Time to head north out of Ridgecrest into some cooler weather and a few rounds of golf.  However, there was one last morning with the Grands (and Heather).  Something on our agenda with them for some time was Manzanar, a National Historic Site just north of Ridgecrest in Independence, CA (a lot of irony in that location!).

After the December attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an Executive Order on February 19, 1942 allowing the Army to ’round up’ people of Japanese decent.  Ultimately, 120,000 people – US CITIZENS – were deprived of their freedom and sent to detention camps.  These citizens lost their businesses, homes, assets and at times the rest of their families due to no crime – but just because they were of Japanese decent.  10,000 of these citizens were housed at the abandoned town site of Manzanar, which the US Army turned into one of the detention camps.  Although many of those detained and their decendents support a “Let it not happen again” movement it does not seem that we ever learn;-(

After the war, the government removed most of the structures, buried gardens and removed guard stations.  The National Park Service has rebuilt several of the barracks, a mess hall, one of the women’s latrines and uncovered some of the gardens so that visitors can get a feel for some of the ‘life’ at these detention centers.  They have also created a visitor center in the main building (that was used as the center point for life during the detention period), which explains the history, creation and many of the human stories of Manzanar.  A Cemetery Monument, which was created by a Catholic stonemason and residents of Block 9, also remains.  Detainees attended religious services here during the war and today it is a focal point of an annual pilgrimage to the camp.

If one has not been to one of these detention centers, you should make one a stop in your travels.  It is truly a reminder of mistakes we have made in the past and one would hope not do so again.

The Manzanar Cemetery Monument – the focal point of the annual pilgrimage of remembrance.

The gardens were started in 1943 by residents of the internment camp – for a little beauty.

Lone Pine is the closest town to Manzanar, and provided a good lunch stop before saying a final farewell and heading further north.

Really good ice cream at this market.

Let the summer travels begin.  Mammoth Lakes, in the Sierra Nevada mountains, provided several sunny, beautiful days beneath Mammoth Mountain.  Sierra Star Golf Course provided two great rounds of golf and a drive to Horseshoe Lake was a highlight.  Scenery was magnificent.

Horseshoe lake in the Mammoth Lakes area.

The source of this waterfall is the small dam at Horseshoe Lake.

Klamath Falls, OR was the next stop.  It is an access point to Crater Lake, NP and an easy drive from Ashland and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.  Again the weather and scenery was hard to beat.  Running Y Ranch was to be ‘home’ for four days.  It provided a great concert in a beautiful setting the night of arrival and two great days of golf.  BUT, their only restaurant could use some help!  Thankfully, there was a delicious Thai restaurant – Oasis Thai – in Klamath Falls;-)

Spent our first evening at the Running Y Ranch enjoying music and barbeque.

Moore Park in Klamath Falls provided good hikes – and GOLF?!?!

Working our way north to Seattle, next stop was Sisters, OR.  Thanks to friends – Bill & Nancy – a lovely townhouse was home base for five days.  Sisters has it all for the adventurer – hiking, biking, golf, skiing in winter, good restaurants and lots of coffee shops.  And, if you want the big city – Bend is just 20 minutes away with a great Thai restaurant (Noi Thai).  But, beware – not sure if aliens also inhabit the city – –

Welcome to Sisters.  Cloud or spaceship?

Nice view of the Three Sisters peaks (Faith, Hope and Charity) from the golf course.

This course liked E a lot as it gave her a birdie;-)

Finally Seattle.  What a beautiful city!  It is surrounded by the peaks of the Olympics, Cascades and Mt. Rainier.  There is water everywhere – Puget Sound, Elliott Bay and Lake Washington.  And the attractions are endless – the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Discovery Park, Museum of Pop Culture, Olympic Sculpture Park, Pike Place Market, Seattle Great Wheel, Washington Park Arboretum, Japanese Garden, Washington University campus, Microsoft campus, etc., etc., etc.  How to get to it all in four days?!?!?

Paul Allen’s Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) is as funky in as out!  The complex was designed by Frank Gehry and seems to be a fitting backdrop for rock memorabilia from Bob Dylan to grunge-scene heavies.  There are music, science fiction and pop artifacts.

