I first want to send out our most heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the families of Steve and Catheryn Roundy. They both worked with Jay for many years at Enhance and most recently Catheryn was working with us at the sunglass store. She gave us great tips for our trip to Paris. They were so kind and always willing to help. They will be missed~We flew into Malaga, Spain on Saturday, November 11th. This is located on the southern coast along the Mediterranean Sea. We are staying just outside the seaside town of Marbella. During the summer this place is packed with tourist from all over Europe but as usual we are missing all the crowds. We are taking advantage of the 70 degree weather that we have had for the last 4 days. The next two are scheduled for rain.
On Sunday we attended a very small English speaking branch (congregation). A total of about 30 people. Apparently there are many people living and working here along the coast from the UK. Our kids gladly doubled the primary. The next two days were spent near the sea and the (indoor) swimming pool.
Wednesday was a day trip to one of the oldest cities in Spain, Ronda. It is one of the Pueblo Blancos (white villages) that refers to the many white buildings built upon the hillsides. I won't pretend that throughout all these travels that I am an expert on any of these areas we are visiting. Most places we have gone I have never even heard of. I have just spent alot of time researching and reading travel boards to decide where and what to do on our trips. I wish I were more fluent in foreign languages, I wish I knew more about history, religion and architecture on these trips. And while things are still interesting, I know with my ignorance, I am not able to fully appreciate all the significance. But I am hoping it sparks something within the kids that by exposing them to these places now, in the future when they learn about it in school it will have more meaning and they will want to learn more about it.
Anyway, back to Ronda, we spent the short time there wandering the narrow streets, looking off the "new bridge" (200 years old) and touring the oldest and largest bullring in Spain. We learned that most of us would not want to witness a bullfight (the season is usually April-Oct) and it is much more bloody than I had known. We had lunch at the Don Miguel hotel and I should note that the menu was a little too adventurous for the kids but as usual most places are willing to make a tuna sandwich, hamburger or spaghetti for the kids. I had their almond and garlic cold soup followed by the spinach and prawns in olive oil. I just couldn't bring myself to try the ox tail that is a very popular menu item.
Thursday under the threat of rain, but luckily none fell during our outing, Jay, Cameron, Grant and I took the two hour drive to the city of Granada to see the Alhambra (here I was especially feeling that ignorance). The detailed carving and the abundance of it in the architecture was amazing. We spent about two hours and had it not been for our craving for lunch we could have spent another hour. It is massive and well, palatial.
Our last full day we spent in the sun and then went to the Pablo Picasso museum in Malaga where he was born. We had fun guessing what the paintings were and then reading the descriptions. I wanted to link to my favorites in the collection but it won't allow me. Here is the website and my two favorites were Olga Seated and Man, Woman and Child both in The Collection. We walked around the town center of Malaga and I wish we had found it earlier. It has many pedestrian streets and shops. We had wanted to take a couple of other day trips to Cordoba and Sevilla (that one would have been a bit much for a day trip) but we didn't get them in.
I have really liked Spain. I love the mountains and they way they use every bit of the landscape to farm or build even if it is up the side of a steep hill. I love the Spanish tile roofs, the tiled courtyards, arched entryways, carved doors and my favorite, corbels. I have always loved this style and hopefully someday build this style of house. I love the mixture of history and am on a quest to learn more about it. I will post our pictures after we get home on Saturday.
Please post if you have ideas on places to go and things to see. Or post about anything. Our next trip is in December to the Bavaria region (Christmas markets!) of Germany (Frankfurt, Nuremberg and Munich) and Austria (Salzburg and Vienna).
Buenas Noches
2 comments:
I'm so glad you are loving Spain. The Alhambra was the last residence of the Muslim Moorish kings before they were driven out of Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella in...dum dum dum 1492. In fact, in Spain, if you see "Al" in front of anything, Alhambra, Alandalus, etc, it indicates the moorish heritage. Did you know that the loss of Spain is still a rallying cry for some fundamentalist Muslims?
I don't want to bore you with more history, but the Alhambra is a gorgeous example of not only Moorish architecture, but Byzantine influences, botched Renaissance remodels and even survived a bomb plot by Napoleon.
The cold almond soup is called Ajoblanco, literally white garlic soup. Good stuff. And yes, the oxtail is delicious.
Next time try some anchovy stuffed olives, if you didn't know what they were, you'd think they were divine. Trust me on that one, have a couple. You'll know because they say "aceitunas" (olives) and "anchoa."
As for your next trip--pack as warmly as possible. December in Bavaria/Austria is a brutally cold season that goes right through you. I have never been so cold. The air fronts come from Russia straight into Vienna, oh the humanity! At least the foods in that area of the world are pretty non-threatening and very filling. You'll be sure to see lots of chestnuts roasting carts on the street during the season as well. The chestnuts aren't sweet, but they are hot, mushy and tasty.
You'll have so much fun in Munich with the Christmas season. The kids (and JAY) will be happy to know that the downtown McDonalds in Munich (near the famous clock and markets) is a several stories and really good.
In Austria, grab some Mozartkuglen (little chocolate-hazelnut-marzipan balls) and some haselnuss Manner Schnitten wafers. The pastries will be delicious, but not as sweet as you'd think.
I think the Bishop's palace in Salzburg may be closed for the winter, the gardens are a major attraction in the summertime. They even have a few Sound of Music tours if you want to go on one.
In Vienna, where do I start?! There's the various opera and performance houses, a ton of really great museums (that will thoroughly bore the kids, I'm sure!) You can go to a Lippizaner stallion show as they have an indoor venue--that will be a kid-hit for sure.
I'm so jealous!
yes to the mozartklugen...my favorite ...eat your way through, that is my motto, as long as you have good food, you'll have a great trip! go see that castle neunschwanstein...no idea how to say it or spell it, but it look s so pretty
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