Thursday, April 23, 2015
Monday, July 15, 2013
August 2013: Our Kids and Gorramendi Americans Return to ELIZONDO and SPAIN
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| Paul and Jane BESKOW |
BACKGROUND
Well, 28 years ago (1985) our children visited Elizondo and Spain for a two-week vacation after the selling of our house in Mildenhall, England and before our adventures while on military re-assignment to our new posting at Gila Bend Axillary Field, Arizona. Alison and Ian were both born at the Torrejon Air Base Hospital outside of Torrejon de Ardoz in the province of Madrid; Alison in 1972 and Ian in 1981. Neither one of them have been back to Spain since 1985, although both have a Spanish birth certificate along with their British certificate of birth abroad and American birth certificates/passports. The kids will be with us 28 July through 7 August, a quick 10-day whirlwind trip starting in Madrid, up to Elizondo and back to Madrid.
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| Cathie and Ian BESKOW |
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| Alison and Steven BENTON |
As many of you
know, Jane and I have been back to Spain each year on vacation since
the year 2000 which was our 30th wedding anniversary. While we both
still have our health we opted to bring the kids and their spouses back
to their birth country for a 10-day visit. Jane and I will remain in
Spain to join up with our fellow Gorramendi mates (13 folks) in Elizondo for a
reunion 16-23 August.
AGENDA
AGENDA
The biggest hurdle in planning a trip of this magnitude was coordinating available dates/time off of work etc along with 'back to school' start dates along with school registration timeframes. After ironing out those glitches we needed to plan our travels within Spain to give the kids exposure to places 'old' and 'new'. So for the kids portion of our month long visit to Spain for Jane and me, we decided the following locations:
- Chinchon SE of Madrid likely stop by upon departure to Toledo. Avila
- Segovia for a two-day visit to see the Roman aquaduct, catherdral, and Alcazar
- Haro a stopover in the Rioja wine region, Wine museum, Muga bodega tour
- Elizondo a two day stop in "our" village and visit with the Mendi family again
- San Sebastian an old town walkabout and exploration
- Alcala de Henares the oldest university town for a two-day visit putting us close for visiting the capital of Madrid before the kids fly home to the USA.
Azul Spanish Music by John Clarke
John Clarke plays Guitar
BLOG:
DAY 1: 29 July 2013 An
early takeoff and departure from Mia mi on American airlines with a forecasted
30 minute early arrival into Madrid,
too.Up front in Business class the Beskow clan took up Rows 4,5,
and 6 and settled in for a long overnight smooth flight across the
Atlantic. The food selection was
outstanding although they were short on bottles of water. Jane and I had
Chicken Tikka Masala, red beans and rice which was truly good if not
outstanding.
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| Clan Beskow Miami Airport Admiral's Lounge |
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| Beskow Clan in Business Class: Rows 4, 5, and 6C&D |
Arrived at the new Terminal 4 and rode the train into
civilization having arrived at the back of beyond. All checked bags arrived
just fine. Collected and place onto our rollie cart so, off we set to find the
Avis/Budget rental car counter.
The van turned out to be a Mercedes Vito 9-passenger van
with battle scares on all four corners and sides from previous rentals and
travels in Madrid.
The Garmin was turned on and had our old village of Torrejon
de Ardoz but she opted to have us try all of the latest roads In order to have
us meandering the town where we had lived for 3 years from 1978 to 1981.
Alison was happy to see her first home in Spain! Of course
much has changed, the trees are huge and the parks are quite different. The
buildings are looking a bit shabby, the toldos (awnings on each apartment) are
a bit faded but there are a lot of happy memories there.
We got back on the road and headed for Chinchon. As we were
checking in at the Parador I turned around and coming in grinning broadly were
Dave and Joyce Murray from the UK! What a surprise! Awesome! They were so upset that they would
not see Alison on this trip, they decided to take a few days and come and join
us! So now we have group of 8 walking around, sitting and eating, laughing and
generally having a great time! What wonderful friends we have!
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| Bakery in Chinchon |
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| Steven and Ali Benton 1st Day lunch in Chinchon main plaza |
We pushed together 3 tables and had a boisterous happy meal outside! Now, I must explain, the bullring is actually
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| Overlook in Chinchon Spain |
The kids didn’t realize that they had adjusted wonderfully
to Spanish eating hours. We finished eating at about 11:00 and by this time we
were pretty exhausted! We headed off to bed.
We all met up the next morning in the restaurant for
breakfast where Cathie sampled every single dish!
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| Chinchon arrival day Lunch in the Plaza |
DAY 2, TUESDAY 30
JULY: A simple buffet breakfast
at Parador Chinchon before setting off
on parts due west to the town Toledo.
Put the van into an underground height of 2 meters which gives us 2
inches to spare. So off we went to see the ‘big’ city we rode a series of 6
back-to-back escalators up to the lower city heights. That started our
meanderings toward the Toledo cathedral. Through narrow twisting walkways too
small for vehicles the clan trooped onward and upward. Paul saw an open door
into a workshop and was beckoned to come in and have a look.
It was a
carpenters shop of Luis Velasco Vega a
57 year old carpenter who was working an old lathe turning wood to repair a
small wooden chair. His shop had been in the family of carpenters beginning
with his great grandfather in about 1890 or so.
We chatted about the world economy and the he makes so little in euros
but he is totally happy doing what he loves. Money is not important except to
eat and pay the electric bills he said proudly. Off we went in search of the
church. Again in the tiny back streets we ultimately saw shop after shop of
Toledo gifts and other souvenirs such as gold leaf, Toledo steel blades etc.
Toledo was Ian’s request so mission accomplished we set off in search of food,
again!
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| Luis Velasco Vega - carpenter |
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| A sample of Lusi' products |
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| Ready for lunch in Segovia |
We had a terrific
meal and Steven won the prize for ordering the most food! We didn’t finish
eating until 4PM and we still had to
drive to Segovia by way of Avila. We walked down the hill to the garage packed
ourselves in and headed off following Carmen Garmin’s directions. Let me tell you,
that girl needs to pay more attention to her programming! We have told stories
about she has steered us wrong and no-one believed us. The kids were hysterical
listening to the GPS as we were directed and re-directed us. I would have been
better off reading the map book! Eventually we got to the overlook at Quatro
Postes. Avila is an ancient walled city and is definitely a Kodak moment! Off
course now it is 7.30 and we still have to drive to Segovia to meet Dave and
Joyce.
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| Walled city of Aviala, Spain |
We arrived finally but Steve was a little discombobulated
because the sun was so high in the sky and it was 9PM! We checked in, met D
& J and decided to just have snack at the Parador. It was late, we were
tired ….a long day. The kids are having a great time as are we.
And so to bed…….
DAY 3 31 JULY
SEGOVIA: Two taxis to ferry the 8 of us down to the
base of the Aquaducto the starting point for the day’s activities. We paid our 2 euros and entered the
cool insides of the huge confines with resplendent
stained glass windows above the many side chapels around the naive. Impressive,
but I have been in others much more so ,however you have to admire the
magnificent workmanship that it took to
build such a magnificent building. The exterior is quite breathtaking.
Wandering
thru the streets we found stamps for the post cards at the local tobacco shop.
Then up to the Plaza Mayor to see the Gothic Cathedral from around 1570 or
so.
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| Aquaduct in Segovia Spain |
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| Segovia Cathedral |
Paul started this and kind of glossed over the impact of the aqueduct! Imagine if you will, standing beneath a structure built 2 thousand
years ago by the Romans. All cut stone and no mortar. 166 perfect arches supporting
a trough which carried water from the surrounding hills to provide water for
the city. An amazing feat of engineering which still stands, though it no
longer carries water! In total it is 20 miles long! Up until about 20 years
ago, they were still driving through the arches to get into the center of the
town!
Ali and Steve wandered off to look at a sun dress they had
seen in a shop window. That meant that Jane, Paul , Ian and Cathie opted to
have refreshments in the Plaza. The famous morcilla blood sausage of Burgos and Ensalada Russo (Russian potato
salad) along with drinkies. Ian was in hog heaven and Cathie enjoyed all of the
new flavors. A short wander down cobblestone streets and we wound up at the
Alcazar (fortress) photos were taken and then we flagged down a taxi so we could
make it to Candidos for the famous suckling pig luncheon.
