estateitaliana

Vado in Italia Presto

Posted on May 11, 2024 by ssteven2

Anche se rimpiango un po’ la mia decisione viaggiare per un lungo tempo in Italia presto, a causa del mio nipotino bellissimo, so avrò un viaggio fantastico.

Even though I regret a little my decision to travel for so long to Italy soon, because of my beautiful grandson, I know I will have a fantastic trip.

Itinerary:

13 -14 maggio: Fly to Rome. Spend night.

15 maggio: Meet Sandra at train station to take train to Verona for four nights:

Staying here near Piazza Bra and the Roman ampitheater: https://www.airbnb.com/slink/MNdQWKPw

I have two private Italian lessons scheduled.

18 maggio: We rent a car and drive around Lago Garda, stopping for a hike and lunch.

19 maggio: train to Padova (Padua) for three nights here: https://www.airbnb.com/slink/dWmMNAcg

Highlight will be seeing la Cappella dei Scrovegni with the famous Giotto frescoes.

22 maggio: Train and taxi to Venice airport to fly to Catania, where I will meet Noelle.

22 maggio – 4 giugno: Noelle and I have this place in Taormina and will take classes, plus private lessons, at Babilonia, an Italian language school: https://www.airbnb.com/slink/PYLdB8Gx

The apartment is right across the street from our friend Tino, almost next door to Bam Bar, famous for granitas, and very close to our school.

Noelle and I are taking two weekend trips before and after classes. The first one is Cefalu, one of my favorite places. I will stay here while Noelle stays at Hotel Le Calette. https://www.airbnb.com/slink/TjSM1Sqi

The following weekend we will check out Catania, one of Julian’s (Noelle’s son) favorite cities, and stay here: https://www.airbnb.com/slink/ISQ3vFlg

4 giugno: I will meet three of the Vandy girls, Laura, Anne, and Jan at Hotel Calette in Cefalu for one night. The place has a wonderful beach.

Our turning 65 Vandy Girls’ reunion begins! We are the Sicilia Six.

5 – 8 giugno: Train to Palermo to meet Vance and Helen for three nights: https://www.airbnb.com/slink/XuvaTEkn

We have several activities planned, including a street and market tour, a tour of the Norman Palace and the Cappella Palatina, and then an afternoon in Monreale with a guide. Monreale is an amazing Norman cathedral:

I have never been here, but here’s an image of what’s in store:

8 – 11 giugno: We take the train to Taormina and stay three nights here: https://www.airbnb.com/slink/aS0KlkGd

Highlights include a birthday celebration for Laura and a tour of Mt. Etna. And of course we want to make it to the Greco-Roman theater and the spiaggia (beach).

11-14 giugno: We take the train to Ortigia, the oldest part of Siracusa and stay here three nights: https://www.airbnb.com/slink/0sFr7Wbl

I love Ortigia and am excited to stay longer to see the museum, the Greek ampitheater, and the Caravaggio in Siracusa.

14 – 16 giugno: Helen and I stay at Fabrizia’s one night in Trastevere, the “left bank” of Rome. We’ll go to a dinner party at Barbara’s. After Helen leaves, I have another day where I will meet with my UT Italian tutor, Amanda, and her family for dinner.

La cena con Barbara:

16-20 giugno: Fly to London to meet Jacquie. We are staying four nights here at Sloane Square Hotel:

20 giugno: Fly home!

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Final Day in Spain

Posted on October 22, 2023 by ssteven2

Last night we walked to Plaza de Espana to see the Templo de Debod, an Egyptian temple given to Franco in 1968 by the Egyptian leader in thanks for his help in saving the ancient sculptures when building the Aswan Dam.

Love the street signs. This is our street.

I was looking up best empanadas in Madrid, and the address was ours. Right next door.

I’m waiting in fila at the Sorolla Museo in a different part of Madrid. The museum is free today. It’s about the only line I’ve had to wait in the whole trip. But I can blog.

