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Phil Merrell

Phil Merrell

har rejst i 5 lande Læs mere
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    • Phil MerrellRejsendeThey’re Back! Spanish Easter
      Downtown Sintra
      Sintra National PalaceSintra National PalaceNational Palace Hall of Noble Family HeraldsA Happy LionA Calm Day at NavaréThe Church of Santa Cruz in CoimbraBar/cafe at the Church of Santa Cruz at Closing Time

      Sintra to Coimbra

      1. maj, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

      May Day is a national holiday in most of Europe. We visited the National Palace in Sintra this morning. Headed out the winding, circuitous route out of town, on our way to Coimbra.

      We went via Navaré, a fishing town with unusual seabed geologic features that can cause 100 ft tall waves for surfing. The wind conditions have to be just right… and they weren’t. The sea was beautiful, but pretty much flat. We continued on to Coimbra and got there after dark.Læs mere

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    • Phil MerrellRejsendeThey’re Back! Spanish Easter
      Sintra is STEEP! Moorish Castle at Top
      Pena Palace EntranceDebbie and Her Newest FriendWho Had Offered to Take Our PhotoPena Palace, Distant OceanDon't Know the Story, But This Guy Surely Has OneDinner With the King Anyone?View of LisbonA Minor Nobleman's Palace in SintraGreat Dinner - With Vegetables!

      A Day in Sintra

      30. april, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

      We rode the city bus on a winding narrow road up the steep hillside to Pena Palace on the top of the hill. Beautiful green, semitropical forest and trails going everywhere. The palace location is spectacular. It looks over Lisbon, the ocean, the countryside, and the surrounding hills. The palace is of course, amazing. The crowds and feeling of being herded, less so. Those darn tourists! We are starting to have the conclusion that places near or in large cities are a trade off between coolness and crowdedness.

      Had another great dinner. Octopus for me and fish for Debbie. A big difference between Spanish and Portuguese cuisine is Portuguese has vegetables. In Spain most of the dishes are meat or fish, with fries. Other than an “ensalada mixta”, a very common, very consistent, and quickly very boring salad of iceberg lettuce, canned corn, carrots, egg, and canned tuna, it’s hard to find any vegetables when dining out in Spain. We have been reveling in well cooked vegetable sides with our meals since getting to Portugal. OK, enough whining!
      Positive Note: The rumors about Portuguese pastries being exceptional are understated!      Læs mere

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    • Phil MerrellRejsendeThey’re Back! Spanish Easter
      Dolls
      Church TileNata - the Portuguese National PastryMore DollsBones

      On To Sintra

      29. april, Portugal ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

      We spent the morning in Evora visiting a few sites that were closed yesterday (closed Monday, or the power outage). A church near our hotel has beautiful tile work that Portugal is famous for. The church was a hospital for the poor, started by a religious order the 1500’s. When Portugal nationalized healthcare in the 70’s, the order cashed out of the healthcare business and bought the government a new hospital. Their meticulous records over the ages were the source for a lot of research.

      Another stop before we left Evora was the Capela do Ossos, or Chapel of the Bones. The Franciscan Order made this chapel in the early 1800’s, digging up the bones of around 5,000 monks. The general theme of the place was we are all mortal, pay attention to what is in front of you and live for today. It was generally more uplifting than macabre.

      After that, we made an uneventful but expensive drive to Sinatra. Portugal has lots of toll roads and bridges.

      An interesting thing we have noticed in Portugal is an interest in dolls. The church with the tiles, the Capel of Bones, and another church have large displays of dolls. Some are rather creepy looking. When we got to Sinatra, our hotel also has a doll display.

      We had to drive through Lisbon to get to Sintra, but it went really smoothly. Sintra is hilly. The whole town is up or down. Had a very good dinner and turned in early.      Læs mere

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    • Phil MerrellRejsendeThey’re Back! Spanish Easter
      Obligatory Roman RuinsLibrary of OLD BooksCathedralView over the roofs of the University of EvoraNo Power = Romantic Evening

      A Strange Day in Evora

      28. april, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

      Well, the day started out pretty normal. We were walking around the city visiting places when the power went out around 11 AM. At first we just noticed it was darker in most of the places we were going to see. By mid afternoon, rumors were flying that it was a cyberattack, that Russia was attacking Europe, that the entirety of Europe was down, that the military had been called up… But with the power out, there was no news coming in. We stopped talking pictures, turned our phones off to save battery, and tallied up our resources.

      There were basically two ways the Portuguese people were reacting. They either lined up at local shops to stock up on food, or they lined up at the bars to drink. I am ashamed to admit that we stood in the wrong line and bought canned tuna, saltines, and oranges (what was left) to tide us through the apocalypse. Having safeguarded our future, we then got in the correct lines and had a limited menu dinner out (what they were still serving) with some pretty good wine. Then we continued walking around the old town, visiting monuments and parks, and did our normal stuff until dark. At our hotel they gave us candles to light our room. Shortly after we got to bed, the power came back on. So we’re now taking orders for the finest quality imported canned tuna. Let me know how many cans you want! Seriously though, it did make us consider what we would do if a historical event overtook us in a foreign country.      Læs mere

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    • Phil MerrellRejsendeThey’re Back! Spanish Easter

