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Time to go home after a month in Spain and Portugal 2017

My partner Greta and I have been in Spain for two weeks and then Portugal for the last two weeks. Before we knew it, it was time for us to be making our way back from Estoi, Portugual, to the Madrid Airport, from which we were scheduled to depart on Tuesday, May 16, 2017.

Our stay in Portugual was unique and very special. We did a home exchange (homeexchange.com) with a couple from Munich, Germany, who own a vacation home about five miles from Estoi, which is about five miles from Faro, the main city in the Algarve Region of Portugal.

The home was called Casa Sams, and was located off a remote road in the hills about Estoi. The views from Casa Sams were spectacular; the house incredible.

Casa Sams near Estoi Portugal - heaven in the hills

View from Casa Sams--the Atlantic Ocean is in the far distance

We decided to start making our way back to the airport on Sunday, May 15, to ensure we didn’t have to rush to make our 8:35 a.m. departure on Tuesday.

While the trip back to the airport was enjoyable, it reminded us that one of the most important benefits of travel is that it forces people to use their brains, which helps keeps them young. How did it make us use our brains on this short return to the Madrid Airport?

We had left over food at Casa Sams. Instead of discarding it, or giving it to neighbors, we made a picnic for the five or so hours we’d be in transit to our hotel in Madrid. We prepared everything the night before. Sandwiches and fruit became breakfast, consumed in the car. The coffee pot was ready to turn on. We had a check-off list ready for the morning:

-Feed the stray cats -Take trash to the public dumpster -Doors locked, alarm set -Padlock on the driveway gate -Leave house keys per owners instructions

At 8:15, wheels were in the well (an old Naval Air saying). Saying good bye to Casa Sams.

Two-hour drive to Sevilla. Found our way to the Rent-A-Car office at Santa Justa train station. Car turned in, no damage, no dents—only added charge was for gas fill up. Big relief. Reason for big relief? We took the full coverage insurance, on everything. If nothing bad happens to the car, no dent, no scratches, no accident, not stolen, etc., there is no cost.

But, if something happens, another 600 euros or so is added to the bill, so that is why I was relieved. And you should have seen some of the tiny city and town streets were found ourselves on, not to mention driving in Lisbon.

Train ticket office. Our non-refundable tickets for Monday could not be used toward purchase of tickets for Sunday so a travel lesson learned there—do not purchase non-refundable tickets in advance to save money—you might end up losing it. New tickets, 12:45 train. Three stops + Cordoba.

Arrive Atocha Train Station 3:15--drag suitcases to hotel--crap shoot to find because our phone GPS did not work there – hotel close to train station, got to front desk in 25 minutes.

Hotel Sleep ‘n Atocha – nice room, tiny, but adequate for one night. Reasonable, great front desk people--A’lvaro and Sonia. Friendly, helpful, smart.

Went to Café Reina in square adjacent to hotel for sangria and paella, calamari and potatoes with cheese, another glass of wine, sweet choc rolls. Joined in dance lesson on the square, took pics and videos

Dancing in Madrid--people of all ages came on Sunday night

Monday, May 15

Canceled auto tolls credit card for charges in Portugal, which I forgot to do the day before. This was so if rental car went back to Portugal our credit card would have paid the tolls for two more weeks. No added charges had been accrued.

Breakfast at hotel. Secured luggage in lockers so we could stroll around that part of Madrid for an hour or two. One euro per locker. Nice hotel feature as well.

Visited the gardens at the inside front of Atocha station. We had been there 13 years before to pay our respects at that time to the victims of the bombing that took place a week before we arrived there. I was starved, had a Whopper jr. at Burger King in the station.

Atocha Train Station Madrid looking toward the front. Gardens just inside

Atocha Train Station Madrid - Greta in the gardens near the front of station

Taxi mid-afternoon to hotel Hostal Viking in Barajas, near airport. Gave driver 3 Madrid Metro tickets with at least 16 rides on them remaining, which we had left over from our first week plus paid him 30 euros.

At our hotel, reserved the free shuttle ride for 5:30 a.m. from hotel to Barajas Airport, a 5-10 minute ride. A nice feature of this hotel. Rested in our nice room, only 57 euros for the night.

Walked five minutes to Town Square. Enjoyed leisurely dinner watching sound crew set up for 9 pm concert for Festival de Ignacio.

View of stage from our restaurant table Our last meal in Madrid (not counting coffee at the airport in the morning).

Tuesday May 16

Wake up call 4:30 am Shuttle 5:30 Easy check in at Iberia Airlines except confiscated our cork screw we bought in Madrid—was cute. I forgot it was in my red carry on bag.

Breakfast at airport – 2 hours early for flight to London Heathrow Airport.

                                     Trip Summary Lots of positives. Great food, great wine, friendly people (for the most part), no problems at all, weather was pleasant, not too hot, some rain.

C and C and C negative –cigarettes, cellphones and courtesy; people don’t look while walking and are on their cellphones and many don’t get out of the way, they expect you to move. But, after all, we are in their country so that is the way it is.

Portugal isn’t Spain. Very different countries. Drivers more aggressive in Portugal.

Give ourselves (Tom and Greta) a pat on back. Two mid-70s doing the trip on our own for a month; saw a lot; had great experiences.

Good for the brain. So much to figure out. Traffic rotaries. Directions, getting lost in Lisboa, even in Faro, and up to Casa Sams first 10 times. Mileage, money, language, don’t speak Spanish to Portuguese people—they don’t like it. All the Casa Sams things to learn. 5 different places to stay overall on the trip. Next time, get more euros in advance. We did change $100 (easily, no commission)in Lagos, Portugal, three days before we left. Kept phones on airplane mode most of the time so cost low.

The first Madrid taxi-from the airport to downtown--dropped us (and another couple had the same thing happen to them) at the wrong hotel.

Learned how to navigate Madrid Metro

Little purses made out of cork a nice gift from Portugal. Light to carry and very reasonable. Found them in Lagos and Quarteria (on Algarve Coast).

On our flights home:

Greta and I got checked in at Madrid Airport and thru security in minutes. Red Trader Joe’s insulated bag pulled aside. I had to empty all contents, dumped everything out. Guy says wine open. No, wine. He pulls a wine opener souvenir that we bought in Madrid out of bottom of red bag and he was pissed. I had forgotten it, we bought on day two in Madrid. Security behind us.

Two passport and boarding pass checks We were two hours early for our flight to London. Two-hour plus flight to London.

Heathrow Airport Security is very tight

Heathrow Airport was different. We landed at Terminal 4 but needed to connect at Terminal 3. It is a 10-minute shuttle bus ride to Terminal 4. We had a 2 hour 25 min. connection.

Security was tight. PP check. Liquids and gels go in a plastic bag. Everything must come out of pockets, even paper. Belt off. Computer out of bag. Nothing sharp. No water. Xray machine with arms up. Then, the “iron cross” position for more xrays. Pants falling down. Then step on a wooden stool and a magic magnetic wand checks each shoe.

Then to AAL connection desk. Wait in line, 20-25 minutes. Why? We are all checked through to LAX. All connecting flights. Passport check (pp) and bp check. Interviewed. How long in Europe, why here, to have fun, what work do you do? Teacher, what kind. She stamped boarding passes with green stamp. Then security again. To get to int’l departures. Pp and bp. Then red bag has liquid—2 partially full bottles of bug spray had forgotten—tossed it away because guy said he had to test it. Dumped red bag out again.

