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Laurie Reynolds
Laurie Reynolds

Laurie Reynolds

traveled in 9 countries Read more
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  • Laurie ReynoldsBuon Natale 2023Laurie Reynolds
    411

    Setback

    December 22, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    I'm sure the Bistro Isi has great food and maybe we will still eat there, but last night it didn't happen. We got to the restaurant and ordered, but Joe started acting really woozy, closing his eyes, unable to stand up. There was a doctor at each of the two tables on either side of us and they spent some time talking with him and me. Their assessment was that it was probably exhaustion (21 hours of travel must have been too much) and dehydration. My choices-- call an ambulance and go to the ER (where they said we would have at least a 6-7 hour wait) or go back to the hotel and let him sleep. In hindsight, I can say I'm extremely glad I opted for the latter. A woman in the breakfast room today said her father just spent 20 hours waiting to see a doctor in the emergency room of that very hospital.

    As we started to walk back to the hotel, very very slowly, a man stopped and insisted on carrying Joe the two blocks to our hotel lobby. I was pretty gobsmacked. Getting to the bathroom and into bed was quite the ordeal, but the night went pretty smoothly after that. Today I brought him up a plate of food from breakfast and have been insisting he drink. He is walking much more steadily and has slept nonstop since 11 am.

    I have popped in and out to see bits and pieces of the old town a couple of times. Never for more than an hour out of the room. This morning, I went to a romanesque church and ran into Columbus' (supposed) house on the way to a gorgeous little romanesque cloister (no church left). I've done my elliptical workout, and I have been over to the store for some food and juice and to the bank for some $$$. Then another quick jaunt back to the old town (only about a 10 minute walk from here) to another romanesque church where I again lit candles and sat quietly for a while. This city is just gorgeous and I hope Joe will enjoy it in the next few days.

    The hotel recommends a doctor who makes house calls. He came at 5 pm, checked for all the major catastrophes and found nothing. No BP problem, heart ok, no temp, no evidence of stroke. He prescribed two meds - one for digestion, one for strength/clarity and agreed with me that the best thing to do is see what it's like in a few days. We are booked here through the 26. At that point, we'll either go to Bergamo or back to Champaign.

    To celebrate the good diagnosis, Joe took a nap and I went back to see the old town all lit up for Christmas. After that, a trip for a take-out hamburger (what he wanted) to a very highly rated hamburgueria (conveniently in the old town) and soon to bed. Joe is still very tired but in good spirits and getting stronger. I am optimistic. We'll take it one day at a time.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsBuon Natale 2023Laurie Reynolds
    1

    Wow! Genova!

    December 21, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    We had such a great Thanksgiving week with kids and grandkids, but of course that means that they are spending Christmas at the “other family.” Totally ok, but I thought that it would be depressing just the two of us, so on the spur of the moment, I booked a trip to Italy. Tickets were cheaper to Milan than to Rome, so I bought the tickets, then opened the Michelin guide to see what cities were nearby that we hadn’t visited, xeroxed a couple of pages from the Italy Michelin guide, and off we went.

    This was the first time I had asked for wheelchair service for Joe, and omg, it was a lifesaver. We had very long distances to our connections and short time frames. The service was great - once we arrived in Milan, Joe got picked up at the gate, jumped the very long line at immigration, and the nice young man took us all the way to the train stop to get us into Milano Centrale. From there we caught a slow boat regional train to Genova. We arrived in the station about 5 minutes before its scheduled departure, and the woman at the information desk told us to just get on the train and pay an extra 5€ on board. We made it by the skin of our teeth - but then the train was 20 minutes late. And though I walked through the whole train looking for someone to buy a ticket from, no luck. Seems like a bad way to run a railroad - anyone who wants to cheat can just get on and then pay a 5€ supplement if by chance someone shows up!

    21 hours after leaving home, we got to the hotel. We are staying in the Melia (Spanish chain, or at least it used to be). It’s in a renovated 19th century palazzo, very nice but a little out of the center (the price to be paid to find an elliptical). We arrived at 3 pm, about 21 hours after leaving home. I always try to power through till bed. Joe, though, is a napper. So I had time to walk to the tourist office about 1 km away. Holy moly, is it a beautiful city. I had no idea. I got lots of information about Romanesque churches and the best Nativity scenes in the city, so we’re pretty well set. This will not be a heavy duty tourism trip, but I am looking forward to good meals and beautiful walks.

    Just finished on the elliptical, and we’ll be going out in about an hour. Reservations for dinner are hard to come by, so I’m glad I got Christmas Eve and Christmas reserved. The staff here is great and found us a table at a place right around the corner. A newly opened trattoria run by a Genovese chef with a one Michelin star restaurant. I think its name is Isi Bistrot.    Read more

  • Laurie Reynolds19th year to Lisbon!Laurie Reynolds
    2

    Friends

    October 24, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Still raining, but the sunshine comes from the friends. We’ve been lucky to see many of our good Lisbon friends this year. Eugenia, Peggy, Nick, Nuno, Maria João, Rui, Henrique, Maria Inês, Luis.

