Europe 2010 July Part 2

Östhammar, Gimo, Skäggetorp, Eskjö, Hult, Grimslöv, Broby, Kristianstad, Ahus, Bäckaskog: Sweden

Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odon, Toledo, Granada, La Linea de la Concepcion, Cadiz, Málaga: Spain

Lisbon:Portugal

Gibraltar:UK

Saturday July 10

First thing when I woke up in the morning, instead of writing the blog as I usually do, I went on the internet to try to find a means of getting to Broby. Finally found a Volvo V70 at Hertz at the Arlanda Airport. 4000SEK ($550) from Stockholm to Copenhagen. That is half the price of what we had been quoted for a car by Hertz in Stockholm, and half the price of train tickets, just to Broby.

Packed Kaj's Volvo V70 which is a year older, but the same model and size as we had just rented, hoping that all our luggage would fit in there. There was absolutely no room left in the back of the station wagon after we put all our luggage in, but to our relief it just fit.

We went to Gimo to Tauno and Hildur's gravesite. Raija planted some flowers she had bought earlier in the morning.

Annika phoned Helmer to tell him we were on our way. We wanted to visit Alexis, who lives about halfway to Broby from Östhammar. He insisted that we come and stay at his house.

Then we were on our way. Annika went back to Östhammar, and Kaj drove us to Arlanda to pick up our car.

The car we had rented, although the same model as Kaj's, was newer and there was slightly less room than in his. But we managed to jamb everything in there. Said our goodbyes and we were on our way to Hult where Alexis lives.

The sun was right in our eyes and there was a lot of glare. It was hard on the eyes, even with sunglasses. We had lunch at a Max restaurant in Skäggetorp. It is like a McDonallds with lousier hamburgers, believe it or not. The coffee was lousy, but I had two cups just to keep me awake.

We made another stop at Eskjö close to Hult, to buy a gift for Alexis. It is a beautiful little town with cobblestone streets.

It was after 17:00 and all the shops were closed. Went to a larger grocery store to buy him a bottle of liqueur, but they do not sell alcohol on the weekend after 13:00.

Arrived in Hult at 18:00. Alexis was waiting for us in the driveway. He has a beautiful, house at the end of the road. No traffic, totally private. We had a few drinks, and then he prepared a salmon dinner for us on the BQ.

Watched the Germany-Uruguay semi-final game at 20:30, talked some more and went to bed.

Sunday July 11

Alexis prepared a wonderful breakfast for us. We left around 11:00 for Helmer's house in Broby. Alexis followed us after he cleaned the house.

We stopped at a roadside restaurant in Grimslöv for lunch. The bill was high, but the most memorable item was for water. 50 SEK ($7.00).

Arrive at Helmer's house around 15:00. Alexis was already there, along with Mina and Maarit.

 

The rest of the family started to show up soon after.

Helmer dug up some potatoes for dinner.

Helmer's friend prepared a wonderful chicken dinner for us.

Had dinner and then lined up the family for a picture. Later we watched the World Cup final between Spain 1 - Netherlands 0. There was a thunderstorm, and the signal went on the large TV upstairs. Ended up watching the second half on the smaller computer in the kitchen.

Monday July 12

Helmer prepared breakfast for us. Hamze was going to borrow a bus from his workplace and give us a tour of the surrounding areas.

He showed up around 12:00 and we packed the bus with the relatives.

First we visited Hilkka's grave. The headstone is not ready yet.

Then we went to Kristianstad. Hamze parked the bus at the bus station and we went to a Chinese restaurant on the second floor of the station.

There was a fair in the city. Hamze said that they close down the center of the city to traffic for one week every year to have the fair.

Walked around and went to a liquor store to buy four bottles of Canadian Club as presents. Explained to the relatives that we couldn't haul presents for all the family members from Canada. Gave Hamze, who doesn't drink, a bottle also. Helmer commented that giving Hamze a bottle of whisky was like giving pearls to pigs.

Then we went to Åhus to the beach. It is a very shallow beach, like White Rock, and the kids were able to go in about 100 meters.

Sammy and Caroline (Romeo and Juliet) who are inseparable were also there, never more that a few feet appart.

We boarded the bus and the drinks came. Wine and beer. This was the best tour we have ever been on.

Hamze, who was driving, had to blow into a breathalyzer every time he started the bus. As I said, he never drinks, but I was surprised that he passed with the ambient alcohol fumes on the bus.

We then stopped at the "Ghost House" in Bäckaskog. It used to be the Swedish King's summer residence at the turn of the last century.

Boarded the bus and had more drinks. Then we headed back to Broby. Stopped in front of Mina and Pär-Åke's  house. Mina and her daughter Juliet went into the house. Their dog, a Rothveiler was on the property running loose. It was really excited to see them, but would not step over the property line. It runs around loose at Helmer's house also, without crossing the property line. Incredibly well trained dog. I have never seen anything like it. (Alexis, who is sitting beside me asked me if he would be mentioned as an editor on this blog. He is giving me all the spellings for the names and the towns in Swedish.)

After we arrived back at Helmer's house, we had sandwiches for dinner. I had pigged out at the Chinese restaurant and wasn't hungry whatsoever, however I was very thirsty, too thirsty.

Tuesday July 13

Helmer fed his sparrows, as he always does every morning. They seem to know when they will be fed, they start congregating in the backyard around 7:30.

Pär-Åke showed up with his van around noon, and we started our second tour. First we stopped at the liquor store where Mina works. Rita picked up a bottle of wine to pose with it for this picture. As is always the case with Rita, it was the most expensive wine in the store.

Then we drove to Hamze and Maarit's house. They have internet. In my hurry to update this blog and because there was a lot of glare on the screen of the computer, I pushed the wrong buttons and deleted three days of writing. That is why I'm so late publishing. My loyal fans must be sitting on pins and needles waiting for the update of our exciting adventures, or they are grateful that they don't have to read my boring style of writing.

Noticed Pär-Åke was having a beer. Hamze was going to do the rest of the driving. We then went to a lake near to Hamze's house.

The kids had a great time swimming even though the weather wasn't too great.

We then went to a store in the town where they have wild meats.

You can get any type of meat you want, crocodile, zebra, ect. ect.

That is if you can afford the price. Crocodile 798 SEK ($111) / Kg.

Tasted some smoked crocodile. It tasted like smoked fish.

Pär-Åke bought three large pieces of pork roast. When we got back to Helmer's house Pär-Åke started barbequing. He did the pork Danish style, with just salt. It was delicious, not overdone, very juicy. It had a lot of fat on it. I don't think we can buy pork in Canada with that much fat on it. That is why ours turns out always dry.

While we drank wine the kids were busy playing soccer (Football) and doing gymnastics in the back yard.

We said our goodbyes to everybody. Went to bed fairly early, because we were leaving for Madrid the next day.

