Friday, February 29, 2008
CHAPTER 19. SPAIN PART ll CONT.
Let us finally, but reluctantly, leave Barcelona and return to the continuation of our 1975 Spain trip. It is June 17th and we drive up, up, up, fantastic saw-toothed mountains to Montserrat to see the Black Virgin in the cathedral and hear the famous boys’ choir sing. There are hoards of people and many tour busses. We eat a picnic lunch on the way down, then drive to Zaragoza in hot and windy weather thru fine farming country, then desert with some grain, and then a great valley with fine irrigated farm land and espaliered cherry and plum orchards, grapes, hay, and grain. En route we are stopped briefly by policia to see our drivers license.
After breakfast we see the Zaragoza Cathedral and their polished and beautiful treasures before leaving for Pamplona. We have a picnic lunch in a pine grove before trying to get a room at the Olita Parador, but none is available. We walk around the enormous castle there, but it is closed for siesta so we can’t get inside. We stop to see the pretty romanesque chapel at Eunate, then continue to see the bridge at Puente la Reina, both on the major trails to Santiago de Compostela, trod by countless medieval pilgrims. Today we see mostly rolling dry country, but nearing Pamplona there are very green fields of grapes, tomatoes, corn, artichokes, and orchards. On a walking tour from the hotel we see the cathedral, some old walls, and a little of Pamplona.
After breakfast we see the Zaragoza Cathedral and their polished and beautiful treasures before leaving for Pamplona. We have a picnic lunch in a pine grove before trying to get a room at the Olita Parador, but none is available. We walk around the enormous castle there, but it is closed for siesta so we can’t get inside. We stop to see the pretty romanesque chapel at Eunate, then continue to see the bridge at Puente la Reina, both on the major trails to Santiago de Compostela, trod by countless medieval pilgrims. Today we see mostly rolling dry country, but nearing Pamplona there are very green fields of grapes, tomatoes, corn, artichokes, and orchards. On a walking tour from the hotel we see the cathedral, some old walls, and a little of Pamplona.
CHAPTER 19. SPAIN PART ll, CONT.
Driving north thru unbelievably beautiful lush green Basque mountains, wooded, and some cultivated to the top, with hay fields and picturesque cone shaped hay stacks, we see people cutting hay with a sickle, gathering it with wooden rakes, and men pitching it up on an oxen pulled wagon where a woman packs it down. We drive on, thru San Sebastian and to Fuenterrabia where we are able to get a room in the Parador that is a remodeled old castle. Our room is up three flights of stairs (no elevator), but with a breathtaking view of the boat harbor and white houses with red roofs in France across the water. We drive to a pleasant place for a picnic lunch then on thru Basque villages in beautiful river canyon country. Back at the Parador we have a so-so dinner, far from excellent.
After breakfast we drive up into the mountains for a view of the bay, ocean, and cities but it is too hazy to see much. Down by the shore at Pasajes de San Juan we walk narrow streets and see fishing areas with nets spread out to dry, and women repairing them. In San Sebastian we see the beautiful beach with wall to wall people and dirty looking water. We have a wonderful lunch at the Arzac Restaurant, before trying to drive into France. At the border they ask to see our “green” card, and we don’t know what it is, so turn around. Later we find one in the rental car papers, showing evidence of insurance coverage.
It is a fast drive to Bilbao on the freeway, and then slow going to Santander by pretty hills with haying, and beaches at the base of mountains. After driving around Santander we eat a picnic lunch, and continue to Altamira. The Paleolithic art in the caves has fantastic pictures of bison and a horse. (Entrance to the caves is limited in ‘75 and we understand they are now closed to the public.) We try to stay at the Altamira Parador, but it is full so we have dinner there and stay at the nearby Hostel Emerador which is new and clean and nice, but the room is very small.
After breakfast at the Parador we head south over mountains with deep ravines and valleys. At first there are many villages, then few; hay, then grain and many grain elevators; desert like in spots, then beautiful little green valleys. At Burgos we just get in the lovely Cathedral and they chase us out and close. It is hot as we have a beer at a sidewalk cafe, then drive on thru Valladoid to Salamanca. It is a big day of travel for us! We stay at the Hotel Gran Feudal, walk with big crowds in the Plaza Mayor, and eat a good dinner in the hotel.
It’s a day of mostly rest in Salamanca as we awake with a little “tourista” that our pills soon take care of. After noon we visit the very beautiful and oldest (1218) University of Salamanca, and later see the very interesting and lovely new and old cathedrals. We also buy a lace Spanish shawl that Betty still occasionally wears at formal affairs.
Then we leave Spain and drive to Coimbra to continue our ‘75 trip in Portugal (#7), but now we need to go back to Leyre to pick up our ‘87 trip where we dropped it coming from #16 SW France.
After breakfast we drive up into the mountains for a view of the bay, ocean, and cities but it is too hazy to see much. Down by the shore at Pasajes de San Juan we walk narrow streets and see fishing areas with nets spread out to dry, and women repairing them. In San Sebastian we see the beautiful beach with wall to wall people and dirty looking water. We have a wonderful lunch at the Arzac Restaurant, before trying to drive into France. At the border they ask to see our “green” card, and we don’t know what it is, so turn around. Later we find one in the rental car papers, showing evidence of insurance coverage.
It is a fast drive to Bilbao on the freeway, and then slow going to Santander by pretty hills with haying, and beaches at the base of mountains. After driving around Santander we eat a picnic lunch, and continue to Altamira. The Paleolithic art in the caves has fantastic pictures of bison and a horse. (Entrance to the caves is limited in ‘75 and we understand they are now closed to the public.) We try to stay at the Altamira Parador, but it is full so we have dinner there and stay at the nearby Hostel Emerador which is new and clean and nice, but the room is very small.
After breakfast at the Parador we head south over mountains with deep ravines and valleys. At first there are many villages, then few; hay, then grain and many grain elevators; desert like in spots, then beautiful little green valleys. At Burgos we just get in the lovely Cathedral and they chase us out and close. It is hot as we have a beer at a sidewalk cafe, then drive on thru Valladoid to Salamanca. It is a big day of travel for us! We stay at the Hotel Gran Feudal, walk with big crowds in the Plaza Mayor, and eat a good dinner in the hotel.
It’s a day of mostly rest in Salamanca as we awake with a little “tourista” that our pills soon take care of. After noon we visit the very beautiful and oldest (1218) University of Salamanca, and later see the very interesting and lovely new and old cathedrals. We also buy a lace Spanish shawl that Betty still occasionally wears at formal affairs.
Then we leave Spain and drive to Coimbra to continue our ‘75 trip in Portugal (#7), but now we need to go back to Leyre to pick up our ‘87 trip where we dropped it coming from #16 SW France.
SPAIN-SAN SEBASTIAN
View From Fuenterrabia Parador
Basque Village Near San Sebastian
Beach at San Sebastian
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
CHAPTER 19. SPAIN PART ll CONT.
