Cádiz, Spain

Cádiz, also known as the "tacita de plata" meaning "the silver cup" lays claim to being Europe's oldest city. It is said to be 3,000 years old and is almost surrounded entirely by water. Built on what was once an island, Cádiz today has two principal parts: the central or historic quarter with narrow streets and plazas, completely surrounded by fortified walls. And the newer part of the city, outside the walls.

Cadiz will be one of two White Villages (the other being Ronda) that I will be visiting in Andalusia. Here I will take the 24-Hour Hop on/Hop off Bus Tour to visit some of the City's main attractions like the Cadiz Cathedral known as Cathedral Nueva (new Cathedral). This is a large Baroque and Neo-Classical church with a distinct yellow tiled Dome that seems to stand out against the white buildings surrounding it. I'll also see Las Puertas de Tierra (translated the Doors of Land), which establishes the limit between the old city and the extra walls of the new city.

It was here that the very famous explorer, Christopher Columbus, set sail on two of his epic voyages to America. Very cool!

And what would a visit to Cadiz be without making my way to their famous beaches. I read that there are some spectacular sunsets along the beachfront promenade. Sweet!



I'm looking forward to my visit to Cádiz! Who knows I may even do a little Jerez tasting! :)

Low and High Tech Traveling Companions . . .

For the last three trips,
I used an old fashioned note pad to journal and keep track of all of my experiences (sights, history, people I met, restaurants I ate at, etc.).
Let's just say that this is the same notebook I used last year. Notice all the blank pages left!

I'm going to do a couple of news things this year. First, I discovered a great invention called the "PocketMod" from Marta on Slow Travel. It is a little booklike cheat sheet that you can create for various things like a list of restaurants, all my hotels, important contact information, etc. With the help of insturctions by Slow Traveler, Christine in Australia, here's ONE I did on the Food of Spain including a recommendation list of Restaurants in Granada and Sevilla. Last night I finally finished my pocketmod listing all my hotels, airline information and all the important contacts that I'll need in each city. It's a pretty cool "low tech" invention.

I'm also going high tech on this trip! I purchased a little device for my iPod to turn it into a voice recorder. I'll carry this around with me during the day so I can record the information as I go along. I think it'll be faster than writing everything down.

So how am I going to organize and take all the information I've learned from all my guidebooks, Internet website notes and Slow Travel recommendations. I'll be traveling by train and weight is a huge concern.

The answer . . . a high tech device recommended by Roz on Slow Travel. Hope it works!
BTW, I'm still packing my low tech notebook (just in case)! :)

37 Days and counting! Whoo Hoo . . . I can taste those famous tapas and churros already!

Italy is on my mind . . .

Girasoli was recently there, Leslie has been posting some beautiful photos from her trips there, Sandra is currently blogging from one of the beautiful towns, Anne is on her way in 10 Days, María is leaving in 19 days and Annie will be there in December!

So as much as I really love my trip to Spain as you can see, Italy has been on my mind . . . I am really happy about their trips because I also get to enjoy being in Italy vicariously through their awesome experiences! Happy planning girls! Whoo hoo!

Music in Spain . . .

Uncovering the exact origins of music in Spain is like trying to determine which “spices flavored the stew, and in what proportion. After two thousand years, the Spanish sound is the result of a number of musical styles and traditions from several cultural streams". – Wikipedia

So just like the country, Spain’s music is one big melting pot of influences. But aside from the textbook definitions, I think the music of Spain is best understood by simply listening to it. Ever since I can remember, I have always felt a real connection to the beautiful music of Spain. I totally love it all . . . flamenco, new age, folk style and modern day pop. I love the rhythm, the energy, the passion and the soul of Spanish music. Courtesy of Youtube, here are some of my favorites (but there are more) . . . Ottmar Liebert, Tierra Negra, Nina Pastori, Carlos Montoya, Alejando Sanz . . . .



45 Days to go. . .

Raising Awareness: September 21, 2008 World Alzheimer's Day!

Last night, I read a very thoughtful and inspirational blog entry written by my Slow Travel Blogging friend, María. She shared some very interesting and important nutritional information as it relates to Alzheimer’s disease, which I was not aware of prior to reading it on her blog.

After reading her ENTRY, I imagined how it might be to lose some or maybe all recollection of all of my recent travel experiences, the people I had met, the great places I’ve seen and more importantly the events in my life shared with my family and friends. It was too difficult for me to imagine how that would be.

Did you know that there are 5 million individuals in our Country today who currently suffer from Alzheimer’s disease? This is an astounding statistic to me and I became aware of it only after learning about it on Maria's blog. I wonder how many others aren't aware? I have decided to join Maria’s efforts to raise awareness, increase education about the disease and also contribute to help support research.

Thank you so much Maria for raising awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and for sharing your story.