Wednesday July 14

Woke up early. Around 9:00 we started packing the car. As you can see, it was packed.

Said our goodbyes again and left at 10:00 for Kastrup airport in Copenhagen.

Filled up with diesel on the Swedish side 575 SEK ($80) before we got on the Oresund toll bridge between Sweden and Denmark. Paid 375 SEK ($52).

Arrived at the airport at 12:00. Dropped Rita and Raija with the luggage off at what we figured was Terminal 3. Had a heck of a time finding the rental car return lot. The signage at the airport is absolutely terrible. We finally found it and parked the car. Tried to return the key and finally found the Hertz office. It was closed. There was a lady in the Avis office and she told us to drop the key into the mailbox, or return it at the Hertz office at Terminal3 where we were leaving from.

Had to catch the airport bus to go to Terminal 3. Raija and Rita figured out that we had dropped them off at the wrong terminal. We walked back to Terminal 2 to find them and then went to Terminal 3 where they were already waiting for us. The plane left on time 15:00 and we arrived in Madrid at 18:30.

There were no large taxi's available, so we took two. Raija and Ken in one and us in the other. Gave the driver the address, 14 Calle de Toledo, Villaviciosa de Odon. He had no idea of where it was. Went over to the driver who was taking Raija and Ken. He had no idea of where it was. They had a general idea so we started off. On the way I programmed the GPS. Had trouble finding the satellites, but it finally connected. Programmed it to Spanish and was holding it up for the driver all the way. Raija and Ken's driver followed us.

When we arrived at the house, the daughter of our exchange partners was waiting for us. We paid the drivers €50 each and took our luggage in. She showed us around, gave instructions on how to clean the swimming pool and some other instructions.

Walked to the nearest grocery store. Bought some wine in a box (1 litter) €.55 ($.75) and a bottle of Spain's finest €1.15, ($1.50). Love the wine prices in this country. Bought two pizzas for dinner, fruits and breakfast items.

Walked back home and sampled the wine on the back patio. 

Thursday July 15

Woke up and decided that we should spend a little more money on the wines, maybe go up to €2. The savings are just not worth the suffering.

Established a wireless internet connection, and finally caught up on this blog and published the pictures.

Rita was first to go for a swim in the swimming pool.

Later on I went in to try to clean the swimming pool. The daughter who met us when we arrived, had explained how to do it. Turned the valves just the way she had explained, pushed the right buttons, nothing happened. There was no power to the pump. Phoned her on her cell phone, but she couldn't help.

In the afternoon we decided to go to Villaviciosa de Odón, the nearest town, to look around and have dinner. The restaurants were empty at 18:00. I guess the Spaniards eat at a later time. Noticed a sign at a restaurant, they would open at 19:30. Decided to shop at the Mercadona nearest to where we were staying, and have dinner at home.

Took a picture of the prosciuttos hanging at a stand inside the market. The clerk in the store was waiving his finger at me and told me in Spanish, I am just guessing, that pictures were not allowed in the store. Made like I was deleting the pictures, but didn't. Us Paparazzis are a sneaky lot.

Later on, after the clerk in the store had cooled down, we bought a small chunk of prosciutto. He sliced it up for us. The prices you see above the whole prosciuttos, is the price for the whole leg. €48.00 ($64.00). At Bosa, in Vancouver, these would cost a couple of hundred dollars.

Bought some other groceries. The chicken drumsticks we bought were humongous. Double the size of the drumsticks in our stores back in Canada. They must be from old roosters who are not able to perform anymore. I had a strong feeling of empathy for them, but bought them anyway.

Ken, our sommelier, was shopping for wine in the meantime. He came up to me carrying a five liter plastic jug of red wine. He told me that it cost €4.89 ($6.50). I told him that I respected his knowledge of fine wines, but to put it back IMMEDIATELY. I haven't got over the aftereffects of his selections from the night before. He ended up buying three bottles. The highest priced was €4.50 ($6.00). Blew our grocery budget all to hell.

Came home, ate the poor roosters, drank two bottles of Ken's recommended wines that go with old rooster drumsticks, and went to bed.

Friday July 16

Decided to explore Madrid. On one of the maps our exchange partners left for us to look at, we found a bus number 518 that seemed to go to Madrid. My GPS, in pedestrian mode, does not work this far out of Madrid. We are about 3 Km. out of its range.

Walked approximately 5 blocks to the bus stop and caught the 518, which comes about every 10 minutes.

Took us into Madrid through a long tunnel. The enormous bus terminal, Principe Pio, is underground. We emerged right beside the royal palace.

Walked down the road and found a small internet café. Raija went in to buy a phone card. She has been trying to change their flight home and needs to make some long phone calls to Air Miles. They will be traveling for 33 hours if they are unable to change it. From Madrid to Philadelphia, from Philadelphia to Denver, from Denver to Calgary, from Calgary home. This will give Ken a lot of chances to get another pedicure in first class. I prefer to clip my own toenails, and travel direct in second class. Or come to think of it, not clip my toenails and travel third class on a wooden bench, as long as the flight is direct.

Ken wanted to exchange his Swedish Kronas to Euros. Walked in to a bank and he was told that they do not do exchanges and given directions to another bank. On the way we found a store that sold Tour Bus tickets, and we bought four one day tour tickets.

Walked by the Royal Palace and followed the directions given. Walked into another bank, two at a time, through a doorway that only allowed two people through at a time. Again he was told to go to another bank. Finally found a bank that would do the exchanges. Ken was in the line-up for about 15 minutes. I could see him filling out papers, through the window. He finally came out. He didn't exchange the money. They wanted €10 to exchange his €23 worth of Kronas.

Had Tapas and beer at an outdoor restaurant near the Royal Palace.

Then we boarded the tour bus. Rita had lost her hat somewhere on our journey, and she had to borrow mine. My brain was frying in the hot sun. But being the official photographer in our group, I had to grin and bare it, on the top deck of the bus. Good thing I have a lot of water in my head, and it takes a while to bring the tremendous volume to a boil.

We made the complete circuit on the red bus, and ended up back at the Royal Palace. Got off, but then decided to get back on the very next bus, to get to the center of the city where Rita could buy a new hat. We caught a blue tour bus this time but it seemed to go to the same places we had been to.

Got off the bus at the Puerta del Sol, then started walking towards Plaza Mayor on Calle del Arenal. Rita went into every shoe store to try to find a hat, but had no luck.

Hats might be hard to find in Madrid, but Iberico or Serrano Hams are everywhere.

Raija asked one of the clerks in a ladies clothing store where we could buy a hat. She was given directions to the main square (Plaza Mayor) in Madrid, so we walked there. Rita finally found a hat store and a hat. Cost €62 ($85.00).

Stopped at one of the many restaurants on the square to buy some beer. I had to replenish the water that had boiled off in my head, so I had two. Raija wasn't feeling well, she had 2 coffees and a desert.