We get to Gate H 27 at about 1:15, 45 minutes to spare. I wonder how many connections are missed. There, have to show boarding pass and pp again to get into lounge area.

Then to enter jetway, pp and bp one last time.

Wowser. They are serious about airport security at Heathrow. We understand, that is a good thing. A Boeing 777 American Airlines flight to LAX. The Captain lands it softly and perfectly. It made me think of an AAL advertisement in a magazine, when I worked for AAL in the late 1960s. The caption showed a pilot and he said, “I think of my passengers as eggs.” Never forgot that. A big 777 just landed as softly as can be. We were home; we were safe, with our egg shells still in tact. It had been a great trip.

Andalusia horse at Cathedral of Sevilla in the rain

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May 6 -12, 2017, Faro, Lisbon & Albufeira, Portugal

My partner Greta and I are in our second week in Portugal. We are staying at a home in the hills of Estoi, a small city 6 miles from Faro, the largest city in the Algarve region of Portugal. To get around, we have a rental car.

Faro is a beautiful city with a historic old city and a marina, as so many Portugal cities have. We enjoyed a day chartering a boat for 3 hours to visit the saltwater lagoon Ria Formosa, which extends for 60 miles along the Algarve coast. The lagoon is protected by sandbars and has five natural openings to the ocean.

There are two churches in Faro we visited that have chapels adjacent to them that are constructed of the bones of monks. It sounds morbid, but in the 11th Century, this was done in five churches in Portugal.

Chapel of the Bones located behind the Carmo Church

Faro has a super store called “Jumbo,” similar to Walmart stores in the US, as do many cities in Portugal, which is where we shopped for groceries.

In Faro, storks nest on high places, such as this church tower. Their nests are 4-5 feet in diameter, built with large sticks from trees. We even saw some build nests on the high tension wire towers along streets and highways.

Lisbon – We drove three hours to Lisbon for a one-day visit. A time period of 4-5 hours is just not enough time to allow for such a dynamic, large city.

We found our way into Lisbon where the city tour buses depart from, the Marques de Pombal. But parking was a challenge. We parked in the lot at the Civil Courthouse Building, which was a half mile away.

We chose a Gray Line Hop On Hop Off bus because that company accepted credit cards (we are conserving euros as we would prefer not to have to exchange for more of them). We took their Blue line tour. This was a great way to get an overview of Lisbon. 

Tower of Vasco da Gama from Grayline bus

After two hours, we were starved so we got off the bus at Old Town, in an area where we had been four years before when on a cruise ship. We went into a restaurant where locals were dining, called Paco Real chops and veal—tasty and huge portions (the “We should have split one entree” conversation took place). Saved some for dinner as we had ice pack with us.

Paco Real restaurant-a great place to eat in Lisbon in historic area

Most locals stand for lunch at Paco Real restaurant in Lisbon

On the way home, leaving Lisbon, I got us lost following signs to the A2 highway, the road back to Faro. Took almost one hour to find right road. Then 3 hours driving back. Long day.

I suggest at least 4-5 days when visiting Lisbon, not 4-5 hours as we tried to do.

Albuferia is a coastal city about 25 miles west of Faro. On one of our last days in Portgual, we decided to check it out as we had read that this once sleepy fishing village had become very popular with tourists. It was a perfect day—warm with lots of sunshine.

Wonderful city. A popular square with restaurants and shops is located about 100 yards from the ocean. 

Popular square in bustling city of Albuferia

Our lunch was fresh fish from the sea, at a delightful table watching many sunburned tourists walk by. 

Lunch at Sweet Garden Restaurant in Albuferia. I finished all of the fries. Yikes.

Albuferia, Vilamoura, about 15 miles to the east, and our “home” city, Faro, were our favorite coastal cities.

The airport serving the Algarve region of Portugal is in Faro. Nonstop flights from the UK, Germany and other European cities make a vacation for people living in those countries very attainable and reasonable. Once they get to Albuferia, for example, they have all they need within walking distance, including two miles or so of perfect beach.

Many of them could use a little more sunscreen.

Greta and Tom at Faro Marina with popular Faro sign

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Estoi, Portugal - May 1 - May 5, 2017

On April 30, we rented a car at the Seville, Spain, train station and drove to Estoi, Portugal. That took about two hours.

The last two weeks of my and Greta’s vacation is being spent in southern Portugal, in the Algarve District. We are staying in a private home that was arranged through HomeExchange.com. The couple who own the home stayed at Greta’s home last month.

The home, called Casa Sams, is in the hills above Estoi, about five miles from the city of Faro, which fronts on the Atlantic Ocean. To get to the home was impossible without assistance from the owners, who drove down the hill to meet us and we followed them back up.

The location is remote. Left turns, right turns, on unmarked single lane roads—but the view is panoramic of the ocean and the property is on five acres of orange trees and olive trees. We have not made it back up the hill from Faro without making at least one wrong turn.

We are exploring the beach cities of the Algarve region. On May 1, our first full-day here, we went to Tavira, a fishing village, with lots of history. Near where the river meets the ocean, the sidewalk cafes were packed in the afternoon.

                  Note the menu in Tavira: Lamb Shops and Steack (steak) 

We had no idea that May 1 was a national holiday, Labor Day, hence the number of people out enjoying themselves. We thought we’d give Portuguese food a try and ordered sardines. I ate two of the five on my plate and that was enough for me.

Driving to the next port city, Olhao, we saw all kinds of stuffed mannequins along the side of the road, with people stopping their cars to admire them. We learned later, while online, that those stuffed mannequins were to honor Labor Day, and only appeared on that portion of road we were on, in all of Portugal. It was like we hit it big, just by coincidence.

A stuffed mannequin along route 125 near Olhao Portugal on May 1

Our favorite beach city so far has been Vilamoura. It has a huge horseshoe-shaped marina with probably 60-70 modern restaurants—including three Irish pubs--facing the yachts. 

Vilamoura Marina with pricey yachts, condos, and hotels

On one side of the Marina, there is beach access to the ocean. The beaches in the Algarve go on forever and the water is clear and clean.

 We had lunch at a beach restaurant called Buzios Beach Café.

 Tom waiting for his lunch on the beach in Vilamoura

In the city of Portimao, the beach had more than 200 beach volleyball courts and nets set up on the sand. A tournament was taking place featuring women’s and men’s doubles. We watched the action while having lunch at a beach café there.

Beach volleyball doubles tourney on the sand in Portimao  

Portimao, Portugal, with Marina and condos in orange and red 

Being from California, Greta and I surprised by the large number of fair-skinned tourists who vacation in the Algarve, most likely from European countries that had a long, cold winter with little sunshine.

But what is fascinating about that is, some of the sunburns we see on them look like they will be in terrible pain later that night. It is like they are trying to make up for the lack of winter sunshine all in one day.

The olive oil, seafood, olives, oranges, and wine in Portugal are wonderful. We have found a bottle of white wine we enjoy; the cost is 4.50 euros. Seafood, although plentiful, is not inexpensive in restaurants. We are eating all our dinners in the home where we are staying. Main reason: I am not going to try to find the home in the dark, especially after a glass or two of vino.

