Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Back in Amsterdam
Just a quick note. We are back in Amsterdam and staying at a funky hotel near the airport. We head back to the USA in the morning and will be back home in the evening! We are ready to be home.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Siesta by the Sea
Today was another day devoted to travel and the beginning of our long trek back to Albion. We got up and had decided to make sure we could get to the bus terminal and thought we would have some breakfast if it was available in the bus station cafeteria. We walked back to the bus station, about a mile from our hotel, and Dave pulled both the suitcases, hoping to avoid having me fall on the uneven sidewalk like our walk there a few days ago. the weather has turned a little cooler but as still bright and sunny. We made it to the bus station, found the "gate" our bus would leave from, and realized that nothing in the bus station cafeteria looked appetizing that early in the day. Fortunately, neither one of us had an up and close incident with the sidewalk. We had some granola bars with us, for just such an occasion, so we had a breakfast of some of those.
On all our other bus trips, we have been on bus lines that have run without stopping from point A to point B. Today, we were on a bus that was going to make 7 local stops, lengthening the trip by about 1/2 an hour. Our seats were in the front, so Dave can see where we are going, and we set off on time. Since we weren' t going direct, we also didn't use the highways, but drove on many local roads. This allowed us to see a lot of small Spanish towns. Most stops were just roadside stops, but one was at a bus terminal where we had 10 minutes if we wanted to get off the bus. The driver got off and came back with a package that seemed to be freight he was taking to the end stop. He took the tickets, walked to the back of the bus counting people, then restarted the bus and we drove out of the terminal. I think we forgot someone, because as we rounded the side of the terminal, he stopped the bus, opened the door and tried to get someone's attention. The police car behind us honked for us to go so he closed the door and started going, but got on his phone and called someone.
We arrived in Malaga, a coastal town into which we flew from Amsterdam. The bus station is across the street from the train station, and our hotel for the night is actually in a town to the west called Torremolinos. There were no buses going to Torremolinos this afternoon, so we walked across the street to the train station, which is also a shopping mall. We stood in line for infomation about trains and were given a timetable for the local city trains. These leave every half hour and we thought it might be a good idea to stop and have some lunch, since there were plenty of options at the mall. We have been lucky in finding lots of restaurant choices, for the most part.
Travel at this point is a little sketchy, because while Dave has been meticulous with details about locations and modes of transportation to each place we ahve gone, this one slipped his mind a little bit. He had a map and a general idea of where we were going, but he forgot to mark the train depot on his map, so when we got off, we knew the general direction we needed to travel, but we didn't actually know how far we needed to go. We stopped and asked a taxi driver, the only one on the street in front of a large hotel, but he was waiting for another customer so couldn't help us. One of the options we had thought of was to just take a taxi to the hotel. So we kept walking in the direction of the tourism oiffice, which was also on the beachfront, as was the location of our hotel. The tourism office was closed, but there was a map with all the hotels marked on it. We weren't that much farther and all our walking had been downhill ot this point. We also realized we could have gotten off the train 2 stops earlier to get to our hotel, but at least it was all downhill. It had now started to rain a little. We have figured we have been lucky to have had great weather the rest of the trip, and this is the first rain we ahve had in the past 2 weeks. Unfortunately it has occurred where there is nothing else to do but go to the beach.
We found our hotel and checked in. Arriving in our room, we realize we have been given a double room with a double balcony overlooking the Mediterranean. We hung out and watched the surfers for a while and then decided it was time for a siesta. Torremolinos is basically like Ocean City or Myrtle Beach - full of families on holiday and with trinket shops all up and down the beach. It just happens to also only be 17 degrees, which is about 60 F, and rainy/windy. We went down to the hotel cafeteria to see what they had for dinner - they have a very popular buffet for meals available here. We looked like the only people without any family along. Again, this is one of the biggest holiday weeks in Spain, the week before Easter. They had plenty of selections and we were surprised to see that all beverages were included as well.
We are now chillaxing in the hotel, catching up on email and starting to think about what is on the docket for the trip back to the states and all the stuff we have to do when we get there - moving the girls home or wherever they are going for the summer, looking at cars to replace the van that was totalled right before we left, and getting the yard in shape for the summer. Our TV has 3 English channels, enough to keep us occupied for the evening.
On all our other bus trips, we have been on bus lines that have run without stopping from point A to point B. Today, we were on a bus that was going to make 7 local stops, lengthening the trip by about 1/2 an hour. Our seats were in the front, so Dave can see where we are going, and we set off on time. Since we weren' t going direct, we also didn't use the highways, but drove on many local roads. This allowed us to see a lot of small Spanish towns. Most stops were just roadside stops, but one was at a bus terminal where we had 10 minutes if we wanted to get off the bus. The driver got off and came back with a package that seemed to be freight he was taking to the end stop. He took the tickets, walked to the back of the bus counting people, then restarted the bus and we drove out of the terminal. I think we forgot someone, because as we rounded the side of the terminal, he stopped the bus, opened the door and tried to get someone's attention. The police car behind us honked for us to go so he closed the door and started going, but got on his phone and called someone.
We arrived in Malaga, a coastal town into which we flew from Amsterdam. The bus station is across the street from the train station, and our hotel for the night is actually in a town to the west called Torremolinos. There were no buses going to Torremolinos this afternoon, so we walked across the street to the train station, which is also a shopping mall. We stood in line for infomation about trains and were given a timetable for the local city trains. These leave every half hour and we thought it might be a good idea to stop and have some lunch, since there were plenty of options at the mall. We have been lucky in finding lots of restaurant choices, for the most part.
Travel at this point is a little sketchy, because while Dave has been meticulous with details about locations and modes of transportation to each place we ahve gone, this one slipped his mind a little bit. He had a map and a general idea of where we were going, but he forgot to mark the train depot on his map, so when we got off, we knew the general direction we needed to travel, but we didn't actually know how far we needed to go. We stopped and asked a taxi driver, the only one on the street in front of a large hotel, but he was waiting for another customer so couldn't help us. One of the options we had thought of was to just take a taxi to the hotel. So we kept walking in the direction of the tourism oiffice, which was also on the beachfront, as was the location of our hotel. The tourism office was closed, but there was a map with all the hotels marked on it. We weren't that much farther and all our walking had been downhill ot this point. We also realized we could have gotten off the train 2 stops earlier to get to our hotel, but at least it was all downhill. It had now started to rain a little. We have figured we have been lucky to have had great weather the rest of the trip, and this is the first rain we ahve had in the past 2 weeks. Unfortunately it has occurred where there is nothing else to do but go to the beach.
The view west from the balcony off our room.
We found our hotel and checked in. Arriving in our room, we realize we have been given a double room with a double balcony overlooking the Mediterranean. We hung out and watched the surfers for a while and then decided it was time for a siesta. Torremolinos is basically like Ocean City or Myrtle Beach - full of families on holiday and with trinket shops all up and down the beach. It just happens to also only be 17 degrees, which is about 60 F, and rainy/windy. We went down to the hotel cafeteria to see what they had for dinner - they have a very popular buffet for meals available here. We looked like the only people without any family along. Again, this is one of the biggest holiday weeks in Spain, the week before Easter. They had plenty of selections and we were surprised to see that all beverages were included as well.
