A Little of This, a Little of That... Part 1

     We Went Walking
One question that must arise when people think about our travels is, what do you do all day? If we were here for the two or three days that Rick Steves (one of our favorite travel writers) suggests, we’d exhaust ourselves running around to see everything. But we have the luxury of time; what we don’t see today we can see tomorrow, or next week, or even next month.

So what, then, do we do all day? Sometimes it seems we spend a good part of the day staring at computer screens: planning future trips, or the next stop (we need to think three to six months out to get good, affordable places to stay); examining, sorting, enhancing, and deleting photos; writing blogs; keeping up with our friends and the news. Of course, the first week after arriving in a new place is spent organizing and storing our things (as is the last). But we’re well past that point now!

Every day, though, we do make it a point to get out and explore. Our apartment is in the old Jewish section of Seville, the area called Barrio Santa Cruz – lots  of saints’ names here, just like in California! (Oh, Barrio? Means neighborhood.) The streets are narrow, the buildings three or four stories. Some streets are mere pathways, dark and cool. Others are wide enough for a car… just. Tourists and us newcomers step up on the very narrow sidewalks and scrunch against the wall as the cars pass; locals ignore the cars, forcing them to slowly follow the pedestrians. (And I must say, drivers here in Seville, even on the larger four- and six-lane roads, are very attentive to pedestrians, stopping carefully even for the rare idiot who insists on crossing against a red light.)

Streets wide enough for a car -- sort of

Paula checks. Nope, no cars on this street!

One of our least-favorite routes. No room for walkers, but we walk it nearly every day!
 (Another driver cursing the GPS!)

We pass cafés at every corner, and often in between. In the evenings customers spill out into the street, drinking, talking, laughing, smoking. The tables filling the sidewalk are likewise jammed. At other times things are quiet; there will be only a few customers with a waiter cleaning up, or standing by awaiting the flood that will come later. Last Friday night we were out for an hour or so, making a big loop through the area. There were thousands in the streets and cafes, sitting on the church steps (bottles all around!), just enjoying a pleasant December evening.

This plaza is busy all. the. time!

The Thursday street market is a happening place

Things are typically quieter during the day; people are working, at least those fortunate enough to have jobs. But the shops are open: the clothing stores, the bridal gown places, the shoe stores, the opticians; the beauty salons. This is the time to get stuff done! And, there are always people in the cafes, for a quick coffee (well, “quick” is relative, this is Spain), or perhaps waiting for friends or a business associate. But life is never dull here.

Getting married seems a popular pastime in Seville. (I fret about the white trains, on those dirty cobbles!)

This morning we went out for an hour or so to enjoy the sunshine. We got back home about four hours later, having discovered a whole new area of large parks and incredible buildings.

The Cathedral and La Giralda (the tower), still one of our favorite street scenes

Old grinding wheels (I guess) re-purposed as building materials

Our goal for the day was the Plaza d’Espagña, an incredible structure intended to demonstrate the magnificence and diversity of Spain for the Ibero-American Exposition World's Fair in 1929. (You may have seen it in Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones – perhaps the only good thing in that movie).

Rental boats available, too!

The level of detail atf the Plaza d'Espagne is astonishing

Anyway, the building is quite amazing, very stylized, constructed of brick and covered with classic Spanish tile. Today as we re-visited it we found there are a number of other buildings also constructed for the Fair, in a similar classic style.

We finally made our way home through the long park with the monument to Christopher Columbus (he sailed from Seville in 1492, and his remains, what little there is, are in the Cathedral here). We leave the major, busy streets and slip into the tiny lanes of Barrio Santa Cruz and find our way back to our apartment.

One of the many near-by parks. That's the Chris Columbus monument in back (he sailed from Seville in 1492)

   
     We Went Sherry Tasting
Now, I've never really thought about sherry much. Heard about it, know how to spell it. But being here in Seville I have slowly become aware that we are in sherry country! Here it is a Big Deal. So maybe we should learn something of it.

