Safari!

For my birthday, we drove 4 hours southwest to the coast of southern Spain. Since we were west of Gibraltar, the water was the Atlantic, not the Mediterranean. We had signed up for a tour of the Parque Nacional de Donana. The park is huge and comprised of several ecosystems which are home to a number of wild animals. There are a few visitors centers on the edges of the park, but the best (only) way to see the interior of the park is on a guided tour. These tours are given from 21 seat buses with 4 wheel drive and 5ft tall tires; all terrain buses.

Our trip began on the beach where we drove in the surf a what felt like a dangerous angle – I was anxious the whole time. The land for the park was rescued in 1969 , but a few fisherman lived on the beach in very simple huts, they were allowed to stay, and 7 remain to this day. But as we drove past the first hut, our driver abruptly turned the bus and raced toward the hut. A spark had ignited the thatched roof and the two inhabitants were trying hard to put out the fire. Unfortunately, the huts have no running water, so they were drawn bucketfuls from their well to combat the flames. Our driver grabbed the bus’s fire extinguisher, climbed onto the roof and sprayed it down. Thatch is very flammable though and the fire was underneath it, so they were having to tear off chucks of the thatch to make sure it was fully out. Between our bus driver and the two residents, they were able to stop the fire before too much damaged occurred; it was lucky we were driving by.

After this exciting beginning we continued the tour inland at the shifting dunes. The dunes are constantly changing and growing in size. They readily form hills and valleys with pine trees growing in the valleys. As the sand moves, the pine trees are covered and die, but new trees crop up in the new valleys. It is an ecosystem constantly in flux. From the dunes we entered the forest; the trees are more permanent and diverse here. This area is bordered by the marshland and is inhabited by several species of deer, wild boars, and lynxes.

During our visit the marsh was dry and cracked. As winter progresses the rains will fill it back up and it will become a breeding ground for dozens of species of birds-including flamingos. We didn’t see many birds, though we did see the wild marsh cows. Yes, wild cows sounds like an oxymoron, but there is a herd that roams this area along with marsh ponies. Their population is controlled as they aren’t strictly native species.

Our tour ended with a long drive on the beach as the sun set over the waves. It was gorgeous, and if we hadn’t visited in the off season, we wouldn’t have seen it or hardly anyh of the animals.

Useful Links!
Pictures from Our Trip!
Information about the National Park
Ordering Tickets for Park Tours

The Alhambra

Our 2nd day in Granada we visited the Alhambra palace/fortress. It sits on a hill above the city and offers spectacular views for miles in all directions. For 700 years the Moors ruled in Spain, and the Alhambra is one of their most spectacular creations.

The Moors were a group of Muslims who arrive in Spain in 711. They were focused on enhancing their knowledge, and rescued the texts of ancient Greece and Rome. They understood geometry and the Alahambra palace reflects their knowledge. Every aspect of the palace was designed on a single set of ratios so each room flows cohesively. The architecture is decidedly Eastern; a far cry form the styles of Europe at the time.

In 1492, the Catholic monarchs of Spain, Isabel and Ferdinand, waged a campaign to expel the Moors from their last stronghold. They succeeded in driving out the Moors, in taking over their palace, and in starting the Inquisition.

Much of the Alhambra is original, somehow it survived the genocidal tendencies of the Catholic Monarchs. I have to wonder if they didn’t know they were surrounded by Koran teachings. All of the beautiful carvings that decorate almost every inch of the palace are Arab script. There are excerpts from the Koran and poetry from the official court scribes of the Muslim kings.

In addition to poetry as decorative art, the Moors also understood how infusing a space with light and water can elicit different emotions. There are fountains and small waterways throughout the palace, contributing the sound of moving water to the ambiance. There are also sufficient windows and plazas allowing sunlight to stream in, quite a contrast from the contemporary thick walled Romanesque structures in Europe.