We are now chillaxing in the hotel, catching up on email and starting to think about what is on the docket for the trip back to the states and all the stuff we have to do when we get there - moving the girls home or wherever they are going for the summer, looking at cars to replace the van that was totalled right before we left, and getting the yard in shape for the summer. Our TV has 3 English channels, enough to keep us occupied for the evening.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Cordoba the sequel
This morning we got up and decided to try the breakfast at the hotel before starting out for some sightseeing. They have a great breakfast buffet with meats, cheeses, breads,fruits, eggs and all that you can think of. We have also learned to order cafe solo (black), not cafe con leche (with milk). Another interesting dining accessory we have not seen in Spain are pepper and salt shakers on restaurant tables. While the Spanish feel that they have seasoned their food perfectly, we are sometimes looking for a little pepper.
We set out for another visit to the Mezquita, to see the shops one more time and hopfully run into the celebration happenings for the beginning of Semana Santa, Holy Week, in Spain. We found the procession that was going from the Tower of the Mequita to the main sanctuary inside. While we couldn't understand the exact words they were chanting and singing, we have been to plenty of Palm Sunday processions to know the basics. Many people had large palms and branches to wave as the parade of religious went by into the cathedral. Many people tried to crowd their way into the cathedral as there is no admission fee on Sunday mornings, specifically becasue if worship, but there is a great deal in difference in admission to the space between the 70-year-old woman in her Sunday best holding palm branches and a family of 5 with cameras and wearing shorts, baseball hats and flip-flops. It was interesting watching the tension develop on the face of the "bouncer" as he tried to decide who was there to worship and who was there as a tourist. We wondered if the church was more interested in people worshiping or collecting admission from tourists. Probably some of both. We decided to skip the mass.
We wandered the streets a while longer, crossing the bridge over the river and watching the tourist busses unload. We decided we had had enough and headed back to the hotel, because Dave had promised some pool time at this hotel, which boasts a roof-top pool area with lounge chairs and some shaded areas. We thought about laying in the sun, but after about a half-hour of the scorching brightness, we moved to chairs in the shade to nap and enjoy the outdoor weather without running around doing other things. I hate to rub it in, especially hearing about the crummy weather and rain and snow in Michigan, but it was in the upper 20s here today, which is about 80 degrees F and not a cloud in the sky.
We walked about town looking for some dinner options, which are still at a much later time than we are used to at home. We set out about 7:30 and stopped at a sidewalk cafe for a beer and glass of wine, but they only served sandwiches for a meal. We were hoping to visit a tapas bar we had stopped at last night, but had arrived too early for the kitchen to be open and did not wait. Tonight we were in luck and ordered a few tapas to try. Dave thoroughly enjoyed them, but I was a little more reserved in my fondness for some of them. The weather has turned a little more windy this evening and cooler, so we finished up in the hotel lounge with a few more bites to eat. We wanted to note that the lobby and lounge area has some really weird elevator music ranging from selections from the musical Cats to the theme from the Godfather movies to Carmen. Maybe the weirdest part is that we recognize all this different music that has been elevator-ized with Spanish trumpet flair.
At this point we have seen all the major sights we had hoped to see and we begin our slow journey home. Tomorrow we have tickets on the 10:00 am bus to Malaga, where we will then catch a short train, bus, or taxi to nearby Torremolinos to spend one night on the Mediterranean. This bus is not a direct route, but has about 7 stops in small towns to make pick ups. Our seats are in the direct front, where we can witness all the action. Tuesday night we have a flight back to Amsterdam and Wednesday morning we head back to the US.
An ancient wall separates a portion of the old city containing the Mezquita from the newer section where our hotel is located. We stopped here to watch the local dogs play in the water.
We set out for another visit to the Mezquita, to see the shops one more time and hopfully run into the celebration happenings for the beginning of Semana Santa, Holy Week, in Spain. We found the procession that was going from the Tower of the Mequita to the main sanctuary inside. While we couldn't understand the exact words they were chanting and singing, we have been to plenty of Palm Sunday processions to know the basics. Many people had large palms and branches to wave as the parade of religious went by into the cathedral. Many people tried to crowd their way into the cathedral as there is no admission fee on Sunday mornings, specifically becasue if worship, but there is a great deal in difference in admission to the space between the 70-year-old woman in her Sunday best holding palm branches and a family of 5 with cameras and wearing shorts, baseball hats and flip-flops. It was interesting watching the tension develop on the face of the "bouncer" as he tried to decide who was there to worship and who was there as a tourist. We wondered if the church was more interested in people worshiping or collecting admission from tourists. Probably some of both. We decided to skip the mass.
A closeup of a section of the Mezquita above a doorway. The pattern in the middle section was one Escher copied in June of 1936.
The Palm Sunday precession into the cathedral/mosque.
We wandered the streets a while longer, crossing the bridge over the river and watching the tourist busses unload. We decided we had had enough and headed back to the hotel, because Dave had promised some pool time at this hotel, which boasts a roof-top pool area with lounge chairs and some shaded areas. We thought about laying in the sun, but after about a half-hour of the scorching brightness, we moved to chairs in the shade to nap and enjoy the outdoor weather without running around doing other things. I hate to rub it in, especially hearing about the crummy weather and rain and snow in Michigan, but it was in the upper 20s here today, which is about 80 degrees F and not a cloud in the sky.
Another view of the hotel showing the oxidized (yes, rusty) shell in all of its glory.
The bridge over the river in town. The same river runs through Sevilla, although it is much larger there.
Some interesting paving stones in the street near our hotel.
We walked about town looking for some dinner options, which are still at a much later time than we are used to at home. We set out about 7:30 and stopped at a sidewalk cafe for a beer and glass of wine, but they only served sandwiches for a meal. We were hoping to visit a tapas bar we had stopped at last night, but had arrived too early for the kitchen to be open and did not wait. Tonight we were in luck and ordered a few tapas to try. Dave thoroughly enjoyed them, but I was a little more reserved in my fondness for some of them. The weather has turned a little more windy this evening and cooler, so we finished up in the hotel lounge with a few more bites to eat. We wanted to note that the lobby and lounge area has some really weird elevator music ranging from selections from the musical Cats to the theme from the Godfather movies to Carmen. Maybe the weirdest part is that we recognize all this different music that has been elevator-ized with Spanish trumpet flair.
At this point we have seen all the major sights we had hoped to see and we begin our slow journey home. Tomorrow we have tickets on the 10:00 am bus to Malaga, where we will then catch a short train, bus, or taxi to nearby Torremolinos to spend one night on the Mediterranean. This bus is not a direct route, but has about 7 stops in small towns to make pick ups. Our seats are in the direct front, where we can witness all the action. Tuesday night we have a flight back to Amsterdam and Wednesday morning we head back to the US.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Cordoba
We woke up this morning and headed out for a quick bite and some shopping. We had a nice coffee and chocolate croissant roll at a restaurant near the hotel. We then did a little shopping in the area where we are staying. There are many tourist shops. Some have eclectic items, but most have the typical tourist trinkets. We also stopped at the corner bakery for some amazing treats. We had something tht was a rolled soft pastry filled with meringue with its ends dipped in chocolate. We ate these at the bus station with a cup of very strong black coffee.
