lots of wine! And once again, I forgot what dessert was served – maybe it’s because I have those delicious custard tarts in mind! Anyway, I think it was chocolate pudding. I do remember the café con leche.
Fado entertainment: A young lady sang many numbers of Fado music, accompanied by a man on electric keyboards. Others in our group who have heard Fado before say that the music is better when sung “a cappella”. Even with the keyboards drowning her out at times, I thought she sang beautifully! In between her numbers, musicians and dancers went on stage to perform various dances and songs. Very energetic group and they were all very good! After their performances, each of them took a person from our group and led them to the dance floor! I tried to hide from them, but alas, one of them found me – and someone from our group told him that I was a good dancer (a total lie, I can’t dance!). Anyway, I told him I’d follow his lead - so I was pulled, twirled, and twirled some more, and finally dipped, throughout 2 music numbers! So, back to my table I went for a drink and a smoke (even though I thought my lungs were gonna collapse!).
We called it at night around 10:30pm, but ended up waiting in the bus because a car was blocking the road. It was a narrow road to begin with, and there were some cars parked on one side, so our bus couldn’t get through. Some of the guys in our group went to help Antonio (our bus driver) – I think it was to see if they could lift and move one of the small cars (not!). The police were called to help locate the owner of the car, and finally after about 30 mins, we were on the road back to Lisbon.
One of the wonderful moments I will remember is our drive back to the hotel from Sintra. Heather and Antonio played Rod Stewart’s The Great American Songbook Volume III on the bus. I can remember that the bus was dark and everyone was quiet and relaxed (or some were drunk), the beautiful lights of Lisbon seemed brighter as we traveled on the highway, and music was playing “I see trees of green, red roses too, I see them bloom for me and you, and I think to myself what a wonderful world”. Yes, “what a wonderful world” it is! (needless to say, I bought the CD when I got back home in Toronto).
Back at the hotel – the bar was in the lobby and the place was packed (someone said that there was a soccer match on TV). A few of us went to the bar for a nightcap (and more smokes).
Tomorrow, it’s sightseeing in Lisbon. Breakfast at 7:30am, and depart at 8:30am.
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Post by Owen on Nov 26, 2015 21:01:16 GMT
Day 6 (Wednesday Mar 9) – Lisbon Sightseeing:
Lisbon Marriott Hotel: Breakfast buffet – eggs, sausages, bacon, cereal, fresh fruits, salads, cheeses, cold cuts, various breads, juices, tea, coffee, etc.
At 8:30am, we’re off to drive around the city of Lisbon. Today is Heather and Antonio’s day off, so Francisco is our driver and Laura is our tour guide. There’ll be lots of walking so wear comfortable shoes. The Sintra, Cascais & Estoril Excursion optional is this afternoon.
Have your cameras and a steady hand ready to take pictures of the city from the bus. We drove around the city from the north, south (by the Tagus River), east and west, while Laura pointed out various centers, magnificent buildings & monuments, mosaic pavements, etc – what a beautiful city! We drove around the monument in the Marques de Pombal Square, and then drove up the hill where you can see the same monument along with a stunning view of the city and river. We saw beautiful buildings, fountains & monuments in the Rossio Square (as well as the National Theatre) and in the magnificent Praca de Comercio (known as the Black Horse Square, which is surrounded by government buildings), and Figueira Square. There are also numerous trams that can take you around the various parts of the city.
Around 9:30am, we’re off to the Alfama, the oldest district of the city, for a short walking tour of its interesting architecture. We walked on its narrow and sometimes winding streets and saw restaurants, stores, and homes (with their laundry hanging out of windows, on wires to dry). Laura pointed out a wall built in the 16th century, and it was interesting to see that there are now some living quarters built above the wall.
At 10:00am, we’re on the road (with the river on our left) to see the Belem Tower, Monument to the Discoveries, and an interesting bridge called the Bridge over the Tagus that reminds you of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Across the bridge, you can see the large monument of Cristo Rei (the statue of Christ the King), which is a smaller version of the statue in Brazil. We made a stop by the Belem Tower for some up-close picture taking, pit stop, purchase souvenirs and you guessed it – my custard tart!
Before heading to Jeronimos Monastery, we briefly stopped at the Monument to the Discoveries right by the River Tagus for more picture taking – what a stunning monument! Around 11:15am, we began our tour of Jeronimos Monastery where you can see intricately carved limestone both inside and outside of the monastery, as well as the grave of Vasco de Gama. It was interesting to see the original 6 pillars inside the church, and the wall that had the 14 Stations of the Cross (below each had a small door where confessions were heard). The Cloister of Jeronimos Monastery is beautiful, and we also walked by the other side of the wall (from the church) where the monks conducted the confessions.
It’s back on the bus after 12pm (I had a short snooze) as we headed along the Estoril coast, and to Cascais (pronounced “kash-kaysh”) for lunch. Cascais has a picturesque harbour, as well as a lot of shops and places to eat. A few of us ate at the “Restaurante O Batel” and had the most amazing seafood dish – the Seafood Cataplana! It’s a dish for 2 people to share, though 3 could just as easily share. Served hot on a copper pot with a lid, it had lobsters, clams, shrimp, fish and squid with a delicious creamy sauce! You’re given a plate of rice (I love rice!) to go along with this heavenly dish – if you love seafood, you have to try this!
