Home

   I wrote this blog entry about 9 days ago when Cathy and I got home and never published it.  After we came home, Kathleen and Erin continued their European adventure by traveling to Scandinavia.  They got home about 10:00 Saturday night after spending time in Denmark, Sweden and Norway.   They were able to meet up with their cousin Patrick, who joined them and a second cousin, Amina Tugan, who is living in Sweden.   They both woke up Sunday morning with slight colds and tested positive for Covid.    
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  Cathy and I are home and as you would expect, we are exhausted and grateful.  Exhausted because during our trip home from Lisbon to Green Bay we were awake for 22 hours.  Grateful because all the bad things that could have happened - didn't.  We didn't lose passports, we didn't get lost, we weren't robbed or pick pocketed, we didn't lose anything, we didn't have any health emergencies, all of our room reservations were great, the weather was good (did I mention Seville was 110?), we never had rain and our flights went as well as flights go these days. 
  I joked with the girls that we were leaving just in time.  I was getting ready to grow a man bun, start smoking and I was even starting to refer to soccer as football.   
  People who travel (and I don't count myself among them), always say you have to be able to adapt.  You have to be able to make changes as you go.  Our day trip to Tangier was cancelled because the wind was too strong for the ferry crossing.  We laughed at ourselves because we were so proud that we could adapt - by sitting on a beach for a second day instead of jumping on a tour bus at 5:30 a.m.  Yup, we were real troopers. 
  To be sure, traveling has changed. For one thing, we seem to be dragging our rollerboard bags more than we used to.  Today we had to go through security 3-4 times (significant lines) in Lisbon, then get on a bus, which drove around inside the airport for awhile, crossing at least two runways and then, after waiting to de-bus, climbed the stairs to get on our plane.  When I got to the top of the walk way I wanted to turn around and do my best Nixon-like wave but it didn't seem appropriate.  When we got to Newark, we had to go through customs, leave the security area, get on a tram which brought us to a bus, go through security then run to our gate because our departure from Lisbon had been delayed, only to find that the last leg of our trip to Chicago had also been delayed.  This is travel in 2023.
  Was it worth it?  YES!  It was truly a wonderful trip.  The sights, the food, the company.  Thanks for letting us share it with you.   Obrigado.

Last Day in Lisbon

  Today is our last day in Lisbon.  It is truly another city with which we have fallen in love.  
  The day started with a walk to Pink Street.  It had been an area frequented by international sailors and it was Lisbon's red light district.  Now it has been gentrified and features cafe's, restaurants and numerous bars.  
  We had a meal at the Time Out Market.  The place is very much like Milwaukee's Public Market.  There were countless food vendors.  The food was wonderful as was the atmosphere. 
   Afterward we made our way up to the top of the city.  The views from atop the city were amazing.  We got some good photos but I don't thing they do it justice.  We walked down to the main city through many, very narrow, very steep cobblestone roads and stairs.  We were never very sure where we were but we knew we were heading down.   
  When we finally got down we took a cab to the Elevador Santa Justa.  It was created by a colleague of Eiffel (of The Eiffel Tower fame).  The elevator took us from the street level up 150 feet to Barrio Alto, a different district of the city.      
  Today was a walk/stroll day.  This afternoon we walked some of the plazas and headed home to regroup and start packing.  
  We had our last dinner together at yet another outdoor cafe nearby.  Virtually all of our meals have been eaten outside except a dinner in Seville when the temperature was 110 degrees. 
  Tomorrow we all head to the airport.  Cathy and I are heading home while Erin and Kathleen head to Scandinavia but tonight we finished our visit with a final class of Port.

                   Lisbon as seen from above
 

       The Castle of St George high above the city

                    View from above the city

             One of the many hills we walked down

              A street view from a hole in the castle wall

                          Time Out Market

                              Pink Street

                          What a great trip!