The Monastery of Leyre is in desert like country south of the Pyrenees, not far from Pamplona. It had been very important in the 11th century, but by the 19th century had been abandoned. The 17th and 18th century buildings were restored by the Benedictines and now are converted into a hotel. Our room is nice, but is up two flights, the hotel people are not very pleasant, but the building and church and crypts are very interesting.
It is partly overcast on the last day of September as we drive to the heavy traffic of Pamplona, find a parking spot and walk to the Plaza del Caudillo where we find a Herald Tribune and Michelin maps of NW Spain. We drive to Estella, and it is a mess with streets torn up; we can’t find the restaurant we selected from the Michelin Red Guide, and can’t find a place to park. Finally we eat a poor meal at a bar restaurant near the edge of town and drive north on the scenic tertiary road N111, with a spectacular view from the top of Lizarraga. We find a hotel restaurant in Alsasua for the night.
It is raining as we drive toward Vitoria, but lets up by Salvatierra as we walk to see some of the old balconies and family crests. At nearby Gaceo we get a local man to open the church and show us the very pretty romanesque frescos. At Vitoria we follow the walking tour per the Michelin Green Guide, which points out streets and buildings of interest, and especially enjoy the Archaeological Museum with its’ well displayed articles. It’s too early for lunch so we drive west and soon find a large supermarket where we shop, and then have a good menu in their restaurant. We see the Mendosa Castle, Trespuentes, Tuesta, and Orduña near Vitoria before driving by back roads (to avoid Bilbao traffic) to the coast and the pleasant Miramar Hotel at Castro-Urdiales.
With clear and warm weather we walk along the promenade to the harbor and downtown. The post office sends us to a tabac for stamps; we change travelers checks at the bank, and find snack supplies. At the very pretty and interesting harbor we watch nets being folded after fish and kelp are removed. Back at the hotel we eat a very good lunch and decide to stay a total of 3 nights to rest up. The hotel is right above a smooth sand beach; we watch wind surfers on the bay, then a soccer game on the beach when the tide is way out.
Early morning rain clears before we drive to the harbor, see a trailer borne small boat unfolded and launched from a ramp, and look at the fish market where they are displayed by type in trays on the floor. Back at the hotel for lunch, rest, and walk, we see many pairs playing paddle tennis on the beach; the water is chilly, but not frigid. A wedding party of more than 100 is in the hotel for lunch and is still going strong at 7:30.
Driving west along the Santander coast it is overcast and warm as we look at ocean resorts; Laredo with many high rises along the beach, Santoña with large colorful fishing boats in its’ pretty harbor, Noja and Ris with very pretty sand beaches and rock outside. We eat lunch in Pedroña overlooking Santander and its bay, then drive thru pretty green hills to San Vicente and find a nice large room at the Bora-Bora Hotel.
As we drive south up into the Picos de Europa, with overcast and a little rain, we see very green hills, then high rock cliffs at the gorges of Desfiladero de la Hermida, then open country near Potes. We stop and get a room at the Hotel Picos de Valdecoro in Potes before driving up the side road to Fuente De and having lunch at the Parador there. A sheer rock wall with a cable car to the top is there, but with clouds settling down and rain, we return to Potes.
It is cool and overcast with a little rain and a little sun as we drive part way around the Picos. A slow road with no traffic takes us over a high pass to Riaño where all buildings are being knocked down and higher roads being built - a dam must be under construction nearby. It’s very scenic mountain country as we climb the lower Pass de Ponton and go thru the Desfiladero los Beyos, so narrow we can’t see the Sellos River below from the corniche road. At Cangas de Onis we eat a good lunch menu at the Hotel Favila; it is full with a tour so we get a room at the small, but nice and clean Hotel Peloña for a rest before we walk to explore the town.
It’s foggy when we awaken, but the day is generally sunny and nice as we drive up a good side road to Covadonga. Beyond the town the road becomes rough and steep with hairpin turns as we go thru very spectacular rock mountains. We stop a KM short of the end because the road is too scary ,and go back to a better road toward Panes. We stop to buy blue goat cheese, and see many loaded apple trees. Lunch is at the Covadonga R. in Panes, and then we decide to drive back to San Vicente to a good large room and bath at the Bora-Bora Hotel.
It’s a windy morning and partly cloudy as we continue west along the coast. An early excursion takes us down a narrow one lane road to a lighthouse, where we ring a bell and a man gets in his car and takes us to the cave of El Pindal. We go down steep steps into a large damp and slippery cave, and deeper in there are drawings of animals our guide says are the oldest in Spain (but not as good as we saw at Altamira in ‘75). On west by many beaches we come to Ribadestilla where we eat a good fish and salad lunch at the Xico Restaurant and get a room at the Marina Hotel.
We take a side road up to the view point del Fito, but clouds and haze obscure most of the view. There are very green hills, like foothills of the French Pyrenees as we near the large city of Gijon. We find a “presse” where we get a USA Today, but no Herald Tribune. We eat lunch in a small bar restaurant with sawdust on the floor and a waiter pours drinks from a bottle held as high as possible to a glass held very low. On west via slow, twisting, and rough roads thru apple country to the Casa Consuelo H. at Otur, just west of Luarca.
Westward along the main two lane highway close to the coast we get glimpses of the surf, but the road does not feature the sea. A car passing us causes an oncoming car to jam on his brakes; he spins around and stops in the ditch to our right, but luckily we have stopped and no one is injured. We see the Hostel Casa Basoa and stop for the night there.
It is partly overcast on the last day of September as we drive to the heavy traffic of Pamplona, find a parking spot and walk to the Plaza del Caudillo where we find a Herald Tribune and Michelin maps of NW Spain. We drive to Estella, and it is a mess with streets torn up; we can’t find the restaurant we selected from the Michelin Red Guide, and can’t find a place to park. Finally we eat a poor meal at a bar restaurant near the edge of town and drive north on the scenic tertiary road N111, with a spectacular view from the top of Lizarraga. We find a hotel restaurant in Alsasua for the night.
It is raining as we drive toward Vitoria, but lets up by Salvatierra as we walk to see some of the old balconies and family crests. At nearby Gaceo we get a local man to open the church and show us the very pretty romanesque frescos. At Vitoria we follow the walking tour per the Michelin Green Guide, which points out streets and buildings of interest, and especially enjoy the Archaeological Museum with its’ well displayed articles. It’s too early for lunch so we drive west and soon find a large supermarket where we shop, and then have a good menu in their restaurant. We see the Mendosa Castle, Trespuentes, Tuesta, and Orduña near Vitoria before driving by back roads (to avoid Bilbao traffic) to the coast and the pleasant Miramar Hotel at Castro-Urdiales.
With clear and warm weather we walk along the promenade to the harbor and downtown. The post office sends us to a tabac for stamps; we change travelers checks at the bank, and find snack supplies. At the very pretty and interesting harbor we watch nets being folded after fish and kelp are removed. Back at the hotel we eat a very good lunch and decide to stay a total of 3 nights to rest up. The hotel is right above a smooth sand beach; we watch wind surfers on the bay, then a soccer game on the beach when the tide is way out.