The Royal Palace of Madrid is amazing! More beautiful inside than Versailles or Schonbrunn, although I haven’t seen either in over forty years.

We could only take photos in the entrance and exterior, so most of the interior shots are from the Internet.

The Royal Palace has 2800 rooms!

From now on, no photos.

Love this couch. Almost all the walls were woven silk.

Most amazing of all was the porcelain room! All ceramic.

Next we toured many other rooms and the armory. Most interesting were the ceremonial armors for children and the fact that all the men were so short!

Most of the art was modern, but I loved the ceiling.

We saw many people in traditional outfits. Look at these shoes! Later Jan ran into a parade.

Parade on Calle Mayor

Meanwhile, I went to the Sorolla museum in his former house in another part of Madrid.

Sorolla did many paintings of families enjoying the beach. My mother and I love them.

For a man artist, he was so attuned to the lives of women and children.

A photograph of Sorolla painting in nature

Met Jan for lunch, and being Jan, not taking no for answer, she asked the maitre de at Botin, Hemingway’s favorite restaurant here and the “oldest restaurant in the world,” if there was a cancellation. He said to wait right here, and five minutes later we had a table in the front room.

This corner upstairs was Hemingway’s favorite.

Siesta time. Fly home tomorrow morning. As Telmo would say, “My heart is full.”

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Art Day in Madrid

Posted on October 21, 2023 by ssteven2

This morning I found a coffee bar nearby. People don’t get going here, though, until around 9 am.

We walked to the Museo Reina Sofia to see Picasso’s Guernica and other works of modern art.

He painted it while in exile during the Spanish Civil War in reaction to the bombing of civilians and to raise money for the Republican side against Franco in the Spanish Civil War. After Franco won the war, Picasso loaned it to the MOMA in New York and vowed to return it to Spain only when Franco was no longer in power. Franco died in 1975, and it was returned to Madrid in 1982.

Another Picasso called The Swimmer. Don’t really see it, but it spoke to me.

I love this one so much by a woman artist.

Next we walked to the nearby Prado Museo.

Goya statue with Naked Maja outside of the Prado

We weren’t allowed to take photos in the Prado, but I didn’t notice until I took one 😱and a guard kindly told me not to. So all I got to capture was this El Greco.

The Annunciation by El Greco is so different from any others I have seen.

Following photos are from the Internet.

The large triptych of The Garden of Earthly Delights by H. Bosch

Details from hell panel. I never connected Salvador Dali to Hieronymus Bosch until today.

Apples and fruits appear repeatedly in central panel.

I has no idea Francisco Goya was so prolific. I loved tracing his different styles and moods throughout this life. I can only show these with images from the Internet.

Like Titian’s “Venus at her Toilet,” this painting created a big scandal because she was a nude in a contemporary, not mythological or Biblical, setting.

So powerful to see this large painting close up. It commemorates a firing squad during the Napoleonic wars and initiated Goya’s political activism.

And then the dark paintings. Goya entered a depressed period of his life when he secluded himself in his home in Madrid and painted the entire walls with work in this extreme, dark style. They are shown all in one room and are extremely moving. In these later works, starting with May 2 1808, his brushstrokes become much looser and serve as a precursor to later styles, such as Impressionism.

On our way to Parque de Retiro we came across the end of a wedding and loved the styles.

Jan’s still walking, and I’m taking a brief pausa, or I should say, siesta. One more day in Spain and then home.

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Flamenco y hoy me voy a Madrid

Posted on October 20, 2023 by ssteven2

Last night we saw a flamenco show. We had to sit in the balcony, but we could see their footwork so well that I preferred it. The balding guy was having so much fun, and the guitarist did a solo that was incedibile. I love the way they encouraged each other with cries and claps and how they improvised. It’s such a beautiful blend of cultures: Jewish, Muslim, and gypsy, and I love the concept of duende: a soul-deep well of intense feeling that somehow encompasses a lust for life and a lament of death.

