May 31    Lyon, France.
First let me correct a mistake.  We were in Tangiers, Morocco.  Not Algiers.  My brain sometimes!!!!

From Madrid we traveled to Barcelona, Spain.  A lovely, city.  We had one nice day of good weather, and then cloudy skies and rain.  A bit cooler than we expected.  We stayed in an apartment in a busy neighborhood.  We shared the space with the couple that lives there.  A new experience for us.  We had our own bathroom and a very nice bedroom and Nacho and Rosa were very generous with the shared space.  There was a small balcony where we ate our breakfast and had wine in the evening.
We found Barcelona loaded with people of all kinds.  Transportation was a challenge and a few times   we got mixed up, but good folks helped us.  In our walking travels, we came to the 1992 Olympic arena and the torch bearing monument.  Vast and quite thrilling.  We explored a village by Gaudi that has never been completed, but took 25 years to build what he was commissioned to do.  We found it quite enchanting as everything was done in mosaic with glass and walls and walks with stone.  Some photos may convey some of what we saw.   We went to the seaside ( on a cape of the Mediterranean) only to get off the bus in a downpour of rain without any coats or unbrellas.  We were drenched when we finally found the recommended eatery; a funky place with good food..

I should mention that Barcelona is the oldest port in the world for accepting and going out of goods for trade.
As beautiful as the city is, the way of living is far from what I would call comfortable.  Most folks live in apartments ( they call their houses). Only the very rich have lots with villas.  Anyway, every single morning, bar none, at about 3 am, the garbage trucks come rumbling down the streets to pick up the garbage from the apartment dwellers and restaurants and stores and whatever else occupies the bottom spaces of the buildings.  These trucks are not is the least bit quiet.  CLANK! BANG!  rev the motor and on to the next spot.    There is usually a common area  every so many blocks so folks can get outside the walls of their living space.  \Motorcycles go anywhere they wish and park just about anywhere they wish and swing in and out of traffic like they can never be killed by such maneuvers.
I have determined that there are two types of motorcycles here:  large or small; one sounds like a lawnmower needing repair and the other like a nagging, irritating mosquito.They are everywhere!
A good amount of people do not own cars, so motorcycles RULE. Funny, however........try to find a parking spot for a car!  Nearly impossible.

One night, about mid-night I heard some voices in unison shouting something.   It became louder as the crowd drew nearer our apartment.  I shot out of bed to the balcony.  It was a demonstration of some sort.  Big banners were stretched across being held by the front leaders, and then again at the back of the group of estimated 100-150 marchers.  These were angry voices.  My heart was heavily pounding. What could this be about?   They passed through our part of the neighborhood onto where I could see them enter one of the common spaces.  Voices became less heard.  Back to bed, just got settled again, and then sounds of helicopters. Forth and back around our buildings, several times.  Four or five helicopters with search lights.  This lasted about 15 or 20 minutes.  It reminded me of a war movie or something such and my anxiety was strong.  What were in the middle of????  Finally, all of this excitement died down and the night became quieter.  Never silent, however.  There is always something in the streets.  Nacho explained in the waking hours of the morning that he thinks it had to do with the closing up of a homeless area, and the people that occupied that space were wanting some answers.  It felt so militant.  We do not know the outcome.

Thursday was cathedral day.  We did a walk after transport by bus to the mid-evil area  and visited three different churches.  We thought them cathedrals, but, indeed, they are basilicas as it was so emphatically explained to us. Santa Maria del Mar has 34 side chapels.  All of these places were incredible and the architecture unbelievable, especially when one considers the time they were built.    
One is a cathedral...............The Cathedral of Barcelona.  One can only read about it to get anything out of what it is.  Amazing!  truly.   Marble and gilding used to no end. We were so taken with all of this.
Many hours of church viewing and worth every second.

We traveled from Barcelona to Lyon, France.  Second largest city in France.  More about our experiences here at another time.










