Morocco!!

Onto Morocco. We boarded the most futuristic train I'd ever seen (it was electric, quiet, fast, brand new and we were the only passengers in our car), passing the Gibraltar Rock on our way to Algeciras to catch the ferry to Tangiers. (I was a little disappointed not to get closer to the Rock) Once on the ferry, you must get in line for the official to stamp your passport to enter Morocco. There was one customs guy for a couple of hundred passengers. I stood in line for the whole 2 hours with my group, and got not a little seasick. (I did NOT throw up!) The ferry docked and was unloading before I got my passport stamped. Nuts.
We got to the hotel and met our new tour leader, Mohammad. What a charming guy! Farewell to David, who headed home to be with his family for the holidays.
Tangiers is a big city, full of cars, buses and donkey carts. We got to the souk -- an open air marketplace, common in North Africa, set up during the caravan days. They are now permanent shopping areas, selling everything from clothing and food to souvenirs and jewelry, crammed next to houses, cafes and bakeries. We were warned, as we approached the souk, to listen for the call "Balak!". Through the narrow passageways, delivery men with donkey carts, large hand carts and motor scooters rush by loaded with goods and call "Balak!" or "get out of the way!!". You must move off to the side, if you can, or you have the possibility of getting bumped or worse.

We got a little lost and ended up in some very quiet neighborhoods.



There were some beautiful graffiti drawings of cats and the colors of the walls and doorways were subtle and gorgeous. We got to the coast and saw where the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet. Wow.

I had my first tangine -- a kind of stew baked in a traditional conical shaped pot. Everyone got their own little pot -- mine was a meatball tangine, cooked with potatoes, squash, carrots and onion. The vegetables were fresh, the meat tender and the sauce divine. I felt I am going to happy here.

Ronda

Today we left for Ronda. On the way, we stopped at a beautiful little town, Setenil de la Bodegas. It is known as the "white village" and the buildings extend right into the mountainside. We stopped for a coffee and, in the bathroom in the cafe/bar, the walls were rock, like the bathroom had been hewn out of the mountain, which, I guess, it was.

After a stroll through the town (it was a ghost town -- I saw maybe 3 or 4 locals the whole time we were there. It was Christmas Eve.), we left for Ronda.


Ronda is a lovely city, much loved by Ernest Hemmingway and Orson Welles. The bullring here is famous. Bullfighting was traditionally done on horseback until, here in Ronda, the first toreador on foot faced the bulls.
It was cold and rainy, but my new pals, Shayna and Jeannie, and I decided to take a walk. The city is also known for the "new bridge" built in the 1800's to span the deep gorge separating the old town from the new. The bridge is stunning and is featured in all the postcards.

There wasn't much open (like I said, it was Christmas Eve), but we did need to shop for some food for the picnic tomorrow, as no restaurants would be open on Christmas Day. We went to the Supermercado across from the hotel, got wine, cheese, crackers, cookies and some chorizo. That evening, David got us into one of the only restaurants open on Christmas Eve. It was rather fancy, but the food was delicious. It started to pour rain as we walked back to the hotel and didn't let up all night.
Christmas Day was very gloomy and the rain was still coming. We were scheduled to take a hike through the Grazalema National Park. Most of us opted out, but a few decided to do it. Left in the hotel (we were the only people staying there), we congregated in the TV room. Some read, I knitted. When the group returned, we had a little party. Someone bought champagne, someone bought typical Spanish Christmas cakes.

That night, the restaurants opened up and we went for a typical Spanish meal -- paella, pork roast and wine -- as it would be our last night in Spain.

Off to Granada

It was not possible for me to get a ticket for the Alhambra. David, the tour leader, tried many times on the phone while we were on the bus this morning, but it was a no go. I was disappointed, but not in despair. I'll just have to return.

