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  • Diane and DarrylJourney in Portugal and Spain
    111
    Day 5

    Batalha Monastery and a Working Farm

    March 7 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 54 °F

    About an hour’s drive south is the Monastery of Batalha, built to commemorate a battle that secured the victory of the Portuguese over the Castilians in 1385. The place was abandoned 500 years later when a nationalistic government expelled the religious orders. Convents, monasteries, churches, manor homes and holdings of other institutes that were supported by religious donations were put up for sale, with the intention of placing the land and goods in the hands of the poor, but most did not have the money to purchase them.

    The church of the monastery is narrow and high—over 100 feet tall, the highest in Portugal. Although most of the stained glass and statues did not survive the 1755 earthquake, the decorative limestone carving remains in its original state, and is undergoing cleaning to better display the details. Last year, while pressure-washing the interior, 15th century graffiti was uncovered.

    The architectural style is called Manueline, after King Manual, who liked to incorporate maritime elements (ropes) and representations of the discoveries brought from the voyages of Portuguese navigators (corn, peppercorns, artichokes, flowers, etc.).

    Driving on, we enjoyed a locally produced buffet lunch at Companhia das Lezírias, a traditional Portuguese farmstead. The farm is the largest agricultural and forestry enterprise in Portugal, established in 1836.

    Among the farm’s many endeavors, they are a breeder of Lusitano horses. Originally bred for war and bullfighting, Lusitano’s are now highly regarded for their skills in equestrian dressage. These are the breed of horses used in Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings movies.

    Agricultural products of the farm include rice (especially the high-quality Ariete variety), beef cattle, pine trees (firewood and furniture), cork oak, pine nuts, sunflowers for a genetic bank, olive trees, wine grapes and wine production.

    They are working toward sustainability in many areas—forest management, reducing their carbon footprint in wine bottle production (50% less glass), and reducing reliance on chemicals using drones for precision agriculture. More than seven universities are using the farm as a living laboratory for research projects.

    We got rained on from time to time-to-time today (first time in nearly a month of travel), but it didn’t affect us too much. It was a long driving day with interesting stops along the way!    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylJourney in Portugal and Spain
    111
    Day 4

    Roman Ruins, old University & Fado Music

    March 6 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    Our hotel tonight (Conimbriga Hotel do Paço) was once the Almadas Palace, a royal residence dating back to the 14th century. It underwent extensive renovation 30 years ago to turn it into an historic hotel.

    This morning we had a short drive to the Roman ruins of Conímbriga. The site is one of the largest Roman settlements identified in Portugal. To date, less than 20% has been excavated. Romans occupied the site from the 1st century BC until the mid-5th century when they were pushed out by Germanic armies. The wall outlines of a few homes had been excavated, and some nice mosaic floor tiles were reconstructed, but most impressive was the Casa dos Repuxos (house of fountains). This was an aristocratic residence dating from the 2nd century AD, which was built with a complex lead-pipe hydraulic system that fed several fountains and ornamental pools. The house also has a rich set of mosaics depicting mythological, geometric and plant scenes.

    We continued with an exploration of Coimbra, the first capital city of Portugal. There we toured the oldest university in Portugal, the University of Coimbra. The site was a former royal palace until 1290 when the king realized he needed to start a university to stem the brain drain of students attending foreign universities (on Portuguese funding) and then not returning home. We visited the university prison (for naughty students!), the library, chapel, and other palace rooms converted for academic use.

    We then walked over to a local fado house for a performance of this traditional music of Portugal. This expressive, often melancholic Portuguese folk music tradition, is sometimes referred to as “Lisbon blues” because “fado” means “fate” and songs are often nostalgic or sad. Coimbra has their own take on this genre, using it for wooing lovers, and some of the songs were definitely on the more upbeat side. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to take videos to share with you.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylJourney in Portugal and Spain
    31
    Day 3

    Lisbon and Portugal’s Maritime History

    March 5 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    We set off for the historic center of Lisbon, to the Belém neighborhood, where Portuguese navigators set sail from here centuries ago on their expeditions and “discovery” of India. Until the Portuguese found a naval route to India, the spice trade was made by land, on the Silk Road. It was a long and expensive journey. The transport of spices by ship cut the end price of spices—needed for food preservation and medicines—nearly in half.

    The Belém Tower is a 16th-century fortification at the mouth of the Tagus River in Lisbon, and it served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers. The tower survived the 1755 earthquake due to being constructed on rock rather than the sandy bank of the river.

    Also on the waterfront is a replica of the first seaplane to make the first crossing of the south Atlantic, from Lisbon to Rio de Janero. The flight was made in 1922, to coincide with the centennial celebration in Rio of Brazil's independence. They almost missed the party due to several breakdowns and near catastrophes.

    An impressive monument on waterfront is called the Monument to the Discoveries. It shows a caravel ship setting out to sea, with Henry the Navigator at the prow and many significant figures from the Portuguese age of discovery all portrayed with symbols that refer to their identity: navigators, cartographers, warriors, missionaries, chroniclers and artists.