 

So again Andrea logged off without giving me an opportunity to post some photos. So this blog is just photos that should kinda follow along with her blog from yesterday. Today Thursday May 29 we visited two churches and one cathedral in old Barcelona. We'll catch y'all up to date on that excursion soon. Hope you enjoy the pics.
Dan

I don't know why some of these turned out sideways. Its midnight I"m tired of fighting with it so turn your computer on its side.

I'll do better next time.

 Almudena Cathedral Madrid

 Almudena Cathedral

 Almudena Cathedral Madrid

5000 Yes 5000 pipe organ at the Almudena Cathedral next to the Royal Palace, Madrd

The first time we saw a pic like this we thought they were advertising onion ring sandwiches

Couldn't help it had to have lunch here. This is just off the Pueta Sol in Madrid

Typical Sunday outing for Madridites is a row on the lake in Retrio Park

Statue in Retrio Park Madrid

A Peacock showing off for a peahen at the Retrio Park Madird

This is the wall of a Hotel in Madrid

The Botanical Gardens connected to the Prado Museum in Madrid 

Door to a mosolium in Tangier

Tangier Door

Snake Charmer in Tangier

Andrea with the snake charmer

The oldest coffee house in the Kasba Tangier

A street in the Kasba

Lunch entertainment in Tangier

Lunch entertainment in Tangier

The Rug Bizarre in Tangier

Me in Tangier

Folk Dancers in a Plaza in Madrid

Side ways dancers and their musicians in a plaza in Madrid

One of 6 gilded lamp posts in the courtyard of the Royal Palace

The Royal Palace

The Royal Palace, Madrid

Flamenco dance in Retrio \park Madrid 

Me eating Anchovies as per Joe Kings suggestion

Anchovys

This Resturant has been in business sence 1887 same family owners sence 1903 This is where I had the Anchovy tapas

May 21:  Morocco (Algiers)
What an adventure!  We boarded a ferry after riding a bus with tons of other resort folks.  A nice tour bus.
Many of the people were of college age.  We had a full day that moved very fast.  We crossed the Strait of Gibraltar into Algiers and were boarded on yet another bus to take us around the very rich part of the city.
Amazing huge white (mostly) houses on hillsides with big estates.  Only a small percentage of the people are rich there.  We were entertained by a snake charmer and a few others that played drums to have the snake (cobra) do its dance.  Pictures were taken with a different snake wrapped around a neck.  Mine included!
Yikes!!!!!  There was a stop to be able to get on a camel's back and have a photo taken.  This made me sad.  The poor camels. Up and down and up and down and up and down at the command and insistence
of the trainer.  There was a baby camel, too.  It kept bawling for his mama.  I went back into the bus.
The exploitation of these poor animals was too much to take.  And.............there were men there with junkie jewelry and whatever else one could call junk looking for a handout.  Every few minutes we were accosted with one person or another wanting to shove this stuff in our faces.  We were taken then to a place where they make hand knotted wool Moroccan rugs.  Absolutely gorgeous! These folks were on the level as they are inspected and controlled by the government there.  It was a treat to see these amazing products.  We ate a Mediterranean meal and were entertained by a belly dancer and Moroccan musicians ( with red box hats) just like you see in the movies!  And then the tour through the Kazbah.  You'll have to have the full story by voice.  It was an education, and truly worth the effort to go there.  Everyone put a hand out for a tip, no matter what.   A day to remember for sure.