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| Candito Chef in the Ceremony of the Piglet |
Everyone gathered around, the piglet was carried in with great ceremony (kind of like the haggis on Burns night) and the Chef explained that cutting with the plate was to show that it was roasted to perfection and was indeed a delicacy. Then he chopped the pig with 5 or 6 strokes divided our lunch and threw the plate on the floor, smashing it! There was applause and cheering and we ate with great gusto! Just wonderful. Cathie wimped out but Steven I am proud to say, tucked in and enjoyed it immensely.
We headed back up to the Parador for a rest before starting
our evening revels.
Back in taxis again to the aqueducto. It had been very, very
hot, close to 100 degrees. Hope it cools down soon. We wander around with the
rest of the population of Segovia in the cool of the evening, had a few tapas
and sat and people watched. The perfect end to a perfect day. Everyone is
sleeping well, and I am so proud of them all for experimenting with all the
different food. We are having the perfect family vacation. I think Ian and
Cathie would move here! They love the feeling of peacefulness and calm and
sense of community.
Tomorrow we are off to Haro in La Rioja, the wine country.
More adventures to follow.
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| Kodak moment below the Segovia Alcazar fortress |
DAY 4 01
AUGUST 2013 HARO: Left the metropolis of Segovia at 1100 after
the usual buffet breakfast spread at the Parador. Most sunny and very warm for
this time of the AM as we head north. Ian drove
a part of this leg toward Lerma as we stopped to show everyone the
Parador which had been a Duke’s palace originally. We ate in the corner
restaurant opposite and had an outstanding meal (for a change).
Ian drove one leg of today’s 275K run, he found the Mercedes
diesel to be underpowered and that the van rode comfortable for a square box
toddling down the road. We decided that it had been at least 2 hours since we
had had anything to eat so we went searching for lunch already. We found an
Asador (Roasting Oven) opposite the Parador and settled in for the servings.
Their speciality was roast lamb but no one took them up on that selection.
Back on the road and refreshed we ambled towards Haro in the
rioja region. Part of our stay at Los Augustinos includes a wine tasting
selection and also a bodega tour in the AM after checkout. The wine tasting
began at 7:30 PM and consisted of 5 different red rioja wines, the 5 bodegas
had formed an association with the hotel in some manner. Cune and Muga were
among them and are several of our favorites.
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| Pintxos in Haro Spain |
We asked for city map at the front desk and planned out the evening’s
festivities; an old town crawl for tapas.
At the first place we had, scallops, grilled shrimp, pork tenderloin on
a skewer. All washed down with a selection of rioja wine. Tasty and cool
standing in the alleyway with tapas on plates and on top of an old wine barrel
for comfort. We repeated this at least 4 more places before heading back to the
Los Augustinos short of midnight. The kids have adjusted to eating their
evening meals at 1000PM.
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| Wine Tasting at Los Augustinos, Haro, Spain |
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| Los Augustinos Lobby |
On Friday we had breakfast and then headed to the Muga
bodega for a winery tour in Spanish as for some reason they have stopped the
English tours beginning the 1st of August for some reason. Actually the
American girl who was working there, said they were short one person and so she
had to stay in the little shop and could not take us round.
So…..off we went
with Jane valiantly trying to translate all the narrative of traditional wine
making. Bodega Muga is one of the few that still makes wine in the traditional
way, using all wood casks at every step of the process. They use French or
American oak. Wine making is such a huge industry and keeps a huge part of the
population employed. Haro is quite a lovely city and the Hotel Agustinos is a
gorgeous place. It is very old and its history includes : a monastery, a
hospital, a prison and I believe the Spanish army stayed there for a while. A
very checkered history. There is a huge
beautiful central patio with stone arches with names carved in the stone, must
have been prisoners or patients in the hospital. The corridors upstairs are
wide with old wooden floors and plush sofas and colorful rugs. Just love it.
The rooms are huge, some with 4 poster beds.
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| Haro, Plaza Mayor display for clan Beskow |
Day 5 August
Elizondo:
Ok, back at the blog we are now trying to play catch up a
bit as it was so enjoyably hectic with full fun packed days. Friday morning we
did attend the Muga bodega and afterwards did a short backtrack on our route so
we could take advantage of the town of Bolarado, the leather town, where there
are several direct outlet stores. Small purchases were made as no one felt
compelled to buy a beautiful leather jacket with the outside temps in the lower
90s at the moment an besides, leather jackets don’t get much use in Florida! So
we set out towards the Baztan valley and Elizondo our beloved village.
As we entered the Pamplona bypass around the city, we experienced
very cloudy conditions to the tune of actually having a light Scotch mist
causing the use of wipers in the intermittent position for a short while. The
mist did not deter our enthusiasm for the green and lush conditions of the
Pyrennes foothills leading to the Baztan
valley. After Pamplona the landscape and architecture change dramatically.
Every bend and twist through the new
tunnels precipitated a story from either Jane or Paul to the kids or their
spouses. Once through the Pamplona pass stopped at the new Simply Superstore at
a new roundabout outside of Sumbilla village. Time for a coffee and stretch of
the legs for everyone. We arrived at the Posada de Elbete at 6:30 PM, still
daylight and plenty of time to check in. Guillermo, Asun, Loles and Nekane had
already been to the Posada looking for us! We bumped into Gary Thompson who had
just arrived via flights from Wichita Kansas, to Chicago to Madrid and finally
up to Pamplona. So he was tired from both lack of sleep and non-stop flying for
the past 30 hours!
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| Team Photo in the back streets of Elizondo |
We met finally up with Nekane, her mom Loles, and Asun for pintxos
at the bar in front of the Casino restaurant next to the Plaza, that served as
our evening food as we had eaten lunch Spanish style, at 3PM in the leather
town. Cool evening for us as it had been 42 degrees C (over 105oF )
in Haro yesterday and nearly as hot in the Baztan on Thursday so this was a pleasant
change. When we say “pintxos” we mean a variety of plates of food, all
different kinds, served “family style”.
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| Elizondo at Night |
Life after 7:30PM is quite different than the US, whole
families and friends are out walking, enjoying the comparative cool of the
evening, sitting having coffee or wine and snacks and simply enjoying life. It
is so civilized, such a feeling of community. The children are playing, riding
bikes and most importantly, not sitting in front of the TV or playing video
games. (though they do that too) People watching is an art form! Sometimes you
cannot walk more than a few paces before someone says hello and you stop to
chat!
Ian and Cathie are enchanted by this and say they going to
send for the children! Alison is filled with nostalgia for the places she knew
as a child! Steven is observing and enjoying everything. Mission almost
accomplished! Still only day 5!
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| Bar Mendi, noone will forget Miguel |
Day 6, Saturday Aug 3rd a Full Day in the Baztan valley. A hearty
continental breakfast at the Posada, everyone compared notes about the “valley
sounds” heard through their partly shuttered windows; a roster crowing about
the sunlight, distant clanking of sheep bells as they searched for their
morning quota of fresh grass, Ian said he had heard the whine and grinding of
gears from an underpowered and over stretched Moped tearing through the
backstreets and out on the main highway the other side the town church. Ah the sounds of village life on
a Saturday morning. Paul got the Mercedes from the south 40 parking lot and we
piled in for a drive up to the old mountain top and view down to the valley. We
found the access road in a run down condition but still covered with packs of
wild pony horses, the road to topside was in an even worse condition with
massive potholes. It was very breezy and cool up at the top and the view as
spectacular as ever. Photos taken to set off to the valley floor some 10 miles
below. If only we could fly straight there as if we were a crow!!
We stopped in Maya for a walk
about and found that a young couple had taken over an old water powered grist
mill and restored it to its full functioning glory with steaming water and huge
grist stone to grind the meal and wheat. What an interesting new historic
building to explore.
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| Topside looking down to Baztan valley |
It was nearly lunch time and so
Paul headed to the back streets of Elizondo for our midday meal which everyone
enjoyed.
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| Maya village the Kids Together in Spain! |
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| Ines Gil, Jane Beskow, Maria Gil |
The afternoon was spent with the
Mendi family kids: Marcos, Maria, Ines and the kids. Asun joined us for our
walkabout with the weekend festivities in the back streets complete with
dancing gigantes (15-20 feet tall with a wooden frame under the clothes which
was carried by one man) and cabezudos with large ugly papier-mache heads who chased
the kids and hitting them with foam rubber thumpers. Some of the little
children were terrified but some of the older ones had a blast running and
screaming in delight!