Walked around looking at shops around the square.

We decided that we would come into Madrid on another day, later on in the afternoon, and stay for dinner. The Spaniards seem to have dinner late at night, as I mentioned before.

Raija bought two baguettes and we decided that we would go home and consume the cheeses and prosciutto at the house.

Got back on the red tour bus. We decided not to take the blue tour, but to go home. We were tired.

Ken wanted to find a tour bus stop a few block away on the return part of the tour, so we wouldn't have to go around the last half of the red tour. We didn't want to get lost, so decided to play it safe. Besides by the time we would have found the bus stop we would have probably ended up on the same bus anyway.

Found our way back to the Principe Pio. The GPS showed us the route to walk to the terminal, but we decided to take a shortcut. Ended up at the railway station. Asked a couple of guards how we could get to the bus terminal in the building. We were directed to go to the glass building in the other side of the terminal. Walked in to an enormous shopping center. Walked around looking for a way underground where we knew the bus station would be. Raija asked a store clerk and was told to go outside and we would find it. That was my plan anyway, to get out of the building and let the GPS guide us. walked out and the bus escalator building was right there. We took the 518 back to Villaviciosa, and got off when the GPS told us to.

Ken went to the Mercadona to get some wine, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. We walked back to the house and immediately had a cold beer. It only took one gulp, and the beer bottle was empty. Ken showed up shortly after, had dinner, discussed the tour and other cities we have visited on this journey, and went to bed.

Madrid is a beautiful city. The only problem is that you cannot see a complete building from one vantage point. There are always trees in the way to block you from taking a good photograph of the buildings. But then again we wouldn't have survived the day without the shade the trees provided.

Saturday July 17

Decided to leave for Madrid in the afternoon and have dinner at Samm. Raija had found the restaurant on the internet, and it is supposed to have the best Paella. It is now 16:45 and the temperature is 35° on the internet. Don't believe them, it feels like at least 40°. Not looking forward to the walk to the bus station. Ken took a siesta, just woke up and now he is ready to go.

Left around 17:30. It was hot and we walked on the shady side of the streets. As we neared the bus stop we saw the 518 leaving. The busses on the weekends run every 20 minutes instead of 8-10 as we discovered at the bus stop. There was absolutely no shade except partial shade behind the bus stop booth. We lined up in the tight space behind it. It was so hot I didn't even think of taking a picture. Didn't have small bills so Ken bought the tickets, which are €2.05 each.

Got off at the Principe Pio and went into the shopping center. We agreed to meet at 18:30 at the entrance. I went outside for a smoke and tried to program the GPS to take us to Samm. It didn't work in pedestrian mode. I had bought the program for the Madrid transportation system back in Tadworth, but it didn't function at all.

After we met we went into the metro terminal at the station and were able to figure out which Metro lines to take. The cost for a one way ticket €1.00.

The Metro stations and trains in Madrid are absolutely beautiful. And Clean. The train coaches, as you can see in the picture, are totally open. You can see from one end of the train to the other. Sometimes it gives the illusion that there are mirrors at the end of the cars.

Arrived at the Pio XII Metro station just after 19:00 and with the help of the GPS we were able to find Samm. Talk about a local restaurant. We were zigzagging on the small roads all the way to it. There is nothing around there. Definitely not a tourist trap.

The restaurant was closed. No hours of operation, nothing except the menu and a sign indicating that it was a smoking restaurant. My type of place.

Waited around figuring that it would open at 20:00. There was absolutely no movement inside. Nobody preparing for operation. Ken said that it might be closed today. I thought, what a ridiculous idea and questioned his intelligence. A restaurant that is closed Saturday. Give me a break.

Asked a pedestrian that was walking by. Sure enough, the restaurant is closed Saturdays.

Decided to walk back towards the Pia XII station to try to find a nice place to eat.

Raija, who had her mind set on Paella, spoke to a young couple with a stroller if they could suggest a good restaurant in the neighborhood that served Paella. They directed us to Gerardo. Tried to find the place but couldn't. Raija asked a lady walking by where Gerardo was. She tried to direct us in French and then decided we should follow her to the restaurant. Found Gerardo, thanked the lady very much, since we would have never found it on our own. It was behind a bunch of buildings off the street.

Of course it was closed and not opening until 21:00. Raija however was able to go in and made reservations for 21:00. Ken had found an Irish Pub, McGinty's Goat, in the buildings in front of Gerardo and we decided to have a beer while waiting.

Notice the ashtray on the table. It was a smoking pub. I was in my glory

We had a beer each, Raija had an Aqua. My beer glass seemed to be smaller than my companions, since it emptied before they could get theirs to their lips. Had to order a refill.

At 21:00 exactly Raija got into a panic to get to Gerardo. We might not get a seat. Raija, Rita and Ken left me to finish my beer. Talked to the bartender, who had visited Canada  for about 15 minutes and then strolled over to Gerardo to see if we had been able to get seats.

The restaurant had Raija, Ken and Rita seated in it. Nobody else. Raija had said that the reservation list had been full when she wrote her name in it. There must have been a slew of cancellations.

The Maitre D' was strutting around beside our table, like a peacock in heat. Could hardly wait to get our order. Raija and Ken had a Paella dish for two. Rita had a Hake, I had a sirloin steak. Raija and Ken were raving about their Paella, we tasted Raija's. I think Eija's Paella is about a hundred times better than what they had. Raija commented that it was delicious but that it had way too much salt in it.

Rita hated her Hake, which came with French-fries and a couple of fancy grated potato chips. My sirloin was good, nothing to rave about. It also came with French-fries and a couple of tasteless grilled peppers. The Spanish like these peppers. You can find them everywhere in the stores. I don't understand what there is to like about them, as I said, they are tasteless.

People started to come in around 22:30. There were three other tables in the restaurant being used, of the couple of dozen. There were more waiters than customers. Met a medical supply salesman from California who spoke Spanish and talked with him a while.

Paid the exorbitant bill and left the restaurant after 23:00. Headed back to Pia XII station. On the way, all the sidewalk café's we had passed while looking for Gerardo, were packed. People sitting outside enjoying the wonderful Madrid evening.

Got back to Principe Pio at 23:50. The bus had left at 23:45 and we weren't sure whether that was the last bus. To our relief the last 518 bus leaves at 00:30.

While traveling back to Villaviciosa I kept my eye on the GPS to know where to get off. I rang the bell just before the bus stop. Nothing. Rang it again. Nothing. Finally Ken noticed that my buzzer button didn't work and pressed his. But it was too late. The bus was past the stop. Ended up going about a half a kilometer past our bus stop. It was a wonderful evening and the walk was beautiful.

The sidewalks are wide on the main road, and tiled.

Rita and I had a beer before we went to bed. Raija and Ken want to go to a flee market early tomorrow, so they went to bed immediately.