    Next up was a bus trip to the National Tile Museum, housed in a former convent. There were some exhibits on the techniques of tile decoration over time, and many beautiful pieces on display. The museum is a repository for many, many tiles salvaged from buildings destroyed in the 1755 earthquake. Curators sort through the remnants and try to date them, determine their historical significance, and piece them together. Judging by the many boxes of tiles we saw, they have quite a backlog!    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylJourney in Portugal and Spain
    Day 2

    Palaces and Portuguese History

    March 4 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    We’ve met up with our Road Scholar group of around 20 people. The tour focuses on history, significant architectural sites and picturesque villages, all while staying in historic hotels in Portugal and Southern Spain.

    The morning featured a lecturer from the University of Lisbon who did a great job of covering 2,000 years of Portuguese history in two hours. (Really, she made it a bit like telling a story!)

    We won’t go into all that here, but one thing to note is that in 1755 there was a catastrophic earthquake (>7.7) with subsequent fires and a tsunami, which destroyed nearly all of Lisbon’s buildings and other adjoining areas (the Moroccans mentioned it too). There aren’t a lot of structures left that are older than the 18th century—although remnants of older buildings have survived and were renovated and built upon, so many buildings may have medieval antecedents.

    Anyway, after the lecture, we had a little repeat of yesterday’s itinerary (which we knew would happen), but it was different enough. We drove along the Atlantic coast and had time to wander Sintra on our own. We chose to go to the palace in town (not the red-and-yellow palace on the hilltop). This particular palace survived the earthquake and is considered the best-preserved medieval royal residence in Portugal, being inhabited more or less continuously from at least the early 15th century to the late 19th century. We’re glad we went—check out our photos of the quirky painted ceilings (magpie room, swan room), the wood decorative cabinets and the plentiful tile wall decorations.

    Heading back toward Lisbon, our afternoon field trip brought us to the Palace of Queluz, a Rococo style royal palace, with lots of gold and mirrors. The mirrors served to bring more light into the rooms. We didn’t care for the style so much, but it certainly illustrated the wealth that the royal families had accumulated from the trade goods brought in from India and Brazil by this seafaring nation.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylJourney in Portugal and Spain
    Day 1

    Portugal: Pena Palace in Sintra

    March 3 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    We’re now in Portugal, and it’s our last day of travel with Nance & Sande. We’d arranged a day-long tour to see sights outside of Lisbon and particularly the iconic Pena Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the hills of Sintra town.

    A group of 8 of us joined our guide, Alberto, who took us first to the palace, which was occupied by various members of the royalty until the Republican Revolution of 1910. The coup leaders killed the current king, and the rest of the royal family fled in exile. What’s interesting is that it’s evident they really cleared out fast. All the furnishings and decorations are original from the time the family lived there. Queen Amelia’s hair brushes are still laid out on her nightstand.

    We carried on with a stop in Sintra village for a coffee break with traditional pastries, and then a drive through the countryside for a traditional Portuguese lunch at a family-run restaurant (seafood is very big here, as you can imagine, being on the Atlantic). Delicious!

    After lunch, it was on to the westernmost point of continental Europe, and then to another iconic (although touristic) village of Cascais. It was a great way to wrap up our travels with Nance & Sande and meet some new people, too!    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylMorocco: Kasbahs and Camels
    Day 17

    A Bit More Casablanca

    March 1 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    The Collette tour has ended, but we took one last look around Casablanca on our own. We followed a self-guided walking tour that took us through a beautiful city park (Arab League Park) with a fun playground, the Hall of Justice (complete with black gown-and-white ascot-wearing barristers, we suppose); a beautiful art deco post office and other sights.

    Now we head on to our next trip (and separate blog). Morocco has been a welcoming country, and we really enjoyed seeing and learning about the craftsmanship in their building details and rug designs. We learned a lot from Mohamed about the culture of the country and its people.
    The cities were pretty clean (so many workers out picking up trash and sweeping), and the food is just outstanding!    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylMorocco: Kasbahs and Camels
    Day 15

    Casablanca: Mosque of Hassan II

    February 28 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    This morning we said farewell to Marrakech and boarded our bus for a final distance drive — to Casablanca. After about three hours of travel, we stopped for lunch at the food court of the largest shopping mall in Morocco. Mohamed thought we might enjoy the juxtaposition between the old market of last night and the “new market.” We will say that shopping malls are probably still in their heyday in Morocco, if this one is anything to judge by. The storefronts were all occupied with upscale vendors (American, European and Moroccan), and the place was kept immaculately clean by an army of workers. A large cylindrical aquarium was featured at the center. Interesting stop after all!

    Then it was on to a visit the enormous mosque of King Hassan II, completed in 1993 after just 7 years. The project is estimated to have cost as much as $700 million, funds that were remarkably raised mostly from public donations (questionable about how voluntary those donations were). But Moroccans seem to be genuinely proud of their monument.