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| Gorramendi ponies |
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| Waterfall for the Maya Grist Mill |
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| Maya Grist Mill |
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| Fiestas in Elizondo |
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| Jane and Paul Beskow |
Supper was taken at the Posada
where everyone sampled a Baztan solomillo steak with lush red peppers and fries
after the famous ensalda mixta of course.
We were pretty exhausted by this
time! It has been non stop! We are trying to show the family all that we can
and I feel as though we are running them around at top speed! All our Spanish
family is delighted to meet them again and the kids just love it here!
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| One big happy family Beskow and Gil family |
And so to bed…….again. To sleep
the sleep of the exhausted! Even Ian and Steven the quintessential insomniacs
are sleeping!
Day 7, August 4th,
San Sebastian: Partly cloudy and
about 78oF for our short 50 mile drive from the Baztan into the vacation spot on the
northern coast of Spain. We drove slowly out of the sleepy village and onto the
next town of Irurita and a short diversion to show everyone the Mirador of the
Baztan for a Kodak short with fairly good conditions with minimal morning haze.
Photos taken we headed on our way and ultimately stopped at the Hotel Echelar
for a coffee and pottie stop. Steven had a frozen coffee
drink which he really, really, enjoyed. Noone was hungry but all noted that the
croissants looked like they were on steroids at least twice the normal size.
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| Mirador de Baztan |
We drove into San Sebastian and drove around the beach at Onderetta, stopped in the Wimbledon Tennis
Club (seriously folks, that’s what is called!) but the kids were anxious to dip
their feet in the water so off they went to amble down the beach a bit and
paddle. I suppose for us it is kind of old hat, and we live at the beach, but
Alison and Steven live in the dry west and I think would have enjoyed a bit
more time at the beach. San Sebastian is a lovely city I wish we could have
spent more time there but we really were trying to show the kids as much as
possible!
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| Wet feet in the Bay of Biscayne, San Sebastian Spain |
We decided it was not too early for lunch and so we set off
to the small fishing village of Orio for busego fish for lunch. With our large
van we entered the town and one system and was immediately confronted with
traffic being routed in the reverse of the painted arrows and signs. As I
attempted to turnaround the you Guardia Civil Traffico cop walked over and told
me to continue against the painted arrows because on weekends with the heavy
tourist traffic the want everyone to quickly exit the downtown by using the
reverse traffic flow. Everyone shook their heads and laughed as we obeyed their
directions and drove directly over the backtop
arrow pointing the opposite direction. Mind you we were looking for a
large parking spot which was ultimately found on our 2nd circuit
around the town. Right, van parked the 6 person troop marched off to find a
barbecue of besugo, (which is sea bream to the uninitiated). We sat at our
favorite restaurant outside in the shade directly next to the barbecue grill.
Our order was placed and our waiter who had spent a year in Australia wanted to
dust off the rust and speak nothing but English versus Spanish.
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| Grilling the besego fish |
Steven had fish soup which I would only rate as a 5 of 10
due to the lack of larger bits of mussels, fish and the like it was basically
all a puree. Cathie order pimentos with cheese and Ian ordered txistorra
sausage which was outstanding having been charcoaled. Ensalada Mixta keep us
busy until the two large fish arrived perfectly grilled and smothered in olive
oil and garlic slices. Hum, Hum and Ahs were expressed as everyone absolutely
enjoyed their first ever busego (Sea Bream) from the Atlantic cold waters!
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| 2 kilos of Busego fish for 6 people Orio Spain |
After lunch we all wandered over to the trial river’s edge
where the local children were diving from the barrier walls into the deep blue
waters. They were asking for small coins to be tossed so that could dive and retrieve the coins in order to
buy sweets or ice creams. Cute attraction it was. Actually they were a bunch of
little beggars, but entertaining . There was even a dog running down to steps
to retrieve a ball and clambering out and up the steps.
The kids were even
jumping off the bridge into the river. All were very strong swimmers. The Rio
Orio is a tidal river and obviously the tide was in. The town is a port for
small fishing boats and the catch is sold in many of the restaurants in town.
It has always been a favorite of ours and Dave and Joyce’s too. One time D
& J were visiting and the restaurant’s owners had told David that their son
had been lost at sea and they didn’t even have a photo of him. David remembered
taking a picture at the charcoal grills years back so when he got home he dug
it out and sent a copy to the family. They were thrilled! (I hope I got that
story right David ). All in all it was a very fun filled PM.
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| Jumping into the River Orio |
Back to San Seb and checked into the hotel before 6 PM and
then up to Mount Igueldo to view the entire city from high above. The view from
up there is quite spectacular. The air was crystal clear and the water was a
deep clear blue. Just gorgeous. The kids were very impressed. From up there you
can see all the way up and down the coast from west to east. The little island
in the center of the bay looks like a turtle and all the little sailing boats
were bobbing around quite happily. It was getting to be late in the afternoon now
and we had more planned!
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| San Sebastian Bay |
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| Ian and Cathie in front of the San Seb Bay. |
We went back to the hotel to freshen up. Guillermo (Alexis’
husband) had booked for us as he works for NH Hotels and this was the hotel
where they had their wedding reception. Everyone was very nice to us as they
all knew Guillermo. We met up a scant 45 mins later and headed to the Old Town
of Sansi by bus. (much easier than trying to park that hog of a Mercedes in a
town that has a parking crisis on its hands) We then introduced our family to
the joys of bar hopping and eating pintxos San Seb style!. So proud of them,
they took to it like ducks to water. It was a great evening with a lot of
laughter and goofing around. They have only seen a fraction of beautiful San
Sebastian, I hope they can come back one day and enjoy it by themselves. We
stumbled back to the bus stop and headed back to the hotel. It had been another
very full day. I am convinced Ian and Cathie would move here if they could. Ian
feels a tremendous affinity for Spain and especially this area.
Alison of
course remembers our many visits to various friends in Elizondo and of course
John, Gill and Alexis in San Sebastian and is feeling nostalgic with memories
popping up about places and things. I do hope this is all the expected it to be
and that they now understand why we keep coming back!
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| San Sebastian harbour |
And so to bed………..
Day 8, August
5th “THE DRIVE” Up early
for breakfast knowing that we have 500 kilometers to drive back down to Madrid
the better part of Monday. A great
breakfast buffet as usual so that everyone is fueled up for sitting and
watching the countryside whiz by the windows for hours on end. We did plan to
stop and walk around the Parador and castle at Olite so everyone can understand
the phrase “castle leg” strain from walking around the flat states of Florida
and New Mexico without the challenge of many steps or stairways. Right back into
the car again and trade off the drivers for a change too. It really is great to
have Ian here to share some of the fun driving this large shoe box of a
Mercedes.
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| Olite, Navarra Spain |
No other adventures except to have lunch at a
cafeteria behind a gas station just outside of an industrial park; the food was
pleasantly surprising. Three folks had the cheeks of pig jowls which was really
tasty and roasted to perfection. We finally arrived in Alcala so late that we
decided that the potential of seeing a flamenco on this Monday night had past
us by and would have to be done on Tuesday night instead. And so we wandered
into Alcala to hit the shops before closing time still there are things that
must be bought to take back stateside as gifts for friends and family. Alcala is
the birthplace of Cervantes and one of the oldest university towns. The kids
were impressed with the surroundings and the different twist to ordering drinks
and picking the tapa of choice to accompany the beverage; different custom to
other towns for sure.
he
The Parador here in
Alcala is very modern, but with a twist. A 17th century convent/
college has encompassed a modern building. Most of the old building is here but
has been wrapped in modern! Confused? They do it so well. All the old stonework
has been retained, the cloisters are enclosed but on the inside so that from
the outdoor patio all the arches are visible and pristine. The rooms are very
modern and bright, the lights are controlled by push buttons situated
throughout the room. Sometimes you may lower the blinds when you mean to turn
out the lights, but hey, what is life without a few adventures? Photos in front of the Cervantes Museum in Alcala de Henares.
Day 9, 6 August
MADRID Ok, having spent all of Monday shaped like bucket seats from the long
drive down from San Sebastian, we needed to lay out a game plan for the last
full day in Spain for the kids. Paul and Ian went off to top off the van’s
diesel tanks before the airport turn in. After they returned, it was time to
vote on how best to spend their last full day in the capital. The herd of cats
left the Parador at 1:00PM to catch the train into Atocha station and then onto
the Site Sighting bus and around Madrid.
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| Cathie about to take a Renfe train. |
Cathie had never been on a railroad train before, metro yes
but not one designed for above ground use.