Lisbon with Anthony & Austin

 We spent a lovely day In Lisbon today.  We started the day by rendezvousing with our nephew (cousin) Anthony.  We got on a Hop-On Hop-Off tour of the city.  It allowed us to see a lot of things that are not in our neighborhood.  The tour included a stop at the Belem Tower.  It has stood in the Lisbon Harbor for centuries.  As we regrouped under a shade tree with a bottle of water we ran into Anthony's cousin and travel companion, strictly by coincidence.   Austin and Anthony had split up for the day as Austin was meeting a freind.  When the meeting fell through he went to Belem Tower and by happenstance he ran into us! The boys are on a 5 week trip through Europe and we were very glad our travel plans aligned! 
  Our bus tour included:  Avenue da Liberdade (NYC 5th Ave.), the Basilica de Estrela and The Belem Palace.  The tour also included a harbor tour where we got better looks of the Cristo Rei statue and the Lisbon (25th of April) Bridge. 
  Tired from our touring we spent some time at a Portuguese wine tasting spot.  The stop came as a chance to regroup, catch up with Anthony and get to know Austin.  Both are great guys.
  We retraced some of the plazas we had seen last night and stopped at a hole-n-the-wall place for a ginjinha tasting.  It's a well known drink in Lisbon and tastes a lot like cheery bounce and is served in a shot glass.  
   We had another great dinner followed by gelato.  We said good-bye to the guys and headed back to our temporary home here in Lisbon.   

San Jeroninos Monastary

(Note the line)

        Erin, Anthony and Kathleen at Belem Tower

                              Lisbon Bridge

                Cristo Rei overlooking the harbor

             Great day with Austin and Anthony

 

Lisbon

   From the start of our trip, today was the day I looked forward to the least.  It’s not because of the weather or the walking.  It’s because in our planning we found that it is very difficult to get from Seville to Lisbon.  There are no trains, flights were time consuming when you account for trips to and from an airport, check in times and security and boarding times, a bus ride would have been 7-7.5 hours, and the price of a one-way car rental into another country was crazy, so we hired a car.  It was more affordable and with one person sitting with the driver, the three of us in the backseat were more comfortable than you would have guessed.  

  As we drove, our driver pointed out miles and mile of olive trees.  At many restaurants here when you sit down, the waiter brings over a plate of olives, much like some bars in the US provide peanuts.  We also saw miles upon miles of grape vines.  “They make mostly white here”.   We passed a semi truck carrying a load of bark which our driver explained was cork.
  The sky was very hazy.  He explained that the haze was from the Canadian fires.  Portugal recently sent 270 firefighters to assist the Canadians.  
   The landscape is dry.  At one point he told us there had been many melons growing here but now there are none.  Melons need lots of water and there is none.     
   We made a rest stop at a gas station  on the boarder of Portugal and Spain - literally in the middle of nowhere.  There was a convenience store, a small restaurant and petrol.  Inside there was a tv showing Trump and General Milley with headlines scrolling which included the words ‘documentos.’
  As entered Lisbon we saw the famous Cristina Rei overlooking the Lisbon Harbor.  
   After checking in to our AirBNB we still had time to take in a few sites.  Our first stop was the Rua Augusta Arch (Arch d Triumph) just two blocks away.  We then walked to the river and visited the Praca do Comercio, a huge harbor facing plaza.  In the middle of the plaza is a statue commemorating King Jose I who rebuilt the city after the great earthquake of 1775. 
  We walked, we visited other Plazas, including Rossio Square which had the most unusual tiling on the ground, ate dinner outside and went back home. 

                   It’s really relatively flat

Taken from the internet

Seville

  Monday morning started with an early and quick breakfast at our hotel before taking two cabs and two trains to our final destination for the day, Seville.  With good planning by Kathleen we were able to drop off our bags at our AirBnb and start our sightseeing.  
  First stop was the Real (Royal) Alcazar Palace.   We had advance tickets at 1:00 so her timing was perfect.  We learned that the palace is still used periodically by the Spanish Royal Family.  Our tour guide explained how for over a 1000 years the city has been ruled by Muslims and then Christians.  During the tour she showed us signs of both within the palace grounds.  
  Next door to the palace is the Seville Cathedral.  Parts of the Cathedral were once part of a Muslim Mosque.  It is the third largest cathedral in the world after the Vatican and St Paul's in London.  It was built in a very unorthodox manner.  To be sure there are many, many opulent side altars and a very elaborate sacristy.  One of the side altars is huge and contains 300kg of silver brought to Seville from Mexico.
  We came back to our home for the night which is really quite nice. After taking a few minutes to settle in we took  to a quick dip in a roof top pool to cool off.  The pool is very small and comfortably fits 6 people max.  
  We walked down the street to a mom and pop restaurant for dinner.  We all ordered something different and shared everything as it came out at different times.  We finished dinner just in the nick of time to pay a quick visit to our neighborhood church just before they began 9:00 pm. Mass.  
  To say that many of the streets in our neighborhood are tiny would be an understatement.  Pedestrians literally have to go into a doorway when they see a car coming down the stone paved road. 
  If I were an old time newspaper man, you'd say I have buried the lede (yes, that's how you spell it.  Look it up)  in this story.  The temperature today in Seville hit 108 degrees Fahrenheit.  The heat is truly opressive.  We finished dinner at 9:00 and it was still 104.   
  We only have another half day here tomorrow before we head to Lisbon where we hope to meet up with our nephew Anthony Kolb  and Anthony's cousin who are also  traveling Spain and Lisbon right now.