On our 5th day, we decided to look around the small town of Estoi. Frankly, it appeared that not much is there. We parked the car and walked around town. We saw a sign describing a palace. We tried to get to it but there were walls all around and gates were padlocked.

On a back street, a couple walked by us, and said in an English accent, it’s worth going inside, we can show you the way. They said they were from Manchester, England. I made a comment about the Manchester United Football club and that made us instant buddies.

The palace turned out to be a hotel. Wow, what a surprise. It was beautiful inside. The men’s restroom had a mural on the ceiling. 

The Manchester couple, Tony and Jo, who were staying in another hotel in Estoi, the Casa de Estoi, showed us the way back to the center of the city and then invited us into their hotel to show us the lobby and bar. What an incredible boutique hotel (7 rooms only), dating back a couple of hundred years.  We had a glass of wine with them; it was Tony’s 58th birthday.

We decided to meet them later, at 7:30 p.m., for dinner. 

Next week, we will drive three hours to visit Lisbon.

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Seville, Spain - April 23-30, 2017

View of Seville, Spain from the top of La Giralda, the bell tower of Cathedral de Santa Maria

Four years ago, the Holland America cruise ship my partner Greta were on stopped for a day in the Spanish Mediterranean port of Cadiz. From there, Greta and I took a train for a short visit to Seville. We promised each other that we would return someday for a longer visit. And 2017 was that year.

It only takes two hours by high-speed train to reach Seville from Madrid.

As happened in Madrid six days before, the taxi we hailed did not drop us off at our front door. Several of the streets of the crowded Santa Cruz barrio neighborhood-- where we were staying--were blocked for a Sunday festival so we walked the final two blocks, pulling our suitcases on cobblestone streets.

Once settled in, we walked to a Super Mercado (food store) to provision our apartment—water, wine, breakfast stuff, bananas, coffee.

Then, to the Bodega Bar, 100 yards from our apartment, for tapas and sangria:

·       Mousse au gratin in a potato nest topped with cod filet with sauce

·       Fried aubergines (eggplant) with sugar coated honey

·       Fried fresh cod fritters

·       Baked goat cheese with baked apple

·       1 glass of sangria each

Nearby, the Pensionista Cathedral Y Salvador in The Plaza Salvador is so impressive we spent an hour there admiring the nearly impossible to describe altars.

High on our list of places to visit in Seville was the Plaza de Espana. It was a half hour walk from our condo. The structure is shaped like a quarter moon or half horse shoe. 

                                        Plaza de Espana

Each of the 50 Spain provinces is featured with an all-tile cubicle of different colors and scenes from the respective province, similar to the one shown below:

All 50 Spain provinces have a display similar to this in the Plaza de Espana

There are fountains in front and huge gardens in the park surrounding it. Greta and I were there for an hour.

Leaving the Plaza area, we walked across the same bridge over the river Guadalquivia, when we had visited before. A stroll on the other side of the river took us to the Plaza de Cuba, where we re-crossed the river to the massive Seville Cathedral area. We visited the Cathedral of Santa Maria three days later.

In the area around the cathedral, you see the magnificent Andalusian horses with their carriages.

Andalusian horse with driver covering the seating area in the rain

The Santa Cruz neighborhood is alive and jumping at night. A tapas bar near the cathedral received our money that night.

On a rainy Friday, we walked about ten minutes from our condo to the Cathedral of Santa Maria, the 3rd largest cathedral in the world after St Peters in Rome and St. Paul’s in London.

Main entrance to Cathedral de Santa Maria - Seville’s main cathedral

The place originally was a mosque, and like most cathedrals in Spain, was built where a mosque once stood, or was incorporated into a mosque.

The high altar is the largest ever built in the world. It took around 80 years to build.

                               High altar of Seville Cathedral

On this trip, we have visited three of the  world’s greatest cathedrals—in Segovia, Cordoba, and Seville.

Before we left the cathedral, Tom climbed the 35-story La Giralda, the bell tower.

      La Giralda--the bell tower of the Cathedral of Seville

In some ways, Seville is like Venice with its canals; except no canals, but with its tiny streets and names of streets that change nearly every block. It is charming, filled with great places to eat and oh my, those tapas in the bars.

It’s a great city in which to just wander around, not worrying too much about following maps, except to ultimately make your way back to where you are staying . You will never get back without getting a tapa, or glass of vino, or something sweet from a bakery. 

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Cordoba, Spain - day trip - April 26, 2017

At one time, hundreds of years ago, Cordoba was one of Western Europe’s most cultured cites, and one of the largest. There is plenty to see there, but due to our limited time, we were focused on its most famous landmark, the mosque-cathedral called the Mezquita.

Continuing our goal of walking as much as possible, Greta and I made it to the Seville Santa Justa train station to take the 10:45 a.m. train to Cordoba. A 40-minute ride.

From the Cordoba train station, we did take a public bus to the historical section of the city. Walked across the Roman bridge.

                                     Roman Bridge over Guadalquir River

Then, to the famous Mezquita:

                     Entry arch at Cordoba Mezquita    

The building was a mosque for about 600 years before becoming a cathedral. The history of the Mezquita helps one understand why the religious tensions still exist in today’s world—the Mezquita was built under Islam rule in the 8th century, renovated twice by them. And then in 1200 or so, the Christians moved in and took over the mosque.

There are more than 800 red and white arches with columns that were built there under Islamic rule. Two religions within the same place of worship.

Mezquita arches and columns. Columns are narrow at the bottom, larger above

The high altar, which was added to the original mosque, is almost beyond comprehension—you just sit there and try to take it all in.

The seating area where bishops and other dignitaries sit is made of hand-carved teak wood benches.

                                Bishop seating area

We were mesmerized for two hours inside the Mezquita. On this Wednesday in April 26, 2017, it was packed with tourists from around the world—respecting each other.

After a light lunch in an outdoor café facing a green playground with lots of young school children playing after school, Greta and I strolled back to the train station through beautiful gardens.

Time limited us on this day so we did not take in other historical sites, of which there are many more.

Cordoba is a stunningly beautiful city with one of the most famous religious buildings in the world that should be on everyone’s bucket list.

In 40 minutes, we were back in Seville.

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Madrid, Spain - one of the great cities of the world - April 17 - 23, 2017

I’ve been a newspaper columnist for 23 years in south Orange County, California. Occasionally, when people see my partner Greta and me around the Dana Point, San Clemente, and San Juan Capistrano cities, they say, “We read about your last trip in the newspaper. Where are you traveling to next?”

Recently,in 2017, we’ve answered, “This April and May, Spain and Portugal.”

Greta and I believe it’s important to travel at this stage in our lives, while we are still physically able to do so, and we feel it’s important to keep our bodies moving and minds active on each trip.

We both wear Fitbits on our wrists, which record the number of steps we take, and in Madrid, our first destination, we knew we’d be taking lots of steps.

We put those Fitbits to the test before reaching our first hotel in Spain. Madrid’s Barajas International Airport is enormous. It took us 2,500 steps and a seven-minute shuttle train ride to get from the airpla -ne to the luggage pickup area.

Then, the taxi driver who drove us from the airport to downtown Madrid delivered us to the wrong hotel, even though we had shown him our reservation print out, the Hotel H10, which included the address, 66 Alcala.