Tickets were purchased the gang walked onto platform 2 for the 35 minute
journey. With gentle swaying to and fro the carriages gently rocked everyone
into a near sleep while the surroundings whizzed past resplendant with colored
tagging on walls, buildings and any surface flat enough to be spray painted. We
stopped outside Atocha station to grab a bite to eat at 100 Montaditos a place
we discovered last year in Seville. The group split up after only a short
portion of the hop on/hop off bus tour. The kids got a whistle stop tour of
part of Madrid. Wish we could have shown them more, as Madrid is one of my
favorite cities. They did see the Palace and Cathedral next door, and
innumerable fountains and beautiful buildings with statues on top! P&J,
Cathie and Ian stayed with the bus until it reached the Plaza Mayor where it
was time for refreshment and a phone call with Alexis to pin down a location to
meet up before we all went to our flamenco show.
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| Plaza Major Madrid |
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| Royal Palace Madrid |
The Plaza Mayor in Madrid has bars, restaurants and shops
all around the outside of the plaza, in the center there is always something
going on. People selling toys or performance artists doing their thing! It is
lively and full of fun. Lots of cops on motor scooters and cars roaming around,
plenty of security, but unobtrusive, leaving nothing to chance. Alexis called
and suggested we meet at the Emperador Hotel to at least have a drink and have
our annual meet up! Texts were flying back and forth between us and Alison and
Steve with instructions on where to go! Eventually we all got together and a
short but lovely visit with Alexis, Guillermo, Gill, Alison and Emily. They had
not seen Alison and Ian for years so it was really nice to catch up and renew a
friendship.
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| Meeting Up with friends in Madrid |
We left to go round the corner to Las Chinatas for our
evening spectacular! We had opted to just have a drink and the show, assuming
we would eat a little beforehand but as we were running around food was
forgotten for a while! I know, I know, we have not forgotten to eat once on
this trip, but remember we had a pregnant lady with us! Anyway, we settled in
with beers and tinto de verano and waited for the show. As is the custom in
Spain start times are on poco flojo, suggestions only and it was a bit late
getting started but once they got going it was worth the wait! It really was a
good show, sometimes passionate and moody, at times playful and flirtatious,
with singing and dancing and terrific guitar playing. It was exciting and
stimulating…….another mission accomplished!
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| Flamenco at Las Chinatas |
We left to make our way to Atocha and went via Plaza del Sol
from where all distances in Spain are measured. It is now close to 10:30 PM and
the party is just getting started here! However unless we wanted to pay a
fortune for taxis back to Alcala we had to get that train before midnight!
Cathie and baby ‘Kenzie were demanding food so we stopped in at, what passes
for a fast food place in Spain( food should not be rushed, but enjoyed slowly)
and grabbed some toasted sandwiches to go. Not the best timing on the trip, but
everything had gone swimmingly up until now. We caught the train in plenty of
time and got back to the Parador after midnight. By my trusty pedometer) we had
been averaging over 7 miles a day just walking but today we pushed the bar that
much higher having clocked over 12 miles on Tuesday! See, we are working all
that food off! We parted for the night with instructions to meet the next
morning for breakfast at 8AM. Bags to be packed and ready to leave for the
airport at 9AM.
And so to bed…………
 | |
| A Trip to Remember 2013 SPAIN - Alison Benton [nee Beskow] and Ian Beskow |
Day 10, 7th
August MADRID Wednesday morning it is up early, bags packed and breakfast
In order to head to Barajas airport before the morning rush hour. The van looks
different with luggage for only 4 people stowed in the rear. It is cool and
partly cloudy overcast affecting the sadness that the whirlwind has come to a
close and soooooooooooooooo quickly too.
Off to try and find terminal 4; it took us two missed turns
and a gallant recovery to finally arrive at the new Terminal 4. Kids unloaded
in front of American/Iberia signs, hugs and kisses all around; Jane and I are
off to find the Avis/Budget counter to give them back their shoebox van.
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| The 'old' University, Alcala de Henares |
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| Palacio Laredo, Museo Cisneriano |
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| Alcala de Henares City Hall |
The chap at Budget came out to give the van a once over and
accepted it without question as almost every rental in Spain has scratches,
scrapes, and small dents from the parking crisis in all Spanish towns.
We headed back to the Parador to regroup. It felt really
strange to be without our family. We kind of collapsed for a while and felt a
bit grumpy and out of sorts. The rest of the day we napped and adjusted. I knew
Paul was missing Ian and Alison so much. We had not had a family vacation for
so long and being out of our normal environment made us feel very close to our
children. Kids…we adore you and miss you so much!
All for today, just
hanging around getting rested up for the next stage of our trip…tomorrow will
be the Chinese Laundry Day.
Day 11, 8th August
MADRID The better part of this day was spent lounging about our Parador
room catching up on laundry and resting up. We have made arrangements to meet
our Spanish family in Madrid this evening so we relax until it’s time to walk
over to the train station. We went out for a quick bite to eat and then headed
to the station.
We met Juanmi outside the Tios’ apartment and headed over to
meet everyone. We had a lovely time it was so nice to see them all. Tia Ana
looks great, Tio Miguelito is doing very well after his cancer scare, Maite is
working , but it is very odd, she has to sign a new contract every two months.
However she does enjoy the variety of the work with all sorts of different
Doctors. Jaunmi is very happy with his position in the team of Pediatric heart
surgeons. A much faster pace, more stress but more
It was a lovely visit, we all caught up on each other’s
lives and too soon it was time for us to head back. We still had to finish up
the suitcases so we could leave for Plasencia in the morning after picking up
Cheryl at Barajas Airport.
Day 12, 9th August Alcala
de Henares towards Plasencia + Cheryl Arrives: Our 4-day respite at one
single place has finally come to an end. Time to verify the luggage capacity of
this smaller Picasco mini-van. Actually not bad but It will be interesting when
we add Cheryl’s luggage into the mix shortly.
For once Carmen Garmin got us out of town in record order and without
correct use of multiple roundabout treks to overcome her shortcomings. Onto the
E-90/A-2 or what was once the N-II Madrid-Barcelona road now renumbered and
renamed by each successive Government changeout and new Transport Minister who
wants to leave their mark on the highway system!! (Nearly all highways have at
least 4 different numbers assigned to it now.
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| Parador Plasencia entrance |
We were 15 minutes late to Barajas airport thanks to Carmen
and we saw no sign of Cheryl although there were other Americans with luggage
standing about having arrived from Atlanta; OK, so where is Cheryl?? She had
gone for a short walk outside the terminal for fresh air although the humugus
line of taxi’s spoiled the freshness with their diesel fumes. When Cheryl
reentered the terminal she bumped into Jane almost immediately.
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| Plasencia Plaza, Cheryl and Jane |
We paid the parking ticket in order to exit and strolled out
to the lower 40 where we had left the Picasco parked. Cases were shifted and
magically we made everything fit. The M-40 outer belt carried us around the
limited morning traffic and soon we were headed towards points Southwest on the
A-6. Cheryl had not slept on her overnight flight and was holding up quite
well. We stopped in Talverez where the tile museum is located and had a spot of
refreshment and powered our noses, too. The tortilla de patatas has a layer of
stuffing (chorizo) which really made it tasty. Cheryl said she had waited
nearly two years to taste something this good as she had last been in Spain in
September 2011. We parked in front of the Parador Plasencia at 2:00PM and were
told we must park our car in the Parador garage versus the No Parking zone
where we had left it. OK wind through the narrow streets until you are outside
the city for parking. This is the
parador where we have to drive into a lift, turn off the engine and push the
button to get to the correct parking level and then drive off the elevator. It
still blows my mind that the car is taken up in an elevator! After 10 minutes
of multiple turns and forward/backwards angling the car was finally placed into
slot 32 as assigned and we unloaded to go upstairs.
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| Entrance to Plasencia |
This parador is a total contrast to Alcala, it is much older
and very traditional. Very old with lots of old paintings and tapestries and
antique (or reproduction) furniture. A nice change. Both of us had selected twin bed rooms as the girl
had said there was more room than a double. We have a
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| Stairway above Plasencia Bar |
Lunch was awesome and the Jefe asked us how we had found his
place, he was delighted that we had been there before and invited up to have
degistif. Very nice, Cheryl had the
orange licor she has been searching for 2 years and was most pleased!
 |
| 22:56 Hours |
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| Still 29 degrees C. |
The weather has been steaming hot again. After a slight dip
in temperatures they have crept up again. It is pretty funny, because one guy
said “Whew, I could not live in Miami it is too hot!” It has been over 100
degrees here! I admit, it is dry, but it is still like a blast furnce!