When we checked into our hotel, the lady at the front desk was adamant about seeing sunset over the Alhambra. So after our visit, we climbed a neighboring hill and sat in the gardens of the mosque to watch the sunset. It was a beautiful end to the day.

Useful Links!

Pictures From Our Trip!

Alhambra Homepage

Book Alhambra Tickets Online

UNESCO Alhambra Page

Interesting Documentary about the Moors in Spain

The Olive Oil Tour

The aged olive tree

I love olive oil. You probably already know that. But it bears repeating because everyone should love olive oil. Spain is actually the largest olive oil producer in the world. Like wine, the flavor of olive oil depends on growing conditions; each country, each region, even each farm produces different tasting oils. I wanted to taste Spanish olive oil, so I signed us up for a tasting to be followed by tapas and a wine tasting.

We were picked up in downtown Granada and whisked off to a small town called Nigüelas in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. We stopped first in an olive grove where the trees were 300 years old. Olive trees grow slowly, so these trees are much smaller than a 300 year old maple, oak, or elm tree would be. They didn’t even seem taller than younger olive trees, just bushier. Amongst the olive trees were almond and pomegranate trees. In Andalusia they have a saying, plant an almond tree for your children and an olive tree for your grandchildren.

Joe trying the water from the "fountain of youth" in Nigüelas. 

We left the fields and drove into the town square where there is a fountain fed by the Sierra Nevada. It is rumored that drinking the water will make you younger. It was tasty and not as cold as I thought it would be, but it didn’t stop my birthday from coming. I like the concept of potable water in public fountains as it’s very easy to satisfy your thirst. From the square we walked to an ancient olive mill, Las Laerillas, from the 15th century.

 The mill fell out of use in the 1920s and it was boarded up and forgotten. In the 1990s the town realized what a treasure they had and they reopened the mill as a museum. It is the oldest olive mill in Spain. Outside the mill are stone cells which served as bins for sorting picked olives—each family had their own cell. These were weighed (so each family received their proper share) and then brought to the Molino de Sangre or Mill of Blood. This type of mill earned its name in Roman times when slaves were used to turn the millstones; the slaves were later replaced with donkeys, but the name remained.

The giant pressing lever at the Las Laerillas Mill

After milling, the olives were pressed. This was achieved by use of giant levers. The pressed oil/water mixture flowed into underground chambers and gravity separated the oil from the water. The finished product was stored in giant terracotta pots from which manageable quantities could be labeled.

Large terracotta pots used for storing the pressed oil.

The final stop on the tour was a small shop where we had our tasting. We tasted 3 local oils with different tastes and 2 flavored oils. There are 2 methods of flavoring oil: the flavoring (herbs, fruits, or spices) can be added to the oil during bottling; or the flavoring can be added during milling. In the first method, the flavoring will sit in the bottle, slowing imparting flavor over time. In the latter, the flavoring and the olives are ground together and then pressed. The flavored oils we tried were lemon and basil, and they were flavored with the second method. The basil oil was delicious and would be an excellent way to impart basil flavor when basil leaves are out of season. I’m really excited to try it in some recipes. The lemon oil was very different; we ate it like a dessert. We poured the oil over bread and then sprinkled a little bit of sugar on top. This combination transformed the bread into an enchanting dessert.

After the oil we had our wine tasting, and among the samples was a dry, white sherry. It smelled like it would be potent, a little like whisky. But, since old sherry casks are used to age whisky, it is the whisky that smells like sherry. Despite its strong smell though, it was a smooth drink—very tasty. We bought a bottle. We also tried another sherry; it was red and much sweeter. It was made from raisins; the grapes are dried in the sun before pressing. While interesting to try, I think was too sweet.

Useful Links!

Pictures from Our Trip!

The Olive Oil Tour

European Food Crops

Orange Tree!

Outside the cities, European landscape quickly becomes farm land. Each country grows plants that are integral to their national products; vineyards lace across France, hops towers in the German fields, and apple orchards dot the English countryside. When we were driving around southern Portugal and Spain, I knew the plants growing in the fields adjacent to the highway were commercial, but it took me some time to identify them.