Sunday July 18

First thing this morning I went on the Garmin website and reinstalled the Madrid Cityexplorer program I had bought. Tested it. It now seems to work.

Raija and Ken left around 10:45 for the flee market. Not exactly an early start, as they had planed. We stayed home to neaten up the house. Beline, our exchange partners daughter, will be dropping by later on today to give some more instructions about the house.

Took these pictures of the Paella oven in the backyard for Eija. I am sure she would love to make a Paella here.

Just checked my web space resources on Shaw. I'm BSing too much. Running out of room. So unless someone out there is willing to share their Shaw web space, I will have to start deleting earlier webs, or severely limit my BS.

Went to do some grocery shopping around 17:30. The Mercadona was closed. Drove to Villaviciosa to look for another one, but everything was closed. Saw a couple of people walking on the street and that's all. I guess they take their Sunday being a day of rest seriously around here. Had plenty of groceries but only had one bottle of wine left and a few beer. Panic time.

Ken and Raija came home around 19:00. Moved the smaller table on the back patio to the front of the house. It was simply too hot to sit in the back. Had a beer, and then to conserve the resources that we had, started to drink WATER. As I said, panic time. The water here is absolutely lousy. Full of chlorine. Tastes like you're drowning in a swimming pool which has been use by a large group of very lazy people. Raija split the wine equitably. She even bent down to ensure that she had the right level in each glass.

Kept waiting for Beline, who said she would be late, to show up. These Spanish people are like Morlocks. They come out at night. Sipped on the glass of wine until 23:00. Beline hadn't shown up, so went to bed.

Monday July 19

Took some pictures of the house.

Went to Toledo which is 56 Km South of where we are staying.

Raija and Ken were going to go to Madrid, but then changed their minds. We had already left by the time they arrived back. Drove to Toledo mostly on the freeway, but the GPS took us through some interesting small towns. One town had a light at each end of it, allowing traffic to go through one way. The one lane road was about five or six blocks long. Had to wait at the light for quite awhile before it was our turn.

Found underground parking at the Puerta de Bisagra (the main gate to the old section of Toledo).

Started walking up to the top of the hill Toledo is built on.

A few block up the hill we noticed a two decked tour bus. Decided to take a tour. €16 ($22.00). Rita sat on one side of the bus and I sat on the side that was more picturesque. Waited for about 20 minutes and the tour bus finally started rolling. I knew I had taken the right side because Rita was on the side that had the hill against it.

The bus stopped at the railway station in Toledo and we waited for about ½ hour for the bus to fill up.

 

Waited and waited finally the bus driver decided to pull the tarp over the upper deck. It was hot.

The upper deck of the bus was totally full, when we finally got going again. The bus went back along the same road from which we had come, and now I was on the side against the hill and opposite the magnificent view of Toledo. Managed to get some good pictures, but if you really want to know what Toledo is like you will have to ask Rita, who of course didn't have a camera.

Stopped at the next stop, after about 10 minutes of driving for 20 minutes. Managed to get some good pictures.

Then the tour continued for about another 15 minutes and we were back at where we had started. Got off the bus and started following a group of tourists and their guide. She led us to some escalators inside a parking lot which went most of the way up the hill.

After a short walk we ended up at the Plaza Zocodover  where we stopped to have a beer at Mazapan El Foro. You don't know how good a beer can taste unless you have been walking around Toledo on a hot summer day.

Walked further up the hill and saw a small crowd of people standing around. There were also a lot of policemen. Rita asked a lady in the crowd what was up. She said King Juan Carlos was going to come by.

 How the hell did he know that Ritva I was in Toledo, I wondered.

Waited for about 5 minutes and he drove by. As you can see he was waiving at us to follow him to some local Taverna he knows of, where they have cold local beer.

I waive back to him to just keep going, we have already had a cold beer.

We were on foot and we didn't follow his entourage. Besides, as I said, we had just had a cold beer. Did he think we were alcoholics?  He must have been dejected that we didn't join him, but we had more interesting things to do.

Walked around the narrow streets of Old Toledo.

Took some pictures and decided to head back to the car. Zigzagged through the narrow streets towards the main square, and then to the escalators.

The walk to the main gate from the escalators was grueling. We didn't think we were going to make it. But we did.

Found the parking lot and the car, and headed home. The Hyundai started acting up as we were ready to get on the freeway. It would not go above 60 Km. Eventually it started picking up speed. The GPS was also acting up as we neared the house. It couldn't find a way across the main highway. I got on the highway, towards Madrid and soon it figured out how to get to the house. Went around the first roundabout, of which there are thousands of in Madrid, and ended up on the right road to the house. As soon as I knew where we were, we headed to the Mercadona to buy groceries. Came home and discovered that Ken had also done shopping. Now we are well supplied.

Had a couple of Pizzas for dinner, a few glasses of wine. Raija and Ken had tried to arrange for a taxi to take them to the airport. No luck. None of the taxi companies had an English speaking dispatcher. After driving to Toledo I felt confident that I could drive them, if they could fit the luggage into the tiny Hyundai.

Talked about how we are going to get to the airport when we are ready to leave on August 6^th. Decided that I would go to the airport about a week before with the Metro, rent a car, and take a tour around Spain with it, then return it at the airport when we leave. The Hyundai is not very reliable, and in the Fiat the cigarette lighter doesn't work, so I can't hook up my GPS. There is no way I am going to go anywhere around here without a GPS.

Tuesday July 20

Took Raija and Ken to the hotel they reserved near the Madrid airport. They will stay there overnight and leave tomorrow. The GPS took us through downtown Madrid. As I discovered later, I had it programmed for shortest distance not fastest time. Better than a tour bus according to Raija, since the car is air-conditioned.

Tried to get to the hotel, but the GPS kept leading us to a road that was one way the wrong way. After driving around trying to find a way in, we gave up, and Raija and Ken walked the block with their luggage.

Programmed the GPS to guide me back, and thought I would check which setting it was on. As I said, it was set for shortest distance. Changed the setting and avoided Madrid altogether.

I was running out of cigarettes, so decided to go to the Mercadona. Bought some paper towels, hand soap etc. Stood in the line-up at the cashiers. Heard the lady behind me humming the Mercadona Song. It is played on the store loudspeakers every five minutes or so. The lyrics are really difficult to understand, unless you  are fluent in Spanish, as I am. After all, I have been in Spain for just about a week, and some of the language has rubbed off on me. It goes like this.

Spanish: "Mercadoona, Mercadoona, Mercadona (Repetir-repetir-repetir..........)"

English : "Mercadoona, Mercadoona, Mercadona (Repeat-repeat-repeat...........)"

I thought I should share it with you. So click on the button below and enjoy.

I hope my translation is accurate. Wouldn't want you to misunderstand the deep and emotional ending to this masterpiece of Spanish music.