We took a short walk around town as a group upon arriving. Granada is very hilly, surrounded by mountains, so David suggested taking the bus if we wanted to go up to see the view. We split up after the walk (3 of us were not going to the Alhambra) and David asked if we wanted to join him for some tapas. Granada is the home of tapas. According to legend, it came from a time when bodegas and tavernas were small, dark and full of bugs. The owner would serve you your drink covered by a little dish (tapa means "cover") to keep the bugs out. As an enticement, some owners would put little bites on the plate and, bingo, tapas was born. We went to one his favorite places, where, if you order a drink, you get a dish of tapas for free. The only catch is you cannot choose which dish you get. We started with a huge plate of fried fresh anchovies, then got fried shrimp. We also ordered a plate of mixed fried fish, which included monkfish, dogfish(!), prawns and more anchovies. It was really delicious!

It is a bit more chilly here -- it is a higher altitude -- but I decided to walk about. I went to the chapel were King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella are buried, along with their daughter, known as the crazy Queen Juana and her husband, King Filipe. They aren't really buried -- there is a huge monument for each couple and their coffins, just plain wooden boxes, are laid below in a crypt. It seemed a bit sad. I also took a tour around the Basilica, which was huge, dark and very cold.
This was home to the King and Queen and it is where Christopher Columbus returned after "discovering the New World". There is a large statue commemorating this in the Plaza Isabel La Catolica.

One of the best views of the Alhambra is from the terrace of St. Nicholas Church. I took the #31 bus up there and it was spectacular. I could see snow on the mountains. The bus is quite small, holding around a dozen people, because the streets are so narrow and winding. I'm glad I didn't choose to walk up -- it was pretty steep and very curvy, as well as being cobblestone. It was also nice to see some more of the town from the bus.

I treated myself to a plate of churros before returning to the hotel. The place was packed with people buying ice cream and pastries.

Saturday in Spain

Saturday in Spain -- it's obviously the day to walk your dog and/or your baby. Saw TONS of dogs and babies today; you could not turn around without bumping into one or the other.

I strolled over the the City Hall today. There were a few weddings going on -- lots of very well dressed folks and the steps up to the front door were covered with rice and paper confetti. I was there, however, to see the large Nativity scene display. It is a tradition in Spain to create a huge "Belén" (Bethlehem) scene. Many churches, businesses and families do it. This one had working fountains, waterfalls and was at least 20 feet long. It not only shows the nativity scene, but many aspects from Christ's life. There are musicians, fruit sellers, butchers -- whatever you can think of that you would find in a village. There was one in the Museum of Glass, too, filled with Lladro figures.

There are many small stalls along the main road (Alhambra Principal) and, besides the usual souvenir stuff, several were selling all the things needed to create your own Belén -- trees, bridges, carts of fruit and baskets of bread.

Back in the old town, there were several musicians, magicians and balloon sellers entertaining the crowds. Very festive. There was an elf helping kids make enormous soap bubbles and a pseudo Mickey Mouse making balloon animals and swords. Most of the day was spent just watching. And walking. And listening. The Spanish here in Spain is a bit different than I'm used to -- gracias is pronounced gra-the-as and the ba˜no is the servecio (pronounced ser-vee-thee-o). A bit of a lisp that, I think, dates back to a king who had a lisp. It's unusual to hear, but I like it.

Huge department store

Huge department store, a photo by mjl4952 on Flickr.

Today was very cold and blustery. I thought it would be a good day to check out the huge department store up the Main Street. It is Corte Ingles and is as big as a mall inside. The store is 5 stories and includes a cafeteria, a hairdresser's, a travel agency, a pilates studio, a podiatrist, an optometrist and a dentist. I wandered about for a few hours, then braved the outdoors again. It had warmed up a bit, so I sat on a bench in the old town and looked at fashion. You can usually tell the residents from the visitors, especially with the women. I am guilty, also, of wearing sneakers and a crappy raincoat that no Spanish woman would be caught dead in.

I went on a search for the Antigua Biblioteca de Mujeres, a ceramic bench and sculpture in the park. It is said that books would be placed on a bench for the mothers to read and borrow while their children played in the park and became a way for uneducated women to learn. The original bench wore out and a sculpture artist created this monument. The sculptures on either side of the bench look like bookshelves full of books by famous Spanish writers. I liked it.