                 The baths at aThe Alcazar Palace

                   The silver laden side altar 

               A thorn from Jesus’ crown of thorns

                  The main Altar at the Cathedral

                     Outside the Cathedral

                    Actual temperature 

              

The remains of Christopher Columbus

Torremolinos

    Ok, I lied.  We are not technically in Malaga.  We are nearby in Torremolinos.  It is very much a seaside resort much like Fort Lauderdale or Cancun.  There are swimming pools, beaches, vendors and restaurants almost everywhere.

   If you were wondering what we did today reread yesterday’s blog entry.  

   So instead let me just reflect on an omission from our blog from the other day when we were in Madrid.  We were in Puerta del Sol. The tour book referred to this huge square as Spain’s  Times Square It’s where people gather to celebrate and to protest.  For many years it was the center for the nation’s government and now serves as the center for city’s government.  On the outside wall there are three and only three plaques which were about 10 feet tall.  One commemorates the invasion by the French, another commemorates a terrorist act in 2004 and the most recent remembers all those who have died from Covid. It reads:  

THE PEOPLE OF MADRID

IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE VICTIMS OF COVID-19 AND ESPECIALLY THOSE

WHO DIED ALONE.

Malaga

  Our train arrived in Malaga at about 8:00 Friday night.  We went to the car rental place to see if we could find an alternative way to still get to Tangier.  We found it interesting that Hertz said they would rent us a car without an international drivers license but they said Spanish law says we need one to drive in Spain.  They explained we would only have a problem if something occurred that the police would have to be involved.  We didn't rent the car and it looks like the day trip to Tangier is a no go.
  We had a 20 minute cab ride to our hotel and still made it to a beachside restaurant for dinner at 10:00, just as the sun went down.  People eat bizarrely late here.  Our hotel has a restaurant and they don't even start serving dinner until 7:30.   After dinner last night, the four of walked a portion of the board walk but still made it up to our rooftop bar just before midnight to see the fireworks celebrating both the summer solstice and the feast of a saint (Perhaps San Juan).   
  Saturday was scheduled to be our beach day.  We rented chaise chairs and an umbrella for the day.  The rented umbrella and our sunscreen seemed to work.  Even though we spent some time in the water nobody got horribly sunburned.  For anyone who follows the UV index, you know 7,8,9 is dangerously sunny.  Today the UV index here was 11.   
  After showers we dressed and had dinner at a different beachside restaurant.  Nobody finished all their food, we shared a bottle of wine and paid for 4 waters and it was still less than $22 per person.  Prices here seem to be reasonable compared to NYC... And Door County.  
  We'll be in Malaga again tomorrow.  

 

Madrid Day Two

 We were up and out of our hotel a little earlier this morning - but just a little earlier.  It's difficult to eat dinner at 9:00, get home after 10 and fall asleep right away.

   Our breakfast was eaten at the Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid.  If you've ever been to MIlwaukee's Public Market it's very much like that.  However many of the foods on display were unknown to me.  We ended up having ham, cheese, and empanadas.  Ham seems to be everywhere and is called Jamon.  

   We made walked through a number of smaller squares and made our way to the Madrid Cathedral.   It was completed in 1993 after being under construction for almost 100 years.  I'm not sure why but Madrid did not have it's own official Cathedral for almost 300 years.  

   Directly across the street is Spain's Royal Palace.  Thankfully, Kathleen had booked tickets ahead of time so we did not have to wait in the extremely long line in the extremely hot weather.  The Palace is no longer used as the king's residence but is still used for official occasions.  It is most often used for tours.  The opulence is mind numbing.  The ceilings, walls, statuary that took 100s of years to accumulate or create.