    I am so glad that we didn’t head off from Lisbon for what turned out to be a rainy weekend, but rather stayed here to enjoy our amigos. I look back on all these many years coming to teach in Lisbon with a lot of wonderful memories, and many of those memories come from our friends.

    One more class, one more rainy day in Lisbon tomorrow.    Read more

  • Laurie Reynolds19th year to Lisbon!Laurie Reynolds

    My class

    October 23, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    A couple of my friends want to know more about the class I’m here to teach. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, since they are educators themselves! So here goes— The class is part of the Universidade Católica’s undergraduate transnational law program. Students who complete a certain number of hours in the program get a little notation on their undergraduate law degree. The courses are wide ranging, and include a lot of slightly random snapshot classes, depending on the country and expertise of the professor. All classes are in English, which means that the Erasmus students (EU exchange) can participate. The main goal of this transnational curriculum is to open students’ eyes to the broader international context that has become so much a part of the Portuguese legal profession. Since the law degree is their undergraduate degree, most will take another year or two for a Masters, and the transnational program is a nudge to them to consider some of the Global LL.M programs that are offered.

    My topic is an introduction to US common law property rules. We read actual judicial decisions, just like US law students do. The goal is to both expose the students to some of the most important rules about the basic property rights to use, exclude, and to transfer, and also to show them the steps of common-law decision making. The traditional Portuguese law curriculum is heavily lecture-based, but I try to make it as interactive as possible. The quality of the students is really very high, but they are so young in comparison to the typical US law student!    Read more

  • Laurie Reynolds19th year to Lisbon!Laurie Reynolds
    221

    Rainy day at the palace

    October 22, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    About 8 Km outside of Lisbon, the Queluz Palace is “Portugal’s Versailles,” much as La Granja is Spain’s. None of the crowds and not as excessively ornate, with gorgeous gardens that we enjoyed when the rain dropped to a drizzle. There’s also a long tiled canal where the royal family used to go boating. The castle was built in the 18C and is full-on baroque/rococo, just a little shabbier than other similar palaces.

    There were several Brazilians visiting, and they were very interested to read about where the first Emperor of Brazil, Pedro of Braganca, had come from. In a surprise move, this king declared Brazil’s independence from Portugal, which seems a little counter-intuitive. He then abdicated, making his son the new emperor, and returned to Portugal, where he died in the same Queluz palace room where he was born. As you. might guess, he wasn’t too popular in the circles of those who were in favor of Portugal’s colonial empire.

    After a couple of hours there, we went across to the pousada where there is a small bar for those with a sweet tooth and a coffee craving. We stayed in the pousada many years ago, but I had forgotten that it was once a part of the palace complex, the place where the army and some high ranking palace staff lived. It is, like the palace itself, a little bit of a faded lady, but the building is historic and the decor is consistent with the style of Queluz. We had contemplated going on to Sintra, which is just a few more kms along the highway, but the weather refused to cooperate, so we headed back to the hotel, where fitness center and naptime await, one for each of us.    Read more

  • Laurie Reynolds19th year to Lisbon!Laurie Reynolds
    1

    MAAT

    October 21, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    That stands for Museu de Arte, Arquitectura e Tecnología. We met an old friend from Champaign there. She has been living in the Lisbon area for 4 years but it was only last year that we reconnected. There was a special exhibition of work by Joana Vasconcelos.. She is a Portuguese artist who has won a lot of acclaim for her work. It’s hard to describe, so I’ll let the pictures do the job. Beautiful, whimsical, sparkly, it was a lot of fun. She does with fabric what Chihuly does with glass.

    The MAAT is actually two buildings. One is the old coal-powered original electric plant of Lisbon, with all of the machinery still completely in tact. Adjacent to it is a modern white concrete building with curvy lines, and great views from the top. We went through both buildings, and though the electric power plant had tons of explanatory panels, I could not even begin to comprehend how electricity was produced in that building. Some of the machinery was so beautifully ornate that it seemed to be a continuation of the art exhibit.

    The museum is right on the river, and there is a great walk/bike path that goes along for miles. It’s a wonderful amenity for city dwellers, and it was really getting a ton of use. After a very long lunch, we said goodbye and made plans for next year’s visit. Maybe.    Read more

  • Laurie Reynolds19th year to Lisbon!Laurie Reynolds
    11

    Miradouros and Sardines

    October 20, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    We took an Uber to Conserveira de Lisboa, the traditional old store that has been selling canned sardines, mackerel, tuna, mussels, etc. for a long time. I bought some for my hometown buddies who like them. There is also a modern chain that has lots of glitz and colors. And is probably snapping up a lot of the business now that canned sardines seem to be in fashion. But I’ve been told the sardines are not as good and more than twice as much. I guess the price includes the merry-go-round too.