Wanted to buy some cigarettes. The cashier, who didn't speak any English, gestured that they didn't sell cigarettes. She kept saying Pueblo, Pueblo. I guessed that meant in the town. Drove to a BP gas station that I knew was nearby. Again no English, just Pueblo and a point in the direction of Villaviciosa.

Drove to Villaviciosa trying to find a grocery store or some likely store that would sell cigarettes. No luck. Though of driving to Madrid to stores that I knew sell cigarettes. Finally I found a parking space and asked a young couple, pulling out my Marlboro package. They pointed to a store three doors down. The sign said Tabaco. Bought cigarettes and IMMEDIATELY programmed my GPS so I could find the store again later on.

Belen showed up around 20:00. She looked at all the settings for the pool. Couldn't find the problem. Phoned her uncle who lives close by. He said he would come around 10:30 tomorrow to figure out the problem. The water in the pool now is totally green and has a film on it. It is not pretty.

Rita asked about the washing machine. It was on the wrong setting.

Talked for awhile. She was very disappointed that there was no transportation from our house to downtown Vancouver, since she doesn't drive. Gave her Rachel's email address, she will try to contact her on Facebook. She is a few months shy of 24 and seems to be interested in the nightlife in Vancouver.

Offered to drive her back to Madrid, which she accepted. Drove her to Principe Pio, the main bus stop and railway-metro station. She got out of the car at the underground intersection. Now I had to turn around and find my way back home.

Drove into downtown Madrid. The place was just humming. Pedestrians everywhere. Cars filled the streets. Couldn't stop anywhere. The GPS was going crazy recalculating the route. By the time it had calculated the route, I was passed the intersection it wanted me to turn at. The lights are well synchronized in the downtown area, and you can drive through half a dozen before you have to stop. Finally, I hit a red light. The GPS was able to catch up to me. Told me to turn, I was in the wrong lane. Had to go straight ahead. Changed lanes after the light turned, expecting it to tell me to turn in the same direction at the next intersection. It told me to turn in the opposite direction. Drove and drove. Finally decided to turn into a narrow street to get my bearings and allow the GPS to catch up again.

Police were all over the place in the narrow street. They were just staring at me. Looked over to the left through a gateway. There were hundreds of hoighty-toightys all dressed up. Didn't see Carlos waiving at me, to join him for a beer. I guess I should have phoned ahead to tell him that I was going to be in the neighborhood. Since I wasn't wearing my tuxedo I decided to move on. The police seemed to agree with my decision.

I don't know how, but I ended up in front of the Royal Palace. From there I knew the way home. Drove into the underground intersection, through the long tunnel, and from there the highway goes straight to Villaviciosa de Odon.

Wednesday July 21

Who says there are no clouds in Spain. It might even be raining in the plain. Took this rare picture to prove it.

Ignacio's brother Antonio showed up around 11:00. He had no luck fixing the pool. He phoned somebody, probably a pool place, and about half an hour later he had the pump running. He took the Fiat and went to get the lawnmower, which was being repaired. He also tried to repair the cigarette lighter on the Fiat but had no luck. So we will have to keep driving the Hyundai. He left at 12:00.

Spent half the day booking a room for August 6^th at the Premier Inn Heathrow, where we had stayed overnight on our way to Helsinki. Also booked a flight from Madrid to London Heathrow for August 6^th. We will fly from Madrid the day before, and spend a night in London, on our way back to Vancouver. Just waiting for confirmation from the Airline.

Took the Fiat to the Mercadona to listen to that catchy little song again. I haven't driven the Fiat before. It is in worse condition than the Hyundai.

Thursday July 22

The booking company, Destinia, who I tried to book the flight to London with, couldn't clear our credit card. Did they know that we are broke? Tried to phone them and clear the matter up. No luck. Gave them Rita's Visa number no luck. They just couldn't clear the payment. Figured the English aren't as smart as the Spanish so went on British Airways web site and within a minute I had an email confirming our flight. The English haven't heard the news that we are penniless.

Antonio came by later in the day to add chemicals to the pool and to clean the filter. He is a real nice guy. Too bad we can't communicate except with a lot of hand gestures.

Checked our email later in the day and we had an email from Maria. It seems they are having problems with the location of the house. They find it too far from Vancouver or even Langley. The Europeans don't drive nearly as much as we do. Their transportation system, in every European city we have visited, is vastly superior to ours. Nearly every neighbor we have works in Vancouver and commutes everyday, as I used to. They are not used to this.

When I redid our Homelink website last year, I somehow accidentally unchecked the box for "Car Necessary". So this is my fault.

Their daughters who are in their 20's don't drive. Belen said that young people here, especially girls, don't learn to drive until they are older. In North America just about everybody gets their drivers license as soon as they can, at 16. I had thought that Belen's boyfriend would be able to drive them around. Even insured the Toyota for drivers under 10 years experience, so he could use it. But now he is not going to Canada, he is staying here to run their business.

The daughters, from what I understand, are also allergic to cats. I guess they never read the part that we have a cat. We had a few rejections from people we contacted because they were allergic to cats. In Spain everybody has a dog. Cats are not nearly as popular as in Canada. Ken and Raija, while they were here, had problems sleeping from the neighbors dogs barking at night. We don't have any problem with it. I guess we are used to it from having dogs in the past.

It was very hard to communicate with them when we were doing the house exchange. Sometimes having to wait two to four weeks for a response  to our messages. And of course we never talked to resolve certain issues.

Emailed Rachel to see if she could take the daughters in for awhile, so they could experience Vancouver night life.

They use an internet translator to communicate, and sometimes it is hard to understand. I think they are also having problems with the Toyota, something is wrong with the lights. Asked Rick to go over and see what the problem is and try to resolve it.

Andrew Stewart broke the GPS we left behind for them. He said he replaced it. Maybe they couldn't find it. They had to buy a map to get around. Offered to pay for the map.

They are also concerned that they will have to replace the water in the pool and indicated that water is expensive in Spain. While I did everything that Belen had told me, Ken can be a witness to that, we just couldn't get the pump to run. Phoned her immediately when we realized that we couldn't get it to work. She said she would be here Sunday, since she was in Northern Spain. She didn't come until Monday. By then the water had turned totally green. Offered to pay for changing the water, if it needs to be changed, also.

Hopefully these issues will be somehow resolved. If anybody has any suggestions how to get around these problems, let us know.

We left for Madrid around 18:30 after we did our shopping at the Mercadona. The walk to the bus stop takes around 15 minutes. Even on the shady side of the street, it can get really hot. The bus just went past as we approached the ramp to cross the street to the other side of the road, where the bus to Madrid leaves from. The booth is facing in the wrong direction, it offers no shade at all in the afternoon. It was hot.