The major event for the day was travel from Sevilla to Cordoba. We took the bus again for this trip. The bus was similar to the bus from Granada to Sevilla. The ride was shorter, just under 2 hours. The scenery was very similar. The areas outside of town are very rural. The topography reminds me of western South Dakota; it is very open with rolling hills. There are many fields where there appear to be olive trees growing and some with what appears to be small grains. There were also other types of orchards, but it was hard to tell the variety from the bus. We saw only a few fields with livestock: sheep and horses. I am surprised we saw no cattle.
We arrived in Cordoba late-afternoon. We decided to walk the mile (or so) to our hotel from the bus station. Our hotel is on the major road in town. The road is actually a boulevard that contains a very park-like median. There are plenty of trees, fountains, and benches to make it a pleasant walk. That is unless you are too busy looking up and not at the uneven sidewalk, tripping and tumbling to the ground. Luckily Amy was OK and we were close to the hotel.
Our hotel is very nice. Rather then the Spanish charm we have had in Granada and Sevilla, this hotel has a very modern feel. The exterior of the hotel is clad in an oxidized iron skin with 2-8 inch holes in a regular pattern. There is also a very fine pattern of 1/8 holes. I suppose this provides a nice sunscreen to help keep the hotel cool. The inside is dark, mainly black and charcoal gray with blue LED accent lights. There is also a pool on the roof. Unfortunately, we have a limited view of the surrounding area because of the screening. Our room is very nice. Amy was excited to see we have a jacuzzi tub after her mishap on the sidewalk. Our window looks our onto the boulevard park we walked through from the bus station. Unfortunately, there is only free internet in the lobby.
The view from our hotel window.
We had not planned on going to the Mezquita today, but we decided that we should try because tomorrow is Palm Sunday. As in Sevilla, there are many preparations for the upcoming holy week celebrations. Escher visited Cordoba and Granada in both 1922 and 1936. In 1936 he did a nice charcoal drawing. We saw an original at the Gemeentemuseum last week. He and his wife Jetta also copied some of the patterns decorating parts of the Mezquita.
After a short walk from our hotel via twisting and narrow streets, we arrived at the Mezquita, the Spanish word for mosque. Technically it is cathedral and not a mosque, as the vistor's guide emphasized. "Thus the beauty of the Cathedral of Cordoba does not reside in its architectural grandeur, but in the apostolic succession of the Bishop as a symbol of his pastoral service and the unity of the Church, founded upon the Word of the Lord, the sacraments, and the community of the believers." states the brochure. That may be so, but we are here to see the architecture.
The high altar of the Christian cathedral located in the middle of the former mosque. Interestingly, the former mihrab of the mosque is still elaborately decorated with Islamic script.
A reliquary for St. Ursala that has a hinged head.
The Mezquita is very interesting. The interior was immense, supported with hundreds of columns reused from other sites in the area. The columns are short, but a double arch structure was used to gain height. The arches have an alternating red brick and white stone form. This gives the arches a unique striped pattern. Escher used arches decorated with this striping in works such as High and Low.
The column forest supporting the vast interior of the Mezquita.
This site is very old. An ancient christian temple, San Vicente, from the Visigoth era lies under the Mezquita. "It is a historical fact that the basilica of San Vicente was expropriated and destroyed in order to build what would later be the Mezquita, a reality that questions the theme of tolerance that was supposedly cultivated in the Cordoba of the moment." However, I read several other neutral sources that indicated Christian, Muslim, and Jewish people coexisted under Islamic rule. Certainly there are documented incidents where Christians and Muslims destroyed the former temples and erected new temples in their place. One of the interesting aspects of this part of Spain is that there are still places to see of Islamic origin and influence that were created during the Islamic dynasty in Spain 1000 years ago.
On the way back from the Mezquita, Amy and I decided to have a bite to eat. We had a drink and some tapas near our hotel. They do not start serving dinner until 8:30. Spain seems like it runs like many college students at home. Get up late, do some things, take a nap or relax, then party or work late into the evening. You can easily find a place to eat a full meal here at midnight. It will still be packed and very lively. I suspect one can visit Spain from the USA and generally not worry about the 6 hour time change, especially if you are an early riser at home. We then had a more substantial meal at the hotel and we are just watching soccer on TV.
The major event for the day was travel from Sevilla to Cordoba. We took the bus again for this trip. The bus was similar to the bus from Granada to Sevilla. The ride was shorter, just under 2 hours. The scenery was very similar. The areas outside of town are very rural. The topography reminds me of western South Dakota; it is very open with rolling hills. There are many fields where there appear to be olive trees growing and some with what appears to be small grains. There were also other types of orchards, but it was hard to tell the variety from the bus. We saw only a few fields with livestock: sheep and horses. I am surprised we saw no cattle.
We arrived in Cordoba late-afternoon. We decided to walk the mile (or so) to our hotel from the bus station. Our hotel is on the major road in town. The road is actually a boulevard that contains a very park-like median. There are plenty of trees, fountains, and benches to make it a pleasant walk. That is unless you are too busy looking up and not at the uneven sidewalk, tripping and tumbling to the ground. Luckily Amy was OK and we were close to the hotel.
Our hotel is very nice. Rather then the Spanish charm we have had in Granada and Sevilla, this hotel has a very modern feel. The exterior of the hotel is clad in an oxidized iron skin with 2-8 inch holes in a regular pattern. There is also a very fine pattern of 1/8 holes. I suppose this provides a nice sunscreen to help keep the hotel cool. The inside is dark, mainly black and charcoal gray with blue LED accent lights. There is also a pool on the roof. Unfortunately, we have a limited view of the surrounding area because of the screening. Our room is very nice. Amy was excited to see we have a jacuzzi tub after her mishap on the sidewalk. Our window looks our onto the boulevard park we walked through from the bus station. Unfortunately, there is only free internet in the lobby.
The view from our hotel window.We had not planned on going to the Mezquita today, but we decided that we should try because tomorrow is Palm Sunday. As in Sevilla, there are many preparations for the upcoming holy week celebrations. Escher visited Cordoba and Granada in both 1922 and 1936. In 1936 he did a nice charcoal drawing. We saw an original at the Gemeentemuseum last week. He and his wife Jetta also copied some of the patterns decorating parts of the Mezquita.
After a short walk from our hotel via twisting and narrow streets, we arrived at the Mezquita, the Spanish word for mosque. Technically it is cathedral and not a mosque, as the vistor's guide emphasized. "Thus the beauty of the Cathedral of Cordoba does not reside in its architectural grandeur, but in the apostolic succession of the Bishop as a symbol of his pastoral service and the unity of the Church, founded upon the Word of the Lord, the sacraments, and the community of the believers." states the brochure. That may be so, but we are here to see the architecture.