    We walked about 6 miles till we got an Uber around 4 pm — old squares, hills, up and down to our favorite lookout spots. And a quick detour to see if the socialist party headquarters was still where I remembered it. And, of course, we had some coffee and pasteis de nata thrown in. Occasional moments of nostalgia and a sense that this may be our last year coming to Lisbon.    Read more

  • Laurie Reynolds19th year to Lisbon!Laurie Reynolds
    1

    Rainy days and classes

    October 17, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    It’s hard to dig very deep in a two week class, especially when the students for the most part have no idea about any aspect of the US legal system. But it is always a lot of fun and I always try to get them thinking. There are about 30 students in the class, half Portuguese, and half participating on the EU Erasmus exchange, from all over the EU. It’s a wonderful thing to see all the interaction. Hopefully it will lead to greater understanding.

    I have to admit that most of the fun these days has been in the classroom and not outside, since it’s been gray and rainy and drizzly and raining. But I have very much enjoyed walking around the neighborhood and looking at it through my amateurish urban planning eye.

    Bottom line — I would give the planning department of Lisbon an F minus in what they have done to this neighborhood, Rego. It’s an old area, but it is now blocked on all sides – one side by the railroad, two sides by elevated four lane roads, and one side with dead end streets leading to a hilltop. With no way out.

    In terms of buildings, there are three types— very old small houses, some maintained, some in ruins. Then there are the 60-70s three story blocky apartment buildings. And then there are the recent shiny glass buildings that tower over everything else. The neighborhood has some of the old-timey market stands and shops that fix everything. I talked to some residents who told me there is a very active neighborhood association fighting for some attention. But they say the owners of the glitzy fancy buildings get all the attention.    Read more

  • Laurie Reynolds19th year to Lisbon!Laurie Reynolds
    3

    Olive oil, pizza, and communists

    October 15, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Today was a grey, drizzly Sunday, not exactly perfect weather for exploring our neighborhood, but we did. Joe's phone shows he walked 5.3 miles, slow and steady, but he did it!

    An important part of my Portuguese ritual is to buy olive oil for the Berkeley crew. There are three grocery stores within 1.5 km of here, all in different directions. Joe went with me to two of them and rewarded himself with a chocolate bar. The olive oil crisis here and in Spain is extreme. "Quien tenga un olivo, tiene una mina" was something we heard on the news. Prices have really skyrocketed, but not enough to break my habit. I read that Spaniards are coming to Portugal to buy olive oil, since the prices are 28% higher in Spain, but that seems like a bit of false economy to me. Anyway, today's shopping resulted in about 12 L of oil and one chocolate bar.

    The only thing nearby open for dinner was a pizzaria, and it was fine. Sunday is still a day of rest for most restaurants.

    On the way back to the hotel we passed a multi-story building with an elaborate tile and painted mural extending across the front. The sign in front told us that we were standing in front of the national headquarters of the Portuguese Communist Party. That's quite a building they have! Right across the street from our temple of capitalism, the Sana Metropolitan Hotel.

    The news is so awful it's hard to digest. Every day seems to bring new horrors. But on we must go.

    Vacation is over, tomorrow I start to teach. We are busy setting up visits with our close friends here, which seems a bit more urgent this year as our possible last time, and we will stay in town this weekend to see as many as possible! Hoping to see our former Champaign buddy Peggy in Ericeira, then there’s Luis, Eugenia, Nuno, and of course my Camino buddies!!!    Read more

  • Laurie Reynolds19th year to Lisbon!Laurie Reynolds

    Back in Lisbon

    October 14, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    I had toyed with the idea of exploring the Arribes del Duero on our way to Lisbon, so our first stop after leaving Zamora was Fermoselle. It’s a slightly touristy town on the Duero and on the border with Portugal. A chat with the very helpful guy in the tourist office convinced me that to go to any of the best stops along the river would take us many hours and make for a very long day. So we decided to grind it out and just drive to Lisbon. I resisted the urge to stop in Ciudad Rodrigo, where I had walked on my 2022Torres, because with the holiday weekend it would be packed.

    For 18 years, we’ve stayed in the Marriott, right next to the Católica where I teach. The university has not renewed its Marriott agreement, so this year we’re in some other big nondescript hotel, but it’s in a neighborhoodJoe doesn’t know at all. Could be interesting. Though I didn’t think it was possible, this neighborhood seems to have even fewer restaurant choices than the Marriott. But we found a good paper tablecloth home cooked food place. Very friendly and good desserts for Joe.