Looked around in the Principe Pio shopping center for a while and then headed for the Gran Via. On the way we heard bagpipe music. I never realized the Spanish liked bagpipes, and have their own version of it. With the Scots you have to guess whether they are wearing underwear, the Spanish bagpipers show it off as you can see in the picture.  Both of us hate bagpipes so we didn't stop at the restaurants which were under large tents there, even though we were really thirsty.

Walked down the Gran Via. Saw a couple of homeless people sleeping on the sidewalk on cardboard mats. One younger lady, who was sleeping there, had a mirror behind her and a loaf of sliced bread on a small table by her head. I guess every large city has problems with homelessness.

Walked around the streets, stopping at every shoe store. Ended up at Puerta del Sol.

 They have buskers all over the place here. Took a picture of Ghandi.

Ended up at the Plaza Mayor we had visited a few days back. Stopped for a beer.

From there we walked to the Mercado de san Miguel. People everywhere inside the marketplace, having a glass of wine and of course Tapas. Spanish sure like their Tapas.

Rita bought a couple of kinds of olives and beans.

From there we walked by the Royal Palace and back to Principe Pio. We arrived home around 23:00.

Had a Pizza with wine and went to bed.

Friday July 23

Rented a car from Hertz for £286.00 ($460.00) through a British company who quoted in pounds. We will pick it up at 18:00 today. If you subtract what it would have cost us to go back to Barajas airport by taxi €50.00 ($67.00) it will only cost $400.00 for two weeks.

Antonio just left. He came again and back flushed the main filter for the pool. Now the gauge is in the green, and everything seems to work. Thought I should post the before-after pictures.

   

Wrote to him on FrontPage and published what I had written on this website (I have since erased it). Then used the internet translator to show him that we were leaving for a week or so to tour Spain & Portugal. He showed me how to use the security system again and told me to pull the blinds and shut all the doors and windows. I hope we will be able to get back into the house when we come back without setting the security system off.

Left to pick up the car at 17:00. Took the 518 bus to Pricipe Pio took the #6 line to Nuevo Ministerios and then the #8 to Barajas Terminal 1,2,3. Arrived at the airport at 18:20. Walked about a half Km. to Terminal 1 where Hertz is. The person at the desk asked what we intended to do with the car, whether we were going on a long trip. I told him that we intended to tour Spain and Portugal. He recommended that we upgrade to a diesel, for an additional €5.00 ($6.50) a day. He said we will more than save it back on the cost of fuel. He was a great salesman so I went for it.

Went to pick up the car just outside Terminal 1. It is a brand new Renault Megane. Got a feel of the enormous airport. I will have to drop Rita off at Terminal 4 with the luggage, drive back to Terminal 1, and then take the shuttle back to Terminal 4, when we leave Madrid. The distances are just too great at the airport.

Had no problems driving back to the house and arrived home about 19:30. Went to Mercadona, had dinner with wine and went to bed.

Saturday July 24

Cleaned the bottom of the pool and back flushed the filter. Want to mow the lawn, but I don't hear anybody else doing it. Maybe it's not customary to make noise here on the weekend. I don't know the customs, so I will wait until somebody else starts mowing.

Maria emailed that they are getting used to staying at our house. European lifestyle is totally different than ours. They rely much more on their great transportation systems, unlike us Canadians. We are just too used to the convenience of the car and are willing to commute much greater distances than they are. My commute, when I was working, was about 45 minutes each way. Some people I worked with had 1½ hour commute. Rick when he worked in Los Angeles had a 2 hour commute. I don't think Europeans are willing to do that.

Packing for our tour right now, and planning the route we are going to take.

We decided not to be too ambitious on our tour. Decided to leave out Barcelona and Valencia and just head South to Granada. Booked a hotel and tickets to the Alhambra.

Nobody was moving lawns. The neighborhood was silent. You could hear people talking in the distance having a good time. Not even dogs barking. I will have to mow when we come back. The grass will be high and will probably have to mow it twice.

Sunday July 25

Got up at 7:00 and prepared the house, watered the plants and took the garbage to the garbage can just around the corner. Didn't mention about garbage collection here in Madrid. They have communal garbage cans here on the streets, which get emptied daily. Great idea.

Packing up the computers and will write the rest of the story for the day from Granada.

Left at 10:30. Stopped for lunch about halfway to Granada at a roadside restaurant the Casa Chaves. Didn't know what to order so Rita ordered a Tortilla Espanola and I ordered a Jamón Ibérico and two Cokes. Rita expected a Mexican style Tortilla, got an omelet with a piece of baguette. I got a plate of thinly sliced Spanish Ham, and that's it. No bread no nothing with it. Rita was kind enough to give me her piece of Baguette.

Drove by millions of olive trees covering the countryside and Arrived in Granada around 16:00. Our hotel, Casa de Frederico (Horno Marina 13, Centro, 18001 Granada) is situated right in the center of Old Granada. The streets are so narrow that on some the side view mirrors just clear the buildings by a few centimeters. Some you can't even drive through. They start off wide enough, but then narrow. The GPS took me to Calle Horno de Marina, the street the hotel is on, and I turned where it told me. Looked down the street and realized it was too narrow to drive through. Parked the car and started to look for #13. A local showed me where it was. Had to back the car out and try to find how to get to the hotel from the other direction.

Drove and drove down the one-way narrow streets and finally ended up about 50 feet from the front door of the hotel. Went inside to ask where the parking was. She took out a map and started drawing on it. The parking lot was about two block from the hotel but had to drive about ten blocks, down the one-way streets to get to it. Dropped Rita off with the luggage and set off to the parking lot. Made it to the parking lot which seemed to hold about five cars. You have to drive down a very very steep narrow ramp and then take a sharp left turn to get in there. Left the keys with the attendant and walked back to the hotel. The walk is faster than the drive. When we leave, we will have to take our luggage to the parking lot. It is easier than to drive back to the hotel.

Rita had already checked in and settled in by the time I got back. Took a little rest and then went out to explore the city. Walked about two blocks and stopped at an outdoor restaurant on Calle de las Capuchinas to eat and have a cold beer. The temperature was around 40°C. Had a bowl of Gazpacho (cold tomato soup). It was delicious. In the heat a bowl of cold soup really tastes good. Then we had Paella.

The rice was yellow with saffron. There was one whole shrimp on it and the rice was severely undercooked. It was almost crunchy. Eija needs to come to Spain and start a Paella University. We have been searching for a Paella that is as good as hers, so far we have been disappointed.

Walked around the market that stretches for many blocks in the narrow streets next to the Granada Cathedral.

Walked down the Gran Via bought a bottle opener at a souvenir store and took some pictures of the buildings and narrow streets.

 

Came back to the hotel to cool down and have a glass of wine on the rooftop balcony at the hotel.

There is a great view of the Granada Cathedral from here.