Frank Geary’s architectural creation is strange looking from ground level….

….and even stranger from atop the Space Needle – it looks like a heap of trash!

The first large gallery entered in MoPOP was quite colorful and eclectic.

Gary is almost invisible below the large stack of guitars.

Next door is a quite different scene – Chihuly Garden and Glass.  The Museum traces the artist’s early influences of Native American Northwest Coast baskets and Pendleton blankets (exhibiting his collection of these) to the colorful towers and installations of glass he is known for today.  There are eight galleries displaying different types of installations, a 40-foot tall Glasshouse and an outdoor garden.  A true delight for the senses.

The designs and colors of Chihuly’s glass creations are spectacular – as this ceiling demonstrates.

Many of the displays are set up to get incredible reflections of the pieces!

View of the Space Needle in the Glasshouse.

Maybe the next stop should be the Space Needle?!?!  S0 – up the 605′ for the 360 degree view of Seattle and the surrounding area.  Seattle’s most iconic building was built 60 years ago for the 1962 World’s Fair – and it was built in less than a year!  It takes less than a minute to get to the top – and what views one has – –

Views from the Space Needle are awesome.

Reflections on the Space Needle’s windows make this shot seem other worldly. Reminds us of scenes from Independence Day.

A view of the Chihuly Garden from the Space Needle glass floor.

Pike Place Market.  Dating back to 1907 when the city issued permits for farmers to sell produce from wagons parked at Pike Place in response to anger over rising food prices.  It has grown from that to more than 250 business, including 70 eateries.  It comes to life each morning at 6:30 AM with strumming street musicians, flying fish AND the very first Starbucks.

Pike Place Market is a busy, happening place. Fun to wander.

A block long line to get drinks from the original Starbucks.

Just a mile down the road is the Olympic Sculpture Park, an outdoor branch of the Seattle Art Museum.  This green space features native plants and walking paths that wind past larger-than-life public artwork.

Another view of the Space Needle, this time from the Olympic Sculpture Park.

Sometimes one appreciates the quiet and serene only after the hustle and bustle has been experienced.  In the Seattle area that quiet splendor can be experienced at the Washington Park Arboretum and the adjacent Japanese Garden;-).   Although the area had several iterations, in 1924 the University of Washington and Seattle Parks reached an agreement where Seattle Parks would retain ownership of the land and the university would own the plant collections.  They collectively hired the Olmsted Brothers’ firm to create a master plan.  A proposed “Azalea Way” was to be one of the greatest displays of flowers in the world to include Japanese flowering cherry trees, dogwoods and rhododendrons.  Today’s 230 acre ‘escape’ also provides many miles of walking/hiking trails.  Visit on a clear blue sky day and nothing could be better – –

Off on Azalea Way.

About a mile down the path, one can take a slight diversion to the Japanese Garden.  While the Arboretum is part of the Park system, and therefore free, there is a $10 admission for these Gardens.  But, this is one of the finest Japanese-style gardens outside of Japan and another tranquil sanctuary tucked within the arboretum.  Gardens in Japan have long been regarded as an important art form that’s essential to life.  (Return to the beginning of this post and revisit the gardens created by the Japanese detained at the interment camps – a bit of their ‘normal’ life.). This particular garden features a style known as a stroll garden.  Following a winding path around a central pond, the visitor journeys through the varied landscapes of Japan – mountains, forests, waterfalls, rivers and lakes.

The lake at the center of the Japanese Gardens.

The koi were not happy about the turtle “invading” their pond.

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After a nice, calming stroll about the Gardens and Arboretum, one can cross the 520 freeway and be back in the hustle and bustle of the University of Washington scene.  This is a stunningly beautiful campus with buildings that look like they could have been the campus for all the Harry Potter films!  And it sits just above Washington Lake with a football stadium that looks like it could be folded up like an envelope to wait for next season;-)

The University of Washington football field grandstands.