We spent the evening walking around in the shade and
sampling the local wines and tapas. Eventually the sun went down and it cooled
a bit, nice to sit out in for a while.
And so ends another day…………
DAY 13, 11 August PLASENCIA
and moving to Cuidad Rodrigo It was
actually Saturday morning after our usual breakfast buffet that we all returned
to our rooms (305 and 306); Jane was with Cheryl who shrieked as she was about
to open her door. A tiny bat was hanging around. The two little boys along with
their Mom and Dad really enjoyed the new friend. We alerted the maid who called
a maintenance chap who came and move the wee fellow to the outdoors. The two
little boys were jumping for joy. OK,
now let’s get the car out of the garage using the elevator.
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| Cheryl's Bat Friend |
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| Parador Plasencia |
Our Sunday drive would take in the Roman ruins at Caparra a
place to which we had driven on Saturday afternoon only to find it locked up
tight during siesta hours. However, that meant we had to have menu of the day
at a nearby truck stop which did not look like much from the outside but on the
inside was a clean tidy dining room (comedor) filled with the aromas of good
home cooking. Cheryl and Jane had Gazpacho soup and ensalda mixta while Paul
had the menu of the day with salad and pollo asado (roasted chicken) the
chicken absolutely succulent and tender it fell right off the bone. All too
often the chicken is fully cooked but no longer juicy – not so on this one as
everyone agreed. After lunch we went up to Cabezabellosa high up above the
plateau to see what perspective we would have to the valley below. As any good
respecting goat would say, you are up in the clouds now my friend take a look
around you but watch your step!! I posted the panaroma photo to facebook before
we headed back down to where we had left civilization. We rumbled back to the
Parador for a short siesta. The evening was spent in town on the Plaza Mayor
people watching and eating tapas instead of a full meal. At 11:00PM it was
still 32o C. Our two nights at Palenscia have passed quickly; an
easy transition for Cheryl into Spanish time and customs again.
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| Parador Plasencia Lounge sitting room |
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| Entrance to Parador Plasencia at night |
The drive to Cuidad Rodrigio was roughly 180kilometers and
covered terrain very much like Arizona only minus the cactus. We climbed
through a mountain range to reach the high plateau area adjacent to Portugal.
Wellington took on the French and booted Napolean and his army back to France
from this city which bestowed several welcome titles upon him for helping to
defeat the mad Frenchman in the early 1800s. There are markers denoting this
facts no matter in which direction you turn but the Spanish certainly hold
Wellington in high regard. Finding the city was easy the Parador was a whole
lot more difficult because the first sign pointing directions was never
followed up by a second nor even a third sign with the large “P” on it. Typical
Spain. Cheryl was duly impressed with this Parador even though the steps did not have any ramps to help the
travelers with wheeled suitcases. Luggage deposited we went off in search of
menu of the day….I know, let’s do something different – like eat!!
Melon with serano ham, while Paul had a small cazuella of
white beans and sausage with a tomato sauce and lovely smokey flavor from the
sausage. Paul had lomo while the girls shared an ensalda mixta.
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| Plaza Major Cuidad Rodrigo |
We went for a walk around the walls of the old city. We had
hoped it would be a bit cooler, but it was still super hot, not even a breeze
up there on the wall. The walls totally encircle the old city and it is a
lovely walk. We passed the cathedral and admired the cannonball dents in the
walls from the battle for the city(1810 or there about—Napoleonic Wars). Cheryl
and I met a lovely couple from San Sebastian who were visiting family. They
were trying to catch a breeze too. Paul by this time had shot off towards the
Parador (which is a Palace built into the walls of the town). He was probably
thinking about where to eat that evening!
We ended up back in the Plaza Mayor that evening for tapas
and sat watching the house martins swooping around the late evening foraging
for mosquitoes and other flying insects before they settle in for the night.
Another warm evening well suited for people watching from the main square. We
are so easily entertained! Another lovely little city with lots of history. We
are clocking quite a few walking miles now. Up until the kids left we were
doing 7 or 8 miles a day, now we up to 10. Perhaps the copious amounts of food
won’t stay around on our waistlines too long!
We have a long drive tomorrow so off we head to our beds.
DAY 14, 12 August Cuidad Rodrigo moving to Leon Monday For Jane and Paul we have just turned over
the two week point on this trip having arrived 29 July with the kids . We have
a long drive ahead of us, so we decided to take the highway instead of moseying
down lesser roads to see what we can find. It was an uneventful trip and Carmen
Garmin behaved herself. Her alter ego is James and he was fairly quiet unless
we ignored him and then he insisted we make a “u turn as soon as possible”. We
decided to eat at a small town not far (14K) from Leon. I’ll put in the correct
name when I get my map book but it was something “de los Guzmans” it has
started my quest to find out about the Guzman family, who were around in
the11th or 12 century ( I think) but you still see the name all over the place.
Moors? Maybe, who knows, we have not been able to get WiFi for any length of
time to check it out. The Visigoths (Germanic decents) were pretty busy in
Spain too. Everyone has had a go at this country. The Phoenicians, Romans,
Visithgoths and the Moors. All of whom have left their mark on the country.
Fascinating stuff!
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| Cheryl Beagan and Jane Beskow at Parador Cuidad Rodrigo |
Anyway this restaurant was
incredibly busy. You usually see little eating places everywhere, but food (in
Paul’s opinion) was needed and now! I swear we waited for over an hour before
we were served. The food was decent enough but man, we spent nearly 2 hours in
that place!
We arrived at the Parador eventually and checked in. This place has a
long history, it is huge and is supposed to be one of the showplaces for the
Parador group, but it needs a bit of sprucing up as you rest on your laurels as
a 5-star, yet have malfunctioning AC room units, telephones that do NOT
work,etc.. It has a large collection of artwork and the furniture if not
antique certainly does fit this beautiful old building. The cloisters are
magnificent and the history of this place is quite checkered. They did a good
thing restoring the building and making good use of it. There was a
thunderstorm in the PM with lots of good wetting rain. Nice. Cut the heat
tremendously. Our first good rain on this trip.
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| Parador Leon Chappel |
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| Parador Leon Hotel Entrance |
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| Plaza Major Leon |
Day 16, August
14th Leon to Fuente De via Potes A brilliant sunny morning to
start our drive north into the mountain range known as the Picos de Europa.
This part of the journey is new for Cheryl but Jane and Paul have been here once before about 5 years ago
or so. After crossing from Castilla and Leon into Cantabria, high in the
mountains, we stopped to take some pictures at the reservoir at Riano and later
in the town. It was a very picturesque little town overlooking the reservoir
with lots of flowers. Down the alley next to the hotel there were 4 bicycles
lined up along the wall with boxes of flowers on the handlebars and back wheel.
One of the cutest displays ever! Nice coffee and pastry in the hotel too!
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| Riano Spain |
Next stop was Potes, a delightful little town which was full
of tourists. Hard to find a parking spot, but we had to eat! When we were here before it was busy but
manageable. We ate outside overlooking the little river. We pressed on for
Fuente De. The approach is a winding road up and down through the valley. About
2 kilometers from the Parador there were cars parked by the side of the road.
Dozens and dozens of cars. As we checked in I asked why so many cars. The
receptionist said “It’s August!” I said “But there is a crisis! Nobody has any
money!” She laughed and said “Some do”! People were waiting in line for hours
to ride the Teleferrico(cablecar) up to the top of the mountain at 14,000 ft!
We had thought we would like to do that, but decided 2 hours wait and €45 per
person seemed a little high! Crisis my eye! It is still a pretty awesome thing
to see! Paul and did it last time we were there and it was interesting and a
lot of fun.
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| Potes |
Cheryl and I went to the Cantabrian Bear Museum and the
video was really interesting. The gal even ran the video in English. We sat
outside and had a drink and watched the Teleferrico go up and down and the
clouds creep over the tops of the mountains and down into the valley. I bet the
people at the top were a bit damp!
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| Parador Fuente de |
The Picos are awesome. It very green until a certain
altitude and then it looks as though the peaks have been squeezed up into
jagged peaks. Very rugged and still some snow in the shaded areas. Impressive!