Here’s an Internet definition of duende, a concept expanded on by the Spanish poet, Lorca.

From Merriam-Webster: “The term is traditionally used in flamencomusic or other art forms to refer to the mystical or powerful force given off by a performer to draw in the audience. The Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorcawrote in his essay “Teoria y Juego del Duende” (“Play and Theory of the Duende”) that duende “is a power and not a behavior … a struggle and not a concept.”

We could not take photos until the very end, so this departure video dos not capture the hypnotic and intense performance.

Casa de Memoria

I love how the final dancer in the long dress had to kick her train out of the way as part of her dance. You can feel the stomping deep in your bones.

Third visit to new coffee bar: the waiter reminded the guy preparing my caffè con leche to add chocolate, which I asked for yesterday, and brought me a water. I had huevas con tortilla, which was bread, and the eggs were mainly potatoes.One of the men polished the lights in a Mary shrine behind the bar. Lovely, lively spot.

We arrived in Madrid! At Plaza Mayor across the street

Very smooth train ride, about two hours and twenty minutes to Madrid. Our Airbnb is one block from Plaza Mayor, the heart of the city, and across the street from Mercado de San Miguel. It began to rain slightly, and it was 1:30 pm, so it was packed, but we wanted to eat everything we saw!

Hemingway’s famous bar and restaurant: Botin booked until November!

Discovered lively Calle de Victoria on the way home and ate here at Carmela.

Sea bass delicious but served differently

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Day three Sevilla

Posted on October 19, 2023 by ssteven2

It’s been raining all day, but mostly a drizzle, so we just head out in our raincoats and each had a full day. Flamenco show tonight.

I found a new coffee bar nearby. No more churros.

This morning I was on my way to Mass in the cathedral, but first stepped into the little church we pass often. Oh my! It was amazing! Pictures can’t capture my surprise.

As I went around a corner, I was surprised by a priest waiting for someone to confess.

Then to Mass. They only open the altar gate for Mass and then swiftly closed it again. I loved the organ, but it was a bare bones with no homily that lasted less then thirty minutes.

Priests and organ behind us before Mass.

After tapas with Jan at Catalina de Barra ( we have our favorite lunch and dinner tapas spots), I went to place above. A countess in the late 1800/early -1900s remodeled a Palacio and enlarged the rooms so she could move excavated Roman mosaic floors from the Roman ruins unearthed in nearby Italica and reassembled them here. They date from the 3rd century. This central one was fabulous. Here it is from the second floor.

It tells the story if all the times Zeus disguised himself to @ssteven2 “engage” with mortals. The four women in the corners represent the four seasons.

She was not Jewish, but the Star of David often coexists here with Christian symbols because of our Old Testament roots.

Next to the art museum where they had one El Greco, two not exciting Velasquez paintings, but lots of Murillo and Zubaran.

Santa Justa and Santa Rufina who saved the cathedral in an earthquake in the 1500s even though they died as martyrs in the third century. By Murillo.

Brueghel the Elder detail of Adam and Eve

Bought some Toni Poms low-wedge espadrilles and now resting before flamenco show. If we go back to our tapas bar with all the bottles it will be three nights in a row. Manana train to Madrid!

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Another Day in Sevilla

Posted on October 18, 2023 by ssteven2

Last night, after our siesta, we went out to catch the sunset at a beautiful rooftop bar with views of the lit up cathedral. It was beautiful up there. Then we just happened upon a tapas place around 10 pm. At first we were disappointed there were no tables outside, but then the rain came POURING down, like Texas-style rain, and even the awnings got flooded and served as water drains. We had a great tapas dinner safely inside.

Jan’s from Kentucky and asked about all the bottles all around the place. We thought they were filled with colored water or something, but he pulled some down to prove they were all real, and Jan was amazed because he had bottles of all the best Kentucky bourbon. We’ve also noticed that gin is real trendy over here now. Too bad I don’t like it.