The Residence Inn – Bellevue has been home for the last four days (quite adequate, just aged).  The location is fabulous in a treed area close to freeway access and anything else necessary – even the Microsoft campus.  It’s 8 million square feet of office space employs 50,oo0 employees and energizes the housing market for miles around!  Also the construction industry as it continually adds office space as it grows.  The grounds were pretty interesting to wander around from the older West Campus to the newly created East Campus – accessed across the freeway via a quarter mile stunning covered bridge.   It truly is a city within a city with all types of stores, markets, service industry locations, spas, gyms and, of course, Starbucks included in the ground floors of the multitude of office buildings keyed for only employee entrance.  Oh, and there is a Visitors Center with a store and history museum.

Microsoft logo everywhere on the many blocks of the HQ campus….

…where there was a good presentation of the company’s history in the Visitors Center.

Amazing bridge connecting the West and East campuses. Beautiful design.

Clouds may frequent the Seattle skies – but several of our visit days were beautifully warm and clear blue.  This provided fantastic views of Mt. Rainier 88 miles away!

Mt Renier towers over Seattle – even from 88 miles.

And with all these adventures documented, it is time to pack up and board a ship for an Alaska cruise.  What a fun filled four days!

E & G – Happy to have finally really experienced Seattle – a great city with lots to offer;-)

It was good to be home for a day or two, even though the trip was fantastic.  May is graduation month and there were BIG ones on the horizon.

Niece Demi graduated from The University of Arizona with a degree in Psychological Science from the College of Science.  She was in that class that had NO high school graduation or any senior events due to Covid.  So, it was the family mission to make this extra special and make it count twice as much.  Therefore, the activities ran for a FULL two days beginning with a morning toast/celebration while dressing for the day, followed by the Convocation for the College of Science, followed by the University graduation in the evening, followed by lunch the next day!!!  Enough to wear one out;-). Especially if one was working off jet lag.

Cheers to the graduate.

Gift from the parents.

An iPad from Auntie and Unclie.

McHale Arena – sight of the College of Science Convocation.

Almost time. Little did we all know it would be three hours later before – –

– – we would see this – –

It’s official.  Congratulations!!

Yay!! A BIG CONGRATULATIONS.

Another two hours in the evening and the graduates got to move that tassel!!!

Between graduations, there was a little escape to LaQuinta to visit with OLD friends;-). This weekend was pure relaxation, watching golf, visiting and eating in a very nice environment thanks to Debby and Richard, who shared their home.  Think we finally caught up on the time changes and sleep.

Just sat and stared at this for 3 days;-)

With barely enough time to turn around, it was the end of May and time for another graduation.  Granddaughter Olivia was excited for that high school passing and entrance to many new experiences.  Thank goodness the graduation class was a mere 350 students, so the evening went much quicker than the U of A ceremonies;-)  AND – where but a school next to a Navy base would one have a fly over for a high school graduation?!?!

The stage is set.

Fighter aircraft from China Lake signaled the start of the festivities.

Okay, Olivia’s turn.

Congratulations. You did it!

The smiling Shoe Crew.

The proud grandparents.

And now – relax and celebrate with chocolate cake.

How fun to have such wonderful things to celebrate!  What a way to kick off summer travels;-)

E & G – Grateful for family and friends

So – after all the food consumed on this trip, it is time for a little exercise.  That means a five mile hike on The Caminito del Rey.  This path was once considered one of the most dangerous in the world, but today it has been carefully restored.  It is spectacular from beginning to end with walkways hanging over 328′ up on a sheer cliff face.  The path crosses the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes, a gorge carved by the river Guadalhorce, with walls 2300′ high.  Hang on to your hat – here we go.  But, first we must hike a mile in to the beginning of the gorge.  This part is through tunnels and forests.

Welcome to the Caminito;-)

Route to the trailhead.

And then it starts.  Easing one in gently, there is a view of some of the hydro-electric system created on the river.

This part was a piece of cake.

And then one goes around the corner – and there it is!!  Throughout the walk the old trail is visible just below the current – much safer – trail.

Narrow, deep canyon.

Did I mention narrow boardwalk on the side of the canyon wall.

Trying not to look down.