Friday  May 23. A travel day to Madrid.  Olive groves.  Miles and miles ( or kilometers if you prefer) of olive groves.  All over!  up and down hillsides, over valleys and plains.  Olives!  some grain, and hay, but mostly the olive trees.  Even saw a huge tanker truck hauling olive oil. Small villages dotted the farm land. We figured those working in the olive business lived and worked there.
We arrived in Madrid during what seemed rush hour and the traffic was heavy.  Motorcycles rule! Madrid is a beautiful city with lovely old buildings with lots of ornate trim.  The GPS took us to the door of the building where we would be staying, but with no parking, we wondered just what to do.  Finally after making connection with Richard, our contact, we were taken up three flights of stairs of an 200 year old building to our flat for the 3 days.  He took Dan to a place to park and we left the car in that garage for the duration of our stay.  The flat was small, but charming.  A bit noisy, it was located down a street from a gathering area of the neighborhood.  A way of life, it seems here.  Our window opened up so we could view the busyness of the street below.  There is a way of living that we found unusual, but folks know how to deal with all of the noise.  We discovered a lovely bread bakery just two blocks from our flat, so we had a good time buying what we fancied there.

Sat. May 24. We took the Metro to Puerto del Sol and did a walk suggested by Rick Steves.  We experienced a lot of downtown Madrid and ate at The Dixie Cafe.  A lovely day showed us folk dancers in one of the city's squares called Plaza de Mayor and also saw a Yoga convention of some kind with hundreds of yoga enthusiasts in an outside arena.  We took in sights of a gorgeous cathedral with an amazing organ with 5000 pipes!  Then we had a tour of the Royal Palace.  What an absolutely astounding place that is still used at times when royalty entertains government higher up from other countries.  The city if full of monuments of one person or another for remembrance sake.  Madrid is a lovely city.

Sunday  May 25.  We walked around Retiro Park on a lovely sunny afternoon.  It is gigantic with a little lake in the middle where boats can be rented to row around.  Lots of folks had children out rowing and it was fun to see interaction with how a row boat works with a team effort.  Another gigantic monument took up much of our time because it was so astounding.  I could visualize weddings at this place that would seem like royalty itself.  We viewed a garden area with sculptured trees and bushes.  In this garden lived many peacocks...male and female.  While watching one, all of the sudden a loud hissing sound occurred  and a huge swish and viola! this male fanned his feathers and pranced around and showed us his gorgeous feathers.  What a show!!!!!  I kept telling him how beautiful he was and he came real close to us.  It was unbelievable!
The female nearby rejected him, but he still kept up his feathers for a good amount of time.
Before leaving the area, we took in a Botanical Garden that has great potential for blooms, but we did not hit it at the proper time.  Some irises had bloomed and some peonies, also, but had died out.  We did pick up some good ideas for our own garden, however.  Also, we did enjoy the quiet and serenity of this beautiful place amid the bustle of the big city life.

Tuesday, May 20th.    

We went with a group by bus only 5K away to a town names Fuegirano.  They have an open market every Wednesday.  You would not believe how HUGE  this market is and all of the different products folks were selling.  We liked best the produce.  It is one reason we went.  The most beautiful tomatoes; big and bright red.  Layers and layers of nuts of various kinds.  Yes, we bought some.  Baskets and purses, dresses and scarves, shoes and all kinds of knock-off brands.  We purchased a hand-made- in France straw bag ( purse-like) to carry home our goods.  Tons of people were there shopping.  It was really a mob. 

After looking around for an hour or better, it was time to go eat tapas with the group.  Our guide had a real good place in mind that knows the resort and they did a nice job of taking care of the large number of us.

While sitting with the beginning beer, we mentioned that we planned to go back to purchase our produce and use our new bag to bring it all home.  Only thing is, the market closed before we could get back, so home we went with nuts, a hair comb, a scarf and an empty straw bag!  We met some neat folks from England and they showed us the ropes to go to a mega supermarket and how to catch the bus home.  We had a good day and did arrive home with some food for the refer.  We hope there is another market at another place.

Pine Forest Hike

May 20    Our three mile (5K) hike through a pine forest was interesting and fun.  We obtained a map from the resort and headed out through some urbanization up a hill and into a forested area.  The pine trees here are different than we know in the Pacific Northwest.  Trunks are heavily barked with a thick outer layer and the needles are very long.  The cones are small and produce seeds and new growth in a floral style.  I must educate myself to the name of such pine.  Anyway...........the birds in that bit of forest were of those that we have not seen outside of this particular habitat.  Dan attempted many photo shots, but they would take flight immediately.