We’re back on the bus around 2:45pm and continued to travel along the coast. We passed by Guincho whose beach is recognized as one of the best surfing beaches in the world. We also saw a huge yellow building right on the beach – it turned out to be an old fort now converted into an impressive hotel! From a distance, we saw the Cabo da Roca – the westernmost point of Portugal AND Europe – “where the land ends and the sea begins”.
We got to Sintra around 3:15pm and were given a choice to go with our guide Laura or go off on our own. Some of us chose to go on our own and walk around this delightful town to browse its many shops. This is where I saw the Grahams tin boxes (at one of the wine stores) for 5 Euros, and of course, I visited the bakery that sold my favourite tarts! Bought 3 of them - this is the last time I can have the custard tarts because we’re heading back to Spain tomorrow. Sigh!
We’re on the bus after 4:30pm, and took the scenic route and a winding road back to the hotel. Arrived at the hotel around 5:30pm, gave Laura her tip, and then most of us went back to our rooms to rest – it’s been a long day! We’re on our own tonight for dinner – I’ll decide later what to do for dinner. First things first, take a nap for a few hours! Turns out I was more tired than I thought, so I just stayed in my room when I woke from my nap, ordered room service, and ate a custard tart for dessert! My sister called and she conference-called in my mom and other sister – it was great to talk to them (I’ll worry about my cell phone bill later). Then, I packed my luggage and went back to bed. Lights out!
Tomorrow, breakfast and luggage out at 6:30am and we leave for Seville at 7:30am.
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Post by Owen on Nov 26, 2015 21:11:09 GMT
Day 7 (Thursday Mar 10) – Lisbon to Seville:
Lisbon Marriott Hotel: Another great breakfast buffet – eggs, sausages, bacon, cereal, fresh fruits, salads, cheeses, cold cuts, various breads, juices, tea, coffee, etc.
Early morning start at 7:30am to Seville because we lose 1 hour going from Portugal to Spain (time change), and we needed to get to Seville around lunchtime for our tour with a local guide. Tonight, we have the highlight dinner and Flamenco show! Seville, according to Heather, also has the best tapas!
We left Lisbon via the Bridge over the Tagus River and drove by the monument of Cristo Rei. We traveled to Seville all morning with a couple of pit stops along the way – a midmorning stop and a stop for lunch. The midmorning stop was around the town of Rosal de la Frontera (after the Portugal & Spain border), where the service station had a large variety of souvenirs, liquor, candies & cookies. Bought a couple of boxes of almond nougat candy after the salesperson opened a box (smart move!) and offered everyone a taste of the almond nougat!
We drove by a lot of cork trees. Heather said that the skills to extract the cork from the trees are passed on from generation to generation; these skills are needed to ensure that the trees aren’t killed. Cork trees are labeled with the year the cork was extracted from a tree, so we saw numbers painted on the tree trunks (for example, 0 = 2000, 4 = 2004). Sometimes you see 2 numbers, which means that cork was taken in one year from the trunk and then taken from another part of the tree in another year. We passed another town (after Rosal) where they produce the best ham (Jamon Iberico) from black pigs that are fed with acorns from the oak trees.
The bus dropped us off by the Torre del Oro in Seville around 12:30pm – time for lunch! Some had lunch at a tapas bar, while some had paellas or sandwiches. A few of us went to McDonalds for our Big Mac & fries fix! Before 2:00pm, the bus dropped us off in an area close to the Cathedral where we met our local guide for our walking tour – we walked on the Plaza del Triunfo (saw numerous horse drawn carriages along the road) towards the Alcazar and the magnificent Cathedral of Seville (3rd largest cathedral in the world) with the Capilla Mayor (stunning!), and Christopher Columbus’ tomb supported by four statues; we walked through the Patio of the Orange Trees outside the Cathedral; viewed the beautiful Giralda Tower; then walked around the Santa Cruz quarter.
Back on the bus around 4:00pm and Heather already had our hotel room keys. The Sevilla Center where we were originally supposed to stay was all booked up, so we are staying at the Barcelo Gran Hotel located in the area where the Expo used to be held. We left the hotel around 6pm for our highlight dinner. Once seated, there were photographers who went to each table and took pictures – none of us purchased the pictures taken at our table. The Flamenco show was great - with energetic professional dancers, colourful costumes and lively music! Throughout dinner, various Flamenco dancers came on stage (solo or in groups) to perform. We started with some tapas, and then main course and dessert – food was okay, though nothing to write home about.
After the dinner and show, it’s back to the hotel. Tomorrow, breakfast at 7:30am and off to Cordoba (optional) at 8:30am.
Day 8 (Friday Mar 11) – Seville at Leisure:
Barcelo Gran Hotel: Buffet breakfast at 7:30 – various choices similar to the previous buffets we have had so far. We also had a chef stationed by the buffet area, where you can request any egg dishes (omelettes, scrambled, over easy, soft boiled, etc), and it’s cooked right before your eyes.