Glass, wine and sandwiches

Sitting at an outdoor cafe this morning, I was listening to all the lottery ticket vendors. I think they test them for the loudest voices -- they are everywhere, coming up to everyone. They aren't obnoxious, they move on if you don't buy, but, boy, are they LOUD!

On Trip Advisor, the most popular place to see in Malaga is the Museum of Glass and Crystal. I had to look on Google maps to find the place and, after I started the tour, I found out why. It is housed in 18th century home of an Italian ship builder, a huge 3 story building with a central patio with a skylight on the second level. It is privately owned by 2 Englishmen and a Spaniard and, besides the beautiful displays of glass from the Phoenician times until today, it is filled with the ancestral furniture, paintings and rugs from the 3 owners. Not very interesting, you think?? Think again. It is fascinating and, when you are given a tour by one of the owners, very intimate. The reason it's so difficult to find is, according to our tour guide, that it is privately owned and operated with no money or interference from the city government. In retribution, the city has not put any direction signs up, as it has for many other sites and museums.

After a delicious lunch of an Iberian ham and cheese sandwich with a glass of house white wine, I headed to the Museum of Wine. Malaga used to have quite the reputation for its wine -- not so much anymore. They are trying to rectify that, but, in the meanwhile, they have established this museum and wine store. It's very small, only 2 stories. The ground level has the wine store and displays of the many different wine labels used throughout the history of Malaga wine. From the Muslim times (they seemed to make an exception to alcohol here!) through the sacramental wine made for the church to the present, the labels are artwork. Upstairs is a history of the making of wine in Malaga and an illustrated
demonstration of how wine is made. The tickets included a tasting of two wines. The woman behind the counter was charming. Her name is Sara and, after talking a bit, told me she and her fiancé will be coming to Pasadena sometime in the next 2 years. Her boyfriend is studying car design and wants to go the Art Center. I gave her my email, so I'll see!

Back to the wine -- we got a glass of naturally sweet wine and a glass of fortified wine. Very tasty! It was pouring rain when I left, so I hustled back to the hotel. It is supposed to be clear tomorrow.

Malaga

I slept until noon!! Bad form for the first day...
After a breakfast of cafe au lait and a ham and cheese sandwich, I started walking. It's quite a beautiful city and very easy to get around. The weather is perfect == around the mid 60sF (15C) and blue skies. I made it to the Cathedral, the Roman ruins and the birthplace of Picasso, which is a museum now with photos of him as a child and some furniture from back when he lived there. Because I started out so late, I missed out on some shopping because the stores close between 2 to 5 PM, but I did manage to find a scarf (I left mine in the car...).

I had a coffee in a cafe around 2:30 and was soon surrounded by ladies. It started with 3, then 2 more, then 3 more -- all so happy to see each other, chatting away all together. I caught some words -- ninos, carne (?) and mi amore -- but it was hard to hear anyone with them all talking at the same time. 3 more ladies showed up and they all went inside for a meal. I love moments like that.
I started at the Museo Picasso, only opened since 2003. A lot of the family donated their personal art works and pottery. It's housed in an old palace and in the basement are ruins of the old Phoenician city walls. The artworks are amazing, even though I'm not a huge fan of the artist.

Day 2: I found my way to the next museum -- the Museo Carmen Thyssen. This is the big art museum in Malaga, with works from the 1200's up through the Abstract style. There are a lot of early Spanish artists on display -- several scenes of Spanish life and lots of lovely women with the tiniest feet you've every seen. This museum is also in an old palace with each floor showing a particular era of art. On the top floor was the special exhibit of Impressionists. I don't know why, but the Impressionists always make me smile. Manet, Courbet, Sisley, Monet -- just beautiful!! I stopped in the Museo Cafe for some lunch -- a couple of tapas dishes and a Coke for 6 euros. Yum!