We enjoyed seeing a pretty valley and came upon and interesting cactus fence, and a small farm orchard.  A view of the sea was our horizon.  Upon returning to our resort we had a bit of lunch with the cheese and wine we have purchased the day before ( yummmmmmmmm by the way).  The rest of the day was spent by the pool with our kindles.  Oh! what a life!

Daniels Europe 2014: Paris.

Sunday 18 continued.  I forgot to mention that we had a very handsome young man serve us at the Irish pub.

He was happy to use his English language knowledge.  He asked us if we were American.  Yes, said we.

He told us that he went to college on a tennis scholarship to Oklahoma State University and he knew the Huskies because his tennis team played the UW tennis team.  Anyway, his college ranked 10th in the nation.

He liked it there and wanted to stay longer, but his student visa ran out.   If he like Oklahoma, can you imagine his like for Washington state?  He knew himself that we lived near Canada.  Small world sometimes, isn't it?

Mijas Beach on the Mediterranian

.Sunday:  May,18.   A warm, quiet Sunday afternoon.  We took a long walk from the beach point where we have our unit to a beach point we could see in the distance.  Could not have been a better day for it.  The sea waves sound, the color of the water ( azure blue/green) with rolling white caps, and beach people under colorful umbrellas and blue, blue sky filled our senses.  We walked on a path, sidewalks and the beach itself.  The beaches here have warm, soft sand and at one tide line, crushed shells made a sand of its own and it sparkled.  I was wishing it could be the aggregate for my driveway!  We came across a part of the beach marked PLAYA

NUDITA. ( I took a photo of the sign).  Can you guess?  Beautiful sun-bronzed bodies!  Mostly men as it turns out, but women and even children (although children were few).  They have no qualms about walking around in their birthday suits.  Oh, to be so free minded!!  We came to a little town of all white houses except for the reddish clay roof tiles.  Flowering vines climb up the walls of some and on the fence walls, too.  Colors mostly in strong magenta and pinks.  We had a beer at an Irish pub and on the way out of town came across an open market where we purchased excellent cheese and some good wine.  In the evening after a shower and a little rest, we ate at the resort's restaurant where we were entertained by a singer who crooned in the style of Frank Sinatra.  We danced a bit and did enjoy the music.  He was a good at his craft!  A fun ending to a perfect day.

Daniels Europe 2014: Paris.

Andrea keeps posting the blog before I can add photos, so here are a few from our travels so far. 

Looking across the Seine at the Eiffel tower 

The west entrance to Notre Dame

We were at Notre Dame on Sunday while worship was on. This is looking across the back on the nave.

Looking toward the alter

Yes we did the 422 steps to the top of Notre Dame. Andrea looking at the Paris sky line.

The Eiffel tower from the top of Notre Dame

One of the Gargoyles

This is a one of the Stained glass windows in a church we visited in Vincennes the berb where we stayed while in Paris

This is the salt marshes in the Ria Formosa National Park. We took a bike tour here

A Stork at her nest

More of the Ria Formosa National Park

Looking at the restaurant at the golf course where we stayed in Portugal 

An Azure Winged Magpie

Here we are now on the beautiful Mediteranian Sea in Malaga, Spain.  We had a lovely drive through the Sierra Nevada mountains and again saw acres and acres of orchards in perfect rows as far as an eye could see.  Up hillsides, down valleys and anything in between.  Also, wheat ( or some grain )  using all of the land for growth.  It amazes us!  The sea is likened in color to that in the Carribean.  We are just settling in today to a lovely, modern studio apartment and will be here for one full week.  We have lots to see and do.  Weather is just at a good, warm temperature.

Daniels Europe 2014: April 22. Tuesday. Only two more weeks until our ...