The high altar of the Christian cathedral located in the middle of the former mosque. Interestingly, the former mihrab of the mosque is still elaborately decorated with Islamic script.
A reliquary for St. Ursala that has a hinged head.The Mezquita is very interesting. The interior was immense, supported with hundreds of columns reused from other sites in the area. The columns are short, but a double arch structure was used to gain height. The arches have an alternating red brick and white stone form. This gives the arches a unique striped pattern. Escher used arches decorated with this striping in works such as High and Low.
The column forest supporting the vast interior of the Mezquita.This site is very old. An ancient christian temple, San Vicente, from the Visigoth era lies under the Mezquita. "It is a historical fact that the basilica of San Vicente was expropriated and destroyed in order to build what would later be the Mezquita, a reality that questions the theme of tolerance that was supposedly cultivated in the Cordoba of the moment." However, I read several other neutral sources that indicated Christian, Muslim, and Jewish people coexisted under Islamic rule. Certainly there are documented incidents where Christians and Muslims destroyed the former temples and erected new temples in their place. One of the interesting aspects of this part of Spain is that there are still places to see of Islamic origin and influence that were created during the Islamic dynasty in Spain 1000 years ago.
On the way back from the Mezquita, Amy and I decided to have a bite to eat. We had a drink and some tapas near our hotel. They do not start serving dinner until 8:30. Spain seems like it runs like many college students at home. Get up late, do some things, take a nap or relax, then party or work late into the evening. You can easily find a place to eat a full meal here at midnight. It will still be packed and very lively. I suspect one can visit Spain from the USA and generally not worry about the 6 hour time change, especially if you are an early riser at home. We then had a more substantial meal at the hotel and we are just watching soccer on TV.
Friday, April 15, 2011
New retirement plan - Ole!
Dave and I have a new thought for our retirement years. Dave is going to learn classical guitar and I will learn to dance and we will open a flamenco bar. We figure this should work on a number of levels: Amy will get to wear really great dresses, it's safer than the option of taking up bullfighting, and there's lots of money to be made from tourists. Needless to say, we went to a flamenco performance this evening, which was a great way to cap off what started as a pretty rotten day.
We began the day with money-aquiring troubles AGAIN. It's not really safe to carry around a lot of cash in the first place, we usually never have more than $20 or $40 in our wallets at any time at home. So we count on using the ATMs for cash advances from Dave's account or accessing my Albion account while traveling. This has not been a great plan so far in Spain. It worked fine last year in France and Hungary, as well as in the Netherlands last week, but in Spain it has been a complete nightmare. Previously both our banks told us we could go to any bank anywhere, present our card and ID and we could get a cash advance. And we believed this. This is not true here. We went into 3 different banks, with the phrase book and the correct phrasing, and were told each time that it was not possible, that is what the ATMs are for outside. What is also a problem is that Spanish banks are only open until 2:00 pm. Every Day. Spain is 6 hours ahead of Michigan, so by the time we call AGAIN to talk about what is going on, it is 4:00 pm here. Dave's bank finally released the security on his card, sent him a list of places he SHOULD be able to get cash, and off we went again, this time successfully getting the cash we need to get us through the rest of the trip.
On a fun note, we had some great sightseeing, as we visited the Seville cathedral. We have lost track of names we have been to so many cathedrals. I guess it is technically Santa Maria de la Sede. This one was really cool because it is largest cathedral by area in the world, and it also has Christopher Columbus' tomb. We spent a good couple of hours there looking at their large collection of reliquaries and climbing the tower that is the highest point in the city. The tower is shown in the pictures above.
We bought some dinner from the deli across the street - jamon y queso pequeno, coke-light and a cerveza. Pequeno is supposed to be small, but these were 6: subs by Subway standards. Yummy! We ate on the rooftop patio at our hotel and enjoyed the breeze, as it was 90 degrees here today. I bought some sunscreen before we left the Netherlands because my sun exposure in Michigan in the winter is below nothing and I was completely pale. It has come in handy as we have been on the go outside and it has been in the high 70's and 80's here with no clouds in sight.
A little more on the flamenco we saw - great dancing with a troupe of 5 women dancers, 3 guitarists and 2 additional male singers. Each section of performance was about 15 minutes long and the show was 2 hours total in length. Lots of fast dancing, some castanets and guitar strumming so fast the mens' hands were a blur. Absolutely breathtaking. We had a great time.
Tomorrow we take the bus to Cordoba to see the Mezquita, yet another Moorish site and witness the spectacle that is Palm Sunday in an almost totally Catholic country. The preparations in Seville have been impressive as there will be parades, viewing areas, and all sorts of costumes being readied. We have even seen teams of people practicing carrying the floats for the parade. We are hopeful it will be as exciting in Cordoba!
We began the day with money-aquiring troubles AGAIN. It's not really safe to carry around a lot of cash in the first place, we usually never have more than $20 or $40 in our wallets at any time at home. So we count on using the ATMs for cash advances from Dave's account or accessing my Albion account while traveling. This has not been a great plan so far in Spain. It worked fine last year in France and Hungary, as well as in the Netherlands last week, but in Spain it has been a complete nightmare. Previously both our banks told us we could go to any bank anywhere, present our card and ID and we could get a cash advance. And we believed this. This is not true here. We went into 3 different banks, with the phrase book and the correct phrasing, and were told each time that it was not possible, that is what the ATMs are for outside. What is also a problem is that Spanish banks are only open until 2:00 pm. Every Day. Spain is 6 hours ahead of Michigan, so by the time we call AGAIN to talk about what is going on, it is 4:00 pm here. Dave's bank finally released the security on his card, sent him a list of places he SHOULD be able to get cash, and off we went again, this time successfully getting the cash we need to get us through the rest of the trip.
We also visited the Alcazar, another Moorish site converted to a Christian palace after the fall of the Moorish empire to the Spainiards and another stop on our tour of influential Escher sites. More tiles, more plaster work to Allah, more gardens and fountains. But fabulous sightseeing. A few photos we took are shown above.
View of the cathedral tower at sunset from out hotel roof. Antennas are quite popular here.
The view looking down from our hotel window. This cafe is across the "street" from our hotel.
A little more on the flamenco we saw - great dancing with a troupe of 5 women dancers, 3 guitarists and 2 additional male singers. Each section of performance was about 15 minutes long and the show was 2 hours total in length. Lots of fast dancing, some castanets and guitar strumming so fast the mens' hands were a blur. Absolutely breathtaking. We had a great time.
Tomorrow we take the bus to Cordoba to see the Mezquita, yet another Moorish site and witness the spectacle that is Palm Sunday in an almost totally Catholic country. The preparations in Seville have been impressive as there will be parades, viewing areas, and all sorts of costumes being readied. We have even seen teams of people practicing carrying the floats for the parade. We are hopeful it will be as exciting in Cordoba!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Is this the bus to Cartagena?