Sherry comes from the town of Jerez de la Frontera, about an hour and a half south of here (Sevilla). The name Sherry derives, somehow, from Jerez, and is now a protected domain name, like many other wines. The grapes must come from a specified area, processed in a particular way, and the resulting wine is aged in new oak barrels for a time corresponding to the class of sherry. (What happens to the used barrels? Whisky distillers want them!)

Some Sherries are dry, and some sweet; Bristol Cream is a very sweet sherry that has been a favorite in Britan for generations.

There are Sherry tours, where a knowledgeable person takes you to a bar to sample various types of Sherry; and if you go to Jerez there are endless tastings at the wineries. (Just like the many wineries in Paso Robles!)

But we wanted something a little lower key. After all, our neighborhood is full of tapas bars, all of them offering many kinds of wines and spirits. So Paula went on-line and found one bar renowned for their sherry collection. And, it was only a few blocks away!

We headed out into the on-going Disneyland that is Seville at night, and showed up at the bar around 8PM. That’s pretty early for the Spanish, and things were slow. We explained what we were after to the waiter, a young guy who spoke excellent English, and he said,  sure, have a seat! He brought us a couple of glasses and a splash of dry sherry (as with all wines, one always starts with the driest and moves towards the sweetest, otherwise the taste buds get clogged up). He kept bringing fresh glasses with each new bottle, suggesting foods that would go well. We were full from dinner, so declined the food, at least this time around. (At the waiter’s mention of Manchego cheese, though, I suddenly realized that Sherry with food would be a very different experience!)

We got to the sweet wines, and agreed to a cheesecake; very good, and very appropriate with the last two sweet Sherries.

The waiter was quite nice, professional yet very friendly, listened to what we wanted and made suggestions. When we were finally done, we got the bill. A whopping $20USD!

Sherry seems to be an acquired taste. I must admit that I am not currently a fan. The dry Sherries are a bit too light, and there is a flavor I do not favor. However, we are looking forward to returning to try again, this time pairing the Sherries with appropriate foods. I expect that will be a worthwhile experience!


 

We Go for an Evening Stroll

We hear the music, and are drawn to it. Like the Pied Piper, I think. Except this is high-pitched intense R&B from an electric guitar, not melodic flute music. We cross the bridge, moving ever closer to the sounds.

We’re in Rome, taking a short walk before retiring for the evening. As we stroll, the sounds draw us on. Our apartment is only a block or so from the river, so we naturally head that way. Once on the bridge, the same one we had crossed a day or two ago on our way to the Vatican, we realize the sounds are coming from the other side.

Immediately in front of us, on the far bank, is a huge cylindrical structure called Castel Saint'Angelo (which is to say, we are on Ponte Saint'Angelo), like a giant wedding cake made of red brick. We pause, crossing the bridge, to admire the sculpted angels spaced every so often along the roadway. The source for the bridge name, perhaps? While we’d crossed here before, this time we are not focused on our destination and spend more time examining the sculptures. Each angel has a distinct personality, and each seems pretty happy (except for that one; I don’t know what his problem is).

Castel Saint'Angelo a summer's day, with people; from Google Street View (not my photo!)

Looking upriver from the Ponte Saint'Angelo...

...and looking downriver

A happy angel on the bridge (well, the statue of an angel)

As we approach the far bank the music stops; it is apparent now there is not a band but only one fellow, sitting at the base of the massive brick wall that forms Castel Saint'Angelo. We follow the river, passing some distance from the guitar player, who is now tuning and plunking the strings. We look across the river, to the city lights – our neighborhood, come to think of it – and downriver, to the next bridge, also well lit. A classic scene in Rome!