We’re off to the Cordoba & Mesquita optional at 8:30am. From the highway, we saw a huge egg-shaped structure with a statue of Christopher Columbus inside the egg. We also saw a huge black bull (billboard size), which is one of many bulls that we will see along the highways in Spain.
We arrived in Cordoba after 10am to meet our local guide David by the massive walls just outside of the Mesquita. We entered through the courtyard (“Patio of the Orange Trees”, similar to the one by the Cathedral in Seville) to get to the entrance to the Mesquita, which is an 8th century mosque that is impressive and almost magical to see! When you enter the mosque, the prayer hall has numerous marble columns that each support 2 sets of red & white striped arches – a circular arch and a horseshoe-shaped one, as well you will find the unique mihrab (with a horseshoe arch) at the far end of the mosque. It was also interesting to see that as you go further inside, you will find a beautiful Christian cathedral built in the middle of the mosque. The Mesquita is such a magnificent structure that one has to see to fully appreciate its beauty!
Back in the courtyard with orange trees, you get a good view of the Torre del Alminar, the bell tower of the Mesquita. We then walked along the narrow streets of the old Jewish quarter, and when we got to the Calle de las Flores, David pointed to the 2 houses that framed a distant view of the Torre del Alminar – a great picture shot to take! We also visited La Sinagoga, one of the 3 remaining synagogues in Spain. Close to the Sinagoga, we stopped by the statue of the Jewish philosopher, Maimonides, who was born in Cordoba.
Around 12pm, we gave our thanks (with tips) and goodbyes to David who was a great tour guide. Before heading back to Seville, we had time to have lunch and do a bit of souvenir shopping.
Got back to Seville around 3:30pm – the rest of the day & night is free time. Heather and Antonio dropped some of us off (in the area where we had lunch yesterday) to do some more touring, while the others went back to the hotel to rest. Heather and Antonio would pick us up at 6:30pm and drop off those who wanted to see the city at night (and they will come back to pick up this group at 9:30pm).
We decided to go see the bullring (Plaza de toros), which wasn’t too far away from where we were dropped off, and it’s almost right next door to the Teatro de la Maestranza. We got to the Plaza de toros in time for a guided tour (cost €4.00) of the bullring and its museum – I found it very interesting and I’m glad I went on this short tour.
Bullfights don’t start until Easter Sunday, and I wanted to see one – but after seeing a bullfight on TV when we got back to Madrid, I’ve changed my mind about wanting to see a live bullfight! Those poor bulls!
We had an early dinner at a restaurant close by, and then met up with Heather and Antonio around 6:30pm to go back to the hotel. Some of us relaxed and chatted for a bit before heading back to our rooms for the night.
Tomorrow, breakfast and luggage out at 7:30am, depart at 8:30am for Gibraltar (and the optional) before heading to the Costa del Sol.
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Post by Owen on Nov 26, 2015 21:13:00 GMT
Day 9 (Saturday Mar 12) – Seville to Costa del Sol:
Barcelo Gran Hotel: Another great breakfast buffet – we sure are spoiled for breakfast on this tour, lots of choices! Our resident chef is once again present – there were also these tiny eggs cooked sunny side up and placed on small pieces of toast. I thought they were quails eggs but was told that they were eggs from a special kind of chicken – okay!
We’re off at 8:30am to Gibraltar for our Rock of Gibraltar optional tour. It looks like it rained last night in Seville and it’s slightly chilly this morning. Don’t forget to bring your passports (and visas, if applicable) with you! We arrived in Gibraltar before 11am, left the bus and walked towards the border for passport checks – it’s windy and skies are overcast! We then boarded a mini bus, passed by their small airport and even drove on its runway on our way to Gibraltar’s main street.
We walked through the main town entrance, then walked along the main street where you will find lots of shops and restaurants – we have a couple of hours to shop and grab some lunch before our tour. There’s a Marks & Spencer store – a few doors down from this store, M&S has another store that sells various potato chips, cookies, jams, etc. and have a bakery on site (they have sandwiches & freshly baked pastries – I bought an almond croissant and cherry tart – simply delicious!). Currency used is Pounds, but they also take Euros and give change in Euros. Heather warned us to be careful when making purchases using your credit card – although they may quote you the cost in Euros, your credit card will be charged in Pounds.
We also saw some guards in their red coats marching down the main street, as well as an interesting sign above the door of a store: “James Sanguinetti & Son, est 1870, Furniture Restorer, French polishing and waxing, Funeral Director”. At 1pm, we meet our local guide for our tour of the Rock of Gibraltar aboard a mini bus. Drove up the Rock towards St Michael’s Cave and “met” the Barbary Apes – saw some magnificent views along the way, as well as the Moorish Castle and the Trinity Lighthouse.
Arrived at St Michael’s Cave and were welcomed by some of the Barbary apes – be careful and don’t bring anything in a plastic bag because, thinking there’s food inside, they’ll grab it from you! They’re adorable, but I sure kept my distance! St Michael’s Cave is breathtaking with its stalagmites and stalactites. And before getting to the exit, you pass by an area (filled with chairs) that is used as a venue for various concerts. Then we said goodbye to the apes (okay, I said goodbye from inside the bus!) and drove back down while continuing to see the beautiful views around us.