   We stopped at a cafe for sangria and water on our way back to our hotel where we had stored our bags.  An odd thing that happens is while you wait for your food or drink, the waiter brings a plate of large olives.  We took a cab to the train station during which Erin received another compliment on her Spanish.   We now head to Torremolinos, a resort town in south eastern Spain.  We chose Torremolinos for it's close proximity to the beach and the town of Tarifa. We planned on taking a day long guided tour to Tarifa and then a ferry ride over to Tangier, Morocco.  We were notified yesterday that because of expected high winds the tour was being cancelled.  So now we are considering renting a car, driving to Tarifa and still taking the Ferry over to Tangier.

The transcript at the Cathedral in Madrid

                    The Royal family.  

                In front of the cathedral

In front of the Royal palace

 

Madrid Day One

Cathy and I overslept this morning.  We had been up for about 34 hours so I guess it should have been expected.  

                    Outside El Prado

Plaza Mayor

A canopy in Ukraine’s colors across the street that went for blocks

  After our hotel breakfast we started the day with a Rick Steves walking tour of Madrid.  We saw pretty much what your suppose to see as a tourist, Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, saw the outsides of the Cathedral and the palace.  We'll go back to those two place again tomorrow.   
   Our unique stop was at a cloistered convent.  The nuns are not seen.  They make and sell cookies to support themselves.  Their home is on a very short little streeet and their door is nondescript (Erin says it's nun-description).  One has to ring their door bell and when they answer their door via an intercom you say "dulces" (sweets) .  The door is then unlocked electronically.  You walk in and go down a corridor until you see a Reposteria (think Lazy Susan built into a wall).  You tell the sister what you want (thought the wall) put your money on the lazy Susan and your change and the cookies come to you when the lazy Susan is turned.  
  However, the highlight of the day was our visit to the world class museum, El Prado.  We took an audio tour but truthfully after a while you are almost numbed by the beauty and the splendor.  As we were walking from one to display to another, we almost walked past an entire wall of paintings by Ruebens!
   We left the museum and walked by San Jeronimo el Real which served as Madrid's cathedral for years. Also on our afternoon walk was the Retiro Park, which is very much like Central Park in NYC.  It has beautiful flowers, food and a lake with rowboats gliding around.  
  We've taken two cab rides in Madrid.  Both cab drivers asked Erin if she lives in Spain as her spanish is so good.   We had a similar experience tonight when a a waiter patted me on the back and told me how good her spanish was.  
   Kathleen has planned this trip to the last detail, plane tickets, train tickets, hotel reservations, museum admissions, tours and more. One of the best ideas she came up with is a mobile hot spot.   The device is about the size of a wallet and carrying it around provides wifi.  
    The evening was spent walking around the various squares near our hotel.  It was light out until almost 10:00.  Dinner consisted of various tapas and sangria.   
  We have more of Madrid to see tomorrow but sadly we leave late tomorrow afternoon and take a train to Costa del Sol.  

Iceland

 Greetings from Iceland where the sun sets at 12:03 a.m. and rises just a few hours later at 2:55 a.m.  So far our only difficultly has been packing carry-on luggage for a cold dip in the geothermal lagoon in Reykjavik where the temperature is 46, closely followed by our next stop in Madirid where the temperature is in the 80s.  

We only had 10 hours in Iceland, hardly more than a stop over and certainly not time enough to experience an entire country.  However it was long enough to leave an impression on us.  The scenery is eerily pretty.  It looks like a moon scape.  Lava rocks dominate the landscape and in the distance you see mountains or water.  

After landing, we picked up our rental car and headed to The Blue Lagoon, a natural hot spring.  The Blue Lagoon is a huge tourist attraction.  It's a spa built on/around a huge geothermal lagoon.  The water is 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit?), before it is pumped up from 2000 meters (6500 feet) below the earth.  Our admission included a silica facial mask treatment and one free drink.   Is it really day drinking if you have a beer at 9:30 a.m. even if you haven't been to sleep since the night before? 
After our dip at the Blue Lagoon we headed to Hallgrímskirkja Church.   It’s the tallest building in the country at 244 feet and serves as a Lutheran parish.  Thankfully they have an elevator that goes to the top where we had some beautiful views.  
We leave Iceland tonight and head to Madrid.

  

2023 Trip

 We’re taking a family trip!

We are going to Iceland (just 10 hours), Spain, Portugal and Morocco.  We leave June 20th and Cathy and I will return on the June 30th.   The girls will continue on to Scandinavia.