Early morning rain clears before we drive to the harbor, see a trailer borne small boat unfolded and launched from a ramp, and look at the fish market where they are displayed by type in trays on the floor. Back at the hotel for lunch, rest, and walk, we see many pairs playing paddle tennis on the beach; the water is chilly, but not frigid. A wedding party of more than 100 is in the hotel for lunch and is still going strong at 7:30.
Driving west along the Santander coast it is overcast and warm as we look at ocean resorts; Laredo with many high rises along the beach, Santoña with large colorful fishing boats in its’ pretty harbor, Noja and Ris with very pretty sand beaches and rock outside. We eat lunch in Pedroña overlooking Santander and its bay, then drive thru pretty green hills to San Vicente and find a nice large room at the Bora-Bora Hotel.
As we drive south up into the Picos de Europa, with overcast and a little rain, we see very green hills, then high rock cliffs at the gorges of Desfiladero de la Hermida, then open country near Potes. We stop and get a room at the Hotel Picos de Valdecoro in Potes before driving up the side road to Fuente De and having lunch at the Parador there. A sheer rock wall with a cable car to the top is there, but with clouds settling down and rain, we return to Potes.
It is cool and overcast with a little rain and a little sun as we drive part way around the Picos. A slow road with no traffic takes us over a high pass to Riaño where all buildings are being knocked down and higher roads being built - a dam must be under construction nearby. It’s very scenic mountain country as we climb the lower Pass de Ponton and go thru the Desfiladero los Beyos, so narrow we can’t see the Sellos River below from the corniche road. At Cangas de Onis we eat a good lunch menu at the Hotel Favila; it is full with a tour so we get a room at the small, but nice and clean Hotel Peloña for a rest before we walk to explore the town.
It’s foggy when we awaken, but the day is generally sunny and nice as we drive up a good side road to Covadonga. Beyond the town the road becomes rough and steep with hairpin turns as we go thru very spectacular rock mountains. We stop a KM short of the end because the road is too scary ,and go back to a better road toward Panes. We stop to buy blue goat cheese, and see many loaded apple trees. Lunch is at the Covadonga R. in Panes, and then we decide to drive back to San Vicente to a good large room and bath at the Bora-Bora Hotel.
It’s a windy morning and partly cloudy as we continue west along the coast. An early excursion takes us down a narrow one lane road to a lighthouse, where we ring a bell and a man gets in his car and takes us to the cave of El Pindal. We go down steep steps into a large damp and slippery cave, and deeper in there are drawings of animals our guide says are the oldest in Spain (but not as good as we saw at Altamira in ‘75). On west by many beaches we come to Ribadestilla where we eat a good fish and salad lunch at the Xico Restaurant and get a room at the Marina Hotel.
We take a side road up to the view point del Fito, but clouds and haze obscure most of the view. There are very green hills, like foothills of the French Pyrenees as we near the large city of Gijon. We find a “presse” where we get a USA Today, but no Herald Tribune. We eat lunch in a small bar restaurant with sawdust on the floor and a waiter pours drinks from a bottle held as high as possible to a glass held very low. On west via slow, twisting, and rough roads thru apple country to the Casa Consuelo H. at Otur, just west of Luarca.
Westward along the main two lane highway close to the coast we get glimpses of the surf, but the road does not feature the sea. A car passing us causes an oncoming car to jam on his brakes; he spins around and stops in the ditch to our right, but luckily we have stopped and no one is injured. We see the Hostel Casa Basoa and stop for the night there.
SPAIN-Galicia North Coast
Low Tide, Galicia North Coast
Galicia North Coast
Picos de Europa Scene
Harbor, Castro-Urdiales, Spain
Monday, February 25, 2008
CHAPTER 19. SPAIN PART ll, CONT.
After a late breakfast we drive to La Coruña and out to see the Hercules Tower near crashing seas in heavy wind, then south thru very green hills to Santiago. We park in an underground garage in Plaza Galacia, get a room at the Hotel Universal, rest a while, then walk up by the Cathedral and take a quick look at the adjacent Parador as skies clear.
It is cloudy with showers most of the day again. We walk up to visit the very impressive Cathedral, like nothing we have ever seen. The 12th century carvings at the entrance are quite expressive and not deteriorated; the altar is “busy” and pretty. We walk up behind the main altar, visit the treasury and museum, see the crypts, then walk out in the rain. We have a good lunch at the Alameda Restaurant and then return to the hotel to rest.
Cloudy with showers again today and some heavy rain as we check for mail at the correo, then check out of the hotel. We go to the laundromat and talk with two young American men, from UCLA law and New York, as our clothes are cleaned and dried by new equipment. A good lunch at the Alameda R. prepares us for the drive south thru Pontevedra where we stop at the nice little Las Islas Hotel in a room that is on the ground floor with a view of the bay.
Our last day in Spain comes with a storm from the Atlantic bringing heavy rain and wind. We wait to start until eleven so we can load the car without getting wet. There is some heavy rain, but mostly light, or none, as the wind continues. We stop in Tui and spend the last of our pesetas for gasoline, manchego cheese, and salami. The traffic is slow at the border but both sides wave us thru on seeing our US passports. We have lunch at the Pousada built new inside old castle walls in Vita Nova da Cerveira, then drive to Esposende and a pleasant room in the Suave Mar Hotel on the beach. Our trip continues in Portugal (#7) after this very enjoyable visit to Spain!
It is cloudy with showers most of the day again. We walk up to visit the very impressive Cathedral, like nothing we have ever seen. The 12th century carvings at the entrance are quite expressive and not deteriorated; the altar is “busy” and pretty. We walk up behind the main altar, visit the treasury and museum, see the crypts, then walk out in the rain. We have a good lunch at the Alameda Restaurant and then return to the hotel to rest.
Cloudy with showers again today and some heavy rain as we check for mail at the correo, then check out of the hotel. We go to the laundromat and talk with two young American men, from UCLA law and New York, as our clothes are cleaned and dried by new equipment. A good lunch at the Alameda R. prepares us for the drive south thru Pontevedra where we stop at the nice little Las Islas Hotel in a room that is on the ground floor with a view of the bay.
Our last day in Spain comes with a storm from the Atlantic bringing heavy rain and wind. We wait to start until eleven so we can load the car without getting wet. There is some heavy rain, but mostly light, or none, as the wind continues. We stop in Tui and spend the last of our pesetas for gasoline, manchego cheese, and salami. The traffic is slow at the border but both sides wave us thru on seeing our US passports. We have lunch at the Pousada built new inside old castle walls in Vita Nova da Cerveira, then drive to Esposende and a pleasant room in the Suave Mar Hotel on the beach. Our trip continues in Portugal (#7) after this very enjoyable visit to Spain!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
CHAPTER 20 ITALY
We fly TWA from San Francisco via N.Y. to Rome, arriving in the morning of April 26, 1989, take a bus from the airport to the RR station, and walk the three blocks to the Igea Hotel where we had reserved a room. The room and bath are quite adequate, but the heat has been turned off for the summer. We eat lunch at the Trattoria Alfredo across the street, buy bread, wine, and cheese for our supper snack, and return to our room for a 2 hour nap. We return to the RR station to check with Eurocar about the car we will rent, look around some, and buy a Herald Tribune. We read in the hotel lobby for a while then go to the room for our snack before going to bed.
