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Laurie Reynolds
Laurie Reynolds

Laurie Reynolds

traveled in 9 countries Read more
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  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21Laurie Reynolds
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    Moors, Romans, and almost Picasso

    June 27, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    I did a quick walk up to the top of the hill again, to see things in the morning light. Then back to the hotel to pick up Joe. We had the best coffee of our trip so far. Then we headed up to the 13C Moorish Alcazaba. Not as spectacular as the Alhambra, but we enjoyed it a lot. Lots of those beautiful horseshoe arches and patios full of water and flowers, all hidden behind austere walls.

    The Roman theater was next and even though you can see most of it from the adjacent plaza, how can you pass up a chance to climb around a Roman theater?

    Lunch was a repeat visit to the really refreshing Avo. It’s a restaurant run by two young Germans (?) and their food is fresh and good.

    We had planned to go to the Picasso museum after lunch, but saw a huge line and learned that it’s free admission on Sunday afternoons. Luckily it’s open on Monday, so that will give us something to do on our last day.

    So plan B was a long walk along the quay and then along the beach. Late (for us) dinner at Gusto for good pizza. And jump for joy — our Covid tests came back negative so we can return home as planned.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21Laurie Reynolds
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    Good day in Malaga

    June 26, 2021 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    While Joe slept in, I had time to buy some of the required stuff — olive oil, smoked paprika, and Manchego cheese. The huge municipal market is thrivng, in spite of the chain supermarkets not far away. It has a pretty impressive 14th century door that used to be part of a Moorish home. The old part of Málaga is really charming!

    After another café breakfast (this will be a part of the day I will dearly miss), we headed out to the airport for our pre-return Covid test. Everyone entering the US must have a negative test result from within three days of departure. We probably could have gotten a test in town, but I made the reservation for this test soon after Spain opened up for us, and I thought it would probably be less risky than finding some random lab somewhere in town. At the airport, the line for the test snaked around the airport, but a second window for those with reservations had no line, and that was our window! They did one of those painful nose swabs, which I have never had. Though I’ve probably had more than 200 covid tests, they have all been saliva, and I am now very thankful of that! We will get our results tomorrow, fingers crossed!

    Walking around town we saw the beautiful old customs building with a museum inside, so in we went. After lunch, Joe went to nap, and I headed up to the castle, which overlooks the Moorish fortress, which overlooks the Roman theater. The views from way up there were very nice.

    Our best meal so far in Malaga —La Barra de Zapata.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21Laurie Reynolds
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    Took the bus to Malaga

    June 25, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    It is only a two hour bus ride to Malaga from Granada, and our bus was at noon, so we had time to go back to our favorite breakfast place. Half a short baguette each with crushed tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and avocado. Avocado toast meets pan con tomate. Delicious.

    The bus ride was not very scenic, but it was quick. Our hotel is on a pedestrian street exactly across from the Santiago church. It must be an omen. One of these years I will walk from Malaga—it’s a branch of the Camino Mozárabe, which is a great camino— in spring only, though!

    We had lunch at a very popular place —Pimpi— with a view over the Roman theater, with the moorish fortress above it.

    The weather continues to be perfect.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21Laurie Reynolds
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    Last Day in Granada

    June 24, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    We took a local bus up to the Cartuja Monastery, with its overabundant, over-the-top roccoco church and chapel. One Spanish architecture professor is reputed to have described it as a “motionless architectural earthquake.” Pretty good. The information I read suggests that perhaps the order wanted to outdo the Alhambra. I don’t know anything about the Carthusian order, but I do know that the Camino Francés also has a Monasterio Cartujo - de Miraflores in Burgos.

    The monastery used to be on the outskirts of town, but now the University of Granada has a whole modern campus up there. It was fun to walk around. Back downtown in early afternoon, we decided to go to the Capilla Real to see where Fernando and Isabel are buried. I hadn’t remembered the anecdote about the very elaborate statuary showing them lying in state up on the floor above the alleged tombs. Her head sinks more deeply into the pillow than his, perhaps a nod to her superior intellect and “heavier brain.” Who knows.