Decidedly NOT! We found ourselves riding the city bus that we thought went to the estacion des autobuses. The desk clerk at the hotel specifically said we could take bus #s 10, 11, 33 or 3 to the bus station. He wrote it down for us. We hopped on number 11 as it was the first one to come to the bus stop. After riding for 30 minutes and not recognizing that we were anywhere near the bus station, we were asked for our tickets by the inspector, since the bus was coming to the end of the line. He didn't speak any english, when I asked him. So I pulled out the map and asked, Donde esta la estacion des autobuses? He gestured to follow him, we got off the bus, he walked us across the street to another stop and held up all his fingers and said "Diez". Of course, bus 10 goes to the bus station. Dave has a deja vu moment of being a little lost in Dallas.
We wanted to make the noon bus to Seville, but got to the bus station at five past, and there was a huge line waiting for tickets. We didn't trust ourselves to use the automatic ticket machine, so waited in line half an hour. Tickets for the 2:00 and 3:30 buses were sold out, so we got seats on the 4:30 bus and decided to walk to the cafeteria and get something to eat. We ordered sandwiches, agua and a bag of patatas. We had been wanting to try a specific flavor of ruffles chips (otherwise known here as patatas) - jamon (ham)! They were as good, or bad, as we thought they would be. After a bite of lunch we decided to have some pastries and coffee, since we had another 3 hours to wait. There is no such thing as decaffeinated coffee is Spain, as there was also no such thing in the Netherlands, so we have severely restricted our coffee intake, since we only drink decaf at home. We then decided to head to the bathrooms for a quick break and then to the ticket area to procure our tickets for the rest of the trip, since we know when and where we are going. The lines had died down, since it was now siesta and most everything closes from 2-5 here in Spain. The ticket machines had a an English screen, and we worked on getting the tickets for the buses we wanted for the rest of the trip! Now all we have to do is get to the bus stations on time to make the right connections!
We finally got on our bus at 4:15 and it promptly pulled out of the terminal at 4:30. We arrived in Seville at 7:30, which is kind of rush hour time. We were glad we were not driving in the mess of traffic. We got off the bus, collected our luggage, and headed for the taxi line. We got into the first available taxi and showed him the map of where we wanted to go. Again, not a lot of English going on in this part of the world. He related that he could get us close, but that the area our hotel was in is in a pedestrian zone and he could not drive all the way there. They have taxi/bus-only lanes here so you can get places quicker. He zipped around and made gestures at people who were not supposed to be in the taxi lane and made quacking sounds at pedestrians who did not move out of the way fast enough. We went down some pretty narrow (2.2 meters wide) streets. He stopped and showed us where we were on our map, we paid him and set off to get to the hotel.
Dave has done a pretty good job picking out hotels on this trip. We are staying in Seville in a 16-room hotel on a pedestrian passageway that has a really nice rooftop sitting area and nice room. The bathroom is pretty small, but it has a shower/tub, toilet, sink and bidet all crammed into it. The desk man was very nice when we checked in and he directed us to a nice restaurant with good tapas. He also speaks great English! We walked around the neighborhood to get a feel for where we are and then had a nice dinner with 3 different tapas and beer and wine. Strolling musicians were out and we heard several accordion and guitar players while dining.
Tomorrow we are off to the Alcazar, the cathedral and possibly the bullfight museum and maybe some flamenco in the evening. Weather is in the 80s and Dave is wishing he had brought some shorts along!
We wanted to make the noon bus to Seville, but got to the bus station at five past, and there was a huge line waiting for tickets. We didn't trust ourselves to use the automatic ticket machine, so waited in line half an hour. Tickets for the 2:00 and 3:30 buses were sold out, so we got seats on the 4:30 bus and decided to walk to the cafeteria and get something to eat. We ordered sandwiches, agua and a bag of patatas. We had been wanting to try a specific flavor of ruffles chips (otherwise known here as patatas) - jamon (ham)! They were as good, or bad, as we thought they would be. After a bite of lunch we decided to have some pastries and coffee, since we had another 3 hours to wait. There is no such thing as decaffeinated coffee is Spain, as there was also no such thing in the Netherlands, so we have severely restricted our coffee intake, since we only drink decaf at home. We then decided to head to the bathrooms for a quick break and then to the ticket area to procure our tickets for the rest of the trip, since we know when and where we are going. The lines had died down, since it was now siesta and most everything closes from 2-5 here in Spain. The ticket machines had a an English screen, and we worked on getting the tickets for the buses we wanted for the rest of the trip! Now all we have to do is get to the bus stations on time to make the right connections!
We finally got on our bus at 4:15 and it promptly pulled out of the terminal at 4:30. We arrived in Seville at 7:30, which is kind of rush hour time. We were glad we were not driving in the mess of traffic. We got off the bus, collected our luggage, and headed for the taxi line. We got into the first available taxi and showed him the map of where we wanted to go. Again, not a lot of English going on in this part of the world. He related that he could get us close, but that the area our hotel was in is in a pedestrian zone and he could not drive all the way there. They have taxi/bus-only lanes here so you can get places quicker. He zipped around and made gestures at people who were not supposed to be in the taxi lane and made quacking sounds at pedestrians who did not move out of the way fast enough. We went down some pretty narrow (2.2 meters wide) streets. He stopped and showed us where we were on our map, we paid him and set off to get to the hotel.
Dave has done a pretty good job picking out hotels on this trip. We are staying in Seville in a 16-room hotel on a pedestrian passageway that has a really nice rooftop sitting area and nice room. The bathroom is pretty small, but it has a shower/tub, toilet, sink and bidet all crammed into it. The desk man was very nice when we checked in and he directed us to a nice restaurant with good tapas. He also speaks great English! We walked around the neighborhood to get a feel for where we are and then had a nice dinner with 3 different tapas and beer and wine. Strolling musicians were out and we heard several accordion and guitar players while dining.
Tomorrow we are off to the Alcazar, the cathedral and possibly the bullfight museum and maybe some flamenco in the evening. Weather is in the 80s and Dave is wishing he had brought some shorts along!
Un poco espanol
We have survived the first few days in Spain! We don't know enough Spanish to do anything complicated, but we have been able to take the bus, tour town, and buy some lunch. We met Cliff and Karen for dinner on Tuesday and went to a place on the plaza on which their apartment is located. So they knew all the people and we were able to have a great dinner. It was great for everyone to have a break and speak English with natives. Cliff's Spanish teacher joined us, as she is trying to improve her English and we had fun comparing phrases and colloquialisms.
Wednesday morning we slept in a little and then went out to get something to eat and see the Cathedral, one of the main sights in town. We bought some pastries from a bakery, sat in the square to people watch and eat them, and wandered around to look at the shops. There were 2 yarns stores near the square and we looked in both of them, but I did not see anything interesting enough to attempt to buy. We toured the Cathedral, which was built where a previous mosque had been demolished in the conquering of the moors in the late 1400s. There are preparations underway for the big festival of Semana Santa, which begins Sunday. We would refer to it as holy week, the week before Easter. They were erecting some seating outside the cathedral and there will be parades in each neighborhood as well.