If you want to learn more about Alzheimer's disease, you can go to the Alzheimer’s Association website for more information HERE.

Have a great weekend everyone and remember, Sunday, September 21, 2008 "World Alzheimer's Day"

Seville, Spain . . .

While Granada has the great Alhambra and Córdoba has the famous Mezquita, it is said that Seville has the “Soul” of Andalusía.

Historically, in the 16th century the city of Seville boomed when Spain did. Explorers like Amerigo Vespucci and Ferdinand Magellan sailed from its great river harbor, discovering new routes and sources of gold, silver, cocoa, and tobacco. In the 17th Century, Seville became Spain’s largest and richest city and local artists like Diego Velázquez, Bartolomé Murillo and Francisco de Zurbarán made it a cultural center. Today, Spain is the fourth largest city and is Andalusía’s leading destination. Sevilla has its share of impressive sights, but the real magic is the city itself. Famous writer, James Michener wrote, “Sevilla doesn’t have ambience, it is ambience.” – Rick Steves (Spain 2008)

Seville, the capital of Andalusía is a compact city with most of its’ major sights located within or very near to the city centre which is on the east bank of the Río Guadalquivir. Major sights include: the great Seville Cathedral and La Giralda, Reales Alcázares, Museo de Belas Artes, Baillica de la Marcarena, the Palace of Casa de Pilatos and Seville’s bullring (Plaza de Toros de la Maestanza).

Among the highlights of my stay will be visiting the great Seville Cathedral, which took over a century to build and is considered the largest in Europe. The Cathedral is located on the site of the great mosque built by the Amohads in the late 12th century. In addition to viewing the Gothic immensity and works of art in its chapels and treasury, I will also get to climb La Giralda (the bell tower) for some superb views of the city. I’m going to enjoy spending time exploring the Barrio Santa Cruz and doing some relaxing tapas bar hopping, which I am finding out is considered a “must do” in not only Seville but in most of the cities/towns I’ll be visiting. But the absolute highlight for me will be getting to watch my first live Flamenco performance at Tablao Flamenco Los Gallos. (Thank you María for the inspiration and recommendation.)

I am learning that Sevilla has this wonderful energy, spirit and vibe to it and I am really looking forward to my visit there.

I tried to find a really cool video just like I found for Madrid and Córdoba, but all I could find was this pretty decent touristy one. So you know what that means, don’t you? I’m just going to have to make a really cool YouTube video myself when I return! :)

In the eyes of the beholder . . .

I recently attended another party to kick off the “official” B2V 2009 training where my DVD was once again featured. As a group of us were watching the video and re-living the 24 hour relay race, our team captain said “wow, there’s a lot of butt shots!” Okay, I’ll admit that I may have noticed it at first, but since I was making the video from a “creative” perspective, I just didn’t really notice at the time just how many there were in a row. So I added, but look at the gorgeous desert scenery with the beautiful mountains in the background? And she and the others said oh yeah, those mountains are cool! Then after a momentary pause, I remarked , well I can also see what you mean too! And then we all laughed . . .

Since I can’t show the actual video (because the file is too large to upload), here is a brief glimpse of the series of photos that we were looking at . . .



So, I guess the moral of this story is . . .it can be cool to look at things from the point of view of others. I think this is especially true when I travel to countries that are so different from my own. I am always delighted at what I discover!

Vote Obama-Biden on November 4, 2008!

Vote Obama-Biden: Time for Change is November 4, 2008. . .

Today, I'll be breaking one of my blog rules about no politics. But frankly this post is not about just politics. It's about choices! It's about change. And it's about our future.

I've been recently reading the entries of several of my favorite bloggers: Girasoli, AnnieNC and María.

In their blog entries you will find several links to some interesting discussions about important issues that face our country in this year's election. You will also find links to ways that people can contribute towards what I find to be the only choice to make come November.

Ever since I can remember, my parents taught me and my sister about the importance and privilage of voting at each election. As a result I have never missed casting my vote in one single major Presidential election.

Yes I can tell you that it doesn't matter who you vote for, just go out and vote . . . blah, blah, blah. But it does matter! We need to elect a president and vice-president that will move our country into the right direction. And as far as I'm concern the only decision to make is Obama-Biden!

See you at the Polls!

Madrid, Spain . . .

The city of Madrid will be the first stop in my 3 week journey through Spain and I am excited about what first impressions I will have.

I decided to fly into Madrid rather than going straight to Andalucia because there was something about Madrid that peaked my interest. And on top of that it was only a short distance away from Toledo a city that I have been wanting to visit. In keeping with my travel motto of location, location, location I booked a room in a hotel that is located in an area that is considered part of “Old Madrid”. It is very close to the Prado Museum, Plaza Mayor and other top sightseeing attractions. I only have 4 full days in Madrid so going against the Slow Travel philosophy a bit, I will have to move rather quickly through my “must see” list .