After a fair nights’ sleep we go down to the continental breakfast of roll, dried bread, croissant, jam, butter, and cafe latta. Then we take the Metro train to the end of the A line, and walk several blocks to the Vatican Museum. Joining crushing crowds of people we climb up two high floors to the ticket area, and start the visit that involves much walking and up and down more stairs. It is very crowded; there are many tours, we see Japanese and hear French spoken, there are many children and young people. The exhibits are not as interesting as the building itself, with many frescoed ceilings and paintings on walls. The Sistine Chapel is beautiful, and solid with tourists, but we are lucky and find a place to sit down and look up at the ceiling. After three hours in the museum we haven’t seen it all but are tired, so we walk toward the Metro station, stop for a “tursti” menu at a pizzeria, and return to the hotel for a nap.
The next morning we first go to a nearby bank and cash traveler checks; it takes a long time, but we get a better exchange rate than at the airport. Then we ride the Metro to the Coliseum and adjacent Roman Forum.
After a fair nights’ sleep we go down to the continental breakfast of roll, dried bread, croissant, jam, butter, and cafe latta. Then we take the Metro train to the end of the A line, and walk several blocks to the Vatican Museum. Joining crushing crowds of people we climb up two high floors to the ticket area, and start the visit that involves much walking and up and down more stairs. It is very crowded; there are many tours, we see Japanese and hear French spoken, there are many children and young people. The exhibits are not as interesting as the building itself, with many frescoed ceilings and paintings on walls. The Sistine Chapel is beautiful, and solid with tourists, but we are lucky and find a place to sit down and look up at the ceiling. After three hours in the museum we haven’t seen it all but are tired, so we walk toward the Metro station, stop for a “tursti” menu at a pizzeria, and return to the hotel for a nap.
The next morning we first go to a nearby bank and cash traveler checks; it takes a long time, but we get a better exchange rate than at the airport. Then we ride the Metro to the Coliseum and adjacent Roman Forum.
CHAPTER 20 ITALY CONT.
There is no admission fee at the Coliseum and at the Forum we are admitted “gratis” since we are over 60. The Coliseum is indeed very large but is not in as good a condition as Roman Arenas we have seen in Arles and Nimes, France. The Forum is a very large and interesting area of excavated Roman ruins, and excavation work is still going on. We tire fast and return to the hotel to rest and read after a very delicious lunch at the Trattoria Alfredo. It is partly sunny today but cool, and it’s chilly in our room. Glenn starts an antibiotic prescription his doctor has given him for chest congestion.
It rains most of the night, but lets up so we take the Metro to St. Peter’s. We are impressed by its’ beauty and size; one could easily get lost inside among the huge crowds. We see the Pieta and loads of other statuary, and like the obelisk. We ride the Metro back to the hotel area, shop for supper snacks, eat a good sea bass menu at Alfredos, and spend the afternoon and evening resting, reading, and doing crossword puzzles.
We ride the Metro to the Trevi fountain area and are very disappointed that it is being repaired; the water is gone and many of the figures are covered up. Back at the hotel area we see the old and very pretty Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore. A mass is underway so we can’t see the famous mosaics in the nave. Glenn loses his wallet today; either his pocket is picked in the subway, or with many layers of clothes in the cold weather he doesn’t get the wallet correctly back into his pocket. It only had a few lire and a phone card; anything important is kept in a safe place like a money belt or a hotel safe.
On the first day of May it is still cold, and we are both ailing, so we spend the day in the room resting and sleeping, and only go out to Alfredos to eat.
It rains most of the night, but lets up so we take the Metro to St. Peter’s. We are impressed by its’ beauty and size; one could easily get lost inside among the huge crowds. We see the Pieta and loads of other statuary, and like the obelisk. We ride the Metro back to the hotel area, shop for supper snacks, eat a good sea bass menu at Alfredos, and spend the afternoon and evening resting, reading, and doing crossword puzzles.
We ride the Metro to the Trevi fountain area and are very disappointed that it is being repaired; the water is gone and many of the figures are covered up. Back at the hotel area we see the old and very pretty Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore. A mass is underway so we can’t see the famous mosaics in the nave. Glenn loses his wallet today; either his pocket is picked in the subway, or with many layers of clothes in the cold weather he doesn’t get the wallet correctly back into his pocket. It only had a few lire and a phone card; anything important is kept in a safe place like a money belt or a hotel safe.
On the first day of May it is still cold, and we are both ailing, so we spend the day in the room resting and sleeping, and only go out to Alfredos to eat.
ITALY PHOTOS-ROME
Coliseum, Rome, Italy
Roman Forum, Rome, Italy
St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, Rome
CHAPTER 20 ITALY CONT.
It is time to leave Rome; we go to a bank to change money and they don’t change until afternoon, so we try a “cambio” and get lire faster and at a better rate than at the bank. We pick up our rental car at the RR station and start near noon. It is a sunny day and a little warmer as we make our way out of Rome traffic with no problem, take the freeway north, and after a fair lunch at a rest stop we pay the toll fee and exit at Termi. We get a room at the Hotel de Paris, a big room with two chairs, desk, sofa, and coffee table, and there is even a little heat! A visit to the RR station fails to get us a HT paper.
We drive to Assisi and the Roma Hotel thru pretty green country, with towns on the top of hills, and lots of flowering locust trees. We have a pleasant large but cold room; we are told heat will be on at night, but it isn’t. We eat good food at the small Trattoria Oegli Orti. After a rest we go to see the main plaza where bleachers and a sound system are set up for a 3 day festival that starts tomorrow. We find a Herald Tribune, so we catch up on world news this evening.
We misguess the way to go to St. Francis’ Basilica; the bus drops us where there is a long walk up, and on the walk back to the hotel it is uphill almost all the way. There are big crowds everywhere, at the Basilica, and on the streets. It is an interesting church, with frescos of St. Francis’ life, and not much evidence left of damage from a recent big earthquake. We have an excellent veal scaloppini meal at the Oegli Orti; it is served with no salt, but a salt shaker, because we had sent food back yesterday that was too salty. A young man in a colorful costume, part of the festival, comes in the restaurant. At 8 PM there is heat on in the room, hurray! But the antibiotic isn’t improving Glenn’s chest congestion.
We drive to Assisi and the Roma Hotel thru pretty green country, with towns on the top of hills, and lots of flowering locust trees. We have a pleasant large but cold room; we are told heat will be on at night, but it isn’t. We eat good food at the small Trattoria Oegli Orti. After a rest we go to see the main plaza where bleachers and a sound system are set up for a 3 day festival that starts tomorrow. We find a Herald Tribune, so we catch up on world news this evening.