    We won’t leave Granada without one more trip up to the Albaicín (moorish quarter) to see the Alhambra from afar in the late afternoon sun. And one more dinner in one more lovely little plaza somewhere. The food has not been great, but totally fine. I would take mediocre food in such a gorgeous setting anyday!

    Bus to Málaga tomorrow!

    Note to self: Make sure husband’s cap is affixed to his head. But hey, he walked 7 miles today!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21Laurie Reynolds
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    La Etapa Reina

    June 23, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    On every camino, there is the Etapa Reina, the jewel stage of the route. Though I’m not walking, there’s no doubt that the Alhambra is just that.

    We took a little bus up at about 9, and got right in. Six and a half hours later we were on our way out, walking back to town on the shady pedestrian path with babbling water never far away. I had brought some fruit and yoghurt in my bag, but as we were eating breakfast in a cafe, the grandma brought out some freshly made empanadas. Tuna with sun-dried tomatoes. I brought two along and we found a beautiful (if not totally legal) picnic spot in the gardens.

    There are four separate sections and to enter each one you have to show your passport. At the entrance to the Generalife (summer palace), I witnessed Spanish bureaucracy at its finest. Two young people, from Hungary I think, got up to the gate. Each one has a passport and a ticket in hand. But oh no, the bureaucrat says— both tickets say “Ella Blabla” but only one of the passports has that name. Ella spoke up —I guess I put my name on both tickets when I bought them online, but you can see that the passport numbers correspond to the two of us. Oh but I’m sorry, says the guard, this is impossible. So after a few minutes back and forth, finally the guard calls his superior and explains the whole thing two or three times with much emotion and consternation. The line gets longer and longer. Finally, just as we always knew would happen, the guard waves his arm in a huge arc and says—pasen Uds. I love Spain!

    Rather than describe the many incredibly beautiful rooms, patios, and gardens, I’ll just add some pictures. And a popular refrain — Give alms to the beggar, sir, for there is no pain worse than being blind in Granada.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21Laurie Reynolds

    Museum Day

    June 22, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We spent most of the day in two different parts of town. First, the Albaicin, where we visited the Inquisition Museum (let’s just say the guillotine was the most humane thing I saw-truly shocking). Much more enjoyable were the Moorish baths, a morisco house ( 13 th century house of a convert to Christianity) and the Archaeological Museum. Even after reading a detailed explanation, I still don’t understand how a 13th century Muslim astrolabe could have announced the times of prayer, the start of Ramadan, as well as indicate the direction for the faithful to pray.

    Lunch in an outdoor cafe with views over to the Alhambra. It never gets old.

    Post-nap time was spent in the area near the Cathedral. It’s not one of my favorite cathedrals in Spain by a long shot, and the ticket office was closed when we got there anyway. It was much more fun to watch the several demonstrations going on near the Town hall. One had to do with domestic violence, and the other was some very confusing protest against the church. Very loud but very peaceful.

    Alhambra tomorrow!!!!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21Laurie Reynolds
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    Travel Day to Granada

    June 21, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    A short two hour train ride through olive groves. Oh, the nostalgia, I always love walking through olive groves when on camino. Some people find them boring, but I just love them. Riding on a train through olive groves just isn’t the same. I couldn’t even do my normal loud camino rendition of Andaluces de Jaén, a song by Paco Ibañez of a slightly subversive poem by Miguel Hernández. I love it and sing it every time I walk in an olive grove!

    It was a nice walk down promenades from the train station to our hotel, which is on the Gran Vía. It’s in the Renaissance monastery of Santa Paula. Great location, very comfortable. Good fitness center. :-) The reception guy was very nice and put us in a room in the old part overlooking the courtyard. When I told him it was great except for the step up to the bathroom (night-time fall alert went off), he put us in an even nicer little suite with a similar view. No complaints.