    The tile, wood and plaster work inside and out is exquisite, and the mosque has some interesting features, including a retractable roof. The purpose is to provide spiritual contemplation (and ventilation?) for the up to 25,000 worshippers who can fit inside. On special holy days up to another 80,000 can fit in the plaza outside.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylMorocco: Kasbahs and Camels
    Day 14

    Marrakech at Night

    February 27 in Morocco ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    Mohamed still had more in store for us on our Marrakech cooking class day. The plan was to see how the market square transforms after dark, by visiting before and after dinner at a nearby restaurant. Before dark, “snake charmers” (yes, real cobra snakes), and guys with small apes (like we saw on our little hike in the cedar forest) pose for photos—for a price. We decided not to find out the price. The snake charmers aren’t allowed in the square after dark because one got away and caused a panic in the square. There were also some “ring the bottle” games set up for families to vie for a prize.

    Our nearby restaurant served a wonderful selection of cold plates like spiced eggplant, mild green chilies and onions, carrots with parsley, etc. and warm bread, phyllo-wrapped tasty bites, and beef and chicken skewers. Musicians accompanied much of dinner, making table conversation a little difficult, but they were enthusiastic and colorful.

    Leaving the restaurant after dark, we could see how the square had really come alive—music groups were set up, ringed by locals on stools clapping and enjoying the music; the food stalls were in full swing, and street hawkers exhibited their light-up toys.

    Capping off the day was a ride back to our hotel in a horse carriage. These carriages used to be a typical mode of transportation in Marrakech, but now they are mainly for tourists.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylMorocco: Kasbahs and Camels
    Day 14

    Learning to Make Tajine

    February 27 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 50 °F

    Today’s visit in Marrakech was really inspiring. We visited the Amad (‘Hope’) Center, a nonprofit women’s training center. Women who come from disadvantaged backgrounds or abusive situations are given the opportunity to learn cooking-related job skills and some foreign languages to help them succeed in the tourist industry.

    After a 9 month program, the women graduate as chefs or cooks in hotels, riads or restaurants. They have a 90% success rate of placing graduates in good jobs, or setting up their own business. Amad gives women scholarships for living expenses and stipends for their children, if they have them. The center has had 325 graduates so far and supports itself with offering catering, cooking classes (like ours) and selling cookbooks, totes, etc. A foundation called Global Pearls matches their earnings 50-50.

    Currently, the center is providing earthquake relief in the form of sandwiches for the villages affected; building wooden shelters to replace the tents people are living in; and packaging and selling the walnuts and almonds harvested by the village farmers now that their access to market is more limited.

    Now on to our experience! The chef (a graduate), along with a couple of assistants, instructed us on making 3 kinds of tagines—chicken, lamb and fish. Each had its own combination of spices and accompanying vegetables or fruits. They have a well-tended garden adjacent to their instructional kitchen. The staff were particular about making an attractive presentation as we built our layers of ingredients. Once everything was just so, the lids were placed on the tagines and the whole vessel was set over a charcoal wood fire. Normally , this meal would cook half a day or so, but we shortened that up so we could sit down to lunch and enjoy our efforts. Having eaten several tagines already in our Morocco travels, we felt we’d been taught well—very tasty!

    A traditional tea ceremony followed, with green tea, mint, lemongrass and lemon geranium leaves. The tea is poured out high above the glasses (no mugs) to help cool it and oxygenate it, and not filled too full so you can pick it up at the top and not burn your fingers. We were told (as a joke?) that if you don’t want someone to return to your home, you pour their tea glass all the way full!    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylMorocco: Kasbahs and Camels
    Day 13

    Marrakech: Palace, Spices & Markets

    February 26 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    Marrakech is a bustling tourist city, and the fourth largest in Morocco. With its fortress walls and buildings constructed of red sandstone, the city has been given the nickname of the "Red City" or "Ochre City." The walls surround a large market square, with many shop stalls and eateries.

    Our first visit of the day was to the Bahia palace. This was not built for royalty, but for a vizier (like prime minister) and his four wives. It was built over 12 years in the late 1880s. With its colorful mosaic tile floors and walls, and decorative painted ceilings, some call it the Alhambra in miniature. At one time carpets would have covered the floors in a pattern woven to match the painted ceiling (or the other way around).

    Next, we were told we would visit a spice market. Well, this place called itself an herbal pharmacy and was licensed by the ministry of health. I guess that’s what you want for your cooking ingredients, but it didn’t have the exotic appeal of the spice markets you see in the old movies. Still, we learned a lot and came away with some tagine spices, saffron and other aromatics (coming your way, Ryan and Erin!).

    Our last stop of the day was to the garden of French painter Jacques Majorelle, who built a villa and established a kind of experimental garden of cacti and succulent, along with date palms (and we saw a Buddha’s Hand plant in fruit, too!). By the 1950s the site had fallen into disrepair, and in the 1980s, designers Yves-St. Laurent and his business partner took it over and expanded the garden. There is an excellent Berber museum on the site of what used to be the workshop of Yves St. Laurent.

    Dinner tonight was at a French restaurant called La Paillote, which means a thatched house in French, and it really did feel like one of the African lodges we’d visited.    Read more

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