Outside. I think my lens on phone is streaked.

So proud of his collection, especially his bourbon.

Today we met our guide Enrique for a tour of the Cathedral and Alcazar. It was so great having our own guide. We learned so much.

Faith, a replica from the top of the Giralda Torre, which was once a minaret. She’s pregnant.

Largest cathedral by square feet in the world.

Tomb of Christopher Columbus. He was buried five times: Spain, what is now Haiti, Cuba, Madrid, and finally Sevilla.

St. Isadoro is the patron saint of knowledge or St. Google.

The cherub’s body is made from a real, warped pearl.

Next we went to Alcazar, the royal palace that was once a Moorish palace. The Christian king protected Grenada, and so the sultan sent his best artists to enhance it. These flowers fell from a tree onto the bushes.

Mosaic tiles. Each piece is cut and placed.

Beautiful blend of Muslim and Christian elements

Incredible dome with balcony open to what is still royal palace for the royal family when they visit. The other three balconies are fake to provide balance. The number four is holy in Islam.

Enrique led us to a tapas place he loves in the old Jewish quarter

After lunch, Jan and I walked to Plaza de Spagna, built in 1929 for a Iberian/European expo.

All parts of Spain represented by tile niches with benches.

Beautiful acoustics. He was playing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

Now we are taking a siesta and will go out again soon.

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Sevilla!

Posted on October 17, 2023 by ssteven2

Both Jan and I immediately loved Sevilla, but first Telmo drove us here. Before we left Cascais, I ran to get Jan a Coke Zero and ordered in my limited Portuguese. When the man told me the amount in Portuguese, and I didn’t understand, he said, “Oh, I thought you spoke Portuguese but with a Brazilian accent.” I was so happy.

Jan in her happy place: rooftop bar with pool. We stayed in an H10 hotel: Casa della Plata

We drove to Sevilla but stopped in the little white town of Tavira in the Algarve for lunch. It was a quiet beach town with white buildings, and we ended up at a wonderful little restaurant by chance. Still, Jan and I are glad we are going on to Sevilla.

Telmo told us that although both the Portuguese and the Spanish study English in school, the average Portuguese understands and speaks English better than the Spaniards because in Portugal, all the American shows are in English with Portuguese subtitles while in Spain they are dubbed in Spanish. We have learned so many interesting things from Telmo.

It was about five hours in the car to Sevilla, and we checked into our hotel in the center. Jan got to pick a hotel for tonight because she loves them, while I prefer Airbnbs. It was a beautiful hotel in a perfect location. We had a cocktail on the rooftop bar by the pool and then walked around and had tapas for dinner nearby. Of course, Spaniards don’t really start going to dinner until 10 pm, and so suddenly the place really picked up! The tapas and sangria were great, and a man spoke to us not in a creepy way. It was fun being in the center of such a lively scene.

Love the streets with the sun shades. They are taking them down today.

Churros bar this morning. Six churros is an order for one! You dip them in chocolate.

So, I wandered all over this morning! So fun!

Strange modern building (will add detail later)

People in green vests sell lottery tickets on the streets.

The magnificent cathedral. We’ll tour it tomorrow.

Cathedral entrance. Love the Palm Sunday relief.

Narrow streets of Barrio de Santa Cruz, the old Jewish quarter until they were driven out during the Spanish inquisition.

This hospital was amazing. I couldn’t take photos of the art, but there were paintings by Velasquez, Zubaron, Murillo, and El Greco. The most famous is the Velasquez portrait of Santa Rufina.

Peeking in beautiful churches everywhere

A woman was confessing to a priest outside of this one.

While walking I noticed Jewish stars of David with lattice on the exterior of an old synagogue, now a church, and I peeked in a doorway to see a Carmellite nun selling sweets or dulces. I asked if I could take her photo.