Around 21:30, after things had cooled down we went for another walk around the city. It was still hot but bearable. Came back to the hotel around 23:15. Had another glass of wine on the roof. The night clerk at the hotel came to lock the door to the patio around 23:30. She saw us there and told us to lock the door after we finished, and give the day clerk the key in the morning.

Monday July 26

Woke up at 6:00 and Skyped with Rick and wrote my blog for yesterday. Rita got ready and we left the hotel around 9:30. I had bought tickets to the Alhambra for 10:30. They cost €26.00 ($35.00). Walked around the corner and Rita found a fruit stand. She bought some almonds. Found a restaurant, Viacolon, on the corner of Calle Gran Via de Colón and Calle de la Cárce Baja, where we had noticed the Alhambra bus stop was. Had a Croissant and a coffee. They seemed to have a good breakfast menu but we were in a hurry to get to the Alhambra.

Caught the bus and we arrived at 10:20. Found the machine that prints out the tickets bought on the internet and were through the front gate before 10:30. Walked around for a while looking for the palace. Asked some people where the palace was. They said we had taken the wrong path and we were in a totally different area of the castle complex. Backtracked and found the correct path. Walked about 20 minutes to the palace and they checked our tickets again. It was 11:05. Told us that we were too late and we couldn't go in. had to go back all the way to the front gate and buy another 2 tickets for €24.00 ($32,00). The time of the entry was 13:00. Walked all the way back to the palace and sat around in the shade for about 1½ hours. Had more difficulties but I just don't want to spend the time writing them down. After all I am on holidays. I will tell you when we get back over a glass of wine.

Caught the Alhambra bus back to near our hotel, but I think it was a different line than the one we had gone up on. Got off the bus ½Km from our hotel, according to our GPS, and started walking back. Stopped at a restaurant on Calle de las Capuchinas, just around the corner from the hotel. Had a beer.

As you can see from the picture half of my beer evaporated before Rita even touched hers. It was 38°C.

Came back to our air-conditioned hotel room had a siesta. Wrote this blog when I got up. Rita went out for a walk bought some cosmetic supplies.

Around 21:00 we went out for dinner. Walked around and decided to eat at Alhambra on the Playa de Bib-Rambia

I had another Gazbacho and tried another Paella. No luck. Eija wins. We are not going to have another Paella unless it's Eija's again. She deserves a Doctorate at Paella University.

On the way home we had a glass of wine at the restaurant just outside our hotel on Calle Horno de Marina and Calle Trinidad. Don't let the look fool you, I enjoyed the day.

Oh yea. Rita wanted you to solve these puzzles. Guess who the donkey and the dummy is.

 

Forgot to tell you about the birds here in Granada, Billions of swallows are flying around in the morning. They go for a siesta like the locals and then come out in the evening again. The rooftops and sky is full of them.

Tuesday July 27

Booked a hotel in La Linea de la Concepcion near Gibraltar first thing in the morning. We will be staying one night and then go to Cadiz and then to Lisbon in Portugal.

Have to start hauling luggage to the car. It will take two trips at least.

Hauled the first load, and discovered that they had moved our car to the 3rd level below ground from where I had left it. Scared the heck out of me that I would have to drive it up the steep and narrow ramps. Went back to the hotel and Rita was just about finished packing. Went to have breakfast at Viacolon the restaurant we had a croissant in yesterday morning.

Rita really liked the pictures in the breakfast menu so we ordered bacon, ham and sausage with eggs. The coffee and the orange juice were excellent the rest was terrible.

On the way back to the hotel Rita wanted to buy almonds again, from the vendors beside the Granada Cathedral. She had bought a bag there yesterday, but she had lost them. We had no money so I went to the ATM across the street from the restaurant.

Took the rest of our luggage to the car park. They had moved our car, to my relief, to the top level. Left Granada at 10:30. Drove down to the Mediterranean coast to Málaga. Well folks, this part of Spain puts California into second place, if you like beaches. It is absolutely beautiful. The only problem is I don't have any pictures. My photographer, Rita, is not that good from a moving car. You will just have to trust me.

They must have spent trillions of dollars in this area. There are brand new Spanish style houses and apartment buildings stretching for about 30Km West of Málaga towards Gibraltar. And I would imagine, that to the East is the same. Malibu beach and the California coast is not even comparable. It is absolutely gorgeous.

Arrived in La Linea de la Concepcion which is the city bordering Gibraltar. Started looking for the hotel. The address only gave the name of the street and of course we were on the wrong end of it. It was on Av Principe de Astorias. Finally we found it. Couldn't find a legal parking spot so I stopped the car in front of the underground parking lot of the hotel while Rita went in for instructions on where to park. She came back a while later with a hotel card. Steered the car down the steep ramp and slid the card through the reader. The gate opened and we were safely in the hotel.

Freshened up and started our walk to Gibraltar which was only ½Km from the hotel. Hundreds of people were heading across the border crossing. As we came up to the Spanish side, a border guard asked for our passports. Nobody was checked except us.

Boarded a bus which took us to the center of the city for €2.10 return. Bought a carton of Marlboros for £20. Walked around the town and decided we should buy another carry on bag for our 2 flights remaining. We are overweight. Bought a carryon at a Jewish luggage shop for £39.99. We had seen one earlier in an East Indian shop but it was too flimsy. Stopped for a beer at an English Pub on Main Street. It was a pleasure getting a pint instead of beer in a wineglass, as most of the restaurants in Spain serve it.

Then went to Marks & Spencer to buy a pair of shorts. The one I was wearing was hanging in there, but I didn't want to show any more than I was already showing. The store was just closing and I was in a real hurry to try them on. Just managed to get to the cashier as she was about to close the till. It was interesting, they spoke Spanish amongst themselves, and when they spoke to you it was with a strong British accent.

The trip back to the hotel was interesting also. The Spanish border guards backed up the traffic. Gibraltar was stalled. We sat on the bus for about half an hour before we decided to walk to the border. Nothing was moving. Walked across the runway in Gibraltar. The road crosses in the middle of the airfield. They shut traffic down for takeoffs and landings. Here is Rita in the middle of the runway.

Two British soldiers, in uniform, were closing the gates on an RAF base after we had crossed the airfield. Found it interesting that they were speaking Spanish to each other.

As we got to the border the bus we had been on arrived. At least we got a picture on the runway by walking.

Every body was crossing the border without their passports being checked. Again we were picked out, by the Spanish border guards this time. Took the passports out of my pocket, he saw Canada on the front cover. "O Canada, thank you." that's all he said. He never even bothered to open them up. I was wondering why we were singled out going in and out of Gibraltar. Do we look British? Do my ears stick out the side of my head? Do I act or walk like Basil Fawlty. Couldn't figure it out.

Went to the hotel and then to a restaurant called "aQa" near the hotel.

I had pork cutlets and Rita had some kind of fish. The food was not that good, but we were hungry.