Day 17, August
15th It is moving day as we must drive from the
Picos de Europa mountain range all the way to Elizondo and our beloved Baztan
valley. Right, Paul has started taking the Z-Pack for the sinus infection but
is also taking the decongestant from the local Pharmacy as well so we must stop
in Potes at a Pharmacy this AM. However, as you know a stop in a tourist town
like Potes means that Cheryl will have an opportunity to shop a little, too.
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| Elizondo |
We
found out that the 15th is a National holiday in Spain so we stop in
the next town for a Pharmacy. Today’s 380K drive will take us out of the Picos
along the valley floor on winding and twisting roads and up to the Atlantic coastline
in order to turn east towards Santander, Bilbao, San Sebastian, using the A-8
major highway, etc. It was a hair raising ride with lots of traffic heading
back into the Picos and Potes.
We knew we had a very long ride ahead of us and
there were not too many stops planned. We had a quick stop for lunch and headed
straight for Elizondo. We stopped in one of the small basque villages alongside the motorway and had bodegas and other small sandwiches. The display bottles above the bar were covered in at least 20 years of dust but the food was great and hit the spot.
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| Elizondo |
Everyone was already here. We met up with everyone
eventually, a glass of wine a few pintxos a lot of hugs double kisses and “So
happy to see you”s later and we were settled in our lovely town! The weather is
gorgeous , it is green and lush and beautiful. So happy to be back.
The reunion dinner is scheduled for this evening at the
Posada and so we wandered over to sit in front as everyone arrived: Gary Thompson, Carmenchu, Gene Quertier,
Pelle, Maria Jose, Asun, Loles, Innes, Tom and Vicki Shoquist, Bob Chavez and
Kayrn, Ned and Marlyn Burkhalter, Dave and Joyce Murray along with sister
Carol, Cheryl Beagan, Chi Chi Ruiz, Guillermo Quertier, Gill Fischer-Groves from
San Sebastian, too and others all piled into the Posada for dinner. Belen had
prepared a feast with outstanding food. The massive table was covered in
goodies and we all dug into the feast. What a reunion among friends and the
Elizondo community!!
Day 18, Saturday, August
17th
All the Americans
have arrived in Elizondo. Dave, Joyce, Carol, Cheryl, Paul and I are settled in
to the house. The weather is gorgeous and we are looking forward to our trip
down memory lane. We all met at the Posada in Elbete to have coffee and a
convoy sets off up the mountain. There are 16 of us, all former residents of
Gorramendi and Elizondo, GIs and wives. The access road is not too bad
considering it really has not been maintained but it is teaming with hikers
with dogs, cyclists and lots of horses and ponies. (the latter are mostly wild)
It has become quite a destination spot for picnickers and walkers. It is 10
kilometers to the top and a lot of memories come flooding back! We stop at the
old containment area where the dormitories, chow hall, club, admin offices and
clinic were. It is totally gone, even the foundations. Under the Status of
Forces Agreement the land had to be returned to its original state. It is
fenced off, trees have been planted (they are still very small) and there are a
couple of hunting blinds. All the guys were wandering around pointing out the
former location of things, it was very nostalgic for them. This was the first
time back for some and quite a shock to the system. This base and this part of
Spain made a huge impact on many of the young men and those are the ones who
have returned. Elizondo and its people made us so welcome that it still feels
like home to us.
We continued our
journey up topside to where the guys all worked. There was a lot of scrambling
over rocks and up hills by a lot of middle aged men and a lot of photographs
taken by all! There was a chap with us who works for one of the local
newspapers and he took a lot of photos, perhaps we will see pics in the Spanish
newspaper. Great weather to take photos and a view all the way to the French
coast line and out into the Atlantic.
So befitting that mid afternoon we all
ventured down the mountain and ended up at Bar Mendi for a snack of torilla and
beers. Eugenia from the hair dressers arrived from Pamplona and joined the
crowd. Saturday evening a group of 10 walked to the edge of Elizondo for a meal
while other converged on the Posada again for dinner. The Americans are here in
force; there’re everwhere!! A early evening and off we go to rest our weary
bones.
Day 19,
Sunday, August 18th On Sunday
we all met at the Posada at 1000 had coffee and lined up for a convoy to
Pamplona. Several had not driven the revised road with long tunnels and new
highway which has eliminated the 11 switchbacks that had been the Pamplona pass
needing 1.5 hours to make the journey back in the 69s and 70s. Anyway we lined
up and headed south under a cloudless sky, expecting the temps to reach the
lower 90s in Pamplona.
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| Pamplona |
An easy drive up and over the pass now courtesy of 5 massive
tunnels and smooth roads with gentle bends. There was one detour on the
Pamplona bypass due to the springtime rains a huge rock and mud slide was
undergoing repairs to reengineer the runoff and preclude a recurrence of
mountain on top of road, yet again!
All cars made it easily into the underground parking beneath
Plaza Castillo. This garage has the fancy alert system with Red/Green lights to
alert the public if the space is occupied or vacant. It really cuts down on the
driving around to find a spot. Right, cars parked and camera in tow, it’s off
to the bandstand we go. Maria Delores (Loles now) and her daughter, Nekane were
kind enough to volunteer to host the group of Americans. They had maps and
various Tourist Info brochures with details about many of the Navarra points of
interest. Our group of 15 assembled beneath the Plaza bandstand and prepared
themselves to wander the sights of Pamplona, first was City Hall and then onto
the Cathedral which had a Sunday late morning mass underway; however, the ‘pilgrims’
were allowed quiet access to view the cathedral and enjoy the organ music and
file out the opposite side easily.
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| Pamplona bullring |
Next we went to the edge of the old city walls and looked
out over the valley to the spreading city afar.
Back into the the alleyways and we wandered to the Plaza
Castillo and our target for lunchtime which was Café Iruňa an old hangout of
Ernest Hemingway’s when he was supposedly writing The Sun Also Rises(or Death
in the Afternoon) in 1926. The menu of the day was a tad more pricey than other
locations but well worth it as it had allowed them to offer a huge selection of
1st and 2nd course choices; tasty and fresh. The Café Iruna
was built in 1888 and is very elegant, in fact Pamplona is a lovely city. We
also walked the path of the encierro of the San Fermin festival. It really is
quite short, about 1 kilometer, but the problem is the sheer number of people
in those narrow street. Before the19th century bulls did run to the bull ring
but only with their pastores, then it was with people (I guess some idiot
decided it would be fun, and other idiots joined in).The current route started
at the beginning of the 20th century. After every San Fermin
Festival there is a meeting to discuss how to make it safer, the problem being
there is no control over who joins the run. There are no doors to get out once
the rocket is fired and the barricades are closed. The only ones pulled out are
drunks, anyone who is injured or had a heart attack! The police do not go into
the route , it is too dangerous and they
cannot monitor what is going on from street level. It is a huge problem,
because it is such a tradition and there would be uproar if they tried to
change it, but the authorities are always looking for ways to control the
crowds without controversy! Vicki and Tom apparently decided, back when they
were young and daft, to run with the bulls, but when they saw the mass of
humanity and the bulls, Tom managed to pull them into a narrow, shallow doorway
and they stopped running and let them all pass!
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| Dave Murray, Jane Beskow, Cheryl Beagan |
Paul had made his famous bean soup with txistorra (a
wonderful spicy local sausage) and we had some chicken breasts to cook up so we
put together a lovely meal and asked Tom and Vicki to share it with us. We all
had a lovely meal. Dave and Joyce, Cheryl and Carol all joining in to cook and
serve and clean up. It is really nice to have the freedom of the caserio to
have meals together in a very relaxed way.
 |
| Pamplona |
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| Pamplona |
Day 20,
Monday, August 19th
This was an “Open day” on the reunion schedule. And with
an overcast sky but dry conditions we went partly up the hill to the village of
Maya to visit the grist mill we had found when there with the kids. Typical for a Monday, it was closed as was the restaurant
After a hearty lunch we all went our separate ways for
the afternoon siesta hour. Monday we had an impromptu dinner in the back
streets of Elizondo for Bob Chavez and Ned Burkhalter who are departing for
Barcelona on Tuesday AM and splitting off from the others for the remainder of
the reunion schedule.