    Tomorrow will be a “get oriented” and “get ready to teach” day. I realized that I didn’t bring any shoes to wear to class, so it’s either Chacos or Altras. I am sure that I will not be much of a fashion statement. But then I never have been.

    Oh and did I say the hotel’s elliptical is on the fritz?    Read more

  • Laurie Reynolds19th year to Lisbon!Laurie Reynolds
    11

    Visigothic marvel and El Cid church

    October 13, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Today we took a quick trip out of Zamora to visit San Pedro de la Nave. It’s a Visigothic church, moved piece by piece to escape being submerged by construction of a dam. I had been here once before —when the hospitalero in the Zamora albergue offered to drive me out (and I walked back) but this time it was car all the way. Just as beautiful as I remembered it. It’s always awe-inspiring to be in a building from the 7C.

    From there we went back to Zamora to two Romanesque churches right outside the cathedral walls. My favorite church in Zamora—Santiago de los Caballeros, where El Cid is reported to have spent the night in prayer before being knighted. It’s extremely simple and beautiful with capitals choc full of figures and pictoral lectures about sinning, which makes for some explicit capitals.

    Yesterday in the Zamora museum I had seen a capital recovered fromn the ruined Monasterio de Moreruela. I remembered the (luckily in tact) apse of the church as the most stunning I had ever seen. I walked there on my third (?) Vdlp from Granja de Moreruela, where today we stopped for a coffee right outside the albergue. On to the monastery in car. Joe enjoyed it a lot and I think he understands my addiction to walking Caminos a little better.

    On the way back to Zamora it occurred to me to stop in a town where Dana and I had stayed on my second Vdlp. We had had a great meal in Rosamari, where the owner had regaled us with stories about how hard it had been for two women to start a business in Franco years. Banks wouldn’t lend without the husband’s signature, etc. Today the restaurant is run by the third generation, and she assured me that her mom and grandma had taught her to be strong and independent. I was shocked that I was able to find a picture of one of the owners outside in 2010 and was happy to send it on to the current owner. The food is still excellent, btw! Joe had a cocido (too heavy for my taste, though I had a few bites), and I just had an ensalada mixta. I am very sad to report, though, that despite my very clear 2010 memory of the first salad since Cáceres without iceberg lettuce, even the Rosamari has succumbed!    Read more

  • Laurie Reynolds19th year to Lisbon!Laurie Reynolds
    21

    Cafe Viriato

    October 12, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Alan, this place deserves a shout-out. Great tapas and, as you said, excellent house wine. I told the waitress that we had been sent here by a friend who walked the Vdlp, and and she told me — “cuando vuelva, esta invitado. Y dígale que ha mandado a buena gente.” We love this place. My favorites were the morcilla with manzana and the bacalao with a mejillón plopped on top.Read more

  • Laurie Reynolds19th year to Lisbon!Laurie Reynolds
    1

    In Zamora

    October 12, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Joe slept in so we had a late breakfast, but we had a good three hour window to walk and tour before everything closed down for lunch. I have to say Joe’s schedule is not particularly well-suited to the Spanish rhythm, but today I was able to cajole him into a nap during the 2-5 siesta period.

    In the morning, we went first to the 10C aceñas/molinos, which were in use for 8 centuries.. These are particularly unusual,, we were told, because there are four in a row, which enabled quick changes in function and heightened efficiency. From there, we walked along the river to the Diocesan museum (inside a romanesque church), and then to a particularly beautiful Santa Maria de Huerta, and then the Zamora Museum, which is small but has some beautiful pieces going back to Celtiberian days and earlier. And CR of course we had to walk over the river on the Puente de Piedra so Joe could see the view!

    While Joe napped, I did a reconnaisance all over town to pick out which churches should be top on our list, since we are obviously not going to visit the insides of all 20-something of them. At each church I tried to focus on one particular exterior feature to help me distinguish these beauties one from the other. Lots of capitals I could recognize (Adam and Eve, Slaughter of the Innocents, Daniel) but many I couldn’t. And then at 5, I pushed Joe out of bed and we went on a short circle walk to see three standouts.

    We will have tapas again tonight. Whenever Alan or Sabine recommend a place, you can be sure it’s going to be a keeper !    Read more

  • Laurie Reynolds19th year to Lisbon!Laurie Reynolds
    1

    Nighttime

    October 11, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    One of the (very few) advantages that being a tourist has over being a pilgrim is that no early rising means late night walks to see everything lit up.

    Oh how pretty it all is!

  • Laurie Reynolds19th year to Lisbon!Laurie Reynolds
    41

    Drove to Zamora

    October 11, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    I love Zamora! I have walked into this city a bunch of times— it’s on both the VDLP/Sanabres and the Levante. When I looked at the map and saw how close it is to Braganca, I was sold. It’s fun showing Joe all my favorite spots and it is one of my two favorite small Spanish cities, with the other being Soria.