We briefly consider crossing back at the next bridge, but that looks too far; drawn by the mysterious music, we’d already come further than we had expected this short evening stroll to take us. We turn around and pass back in front of the monstrous brick castle, lit by the garish orange-yellow light of the sodium vapor street lamps. Actually, I’ve always detested these lights; they seem to steal all the color; impossible to find your parked car when lit by sodium vapor (their popularity in modern cities is due to their extreme efficiency – they use less electric power than almost any other light source – and not for the quality of the light they provide). Yet I learned in Seville that the color exactly compliments the soft, warm tones of ancient stone buildings, making for night scenes that are almost fairy-like.

But this night we are away from the tight lanes and close streets; instead, we face long distances, large areas, few lights, extensive shadows, and dark brick, not light stone. The whole scene is surreal: the lone guitarist, sitting on his substantial amplifier, almost disappearing against the massive wall. And but for him (and us!) the area is deserted. It’s like he is the Last Man on Earth. And to complete the absurdity, we finally see the sign propped up on his tip bucket: “I need money to fix my time machine to get back to the ‘50s.”

Just another night in Rome…

We went Rome'n TAKE TWO!!!

Well, a funny thing happened on the way to publishing this blog: NONE OF THE VIDEOS WORKED!!

Sorry about that, here are links to the vids so you can go directly to the YouTube URL. (And please do, we worked SO hard on putting these together....)


Trevi Fountain:

         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i61rZkV03I

Roman Forum visit:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT286BV0Eec

We Went Rome'n

Rome December 2016

One opportunity we want to take advantage of while here in Europe is the easier travel times and distances. California to Rome, Italy is a long, expensive trip. Seville to Rome, on the other hand, is a 2-1/2 hour flight...

(All the photos here were taken with an iPhone 5C; still no real camera!)

A funny thing happened on our way to the Forum; we ended up at a Pink Floyd concert!  Well, it wasn't actually Pink Floyd, and it wasn't really a concert. And for that matter we were going to the Trevi Fountain, not the Forum. But we were in Rome…

When we were in Paris a year ago we realized that what really interested us was not so much the famous sights as the interactions we had with people, the amazing contacts and events that seemed to form: Moments, we called them, not Monuments.  For this trip to Rome, though, we figured we focus on the monuments. I mean, there are so many of them! And they’re so famous! Ah, but it seems that moments kept finding us!

As we wound our way through the crowded, narrow streets fending off the usual beggars, vendors, and touts we came upon a large crowd in the street, and the strains of familiar music. Four guys – three guitarists and a drummer – had set up against a building (the music resonates very well on these narrow stone streets). We caught the end of a Pink Floyd number. The next song was “The Sultans of Swing” by Dire Straits. Close my eyes and it was Mark Knopfler before us... Amazing! Just amazing. A couple of young women in the crowd caught Paula's eye. That’s music from our youth! Paula told them. To which they responded: For us, too! (even though their “youth” was a few decades after ours!)

The "Pink Floyd Tribute Band" (not their real name); the bass player didn't make it this night

Then the band was done, much to our dismay and that of the large crowd that had gathered. They told us they would be back the next night, same time, same place. (Apparently, there’s some kind of schedule for street musicians.).

We moved on, heading for the fountain. The thing about Rome is that something is happening around every corner – and sometimes in the middle of the street. Everywhere you look there's a monumental building or an ancient column or an old church. Or an impromptu concert. 

Just another picturesque side street in the maze that's Rome!

We began to hear the sounds of water flowing, water falling. The piazza opens up before us, and there is the crowd, moving, smiling, sitting, enjoying. And past them, now clean and white and very well lit, is Il Fontana di Trevi, the Trevi Fountain.

Famed in movies (such as “La Dolce Vita”, which we watched as part of our pre-Rome research), it is one of the best known of Rome's many attractions; where Anita Ekberg plunges into the water in an evening gown, enticing Marcello Mastroianni, somewhat more reluctantly, to join her. Of course, neither Anita nor Marcello was there that night, just a massive crowd, kids running around, flashes going off, selfie sticks waving (half of them being held by vendors, hoping for a sale). But worth it. Totally worth it!