“It’s a 12-minute walk to your hotel,” a desk clerk at the wrong hotel, located at 10 Alcala, told us, “it happens all of the time. They drop you at #10, not #66.” Twelve minutes of walking turned into 30 minutes. Along the way, we saw another couple walking in the same direction-- looking like us—rolling suitcases and holding an identical hotel reservation print out.

“Looking for Hotel H10?” we asked.

Yup, their taxi driver also dropped them at the same wrong hotel. They were from Wales in the UK. We had a small laugh together. Lots of Fitbit miles that day!

Our correct hotel, the H10, was located adjacent to Retiro Park, the largest park in Madrid. A mile and a half walk from the hotel through the park took us to the Prado Museum, considered to be one of the great art museums in the world. A visit to the Prado was our top to-do item in Madrid.  

               Prado entrance in Madrid   

In the park, there is a small lake where rowboats are rented. There had to be 200 boats on the lake with people rowing when we walked past. Also in the park, we visited an all-glass historical structure called the Crystal Palace on the way to the Prado.

                              Crystal Palace in Madrid’s Retiro Park

My favorite painter is El Greco. There is an entire room devoted to him at the Prado, an El Greco-lover’s paradise. Goya, Velazquez, Rubens and other renowned world painters are featured at the museum as well.

Our second to-do item was to eat delicious paella. Twice, we ate paella at sidewalk restaurants in the Plaza Mayor, a well-known square in Madrid.

Plaza Mayor for paella and people watching and sidewalk entertainers

Greta and I love riding trains in Spain. One day, we rode the Madrid Metro to the Chamartin train station and took the high-speed train to the ancient city of Segovia, a 30-minute ride.

The Roman-built aqueduct in the heart of Segovia is very impressive. Not far from there is the massive cathedral of Segovia, which by itself is worth the day-trip from Madrid. The cathedral has 27 chapels. We marveled at how difficult building a structure that large and beautiful must have been in the 1500s.

                                       Segovia Cathedral

On two of our Madrid days, we didn’t plan anything specific—no museums, cathedrals, castles, flea markets or art galleries. We just set out walking in different parts of this fascinating city.

We always came upon fun things to see and do. We walked down a busy street called the Gran Via, which has magnificent building architecture and all kinds of shops, stores and restaurants.

On that day, we bought a Real Madrid football club jersey for me and a bota bag wine skin for us to take to the Dana Point outdoor summer concerts—filled with vino, of course. We didn’t even buy any ice cream that day, which is hard not to do in Europe, as ice cream is a local favorite.

In the streets of Madrid, you see lots of mimes, posing motionless, dressed in some exoteric costume. Some are very original. But, these two, pictured below, in the crowded Plaza del Sol on a Saturday afternoon, took the cake—suspended in the air on a motorcycle.  How in the heck did they pull that off?

I am not joking, these are two real people--mimes-motionless in the Plaza del Sol in Madrid.

There wasn’t a day in our first week when each of our Fitbits didn’t total 10,000 steps. We indeed did keep our bodies moving and our minds working.

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Nashville - Feb 2017 - Delivering a letter to Johnny Cash

Tom Blake Delivering a letter to Johnny Cash. How could this happen in 2017?Read the story to find out.

On Wednesday night, February 22, 2017, while packing suitcases for a week-long trip to Nashville and Memphis, my partner Greta and I found a letter sealed in a baggie attached to the front door of our Dana Point, California, home. The letter was not addressed to us; and, we had anticipated it would be there.

The hand-printed letter read: “Mr. Cash, I love you. I like ‘A Boy Named Sue.’ It’s funny. I’m named Cash too.”

It was written by a four-year-old boy named Cash. He is the son of our neighbors, Cody and Victoria, a delightful young couple who live across the street. When we first met Cody and Victoria, they told us their son was named Cash.

“Why?” We asked.

“Because we love Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and country music,” they said.

They about flipped out when I told them that I worked with Johnny in 1976 and 1977, and had been friends with him.

When I told them that Greta and I and my brother Bill and his wife, Linda, were going to Nashville to visit The Johnny Cash Museum, the Grand Old Opry, The Ryman Auditorium, The Country Music Hall of Fame, and the cemetery in Hendersonville, Tennessee, where the Cash family is buried, they said, “Maybe you could do us a favor?”

Cody and Victoria knew that their son Cash, a huge Johnny Cash fan, would want to send a letter to Johnny and wanted to know if we would hand-deliver it for him. Of course, young Cash didn’t comprehend that Johnny and his wife June Carter had both passed away in 2003.

We said we would somehow get the letter to Johnny, in one way or another.

The trip was the first time I had been to Nashville since 1977, when I co-produced an album of train songs with Johnny, at his recording studio in nearby Hendersonville.

On our first night in Nashville, we had dinner at B.B. King’s restaurant in “The District,” the bustling downtown area of Nashville, where live music is heard on the sidewalks from the endless bars and honkytonks.

The next morning, our first stop was the Ryman Auditorium, home to the Grand Ole Opry until 1974. Johnny Cash and June Carter led the final song there, written by June’s father, Ezra Carter, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” The Ryman is a must for any visiting country music fan; there is incredible history posted on the walls. Concerts are performed there now. A popular group called “Little Big Town” was playing that night.

Ryman Auditorium. Home of the original Grand Ole Opry

Next, we walked to the Johnny Cash Museum. I wanted to meet the museum founder and owner, Bill Miller, to give him a copy of I book I wrote, titled “Prime Rib & Boxcars. Whatever Happened to Victoria Station?” The book features the details of when I worked with Johnny and has a picture of us on the front cover.

While waiting to meet Bill Miller, the four of us took the museum tour. And that is where our young neighbor Cash’s letter was delivered to Johnny (See photo above).

Tom in front of Destination Victoria Station album he produced with Johnny

Later we met Bill Miller. He was most gracious, and gave us a tour of the soon-to-open Patsy Cline Museum, which is located on the second floor above the Cash Museum. He also invited us to a private Johnny Cash birthday anniversary party for the following day.

Tom Blake and Bill Miller (founder and owner of the Johnny Cash Museum)

On Saturday morning, we visited the Country Music Hall of Fame. If you are a country music fan, include this when you visit Nashville. The highlight: the rotunda where each of the 130 Hall of Fame members have plaques on the wall. The country music memorabilia in there is staggering.

From there, it’s a short walk to the Johnny Cash Museum. We spent time with W.S. Holland, Johnny’s only drummer. I had known him when I worked with Johnny. And since he is mentioned in my book, I signed a copy for him. 

Tom and W.S. Holland, Johnny Cash’s only drummer

We enjoyed attending the birthday party for Johnny in a private room, which included a presentation by Alan Messner, a photographer who had taken hundreds of photos of Johnny and June.

That night, we attended the Grand Ole Opry. Johnny’s manager, Lou Robin, who I’ve known for 40 years, arranged for a private backstage tour during the show. We saw Vince Gill practicing his guitar in his dressing room before his appearance. We watched a part of the show from behind the stage. There were nearly 20 performers that night, making it a stellar evening.