The easiest trees were the citrus trees—their branches were bulging with oranges and lemons. Next came the olive trees; they too were easy to pick out thanks to our earlier trips to Italy, and like the citrus trees, their boughs were covered in the fruit. I realized somewhat belatedly that the pine trees were cultivated for their pine nuts; I should have remembered them from Italy as well. There were two more difficult to identify species in the fields. The tall leafy trees came into my mind abruptly when I remembered seeing their picture on a pack of cough drops—eucalyptus. The last tree involved more observation to identify. I noticed the bark had been stripped off the trunks and I recalled reading about cork oaks; every 9 years the bark is carefully cut away and turned into bottle stoppers.

If you look at the bark carefully, you can see it's two different colors.
The darker color is where the cork was stripped off.

Near Granada there were also almond and pomegranate trees growing. Pomegranates are actually the symbol of Granada; they are featured in sculpture and mosaics all over the city. This should come as no surprise when you learn the Spanish word for pomegranate is granada. Unfortunately during our visit it wasn’t quite pomegranate season yet, so we didn’t eat them at every meal.

Sábado Gigante

Cranes and towers indicating
the location of la Sagrada Familia

Sábado Gigante is a game show on Telemundo which, when literally translated, means giant Saturday, which is what we experienced in Spain. After our tour of the music museum, we stepped outside, curious where to head next. The skyline answered that question for us, with a glimpse of the towers and the cranes of la Sagrada Família. The basilica has been under construction since 1883, is not expected to reach completion until 2026, and was designed by Antoni Gaudí, a leader in the mondernisme art movement. His style is reflected throughout the city of Barcelona, but la Sagrada Família is his crowning glory. Gaudí died in 1926, but the work has continued after him, relying on his detailed plans and instructions. If the building is completed in 2026, it will be 100 years after the master architect died.

Quaker Parrots in a Barcelona, Spain park

En route to the basilica, we passed through a park, where we noticed a green bird in with the pigeons. We were amazed and stopped to take its picture, only to be further flabbergasted when we rounded a corner, and saw a flock of dozens! These birds are Monk parakeets, also known as Quaker parrots, and are actually an invasive species in Spain, introduced most likely by people releasing their pets into the wild.

La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain

Leaving the parrots behind, we proceeded to one of the grandest sights on our European tour. As a teen learning Spanish, this building was always part of the curriculum, and I had wanted to visit since it was first brought to my attention. The structure did not disappoint, it was unlike anything I have ever seen before, a riot of colors and textures all competing for attention from the thousands who flock there daily. Amidst all this, construction continues, evidenced by the cranes and occasional gaping holes in the ground to lay more foundation.

Construction continues on la Sagrada Familia
in Barcelona, Spain

The towers called to mind, a beehive with a sort of honeycombed appearance. They are colorful, painted as ancient temples used to be, and adorned with fruit. At the base of the towers, the beehives morphed into mud wasp nests, clumps of mud piled atop each other with tunnels to the interior. At present, only 8 of 18 towers have been completed, and I would appreciate returning in the somewhat distant future to observe the completed building. I’m not sure if I would call the outside beautiful, breathtaking to be sure, but beauty is more questionable. The statuary and sculptures I enjoyed; they were not lifelike, and looked to be carved with a rough hand, but I appreciated the simplicity and starkness of the pieces.

Stained glass windows inside
La Sagrada Familia
Barcelona, Spain

 

Towers and lights inside la Sagrada Familia
Barcelona, Spain

Scale model of a finished
Sagrada Familia

The inside, is most definitely beautiful, and is a glory to behold. It was the brightest place in Barcelona that day, and the way light was designed to enter the building could make me believe the day was sunny instead of gray. The columns were designed to look like trees, and the stained glass windows were abstract images combining color in a pleasing manner. The entire space was amazing, and I highly recommend it to all who visit. While the entrance price of 13 euro may seem steep, remember that your ticket is buying further construction work, and you get to be a part of it.