I had gone online to search for yarn stores (of course!) and found a couple in the old town and, in my broken Spanish, managed to buy some yarn!! (I know you're not surprised...) I also needed a stitch marker and could not figure out how to say it. Another lady at the counter helped me out, but they didn't have any in the shop. (By the way, it is marcador de punto.)

By then, it was starting to get dark and cold. I stopped at Taormina Gelatoria for ice cream and a coffee. Great way to end the day. I still get lost a bit, but it's a very manageable place. There is an off and on tour bus, but I haven't found the need to use it!

Heading for Spain

Dec. 15, 2013

I am in Amsterdam airport waiting for my next flight. I'm off to Spain and Morocco for the holidays. I'll be joining a tour through Exodus in Malaga, Spain on the 22nd, getting me to Marrakech, Morocco by New Year's Eve. It was a kind of last minute decision to take this trip, but something told me it was the thing to do (not like I need much encouragement to travel!).
The weather will be cool and rainy most of the time, but I'm looking forward to that after the heat wave we've been having at home.
I should get into Malaga about 8 PM local time. Malaga is on the south east coast of Spain, part of the Costa del Sol in Andalucia, most famous for being the birthplace of Picasso. You can visit his old family home and there is an art museum dedicated to his work. I'll be on my own for a few days before the tour starts to go exploring and check out the museums and shops. I left my scarf back in LA in the car, so I'll have a reason to buy one in Spain!
I'm trying to stay awake now and it's not easy!

Ukeing in Paradise is Over

I'm sitting at the airport in Honolulu waiting for my flight home. The week went by so fast!

Here I am with my "band", third from the left.

The whole retreat experience was fun, exhausting, hot, sweaty, humid and amazing. I learned a lot, but am not sure how much I will retain! We had 5 sessions to attend every day and not much time to jam or process. My "band" did OK on Friday night, but we wanted to go back to Uncle Roberts, so Brit, Natalie, Joe and I all ditched the "sing along" and "open mic" performances.

Uncle Roberts was dead! We got there around 9:15 and the band was playing, but there were maybe 10 people in the audience. The bar was open, we ordered, sat down and listened to the music. They were fantastic. They played until 10 or so and us girls went up to tell them how much we enjoyed the music. They were happy for the compliments. I asked if they had a CD and was told they "were working on one." I asked what the band's name was so I could look it up and was told "you will only be able to get it here." Shoot!

Earlier in the day we had a field trip to the home and workshop of Chuck Moore, an incredible ukulele luthier, and his wife, Bonnie, who makes beautiful jewelry. They live on some gorgeous property outside Pahoa with their 2 dogs. We got a crash course in how Chuck makes his ukes (some had been on display at the visitor's center in Hilo), from how he chooses the wood to how he makes the inlay designs out of abalone shell and other materials, cut with his handheld jeweler's saw. For amazing pictures, check out his web site at http://www.moorebettahukes.com/

Their home is fabulous -- the kitchen has Koa wood cabinets that Chuck custom made and is completely open to the back garden, with a huge mango tree growing through the middle of the room. They have a "tree house" built over the kitchen in the mango tree and, up there, you can see the ocean. The second bathroom is also open -- the tub looks out into the garden and the toilet has a ukulele hung on the wall so you can practice while sitting there.

Bonnie's workshop is back to back with Chuck's and her jewelry is silver set with semi precious stones. They are wonderful people, so welcoming and accommodating. We drank passion fruit juice that Bonnie had fresh squeezed from their tree and, even though it was the last of the season's crop, she said she was glad to share with us. Most of the group was anxious to get back for the next session, but Brit, Natalie and I wanted to stay forever. I asked if I could move in and they said, "Sure!" Hmmmm...

I'll say more about the last day in Hilo in the next post.
(Photos courtesy of Brit O.)

Uke Camp

It's day 3 at Uke Camp. I've been playing every day and my fingers are sore, but I don't care! We've all been assigned groups to play in the Jam session on the last day and have "band practice" every afternoon. I've got a great band leader in Sarah Maisel, who is fabulous. Natalie and Brit got into other bands, so we'll see who comes out on top!