    By 2 we were checked in, and the nice guy at the desk parked the car in the impossibly small spot in the impossibly narrow garage. I tried backing into the spot myself but after many attempts with him looking on I asked him if he was in a hurry because this could take a while. He told me he would be at the parador till his 65th birthday so there was no rush but he would be happy to park it for me. 😀

    Joe was ready for a nap so I got to take myself to many favorite spots. First of all, get down to the 13C pedestrian bridge and cross it. Then turn around and remember how iawesome walking in feels.

    I spent several hours just walking around and got a bunch of tourist info to plan our next two days. So much to do! When Joe got up, we went to the castle, went to La Magdalena, and then spent some time walking with a beautiful view of the Duero snd the pedestrian bridge. We are now sitting in a cafe in the Plaza Mayor and trying to decide if we even want a few tapas before bed. Our stomachs still remember last night’s foodie extravaganza and are not calling for us to eat.    Read more

  • Laurie Reynolds19th year to Lisbon!Laurie Reynolds
    3

    Long long dinner

    October 11, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    Who has a 4 1/2 hour dinner?! I am really not a foodie, but when the opportunity presented itself to have a meal in a Michelin star restaurant, I thought, sure.

    It was course after course after course. Always small and beautifully presented. Most of it was local, all of it was Portuguese. Pretty amazing.

    My favorites were the green gazpacho, whose main ingredient was beldroega/purslane, which I had never heard of, and the cheese course. But it was all really good. Except for the foam dishes. What’s with foam?! Why would you have foam when you can have the real thing that you just destroyed and made into foam?

    We started talking to the couple next to us, a Spanish/Portuguese combo, who were just driving around Portugal going from Michelin star restaurant to Michelin star restaurant. Definitely not my mojo, but it was fun to talk to them.

    OK, so tomorrow we’re supposed to get up and go to Zamora!    Read more

  • Laurie Reynolds19th year to Lisbon!Laurie Reynolds

    Visiting Bragança

    October 10, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    This is my kind of tourism day, except for the part about Joe feeling sick and staying in bed for the morning. It seems that 24 hours of airport and airplane food did not sit well with his stomach. He’s fine now, but stayed in bed till about noon.

    That meant I had all morning to walk around town center and climb the castle walls! Lots of up and down, lots of pretty views. I just love these small cities, where life is really going on but some (but not too many) tourists come to see their beautiful historic sites. In this case, it’s basically the castle and the old part inside the walls. There is a late medieval “Town Hall” inside the walls. It´s an oddly shaped stone building (looks like a pentagon drawn by someone with bad measuring skills). But it’s a beautiful building, another one of those rare civic romanesque buildings still standing (my other favorite is the Palacio Gelmirez in Santiago, but this is nothing that elaborate). This was where the city leaders met to govern, and the meeting hall sits above the cistern.

    And for those of you who have heard a lot about the Duques de Bragança, they are from here, of course, but they were the ruling royal family in Portugal from mid 17th century till the monarchy fell in early 1900s. That’s why there are Bragança palaces all over the country. I was told there is still a Duque de Bragança, though I’m not sure how he spends his day now that there’s no monarchy.

    Around noon, I was able to convince Joe that he’d have much more fun coming along for a drive through the Parque Natural de Montesinho, a huge swath of northern Portugal that hits the Spanish border. We went to a few small hamlets, old houses all made of stone, deserted except for a few old people and the occasional café. On our way back into Bragança, I took the back route up to the castle and parked the car about five minutes away so Joe could go see it.

    When I dropped Joe off for his nap, I decided to walk back to the castle area because I had seen a sign pointing to the “”albergue de peregrinos.” I know there’s a route through here, the Zamorano-Portugués, and it’s one I’ve been eyeing. I was happy to find 5 Spanish pilgrims there, all of whom raved about the route (except for the heat). The albergue system is estupendo, they said — nice scenery, no crowds, but good facilities. Maybe part of Camino 2024?

    I’m back at the hotel with a little time before dinner. I am not sure that Joe’s stomach will be up for a tasting menu, though, so I don’t know what we’ll do. Eating a fancy meal while he watches me doesn’t sound like much fun. We’ll see.    Read more

  • Laurie Reynolds19th year to Lisbon!Laurie Reynolds
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    1

    Made it -and our bags did too!

    October 9, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    I swore I would never ever transfer in Heathrow after our experience last year, which was one for the record books (we made a 45 minute connection when our plane from Lisbon was an hour late into London, but it wasn't pretty). But that was where the re-routing sent us, and since we had five hours, I figured we wouldn't have to rush.

    The very nice woman in the BA lounge told me she was pretty sure my bags had made it from Chicago. I took that as a good sign and when we arrived in Lisbon at 4:30, instead of the 9 am arrival I had booked, our bags were there. YAY.