We misguess the way to go to St. Francis’ Basilica; the bus drops us where there is a long walk up, and on the walk back to the hotel it is uphill almost all the way. There are big crowds everywhere, at the Basilica, and on the streets. It is an interesting church, with frescos of St. Francis’ life, and not much evidence left of damage from a recent big earthquake. We have an excellent veal scaloppini meal at the Oegli Orti; it is served with no salt, but a salt shaker, because we had sent food back yesterday that was too salty. A young man in a colorful costume, part of the festival, comes in the restaurant. At 8 PM there is heat on in the room, hurray! But the antibiotic isn’t improving Glenn’s chest congestion.
CHAPTER 20 ITALY CONT.
Leaving Assisi we drive to the nearby hospital and the emergency room doctor (trained at Baylor University) examines Glenn. He prescribes a stronger antibiotic, and there is no charge, except for the medicine. We have supported the International Assn. for Medical Assistance to Travelers (IAMAT) for many years and carry their updated list of foreign doctors who have been trained in the US and speak English. We got the name of this doctor from the list.
We drive to Perugia and encounter heavy traffic and lack of parking; we finally find a parking spot on a street that is solidly parked. We see the Piazza 4 November, then eat lunch at the Restaurant Taverno, and when we return to the car only two cars are still parked, and both have parking tickets. We pay our fine at the post office and drive on to Siena thru pretty green country, flat at first, then some rolling hills. There are no hotel rooms in Siena, so we drive on to San Gimignano, where there are again no hotel rooms, but we get a room in a B & B outside of town.
The morning brings warm and sunny weather, so we eat breakfast outside on the terrace, and bask in the sun quite a while afterwards. The lady of the house puts our washing in her machine and we later hang it on the line to dry. We go into town and have a disappointing meal of ossobuco that is swimming in grease. We enjoy the Piazza della Cisterno and the Piazza del Duomo while the tours are inside eating. The 12th century towers are lovely!
Breakfast on the terrace is not quite as pleasant with a breeze and a weak sun. We pack and drive to Florence thru green hills with lots of vineyards and white flowering locust trees.
We drive to Perugia and encounter heavy traffic and lack of parking; we finally find a parking spot on a street that is solidly parked. We see the Piazza 4 November, then eat lunch at the Restaurant Taverno, and when we return to the car only two cars are still parked, and both have parking tickets. We pay our fine at the post office and drive on to Siena thru pretty green country, flat at first, then some rolling hills. There are no hotel rooms in Siena, so we drive on to San Gimignano, where there are again no hotel rooms, but we get a room in a B & B outside of town.
The morning brings warm and sunny weather, so we eat breakfast outside on the terrace, and bask in the sun quite a while afterwards. The lady of the house puts our washing in her machine and we later hang it on the line to dry. We go into town and have a disappointing meal of ossobuco that is swimming in grease. We enjoy the Piazza della Cisterno and the Piazza del Duomo while the tours are inside eating. The 12th century towers are lovely!
Breakfast on the terrace is not quite as pleasant with a breeze and a weak sun. We pack and drive to Florence thru green hills with lots of vineyards and white flowering locust trees.
CHAPTER 20 ITALY CONT.
We take a wrong turn going into a sunny and warm Florence but it works well since it takes us to the Piazza Michelangelo with a view of Florence across the Arno River, and an International Iris Show under way. In Italy, “I” offices are handy to find hotel rooms; the first I office we find is closed and on the way to another we spot the Hotel Arizona. It is a little expensive, but the location is good, and we snap it up for five nights. We eat a good dinner at the nearby R. Le Campane and take it easy for the rest of the day.
The hotel has a good buffet breakfast, better than we have become used to, with fruit, cheese, and meats added to the usual bread, jam, and croissant. We walk to the Piazza del Signoria, which is all torn up and has construction fences, then to the Palazzo Vecchio, where we use the handicapped elevator and particularly note the ornate ceilings and some light and airy frescos. We find the Trattoria Il Caminetto near the Duomo and eat a good lunch of pasta, zucchini, and fried potatoes before buying snack materials and walking to the hotel.
It’s another warm and sunny day as we walk to Santa Croce church where we see the tombs of Galileo and Michelangelo, then on to the Uffizi Museum where we see much art. Botticelli’s Birth of Venus is the high-light for us. We walk several more blocks and eat a delicious fish and fruit salad lunch at the Tr. Marione; a very pleasant and interesting professor at the university sits at our table. We have walked more than usual by time we return to the hotel, so we rest and read and do crossword puzzles for the remaining afternoon.
There is a national one day strike today and a big parade downtown with lots of red flags. All the museums are closed so we see several churches.
The hotel has a good buffet breakfast, better than we have become used to, with fruit, cheese, and meats added to the usual bread, jam, and croissant. We walk to the Piazza del Signoria, which is all torn up and has construction fences, then to the Palazzo Vecchio, where we use the handicapped elevator and particularly note the ornate ceilings and some light and airy frescos. We find the Trattoria Il Caminetto near the Duomo and eat a good lunch of pasta, zucchini, and fried potatoes before buying snack materials and walking to the hotel.
It’s another warm and sunny day as we walk to Santa Croce church where we see the tombs of Galileo and Michelangelo, then on to the Uffizi Museum where we see much art. Botticelli’s Birth of Venus is the high-light for us. We walk several more blocks and eat a delicious fish and fruit salad lunch at the Tr. Marione; a very pleasant and interesting professor at the university sits at our table. We have walked more than usual by time we return to the hotel, so we rest and read and do crossword puzzles for the remaining afternoon.
There is a national one day strike today and a big parade downtown with lots of red flags. All the museums are closed so we see several churches.
Monday, February 11, 2008
CHAPTER 20. ITALY, CONT.
This morning we first go to the Bargello Palace Museum which has lots of fine art, statuary, carved ivory, etc. all nicely displayed and lighted. Then to the very grand Medici Chapels and the quite bare Medici parish church of San Lorenzo, which closes for noon while we are there. We go to the Tr. Il Caminetto and dine al fresco this time. Back at the hotel we rest, then go out to see the tabernacle we have been viewing from our hotel room; it is very fancy and arabic, reminding us of the Prague synagogue. We go back to our room for more rest and watch the French Open tennis on TV.
The next morning we check out at the hotel, then walk to the Galleria dell’Accademia and see Michelangelo’s beautiful statue of David. We have seen several copies in town, but they don’t compare with the original! Betty buys a Pucci blouse, and we leave Florence about noon, very glad we have been able to be there. We drive to Forli on a very slow and twisty scenic route and get a room at the Hotel Astoria for two nights.
We have breakfast at a nearby snack bar; it’s good, and costs less than at the Astoria Hotel. Then we drive to Ravenna and see the beautiful mosaics at the tomb of Galla Placidia and the St. Vitalis Church. We drive to the pretty, but deserted beach at Valverde and eat an excellent fish dinner at La Caveja. They say that August is the big time for the beach. We continue to the tiny republic of San Marino; it is hazy so we don’t walk to the top for the view when the police divert us to a parking lot. We walk some, then return to Forli on the freeway.