We still had some more Escher to see in Granada and that is located at the Parque de los Ciencias, to which we had to ride the bus. The Parque is a big science and exhibit center with both indoor and outdoor exhibits. They had more of Escher's prints, different films and scenes of his life and some really cool graphics. All this to celebrate the 75th anniversary of his influential trip to Spain. We were there quite a few hours.
We went back to the hotel to try to figure out some financial snafus we have been running into as usual. The American and European banking systems are not completely compatible and the ATMs, etc work differently and many times do not like our cards. Cliff and Karen were able to take us to an ATM that us the only one in town in which their card works, and after getting our bank on the phone while using it, we finally were able to get a little more dinero.
We went to dinner again with Cliff and Karen, which was much fun. First we climbed through the oldest neighborhood in Granada, in which there is an overlook to the Alhambra. It was worth navigating the twisty streets to see it. Here is where I will apologize that I am inept at adding the photos, and Dave promises to catch them up in the next day or so. We went to a close restaurant to enjoy the view and have some drinks. Then we went back down the hill to one of Cliff and Karen's regular restaurant - at which the food was as good as promised. We stayed there until after 11:00, which is pretty late by my time table, but not too late by Spanish time, and then headed back to the hotel.
Today we head for Seville, and are hoping to take the noon bus. The bus system is really great and the last bus we took was clean and comfortable. Hopefully this will continue.
As they say here - 'ta luego!!
Wednesday morning we slept in a little and then went out to get something to eat and see the Cathedral, one of the main sights in town. We bought some pastries from a bakery, sat in the square to people watch and eat them, and wandered around to look at the shops. There were 2 yarns stores near the square and we looked in both of them, but I did not see anything interesting enough to attempt to buy. We toured the Cathedral, which was built where a previous mosque had been demolished in the conquering of the moors in the late 1400s. There are preparations underway for the big festival of Semana Santa, which begins Sunday. We would refer to it as holy week, the week before Easter. They were erecting some seating outside the cathedral and there will be parades in each neighborhood as well.
We still had some more Escher to see in Granada and that is located at the Parque de los Ciencias, to which we had to ride the bus. The Parque is a big science and exhibit center with both indoor and outdoor exhibits. They had more of Escher's prints, different films and scenes of his life and some really cool graphics. All this to celebrate the 75th anniversary of his influential trip to Spain. We were there quite a few hours.
We went back to the hotel to try to figure out some financial snafus we have been running into as usual. The American and European banking systems are not completely compatible and the ATMs, etc work differently and many times do not like our cards. Cliff and Karen were able to take us to an ATM that us the only one in town in which their card works, and after getting our bank on the phone while using it, we finally were able to get a little more dinero.
We went to dinner again with Cliff and Karen, which was much fun. First we climbed through the oldest neighborhood in Granada, in which there is an overlook to the Alhambra. It was worth navigating the twisty streets to see it. Here is where I will apologize that I am inept at adding the photos, and Dave promises to catch them up in the next day or so. We went to a close restaurant to enjoy the view and have some drinks. Then we went back down the hill to one of Cliff and Karen's regular restaurant - at which the food was as good as promised. We stayed there until after 11:00, which is pretty late by my time table, but not too late by Spanish time, and then headed back to the hotel.
Today we head for Seville, and are hoping to take the noon bus. The bus system is really great and the last bus we took was clean and comfortable. Hopefully this will continue.
As they say here - 'ta luego!!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Un recibo, por favor
Not only is Dave tired of blogging today, he's tired all around. That's because we spent the last 11 hours at the La Alhambra. I will blog quickly, because we are meeting Cliff and Karen for dinner in about a half hour. I'm sure Dave will add photos later.
We started off the morning by getting up at 6:00 to get a taxi to the Alhambra. We got a taxi instead of taking the mini bus because it was dark, we don't know a ton of spanish, and we didn't know where the bus actually would be going. We got a taxi instead of walking for all the previous reasons, plus it's completely uphill from everything else in Granada. The hotel desk girl thinks we are idiot Americans, but oh well, join the club.
We get to the ticket line at 7:15 after zipping around through a maze of dark alleyways and then heading straight up the hill. There is already a line, but not too long of one. When the ticket office opens at 8:15, they send out a girl to talk to everyone in line to tell them they probably won't be getting morning session tickets. So many people visit the Alhambra that you can visit either in the morning or the afternoon. We get up to the window and get timed-entry tickets for 14:00 (2:00 pm American time). There are places you can go that you don't need a ticket for entry so we decide to take it slow, go see all those things, and then be ready to enter the ticketed places at 2:00. Also, there's an Escher exhibit going on, so there's all that to see as well.
All in all, it's a pretty amazing place. Occupied by the seat of the Moorish empire for 700 years, and then taken over by the Spanish, it's pretty posh. We saw the room in which Christopher Columbus requested funds to go exploring from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. We saw the sultan's summer place, where he went when it was too hot and crowded in the main palace. We saw battlements and baths and where all the little people worked in service to the royalty. We saw high school groups, middle school groups and elementary school groups touring just like us. And groups and groups and groups of senior citizens. All with those audio things stuck up to their ears.
We went for lunch in a cafe in the middle of the Alhambra (there are some hotels and shops right there in the middle as well - kind of strange). I looked up some phrases to make things so a little smoother, not quicker, just smoother. Eating in Europe is not a hurried affair. Dave laughed and said he doesn't know what I'm saying, but at least things seem to happen when I talk to someone. Ok - so those Spanish classes came in a little bit handy. And I can follow what people are saying and make an attempt at answering. And I always ask for the receipts (un recibo).
That's all for now - I'm sure Dave will post some photos of the amazing stuff we saw a bit later!!
We started off the morning by getting up at 6:00 to get a taxi to the Alhambra. We got a taxi instead of taking the mini bus because it was dark, we don't know a ton of spanish, and we didn't know where the bus actually would be going. We got a taxi instead of walking for all the previous reasons, plus it's completely uphill from everything else in Granada. The hotel desk girl thinks we are idiot Americans, but oh well, join the club.
We get to the ticket line at 7:15 after zipping around through a maze of dark alleyways and then heading straight up the hill. There is already a line, but not too long of one. When the ticket office opens at 8:15, they send out a girl to talk to everyone in line to tell them they probably won't be getting morning session tickets. So many people visit the Alhambra that you can visit either in the morning or the afternoon. We get up to the window and get timed-entry tickets for 14:00 (2:00 pm American time). There are places you can go that you don't need a ticket for entry so we decide to take it slow, go see all those things, and then be ready to enter the ticketed places at 2:00. Also, there's an Escher exhibit going on, so there's all that to see as well.