In case you are wondering – the hardhats are for falling rocks;-)

New atop old along the face of the rock wall!

The rock formations and ‘caving’ are all natural – not dug out.  And that is a RR track across the way.

Here the rocks looked like books on a shelf.

We’re going to walk across that?

What a fabulous experience and the sights were awesome.  This was especially magnificent, as it was the swan song for this trip;-(  A trip back to Malaga (due to a VERY early plane in the AM) to meet up with the Smithsonian group for one last activity – Flamenco dancing – and to say goodbye to all our new friends.

Sculpture at the entrance to the Pompidou Museum at the Malaga port.

Just a little something for a getaway weekend.

The Flamenco dancers were amazing.

Our last dinner on the water in Marbella.

The sun setting on a wonderful adventure.

Just like that 5 weeks were gone – but lots of memories are in the head.  Perhaps one of the greatest lessons learned on this trip was that not all is as it seems at first glance.  AND – that hard work and good food keep ones body in the shape it was meant to be.  Very few people seen on this trip were heavy or out of shape.  Maybe because there was a great deal of manual labor, they walked miles every day and they ate food that was fresh out of the water or out of the fields, with no chemicals in the meat or fish and none on the fruits and vegetables to get them to market.  If only we could take a lesson from this.

E & G – grateful for a trip with lots of lessons and memories;-)

The Smithsonian Journeys has several options for additional FUN on the trips.  Choices include language, food, hiking and a weekend excursion – and one can pick all, none or just what interests you!  These travelers picked the weekend (which was covered in posts on Cremona, Seville and Cordoba), hiking (yet to come) and FOOD!

One evening the interested group wandered around the Old Town of Marbella tasting tapas and drinking wine/cava at several different restaurants.  Who wouldn’t want to do this?!?

One of several taverna visited on the first FOOD outing to taste tapas.

Another afternoon it was back to Old Town to visit the local market.  Much like those seen in Morocco, one could get anything fresh out of the sea or off the hoof or out of the ground.  Not only did this excursion provide a festive afternoon of tasting and drinking with our fellow travelers, it took care of our grocery shopping for a dinner of delicious filets and stir fry of potato, zucchini and mushrooms;-)

Fresh shellfish galore.

Slicing cured ham (jamon) – literally off the hoof.

Enjoying the various food and drink options from the mercado.

Next up – a REAL treat.  Off to a private home for a cooking lesson and preparation of paella.  This was soooo much fun!

Entering the home our our host, Esteban, for an afternoon preparing paella.

Getting briefed on paella preparation, appropriately aproned and, of course, starting the cava drinking!

Some of the ingredients for two dishes – seafood and chicken/rabbit.

Then we actually had to get to work.

Preparing the proteins – this pan had chicken and rabbit and the pan behind had the seafood.

One handful of rice for each person eating.

Yikes!

After getting the paella ingredients cooking on the fire, it was time for appetizers!  Black and white anchovies in olive oil and lemon seemed to be the chosen dish for this afternoon?!?

Kind of slippery little things.

When in Spain – – –

Finally – About to enjoy the fruits of our labors.

Three very different experiences and all quite fun.

E & G – FULL

Last of the weekend trip, but certainly not least – Cordoba!

Like all of Spain, Cordoba had many lives and influences.  (Really wanted to say “influencers” just to put it in today’s lingo😂🤪)  There were Romans, Moors and finally the “Christianization”.  In order to enter the Old City, one must pass over the old Roman bridge past the gate.

Imposing gate on the main bridge to the city.

Approaching the old city of Cordoba via the Roman Bridge.

The Mosque-Cathedral – or Mezquita – of Cordoba.

The bell tower (305’ high) as seen from Court of Oranges. The tower encases the remains of the mosque’s former minaret.

Before getting to the Mezquita, one can wander the narrow streets of the old Jewish quarter and perhaps stumble upon the Synagogue that was used as a chapel for many years until some of the plaster eroded away and the inscription to the right was found identifying the structure as a Synagogue!

The Jewish Synagogue adjacent to a church has not been used but once for several hundred years.