Grand Ole Opry --Greta, Tom, Linda and Bill --up front on a Saturday night

On Sunday, we drove 20 miles to Hendersonville to pay our respects at the gravesites of Johnny and June Carter Cash. Other members of the famous Carter family are buried nearby.

Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash gravesites with Tom in foreground

Then, we drove to the Hermitage, the home of President Andrew Jackson, for a tour of his home and the extensive grounds surrounding it.  

[travelafter55]

Visiting Memphis, Tennessee

In late February, 2017, my partner Greta and I, along with my brother Bill and his wife Linda, traveled from Nashville  212 miles on the “Music Highway” to Memphis, where we visited Graceland, the home of Elvis. I recall in 1956, while listening to Detroit’s WJR radio, hearing the song Heartbreak Hotel for the first time. I said to my brother it was going to be a huge hit. So, being with Bill at Graceland 61 years later, was very nostalgic for me.

                         Tom, Greta, Linda and Bill at Graceland

                               The backyard at Graceland

                             Elvis’ grave at Graceland

That night we stayed in the Memphis suburb of Germantown. A friend told us to have dinner at a Memphis style BBQ restaurant called The Commissary. It opened in 1981. On the wall, the ad slogan reads: “So good y’ull slap yo’ Mama.” All agreed, it was the best BBQ ribs we had ever eaten.

On our last day together, we went to Sun Records in downtown Memphis, where Sam Phillips launched the careers of Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis, also known as the Million Dollar Quartet. It was special to stand in the very spot where Elvis recorded his first song and to hold the microphone he used.

Sun Records. The flatiron building is 104 years old. In photo, Greta, Linda, and Bill are checking out the pictures they had taken.

And to hear the very first recording of Johnny’s “I Walk the Line,” gave me goosebumps.

In the afternoon, we went to nearby Beale Street, in the historical part of Memphis. Then we checked out the Gibson Guitar building and showroom, where most of the world’s great guitars are built.

A display case at the Gibson Guitar factory in Memphis, near Beale Street

One thing we noted: the people in Tennessee are the friendliest anywhere we’ve been. 

[travelafter55]

Part 3 - Nepal - Kathmandu and Pokhara - gateways to Mt. Everest and the Himalayans

Mt. Everest photo taken by Tom from Buddha Air Charter Plane

When I was a kid, I was fascinated to learn that Sir Edmund Hillary, of New Zealand, and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa from Nepal, had become the first people to climb Nepal’s 29,028 feet Mt. Everest, the tallest peak in the world. Their historic climb happened on May 29, 1953. I hoped that someday I would get to see that mountain, which the Nepalese people proudly call “The top of the world.”

That dream came true in late November, 2016. My partner Greta and I spent nine days in Nepal, most in Kathmandu, the capital. Tourism is the biggest industry in the country. Many, many people come here because of the majestic Himalayan mountains—most to observe them, some to climb and hike them--the latter are called trekkers.

Kathmandu is a bustling city, with gridlock on the streets from motor bikes and buses. A 2015 earthquake devastated Kathmandu. Reconstruction creates a major dust and smog problem, particularly this time of year, when there is no wind. Often our group members wore masks to filter the air; we consumed gallons of bottled water.

Earthquake damage at Monkey Temple (count the monkeys in photo)

In Boudhanath, our group visited the great stupa, the largest Buddhist temple in the world. The famous  “eyes” of Buddah appear on all four sides of the building. 

Eyes of Buddha at the largest Buddhist Temple (stupa) in the world

We were all blessed in a prayer ceremony where we sat on the temple floor crossed-legged.

                   Women monks praying near the stupa.

One trip highlight was viewing Mt. Everest up close. Of course, not as close as Sir Edmund and Tenzing did, but from a chartered Buddah Air site-seeing turbo prop plane.

                                     Buddha Air Turbo Prop

On that plane, the airline only sells window seats. When the plane travels to Everest, seats on the left side of the plane have the million-dollar view; on the return the seats on the right get it. Flight attendants handed out these maps that we attached to the tray tables so we could track which mountains we were looking at. They also walked through the plane, pointing out where we were on the maps.

Maps of the Himalyan Mountains as we traveled alongside. Mt. Everest is the 5th from the right hand side of the map.

 Also Buddah Air allowed each person to enter the cockpit for one minute to enjoy the rare view.

Our Nepalese tour guide’s name was Niraj. One day, he introduced us to his family.

                   Nepal tour guide Niraj and his family

One evening, our tour company, Gate1, arranged for a woman to speak to our group of 13 about mountain climbing. Her name: Myra Sherpa, from the Sherpa tribe. 

Myra Sherpa, Tom and Greta. Myra has climbed Everest 4 times

She is one of only 11 women Sherpa climbers in the world. She is 40. Her husband is also a Sherpa.

Myra has climbed mountains over 20,000 feet 18 times, including Mt. Everest four times. She is only one of four women to conquer K2, considered to be the most difficult mountain in the world to climb. What an inspiration Myra was.

To climb Everest, a permit costs $11,000. Staying at a base camp requires almost three weeks to acclimatize one’s body. Bottled oxygen is used by 95% of Everest climbers, less than 200 have made it to the Everest peak without it. In Nepal, we stopped at many bazaars and outdoor markets.

Typical market with rickshaws, shops, and electrical wiring not up to USA code

In the city of Pokhara, a visit to the International Mountain Museum is a must—allow two hours there. Gate1 arranged for our group to have dinner at the home of a Tibetan refugee family in the city of Pokhara, Nepal’s 2nd largest city, which is nestled at the base of the Annapurna Mountains, another famous range in Nepal.

The family lives in a refugee camp of 450 people who relocated from Tibet nearly 50 years ago. The host’s name was Tenzing, which I thought was totally cool, having admired Sherpa Tenzing for 64 years.

Tenzing - a refugee from Tibet living in Nepal

Tibet is on the opposite side of the Himalayan mountains from Nepal. Tenzing wanted a Tibetan woman in his life, but there are only a few thousand Tibetans living in Nepal.

During dinner, I asked how he met his wife. His reply, which surprised our group: “On the internet, of course!” He explained there is a Tibetans-living-in-Nepal singles website.

Marriage is a big deal in Nepal. As we traveled around, we saw many wedding parties from our tour bus. Cars and small buses were draped in flowers. Horns would blare; newlyweds would wave from inside the vehicles. Often, wedding parties walked down the streets and alleys led by a band, with drums pounding, instruments playing, and rice being tossed at the newlyweds.

(Nepal and India have lots of monkeys running loose. We saw a monkey eating the rice tossed by a wedding party that had recently passed by.)

Our tour took us also to the Chitwan National Park. There, we spent two days and nights in the jungle, riding elephants and seeing rhinos. We handed out gifts to village school children, who were beautiful kids.

Village school children who came in on their day off to receive gifts 

                                    A precious school girl 

This woman below and her child were in the same village as the school

Nepal woman in village with bicycle and her daughter

We stayed at the Temple Tiger Green Jungle Resort near the Narayani River.

We saw several rhinos in the jungle. This one had a baby nearby

If you are wondering about traveling to Nepal, give it a chance. 

The country is beautiful, as are its people. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom’s article on Nepal appeared in this newspaper on December 9, 2016

And in these two newspapers on December 16, 2016:

Dana Point Times (California)

San Clemente Times (California)

Two Nepal women we purchased items from

So, I sign off saying “Namaste.” The word of greeting and respect in both Nepal and India.