All in all, it's a pretty amazing place. Occupied by the seat of the Moorish empire for 700 years, and then taken over by the Spanish, it's pretty posh. We saw the room in which Christopher Columbus requested funds to go exploring from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. We saw the sultan's summer place, where he went when it was too hot and crowded in the main palace. We saw battlements and baths and where all the little people worked in service to the royalty. We saw high school groups, middle school groups and elementary school groups touring just like us. And groups and groups and groups of senior citizens. All with those audio things stuck up to their ears.
We went for lunch in a cafe in the middle of the Alhambra (there are some hotels and shops right there in the middle as well - kind of strange). I looked up some phrases to make things so a little smoother, not quicker, just smoother. Eating in Europe is not a hurried affair. Dave laughed and said he doesn't know what I'm saying, but at least things seem to happen when I talk to someone. Ok - so those Spanish classes came in a little bit handy. And I can follow what people are saying and make an attempt at answering. And I always ask for the receipts (un recibo).
That's all for now - I'm sure Dave will post some photos of the amazing stuff we saw a bit later!!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Travel to Spain
We started the day by taking laundry to the local cleaners. We have two loads at 10 Euros per load. They say this will be washed cleaned, dried, and folded for us. This beats the hotel price of 6 Euros per shirt.... Or wearing dirty clothes! We made a quick stop at the local bank and then back to the hotel for a cup of fresh cappuccino. Amy decided she needed something from the gift shop at the Mauritshuis museum, so we walked there and back. We also bought some sunscreen at the local pharmacy. We picked up our laundry and repacked our suitcases at the hotel. Ah, nothing like fresh, clean, warm laundry. It was also nice they folded it so it fits nicely in our suitcases.
After leaving the hotel, we walked to the tram stop around the corner. We then rode the tram to the central station (2 strips on our strippenkaart - the way to pay here) and caught the train to Schiphol airport. Dave napped and Amy read her nook. We were a bit anxious about the next wave of culture shock. Even though Amy has 2 years of high school Spanish and one year at the college level, she is concerned they will speak very little English there. Dave knows more Spanish than Dutch, so he is not too concerned. We also have a little phrasebook and a Rick Steve's book. Once we get to Granada, we will also see Cliff and Karen, who are also on sabbatical. They have been in Granada for a few months and should be able to help us.
When Escher went to Spain in 1936, was he was worried about these things? Probably not, since he seemed to be an adventuresome guy. He had already been there in 1922 with several of his buddies. Escher took the train from Switzerland and then booked passage with the Adria company for a round-trip cruise from NE Italy to Spain with several ports of call. Rather than buying tickets for his trip, he was wrote the company and traded four copies each of twelve prints he would make along the way. Escher suggested the company could use these in advertising. He was pleasantly surprised when they accepted this offer. Dave is sure this is similar to how a professor feels when a travel grant is funded! In this arrangement, Escher was also able to secure passage (food, drink, and a berth) for he and his wife on the return trip.
1936 was a rough time in this part of the world. Escher had left Italy the previous year because of the rise of fascism. He narrowly escaped being arrested for spying while he was drawing in a Spanish port. This visit was in May of 1936, almost exactly 75 years ago. Had he waited two months, he would certainly have been unable to travel there because of the Spanish civil war that erupted in July of that year. It would be unlikely we would know anything of Escher if that had happened. If Anne Frank had been able to hide two more months, she would have likely lived to tell her hiding story in person. Time is a fickle companion.
A portion of Metamorphosis III, 1967-8
We did not try again to see the Escher print metamorphosis III that hangs in lounge 4 at Schiphol airport. We were checking in at the opposite end of the terminal building. This work was made for the main post office in The Hague and recently moved to Schiphol. The designers contacted Escher about using a previously work, but he wanted to improve on the previous design. The design contains many transitions; Escher thought of this process of change like change over time in a movie. It is fun to quickly pan from one side to the other as you view this work.
One of Escher's first works after returning home from Spain was a metamorphosis work he completed in 1937. This idea of change was a theme that is seen in many of Escher's works. His mastery of creating regular divisions of the plane was used as a creative way of simultaneously illustrating something both orderly and infinite. The hoenycomb pattern of adjacent regular hexagons forms another type of symmerty pattern. It is characterized by a kaleidoscope point of order 6, a kaleidoscope point of order 3, and a kaleidoscope point of order 2. This is a seventh type of symmetry pattern possible in the plane, having orbifold notation *632. Dave leaves finding the kaleidoscope points as an exercise to the inquisitive reader. Escher seemed to avoid kaleidoscope points and mirror lines of reflection and tended to use gyration or rotation points of symmetry instead.
Veuling seems much better organized than sleazy-jet. We checked in without much delay. There were orderly lines and friendly staff. Security was no problem. The lines we not very long and we zipped through without much delay. Schiphol also has free wifi access, which we both used. Amy had her cell phone which has no phone service, but does allow here to use wifi. Dave used his laptop. The plane was scheduled to leave at 16:00 and arrive in Malaga at 18:55. We were early enough to grab a bite to eat before catching the flight. Amy is now exited that we are heading to Spain!
The flight to Malaga was uneventful, a good thing when flying! We had first class seats. On Vueling, all seats are identical except in the exit rows, which have more leg room. We were lucky and got exit row seats. Other than leaving about 30 minutes later than scheduled, we had a great flight.
We took our first bus of the day from the Malaga airport to he bus station downtown. We purchased our tickets and waited about 15 minutes for our bus to Granada. We got on the bus and left a few mintues later. Yes, it was a Mercedes bus. It had 2-1 seating, so it was very nice. It was about a 2 hour ride.
By the time we arrived in Granada, it was dark. The bus station is quie a distance to the hotel so we took a taxi. The driver spoke very few English words, but Amy was able to speak to him enough to get us to our hotel.
I am glad we took a taxi, because the hotel is down a long alley with several bends. I am not sure how we will find our way out of this maze! If you were counting, that was a tram, a train, a plane, 2 buses, and a taxi. Plus plenty of walking. Our hotel seems nice. Our bathroom has a bidet. We have no alarm clock and can't seem to get the TV to work. There is no wireless in the room, but we have a wired connection. It is good to be settled in for a few nights in Granada.
We are a little anxious about tomorrow. All advance Alhambra tickets have been sold out. Dave fell down a little on the planning there. Luckily we should be able to get tickets by getting up really early and standing in line. Sorry there are no pictures today, but most of what we saw was not very picturesque. Hopefully we will have more to report and show tomorrow.
After leaving the hotel, we walked to the tram stop around the corner. We then rode the tram to the central station (2 strips on our strippenkaart - the way to pay here) and caught the train to Schiphol airport. Dave napped and Amy read her nook. We were a bit anxious about the next wave of culture shock. Even though Amy has 2 years of high school Spanish and one year at the college level, she is concerned they will speak very little English there. Dave knows more Spanish than Dutch, so he is not too concerned. We also have a little phrasebook and a Rick Steve's book. Once we get to Granada, we will also see Cliff and Karen, who are also on sabbatical. They have been in Granada for a few months and should be able to help us.