Then – finally – the Mezquita, which will take your breath away!  (As indicated a few times, photographs do not do justice.)  The original Mosque was built on the site of a Visigothic church between 785 and 787AD by the founder of the caliphate of Cordoba.  It was modified and enlarged several times as a Mosque to the point of handling 20,000 prayers.  During the 16th century a cathedral was built in the heart of the Mosque and the entire building was consecrated to be a Catholic Church!  The true miracle here is that the catholic Christians did NOT tear down this structure and build their church on top of the site.  Thank goodness.  As this is a true sight to behold!

The first glimpse of the more than 850 columns of granite, jasper and marble.  All part of the Muslim Prayer Hall.

The mihrab (pulpit) for the one who calls the Muslims to prayer constructed in the 10th Century.

My favorite – An unusual mixture of Muslim and Christian features after converting to a church.

The complex is huge…over 225,000 square feet.

Views of the many elaborate and beautiful sections of the Mosque Cathedral.  Another juxtaposition of the Moorish architecture and Christian stained glass window.

Views of the cathedral in the middle of the mosque.

The Capilla Teresa, which comes out once a year for parade.

The main alter.

The choir portion of the traditional Catholic church built in the center of the Muslim Mosque.

Visiting this edifice can take all day and is really in need of a guide to point out all the details – Moorish and Catholic.  So – Cordoba doesn’t really get it’s due as the day is spent at the Mezquita!  Again, another trip to enjoy the rest of Cordoba.

This trip provided a glimpse into three very important sights – The Alhambra in Granada, The Real Alcazar in Seville and the Mezquita in Cordoba.  All began during the Moorish domination and some modified to fit the Catholic Christianization.  A wonderful opportunity to see these great sights before saying goodbye to Spain.

E & G – grateful for these experiences and winding down

One day is not enough to enjoy and experience Seville.  But – it is better than not seeing it at all and makes one want to return.

First stop was Plaza de Espana in the Parque Maria Luisa.  Princess Maria Luisa donated the grounds for this park in 1893, and it became the setting for the 1929 Iberia-American Exposition.  One enters the building fronting the semicircular plaza and the breath is taken away when the plaza is seen!  In the middle of the plaza is a canal that follows the curve of the building facade and is crossed by ornate bridges.  At either end of the plaza are north and south towers which are city landmarks.  As is true for most of the day here in Seville, pictures do not do justice to the magnitude and beauty —

View of the Plaza de España as one enters.

Our obligatory shadow picture. We like them..please bear with us.

The portion of the colonnade facing the plaza is a series of alcoves representing the Spanish provinces each decorated with stunning, elaborate tiles depicting an event in that province’s history.  Barcelona, for example, depicts Columbus being greeted by Ferdnando and Isabel upon his return from the Americas.

Each Region had a tiled display on the wall of the Plaza.

Barcelona with Fernando & Isabel.

This Plaza may look familiar to some as it has been used in many films.  Recently as the royal plaza on planet Naboo in Star Wars II and many years ago in Lawrence of Arabia.

When one can finally tear themselves away from the Plaza, the Jardines de Murillo are not far away.  Rising above the palm trees in the gardens is the Monumento a Colon, which is a monument to Columbus and incorporates a bronze of his ship the Santa Maria!

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From the gardens a short walk through the Jewish quarter will take you to Real Alcazar.

Pleasant view down an alleyway.

Real Alcazar was ordered constructed by Pedro I (Christian) in 1364 within existing palaces.  At this time, the Moors, Christians and Jews  were living in unity in various parts of what is now Spain.  Pedro I did not have the tradesmen to build and decorate what he wanted so he contacted the caliphs (Moors) who built the Alhambra during the Nasrid dynasty.  They sent their craftsmen who created patios and halls in the Moorish Mudejar style and you will see from the pictures that there is great similarity to the Alhambra!

An entry to Real Alcazar.

Blues and greens and same tile motif as seen in the Alhambra and throughout Morocco.

Have an almost identical picture at the Alhambra.

The very ornate, moorish reception room.

A very small part of the Palace Gardens.

