We arrive in Madrid, settle into the Hotel Florida Norte near the train station and take a walk around the area, tasting chocolate and searching for more. Someone offered to take our picture in front of the Royal Palace.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
We pick up our van, making multiple circles on the highways trying to find the exit to the Carrefour store that is actually almost within spitting distance.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
On the road again. Aiming north to Bilbao, we make a bit of a detour to Segovia. We find it a lovely town with some Jewish sites identified by a tourist map, but not clearly identified by signage. Overlooking the Alcazar, where Isabella was crowned Queen of Castille on the eastern precipice of the town. The Alcazar served as the basis of the Sleeping Beauty castle of the Disney movie.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Before leaving Segovia we circled the city and found the old Jewish cemetery from which we could see the Alcazar from the southwest this time (we saw fields of those red poppies all along our drive north).
Friday, June 8, 2007
From Segovia we drove north over the plains through the tiny towns of Amusco (where there’s a medieval synagogue that has been transformed into a hotel and restaurant/bar) and Aguilar de Campóo (where there is an inscription over one of the city gates in Hebrew and Castillian (in Hebrew script!) then down the mountains on our way to Santander at the coast (Cape (?) de la Virgin) for the night. Then off to Bilbao where we explored the Guggenheim Museum, saw the Santiago Calatrava designed pedestrian bridge, Mark bought his beret (“Txapela” in Basque) and we looked for more chocolate (and Mark did not find Bill's Bauhaus). We learned how to say “thank you” in Euskera, the Basque language: “Eskerrik Osko”. That night we lit candles and Mark sang the Kurt Weill version of Kiddush as we made Shabbat in our van overlooking the Bay of Biscay (“Basque”) in Sopelana a bit outside of Bilbao (and a thunderstorm struck as we slept).
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Studying the map we realized that Bilbao is near Guernica (local spelling: Gernika). Our drive took us through tiny villages in dense green countryside along deep valleys. We took our picture at the old Oak of the Parliament. Guernica was chosen by Franco for carpet bombing by German and Italian Fascist forces in 1937 because it was the center of Basque nationalism. The Basque Parliament met at this tree. We then continued on to the little resort town of Donostia/San Sebastian which has one of the most beautiful beaches in Europe and outstanding food. We got caught in a thunderstorm while looking for a vegetarian restaurant that no longer exists.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
After a few misdirections, our GPS (Debbie and I disagree on what to call her: Gertrude, as last time, or Geraldine, "she" "is" someone else, after all, this time) led us to the top of Mount Igeldo where we arrived at about 11:00 pm for the night (and in time for another thunderstorm). Once again overlooking the Bay. We look good in the picture, but it doesn't give a sense of where we are over the bay against green cliffs.
On the road again. Aiming north to Bilbao, we make a bit of a detour to Segovia. We find it a lovely town with some Jewish sites identified by a tourist map, but not clearly identified by signage. Overlooking the Alcazar, where Isabella was crowned Queen of Castille on the eastern precipice of the town. The Alcazar served as the basis of the Sleeping Beauty castle of the Disney movie.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Before leaving Segovia we circled the city and found the old Jewish cemetery from which we could see the Alcazar from the southwest this time (we saw fields of those red poppies all along our drive north).
Friday, June 8, 2007
From Segovia we drove north over the plains through the tiny towns of Amusco (where there’s a medieval synagogue that has been transformed into a hotel and restaurant/bar) and Aguilar de Campóo (where there is an inscription over one of the city gates in Hebrew and Castillian (in Hebrew script!) then down the mountains on our way to Santander at the coast (Cape (?) de la Virgin) for the night. Then off to Bilbao where we explored the Guggenheim Museum, saw the Santiago Calatrava designed pedestrian bridge, Mark bought his beret (“Txapela” in Basque) and we looked for more chocolate (and Mark did not find Bill's Bauhaus). We learned how to say “thank you” in Euskera, the Basque language: “Eskerrik Osko”. That night we lit candles and Mark sang the Kurt Weill version of Kiddush as we made Shabbat in our van overlooking the Bay of Biscay (“Basque”) in Sopelana a bit outside of Bilbao (and a thunderstorm struck as we slept).
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Studying the map we realized that Bilbao is near Guernica (local spelling: Gernika). Our drive took us through tiny villages in dense green countryside along deep valleys. We took our picture at the old Oak of the Parliament. Guernica was chosen by Franco for carpet bombing by German and Italian Fascist forces in 1937 because it was the center of Basque nationalism. The Basque Parliament met at this tree. We then continued on to the little resort town of Donostia/San Sebastian which has one of the most beautiful beaches in Europe and outstanding food. We got caught in a thunderstorm while looking for a vegetarian restaurant that no longer exists.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
After a few misdirections, our GPS (Debbie and I disagree on what to call her: Gertrude, as last time, or Geraldine, "she" "is" someone else, after all, this time) led us to the top of Mount Igeldo where we arrived at about 11:00 pm for the night (and in time for another thunderstorm). Once again overlooking the Bay. We look good in the picture, but it doesn't give a sense of where we are over the bay against green cliffs.
From Segovia we drove north over the plains through the tiny towns of Amusco (where there’s a medieval synagogue that has been transformed into a hotel and restaurant/bar) and Aguilar de Campóo (where there is an inscription over one of the city gates in Hebrew and Castillian (in Hebrew script!) then down the mountains on our way to Santander at the coast (Cape (?) de la Virgin) for the night. Then off to Bilbao where we explored the Guggenheim Museum, saw the Santiago Calatrava designed pedestrian bridge, Mark bought his beret (“Txapela” in Basque) and we looked for more chocolate (and Mark did not find Bill's Bauhaus). We learned how to say “thank you” in Euskera, the Basque language: “Eskerrik Osko”. That night we lit candles and Mark sang the Kurt Weill version of Kiddush as we made Shabbat in our van overlooking the Bay of Biscay (“Basque”) in Sopelana a bit outside of Bilbao (and a thunderstorm struck as we slept).
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Studying the map we realized that Bilbao is near Guernica (local spelling: Gernika). Our drive took us through tiny villages in dense green countryside along deep valleys. We took our picture at the old Oak of the Parliament. Guernica was chosen by Franco for carpet bombing by German and Italian Fascist forces in 1937 because it was the center of Basque nationalism. The Basque Parliament met at this tree. We then continued on to the little resort town of Donostia/San Sebastian which has one of the most beautiful beaches in Europe and outstanding food. We got caught in a thunderstorm while looking for a vegetarian restaurant that no longer exists.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
After a few misdirections, our GPS (Debbie and I disagree on what to call her: Gertrude, as last time, or Geraldine, "she" "is" someone else, after all, this time) led us to the top of Mount Igeldo where we arrived at about 11:00 pm for the night (and in time for another thunderstorm). Once again overlooking the Bay. We look good in the picture, but it doesn't give a sense of where we are over the bay against green cliffs.
After a few misdirections, our GPS (Debbie and I disagree on what to call her: Gertrude, as last time, or Geraldine, "she" "is" someone else, after all, this time) led us to the top of Mount Igeldo where we arrived at about 11:00 pm for the night (and in time for another thunderstorm). Once again overlooking the Bay. We look good in the picture, but it doesn't give a sense of where we are over the bay against green cliffs.