Eugenia from the old hair salon joined us for dinner so
it was a noisy bunch to say the least.
 |
| San Sebastian |
Day 21 -24, August 20th
thru 23rd (Tuesday thru
Friday) A summary version versus a
day-by-day blow of accounts for a change as the reunion festivities have been
keeping everyone very busy and very happy to say the least. I suppose you are
all getting quite bored with all the details, so we will keep it simple. We
have been so busy every day that it is hard to find time to sit down and write
about the day’s events. Then we also must address the fact that our age(s) we
have trouble re-counting what we had done even the day before when each 24 hour
period is cramed full of non-stop activities, meals, and fun with everyone!Tuesday was spent in San Sebastian. The weather really has
been wonderful. We set off from Elizondo with Tom and Vicki following to
re-visit that lovely city. Our phones have not been playing very nice, and
trying to get in touch with Gill was difficult to say the least. Eventually I
called Alex in Madrid and got a phone number and connected with Gill just as we
got into town. Paul had decided he wanted to go in “the old way”!!! Not sure
what way that was, but we ended up in the mountains above the city! Lovely view
though. Parking is always at a premium and we waited in line for ages to get
into the underground parking lot. We explored the old town, checked out a few
stores(sales are big right now) had a pintxo or two and then went to meet Gill.
Lovely to see her again. Sanse (as we in the know call the town!) has got to be
one of the loveliest cities in Spain if not Europe. However I am not sure we
would come again in August, too many tourists!!!!
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| San Sebastian |
 |
| Beartiz Gardens |
The place is packed with
visitors and a lot of the voices are speaking English. We visited the Cathedral
and then headed back to Elizondo. We ate at Exchlar on the way home. It was a
very good meal, you know I don’t think we have had a bad meal yet!
Wednesday we went to the border with France, Dancharrenea
(sp?) for picnic stuff and then Urdax for lunch then the caves at Zugarramurdi
and Urdax, in that order. In the 17th century when there was a lot
of hooha and fear of witches, many people were rounded up and tried for
witchcraft by the church in this area. Check it out on google it is very
interesting. The caves a Zugarramurdi is where many were burned at the stake.
It has also been a hotspot for smuggling too as it is so close to the border
with France. The caves at Urdax are underground and full of stalagmites and
stalagtites. Quite beautiful, nicely lit and narrated. It is a lovely drive
over the mountains and if I remember the name of the pass I will put it in! We
headed back to town as we were hosting the Mendi family for dinner and soup and
salads had to be made. Asuncion was bring her world famous tortilla de patatas
and Maria was bringing an empanada de atun. There were 16 of us round the table
and food, wine and conversation flowed freely! It was a wonderful evening. I am
just about worn out with all the celebrating! We have a farewell dinner Friday
night at the Posada, and Maria Jose has invited us to her garden for drinks and
a private showing of her sister Ana Marie Marin’s paintings! (She is quite
a famous artist here in Spain). Do we
know people or what??
On Thursday we rounded up the gang (that was left!) and went
to Bertiz National Preserve which is just down the road in Mugaire. It’s been
there forever and until recent trips we knew nothing about it, how young and
stupid were we? It has been a park of sorts since the 14 century, but was not
actually donated to the Province of Navarra until the early 20th century
when the family that owned donated it. Up until then it had been used and
abused by many, for uncontrolled hunting, falconers (hunting and stealing the
birds) wood cutting etc. Now it is being managed and preserved and can be
enjoyed by all. What a wonderful legacy to leave behind. There was a display of
nature photos in the house by local photographers, which David particularly
wanted to see. Mission accomplished!
Lunch was at the turn off in Mugaire and as usual it was
great, with the ubiquitous coach party (of nearly 100 folks) trooping in and
creating a clatter as the horde was served their meal from huge platters heaped
tall with fries, steaks and roasted chicken!
There was quite a crowd at Maria Jose’s for drinks and
pintxos Thursday evening, it was very sweet of her to invite us and her house
is most interesting. Her family is one of the most prominent in the valley and
the house is a bit like a museum. I’m not sure she remembers us as she had some
health issues a while back and a lot of memories are missing. Nontheless she
believed us when we told her we used to party with her back in the day and she
graciously invited us into her home. She is still quite a character and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. She and Gill
seemed to click at the first dinner we had and they were up until 3 AM renewing
their friendship and generally having a good time. Who says 60 somethings can’t
party?
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| Reading about the Antique American soldiers |
Friday we went to a mill in Maya which has been restored by
a couple to show how the mills worked throughout the valley. He gave us a lot
of history especially about how Franco tried to drive out or kill (by
starvation) the people in the valley and how they managed to survive,
Fascinating stuff! and finally a farewell dinner at the Posada to wrap up the
reunion week.
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| Friends Forever cake - thanks, Lander! |
The farewell reunion dinner was another outstanding success
with 17 folks in attendance. Belen outdid her first efforts with another great
selection of appetizers to begin with: s selection of cold cuts (Serrano ham,
sausages, and dried lomo), hongoes (wild mountain mushrooms in a puff patry) and
fish mouse with shrimp sauce. Dessert
was brought by Lander Santamaria a chocolate cream-filled cake with “Friends
Forever” scripted onto of the two cakes. What a great wrap up to a great
reunion week in the Baztan valley.
 | |
| Posada de Elbete: Karlos, Belen and their children |
Day 25-30 24,
August 24th thru 28th (Saturday
thru Wednesday ‘fly home day’)
We have now been back in the US for a week! I feel I must
write down what transpired after the final dinner at the Posada. Our WiFi connections
at various places have been very spotty, but that is no excuse for not writing.
Quite frankly we were pooped! This was supposed to be a vacation but we have
been on the move non-stop. This morning on FB Cheryl asked me to finish the
blog so she would know what she had done! I said fine, but if I cannot
remember, I will fake it! So…here
goes…………
 |
| Zarautz |
Saturday morning we all packed up out cars and left the
house for different destinations. Dave, Joyce and Carol were heading out to San
Sebastian and then on to Leketio and Santander to catch the ferry home to the
UK. Paul, Cheryl and I were going to meander our way towards Madrid, by way of
Zarautz, Briñas (near Haro), Lerma and Madrid. We left our lovely Baztan Valley
and Elizondo with regret, but we will be back, it is a second home to us all.
We just love it. Loles posted on FB that the Diario Vasco had an article on the
“antiguo americanos” returning to the valley. We are not sure how we feel about
being antiques! Still someone has to do it! There are interesting comments and
misconceptions about what the Americans were doing up there. Someone even said
there were missile silos up there, which of course was nonsense. Angel Marie
was a cab driver in Elizondo and he used to tell all the tourists that the big
billboard antennas were in fact missile silos with lids open! He got such a
kick out of the naiveté of the mainly French tourists who believed it! I
suppose some rumors are hard to break!
It is a short hop along the coast to Zarautz which has
become a huge surfing center on the Basque Coast. We used to go there in the
early ‘70s to body surf the waves, before surfing became such a big thing over
here. It is a pleasant little town and quite packed with surfing dudes and
dudettes and families of vacationers. (did I mention that August is vacation
month in Spain?) The hotel was decent and central; though everything is central
in this town it just isn’t that big. We drove along the coast to the next
fishing village, Getaria, intending to eat some fresh fish for lunch, but when
we saw the Menu del dia was €27 we just about passed out and decided to pass on
lunch in the port! We would have gone into the village proper, but as I
mentioned before, parking is at a premium everywhere in Spain and after all
this time in country, we decided to just head back to our hotel in Zarautz and
eat in the dining room there. We had a very decent meal there and headed out to
walk along the seafront.
 |
| Promenade at Zarautz beach |
It was packed! It is a huge paved promenade with seawalls
protecting it from the surf which can be brutal during storms. Spain is, in
fact, a huge rock, and this north coast has some fine beaches in the many bays,
but the rest is rugged and rocky, with wild surf. When the weather is calm and
the tide is out, the town is well known for its sandy beaches and colorful striped
cabinas which line the sand. The tide was coming in, surf was up and people
were starting to leave the beaches. The cabinas were all tied up and secured
and the promenade was lined with cafes, beach and surf shops and families and
surfers all roiling around. We walked the length of the prom, explored some
shops and booths and then sat to do our favorite thing….sipping wine and people
watching! The gear in the surf shops was very expensive but I do regret not
buying the t-shirt with “Surf the Basque Coast” emblazoned on it, however at
over $25 as the price I opted out.(That was a
Zoey-sized shirt, not an adult). It was very cute though.
By this time the surf was pounding against the seawall and
creating some awesome splashing and spray. Quite impressive.
We have been walking
on average about 7-8 miles a day. Some days we hit 10-12 miles. No wonder we
can keep on eating as much as we do, we need the fuel for the next day! Not so
impressive you think?? Remember our ages and physical conditions, Paul needs to
walk for his heart but he has plantar fasciitis and walking is hard for hm.