      To Portugal

      27. april, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

      Picked up the car at the train station and headed out of town for Portugal. We drive mostly on back roads and stop in small towns for coffee or food. There are a lot of old castles, forts, and churches that are not shown on most maps that are fun to encounter. Most are in a wide variety of upkeep. We finally made it to our destination, Evora, Portugal after dark.Læs mere

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    • Phil MerrellRejsendeThey’re Back! Spanish Easter
      Wedding Stan Old Church
      Old City Wall

      Córdoba - Last Day

      26. april, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

      Lazy day. Slept in and got a late start on our incredibly tight schedule of wandering around the streets and alleys of the old city. We were aiming to do a church crawl on a list of famous Córdoban churches, but the churches were all booked up with weddings. Yes, wedding bells were ringing and people were putting on the dog. Tents, fancy cars, and fancy fancy duds! So we abandoned our initial plan and went with our fall back plan of AIMLESS wandering. Lots of courtyards and cool old streets. A siesta in the afternoon, and then… laundry! Yes, we’re leaving for Portugal in the morning and will be moving more often. I’m proud of how light both Debbie and I packed, but the trade off is, less clothes means more laundry days.

      Up early tomorrow to get the car and drive to Evora.      Læs mere

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    • Phil MerrellRejsendeThey’re Back! Spanish Easter
      A Side Door to the Cathedral/Mosque
      Mosque/Cathedral - Zoom in, loong buildingMosque/CathedralM/CM/C - Zoom in for detailM/CM/CM/CM/CM/CTile Display in the Alcazar (fortress)1Garden of the AlcazarAlcazar GardenNice Balcony

      Córdoba 2 - Mosque/Cathedral

      24. april, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

      Had a tour lined up for this morning to get oriented in Córdoba. First stop was the Mosque/Cathedral. What a mind blower! It is so unique and beautiful. There was a Christian church on the site originally. The Arab people took over most of Spain in the mid 700’s, and built this huge mosque. It was expanded a couple of times before the Christian people took control of Spain in the 13th century. Fortunately, they resisted the temptation to tear this beautiful building down and build a traditional cathedral. It has been modified to reflect a more Middle Ages gothic/renaissance chic, but the heart of the original building is still intact. It is massive!

      Also went to the Alcazar, or fortress. It’s still called by the Arab name, even though the only parts that haven’t been completely rebuilt are the gardens.

      Spent most of the rest of the day walking around through the narrow streets of the old city.      Læs mere

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    • Phil MerrellRejsendeThey’re Back! Spanish Easter
      Good Morning
      View of the Mérida aqueduct ruins, looking over a railroad junk yard.Our Ride to CórdobaUnnamed Little Castle Over an Unnamed Small TownBeautiful Streets and Homes1Beautiful StreetsRoman Bridge Looking Back At the Cathedral/MosqueTower of the Cathedral/MosqueStuck Behind Another Easter ProcessionEaster Procession Cleanup

      To Córdoba

      23. april, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

      Caught the train to Zafra early this morning. We had time for a coffee and pastry there before catching a bus to Córdoba. Spanish busses are much nicer than in the US. Clean, and better seats than the airlines.

      Córdoba is a good sized city. We’re staying in the old city, with narrow streets and alleys. A lot of the houses and alleys are decorated with plants and flowers, really beautiful.

      The weather has finally changed to warm, Mediterranean. Nice after the cool, rainy weather we’ve seen so far. It got up to 80 today. Now we can complain about the heat!

      Walked around the Old City after dinner. Walked across the old Roman bridge, still a magnificent main pedestrian walkway connecting the parks along the river.

      On the way back to our hotel we got caught behind an Easter procession, again! They were moving one of the platforms they use to carry a religious statue, presumably to storage until it’s needed for the next religious procession. Even empty, it still looks like a lot of work!      Læs mere

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    • Phil MerrellRejsendeThey’re Back! Spanish Easter
      Roman Villa
      Paint that lasts 2,000 years!Stairs go down to a summer bedroom that's coolerTile and painted wallsTile ArtworkWhat the tile artwork looked like beforeIn the AmphitheaterAmphitheater EntranceThe TheaterTheater, with Inspectors2That Roman Look?1Cool Tiles on This HouseA Quiet Side StreetAfter a Long Day...... Time to RelaxOnly In Mérida!

      Last Day in Mérida

      22. april, Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

      Went to a different Roman villa this morning. Definitely an upper class family. Lots of beautiful tile and remains of painted walls. It’s hard to imagine that people just abandoned this city with all of its magnificent buildings and theaters and temples at the end of the Roman empire.

      We went back to the amphitheater and theater and spent some time there. We saw them briefly when we were on the tour, but that wasn’t enough. Truly amazing, and both are missing their upper two thirds.

      The afternoon we went through the Museum of Roman Art. Then, after refreshments, home early to pack. On the way back we went past the Temple of Diana, where a grade school dance class was performing.

      Tomorrow we take an early train south to Zafra, where we catch a bus to Córdoba.      Læs mere

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    • Phil MerrellRejsendeThey’re Back! Spanish Easter
      Check Out the Name of the Street
      Plaza de EspañaTrajan's Arch

      Monday After Easter- Mérida

      21. april, Spanien ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

      Today was a day of rest and housekeeping. Slept in, hung out, did laundry. Got out in the afternoon and walked looking at old parts of town and people generally. Pretty slack day.

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