    Joe decided to nap on arrival, since he hadn’t been able to sleep in till his normal decadent wake-up time. And his stomach was a bit off. So I went to exercise and walk around a bit. I thought that Fanta de Limón would be just the thing for an upset stomach, and once again I was transported back to the camino. It’s my favorite post-walking refreshment, nowhere near as sweet as US soft drinks.

    After a quick lunch, we walked up to the Mirador San Nicolás, the iconic viewing spot in the Albaicin (moorish quarter) back over the Alhambra. Dinner in the hotel, nothing great, but it’s convenient. Temps are still ridiculously low, and the sun is brilliant. So lucky.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21Laurie Reynolds
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    4Ps - Palace, Patios, Plazas and Parks

    June 20, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    This was not a day of 5***** attractions, but in slow travel mode, you always need an extra day in case you would otherwise miss something you wanted to see. And that uaually leaves lots of time for wandering and watching the world go by.

    Today we started at the Palace of the Marqués de Viana, a mumble jumble palace inhabited from the 15-19 century, with a beautiful ring of adjacent patios around it. After that, we just meandered, sitting occasionally in a little café in a neighborhood, or in a park (Córdoba has a lot of parks). And one big ice cream in the beautiful Plaza Tendillas. But we weren’t always sitting — my phone tells me we walked 5 miles. I found a few churches that could claim some romanesque-like features, but since the Moors were in charge till 1326, most of the post-Reconquest construction is gothic forward.

    Tonight one last good meal in a spot that had no reservations till Sunday when the hotel called on Thursday. So it sounds like a good last night spot. Tomorrow we have a 10 am train to Granada,    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21Laurie Reynolds

    To Medina Azahara

    June 19, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Late breakfast, as usual, with a taxi ride out to Medina Azahara soon after. Yes, I am getting soft. We could have taken a bus to about a half kilometer from the site, but we splurged. This 10th century town in ruins was the residence of the caliph for about 70 years, until warring factions disputing his succession destroyed the entire place. It seems that moving the royal headquarters 6 km out of the capital city was not such a smart idea after all, because all the intrigue and skullduggery was easier to implement with the boss out of sight. It must have been an impressive place, though, with a lot of multi-arched buildings all interconnected through a maze of halls and tunnels— all to impress and overwhelm the emissaries from other kingdoms. I guess it worked with the foreigners, but the take-down came from within the caliphate in the 11th C. At least that’s my understanding. And then Fernando el Santo completed the final conquest in 1236. Great museum and video to get you acclimated before heading into the site. We very much enjoyed wandering all over, though Joe was usually holding onto my arm for extra balance. But no mishaps!

    A huge part of the fun in a city like this is walking through ancient narrow twisty streets, seeing the beautiful flowers and patios, and coming unexpectedly on a plaza with cafés and fountains. We have done our share of that these first two days — Spain really knows how to do life.

    We have been so lucky with the weather — I couldn’t believe we had to put on our fleeces both last night and this morning. Highs in the 70s or low 80s, when it is usually about 20 degrees hotter. It would not have been fun to walk all over the excavations in that kind of weather.

    We are eating all our meals outside and wearing our N95 masks. This part of Spain has had a big covid burst, but the vaccination rates are extremely high and they are vaccinating people in their 20s and 30s now. Hospitals are not full and death rates are low, so that’s all good.

    Tomorrow is our last day in Córdoba and we have a couple of good meals planned, so I’d better find some destinations for us to walk to and skip the taxis.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21Laurie Reynolds
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    Gobsmacked once again

    June 18, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    When you start your day with an early morning walk through the ancient Judería, then walk along the river and across the Roman bridge, and then saunter around the mosque while your better half sleeps, it is a pretty good omen. We had a late breakfast in the hotel and then just waltzed into the Mezquita/Mosque and punched three buttons on a machine and out popped our tickets. No lines, no hoards, no big groups, it was wonderful.