    Got the rental car, got out of town quickly, but it was a a five hour drive. I had a cup of coffee and got behind the wheel. At 10:30 or thereabouts, we rolled into our hotel. We have a room with a balcony looking over the castle. Rather than drink our welcome glass of wine in the bar, we are going to sit out on the balcony and breathe, just like Kathy told me to! Who else gives you a glass of wine to welcome you other than pousadas and paradores?!

    I saw that our hotel has a one star Michelin restaurant and the food doesn't look too out there -- no foam at all in sight on the pictures I see in the brochure. So we will splurge a little and eat there tomorrow.

    Tomorrow we will spend the day in Bragança and I will probably just sit on the balcony and not do anything while Joe naps.    Read more

  • Laurie Reynolds19th year to Lisbon!Laurie Reynolds

    Huge mess of a travel day

    October 8, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Oh, this journey was supposed to be so easy. Late morning flight from Champaign means time to exercise, eat breakfast, do last minute check. We were going to have a few leisurely hours in Chicago, a short flight to Philadelphia, with another couple hours before our flight to Lisbon. Arrive very early in Lisbon, hop in the rental car and mosey on up to Bragança. No stress, no rush.

    We just had the trip from hell coming home from Florence, so I figured that we were due for a pleasant journey.

    Everything was fine for the first leg of the trip. When we got off the plane from in Chicago, everything changed. Our flight to PHL was delayed by 4 hours so we would not make the connection to the Lisbon flight. They rebooked us, after much confusion, through London on British Airways and then on to Lisbon. That’s fine, BUT OUR BAGS. Grrr, why did I check our carry-ons?!?!?!?! Well, since I had to check the suitcase with my teaching clothes, why not take the easy way and check them all?! Stupid me! Now of course It is not at all clear the bags will make it over here to Terminal 5 and British Airways to get on the flight. Changing airlines, changing terminals, changing flights, and all I have are American Airline baggage claim tags that say CMI-PHL-LIS. No one can tell me whether I will have any way of tracking those bags ever. I could just kick myself, but there’s no point in that.

    I told some Camino friends that the new me was going to be very zen about this, but that was before I knew about the bag mess, so I have gone back on my promise and am now certifiably frazzled. I am hoping for the best, but the British Airways customer service person tells me the bags have still not arrived over in Terminal 5, even though we have been in Chicago for 3 and a half hours. I envision all the cascading complications — we have a rental car, we have hotel reservations, we can’t leave Lisbon without our bags. Will they get there tomorrow, the next day or maybe never?! Ok, I will stop borrowing trouble and just keep my fingers crossed that there is a good resolution.

    I have added a picture just to show you that one member of the pair is unfazed and very unworried and calm. I will not add a picture of me. We are leaving Chicago with no idea whether are bags will be on the plane or not.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds

    Travel day —Home again

    September 22, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Yesterday was the day that makes you wonder whether you’re crazy to keep on traveling. We had a 7 am flight from Florence to Madrid. Though it was all booked on one ticket with American, that first leg was on Vueling, which is a low cost airline. That’s fine but for some reason they were unable to give me my boarding passes for the rest of the trip and told me that I would have to get them in Madrid. And then, even though we had business tickets, the lounge wasn’t an option because our first leg was on a low cost. Not a huge deal, but things were crazy crowded and the coffee was very bad. Probably wouldn’t have been much better in the lounge though.

    Once in Madrid, getting those boarding passes was not easy. There is one, yes only one, customer service desk in T4 where these boarding passes could be obtained. The line was slow, and the Iberia customer service representatives did not have an endless reservoir of patience. Luckily we had about 3 hours in between planes, so we were able to navigate it and still had about an hour in the lounge to gird our loins for what was to come next. Joe had a banana and a glass of white wine, interesting combo. The one advantage of this segment of the trip is that since we went through security in the Schengen zone (Florence), we didn’t have to go through security again to get to T4 and our international flight in Madrid.

    The Iberia flight to Boston was fine (why Boston, you may ask - well it all had to do with the cheapest business tickets I could find!). But once in Boston things got hectic and confusing again. I couldn’t recheck our luggage in the international terminal — even though we had carryons, I always check them on the way home. Since our ticket was booked on American, we had to take the luggage over to the domestic terminal. This requires a ride on a transfer bus that seems to come whenever the driver feels like making the rounds. In fact I remembered from one of my caminos flying from Boston and having to ask a car rental bus driver to take me over to the international terminal because the clock was ticking and the transfer bus was no where to be found. Note to self: no more international transfers in Boston. But we made it to Terminal B, checked in again, got through security again, and got to our gate. Our Iberia flight had been 40 minutes late, but luckily (at least for this leg) our flight from Boston to Chicago was also late. So we made the connection.