Us in front of the Trevi Fountain

We made the 20-minute walk every night to look at it. Quite apart from the social scene – the hundreds of people hanging out, taking photos, running around – the fountain itself is, ah… surreal? Hardly begins to describe it. Oceanus (Mr. Ocean), a heroic figure in classic Greek style, stands in his sea shell chariot pulled by two winged horses, surfing across the waters of the world while tons of actual water flow out in great profusion across rocks and sculpted exotic plants, finally merging in a broad pool (now littered with coins that people insist on tossing in – yes, we did too!). It’s just a mind bender taking it in, and trying to understand what were they thinking, the “they” that designed and built this thing? How can such a thing even be conceived? And, where else but Rome would a sculpture like this even have a context?

The Tervi Fountain without us (also without Anita and Marcello)

Night after night we came back, to stand in awe and wonder. It wasn’t until our last day that we actually had time to see it in the day. (Nighttime is better. Definitely better!) But, video works better with more light, so check this out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT286BV0Eec

Our other favorite fountain, closer to “home,” was the Four Rivers Fountain (Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi) . More compact, less expansive, but no less expressive, and more nuanced, more detailed. Four giant figures, each finely detailed and exquisitely carved, represent major rivers on each of the four continents on which the pope (Innocent X, who sponsored the fountain) had influence: Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

It’s another mind bender! We stopped by there coming and going each day, again to marvel at the designs, the workmanship, the mindset that could conceive of such a thing… and of course at the ego that would actually build it!

Paula models her new coat in front of Il Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi

Then one night shortly after sunset (“one night:” sunset was at 4:30!), probably after the “Crazy Diamond” event (referring here to the song by Pink Floyd – keep reading), we came upon Quattro Fiumi in the dusk, with its central obelisk outlined by the darkening sky. The obelisk fit neatly between the dome and towers of the church Sant'Agnese right behind it. It made for a striking, almost heart-stopping presence. It’s an image I’ll carry with me for a long time.

 

The obelisk of the fountain and the church Saint'Agnese in the day (it was better at night...)

A Funny Thing Happened on Our Way Back From the Forum 

So this time we really did go to the Roman Forum, and the Colosseum, too.  We immersed ourselves in the glory that was Rome, and were blown away by what we found. Just the tiny remnants – the massive tiny remnants – are astonishing, and worked our imaginations. We came back exhausted. Not as badly, though, as we had the day before after visiting the Vatican Museum. (Although the Vatican Museum fatigue had an additional, emotional component: all that enormous talent, all those extremely rare and expensive goods created and collected by and for a few excessively rich and conceited men; first, the Roman Emperors, and later the 15th &16th century popes. Hard to grasp that kind of ego!)

Ceiling in the Vatican Museum passage -- busy, busy, busy!

Entrance to the Vatican Museum, as night falls (and you can still get ice cream even in December!)

Some dome or other (there are so many!) from the Vatican Museum around 4:00PM (sunset!) Note the US Capitol dome is modeled on the same dome...

Then there was the walk home through constant crowds spilling over the narrow sidewalks into the streets. And the beggars and the selfie stick salesmen and the tour guides. Fatiguing!

Here's some things we saw on our way to the Forum...

"Who puts statures on top of buildings, anyway?!" asks Paula. Well, the Romans... (this is the Altare della Patria)

Twins Romulus and Remus, legendary founders of Rome, suckling on a she wolf

That's a bigga statue!

Another big statue (and what's that thing he's holding? It's bigger than me!)

Yet we were fresh from immersing ourselves in what Rome 2000 years ago might (or might not!) have been like: walking down the Via Sacra (the main street of the Forum) probably bore some similarity to our walk back along the Via dei Fori Imperiali (that’s the modern highway running next to the valley of the ancient Forum, leading to the Colosseum, and prominent in the video). It was crowded with people about their business, with no end of entertainers, vendors, and artists (both legit and con artists!) Oh, and tourists! (Just like the ancient Forum, I'm sure.)