There is soooo much more in Seville!  Next up is the Seville Cathedral and La Giralda.  This is the world’s largest Gothic cathedral with a huge Moorish bell tower – La Giralda.  A great mosque was built here in the 12th century by the Almohads based on the great mosque in Marrakech.  In 1401 work on the second largest cathedral in Europe began on the site of the mosque.  A century later the cathedral was complete and the only remnants of the mosque were the minaret and the ‘patio’ where ablution was performed by the Muslims going to prayer.  Of course, the minaret was added to at the top to remove the Moors bronze spheres and add Christian symbols and belfry.  A bronze weathervane was also added at the top, which is giraldillo – giving it its name of La Giraldo.

Inside the Cathedral of Seville, the main alter – huge and astonishing.

Lots of art specifically made for the cathedral, as one can tell by the exact surrounding ornamentation.

Massive double pipe organ.

View from behind the choir toward the main alter (not visible).

What a wonderful day of exploration in Seville!  Nothing could be better than to cap it off with a great dinner with friends at a very pleasant family restaurant —

Salute.

While this post describes a bit of the top two things to see in Seville, there is so much more.  Perhaps another trip?!?

E & G – overwhelmed!

Much has already been said about Marbella and its beautiful location on the Golden Mile on the Costa del Sol.  But, just a little north is the religious and cultural heart of Spain.  There are several towns here that warrant several days each – but, this Smithsonian tour gave a glimpse to just whet the appetite and return.

It was truly a whirlwind weekend with a base in Carmona visiting Osuna, Seville and Cordoba!  Buckle your seatbelts, as the sights are unbelievable.  Ease in with the quaint town of Osuna and the base for two nights – Carmona.

Osuna might be familiar to some today as a site of scenes from Game of Thrones.  But, it was once a Roman town, then a Moorish hold and in the 16th century brought to prominence by the powerful dukes of Osuna, who founded the great collegiate church (different from a cathedral as it does not have assigned priests) – Colegiata de Santa Maria.  The artwork inside includes many masters as well is beautiful craftsmanship.

The Collegiate of Osuna.

Several shots of the interior of the Collegiate, many indicating Moorish influence.

Walls were completely decorated with frescos, which have been partially restored.

View of the Colegiata from Town Square.

A nice lunch – stomachs full – time to move on to the home away from home for the weekend.  Carmona is a lovely little town mostly inside Moorish walls.  Imposing ruins of Alcazar del Rey Pedro dominate the town.  Unfortunately, it is mostly ruins except for the portion rebuilt by the government and turned into one of their famous Paradors;-)  And, unfortunately our group did not stay there as usual but the Alcazar de la Reina, which wouldn’t be a recommendation;-(

Our hotel in Carmona…our least favorite on the trip so far.

A very fun little red bus with a lively guide gave us a quick tour of the surroundings in order to get us acclimated.  Very fun!

A portion of our fun group on the tiny electric powered bus that barely fit in some of the streets.

The original entrance to Cremona, as modified by a series of subsequent rulers. Yes, that’s our little red bus;-)

The San Pedro church outside the gate.

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After a hard day of sightseeing, checking out the Parador seemed appropriate.  It has beautiful surroundings and a fabulous patio with spectacular views.  What a nice way to end the day —

What a view from the bar in the Carmona Parador Hotel.

Even though there were a couple of tours throughout the day, this was in essence a day off.  Two days of phenomenal sights are to follow.

E & G with NO idea of what is to come

A day void of ruins, churches and castles provided time to swing a club🏌️‍♂️⛳️🏌️‍♀️   There was a great golf club only about 30 minutes away with two 18 hole courses AND a little par three 9 holes – which was a little funky.  But, just what we were looking for to satisfy our new quest of playing on all continents!  (Don’t even think about it – Antarctica isn’t happening).

Headed for this golf club for 9 holes and lunch..

…with Judi and Don.

Then – back to the more serious stuff.  Malaga – founded by the Phoenicians in 770BC, it is one of the oldest cities in Europe.  It is now a popular wintering place for English travelers, but more importantly, it is home to Pablo Picasso.  Therefore, it is everything Picasso – Museo Picasso, Casa Natal de Picasso, etc. ——

Picasso Museum – devoted entirely to Picasso’s work – opened in 2003 in the former Buenavista Palace.