    The information I’ve read describes this as the greatest mosque in the world, and if that’s hyperbolic it’s not by much. Not that I’ve seen many, but I can’t imagine it could get much better. It was built in the 8th century on top of a visigothic cathedral, which was probably on top of a Roman temple. Now the mosque has a Catholic Cathedral plopped into the middle of it. What’s surprising, I guess, is not that the Christians added on a cathedral, but that they left the mosque untouched for three centuries. Apparently, they could resist no more, and hence the appearance of a 16th C Baroque altar, choirstalls, and cupolas. I was surprised to read that the local people and the municipal government begged the religious authorities to leave it untouched, but to no avail. But all of humanity is extremely lucky that the conquering Christians did not destroy this site.

    Next stop, the Royal Alcázar, the home of Ferdinand and Isabelle when they were in residence, and apparently where Columbus’ trip was organized and agreed upon. Also where a lot of the Inquisition was put into place. The main attraction is the huge and beautiful garden, with many fountains and pools.

    We had lunch in a Sephardic restaurant recommended by a dear camino friend. Several small plates were all we needed, it was great.

    On the way back to the hotel, we stopped in the small but very nice Arqueological Museum, built on top of the excavations ongoing on the Roman theater below. The mix of cultures and regimes is just there out in the open for you to enjoy every time you turn around. It is a really beautiful city.

    The temperature hit a high of 77 today, much cooler than we ever expected. Warming a bit in the next few days, but nothing really hot till we get to Granada next week.

    We’ve fallen into the routine from earlier trips. Late breakfast, mid afternoon nap/exercise and then dinner later. We are eating outside, in small plazas, in various recommended places. The Spanish meal times work very well for us, because dinner starts no earlier than 8 or 8:30. It is working well so far, knock on wood!

    PS, and for my Camino friends, there is a Santiago Matamoros!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21Laurie Reynolds
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    Travel Day number 2!

    June 17, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    We landed in Madrid at about 9 am Madrid time. It took us no time at all to get through immigration, get the train to the main T4, and then walk through the line where they checked to make sure we had a QR code issued by the Spanish government. This code is given to you online two days before your flight, after you provide the information on your vaccines. No one actually ever checked the vaccination card, so the trust quotient is pretty high. The booth had one of those long snaky lines like they have at airport security, but there were no people there!

    I had thought the train tickets to Córdoba were all sold out, but when I checked in the Renfe office at the airport, they found me two seats not together on a train at 2:30. That gave us another 3 hour wait, but we’re getting used to those. If the weather had been nice, we would have walked through the Retiro for an hour or so, but it was raining. And I just didn’t feel like the Reina Sofia, which we had visited on our last Madrid trip. So we took the Cercanías to Atocha and sat outside under a cover and drank café con leche!

    By 5 we were in our hotel, which is a nice, small place in an old building, Eurostars Azahar. Joe took a nap and I went to the elliptical, and then took a stroll around town to get my bearings. I went past the Hotel Seneca, where I stayed when walking the Mozárabe in 2019, and made my way down to the mezquita. What a beautiful little city.

    We had dinner in Taberna Góngora close to the hotel. Salmorejo was YUMMY (Córdoba’s version of gazpacho, a little creamier and with jamón serrano). Green asparague grilled and eggplant with honey for the finale. Now after 26 hours of travel I am ready to go to bed!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21Laurie Reynolds

    Travel Day

    June 15, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    We decided to take the plunge and go to Spain soon after the government welcomed vaccinated American tourists back on June 7. Today is travel day, from Champaign to Chicago to Dallas to Madrid. I got up at 3:30 so I could do my elliptical routine. I don’t think I am a superstitious person, but the one time I did not get up early to exercise, our flight was delayed and we had a horrendous travel day. Since then, I have done it no matter what — now that I have an elliptical in the downstairs bedroom, it is much easier. No more 2 am trips to Anytime Fitness!