We met Heather and Antonio around 3pm – left Gibraltar for the Costa del Sol and our hotel in Torremolinos. The Melia Costa del Sol Hotel is beautiful and the rooms are great (had a room with a view of the beach). Checked in to the hotel, did some more laundry, and headed to our buffet dinner for 7:30pm. Great buffet dinner – lots of choices, and the paella was delicious!
Tomorrow, it’s Sunday and we get to sleep in! Breakfast is anytime after 7:30am and we leave for our excursion to Mijas at 10:30am.
Day 10 (Sunday Mar 13) – Mijas Excursion:
Melia Costa del Sol Hotel: I went down for our breakfast buffet (in the same place we had our dinner buffet) at around 9am; again, we had lots of choices for breakfast!
We left at 10:30am for Mijas, which is about a 30-45 minute drive. Mijas is a lovely and quaint town with lots of shops! Shop to your heart’s content! The weather is warm and sunny - we walked to the top and visited almost all the stores along the way.
Had lunch at the Pizzeria Ristorante La Bella Copia, a restaurant located above the main square. We sat at their outdoor balcony area, which is overlooking the main square with a beautiful view of the town and mountains. For €8.00 (one of 3 lunch specials offered), I had a shrimp cocktail with avocado to start, grilled salmon as the main course, and a custard flan for dessert! Simply delicious!
Met everyone by the bus around 1:30pm. Bought some sugarcoated almonds from the cart stands where they caramelized the almonds on site – another delicious treat, which I ate slowly and carefully (I can’t afford to add a dental bill to my expenses!).
Left Mijas around 2pm and arrived back at the hotel at 2:30pm. Free time this afternoon! The weather was much warmer, as you could already see people wearing shorts! Time to bring out the sandals and short-sleeved tops! We walked along the beach area (more stores to shop!) and stopped by the supermarket for some much-craved potato chips and bottles of water. We’re back at the hotel around 4:30pm for a nap.
We had another delicious buffet dinner at 7:30pm, then some good conversation and smokes on the comfortable couches close to the bar. Some people from our group went to see a bullfight in the afternoon – not an official bullfight (coz they haven’t started yet) but more for tourists.
Tomorrow, breakfast and luggage out at 7:30am and depart for Granada at 8:30am.
Day 11 (Monday Mar 14) – Costa del Sol to Granada:
Melia Costa del Sol Hotel: Full breakfast buffet at 7:30am – no complaints so far on this tour on our various choices of food to eat for breakfast.
We’re on our way to Granada at 8:30am, and traveled along the coast towards Malaga and Almeria (though we’re not going as far as Almeria coz we then head north to Granada). Heather informed us that the area we are traveling on is sometimes referred to as Costa Tropicale because tropical fruits such as avocados, papayas, etc. are mostly grown here. After the town of Nerja, the road becomes a winding one – and although the view of the mountains & sea is breathtaking, the drop to the sea has my knees buckling! We passed by a fortress in Salobrena, then headed north to Granada.
We got to Granada around 11am and stopped by the main square for lunch, before heading to the Alhambra. It’s too early to eat lunch after a huge breakfast, so we just walked around the area. I bought a couple of interesting cigarette lighters (unofficially I collect these too) in the shape of a bowling pin with Granada on it. Though I don’t collect much of these, I only buy the interesting ones (like the cell phone-shaped lighter I bought in Paris last year, that rings when the light flickers).
We were informed that there was a possibility that the Alhambra may close early in the afternoon because there were some ministers visiting the city who wanted to visit the Alhambra. Around 12pm, we met the local guide for our walking tour of the Alhambra Palace. Some of us wondered why he was wearing a white mask at various times during our tour – it turns out he has allergies from the pollen from the trees – whew!
The Alhambra is simply magnificent – with its stunning and unique architecture; the beautiful details on the walls, archways & ceilings; and the breathtaking panoramic views of the city! A definite must see!
We left the Alhambra around 2:30pm – on the bus, Heather handed out our room keys and we were in our rooms at the Hotel Andalucia Center after 3pm. We have some free time before dinner. Some of us took naps, and then wandered around the area to browse the shops. Others went back to the main square where we stopped for lunch earlier.
Dinner was at 8pm – it’s buffet (although choices were not as extensive as our previous buffet dinners) with salad, soup, fish, beef stew, breaded salmon, stuffed chicken with caramelized onions, desserts, coffee & tea.
Tomorrow, breakfast and luggage out at 7:30am, and depart at 8:30am for Valencia.
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Post by Owen on Nov 26, 2015 21:14:47 GMT
Day 12 (Tuesday Mar 15) – Granada to Valencia:
Hotel Andalucia Center: Breakfast buffet at 7:30am – choices not as extensive as our previous buffet breakfasts but still good.
We left for Valencia at 8:30am via highways A92 and E15 towards Murcia & Alicante, and then along the coast to Valencia. It was 9°C when we left Granada.