Two musical pieces. Both are guitars, in case you couldn’t tell;-)

A photo of a photo of Picasso’s Paris studio.

A beautiful sight, and landmark, in the city is the Catedral de Santa Maria de la Encarnacion.  It is huge!

Soothing gardens behind The Catedral.

Beautiful inside and out.

The majestic Alcazaba, a fortified Moorish castle built in the 8th century, sits atop Gibralfaro hill.  It sits on top of the site of an old Roman town with the Roman amphitheater (recently excavated) just outside the entrance.

Entrance to The Alcazaba.

Malaga warrants another visit, as time grew short and wandering the beautifully decorated streets was all the time allowed.

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Another day – another site.  Off to Granada and the Alhambra.  What a fantastic complex!  This palace was built under three caliphs during the Nasir’s dynasty who created their paradise on earth.  The complex includes the Palacio Nazaries, the 13th century Alcazaba, the 16th century Palace of Carlos I and the Generalife (the country estate of the Nasir’s Kings).  The Alhambra suffered pillage and decay over the years, including an attempt by Napoleon’s troops to blow it up.  Therefore, it has gone thru extensive restoration – thank goodness – but, this also means much of what is seen today is not original either in work or concept.  It is beautiful, though.  Especially the newer gardens.

A brass map of the Alhambra complex – note especially the protective walls.

VERY Rainy day view of the fortified palace complex.

Remnant of the old city wall running up the hill on the right rear and view of the town from the Alhambra.

One of many water features in the complex.

Our very capable, and very tall, guide Martin. (In case you can’t tell it was freezing!)

The palace of Charles the Fifth of Spain.

The decoration here was reminiscent of Morocco.

Except here the ceilings were the carved stucco or painted instead of the cedar.

The lion fountain. It is original but the surrounding courtyard has had many versions.

The storm endured during the tour, dumped snow on Mt. Sierra Nevada.

Granada, The Alhambra and The Generalife all deserve another visit on a much nicer day.  There is so much to see here, the surface wasn’t even scratched a little;-(  if you get in this direction, plan on at least two days.

E & G – never enough time

What a weird, strange, funny place!  A mere 2.6 square miles jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by Spain, sits a bit of Great Britain with its own crest and ‘Little Ben’😂😂  —

Welcome to Gibralter.

The Rock (no..not Dwayne).

Little Ben

Looking out across the Mediterranean Sea at Europa Point, it is easy to see why this promontory has been such a sought after piece of property throughout the ages.  From all points it controls and defends the gateway from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.  Standing on the Point one can see two continents (Africa and Europe) and three countries (Spain, Morocco and England).  This property has belonged to many but was signed over to Britain “in perpetuity” by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.

Lighthouse and view of Morocco coastline from the Europa Point.

A mere nine miles across the Strait of Gibraltar sits Morocco and its Riff Mts.

Mosque built by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and opened in 1997 sits on the Point.  Old fortress walls are in the background.

A very intriguing sight to see when visiting Gibraltar is St. Michael’s Cave, which has intrigued since Roman days.  Ancient Greeks believed this cave was the entrance to hades and some thought it was a temple to Hercules.  It has depths to 150’ leading to early beliefs that it was bottomless and had tunnels to Africa!  Today it is used for concerts, dance and drama as it seats 400 in a vast Main Cavern.  Fabulous colored lights also ‘put on a show’ – especially highlighting The Angel of St. Michael’s Cave —

St. Michael’s Archangel.

View across the Bay of Gibralter toward Algeciras from cave exit.

Caffe and chocolate break.

Just outside St. Michael’s Cave reside the Barbary Macaques, tailless monkeys perhaps introduced by the Moors from North Africa.  Legend has it that Gibraltar will remain British as long as the Barbary Macaques stay on the rock.  Perhaps that is why Churchill had them supplemented when their population declined during the Second World War?!?

Playful young macaque monkeying around.