    Somehow I booked our flights with a 5 hour layover in Chicago and a 50 minute connection time in Dallas. I tried to change the flight to an earlier one out of Chicago, but was told it would cost $1000 per person. So yesterday, the day before the flight, I tried one more time to plead my case. The agent was very nice, but said she couldn’t do anything. She suggested I talk to her supervisor, and that was the charm!

    So here we are in Dallas, with our short and medium flights done. No hiccups so far, knock on wood. Now comes the long flight in a few hours. There are lots and lots of delays here in Dallas. Not exactly sure why, because the weather is fine. We’ll get there when we get there!

    I have printed out the opening times of Córdoba’s main monuments. Hoping to get to the Mezquita more than once, it is one of the world’s most stunning buildings,. Even though the conquering Spaniards in the 11th century did insert a cathedral in the middle of the mosque, at least they left much intact. I can’t wait!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsFirst trip since covid beganLaurie Reynolds

    Home again

    April 19, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    In my younger days, I would have scheduled either an early morning or a late afternoon flight, which would give us more time at either end of our trip. But now the main things are not being rushed at the airport, not having close connection times, and not having to get up too early!

    Since we had an early afternoon flight, we were able to have a leisurely breakfast at a very popular café on Lake Austin, Mozart’s Café. From there to the airport, and 7 hours later, home again.

    O’Hare was mobbed. The only difference you would notice is that today people were wearing masks. Since we are both vaccinated, we feel pretty safe, but who knows what bad news the variants will bring.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsFirst trip since covid beganLaurie Reynolds

    Matando Saudades

    April 18, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Matando saudades is a good Portuguese expression to describe what you do when you go back to places that hold special prominence in your memory and you want to dwell on them a bit.

    Today was a day to go back to old haunts. Joe’s childhood friend met us in town and we did a lot. First stop, the pedestrian bridge with great views of downtown. Next, the Ulmlauf Sculpture Garden. Turns out that Austin’s premier sculptor studied under Lorado Taft, and any careful observor of the Taft sculptures in Champaign will recognize the similarities.

    Then to the Emma Long Metropolitan Park, where Joe and his buddy had gone swimming on Christmas Day, 1956. And then the obligatory stop at Mount Bonnell, with a hundred steps to climb but good views over the river.

    A good pizza in Marye’s Pizza, and then a wheelchair handoff and back to the hotel. Back to Champaign tomorrow.    Read more

    See translation
  • Laurie ReynoldsFirst trip since covid beganLaurie Reynolds

    Laguna Gloria!

    April 16, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    I won’t say the weather has been great, but we have not yet been rained on. Looking at my phone, I decided that the morning looked like the best chance of dry weather, so we went to Laguna Gloria, a sculpture garden/mansion that has now been absorbed by Austin’s museum of contemporary art. One big advantage is that there is now a café with good sandwiches! It is a very beautiful place.

    Our afternoon stop was the Texas Historical Museum, which I love. Lot of good but unbiased information about Texas as a part of Mexico, as a Republic, and then as part of the US. Can’t say I would object to going back to one of its two earlier statuses.

    Before dinner, we went to Sixth Street and stopped in the Historic Driskill Hotel. The very polite valets asked us if they could help and I explained that Joe’s grandmother had a florist shop in the hotel. They showed us the place where it used to be and let u roam around the spectacular lobby a bit. The Driskill is on 6th St., which is way too hip for me, but I’m glad we saw the hotel.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsFirst trip since covid beganLaurie Reynolds

    First day in Austin

    April 15, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    My modus operandi is to plan to do two things a day. That leaves plenty of down time for naps and just chill-axing as my kids would say.

    The weather wasn’t spectacular, but there was no rain forecast for the morning, so we headed to the Capitol. Got to see the place where Joe was a page, way back in the Stone Age, and the building is beautiful. It was interesting to note that the Senate required visitors to the floor to have proof or vaccine or negative covid test. This is the same body that voted to oppose Austin’s mask mandate, if you can figure that out.