Wednesday July 28

Had breakfast and then left for Cadiz. Arrived at 14:00. Checked in at the Hotel Playa Victoria, and then went on a tour of Cadiz.

The beaches are unbelievable. Stretching for miles and covered with people. Our hotel is right on the beach, but it was just way too hot for us to lay even under the umbrellas on the hotels beach.

Stopped for a beer at a restaurant on Paseo Maritimo, and thought we might as well have dinner. Rita had shrimp with red peppers, I had shrimp with mushrooms.

Went back to the hotel to cool off, and then went to explore the nightlife in Cadiz. People start coming out around 22:00. There were thousands strolling the walkway along the beach some with kids. Noticed that if the little kids had to go, the parents would pick them up and hold them over a flower pot or under the tree. No wonder the flowers and trees are doing well in this part of the world.

Stopped to have a bite to eat at a restaurant on the beach on Paseo Maritimo . Just wanted to have some Tapas. The waiter started translating the menu and we decided to order 6 Tapas and leave it up to the waiter to chose them. While we were waiting, I decided to look at the travel time to Lisbon on the GPS. It said 7:15. Couldn't believe it. From Gibraltar it was 6 something, and we decided to shorten that by stopping for a night in Cadiz, which is closer to Lisbon. Tried to figure out what went wrong and finally found the problem. The GPS was set to avoid toll roads. Programmed it to look at toll roads and the time went down to 5:15.

We always imagined Tapas to be little appetizery thingies. He brought two bowls of Gazpacho soup and then Two plates of some kind of fish followed by two plates of some kind of other fish. We finished them off, even though we weren't really hungry, with a bottle of wine.

Walked back to our hotel and sat on the balcony till after midnight even though we knew we needed an early start to Lisbon. There were little kids playing on the square in front of our hotel when we finally went to bed at 0:30. We worry about our kids getting to bed by 20:30.

Thursday July 29

Got up at 6:00. Skyped with Rick.

Looked at the prices for breakfast at the hotel €15 each. We weren't hungry at all, from having all the food last night, just wanted a cup of coffee. So we walked to a coffee shop across from Cadiz University Hospital and grabbed a Cappuccino and a couple of croissants for €10. The trouble with sitting in sidewalk cafés in Europe, and I suppose everywhere else in the world, is that you have beggars. A little old lady was begging from every table on the sidewalk.

Left Cadiz at 9:30. Went on the toll highway and paid €6:00. Went on another highway paid €18:00. Arrived in Lisbon around 14:00. Had to pay €1:40 to cross the bridge. Found the hotel, Sana Lisboa, without any problems. Couldn't see a parking lot. Drove up on the sidewalk and Rita went in to ask where we could park. The bellhop said that he had to take a car to the parking lot in 5 minutes and we should follow him. Waited and waited. Nothing. Put the car in reverse and backed down the street until I could park right in front of the hotel. Unloaded our luggage. The bellhop was finally ready and I followed him for what seemed like 5 blocks turning and turning every block. Parked the car and found an elevator. The elevator door opened and there was Rita with the luggage. I thought I was blocks away from the hotel. I was right under it.

Checked in, went to the hotel room, and then went to the front desk to ask where we could catch a tour bus. The tour busses were parked right on the other side of the street. Took a tour of Lisbon for €11 each. Saw the main bullfighting ring in Lisbon, otherwise not impressed by anything else.

The heat was intense to say the least. But being the intrepid reporter that I am, I braved the heat on the upper open deck of the bus to satisfy the fans of my blog. Made up for it by having three beers when we got back to the hotel. I don't mean three pints, I mean three wineglasses full. That is how most of the places on the Iberian peninsula, except of course Gibraltar, seem to serve their beer. It is just enough to have a taste of it and enough to want another.

Rita ordered a plate of four types of cheese. That is exactly what she got. Four types of cheese and nothing else. I ordered an original clubhouse sandwich. It was original alright. There was nothing in it, that a clubhouse sandwich is supposed to have, except tomatoes and bacon. The rest I don't know what it was, but it tasted OK. It came with a small portion of salad, which attracted Rita. She ordered a plate of salad to go with her cheeses.

We went to our room to take a siesta around 19:00. Didn't wake up until 23:00. I went out on the street to have a smoke, walked around the block. Nothing was happening. There were a few people sitting across the street at an outdoor restaurant. another few at a restaurant on top of a building across the road. No excitement at all. A total contrast to Cadiz. Went back to our room and went straight back to bed.

Friday July 30

Woke up at 6:00. Woke Rita up at 6:30. Had breakfast at the hotel and we were on the road back to Madrid.

Rita had run out of clean clothes and we decided to skip Porto.

Drove across the large bridge in Lisbon and were surprised to find there is no toll coming out of Lisbon. Saved €1.40. Being excited by our savings, when we came to the toll road, I took the wrong lane. It was the reserve lane, which I suppose means prepaid. Couldn't get a ticket. It had happened when we first arrived in Portugal, at the first toll we came across. I was able to back up and find the right lane. Not this time. There were all kinds of cars lined up behind me. I had to drive across without a ticket.

Stopped for gas about an hour after crossing the toll. The attendant behind the counter spoke excellent English. I told him what happened and he said you will just have to pay the toll from the furthest distance to where you exit the freeway. I thought OK, maybe €20.00-30.00. Got to the Spanish border and told the toll booth attendant that I didn't have a ticket. She punched a button in the booth, and the price came up on the screen. €54.68. Now I understand that there would be a penalty, but €54.00 seemed excessive. What really bothered me was the €0.68. Where the h__l did they get the €0.68 from? Where they measuring distances on the freeway in angstroms or millimeters.

1½ hours from Madrid, I missed an exit and went straight. The GPS said that it was 1½ hours to the house in Madrid. It recalculated and all of a sudden I was only ½ hours from the house. I guess the heat even got to Bertha. She wasn't concentrating. Had a few glitches on the way home but made it by 17:00. Went to Mercadona to do shopping. If you want to listen to that catchy little tune again, just click on the link below and enjoy.

Came home, unpacked, and sat outside in the shade with a few beers in my hands. If you think that sounds excessive, you should come to Madrid in July and try to have just one beer.

Saturday July 31

Vacuumed the bottom of the swimming pool first thing in the morning before it got hot. Waited for a lawnmower to start in the neighborhood. Nobody was mowing lawn. Then around 11:30 one started. There was no way I was going to mow in the intense heat. Sat in the shade and watched the grass grow.

Went to the Mercadona around 15:00 to stock up on beer and wine and some other necessities of life. Here instead of heating up the car you have to cool it down. Ran the car for 10 minutes before it was comfortable to get in.

Rita was finally able to use the swimming pool. It was too hot to even go in the pool. Sat in the house in front of the fan and corrected some of the mistakes I had made on the blog.