On the way home, I stopped into El Salvador, an amazing Baroque church. I’ve never been in a church with so much gold.

These are Santa Justa and Santa Rufina, 3rd century sisters who were potters and died for their Christian faith. Their intercession is credited with saving the cathedral later.

Saint Anna teaching a young Mary to read.

I’ve never seen a Transfiguration as a central altar theme.

Found Jan back at the hotel, but she had done her own wandering.

We moved to our Airbnb nearby and then had lunch in a great tapas place: Catalina de Barra.

Luckily we switched from this table before the rain poured from the awning.

Triana quarter on the other side of the Guadalquiver River

So many details to notice. Bullfight season is over.

After nine miles of walking, came home for a siesta. Heading out again soon.

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Our day in Cascais

Posted on October 16, 2023 by ssteven2

Yesterday, since it was our last day before Vance leaves, we had a day off with no real plans. It was raining lightly in the morning, so we walked to Estoril in our raincoats.

We couldn’t find much of interest over there, so we walked back along the bay. As we ate lunch at the marina, the sun came out, so I went swimming at our little beach across the street with no waves. I swam among the fishing boats. I love that they are still here, providing seafood for Baia do Peixe next door to us, where they start cooking large pots of seafood from the early morning hours.

We caught up with laundry and phone calls, shopped, found an artist we like, and then had an early dinner at a place we walked by earlier in the day. It has the most beautiful garden setting. Maybe not the greatest food, but it was a lovely last night for the three of us.

I thought it was a church, but it’s a home.

We will miss Vance but are so grateful for our time here together. Jan and I are off to Spain. Time to switch from Obrigada to Muchas Gracias.

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Day trip all around the chin and the nose of Portugal

Posted on October 15, 2023 by ssteven2

Portugal has always looked like a face in profile to me with Spain as a big hat with hair. Cascais is on the chin, and we went up above the tip of the nose yesterday. The tip of the nose is the Cabo da Roca. Telmo, Jan’s favorite Uber driver, became our guide for the day. He is the sweetest man and the perfect guide. On the way home, he said, “My heart is so full today.”

First we went to the market before Telmo picked us up. I love markets.

Next Telmo drove us to the Roca de Inferno, or the rock of hell. Tourists were out on the rocks taking selfies, and this local fisherman just shook his head about how foolish they were.

Our next stop was Guincho, one of the best sand beaches nearby. The waves were so beautiful and constant. We walked in the surf, and I went out and played in the waves until I got wiped out by one! Never underestimate the power of water.

Next Telmo took us to another favorite beach. He grew up in this area and knows all the best spots. He made us a reservation at this wonderful seafood restaurant overlooking the pounding waves in Ericeira. Telmo was once a chef and so asked if he could order our food and wine, wines that “marry” the food. His English is excellent, much of it from watching TV. Most of the shows are in English with Portuguese subtitles. He also loves American music and downloads the lyrics. And he did study English for six years.

It’s so hard to spell in Portuguese, but this place was amazing.

We had to crack the 🦀 with a little mallet.

One of our stews was mainly shellfish and shrimp. The other had monkfish and shrimp and rice and maybe saffron? At any rate, after we ate it, he showed us what our monkfish looked like and then asked if would have ordered it. No, but it was delicious!

Next we went to a third beach, but the waves still knocked me down. Next we drove by other oceanic pools with views until we reached Cabo da Roca. This was the only place crowded with tourists, but it’s the western most point of continental Europe and had beautiful rock formations, waves of course, and a lighthouse.

Everyone waited to run and get their pictures taken at Cabo da Roca.

Cabo da Roca

To end our adventures, he took us to one of the largest grocery store chains in Portugal. It had all kinds of everything, but the part that amazed me the most was the seafood section! Of course the salted cod, but also the fresh seafood counter and then bins and bins of frozen seafood you could scoop out and weigh in bags. It was pretty incredible.