    In the afternoon, we went to the Blanton, the UT art museum. It is a very nice place. I particularly liked the Latin American room, which both had a Santiago and some festive Virgin Marys.

    We met Joe’s high school BFF for dinner at Fonda San Miguel. Probably the best Chile Relleno I’ve ever had. When I went to pay the bill, the waiter told me Armando had paid it. Turns out Armando is a good friend of the owner who eats there frequently. He was sitting at a table near us and we had a nice chat. He told us he thought we seemed like really nice people. I was kind of gobsmacked.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsFirst trip since covid beganLaurie Reynolds

    Travel day to Austin — via Charlotte!

    April 14, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    I hadn’t planned to write a Find Penguins for this test-drive-trip, but two friends in Spain asked me to. Since one of the features of this new mode of travel is that I always have a few hours in the afternoon while Joe takes a nap, I decided to go for it.

    Now that we are both vaccinated, and since I wanted to see how travel goes for us now with a slower mojo, I booked a flight to Austin, Joe’s home town. We usually go with the 9 other members of the family, but this year it wasn’t possible.

    Travel was weird, I had almost forgotten how to check in. Both the AA and TSA staff welcomed us back with a “Where’ve you been???” Just one of the advantages of living in a small town with four or five flights a day. The airports were mobbed (our best connection was through Charlotte, and if you know anything about US geography, you will know that Charlotte is in the exact opposite direction from Austin). But we had no real issues and everyone was wearing masks. I had ordered a wheelchair for Joe because we had a very short connection, but no one was there when we got there. The gate agent gave me a wheelchair and told me to head out and push him myself.

    First stop in Texas was to pick up a loaner wheelchair at a friend’s house. It has been a challenge learning to use it. After hotel check-in (my two criteria were good location near I-35 and an elliptical), we went the short distance to Torchy’s, our favorite taco place. Then off to bed. Uneventful day, thankfully!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsBack in LisbonLaurie Reynolds

    Last day teaching and camino meetup

    November 18, 2019 in Portugal ⋅ 14 °C

    We only had time for a short walk before my class today. First to my favorite sock store, Pedemeia (Portugal makes wonderful, high quality socks —who knew?), located right next to the Loja de Cidadão —the Citizen’s Store.

    What a great concept. Every public utility, government service (passport, drivers license, immigration, etc) all in one place on two or three floors. When you arrive, you go to an automated kiosk and get your ticket. They even have a counter for “I lost my wallet,” which is an idea Spain, with its ridiculous rate of pickpockets, ought to consider.

    As always, class sped by and then came the time to hand out the final project/exam and say goodbye. The future is opaque but I can’t bear to think this might be my last year!!!

    The special treat of the day came at 6, when five of the online camino forum got together at the Peregrina Bar. What better way to end a day than talking about all things camino!!!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsMadrid, here we come.Laurie Reynolds
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    On the way home

    November 17, 2019 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 7 °C

    The last two days have been with close friends, in the tiny town of Soto del Real. Walk out their door, turn left, and in two minutes you are on a dirt path heading up into the Guadarrama mountains. The views of the snow in the mountains were pretty great, and we enjoyed several long walks. Went to a colegio basketball game, a great in-town restaurant, the castle at Manzanares (as spectacular as I remembered it). But the really nice thing is that when you are with good friends, there is no need to go go go. Sitting around the table drinking tea, occasionally helping out with one kitchen task or another, it was a wonderful weekend.

    Two trivia tidbits. From Soto del Real, into the center of Madrid, you can ride on a bike trail without ever coming into contact with vehicular traffic. That’s 50 kms of uninterruted cycling. Trivia point two. Recent law in Spain requires that restaurants and bars provide you with “agua del grifo” (tap water) at no extra charge. The water in Spain is excellent, so this is a great development, and I assume it is intended to reduce the use of plastic bottles.