The next morning we check out at the hotel, then walk to the Galleria dell’Accademia and see Michelangelo’s beautiful statue of David. We have seen several copies in town, but they don’t compare with the original! Betty buys a Pucci blouse, and we leave Florence about noon, very glad we have been able to be there. We drive to Forli on a very slow and twisty scenic route and get a room at the Hotel Astoria for two nights.
We have breakfast at a nearby snack bar; it’s good, and costs less than at the Astoria Hotel. Then we drive to Ravenna and see the beautiful mosaics at the tomb of Galla Placidia and the St. Vitalis Church. We drive to the pretty, but deserted beach at Valverde and eat an excellent fish dinner at La Caveja. They say that August is the big time for the beach. We continue to the tiny republic of San Marino; it is hazy so we don’t walk to the top for the view when the police divert us to a parking lot. We walk some, then return to Forli on the freeway.
CHAPTER 20. ITALY, CONT.
Today we drive thru flat, rich looking farm land with grapes and orchards to Bologna and the Palace Hotel. We call our daughter’s sister-in-law, Kate, who is living in Bologna, and she makes a date to see us this evening.
Kate comes to our hotel about 7 PM with her friend Georgio; we talk a while, then they take us to dinner, and afterwards to see their office. Georgio works with com-puters, and Kate has a business teaching English.
It’s a rainy and cool day; a good time to rest and enjoy our warm room. We go out to breakfast at a bar nearby; the hotel breakfasts are expensive and not very good and we get a better meal for less elsewhere. We pick up a Herald Tribune and go to our room until noon. For lunch we go to the Pizzeria Gattopardo and eat the antipasto buffet and a good pizza. After walking some in the arcades and in the rain we go back to the room. In early evening we go to the enclosed market nearby and have an ice cream cone, then buy snack materials and strawberries for our evening meal.
Kate comes to have breakfast with us, and then we leave and drive thru rich and flat land to Ferrara where we see the outside of the Estes palace and eat lunch. We had planned to stay in Padova, but there is a big fair in town and no rooms available, so we continue toward Venice. In Mira we get a room at the small Aubergue Venezia; we have to climb up one floor, but the room is comfortable.
After the usual bad hotel breakfast we take a 1/2 hour bus ride to Venice. It drops us at the Piazza Roma and we ride a crowded boat on the Grand Canal to St. Marks Square. The Basilica is really something special with its’ glittering mosaics and gold altar. We wander with big crowds around the very large square, find a HT paper, and eat a small portion fish meal at a high price. We walk back to the Rialto bridge, ride a boat to Piazza Roma, and then the bus to Mira. We buy snack food at a supermarket just around the corner from our hotel.
Kate comes to our hotel about 7 PM with her friend Georgio; we talk a while, then they take us to dinner, and afterwards to see their office. Georgio works with com-puters, and Kate has a business teaching English.
It’s a rainy and cool day; a good time to rest and enjoy our warm room. We go out to breakfast at a bar nearby; the hotel breakfasts are expensive and not very good and we get a better meal for less elsewhere. We pick up a Herald Tribune and go to our room until noon. For lunch we go to the Pizzeria Gattopardo and eat the antipasto buffet and a good pizza. After walking some in the arcades and in the rain we go back to the room. In early evening we go to the enclosed market nearby and have an ice cream cone, then buy snack materials and strawberries for our evening meal.
Kate comes to have breakfast with us, and then we leave and drive thru rich and flat land to Ferrara where we see the outside of the Estes palace and eat lunch. We had planned to stay in Padova, but there is a big fair in town and no rooms available, so we continue toward Venice. In Mira we get a room at the small Aubergue Venezia; we have to climb up one floor, but the room is comfortable.
After the usual bad hotel breakfast we take a 1/2 hour bus ride to Venice. It drops us at the Piazza Roma and we ride a crowded boat on the Grand Canal to St. Marks Square. The Basilica is really something special with its’ glittering mosaics and gold altar. We wander with big crowds around the very large square, find a HT paper, and eat a small portion fish meal at a high price. We walk back to the Rialto bridge, ride a boat to Piazza Roma, and then the bus to Mira. We buy snack food at a supermarket just around the corner from our hotel.
ITALY PHOTOS-VENICE
St. Marks Square & Basilica, Venice, ItalyDoges’ Palace, St. Marks Square, Venice
CHAPTER 20. ITALY, CONT.
We drive to a pizzeria for a better breakfast at 1/2 the hotel price before taking the bus to Venice again. A boat takes us to the Academy of Fine Arts for a couple of hours of viewing much well displayed art. We walk to the Stephano Restaurant and eat a very good meal at a much lower price than yesterday’s. Walking on to St. Marks we buy a few little things for family, and then ride a boat that goes around by boat docks and dry docks on the way to P. Roma, where a bus is waiting to take us to Mira. It is nice and warmer today, but there is a hard rain shower in late afternoon.
The next morning we take the freeway to Verona along with heavy traffic, including many trucks. After finding a parking spot we walk to Juliet’s tomb, by the Arena, and to the Capulet home to see Juliet’s balcony; the courtyard here is solid with tours! We eat an excellent lunch at the Hotel Restaurant Alta Grotte on the highway near Verona; our menu includes pasta, mixed roast meat platter, vegetables, fruit, wine, coffee, and after dinner liqueur. We go on to Lake Garda and stay at the Albergo Garda where we think we are the only guests.
It’s clearer this morning as we drive counter clock-wise around Lake Garda, seeing many wind surfers and going thru many tunnels. We take the freeway to Bergamo, stopping en route at an Autogril for a tasty ham and mushroom dish. We drive a slow winding road to Lake Como and the Hotel du Lac at Bellagio. The hotel is right on the waterfront with lots of boats and ferries coming and going. What a beautiful spot, with a fiord appearance of mountains rising above the narrow water! We decide to stay three nights.
The next morning we take the freeway to Verona along with heavy traffic, including many trucks. After finding a parking spot we walk to Juliet’s tomb, by the Arena, and to the Capulet home to see Juliet’s balcony; the courtyard here is solid with tours! We eat an excellent lunch at the Hotel Restaurant Alta Grotte on the highway near Verona; our menu includes pasta, mixed roast meat platter, vegetables, fruit, wine, coffee, and after dinner liqueur. We go on to Lake Garda and stay at the Albergo Garda where we think we are the only guests.
It’s clearer this morning as we drive counter clock-wise around Lake Garda, seeing many wind surfers and going thru many tunnels. We take the freeway to Bergamo, stopping en route at an Autogril for a tasty ham and mushroom dish. We drive a slow winding road to Lake Como and the Hotel du Lac at Bellagio. The hotel is right on the waterfront with lots of boats and ferries coming and going. What a beautiful spot, with a fiord appearance of mountains rising above the narrow water! We decide to stay three nights.
CHAPTER 20 ITALY CONT.
The hotel has a good buffet breakfast in the dining room up one floor with an open air terrace lake view. We enjoy a restful morning, with only a walk to get a Herald Tribune. After a good trout lunch on the terrace, we ride a ferry up the lake to Varenna, with a stop at Menaggio. We get off at Varenna, walk along the shore in a very hot sun, eat an ice cream cone, and wait for the return ferry.