Yesterday included a trip to Hilo to Hilo Ukulele and Guitar Shop, owned by a Scottish guy(!). Wow. What a selection! But I refrained and only bought some music.

The big Farmers Market is in Hilo on Wednesdays, so we strolled around afterwards, looking at the fruits, veggies and tie-dyed T shirts. I bought some presents (hee hee) and then we decided to go get some lunch. The resort had provided sack lunches, so while us girls were in the ukulele store, Joe found a homeless woman with a couple of dogs and gave all 4 lunches to her. She said thanks and god bless you, so I feel we all were blessed.

We went to the fish market for lunch. It was highly rated in Natalie's Lonely Planet guide and it was exactly that -- a fish market with an outdoor window to order a meal. There were wooden benches and tables outside to sit and enjoy the ocean breeze. It was DELICIOUS! Joe and Brit had the healthy grilled ono and Natalie and I had the fried tempura shrimp and ono. All the meals come with 2 big scoops of white rice and a side of green salad or the very Hawaiian macaroni salad, made with macaroni, potatoes and, I think I detected some tuna.

They were having an exhibit of handmade ukuleles at the visitor's center. They were all so beautiful, many with inlaid abalone and/or wood on the body and on the head. The display contained about 40 ukes, all different sizes and were made of Kona wood (of course), spruce, mango -- anything! One of my favorites was a little soprano uke made from some of the koa wood from the torn down Kamehakameha Hotel.

Last night, though, was the best. Natalie and Joe brought some bottles of wine over to our hut and we had fun talking about surfing, dishing the other people here at the camp and how hippie-dippy the place was. On the schedule for the evening was an outing to the closest town (Pahoa) to see the evening Farmer's Market and have a drink at Uncle Roberts Awa Bar. After a few glasses of wine, we decided to try and find the place. NO PROBLEM. There were cars parked on either side of the road for about a mile. It was really hopping! The bar is an outdoor setup at the end of the road and on the outdoor stage were 5 huge Hawaiian guys playing some amazing music on guitars and ukuleles. (Someone at the camp told us this morning that those guys were all related and I believe it. It sounded like they had been playing together for years.)

Natalie found a lady who was selling a dish her grandmother used to make for her when she was a kid and hasn't had since -- Hamburger Curry. She was gracious enough to share with me. It was delicious. Back at the bar, Natalie asked the bartender to make us her best drink -- it was an Hawaiian Sunrise. I'm not sure what was in it, but it was yummy -- fruity, coconutty with who knows how many different kinds of alcohol. We danced the night away -- it was amazing and so much fun. We found out this morning they are doing it all again on Friday night and we may have to be there.

It's an interesting group at the camp. Mostly older people and they are mostly very serious about playing. Some of them are pretty good, but most, I'd say, are about the same level as we are or even less experienced. Some of them Brit refers to as "old biddies" and they are rigid and demanding, but all the instructors are great. We all eat together at the covered outdoor patio, along with another group here -- something to do with body balance and energy. You can imagine.

Today was terrific. I woke up to a torrent of rain on the roof. I had a massage this afternoon and am now waiting for Natalie and Joe to show up with more wine. Life is good.

Ukulele time!

We spent the day yesterday with Natalie and Joe. We were going to go to Wal-Mart (Ugh!) for MuMus, but Hilo Hattie's was right across the street, so we went there instead. I got 2 short sleeveless dresses and Natalie and Brit each got one. One of the dresses I got has little ukuleles all over it! No muumuus though... I don't think I can pull off a muumuu.

The classes start today. I was a dope -- I forgot to pack a camera! I'm using the one on the phone and Brit said I could use hers.

The WiFi here is pretty weak, so Brit and I are surfing madly at 6 AM. Our phones also get no reception. As Joe said, this is a "hippie petting zoo", almost completely off the grid!

I will try to take some photos today.

Hawaii!!