Tonight we had a late fun dinner in the town which was hopping! The restaurant/bar was called Mana. Then we walked around, and Jan and I finally bought our much needed hats. Jan’s lost two on the trip, and I forgot to pack one.

All in all, it was a beautiful, fun, packed and interesting day. Telmo was the perfect guide, even though he’s really an Uber driver. At the end he said, “May I ask you a favor? At the end, can we have a group hug?” He is married with two children and works SUCH long hours as an Uber driver. At one point he worked for Apple, helping customers with technical issues. It is so hard for the Portuguese to make a good living here. Obrigada for a perfect day. 🙏

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Porto to Sintra to Cascais

Posted on October 14, 2023 by ssteven2

We practice saying “Cascais” as the Portuguese do, and I think we’ve finally gotten it down. We are here now.

Day before yesterday we took the train from Porto to Lisbon and then an Uber to our apartment Vance found us in Cascais. It’s a seaside, upscale community east of Lisbon, but we chose it because we wanted a beach experience, and the Algarve was too far out of our way since Vance leaves in a couple of days. Also, there are places around here we want to explore.

Sintra was wonderful. I’m so glad we spent the night right in the little village. We got our key from the shop owner next door and had beautiful views. We spend the afternoon and evening exploring the cobblestone lanes. We had a fabulous meal at a place called Como in the garden courtyard. When the man at the desk said there was no room without a reservation, this lovely woman server said, “No, I’ll find them one,” and then she took care of us all night. She is so beautiful: Bi-racial with blue eyes. This photo doesn’t really capture her.

The next morning early, our driver/guide, Ricardo, met us and took us to the Pena Palace. We got there early and walked right in. Pena means pain in Portuguese, as it does in Italian, and it’s called this because the King Ferdinand began building it for his homesick queen from Bavaria. He wanted to build her a fairytale palace and so renovated an old monastery outside of Lisbon. But she died giving birth to their seventh child, and so he stopped working on it for years of mourning. Although it was an arranged marriage, they truly loved each other. When he remarried, the new wife insisted that he finish the palace in her memory. That’s why it’s called Pena or pain.

“I have antlers in all of my decorating!” Gaston from Beauty and the Beast

It began in 1838 and was finished in 1855, so it’s not so much old as it is fascinating in its architecture and details.

Next we went to Quinta de Regaleira, another palace in the area. We could only tour the bottom floor, but it was really the gardens that were fascinating, the little fairytale towers and grottoes, and the well you see often on Instagram with a HUGE line we did not stand in. Later we saw people walking out of a tunnel and wondered what it was. Well, it led to the well, so we got to see it. Okay, we were cheating, but unintentionally. We thought we were just walking through a tunnel. It was cool, but I would not have waited in line for two hours to see it.

From here, Ricardo took us to a place I was dying to see because it comes up often on Instagram. It’s Azhenhas do Mar. It’s a natural swimming pool filled by the tides. When we were there, the waves were crashing into it, and there were two guys in the pool getting hammered by the waves. And they were having the best time. So much for swimming there!

Azhenhas do Mar

Next Ricardo, who loved to make jokes and tease us, especially Jan, introduced us to Cascais and dropped us off at our apartment with a balcony view of the water. We can see Lisbon lights across the bay. We wandered around the cute town, but it was much more urban than Sintra, and stopped for delicious white sangria. For dinner we ate at the seafood place next door. We got there after 8 pm but still got a table upstairs in a brightly lit, large space.

We had dinner next door at Baxia de Pexie

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estateitaliana

Vado in Italia Presto

Final Day in Spain

Art Day in Madrid

Flamenco y hoy me voy a Madrid

Day three Sevilla

Another Day in Sevilla

Sevilla!

Our day in Cascais

Day trip all around the chin and the nose of Portugal

Porto to Sintra to Cascais

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