Spanish Adventures

Being in Spain was a lot of fun, though I’m not sure Catalonia is representative of the whole country, especially since Catálan is prominent there, a mix of Spanish and French (sort of). Still it was very refreshing to be able to understand the people around me and to communicate with them.

When we arrived at our hotel, it was already evening, so the city was not able to impress me with any architecture or parks, as it was too dark to see them. We ended up getting dinner at a place near the beach, and ate it outside, a perfect evening. With the Mediterranean Sea air washing over us as we sipped our first authentic pitcher of sangria, we could not ask for more. The restaurant was on a sort of promenade, like a wide alley, about the size of a road, but only for pedestrians and bikers to enjoy.

The next morning did not bring the sunshine and balmy weather promised, but a gray day fraught with drizzles and chill, wet winds. I was not quite a happy camper that morning. Furthermore, when Joe went to check into our return flight (you can do this up to 36hrs ahead of time) he found their site wasn’t working, due to the unforeseen (?) cause of bankruptcy. Our airline had no money, and had cancelled all flights until further notice, in fact, it appeared we had arrived on one of their last ever flights. We did manage to check in using the carrier airline, Lufthansa, so it seemed that mess managed to work itself out.

As for the rain . . . it altered our plans a bit, in that we would not be traipsing around the city visiting outdoor parks, but instead content ourselves with more indoor attractions. Our first stop was the music museum; free thanks to our Barcelona cards, where we travelled through time via historic musical instruments. Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed, but we were able to listen to recordings of the historic instruments, and it was a fun way to spend the morning. http://www.bcn.es/museumusica/en/Historia.html

Kicking it Old School

View of the Alps out the plane window

Awhile back, for funsies, I was checking out the prices of flights to certain areas around Europe, and I found that we could fly to Barcelona for the weekend for only 200 euro, total. We settled on 27-29 of January, and bought the tickets. Joe was worried we wouldn’t be able to bring luggage or be charged for it at the gate, and I assured him, no this wasn’t some janky airline, it was Spanair, a star-alliance member, and we would be fine.

To arrive at the airport in Munchen we had a couple options, one of which was parking the (rental) car there all weekend. We decided to call this plan B in case something went wrong, and take the train into Munchen instead. This enabled to walk to the train station and not have to pay to keep the car anywhere. So we bundled up into many layers, to be shed later in the warmer climes of Spain, and set out for the train station. 40 minutes and 3.5km later we arrived, very cold, but early.

Here in Germany, there is a train ticket called the lander-pass, which allows you to travel anywhere in your region, all day, for only 29 euro. We had plans to purchase one of these, but found an older woman who was also travelling to the airport and had already bought her ticket. We gave her 10 euro to tag along, and hopped a train to Freissing. Here we got off the train and waited in the cold for 10 minutes, before taking a bus to the Munchen airport, called Flughafen, incidentally my most favorite German word.

We checked into the flight, boarded and settled in for our 2 hour flight southwest. I fell asleep midflight, but suddenly woke up (fate) and looked out the window to see the snow covered peaks of the Alps. Most amazing view of them is from above, though maybe within, I haven’t tried that yet.

After landing, we obtained our Barcelona cards. I found these cards online, and they are quite handy. The main perk was transportation–this card can be used on all public transportation, and unlimited number of times, for a set number of days. We had a 3 day card, enabling us to get transport to and from the airport and within the city. In addition, there are discounts at museums, restaurants, spas, etc. across the city, as well as free passes to a select number of places.

We used the card to get to our hotel, riding first a bus from the airport terminal to the train terminal, a train to the metro station, and then a series of metro trains until the stop that we thought was closest to our hotel before walking the remaining 3 blocks. As it turned out there was a closer station, which we used in the future.