    Once in Chicago, we had about 30 minutes to get from L gates all the way to the end of G. Joe got a good cardio workout, probably the best he’s had in a long time. As we were walking down G, we heard an announcement that our flight was in final boarding, so I ran ahead, let them know we were here, then ran back to luckily find Joe making his way towards our gate. We made it, got to Champaign, and thought nothing about having to sit for a half hour waiting for the Uber to get home. That was a luxury!

    I don’t expect anyone to really read this rant, but I do like to have a record of it so I can remind myself that we can deal with really bad travel days. Joe suggested this morning that I start planning another trip to Italy, but I think I’ll wait a while for that.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds
    1132

    Repositioning Day

    September 20, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Just like the cruise ships that move from summer in the Mediterranean to winter in the Caribbean, we needed to reposition ourselves back to Florence. Our flight leaves from there very early tomorrow morning.

    When I woke up this morning, it occurred to me that I had time to climb the Torre Mangia. So I left notes all over for Joe, in case he woke up, telling him I would be back no later than 11. I had a quick breakfast, and got myself to the ticket line. Since I was early, I was able to get in the first group to go up. About 25 at a time, and a good little bit of cardio to get to the top with its great views. I met a Canadian couple who, like me, is always unable to resist the temptation to climb a tower, climb a castle, climb whatever happens to be there to climb.

    I was back at the hotel and able to bring Joe up a tray for breakfast, so he got a good sleep today. We’ll make up for that tomorrow, with a 4:45 departure for the airport.

    We left the hotel a little after noon and walked through old Siena one more time. I haven’t done any shopping, but I couldn’t resist getting something for my granddaughter who loves drawing and painting. She would have loved that store! Then a few minutes in Piazza Salemberi listening to the cellist playing, and finally on to the bus stop.

    When we got to Florence, we had a short walk to our hotel — unfortunately the place we spent the week had no availability for today, so I just booked something near the station. Turns out it is a stone’s throw from the church I had slightly regretted missing, so I headed over there while Joe took a nap.

    Santa María Novella can be summed up in one word - frescoes! They are everywhere, inside the church, in the cloisters, many in excellent condition from the 14 and 15 C. The nave is long and very high with romanesque barrel vaults. I remembered that Nils had asked about a Giotto crucifixion, so I was delighted to see it hanging in the nave. This is definitely a not-to-be-missed church if you like romanesque and early gothic.

    One last dinner in Florence, then one heck of an early morning to the airport.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds
    2132

    Cathedral Day

    September 19, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    I decided to head out in a new direction this morning before breakfast. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that the data I had bought as part of Verizon’s “international plan” was about to expire. I had quite the time wandering lost in the early morning, and Joe was happy to keep on sleeping!

    We spent most of the day in the cathedral, the baptistry, the crypt, and the museum. With two breaks in the duomo square café for aqua frizzante. It was a great visit. The exterior of the cathedral (mostly 13 C) is an unbelievable frenzy of columns, capitals, arches, and more. The cathedral’s marble floors, decorated with biblical and mythological scenes in the 14-16C, are uncovered only for a few months of the year, and we were lucky to see them. But my favorite was the crypt, the ancient church that lies under the current cathedral. It was only discovered in 1999, I read, and it has some beautiful 13C frescoes of Christ’s life. In the museum, there is a walk several hundred steps up to a great “vista panoramica.” Joe sat patiently in a very airconditioned gallery in front of a priceless Madona and child.

    We had a light lunch in the main square, nothing great (except for the view), but enough to hold us till dinner. When I left Joe back in the hotel for his afternoon rest/nap, my plan had been to climb the Torre Mangia in the main square. Not sure why I hadn’t figured that the tickets were likely to be sold out, and so they were. My other choices were the Pinacoteca, which houses the best collection of Siena romanesque, and the San Domenico church, where the severed head of Santa Catarina de Siena is in a reliquary for all to see (her body is in Rome). I started with the Pinacoteca, and found some medieval pilgrims begging, but no Santiago. Then I walked over to San Domenico, where I didn’t spend much time with the gruesomeness, but did enjoy the walk and got terrific views of the cathedral from below.

    Dinner tonight in Siena at a very highly rated place, though it may be wasted on my un-foodie palette . Joe is still holding up very well, and remembers that he is in Siena!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds
    1
    1

    Another travel day.

    September 18, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    I decided to take a cab to the Lucca train station, though we had walked from there to our hotel when we arrived in Lucca. The whole trip to Siena was very easy. Two regional trains with a 20 minute transfer in Florence. On arrival in Siena, I continued the luxury travel theme and decided to take a cab, because the walk would be straight up and tough for Joe. Unfortunately, there were about 10 parties in front of us and it took us almost a full hour to get to the front of the line and hop in a cab. Apparently, Siena’s cab contingent dropped to under 50 during covid and is now up to 54. But oh well.