PORTUGAL II

We had a marvelous day in Algarve.  We were kids on bikes.  With a group, we had a two and a half hour ride

on a nature tour.  We rode on a trail behind the large dunes of the ocean.  Our guide, Alex, was fun and informative.  On the way we saw beautiful mansions, storks nesting and flying, two flamingos feeding in a marsh, a baby turtle and many, many other birds.  It was sunny and the wind was with us at good measure.  A golf ball whizzed over our heads.  Golf courses abound!  That poor golfer will never find his/her stray ball!  The bike trail was fun, with pot holes full of water.  Splashing through them was a kick! and steering around them was a challenge!  The plant life amazes us.  There is everything from cacti to pine trees.  Huge agave plants!  And...we came to a salt processing place and there were two huge mounds of salt.  Our guide told us he takes salt from there and so a few of us found whatever we had to collect some of the salt and use it.  Natural sea salt.  Good.  After a shower and a bit of lunch, we played a couple of rounds of mini golf.  All of the spots were designed after putting greens of various famous gold courses.   We are off to Costa del Sol for a one week stay.  We should catch lots of sun there.

Daniels Europe 2014: April 22. Tuesday. Only two more weeks until our ...

Daniels Europe 2014: April 22. Tuesday.
Only two more weeks until our ...: April 22. Tuesday. Only two more weeks until our departure for our extended trip to Europe.  We are getting some final  details completed a...





PORTUGAL

At this writing we are in Portugal and loving it!   After two 10 hour days traveling in the car, we are on the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean.  Weather it very warm and the wind keeps a steady presence.  Our timeshare apartment is fabulous!  People here are wonderful and helpful.  We wish we could stay longer, but we plan to come back some day.  Here we have found unusual pine trees with huge cones among palm trees, flowering trees, and green all over.  Fresh fish for dinner and golf courses seem to be the norm.  The PGA is planning a tournament here in 2015, so we are seeing the makings of a golf course just a few blocks away from us.  It is a golfers paradise as well as a good place for tennis players.  We are going with a group bike ride today through a national park reserve.  Yesterday we enjoyed a long walk to the ocean and back.



Our road trip through the Pryanees

Daniels Europe 2014: Paris.

PORTUGAL

We are now in Portugal and loving it!  We were two ten hours days in the car and driving through beautiful fertile farm lands and vineyards. All land is used in some crop or another.  Vineyards are plentiful and are up mountain sides as far as one could see.  Acres and acres of grapes growing.  Traveling through the foothills of the Pryanees was a delight.  Lush green everywhere!  Here we experience pine trees with huge cones among palm trees, flowering trees and bushes, Azure winged magpies, doves and with think a species of stork.  Truly unbelievable with gigantic nests with tiny heads peeking out.  They nest on tall electric poles and sometimes there are nests two or three to a pole!  Like a bird apartment dwelling!  When they are in flight, they have a huge wing span and the tips of their white wings are black and their legs are long.  I can't seem to get over how magnificent they are.

Yesterday we walked to the Atlantic Ocean beach.  Imagine us all the way here from the Pacific Ocean!  It is warm here and the wind keeps it's presence.  We are taking a group bike ride through a national park reserve and then plan to play a bit of mini golf on a course just a few blocks away from us.  Our apartment is fabulous!

This place is a golfers paradise.  Tennis players like to come here, too.  The PGA is planning some kind of a tournament here in 2015 and we are seeing how a golf course is made.  Quite the deal.  There is so much to talk about.  Our stay here is shorter than we want, but we do hope to return.

More words to come................

Paris.

We are leaving Paris today on our way to Portugal with a night stopover in Spain.  Will catch up with the Blog when time allows later.  We have been having trouble figuring out how to use this space.

Paris has been cold and rainy with the exception of our first day.  Dan has good photos that we did try to send with a blog yesterday, but somehow all was lost.   More at another time..............