When Escher went to Spain in 1936, was he was worried about these things? Probably not, since he seemed to be an adventuresome guy. He had already been there in 1922 with several of his buddies. Escher took the train from Switzerland and then booked passage with the Adria company for a round-trip cruise from NE Italy to Spain with several ports of call. Rather than buying tickets for his trip, he was wrote the company and traded four copies each of twelve prints he would make along the way. Escher suggested the company could use these in advertising. He was pleasantly surprised when they accepted this offer. Dave is sure this is similar to how a professor feels when a travel grant is funded! In this arrangement, Escher was also able to secure passage (food, drink, and a berth) for he and his wife on the return trip.
1936 was a rough time in this part of the world. Escher had left Italy the previous year because of the rise of fascism. He narrowly escaped being arrested for spying while he was drawing in a Spanish port. This visit was in May of 1936, almost exactly 75 years ago. Had he waited two months, he would certainly have been unable to travel there because of the Spanish civil war that erupted in July of that year. It would be unlikely we would know anything of Escher if that had happened. If Anne Frank had been able to hide two more months, she would have likely lived to tell her hiding story in person. Time is a fickle companion.
A portion of Metamorphosis III, 1967-8We did not try again to see the Escher print metamorphosis III that hangs in lounge 4 at Schiphol airport. We were checking in at the opposite end of the terminal building. This work was made for the main post office in The Hague and recently moved to Schiphol. The designers contacted Escher about using a previously work, but he wanted to improve on the previous design. The design contains many transitions; Escher thought of this process of change like change over time in a movie. It is fun to quickly pan from one side to the other as you view this work.
One of Escher's first works after returning home from Spain was a metamorphosis work he completed in 1937. This idea of change was a theme that is seen in many of Escher's works. His mastery of creating regular divisions of the plane was used as a creative way of simultaneously illustrating something both orderly and infinite. The hoenycomb pattern of adjacent regular hexagons forms another type of symmerty pattern. It is characterized by a kaleidoscope point of order 6, a kaleidoscope point of order 3, and a kaleidoscope point of order 2. This is a seventh type of symmetry pattern possible in the plane, having orbifold notation *632. Dave leaves finding the kaleidoscope points as an exercise to the inquisitive reader. Escher seemed to avoid kaleidoscope points and mirror lines of reflection and tended to use gyration or rotation points of symmetry instead.
Veuling seems much better organized than sleazy-jet. We checked in without much delay. There were orderly lines and friendly staff. Security was no problem. The lines we not very long and we zipped through without much delay. Schiphol also has free wifi access, which we both used. Amy had her cell phone which has no phone service, but does allow here to use wifi. Dave used his laptop. The plane was scheduled to leave at 16:00 and arrive in Malaga at 18:55. We were early enough to grab a bite to eat before catching the flight. Amy is now exited that we are heading to Spain!
The flight to Malaga was uneventful, a good thing when flying! We had first class seats. On Vueling, all seats are identical except in the exit rows, which have more leg room. We were lucky and got exit row seats. Other than leaving about 30 minutes later than scheduled, we had a great flight.
We took our first bus of the day from the Malaga airport to he bus station downtown. We purchased our tickets and waited about 15 minutes for our bus to Granada. We got on the bus and left a few mintues later. Yes, it was a Mercedes bus. It had 2-1 seating, so it was very nice. It was about a 2 hour ride.
By the time we arrived in Granada, it was dark. The bus station is quie a distance to the hotel so we took a taxi. The driver spoke very few English words, but Amy was able to speak to him enough to get us to our hotel.
I am glad we took a taxi, because the hotel is down a long alley with several bends. I am not sure how we will find our way out of this maze! If you were counting, that was a tram, a train, a plane, 2 buses, and a taxi. Plus plenty of walking. Our hotel seems nice. Our bathroom has a bidet. We have no alarm clock and can't seem to get the TV to work. There is no wireless in the room, but we have a wired connection. It is good to be settled in for a few nights in Granada.
We are a little anxious about tomorrow. All advance Alhambra tickets have been sold out. Dave fell down a little on the planning there. Luckily we should be able to get tickets by getting up really early and standing in line. Sorry there are no pictures today, but most of what we saw was not very picturesque. Hopefully we will have more to report and show tomorrow.
Delft and Keukenhof
It was another beautiful day here. We started the day visiting Delft, which is just south of The Hague. We took a tram from the stop around the corner from our hotel to the central station. From there it was a short train ride to Delft. Being it was Sunday morning, many businesses were closed. Regardless, we had fun walking around town. The downtown seems to be similar to much of what we have seen in The Netherlands.
 Yes, the "old church" is leaning into the canal. |  A typical house. |
 A view along the canal. |  The "new church". |
 Delft town hall. | |
Yes, that is pickled herring in a hot dog bun. Amy said we needed to have something else for lunch.
 My view from town square looking up. |  Escher's view looking down from the steeple. |
Despite some work on landscapes, Escher continued to work on his regular divisions of the plane. The pattern shown below (original design from July 1942) was similar to, but different from, the pattern used as a theme in Reptiles. It is characterized by a gyration points of order 6, a gyration point of order 3, and a gyration point of order 2. This is a sixth type of symmetry pattern possible in the plane, having orbifold notation 632. Dave leaves finding the gyration points as an exercise to the inquisitive reader. Hint: The points of 6 fold symmetry form an equilateral triangle and the 3 fold gyration point is at the center of the triangle. The points of 2 fold symmetry are at the midpoints of the triangle.
A design by Escher originally made in 1939.
We have been very pleased with the transportation here. The trains are fast, clean, and plentiful. We have only had to wait a few minutes for trains. Most people here ride bikes. We have seen more bikes than cars. I have decided that any style of bike ro bike accessory one could possibly want is available here. Want a bike with three wheels with a cargo hold the size of a large wheelbarrow? No problem. Want a fancy bike seat for you child? No problem. Want panniers? No problem. The major streets all seem to have a bike lane along each direction of traffic. The lanes are easily wide enough for two riders side by side, but can handle three in a pinch.
 |  Yes, these are all bicycles! This is version of the park and ride. Most train stations have a bike parking structure that is full of bikes. |
 This is the tram we take here in The Hague. |  This is the train we take between towns. We took this one from Delft to Leiden. |
We left Delft and headed for Keukenhof, near Lisse. We took the train to Leiden and the bus from there. This sounds crazy in the US, but here it was no problem. The buses run from the train station directly to Keukenhof. We bought combo Keukenhof and bus tickets at the train station and off we went. No waiting to get there, 5 minutes waiting for the bus coming back. The rides between cities are interesting. The area is very flat, similar to SE Michigan and NW Ohio. There woodlots, grazing fields, and plenty of canals. Everywhere there are fields of flowers. Bulbs are grown here like corn at home. The fields have huge swatches of color from the blooming tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and other flowers. Keukenhof itself was an amazing display of every possible spring flower in every color imaginable. It seemed like have the country was there today, and why not? Is was simply beautiful. We strolled around and took in the lovely scenery. Dave took lots of pictures and the highlights are below. If you like flowers, this is definitely the place to visit!
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