Madrid is described as the “city of a thousand faces” because of its diverse architectural styles. From the Neo-Classical as seen in the Museo del Prado, to Modernism in the Puerta de Europa twin towers. Madrid also has an interesting history that starts with the early 8th century Moorish invasion, moving on to the 11th century Christian conquests and all the years that included a myriad of royal rulers to present day post Franco democracy.

One of the highlights for me will be visiting the Prado Museum famous for its outstanding collection of Spanish painting especially from Velazquez and Goya. There are several plazas in Madrid that will be fun to explore during my stay, like the famous rectangular shaped Plaza Mayor. According to Wikipedia, the plaza was a place where many events were held such as bullfights, soccer games, even public executions. In present day, there are traditional shops and great cafes where one can sit and watch the daily activities of the plaza. I will most likely make my way to this great plaza upon my arrival in Madrid. What better way to start my first day in Madrid Spain than to sit in this interesting plaza. Note: Photograph taken by MaryAnn Sullivan 2001--Index of Art Historical Sites (Thanks for the Link AnnieNC)

Last year, I was so lucky to be in Venice during their annual Festa della Madonna della Salute celebration. It was such an honor and privilege to be a part of something so important to the people of Venice and so I was curious if there were any special celebrations that might be going on in Madrid during my stay. Here’s what I found out:

On November 9, 2008, I discovered that there will be a very special and famous religious annual celebration called the “Virgen de La Almudena”. "The legend goes that in the 8th century there was an image of the Virgen Mary, which the Apostle James had brought to Spain. During the invasion of the Arabs the people of Madrid were afraid that they would destroy this image and they decided to hide it in a niche in a wall. Three hundred years later, King Alfonso VI of Castillo who knew the story about the hidden image asked the people of Madrid to pray in order to find the image. A procession went along the possible places where the image could be and when it passed the wall, this suddenly broke down and the image was found. They called this Virgen of La Almudena, because it had been hidden in a place called Almudin by the Arabs. Since that moment this Virgen was considered the Patron Saint of Madrid.

Madrid celebrates its Patron Saint on November 9th and the activities include a mass at Plaza Mayor followed by a procession that takes the image along Calle Mayor and Arenal until it is returned to the Cathedral of the Almudena."--Sightseeing in Madrid City Guide -- And guess who will be in Madrid on November 9! Lucky me!

Finally, I read that Madrid is a rather lively and vibrant city that pulsates with activity way into the late night hours. In fact, it is well known that dinner for most can be as late as 10:00 pm. Yikes! I’m definitely not a night owl so this will be quite a challenge keeping up with the locals here in Madrid. But I am always up for a challenge and if I want to experience the local flavor of Madrid then this early bird will turn night owl for 4 days during her visit in this very exuberant city. Well, I did say that I wanted to experience something new and different!

I believe that Madrid will fulfill all my high expectations for my first impressions of Spain and I am looking forward to touching ground on November 7! To whet my appetite, I stumbled upon this YouTube video called Mi Madrid. The video provides interesting images and a really cool song. It doesn’t seem like a typical tourist video to me. It feels more like some type of love story with an interesting plot behind it. Anyway, I love it and I find the images real and earthy. And amid all the history, great art, diverse architecture and famous night life, I think this video sort of represents the Madrid I want to experience. A real, emotion filled, passionate love story with a city that is vibrant, colorful and down to earth. I can’t wait!

Andalusia Spain . . .

Andalusia is Spain's southernmost region, bordered by Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha. Its coastline faces the Atlantic to the west and the Mediterranean to the south and east. I have been reading that the Andalusia region is considered to be Spain's most varied region and offers dramatic desert scenery with some of the richest and most varied flora and fauna in Europe. Known for its warm Mediterranean weather it offers the beaches of the Costa del Sol, skiing in the Sierra Nevada and famous sherry tasting in Jerez. I am also learning about the region's varied and complex history filled with conquests by successive invaders who left their mark in this region. The Romans built cities in Andalusia, Baetica, in Córdoba and Itálica near Seville. It was here in the region of Andalusia that the Moors lingered the longest. Physical evidence of these Moorish influences are seen in some of the regions most popular sights such as the Alhambra in Granada or the Mezquita in Córdoba. They are also evident in the music, culture, art and on the faces of the Andalusians.

Many guidebooks and websites on Spain consider Andalusia a region where all of Spain's stereotypes meet. Bullfighters, beaches, flamenco, white villages, cave houses, fiestas, religious processions, tapas and sherry, art, Moorish influenced architecture, nature reserves and most especially the easy going way of life of the Spanish people. Maybe this is why I chose Andalusia to be my first experience visiting Spain.