    Now we are in the Madrid airport, an hour or so till boarding. Home again till Sunday, when we leave for California and grandkids for Thanksgiving week.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsMadrid, here we come.Laurie Reynolds
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    Last day in Madrid

    November 15, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    After a late coffee, we followed a new set of twisty streets in Old Madrid to get to the Thyssen. This museum has at least one painting by every well-known Western artist (EXCEPT Velázquez, surprisingly), but to my way of thinking there are only a couple of really swoon-inducing paintings. But we found a way to spend several hours there, and enjoyed it all very much.

    My favorite was the medieval “pilgrims mass” painting, which showed a pilgrim on the camino begging in church, or at least with his hand outstretched.

    After a good lunch in old Madrid, we took a cab (our very first, we’ve walked everywhere else) to the Debod Temple. When Egypt built the Aswan Dam and flooded parts of the Nile, many temples were in the way. One is now in the Met in NYC, and one is now in Madrid. Since Joe is hopefully going to take a Nile Cruise with a childhood friend this summer while I’m walking in Spain, I thought this was a good introduction!

    Walking home, I realized we were about 6 blocks from my 1970 apartment in Madrid, so I left Joe on a bench and took a quick detour. Galileo 82, 2C — the building is still standing, and looks pretty much the same. Couldn’t resist asking a guy passing by to take my picture, but I realize that a picture of me in a doorway is kind of lame. Hard to believe I lived there almost 50 years ago. Yikes.

    Tomorrow we head to Soto del Real, where our closest Spanish friends live. Weekend in the country!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsMadrid, here we come.Laurie Reynolds

    In the old neighborhood

    November 14, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    First thing today — off to the Sorolla museum. Spain’s most celebrated impressionist, the museum is inside the house where he lived. It may not be a must-see for most Madrid visitors, but it is for us. Even though two of my favorites were off being exhibited in Dublin, I enjoyed the rest.

    From there, a walk to our old neighborhood. Our corner bar had been sold to a young couple, who had totally redone the inside and changed the name and the menu. And here we were hoping to get some of Madrid’s best patatas bravas. Walking down our street, only a few places looked familiar (after all it’s been 25 years!), but our fish store and the little food shop were still both going strong.

    Next stop, Plaza Santa Ana, where David and Shannon got engaged, and from there on to lunch in a Venezuelan restaurant near the Plaza de Oriente. Though we didn’t visit the Royal Palace, the gardens outside were nice for a rest before the walk home through old Madrid. My phone says we’ve walked 9.2 miles, so maybe we’ll hit 10 by the time we’re back from dinner!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsMadrid, here we come.Laurie Reynolds

    Guernica

    November 13, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Museum for the day — Reina Sofía, where Picasso’s Güernica is hanging (it was in NY for many years till Franco’s dictatorship ended). Since no photos are allowed, I’m pasting in the outdoor mural of the painting in the town of Güernica close to their peacetime museum and where the actul bombing took place. No matter how you see it, it packs a real punch.

    We also went into the huge, newly cleaned Cibeles Palace. It used to be the central post office, though it boggles to mind to think a city would build a post office like that. About a decade ago, town hall was moved to this building, so it now has all city offices and city council chambers. But the public is allowed entry, and you can go up to a terrace high above the plaza for some absolutely terrific views.

    Walking home we once again wove through the Retiro, stopping near the lake to listen to the violinist playing sad autumnal songs. Such a beautiful park.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsMadrid, here we come.Laurie Reynolds

    Retiro!!!

    November 12, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    We are falling into a routine of museum in the morning, and then walking for a few hours after lunch. Today we started at the National Archaeological Museum, because Joe wanted to see the Dama de Elche again (an Iberian funerary urn from the 4th Century BC). I went with some apprehension because I remembered this museum as a musty old dark place. Well, turns out there has been a total renovation and it is now one of the most airy and well-laid out museums I have ever been to. Goes from Prehistory, through Iberian, Roman, Visigothic, medieval. Displays are not crowded, with just enough info in both Spanish and English. Just gorgeous.