It’s another quiet day in beautiful Bellagio for us; we take clothes to the laundry, but they only do it by the piece and want to iron, so we stay dirty. We have lunch at the hotel, and after five go out for snack food, but all stores are closed, so we eat an omelet at the nearby Suisse Restaurant. It’s warm and hazy again as we sit and watch a rosy glow form as light fades over the lake.
The morning brings rain, after thunder and lightning most of the night. We reluctantly leave Bellagio by a narrow and twisting road to Como where there is heavy traffic and no visible parking spot as we drive thru. We have a little trouble finding the way, but get to the west side of Lake Maggiore where there’s a nice drive along, or just above, the water edge. We get a room at the Hotel Ghiffa at more than we want to pay, but we take it since it has a pretty terrace facing the lake. We see some hydrofoil boats and fishing boats with canopies.
On our last day in Italy we drive up the shore of Lake Maggiore, then turn around and go by back roads to the Torino freeway, and on it to the Torino airport. We check with Eurocar at the airport to see if we can trade our Italian car for a French one, but none is available so we will have to pay a drop off charge when we leave the car at the Paris airport. We did find a Herald Tribune there, so the stop proved worthwhile. We drive up twisting roads into France on the route to Briançon where we continue our ‘89 trip in SE France (#17).
It’s another quiet day in beautiful Bellagio for us; we take clothes to the laundry, but they only do it by the piece and want to iron, so we stay dirty. We have lunch at the hotel, and after five go out for snack food, but all stores are closed, so we eat an omelet at the nearby Suisse Restaurant. It’s warm and hazy again as we sit and watch a rosy glow form as light fades over the lake.
The morning brings rain, after thunder and lightning most of the night. We reluctantly leave Bellagio by a narrow and twisting road to Como where there is heavy traffic and no visible parking spot as we drive thru. We have a little trouble finding the way, but get to the west side of Lake Maggiore where there’s a nice drive along, or just above, the water edge. We get a room at the Hotel Ghiffa at more than we want to pay, but we take it since it has a pretty terrace facing the lake. We see some hydrofoil boats and fishing boats with canopies.
On our last day in Italy we drive up the shore of Lake Maggiore, then turn around and go by back roads to the Torino freeway, and on it to the Torino airport. We check with Eurocar at the airport to see if we can trade our Italian car for a French one, but none is available so we will have to pay a drop off charge when we leave the car at the Paris airport. We did find a Herald Tribune there, so the stop proved worthwhile. We drive up twisting roads into France on the route to Briançon where we continue our ‘89 trip in SE France (#17).
CHAPTER 21A. MEXICO-GUADALAJARA
Mexico is a good place to be when the weather is foggy and cool in Sacramento, as it is during most of December and January, so we contemplated spending some time there after we retired. A student in Betty’s adult “English as a Second Language” class told her “Oh teacher, you must go to Guadalajara, it is so beautiful!” Based largely on that recommendation, we made our first trip there in January, 1979 and Betty’s parents were courageous enough to accompany us.
We select the Malibu Hotel from the AAA Mexico Travel Book and make advance reservations for one week. It is a pleasant place with nice gardens, but we have to change rooms because the first night we are right under the night club and it is very noisy until the wee hours of the morning. We look at other places and move to the Caribe Motel a few blocks from the Plaza del Sol. It has a swimming pool and a kitchenette, so we only have to eat one meal each day at a restaurant. We do more looking and move to the small Marquise Suites hotel in a good residential area east of the Minerva Circle near Ave. Vallarta and stay for the rest of our 4 weeks.
Guadalajara is indeed a beautiful city, the weather is advertised as “eternal spring”, and the days are “shirt sleeve” warm during the winter. It is about 5,000 feet high and with low humidity it is cool in the shade and at night. Small hotels and suites don’t have heat, so the best orientation is with a south facing window where the sun will warm the room and a curtain will keep it from getting too hot. The Marquise Suites doesn’t have this south exposure, and it is quite chilly; Betty’s parents keep warm with the kitchen oven on and door open. We still haven’t found the right place to stay, but enjoy the city otherwise and plan to return.
In January of 1980 we return to Guadalajara with our longtime friends Gregg and Mary Jane Myers. We have flight problems on the way; our early morning flight from Sacramento to L.A. is canceled because of fog. We are able to get on another flight and just catch the L.A. to Guadalajara plane, but our luggage doesn’t make the change, and we do without clean clothes for several days before it finally arrives. We stay at the Caribe Motel this time, but find the Andrea Suites on Ave. Vallarta a few blocks east of the Minerva within a week and move there.
The Andrea is not luxurious, and the furniture isn’t very comfortable, but it is clean, has daily maid service, the south side suites are well warmed by the sun, and with rent control it is very inexpensive. The people we meet there that return every year are the reason we like it so much. Many are from areas much colder than Sacramento, and they stay from October to April, while we go for only 6 to 8 weeks right after Christmas. There are a dozen, or more, couples who are very sociable and have frequent parties to eat, drink, and talk. We often go to restaurants, plays, etc. together and also play bridge with several of the couples. We return to the Andrea every year thru 1991.
Gregg and Mary Jane go with us to Guadalajara for two more years; then they buy a time share in Mazatlan and afterwards spend the winters there. Gregg and Glenn develop a margarita formula we use daily for sun-downers on our balcony; we like the “margarita especial” served at the No Name Restaurant in Tlaquepaque, but they won’t tell us their formula so we experiment with combinations of tequila, controy (Mexico’s Cointreau), and fresh lime juice until we are satisfied with the taste.
The margarita formula we use is one part lime juice, two parts Controy, and three parts tequila. Temperature is important; the mixture is kept in the freezer and the glasses are chilled there. The drink is served over ice cubes, sipped slowly, and we don’t recommend more than one. The drink is so good we planted a lime tree at home and now keep a margarita supply for special occasions in the freezer where it lasts for over a year. (We have since reduced the tequila portion to two parts, but still claim it is the “world’s best margarita”!)
There are many excellent restaurants in Guadalajara and we usually eat out every day about 1 PM. The suite has a two burner gas stove, sink, and refrigerator so we fix breakfast (always including papaya) and an evening snack of tomato, cucumber, and avocado. Good supermarkets are close; fruits and vegetables are inexpensive and of excellent quality. Jicama is plentiful, and with lime juice squeezed over it, and a little salt, goes well with our margaritas.
The favorite restaurant at first is Pierrot’s, a French restaurant owned by Pierre Dhainaut, an émigré from Paris. We don’t become acquainted with Pierre at first, but later he opens Le Restaurant de Pierre in a residence only a few blocks from our suite and we get to know him well as we eat there 2 or 3 times a week. In the early days at Pierrot’s a very charming maitre ‘d treats the ladies like royalty, and adding in excellent food we are brought back often. Specially delicious is a marinated hearts of palm salad, but Mexican portions are huge and we soon learn to order one salad divided between two people, or in Spanish “una ensalada para compartir”, to accompany our entree. Very often we can’t finish the entree and ask for it to be prepared to go.