I have also read that Andalucians are well known for their emotions and passion. A good example of this can be seen in the art and dance called Flamenco. The flamenco is a dance that is considered to be the soul of Andalusian. It is a passionate, expressive, energetic, lively and rhythmic dance that reflects the pain and sufferings of gypsies. If you read THIS post about Slow Traveler Maria's story, you will know that I will enjoy writing my entry on my plans to see my first Flamenco live performance. I love that story! Thanks again Maria.

Visiting Andalusia Spain will be quite different I think from my other travels to Europe and this excites me! In addition to my love of visiting Italy every other year, I really enjoy doing things that are new and different. And I think this trip will not disappoint me. Actually I know it won't.

So as you can see my upcoming trip to Andalusia Spain will be new, unique and filled with emotion and passion. Just the way I like to travel! :) In my next entries, I will break it down even further as I write about Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Granada, Cádiz, Ronda and Malaga . . . and don't forget about the churches, the art, the culture, the people, the food, the special souvenirs I'll be bringing home and the music . . . Stay tuned!

Travel Blogging: The Outer and Inner Journey . . .

My trip to Spain is coming up and I am so excited to finally be visiting this beautiful, lively and diverse country. After being high on my "must see" list for a long time, I finally decided that this year it was time! And for me, the decision came fairly quick and easy.

After my last trip to Venice (which by the way I loved) and my experiences during the trip and in writing my report I discovered a big area of needed improvement.

For that last few years, I have been a member of the Slow Travel Community board where travelers from all over the world ask and offer advice, share information and are supportive of each other. They are incredibly generous, creative and talented travelers and I want to be able to take myself to that level. But in order to do that I need to make certain changes. I have challenged myself to improve my research, note taking and writing in preparation for my next and third solo trip.

So between now and then, I will be posting several pre-trip entries about my upcoming trip to Spain. I'd like to write about what I intend to see and do, my thoughts about what I'll be seeing, my feelings and why I want to see them. The topics will include where I'll be visiting, the art, history, culture, churches, museums, architecture, food and drinks, the people and what I think will be one of my trip highlights ... Flamenco!

I'm going to dedicate the next two months before my trip to learning how to write better, how to improve my travel blogging, how to pay attention to details and at the same time use this time studying all the things I'll be seeing. When I see a painting or visit a church I want to be able to have a good understanding of it's history. And when I do, I think I'll be able write about them much better.

If I can to describe my travel and writing style in a nutshell, this quote says it well:

" Every trip consists of two simultaneous journeys: the outer journey and the inner journey. The outer journey is everything external: what you're seeing, hearing, smelling, doing, etc. The inner journey is what's happening in your mind. Great travel journals weave these two journeys together." -- by Dave Fox's Internet article, "Create a More Vivid Travel Journal-10 Tips to Enliven Your Writing.

Stay tuned . . .

Venice Re-Discovered

I finally finished my Venice Trip report. As I do with all my trip reports I have affectionately given my trip report a title: "Venice Re-Discovered."
Inspired by Leslie's very cool Blog: Kaleidoscope,
I wanted to edit this post to replace my original photo with my new digital photo design.

I'm not sure why it took me so long to finish my report. On second thought, yes I do. I procrastinated, was distracted, was disorganized and didn't take great notes. But enough about my shortcomings. I also found it much harder to write this report for two additional reasons; First, Venice is such a beautiful city filled with so many things to write about that it was really hard to focus my attention. Secondly, I have truly changed as a traveler. I really enjoy immersing myself in my experiences and in the things that I see and learn about. And sometimes that is also a challenge (at least for me) to write about.

I wrote this report like chapters in a book. Well, also because I didn't keep enough notes to write a proper day to day journal! :) It does have some logistical information which I separated out to make it easier to read. I included links in places where I lacked details or the writing talent to properly explain a subject. On each page, you will find my corresponding photo album.

I want to thank AnnieNC for encouraging me to write this report, because I almost didn't do it. I also want to thank my regular blog readers and supporters, Maria, Girasoli, Anne, Leslie and Sandra. I have learned so much from reading your blogs and viewing your photos and it really inspires me. You are all so awesome!

My Trip Report: VENICE: RE-DISCOVERED

I hope you all enjoy it!

Snapshots of Summer 2008 . . .

Although, I've been very fortunate to travel to far off and exciting places around the world, sometimes there's just no place like home ...



My photo of the month is of one of the beautiful mosaics in the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy. With the recommendations of some very cool Slow Travelers, I spent the night there last year as a day trip from Venice so I would have the time to be able to view and admire these superb mosaics from the Byzantine period. It was just an awesome experience seeing these stunning mosaics in person. Photos just don't seem to do them justice. Here's another of my favorites . . .


I'm off today & tomorrow! Yippee! And I'm pretty sure I'll be posting my Venice photos and report by the end of tomorrow! It's about time!

And oh yeah . . . . 65 Days to España! Whoo Hoo!