Around the town of Guadix, we saw many interesting cave houses along the way – these houses are found in the hills (actually blends into the hills); they stay warm in the winter and cold in the summer; some have chimneys. Overall, it’s the same as any normal house except it goes back into the hills.
It’s raining by the time we get to Murcia where we stopped at a rest station around 10:30am-11am. First time we’ve had rain while on the road, and it wasn’t so bad as it’s mainly a traveling time for us.
We’re traveling along the coast (Costa Blanca) towards Alicante, and it’s now about 15°C. We stopped for lunch at a service area between Alicante and Benidorm (largest resort area) around 1pm. Back on the road after lunch, and it’s about another 2 hrs to Valencia. Heather puts on one of Luis Miguel’s Romance CDs – a very good singer and a good-looking one too (quote “he is eye candy”!).
There is a festival in Valencia this week, and the city has been preparing for the Fallas. Heather warns us that we should be extra careful when going out in the city tonight. The streets will be filled with people so we need to be careful with our purses, wallets and valuables – she suggested leaving our purses behind and just bringing some money in case we needed to buy a drink, etc.
We arrived in Valencia around 3:30pm and did a short tour of the old and new parts of the city. We passed by the City of the Arts and Sciences (which has a planetarium, IMAX theatre, and a building used for various exhibitions) that had some spectacular architecture! Along the streets of Valencia, there are huge floats (made of paper mache and wood) being erected at various street intersections – the floats are magnificent! Heather mentioned that floats have gotten bigger each year, and on Mar 19th which marks the end of this festival celebration, all the floats are lit and burned down! Wow! I would’ve liked to see this!
The Reina Victoria Hotel is an older hotel with smaller rooms, but is located in the heart of the city - within walking distance to the Lladro store, the Museum of Ceramics, various shopping stores, their magnificent Post Office, train station, etc. There is a Tourist Information Office close to the hotel where you can get a map of the city – good idea! Because we are so close to the festival activities, some of us will be going for a walk after dinner. As for the room safe, we needed to provide a €20 deposit to get our key (you will get your deposit back once the key is returned to the front desk).
Dinner is served early (7pm) because of the festival. We have a few hours before dinner to walk around and see the sights or shop – so off to the Lladro factory we go. However, we couldn’t find the factory and ended up at the Lladro store. You should visit the Lladro store in Valencia (most especially if you are a collector) even if it is just to browse and look at their magnificent collections. I ended up buying 3 of the “elefante de la suerte” (“lucky elephant”) figurines for my mother and my 2 sisters. One of the ladies from our group bought a beautiful angel sitting on top of a suitcase with “Valencia” on it. The salespeople at the Lladro store also warned us to be careful with our purses (don’t take them with you) as there will be huge crowds in the streets tonight.
Dinner was delicious – a buffet of salads, paella, mushroom bruschetta, fish, spinach quiche, meatballs with sauce & peas, various desserts (custard flan, chocolate tarts, apple custard pie), coffee, tea, red wine.
After dinner, I left my purse at the hotel (only brought €20 with me just in case), and we walked around to see all the floats. They were huge and spectacular! There were floats for the kids and for the adults – all creatively done, and we even saw some “hidden” items and gestures within some floats that marked the humour of their creators. Lots of energy and enthusiasm in the air – the streets were crowded! And there is going to be a huge fireworks display at midnight, but we were too tired to wait for it. Instead, most of us heard the fireworks from our own rooms as we retired for the night.
Tomorrow, breakfast and luggage out at 7am, and we depart for Barcelona at 7:50am.
Day 13 (Wednesday Mar 16) – Valencia to Barcelona:
Reina Victoria Hotel: Breakfast buffet at 7am – another good meal.
We left Valencia at 7:50am so that we can get to Barcelona early enough to do more touring – this will allow us (on Day 14) to do the Montserrat optional tour in the morning and more free time in the afternoon.
We traveled along the Costa del Azahar (coast of orange blossoms), then the Costa Dorada. We saw lots of citrus trees (fruits are picked by hand) as we headed out of Valencia, then vineyards as we got closer to Barcelona.
We made a stop at Peniscola (pronounced “penish-cola”) for a break from 9:30am to 10:15am. Peniscola, known as the City in the Sea, is one of the places where “El Cid” was filmed. We parked close to the beach, where you have a magnificent view of the town, its castle, and the coast.
Only a few stores were open, and most of us went to a leather store that sold wallets, bags, etc. The space in my luggage and backpack have been sadly dwindling as we toured, and I wanted to purchase a small travel bag as a second piece of luggage to check in at the airport. Some of us bought wallets at this store, and I ended up buying a duffel-type bag with wheels for only €18 – yay! now I have more room!
Back on the road to Barcelona, Heather talked about our celebration dinner scheduled for Friday at a family-owned restaurant. The owner of this restaurant goes to the market on Friday morning, so Heather is taking our dinner orders now: For starters, choice of fish soup, vegetable soup, gazpacho, or salad; for main course, choice of roast lamb, steak, grilled salmon, grilled swordfish, or suckling pig. I chose fish soup and steak.