[travelafter55]

India - Part 2 -Camels, camels, camels - village of Samode and Chomu

On our 5th day, our tour group of 13 departed New Delhi on our bus for a ride to Chomu, with a stop on the way, at the village of Samode. By popular request, the bus driver stopped in the jungle for bathroom relief among the tall grass. Riding for 3+ hours on that bus can be tough on the bladder. A camel caravan passed us along the road.

    ��                      Camel caravan on the road

The group rode on camel carts to an outdoor picnic area. 

Vinnie and his dad Jerry wearing masks on left cart

There, we were greeted by a snake charmer who had two cobras rising out of baskets. Caroline held one of the snakes. Patty and Jeff charmed the snakes out of their baskets as well.

Patty and Jeff charming cobras out of baskets 

There was a wonderful outdoor buffet in the jungle with a pleasant covered area to eat. The chef had to keep chasing monkeys away from the food. Some of us rode camels, including Tom.

Tom’s camel enjoying a snack from nearby tree

Our group stayed in the Chomu Palace Hotel, which is 500 years old. Walls so thick, no in-room wi-fi. There was a large Asian tour group at the hotel as well—at night they had decorated tables in courtyard for banquet—they all dressed in Indian garb. In the morning, suitcases ready to go in courtyard.

Chomu Palace courtyard with suitcases ready to go

In many cities, wiring is not up to code. But, they get along

For our Gate1 tour group, a very special, once-in-a-lifetime dinner at the Grand Palace

Our group rode bus 25 minutes to the Grand Palace for dinner. In 1984, Kapil helped them get started serving meals—as basic as how to make a cheese sandwich for tour groups. Now, those owners have three hotels in India. He was very well received by the staff and hugged by one of the royal family.

Our welcome reception was staggering. A red dot on the forehead. Camel, looking like a doorman greeted us. He looked like just another member of the welcoming party that was lined up; he was one cute bugger.

Two flower leis made of marigolds were put on each of us. Fireworks greeted us, the front of the palace was dark. Then the lights of the palace came on. As we ascended the stairs, flower pedals were thrown on us like rice at a wedding. We were welcomed like royalty.

Cocktails and appetizers were served in an opulent room. We moved to a rooftop dining area under the stars. Just 13 of us, in an area that could seat 300. The great wall around the palace above us was lighted. Three musicians started playing and singing, one playing drums like from the Broadway play, “Bombay Dreams.”

Four women dressed in traditional dresses started swirling around like ballerinas. After dinner, they made most of us dance with them. Another scrumptious buffet. One of the woman dancers:

At Grand Palace dinner on rooftop. This dancer had six pots on her head, while standing on four silver cups, and still had a smile. Band in blue behind her

Before we left, another fireworks show.

[travelafter55]

India and Nepal - November 2016 - Part 1 -The First 4 Days

India – A make-do attitude drives the country

The word “Namaste” is a Hindu word used as a greeting or salutation. It is usually made with a slight bow, making eye contact, with palms touching, and fingers pointing upward. It means, “I bow to the divine in you.” When people in India say that to you, you feel welcomed and warmth coming from them. It happens nearly everywhere you go in India.

Namaste position

My partner Greta and I are on an 18-day tour visiting India and Nepal. After being in India for four days, what jumps out the most is the remarkable make-do attitude of the people. Simply stated, India is a fascinating country.

Greta and I had heard that November is one of the best months of the year to visit. The weather has been around 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, warm but not hot. Blue skies every day. While the air has been a bit smoky, masks have not been necessary.  A perfect setting for a first visit to this amazing land.

We are traveling in a modern, air-conditioned bus and staying in beautiful hotels. There are 13 of us, all Americans from across the USA, plus a knowledgeable guide named Kapil, with a sense of humor, and a driver and assistant driver. Kapil is from India. 

Kapil our tour guide on Gate1 Discover Tour

He has been invaluable to the group. He had local contacts in each city we have visited. He is a studied historian, able to share with us information about the history of India and modern-day customs. He alerts us, sometimes with just eye contact, to situations we should avoid.

Security is tight here. Armed soldiers have been visible at every location where we’ve disembarked the bus. At our New Delhi hotel, our bags were sent through a scanner and we were padded down. There was a guard on the 29th floor of our hotel, where our room was.

The food is tasty, and often spicy, but not unbearably hot. Most of our meals have been buffet-style so we could eat as much Indian food as we’ve wanted, while mixing in American food like scrambled eggs and bacon. Bottled water is handed out to us on our bus and our hotel rooms have had complimentary bottled water as well.

New Delhi has a population of 21 million people who own seven million automobiles. Kapil told us 2,500 new people move to New Delhi each day.

India street scene: scooters, tuk-tuks, goats on corner, wires loose, refrigerated van in red, green bus--all in a normal day’s traffic

The roads are often gridlocked, some with 10 lanes of traffic in each direction. Tuk tuks (auto rickshaws) and motorcycles dart in and out of traffic, jockeying for position. Horn honking is a way of life, keeping the congested roads safe. Most trucks have signs in the back that state, “Use horn.” That means let the truck know you are passing. People honk to say “I’m here,” not so much, “Get out of the way.”

                                    Tuk-Tuk 

Crowded intersection in New Delhi

Our first day in New Delhi began with a visit to the Qutab Minar Victory Tower, the world’s tallest minaret, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then, we learned about Sikh culture at a prominent Sikh house of worship. 

                                             Sikh Temple                       

Some of our group helped roll dough into tortillas in the volunteer kitchen. This temple serves 500,000 needy people free food each day and is run entirely by volunteers.

The day included a visit to the Gandhi Smirti, the museum dedicated to Gandhi, the Father of India. He believed in equality of all people. We saw the room where Gandhi spent his last 140 days in a fast, before venturing out for a prayer service, where he was assassinated on the grounds outside, which we also visited.

On November 8, the people of India unexpectedly received news from the government that banknotes of 500 and 1,000 rupees denominations were no longer  a valid currency. Those rupee bills had been demonitized There was too much counterfeit money in circulation. People holding those bills, now called “old money” had to exchange them at banks and post offices for “new money.” Easier said than done.

An all-too familiar scene in India--lined up at ATM or bank to exchange money 

Many residents in India exist in a cash-only society. Some live day-to-day on the money they earn. The situation has reached near-panic status. The lines at banks and post offices were long—we saw thousands standing in Queues--for hours in every town we passed through. Tempers were flaring in many situations.

Our group had to cross this line of people waiting in ATM line to get to a lunch at a restaurant. 

The English language newspaper, The Indian Express, stated in the next morning’s edition that 23 people had been killed the day before in arguments while vying for position standing in line. ATMs ran out of money. People needed money to live on, to buy groceries for their families.  Even New Delhi’s red light district had shut down—patrons didn’t have the money.

The people of India, however, have a make-do spirit. By that I mean, they make the best they can with what simple assets they have. I saw tuk-tuks made to carry three people with as many as six riders. 

Several times we passed open-bed trucks with 30-40 people packed in like sardines, including elderly women in colorful saris who waved at us. The India people will survive the money crisis as well, but it will take time.