    Our hotel is right in the middle of the historic center, very convenient. I had to manage cathedral tickets again to account for Joe not climbing the tower. With timed entry and different tickets to visit different things, it was a bit complicated but I managed. After a quick lunch, Joe took a nap and I headed to the porta del cielo, which took us up and around the cathedral dome. I had about another 90 minutes to just walk and get oriented. This is a tremendously beautiful city, just wow. It has been a bit cloudy this afternoon, but that doesn’t detract from the medieval and gothic beauty.

    We ate dinner in a slightly upscale place called Tre Cristi. It’s about two minutes from the hotel, which was good for Joe. He was feeling good after dinner so we walked to the main square and then on up to the cathedral, both beautifully lit up at night.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds
    311

    Tourist day in Lucca

    September 17, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    I got back from my early morning walk at about 9:15, and based on Joe’s response, I was not too optimistic about how our day would unfold. But two cappuccinos and a big breakfast later, he was ready to go.

    The cathedral visit, and seeing the archaeological excavation under San Giovanni, were both top notch. All these layers, and bits and pieces of each layer remain, going back to the Romans from about 2 C BC. It was fun to climb around the sub-church layer, where archaelogists had identified the villa, the early Christian church, the Baptistery, and even a 12 C church destroyed later that century to make way for the current church. I climbed the two bell towers while Joe waited patiently. The Cathedral has an 8 C Volto Santo, which is a wooden crucifixion that comes with the tradition/legend that it was carved by Nicodemus shortly after the Resurrection. Carbon dating disproves that theory, but it has been confirmed as being from the 700s. They are currently doing serious renovation work on the cross and figure of Christ, so it is not hanging in its chapel. But the work space is glass-enclosed, so you can watch the work when it’s in process.

    After the cathedral and church, we found ourselves on the 16-17 C walls that surround the city. They replaced the original Roman walls, and the later medieval walls, expanding the perimeter of the city as they went. This is now an absolutely wonderful 5 km Via Verde - lots of bikes and carts and walkers on a shaded path that has multiple access points within and without the walls. Joe and I walked about 3 km on the path, and I’ve walked the whole circle twice by myself — once in early morning and once when Joe went to take his nap.

    Since we hadn’t eaten any lunch, our last pre-nap stop was at a café outside one of my favorite churches - San Frediano, with a white marble facade (brought over from the Roman amphitheater) and 12C mosaics on top.

    We’re doing a zoom baby shower for my niece and her husband in a few hours, and I will be there!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds
    1

    Opera in the evening.

    September 16, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    At our Puccini celebration concert, we heard bits and pieces from Madame Butterfly, Toscana, Turandot, La Boheme. One tenor and one mezzo-soprano who alternated. Then a couple of pieces together. I’m no opera expert but even I recognized something from Madam Butterfly! Very fun in a Romanesque church no less.

    Then we took a stroll around the lit-up cathedral, followed by a light dinner in a cute café restaurant we passed on our way back to the hotel. This was a very nice intro to Lucca.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds
    212

    Another travel day

    September 16, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Back on the train to Pisa to connect to the train to Lucca. All of this is a little hard on Joe but he’s been a trooper. Up and down the stairs, crowd huddling in the shade, one person says—I just heard the platform was changed. The masses move to the stairs. Another says —no that’s a different train. Finally a real Trenitalia person appears and tells us to stay put. Then the train arrives and there is more confusion. Nothing that anyone who has traveled by train in Italy hasn’t experienced. And I am not knocking Italian trains. They put US trains to shame a million times over. Connection in Pisa was effortless, and even though I could not figure out how to get my ticket stamped, the very nice men in uniforms just told us to sit down and not worry. Note to self: next time, make sure to use the Trenitalia app. Much easier.

    Our hotel is in the middle of the historic center and about a 30 minute walk in Joe time from the train station. We walked because our B&B didn’t open till 2 pm. It was sunny and a bit hot but we went straight through the historic center.

    Joe napped while I walked around. I went to the plaza built where the Roman amphitheater once was and two pretty stunning Romanesque churches. All the columns and capitals were from Roman temples, so no display of Romanesque inside.

    After Joe’s nap and shower we grabbed a couple of slices of pizza from a place where the 35-50 person line had evaporated. Then the aimless walking took us to the entrance of San Giovanni, another Romanesque church that sits on a 9th century crypt, which sits on a 4th century baptistery, which sits on a 1st C BC Roman villa. Unfortunately no entrance was possible because of the Puccini (who’s from Lucca) celebration. But we learned there would be an opera concert in the church this evening. A performance of some “ greatest hits.” So we bought the tickets and had a light snack in a café nearby. In a beautiful square. Where we are waiting till concert time. This is a charming place, no doubt about it. Some tourists but most definitely a real city.    Read more

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