When we get to Barcelona, we will be doing a tour of the city with our local guide, and the Guell Park & Evening Drive optional this afternoon and evening. Once again, Heather has cautioned us to be careful with our valuables because it will be crowded in the city. We were also cautioned to keep an eye on our passports – the passport office closes on Friday afternoon and opens Monday morning (long after our scheduled flights home).
We made a lunch stop, and eventually arrived at the Hotel Melia Barcelona (beautiful hotel) around 1:30pm. We had 1 hour to freshen up and unpack before our tour the city with our local guide Amada (who was a great guide!).
Along the way, Amada pointed out Gaudi’s Casa Batllo and La Pedrera (these buildings are beautiful), the Rambla, Picasso Museum, etc, and we had a walking tour of the Gothic Quarter. We also visited La Sagrada Familia, one of Gaudi’s famous works in Barcelona - this huge cathedral is absolutely stunning! One has to see it to truly appreciate its magnificent beauty! We toured the cathedral only from the outside, as it is still under construction (and has been since 1882!). Amada informed us that, sadly, we would not see the cathedral completed in our lifetime.
I just couldn’t believe my eyes seeing how beautiful La Sagrada Familia is, and I felt different emotions as I looked at the cathedral – awestruck at the magnificence of it; sad that I would not live to see it completed; and I also got an eerie kind of feeling (like when the hairs on your arms stand up) because it looks pretty dim inside the cathedral and you only see construction workers and scaffolding.
We headed back to the hotel around 4:30pm for a 1-hour rest before heading to the Guell Park optional. At 5:30pm, we drove to the amazing Guell Park and saw - the house (now a museum) that Gaudi lived in at some point in his life; amazing rock pillars and stone structures; beautiful mosaics made with broken ceramic tiles, glass, etc; a large open area (that had beautiful coloured tiled seats) where you have a great view of both the park and the city; and 2 Gaudi buildings that reminded me of gingerbread houses.
Around 7pm, we went to the Olympic Village for dinner. We’re on our own for dinner and there were lots of places to eat. It just so happened that we all ended up eating at the same restaurant called Barnabier. I had the Bacalao, Catalan style – which is fried codfish with a wonderful tomato sauce (with raisins and pine nuts), and along with my side order of rice, I was in delicious heaven!
Around 9pm, we had our evening drive of the city, and also drove up to Montjuic (Jewish mountain) and saw the Olympic Stadium. We drove back at the hotel around 10pm - a few of us chatted for a bit on the comfortable couches in the lobby and talked about what to do on our free time tomorrow, before retiring for the night.
Tomorrow, breakfast is at anytime after 7am and we leave for Montserrat at 9am.
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Post by Owen on Nov 26, 2015 21:16:09 GMT
Day 14 (Thursday Mar 17) – Barcelona at leisure:
Hotel Melia Barcelona: Breakfast buffet at 7am – the pattern of great buffets continue, and this one also includes a chef who cooks your egg dishes!
We left at 9am for the Montserrat and Black Madonna optional with Amada and Antonio – it took us about 40 mins to get to Montserrat. I forgot to mention that throughout the tour, we had a rotation of seats on the bus – we rotated counter clockwise and moved 2 rows down each day. Today, I’m sitting at the front, right behind the tour guide. Awesome - I’m thinking that I lucked out and I get to see the great views from the front of the bus!
Well, the winding and hair-bending ride up to the Monastery of Montserrat had my knees buckling (again!). The views were beautiful (or so I was told and I’ll take their word for it) but also had the “drop-down-over-the-cliff-and-into-the-sea” kind of views. So what did I do? I closed my eyes throughout the ride up because I thought I was gonna die from fright (I really have to get over this “fear of heights while on moving vehicle” thing)! Fortunately, I survived the ride up and I was honestly going to kiss the ground when I got off the bus.
The weather was great and Montserrat wasn’t crowded with people when we arrived. The panoramic views of the mountains were breathtaking! They looked like they were so close you could almost touch them (even though I stayed far away from the railings and walked close to the walls of the building). The view of the Monastery with the rock formations of the mountain as its backdrop was absolutely stunning!
Amidst the beautiful views of the mountain, we walked up towards the monastery and passed by some gift shops, restaurants, the funiculars, the main square (Placa Santa Maria) with sculptures of various saints, the Montserrat museum (Museu de Montserrat), etc.
We walked through the façade (with its arches and statues) of the monastery that led to the beautiful Basilica (where silence is a must), and then walked up some stairs that eventually led to the narrow stairs to the Black Madonna (who sits serenely behind glass, in a small room overlooking the chapel). Our time with the beautiful Black Madonna was brief – just enough time to see and touch her. Some of us went inside the small chapel (where you can see the Black Madonna above the altar) and sat in prayer for a moment. Before heading out of the Basilica, there were candles that you can purchase (there are caged enclosures filled with candles) for about €1.20 – I lit one and said a little prayer before I left.