We saw camels pulling carts and elephants transporting goods as they walked on the side of streets and highways. We saw cows and boars walking freely in town squares. There were monkeys along the highway in the countryside.

Often, roadside stores and shops are constructed of corrugated metal. Whatever it takes to open a business.

Our group was affected by the money crisis as well. Greta and I had purchased rupees before leaving California, it was now “old money,” needing to be exchanged or somehow accepted by merchants. Some merchants and shops were willing to accept our “old money,” even knowing that they would have to stand in line to exchange it. They needed the business.

The highlight of our first few days was enjoying an elephant ride up to the Amber Fort near the bustling city of Jaipur. A once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

               Elephant ride up hill to Amber Fort

Each day is a new adventure in this spiritual land.

[travelafter55]

Alaska Sept. 2016 - Ketchikan

Day six of our cruise on the Volendam was a typical wet day in Ketchikan, where it rains 300 days a year. There were three cruise ships in port. Similar to other Alaskan ports, the cruise ships dock in the center of town.

Norwegian Cruise Line ship in the heart of Ketchikan

The highlight of the day was a 15-minute walk up the Ketchikan Creek where hundreds of salmon could be seen swimming upstream to their spawning grounds. 

       Ketchikan salmon statue along the creek

Our destination was the Totem Heritage Center, which fronts on the creek about a half mile from the ship.

Four of us visited the Center where many famous Tlingit villages totem poles from the 19th century are on display. Reading about the native Alaskan culture and seeing these incredible totem poles, some were 50+ feet tall, was mind-opening.

                        Totem Heritage Center

To get to the upper reaches of the creek, you can walk up Married Man’s Trail, which was the clever name of a path through the woods leading to and from what was once known as the brothel area of Ketchikan in its wild and wooly days.

Here is a sign on one of the buildings explaining about the brothel that was housed there.

Star House “Bootlegged booze, loose women, hot music and rowdy customers”

Ketchikan--Alaska’s First City and The Salmon Capital of the World

This just had to be a fun place to visit back in those wild days.

After our visit to Ketchikan, the ship turned south and headed back to Vancouver--great visit with wonderful weather.

[travelafter55]

Alaska Sept. 2016 - Glacier Bay

Alaska – Day 4 Glacier Bay National Park

The weather on our 8-day trip continued to be splendid. We awoke to a beautiful sunrise without a cloud in the sky. Unheard of in September in Alaska, which, along with October, the two months are the rainiest of the year.

Volendam passengers eager to see the tidewater glaciers

Our ship, the Volendam, had as its destination, the tidewater glaciers of Glacier Bay, a National Park in Alaska. A tidewater glacier is defined as reaching from the mountains all the way down to the water’s edge. Tidewater glaciers are the ones you’ve seen the videos of where big chunks break off and fall into the icy waters. With most of the glaciers receding, there are only 12 tidewater glaciers remaining. There are many glaciers in the mountains, but they are not tidewater glaciers.

I saw from our stateroom window a very swift boat approach our ship at about 7:30 a.m. The boat carried a pilot and two park rangers. One of the rangers was giving a narration/presentation about Glacier Bay on the ship’s ninth level in what is called the Crow’s Nest. The view from the windows of the Crow’s Nest is across the bow and about half way down the port and starboard sides.

During the presentation, she mentioned she had seen a humpback whale about 400 yards off the starboard side of the ship. So, most of the 100 or so people had their eyes trained on the water and with that, the 80-foot, 40-ton humpback did a full breach out of the water. The ranger said she had only seen that twice this year. It was spectacular.

As the ship passed a steep, rocky piece of land known as Gloomy Knob, several people in the Crow’s Nest spotted a few sure-footed, all-white mountain goats. I did see one that seemed to be taking a siesta as it was laying down.

Some 250 years ago, Glacier Bay was made up entirely of ice. And today, we had 65 miles to travel by ship to reach the tidal glaciers.

On the port side, the ship passed Reid Glacier, and then came to a halt for about 15 minutes in front of Lamplugh Glacier.

Lumplugh glacier, a tidewater glacier that touches into the water

And then the ship was allowed for the first time in four and a half months to enter Johns Hopkins Inlet (This is a breeding ground for the large sea lions and ships were not allowed in until 2 days prior to our visit). We got within four nautical miles of the Johns Hopkins Glacier where the ship stayed for a half hour before turning around. We were all stunned that we were four miles away because the glacier looked like it was only a half mile away. These glaciers are huge. There are no roads within 70 miles of that particular spot.

Some of the glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park are receding and some are growing. Johns Hopkins is growing and our next destination, the famous Margerie Glacier, is also growing. The latter is 21 miles long and it takes the ice at its source 200 years to move to the ocean. Nearby is Mount Fairweather, 15,300, and gets snow year-around.

Glacier in front. Mount Fairweather, tallest peak, several miles away

The ship stopped close by (500 yards of so away) for one hour; the people outside on the decks could hear the ice groaning while it was cracking and getting ready to fall off.

Manning the rail on a glorious day in Glacier Bay National Park

I was outside. The weather was sunny and beautiful. At one point, I did have my video cam on, when I heard an explosion noise and all of the people manning the rail let out a collective gasp as one huge chunk broke off and slid into the ocean. I was able to whip my camera around to catch the tail end of the glacier as it entered the water. Then, as the ship started its return journey, two huge pieces of glacier broke off, about 30 seconds apart. It had been a rare and spectacular show for all passengers who had been watching this glacier.

Notice in the center of the photo, the ice is hitting the water after breaking off

Another tidal glacier, the Grand Pacific Glacier, is adjacent to the Margerie Glacier, but is harder to see. It is receding and the ice is dark and covered with dirty broken rock. Although only a half mile away from the Margerie, the Grand Pacific is located in Canada and reaches 35 miles inland.

Grand Pacific Glacier is dark; it extends 36 miles inland into Canada (the white specs in the water are pieces of ice that have broken off)

The trip back out of Glacier Bay was under clear blue skies. We had been blessed with a beautiful day. There were no other cruise ships on Glacier Bay that day. The ship’s captain mentioned we had the best weather day of the 2016 season.

Johns Hopkins Glacier from a distance of about six miles 

[travelafter55]

Alaska Sept. 2016 - Skagway

Day four took us to Skagway, Alaska.

Greta and daughter Tammi next to Skagway sign

The weather in Skagway was nice, but not as sunny as the day before in Juneau. Stephen, Tammi, Greta and I walked 1/3 of a mile into the city from the ship.

Skagway is a long way from the nearest places--Whitehorse, Nome, Dawson City

We walked through the streets of Skagway, enjoying visiting the shops and had lunch at a restaurant.

Skagway Centinennal Statue behind train station

We purchased tickets for the narrow-gauge White Pass & Yukon Railroad train that runs for 20 miles through the magnificent mountains to White Pass, a 3,000-foot gain in elevation. The train stops at Summit Lake, where the engine moves to the other end of the train for the ride back down the mountain.

Skagway Totem Poles on side of a store called Kirmse’s

The railroad was built in 1898, during the gold rush days in the Yukon. It operates only during the cruise ship season, which is between May and late September. At the end of the train ride, the train drops passengers off right at the cruise ship dock.

The Yellow Pass and Yukon Railroad takes you up the mountain

Skagway is a beautiful little city with wide streets, lots of shops and jewelry stores and a few nice restaurants.