The restaurants open for lunch at 1 PM, but most patrons don’t arrive until after 2; similarly the normal supper is after 9 PM. When Pierre opens his new “Le Restaurant de Pierre” we usually arrive at one and find him seated at a table, some times with his two teen age sons. He entices us to eat new dishes by giving us a sample, such as fresh oysters which are even better than those we remember from Maryland during the war. Most of the time we order fish, which is always fresh and deliciously prepared. We ask if he can get us sweet breads, and one day he says he will have them for us tomorrow; when our friends at the Andrea hear about it we show up with eight people wanting to order them. Unfortunately we misunderstood, and he has only enough for 3 orders, so we don’t get our favorites this time! He has an excellent chocolate mousse and even tho we are always too full for dessert, we often order one mousse with two spoons.
We have two favorite Italian restaurants; Recco’s is formal and the Trattoria is informal. Recco’s is in a big old mansion near the American Consulate; favorite dishes here are chicken Kiev, and veal scaloppini. The Trattoria is very popular with the large American retired community and “snowbirds” so there is usually a crowd waiting to enter when it opens; they have a good salad bar and our favorite dish here is the barbecued kabob of shrimp.
There are many other good restaurants that we go to in addition to our favorites, above. Among them are the No Name in Tlaquepaque, the Camino Real Hotel, and Sanborn’s. At the No Name one eats al fresco, exotic birds wander, and the women are serenaded; Perry Como once filmed a Christmas show from here.
We select the Malibu Hotel from the AAA Mexico Travel Book and make advance reservations for one week. It is a pleasant place with nice gardens, but we have to change rooms because the first night we are right under the night club and it is very noisy until the wee hours of the morning. We look at other places and move to the Caribe Motel a few blocks from the Plaza del Sol. It has a swimming pool and a kitchenette, so we only have to eat one meal each day at a restaurant. We do more looking and move to the small Marquise Suites hotel in a good residential area east of the Minerva Circle near Ave. Vallarta and stay for the rest of our 4 weeks.
Guadalajara is indeed a beautiful city, the weather is advertised as “eternal spring”, and the days are “shirt sleeve” warm during the winter. It is about 5,000 feet high and with low humidity it is cool in the shade and at night. Small hotels and suites don’t have heat, so the best orientation is with a south facing window where the sun will warm the room and a curtain will keep it from getting too hot. The Marquise Suites doesn’t have this south exposure, and it is quite chilly; Betty’s parents keep warm with the kitchen oven on and door open. We still haven’t found the right place to stay, but enjoy the city otherwise and plan to return.
In January of 1980 we return to Guadalajara with our longtime friends Gregg and Mary Jane Myers. We have flight problems on the way; our early morning flight from Sacramento to L.A. is canceled because of fog. We are able to get on another flight and just catch the L.A. to Guadalajara plane, but our luggage doesn’t make the change, and we do without clean clothes for several days before it finally arrives. We stay at the Caribe Motel this time, but find the Andrea Suites on Ave. Vallarta a few blocks east of the Minerva within a week and move there.
The Andrea is not luxurious, and the furniture isn’t very comfortable, but it is clean, has daily maid service, the south side suites are well warmed by the sun, and with rent control it is very inexpensive. The people we meet there that return every year are the reason we like it so much. Many are from areas much colder than Sacramento, and they stay from October to April, while we go for only 6 to 8 weeks right after Christmas. There are a dozen, or more, couples who are very sociable and have frequent parties to eat, drink, and talk. We often go to restaurants, plays, etc. together and also play bridge with several of the couples. We return to the Andrea every year thru 1991.
Gregg and Mary Jane go with us to Guadalajara for two more years; then they buy a time share in Mazatlan and afterwards spend the winters there. Gregg and Glenn develop a margarita formula we use daily for sun-downers on our balcony; we like the “margarita especial” served at the No Name Restaurant in Tlaquepaque, but they won’t tell us their formula so we experiment with combinations of tequila, controy (Mexico’s Cointreau), and fresh lime juice until we are satisfied with the taste.
The margarita formula we use is one part lime juice, two parts Controy, and three parts tequila. Temperature is important; the mixture is kept in the freezer and the glasses are chilled there. The drink is served over ice cubes, sipped slowly, and we don’t recommend more than one. The drink is so good we planted a lime tree at home and now keep a margarita supply for special occasions in the freezer where it lasts for over a year. (We have since reduced the tequila portion to two parts, but still claim it is the “world’s best margarita”!)
There are many excellent restaurants in Guadalajara and we usually eat out every day about 1 PM. The suite has a two burner gas stove, sink, and refrigerator so we fix breakfast (always including papaya) and an evening snack of tomato, cucumber, and avocado. Good supermarkets are close; fruits and vegetables are inexpensive and of excellent quality. Jicama is plentiful, and with lime juice squeezed over it, and a little salt, goes well with our margaritas.
The favorite restaurant at first is Pierrot’s, a French restaurant owned by Pierre Dhainaut, an émigré from Paris. We don’t become acquainted with Pierre at first, but later he opens Le Restaurant de Pierre in a residence only a few blocks from our suite and we get to know him well as we eat there 2 or 3 times a week. In the early days at Pierrot’s a very charming maitre ‘d treats the ladies like royalty, and adding in excellent food we are brought back often. Specially delicious is a marinated hearts of palm salad, but Mexican portions are huge and we soon learn to order one salad divided between two people, or in Spanish “una ensalada para compartir”, to accompany our entree. Very often we can’t finish the entree and ask for it to be prepared to go.
The restaurants open for lunch at 1 PM, but most patrons don’t arrive until after 2; similarly the normal supper is after 9 PM. When Pierre opens his new “Le Restaurant de Pierre” we usually arrive at one and find him seated at a table, some times with his two teen age sons. He entices us to eat new dishes by giving us a sample, such as fresh oysters which are even better than those we remember from Maryland during the war. Most of the time we order fish, which is always fresh and deliciously prepared. We ask if he can get us sweet breads, and one day he says he will have them for us tomorrow; when our friends at the Andrea hear about it we show up with eight people wanting to order them. Unfortunately we misunderstood, and he has only enough for 3 orders, so we don’t get our favorites this time! He has an excellent chocolate mousse and even tho we are always too full for dessert, we often order one mousse with two spoons.
We have two favorite Italian restaurants; Recco’s is formal and the Trattoria is informal. Recco’s is in a big old mansion near the American Consulate; favorite dishes here are chicken Kiev, and veal scaloppini. The Trattoria is very popular with the large American retired community and “snowbirds” so there is usually a crowd waiting to enter when it opens; they have a good salad bar and our favorite dish here is the barbecued kabob of shrimp.
There are many other good restaurants that we go to in addition to our favorites, above. Among them are the No Name in Tlaquepaque, the Camino Real Hotel, and Sanborn’s. At the No Name one eats al fresco, exotic birds wander, and the women are serenaded; Perry Como once filmed a Christmas show from here.
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