It's finally come -- my trip to the Big Island starts today! I'm going to the West Coast Ukulele Retreat with the friends I took ukulele lessons with -- Natalie, her husband, Joe, and Brit. I'm rooming with Brit. I'm so excited!! Hawaii and ukulele together -- too much fun!

Cape Cod

It was time to go back to Cape Cod. I hadn't been back to visit my friends, Alan and David, for 12 years. They were here last March and I realized how much I missed them.
Cape Cod is a special place for me. I used to go out there every Thanksgiving to visit them and the rest of my friends that had moved there. In the off season (any season but summer), it is a quiet place, full of history, old buildings and streets named "Smallpox Road" and "Stub Toe Lane".
I knew that, visiting Alan and David, I would have great meals and non stop fun. I was not disappointed. When I flew in Thursday night, I drove right to the Cotuit Arts Center, where David is the manager. It is the art center for the Cape, with stage shows, an art gallery and nights of music. We saw a one man show at the Black Box Theater. David has been at Cotuit for 3 1/2 years and has made a world of difference, raising the sophistication and professionalism of this community art center to a high standard.

Friday morning the three of us went back to the Art center for a talk on the new art installation. 96 local artists each took an 18 inch square piece of Henri Rousseau's "The Dream" to make it their own. It was impressive and quite beautiful. Tim and Toni, my other Cape friends, met us there and we all went to lunch. I hadn't seen them in so long -- I was going to cry, but they warned me it would start a waterfall.

That evening, we joined other friends of theirs for a Cape style beach party. With a four wheel drive, you can drive right onto the beach. One woman used to own a restaurant and insisted on cooking all the food. Another friend owns an oyster ranch and brought buckets of them, and one of the guys made an incredible salad with avocados, spicy carrots and sprouts. We had cocktails and watch the sunset. It was magical.

Saturday it was off to Provincetown, a historical town right on the tip if the Cape. We had a wonderful day, capped by a spontaneous parade of old cars down the main street.

Sunday I attended a brunch for the patrons of the Art Center at a lovely home -- a buffet complete with wine and a cello player! Then it was time to go.

I can't wait another 12 years to go back.

New Zealand

My latest trip was to New Zealand last March. I have friends there that I have met on other trips. It's a wonderful gift from traveling in small group tours that you make friends with those from other countries. There always seems to be at least one person that I connect with and end up hanging out with. It's so easy now to stay in touch with people across the world with email and Facebook.
It was a trip I took on my own, booking my own hotels, flights, ferries and trains. I had help planning my vacation because one of my NZ friends is a travel agent and another is a tour guide! I met Gemma and Mike on my Toucan Travel trip to South America. I decided to take Mike's tour of the South Island with Stray Travel so I could visit with him and, at the same time, see the sights without having to rent a car. It was a great way to travel and widened my experience staying in hostels! In the North Island, I stayed a few days with Kathleen and Bob, a couple I met on my Peregrine tour to China on their ranch. They spent two days driving me around to see the sights, up the Coromandel Penninsula and out to the hot springs and mud pools of Rotorua. We watched rugby games on TV, ate white bait fritters and ate honey ice cream -- it was like visiting your favorite family members.
It was a very special, personal trip. I am going back next March to travel with my good friend, Chris. She is Australian and we met on a Peregrine trip to Antartica in 2002. We have each visited each other and traveled together to China. We will definitely visit Kathleen and Bob, and Chris is anxious to see all the "Lord of the Rings" locations and Hobbiton, which I missed.
I'm itching to get back on the road again.

Gotta travel!

It took me a few years and a lot of exploration to find the perfect modes of travel for me. I was severely limited to a 2-3 week vacation at my job, having to give definite dates as to when I'd be back, so solo travel to places out of the Western culture were out. I finally found an answer that fit not only with my schedule, but also with my desires to explore places so foreign to my own. I want to share my findings with everyone who has a burning desire to see the world, but does not the means or the time to "do it right". This blog will mostly chronical my travel adventures, but the web site will offer the way I have found so anyone can do what I've done.