Our walking tour finished around 10:45am, and we had some free time to look around some more, or go to the souvenir shops, or browse the various carts outside where cheeses, honey, almonds were being sold by some of the locals. A few of us visited the Museu de Montserrat (cost is about €5) and saw various paintings by Picasso, Dali, Caravaggio, Casas, etc., and also various ancient artifacts.
We were back on the bus around 12pm – it looks like we beat the crowds because there were a lot more tourists and buses since we arrived this morning. This afternoon is free time, and Amada & Antonio are making 2 stops – one at the hotel, and one at Placa Catalunya for those who want to go downtown and see more of the sights (La Rambla, Picasso Museum, Reina Sofia Museum, etc). We opted to go back to the hotel, grab some lunch, and go shopping at the nearby malls (L’Illa and El Corte Ingles). Looking back, I should have gone downtown and explored more of this wonderful city – I would’ve liked to go back and see more of La Sagrada Familia, as well as walk along La Rambla. Oh well, this just gives me another reason to return to Spain!
We had lunch at La Botiga – a restaurant not far from the hotel, and was highly recommended by Heather. The restaurant offers various dishes and tapas. I had the delicious deboned osso bucco with green tagliettele & tomato sauce and a coca cola for about €10.00.
After shopping - I also bought Luis Miguel’s CD “Mis Boleros Favoritos” at FNAC and some saffron for €1.35 each at the supermarket right beside L’Illa, we went to Natcha (also recommended by Heather) for some mouth-watering pastries (I bought an apple tart, almond pastry and some cookies), and to see their amazing chocolate creations of Disney scenes and characters! Natcha is only a short walking distance from the hotel.
Back at the hotel around 6pm and met some of our group at the bar lounge for some red wine and great conversations. A few of them were going to La Botiga for dinner and some of us opted to stay at the lounge for more drinks and had the Omelette Chapata that included fries, salad and some Catalan bread for dinner.
It’s been a long day of walking, so I went up to my room around 9pm to re-pack my luggage (and also use my new travel bag!). I can’t believe we go home in 3 days!
Tomorrow, breakfast and luggage at 7am and we leave for Madrid at 8am.
Day 15 (Friday Mar 18) – Barcelona to Madrid:
Hotel Melia Barcelona: Another great breakfast buffet at 7am.
We left Barcelona at 8am for Madrid – our longest travel time on the bus. According to Antonio, it’ll take us about 8 hrs (including rest stops) to get to Madrid. The trip to Madrid actually wasn’t that bad as most of us either read books or slept.
At 10am, we stopped at a service station for a break. We are back on the highway (heading towards Zaragoza) and passed by the Greenwich meridian – it is marked by an arch across the highway, and there is no time change. Heather also took time to inform us more on the Spanish Civil War. We made a lunch stop after the town of Alhama de Aragon.
One of our fellow friends started a listing of email and home addresses, for those who wanted to keep in touch after the tour. The list was passed around the bus so that we each could write down our information (which Heather later compiled, photocopied, and provided all of us with a copy).
We arrived at the Cuzco Hotel around 4pm, and most of us opted to rest before we leave for the restaurant at 7pm. Tonight is our Celebration Dinner optional at a family-owned restaurant in the city – 7:30pm at the Pulperia restaurant. Also included with our dinner (of tapas, soup or salad, main course) were red & white wine, sangria, and cava. Then for dessert, the lights were turned off and the chef walked out with a massive Baked Alaska and then lit it! The dessert was magnificent and delicious!
La Tuna entertained us after dinner – they were a trio of male singers who wore a traditional black costume and a coloured sash over their shoulders, and each of them played a different type of guitar. One of the guys also wore a black cape adorned with various patches from the places they have performed at. We were serenaded with Spanish songs like Spanish Eyes, etc., and they even took requests from the group (like Besame Mucho, Guantanamera). They were magnificent, and funny too! A few of us also bought their CD for €12 (regular price €15) as a souvenir of their performance.
Quote: “Tunas are groups of university students who wear 17th Century minstrel costumes and sing/play old Spanish songs in public places. Each faculty has its own tuna, and each tuna has a different colour sash, depending on the faculty. They sing songs; play instruments (guitar, bandurria, tambourine, accordion, bongo drums, etc.)…”
And here I thought, tunas came in cans?!? Just kidding!
Everyone went to the Celebration dinner, and I took lots of group pictures as this is probably the last time we’ll have everyone together before we head home on Sunday. Around 9:30pm, we left the restaurant for an evening drive around the city before heading back to the hotel.
We gave our thanks and tips (in an envelope with a personal note) to Heather and Antonio for the excellent job they’ve done! More picture-taking and great conversations around the comfortable couches in the hotel lobby, before retiring for the night.
Tomorrow, breakfast at 7:30am and we leave at 8:30am for the Prado Museum.
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Post by Owen on Nov 26, 2015 21:18:31 GMT
Day 16 (Saturday Mar 19) – Madrid Sightseeing:
Cuzco Hotel: Breakfast buffet at 7:30am.
We had another picture-taking opportunity in the lobby, and at 8:30am we left with Antonio and our local tour guide Maria for the Prado Museum and more sightseeing in the city. This afternoon is our Toledo Excursion optional.