    After a light lunch, we spent the next several hours in the Retiro, one of the most beautiful urban parks anywhere. Lots of memories of Sunday mornings there with the kiddos. Today we hit 8 miles, so Joe decided not to call it a rest today — he is officially taking a nap.

    We have had two great dinners and are hoping the hotel receptionist is on a roll!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsMadrid, here we come.Laurie Reynolds

    Prado Day

    November 11, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    You can’t go to Madrid without a visit to the Prado. Believe it or not, the floor plan is still firmly Implanted in my brain. I spent one morning a week there for my History of Spanish Art class in 1970. It’s where I began to love Romanesque, and those Soria frescoes were my first stop today. I think they may have moved Goya’s tapestry cartoons up a floor but aside from that, everything was where I remembered. The rooms of Goya and Velazquez are unbelievable.

    On our way to Sol, I saw a sign that looked familiar—“vegetariano.” Down a little street and Eureka! The Restaurante Artemisa, still as good as it was in the 90s when we lived here. Any restaurant with a line at 3:45 pm has to be good!

    After lunch we just wandered through the center— Puerta Del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Gran Via. I promised Joe we’d be back at the hotel for a rest by 6 pm, which he needed after a total of 7 miles. And by 6:10 I was on the elliptical listening to TV political commentary about the election results. A mess of enormous proportions.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsMadrid, here we come.Laurie Reynolds

    Travel day

    November 10, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Since we are in the carpe diem mode of travel this fall, we have added one more trip. Joe really wanted to go back to Madrid, where we lived with the kids for an academic year in 1994-95. He has been back a time or two, but not as much as I have, so it seemed reasonable. Somehow our itinerary goes from Champaign to Dallas to Madrid. I didn’t pay much attention when I was booking the tickets, but now that I have looked at a map, I can say that every one of the 813 miles between Champaign and Dallas is going away from Madrid. That means we have a VERY long flight ahead of us. No upgrade, no great seat, we will be pretty done in when we get there tomorrow.

    Of our three fall trips, this will be the easiest and most relaxed. No moving around, except that we may take a day trip to Toledo or Segovia. We will also spend next weekend out in Soto del Real, where our dearest Spanish friends live. So this should be a fun trip.

    Update — we are here! Easy taxi ride into the center. As usual, we got quite the political lesson from the taxi driver. The polls are open, for the fourth national election in four years. Things are very complicated and messy, but the consensus is that the only party that stands to gain from calling new elections is Vox, the extreme right.

    Our hotel is very nice, has a little fitness center, and Joe is going to nap while I go try out the elliptical.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsGoing to GreeceLaurie Reynolds

    My Favorite Church in Athens

    October 20, 2019 in Greece ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    One last breakfast looking out on the Acropolis. But now, with plenty of time to kill in a number of airports today, I got inspired. :-)

    My favorite church in Athens sits in the shadow of the big perfectly sculpted cathedral. It’s a small 12th century Byzantine church, called “Little Metropolis” or the Church of Saint Eleftherios. Its architectural style is pretty similar to many other and many other bigger medieval Byzantine churches I have seen in Athens and further north, but this one just grabbed me differently. For one thing, there it sits, right next to the imposing 19th century attention-grabber. But when you look at it and read about it, you realize that it, and not the big brother next door, is the real jewel.

    This church has incorporated stones and carvings that go back centuries — the oldest is a 5th century BC fresco of the signs of the zodiac. Lots of other non-Christian stone carvings, from Greek Athens and Roman Athens, kind of a hodge-podge but all coming together perfectly. In the day, tourists walk around it, in early evening, small kids play in the square in front, and at night it seems to glow. Really not to be missed.
    I went at least a half dozen times.    Read more

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