The Siege Tunnels are most intriguing.  Fifty miles of a tunnel network large enough to house cannons, storerooms and barracks can be wandered.  Needless to say, these have been quite useful in all the periods of battle.  The views out the cannon ‘holes’ are stunning today – strategic in defense!

One of the many cannons in the siege tunnel.

View from the cannon emplacement.  Great shot at the now existing airport runway!

If one hasn’t seen enough, there are cable cars from the center of Gibraltar to the Top Of The Rock where there are nature trails, a skywalk and more great views.

Ride anybody?!?

Top Of The Rock.

Of course, there is a ‘downtown’ with a Main Street, shops and wonderful pubs for fish and chips.  It is Britain after all😂.  And after all the sightseeing the stomach begins to growl!

Main Street – not busy on a Sunday as many shops are closed.

An odd place – Gibraltar.  But, decided that if one really wanted to escape the rest of the world (or bury one’s head during elections), this might be the place to do it.

E & G intrigued by another world on a small rock;-)

Ronda was one of the last Moorish bastions to fall in the Inquisition primarily due to its location.  It sits atop a rocky landscape looking down on the El Tajo Gorge!  It has housed outlaws and rebels through the ages – even including more recents like Ernest Hemingway and Orson Wells.  (Wells is even buried here.)  Ronda is composed of an old town (several centuries old) and a new town (a couple of centuries old😂).  Each is connected by an old bridge and a new bridge (the 18th century Puente Nuevo).  Ronda is truly a welcoming, charming town —

Welcome to Ronda

The recently renovated Alameda del Tajo.

View of the surrounding farm lands from the park at “Oh My God” view spot.

Our group of travelers enjoying the beautiful day and beautiful views from the bridge.

The new bridge (18th Cent).  The picture does NOT provide the sense of the height!

This gives a little sense of the perspective!  Definitely kept enemies at bay.

A view from the backside. BTW – that little black door in the middle of the bridge was a prison – YIKES!

The old bridge is in the center of the shot.

La Ciudad – a classic Pueblo blanco, whitewashed with cobbled alleys.

Besides being the last bastion of the Moors, Ronda is the home of bullfighting.  Pedro Romero Martinez was born into the Romero family in Ronda in 1754 and became a legendary bullfighter.  He established the rules of bullfighting that are still followed to this day.  In 1785 the Plaza de Toros in El Mercadillo was inaugurated and remains one of the oldest and most important bullrings in Spain and the spiritual home of bullfighting.  Today, the sport is a controversial one but each September aficionados from all over the country travel to the Corrida Goyesca held here in Ronda.

A statue Pedro Romero in the new park. It was a 200 year celebration – he did not live 200 years😂😂

Welcome to the Plaza de Toros.

A rooftop taverna provided a welcome caffe/chocolate and a view.

Of the several museums of note, one might visit the Casa De San Juan Bosco.  This is Ronda’s quiet retreat in a bustling tourist town.  A palatial house built at the beginning of the 20th century, it was given to a congregation to be used as a house of rest, healing and care for the ill and elderly of the congregation. Today it is a museum with beautiful tile work and walnut wood furniture?

Casa Museo Don Bosco.

Beautiful tile work similar to what was seen in Morocco.

The carved woodwork on the chairs is beautiful.

The rear patio of the museum ..

…has a great vantage point to see the new bridge from a different angle.

Wandering about the town there are many sights of old churches, cafes and stores.

Very moorish looking on the outside —-

—- very catholic on the inside.

A wonderful way to end this visit is to find a family owned winery, have a tour and enjoy an incredible lunch provided by them.

Our spot for a tour of the winery and a wonderful lunch.

Proprietor and tour guide.

When do we get to taste?

OMG!!  This bread, as well as the rest of the lunch, prepared by Mrs Hidalgo was unbelievable.

The best was yet to come.

As if there wasn’t enough eating, our group often had dinners about town tasting local preparations of tapas – and of course wines🍷🥂🍷

Look out Old Town Marbella – here we come!

Another delightful day of exploring Andalucia and getting to know our travel mates.  Lots more to come.

E & G – looking forward to a day of rest