Along the way, Maria pointed out the various magnificent buildings, monuments, fountains, statues (some of which were on top of buildings) in the city; the Royal Palace; Cervantes Monument; Cibeles Fountain; Communications Palace; the Alcala Gate, the Puerta del Sol, Gran Via, etc.
We arrived at the Prado Museum just before 9am, and we were the 2nd tour group in line to go in (there were tons of tourists!). I am sure Maria did her best to ensure we got the most of our visit to the Prado, as we were only there for about 1½ hrs. The paintings were simply amazing – the masterpieces of Velazquez, Goya, El Greco, etc!
From 10:30am-11am, we toured more of the city as we headed back to the hotel to drop off those who were not going on the Toledo optional. Maria also pointed out the blackened remains of one of Madrid’s tallest buildings – a 32-storey building which had recently been destroyed by fire in February! Luckily, no one was hurt.
We arrived in Toledo after 12pm, and before entering the city, we briefly stopped at an area where you get a panoramic and picturesque view of Toledo, the blue skies and the Tagus River – simply breathtaking! Antonio then drove towards the entrance to the city, and we walked to the Plaza de Zocodover for lunch. Did I mention that we’re going to be doing a lot of walking on this optional?
The Plaza de Zocodover had many choices of places to eat (even McDonald’s). Toledo is also famous for its mazapan (marzipan which comes in different shapes and forms), and you can find them in all the dessert shops in the Plaza. We had about 1 hr to eat lunch, and a few of us ate at one of the small restaurants in the area. We regrouped around 1:45pm and started our tour by walking along the Calle Comercio, which eventually leads to the Cathedral of Toledo. There are many shops along this street, and interestingly, we even passed by a street called Calle de Toledo Ohio! We then toured the beautiful Cathedral of Toledo. After that, I can’t remember what else we saw because everything was almost a blur for me!
I think this is the part where I say that we are on the last leg of our tour – it’s Saturday afternoon and we’re all going home tomorrow. As much as I’ve had such a great time on this tour, I’m ready to go home. The sun is shining brightly and the weather is hot! Most of us are tired. We walked left & right and up & down the narrow and sometimes winding streets. I don’t know how one can drive on some of these narrow streets, but they do and they’re good at it! You just have to be careful because some of them are pretty good at inching their car through the crowds!
Around 3pm, Maria tells us that we’re heading back to the bus (what she didn’t tell us is it’s still a fair walk to get there!). So we walked some more, and then the scenery opened up and we saw a view of the Tagus River and the San Martin Bridge – beautiful! Across the river, there were a bunch of tour buses parked along the street – Antonio is there and we’re saved! But alas, it took us another 10 mins to get to & cross the San Martin Bridge before boarding the bus (I’m sure it would’ve have been quicker to just swim across the Tagus to get to the bus?).
But wait, it’s not over yet! On the bridge, I wasn’t looking at where I was walking, so I slipped and fell on my knees & left hand while trying to save my camera on my right hand! The camera is safe but my knees are stinging and I have bruises on my hand! Oh well, it figures - I get hurt on the LAST day of the tour! I’m fine and we board the bus. We made a stop at a store that sold jewelry and ceramics, and briefly watched a man delicately hammer an intricate gold design onto a small steel thingamajig - I think this is the part of the optional where we “visit a specialist Damascene workshop”.
At 4pm, we’re back on the bus, and I think everyone slept all the way back to the hotel! When we arrived at the hotel, it was time to say our farewells and best wishes – not only to each other, but most especially to Heather and Antonio because they were both amazing and superb! Most of us were staying in to rest and pack, while others decided to do more sightseeing. Everyone knew which airport shuttle they were on (Heather had already made the necessary arrangements and informed us a few days ago).
Tomorrow, I’m on the 8:30am airport shuttle so it’s breakfast and luggage out at 7:30am for me.
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Post by Owen on Nov 26, 2015 21:20:15 GMT
Day 17 (Sunday Mar 20) – Return to Canada:
Cuzco Hotel: My last breakfast buffet in Spain at 7:30am!
There were 10 of us on this shuttle – everyone was on the bus early so we were able to leave before 8:30am. Once again, we gave our thanks and said our goodbyes to Heather before leaving. There were more goodbyes at the airport, and then I was off to check-in. Bought more saffron and some chorizos at the duty free shop.
I had 2 hrs to wait, so I found the smoking area and sat to read my book – but instead, I sat and reflected on what a great trip this has been for me! I’ve met so many amazing people and saw so many beautiful places! Definitely a trip to remember!
Then I had a 2-hr stop over at the London Heathrow airport, and just my luck, my flight is delayed 1 hour. Something about not having enough planes? Go figure.
After what seemed like hundreds of hours, we finally landed in Toronto and I’m HOME!!
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P.S.
With the help of the many scribbles in my journal, the hundreds of pictures I took, the pamphlets & postcards from different places, and even some receipts – I have been able to re-live my amazing and unforgettable journey to Spain & Portugal.
Sharing them with you has truly been a treat for me! I hope you enjoyed reading about them, just as much as I enjoyed writing about them!
Muchas Gracias! Smiler
Vera
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