Greta and her black bear friend at the Skagway Mining Company Store

WP and YR train was nine cars long plus the engines

       White Pass & Yukon Route Train Station

The train picks up and drops passengers off at the ship

WP and YR Train sign

[travelafter55]

Alaska September 2016 - Juneau

Alaska – August 30 – September 7 2016

Volendam docks at pier in Juneau, Alaska, September 2, 2016

My partner Greta and I enjoyed a cruise to Alaska. We were joined by Greta’s daughter, Tammi Bell, and Tammi’s husband, Stephen. Plus, my brother Bill, and his wife Linda, flew from Dallas to be with us.

On August 31, we boarded the Volendam, a Holland America ship in Vancouver. Sail out at 5 p.m. from the Canada Place dock. 

Cruise ships depart and return at Canada Place in Vancouver

The second day was a sea day, traveling the inside passage along the coast of Canada and then Alaska.

Friday, September 2, 2016. Our first port of call was Juneau, the capital city of Alaska, population, 32,000 (photo of Juneau sign). The sun was out and the weather in the mid-60s, very nice for September, actual felt quite warm. Cruise ships dock right in the heart of Juneau. You simply walk off the ship and into the shops, restaurants and even bars, like the famous Red Dog Saloon (we walked past but not in).

Juneau Waterfront from 6th level of Volendam

Greta and I spent a few minutes checking the free Wi-Fi in the Juneau public library, which is on the 5th floor atop a parking garage. We enjoyed the little park next to where the sea planes come into the wharf—very relaxing, fun to watch the planes move in and out and read about the history of the Juneau waterfront.

Most noteworthy is the number of jewelry stores in the city. And stores that sell native Alaska items such as moccasins and gemstones and t-shirts and sweatshirts. The 50 percent-off sales were in full throttle in the stores as this was nearing the end of their tourist season.

Funniest thing was going in a gift shop to purchase bottled water. We smiled thinking how terrific and fresh the water must be in Alaska, likely bottled right out of high mountain streams. When we looked at the bottles we had purchased, we were quite surprised that the bottles came from a Costco somewhere—they had the Kirkland brand on the bottles. Hard to escape Costco anywhere in the states.

Stephen and Tammi enjoyed a King Crab lunch at Traci’s Crab Shack, a waterfront restaurant, “Best crab ever,” Stephen said.

Bill and Linda opted for the very steep Mt. Roberts Tramway.

Juneau is a bustling little city with lots of cars and pickup trucks passing through on the streets. We were truly blessed to be there on such a perfect, summer-like day.

[travelafter55]

Barcelona - Day 4 - The last day of our 51-day trip

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

On this final day of our trip, with the weather 77 degrees, we wanted to just enjoy Barcelona with an easy walk down La Rambla. Even Marilyn Monroe appeared on a second story balcony at the Erotica Museum.

Yes, even Marilyn’s skirt was being blown up by a portable fan (I guess)

About 1/3 of the way toward the harbor, we noticed what looked like an old train station. Lots of people were going in so we did the same. Inside was a huge marketplace selling all kinds of food and beverage products.

Fresh-squeezed juice of all kinds was one euro; we enjoyed the watermelon.

Next, we tried the fresh octopus with lemon juice—so fresh it melted in your mouth. Then, an empanada with spinach.

There were several places to pull up a bar stool and order a beer and plate of a variety of Spanish specialty foods—from paella to grilled asparagus to sardines to calamari and so on

There were four or five places like this to sit down and feast

Fresh meat and fish were sold. Big hanging slabs of pork were cured and hanging from hooks—some for more than 200 euros.

Great, fun atmosphere. Wine and olive oil everywhere. Greta and I spent an hour wandering through there.

We also bought a bottle of 2011 Spanish Estola red wine for 4 euros. This Estola brand was the first wine we purchased in Spain on our first trip to Spain in 2003. Back then, we paid 3 euros for a bottle and it was one of the best wines we ever tasted.  

Barcelona street scene. Note the cool street lamps and 2 guys on cell phones

In one area just off of La Rambla, there must have been 25 shoe stores all in the same neighborhood. The running shoes are getting colorful.

Colorful shoes. Shoe store alley, lots of shoe stores near each other

By the end of the day, my legs told me we had walked nearly five miles.

For dinner we ate in our room. I went to the Sabor Café—same café as night before—to get take out. The Russian waiter seemed really happy to see me. Took home fried calamari, green olives and a baked goat cheese salad to have with our Estola. Finished off with chocolate that we had collected from thr Eurodam when our room steward came in to set up the room for sleeping by leaving two pieces of chocolate on the pillow.

A great finish to a great vacation.

As we boarded our Air Berlin flight home, I took this picture.

Formula One car at Barcelona Airport? Nope. It’s used to pull in and push out the airplanes.  I just couldn’t get the Grand Prix of Monaco out of my head

[travelafter55]

Barcelona day 3 - Sagrada Familia and the National Art Museum of Catalunya

Barcelona Day 3 – Our reservation for Gaudi’s famous church was at 12:30. As we were approaching the church through a park, I saw a couple who I thought had been passengers on the Eurodam, the Holland America ship we had been on. Then, I noticed they were carrying a Holland America shopping bag, that the ship had given to each stateroom.

The man said, “May I take your picture?” I thought this was an unusual request until he explained that when they had seen us on the ship, they thought I looked very much like their friend named Neville back home in Western Australia. John Seddon took a picture of Greta, me and his wife, Barb, together. Later, he emailed me that he had sent the photo to Neville.

Greta, Barb Seddon, and Tom - near the Sagrada Familia

Promptly at 12:30 we were allowed to enter Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia.

                       Church from main entry way

It is beyond comprehension. Gaudi started it 140 years ago. Every statue, support beam tower, window and all details had a purpose for him. He died in a tram accident. Construction on the church continues to this day. A plan is in place to complete it by 2026.

                                         Above the altar

The inside to the top at Sagrada Familia

After our tour of the church, we wanted to go to the Art Museum of Catalonia. This is in the Western part of Barcelona, near where the 1992 Olympic summer games took place. We walked down to a major east/west street and grabbed a B 18 bus that took us to the Espana Square, a major piazza in the city, with a magnificent fountain. From the square, it’s about a half mile walk to the museum.

My favorite painter is El Greco. Three of his paintings are here.

El Greco’s  John the Baptist and Francis of Assisi

El Greco St Peter and St Paul

                                    El Greco - Christ on Cross

We spent two hours in this wonderful place, which is located in an antique palace. The interior is beautiful, very clean, white walls, great lighting and representative of the architectural wonders in Barcelona.

There is an entertainment arena that was being set up for a concert. The public can rent this facility; I don’t know for how much but it’s got to be big bucks.

We caught the B 18 bus—very, very crowded--to return to our hotel. In that bus, we were very vigilant with our belongings, ensuring all was secure. It was one of those potential pick pocket places where you have to be careful.

For dinner, we had seafood paella at a nearby restaurant—the Sabor Café. 

     Paella at Sabor Cafe in Barcelona--yummy

The waiter was from “Russia/Ukraine” area. One woman employee was from Venezuela and the other woman employee was from Brazil. That is the flavor of Barcelona—people from all over the world come there to work.