Cheryl has the worst knees in creation and they have to be replaced soon, so
all these miles are pretty good! I, (the oldest) on the other hand, have been
training for this, with walking and stair stepping…..just sayin’……
We decided to tour the old town and eat a few pintxos for
supper, but Cheryl and I were so stuffed by this time that we opted out of
eating (can you believe it?) made Paul feel a bit guilty and a bit crabby, but
I really could not stuff in another piece of food. The pintxos looked awesome
too!
 |
| Zarautz |
The next day we headed out for Briñas in the Rioja wine
country. Driving on local roads rather than highway made for a very interesting
trip through rugged mountain passes and wild Basque country. There were a few
interesting little villages and one town which we had never encountered before,
Azpeitia, which, apparently was the birthplace of Ignatius of Loyola and houses
a large Jesuit compound. There is a huge baroque basilica which presides over
the town which is only 16 miles SW of San Sebastian. It is most surprising to
come upon this town after driving for miles through such rugged mountainous
country. Who knew???
We soldiered on through more mountains and twists and turns
and passes until suddenly, the terrain changed! We were coming in to wine
country and the Rioja district. We found Briñas without much trouble. It is
very close to Haro where we had visited at the beginning of the trip with the
kids. The Hospederia Señorio de Briñas is a 17th or 18th
century palace (depending on which account you read) which has been turned into
a hotel. The town is very tiny and charming. I wish we had had more time to
walk along the river and explore. The hotel is rustic (but modernized) and
delightful. We were directed to a local restaurant for lunch, so we stopped and
ate….again. (There are only 2
restaurants in the village) The meal was excellent and the place was
packed with locals having Sunday lunch, obviously a favorite spot.
 |
| Hospederia Senora Brinas |
It does surprise me that though there is a huge financial
“Crisis” in Spain (pronounced creesees
with great feeling) that every night you will find huge numbers of people out
with their families, drinking, eating and socializing. This is every night
everywhere we have been. Perhaps they are not spending as much or perhaps they
are just better at handling adversity than other people in Europe. They are
enjoying life the best way they can and the devil take care of the details!
Suerte! I say go for it!
Off to Lerma tomorrow, only 3 more nights left.
 |
| Parador Lerma |
 |
| Parador Lerma lounge |
 |
| Lerma |
 |
| Field of Sunflowers on our way to Santo Domingo de Silos |
When we got back we were grabbed by the receptionist who
told us we could move to another turret! Good Lord! Now you know how we chalk
up all those miles. I swear it was half a mile away on another side of the building!
Move done (suitcases moved, etc) we headed out to refresh ourselves with a
glass of wine in the lounge. (As an Amigo you are given a complementary glass
of wine. Used to be free parking too, but times is hard me dears, times is
hard! Cannot complain as we have paid for 4 rooms on this trip with our Amigos
points) This time the wind did not howl in our new tower digs!
Dinner was a couple of raciones(mushrooms, shrimp,
croquettas etc) at the Bar across the Plaza and it was quite sufficient. This
time everywhere was quiet.
 |
| Lerma sunset |
Breakfast the next morning was the usual Parador awesomeness
and it was with great reluctance that we checked out to head out to Madrid. Tomorrow
we fly out. L
We decided to head straight back to Madrid and have lunch at one of our favorite
restaurants, however, on the way needs had to be met, so we stopped at an
unassuming little town called Buitrago
de Lozoya. We really need a potty break and a cup of coffee.( by this time,
Cheryl is addicted to “cortado” which is a café solo with a dash of steamed
milk )(to Americans the closest thing is some Italian thing called macchiato
but cortado is much better). This town
looks interesting, there are crenallated walls and maybe a castle…dare we
explore? Paul has wandered off so Cheryl and I head down the street and find…a
Picasso Museum! Can you believe it? Now, I have to say I have never been a big
fan of Picasso but he is a Spanish icon and acclaimed artist so I gotta go with
it…right? A friend of his had lived in this town and had received drawings and
sketches etc from the great man, sufficient to donate to this special Museum.
Must be worth a fortune. If I could find the postcard I could tell you more but
know this, this town needs to be visited again, and it will be on the next trip
up this way! On previous blogs I have described Spain as an onion, where you
peel away layer upon layer and come upon something new and interesting and
awesome every time. Nice, nice little town. Cheryl bought a little scarf and
was really pleased with herself, Paul was right where we left him (he had found
that an old Seat 600d had pulled into the slot next to our car) and all was
good with the world….so the journey continued.
 |
| Seat 600d in Buitrago de Lozoya |
We had to employ the knowledge of Carmen (Garmin as you know
it) to find our next goal, which was Las Moreras that fine dining establishment
on the main road into Madrid. It is not that we didn’t know where it was, but
we were approaching from a different angle and there are so many new roads and
highways that getting lost was a real possibility! When Paul says let’s go the
old way, shiver in fear, because you don’t know where you will end up! It was a
tossup between going to the restaurant or the hotel, the restaurant won! Now,
this is a good story. Paul and I used to visit this restaurant back on the
early “70s when we first lived in Spain. The day before I gave birth to Alison,
we ate here. There used to be a lot of “chuleterias” where you could order the
little milk lamb chops and salad and potatoes. It was all farm land and the
food was served on a big table family style and everyone in your party helped
themselves. The troubadours would wander around and entertain you. Casual fine dining at its best! The main road
was the N1 or the Avenida de America and there was no confusion about where you
were going; now it is a big mess of ring roads, and bypasses and spaghetti
junctions which can lead you astray if you blink! We try to visit here when we
come back because it holds such wonderful memories for us. It is still a
wonderful restaurant with a huge outdoor patio, paved, with umbrellas and trees
to shade you. You can see the kitchens and there is beautiful tile work
throughout. The service is quick and courteous and friendly. We told our waiter
our story and asked him how long he had worked here…51 years he said. He told
us how it had started as a chuleteria with gas pumps outside to draw in the
customers! The only drawback is that in the intervening years, Barajas Airport
has become a world hub, and all conversation ceases when a plane comes in to
land! Right in the flight path, you can count the rivets on their undersides as
they roar to their touchdowns!
 |
| Las Moreras |
We had a fabulous meal and basked in our memories. We had
wanted to bring the kids here, but time got away from us during those hectic first
10 days. Next time my darlings, next time!
We headed off to the Hotel Osuna. We used to stay here back
in the ‘70s too. It holds some nostalgia for Paul, and it is well located for
getting to the Airport early, only 5 or 6 kilometers. It quite pleasant, has a
pool and a decent restaurant and outdoor sitting area where you can sit an
relax before repacking you suitcases for the fight home. Usually they put us in
the main building but this time they opted to put us in the “bungalows” which
line the path down to the main hotel building. Back in the day, this was just
fine, but I don’t believe they have been updated for a while. Let’s just say a
bit shabby. Don’t worry, I told ‘em! It is also convenient for gassing up the
rental car before turn-in and checking out the Corte Ingles and Hipercor for
last minute purchases. We didn’t buy much, but we did get the car refueled. I
do love these cars with their 43 miles to the gallon! We headed back to the
hotel, I guess by now we are feeling a bit gloomy. We are ready to go home. I
love our home in Florida but Spain is glorious too! I don’t want to wash
anymore clothes. I really don’t mind eating out and it is great not doing
dishes or cleaning but I am getting tired. A month is a long time to be on the
move. We will miss the food, the feeling of community, the language, the spirit
of the people. We feel at home here and we will be back, but as we get older I
feel the strain of travelling. Perhaps we need to stay in one place and travel
out from there, but where to choose? Perhaps a different place each time? I
dunno. It has taken me a lot longer to readjust this time coming home but I am
getting there. Paul seems to have readjusted just fine.
 |
| Team Beskow in Miami Admiral's Club |
This trip has been huge, we have shown our children the land
of their birth and I think they liked it. That makes me happy. They were
wonderful travel companions and I hope they enjoyed it as much as we did. The
reunion in Elizondo was terrific. The people of Elizondo opened their hearts to
us just as they did so many years ago. We are indeed fortunate to have lived
this life in this wonderful part of the country, and of course it is why we
keep coming back.
I hope those of you who have followed us have enjoyed our
trip as much as we have. As I always said, we do this to help our failing
memories and it is wonderful to share. We have a journal and who knows, when we
are old and unable to travel we can look back and relive these wonderful days.
Salud! Cheers and Slainte Iha….good health to all!
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