Here's a quick video highlighting our arrival from the hill overlooking the Forum, and our walk towards the Colosseum:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT286BV0Eec

The Colosseum, inside view (under the re-created wooden floor is the "back stage" area where acts were prepared)

The Colosseum, outside view (holes once held metal brackets for the marble facing, all torn off during the Middle Ages)

And here's some monuments among the monuments, photos from our visit to the ancient Roman Forum. These were all taken right as the sun was setting. Gotta love that golden sunlight!

We come around yet another corner and there, in the middle of the piazza, surrounded by enthralled observers, is Andrea Bocelli. No, wait – this guy can see. Must be Enrico Caruso. Whomever, he has a hell of a voice! We arrive at the last two minutes of his last aria, and he holds that final note so long I forget to breath and almost pass out. Whew! He thanks the crowd, makes a joke about his house just behind him (actually it's the Pantheon, a massive building from sometime around the zeroth century with the world’s first dome). 

Mr. Opera picks up his portable music player (he doesn’t need much, with that massive amplifier in his chest!) and introduces the next act, who turns out to be our buddy Mr.  Pink Floyd from the previous two nights. But tonight, Sunday, it's much earlier, just after sunset (around 5 PM) and getting dark. He doesn't have his band, but launches into a solo version of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” with the exact musical look and feel of Mr. David Gilmour. The notes, each one sharp, distinct, piercing, resonate and reflect off the high massive stone buildings, taking on an ethereal, haunting quality. The history of the music, our own histories with this music, seems somehow to be mirrored and reflected in the history of this place, in these ancient buildings of Rome. 

We listen for a time, hanging on every note. But it is essentially a low-key song and our fatigue and sore feet finally win out, and so we reluctantly trudge home with Pink Floyd fading in the background. Another Moment among the Monuments.

It was a quick trip, really, just a long weekend, then arrivedercci Roma! But we'll be back. After all, we threw the coins in the fountain, and that guarantees a return!

                                    Ciao! 



next up... probably something about Christmas in Sevilla

Boots of Spanish Leather or These Boots are Made for Walkin’

No, this is not a blog about song titles from the ‘60s. It is actually about footwear. Footwear bought in Spain. Specifically, boots bought in Spain.

Yes, after seven months and some 700 miles of sole abuse our shoes need replacing. In the meantime, we’ve learned some things about what makes for adequate footwear here in Europe. For one thing, roads are rarely smooth. They are often paved with cobblestones, first introduced by the Romans (ok, I’m not at all sure if that’s true, but the Romans started pretty much everything having to do with cities and roads, so why not that, too?). And let’s face it, while cobbles are romantic, ancient and all that, they are not particularly comfortable to walk on (or ride on, or drive on…). So, shoes for cobble walking must be sturdy!

We want thick, solid soles. We also want light weight, and flexibility. And, of course, “un poco de gracia” (while we’re on the theme of oldies): a little grace, a little style.  The shoes here (in Seville, and probably Spain in general) have more than a little grace and style. And, shoes here are certainly available in abundance. Today Paula took me to the shoe store street, a few blocks where every other store is dedicated to shoes. Along the way we passed many other shoe stores. It seems the Spanish must really like shoes, and buy them often, to support this plethora of stores!

While Italy is renowned (oh, I originally wrote renounced; well, maybe that, too) for its shoes, the image that comes to my mind are pointy, stylish but not necessarily comfortable shoes, with thin leather soles, perfect for the thick carpets of, say, a high-end law firm such as Bendini, Lambert and Locke¹. But we need something for the mean streets of Seville. And Spain has long been known for its leather. We find shoes with soft, supple uppers, in both classic and high-fashion styles. Some also have soft, supple soles. Uh oh, I already have some shoes with soft supple soles, and they are NOT good for cobble walking! I need something light, supple, and thick. And given all the stores, it doesn’t take long to find ‘em.

¹OK, that's the law firm Mitchell "Mitch" McDere worked for in "The Firm", John Grisham's 1991 novel that was later made into a film starring Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman. And didn't you already know that?

Later, on the way home, we stumble on what I take to be the city’s crèche, its Nativity display. Only this crèche fills an entire building! It is, in fact, a diorama that seems to cover all of Palestine, showing every aspect of life in year 0AD (or 1AD, depending on how you figure it). Inns, donkeys, bakeries with loaves of bread, vegetable gardens, blacksmiths, people coming and going. Private houses and public buildings. It was a marvel, and, for us, completely unexpected.

The Grand Finale of the Seville City Creche scene, presented here first

Now, these last two are different. they are full-size recreations of what the village where Jesus was born might have looked like...

Here's a full-sise, but non-functional, bakery oven

All in all, quite extraordinary!

After seeing it I better understand the Christmas Market, a series of portable buildings around the Cathedral. They are completely devoted to miniature people, plants, animals, and scenes from the birth of Christ and the lands around. Some are highly detailed, very well done, and marvelous; others are whimsical and cartoon-like. Some are animated, with an arm going up and down that ends up being a carpenter hammering, or a farmer raking, or someone fishing with a pole, or women shaking out rugs. Little flickering bulbs make realistic fires in bread ovens or open hearths. Presumably the good citizens of Seville buy these figures, most 3 or 4 inches high, to create their own nativity scenes, no doubt augmenting them each holiday season (“Oh, let’s get some sheep this year, and maybe a donkey!”) But the town’s official Nativity scene is truly something to behold!

Looks like baked goods here

Vegetables and garden tools

Clouds and Rain: cotton clouds have tiny spray nozzles to get things wet

A huge selection of plants and animals, benches and other furniture, in many styles and forms

Later, in the evening, we go out again, me in my new stylish boots. We head to the store Paula has already identified, and after no more than the usual trying on, testing, checking, and deciding, we leave with Paula’s new boots in a bag.

We decide to swing by the cathedral, just to see what’s up. We had already noticed the streets were jammed, people everywhere, of all ages. Mom and Dad with the kids; young folks cruising; older folks hobbling. EVERYone was out and about! And we noted that some of the bars and cafes that always had patrons spilling into the streets were nearly empty this night; everyone was out promenading.

A side street in Seville

La Giralda with Christmas lights

Avenida Constitution and masses of people (Cathedral on the right)

So what’s going on? Tomorrow (December 8^th) is a major holiday, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a major even on the calendar of the Catholic Church, and one of the top three or four holidays in Spain. And, the city has turned on the Christmas lights! (Sorry, my camera is still broken, and the cell phone takes lousy night-time photos.) So the entire population is out, enjoying the warm evening, admiring the lights, cruising in and out of the many shops open (including all those shoe stores), and just gearing up for the holiday season.

We wandered over to the cathedral, marveling at the crowds and the relaxed intensity of the energy (does that phrase even make sense?). A couple of years ago we were in New York City around this time of year; last year we were in Paris. Here it’s different; the energy feels mellow, embracing, not frantic or hard-edged. The cathedral is open; normally there is an entry fee. Tomorrow evening there will be a special High Mass for the faithful; it is sure to be well attended. Tonight most areas inside the Cathedral are blocked off as preparations continue for tomorrow, but the cathedral really is huge, so there is still lots of floor space to cover.

Eventually we’ve had our fill of indoor strolling, of admiring the huge carvings, the massive pillars, the ceiling so far above us I expect rain clouds to gather. Besides, my new boots are not yet broken in, and Paula has not had time to admire her new boots. Time to head home along the brightly lit, packed streets and prepare for tomorrow evening’s ceremonies.











Ha! You thought I forgot! Yes, here's photos of the new boots....