China-2015 Trip Overview

During the summer of 2015 I had the incredible luck to visit China. This is a very brief overview of my time there.

(I apologize for the superficial nature of this overview. The few photos included are lower resolution, and the commentary is brief. As time allows, I will add a post with more photos and fuller stories for each featured part of the trip. As this progresses, I will add appropriate links from this page.)

北京
ARRIVAL IN BEIJING AND THE TRAIN TO XI’AN

Sadly, my very first impression of Beijing- even before I got off the plane, was seeing and smelling the thick, pervasive atmosphere of extremely polluted air. The sky was grey. Anyplace you looked was through the haze of dirty air.
I stayed overnight in a hotel in Beijing. My intent was to rest up a bit and travel to Xi’an by train and view the countryside, rather than arriving there by dropping out of the sky in an airplane.
00-05-onzhushikoustreetnearhotel-cropped

• Beijing: Temple of Heaven Park

The afternoon of my arrival, I did get a chance to wander a bit. A famous landmark in Beijing is the “Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest” that sits within the huge “Temple of Heaven” park.
peteattempleofheavenpark-scaled

 

• Heading to Xi’an

My trip from Beijing to Xi’an was on a sleek high speed train. What fun! China has a rail system that includes commuter lines, dawdling intercity trains, overnight sleeper lines, and high speed lines (CRH – China Railway Highspeed). Perhaps one day we can learn from China, Spain, etc., and replace our antique, Amtrak, never-on-time rail system, with a public rail system that can efficiently get passengers from one city to another.
High Speed Train

西安
A MONTH IN XI’AN

XI’AN JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY

My trip to China was to teach at an intensive summer English program at the prestigious Xi’an Jiaotong University. The program encompassed the entire class of students finishing their freshman year. At the end of the program I did some independent travel around the country.

• The Campus

Xi'an Jiaotong University Camplu

• In the classroom

In the classroom

EXCURSIONS

Three Saturdays in the middle of the program the university provided cultural excursions to various sites in and around Xi’an. The city is a treasure trove of history, and had been the country’s capital during the rule of many imperial dynasties.

• Xi’an’s Grand MosqueMosque- large gateway

Peter at mosque

Sweeping

• The City Wall of Xi’an

City Wall

Bicycles on top of Xi'an's city wall

• The Shaanzi History Museum

Lion in museum

Museum display

Buddhism

• The Great Wild Goose Pagoda

During the seventh century, the Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang traveled to India where he studied. He collected a vast trove of Buddhist scripture and transported them back to China. In Xi’an, in the Great Wild Goose Pagoda, he and his assistants translated the books into Chinese.

Xuanzang and the Great Wild Goose Pagoda

• The Terracotta Army

Terracotta Army

Warriors

Peter posing with terracotta soldiers

• Imperial Tombs

Tombs

Statues and parasols

Fresco in tomb

• Xuaqing Hot Spring

Xuaqing Entrance

Xuaqing Pool

Xuaqing statues with fountain

OUT AND ABOUT IN XI’AN

Three wheeler

store front In Muslim Quarter In Muslim Quarter Resting man Man and Lion

SAYING GOODBYE TO XI’AN

Seal it with a kiss

Dancer

Dancers Finale

Staff at goodbye dinner

丽江
LIJIANG

After the program was finished, I headed out for a brief tour of sites in China. For the first four stops, I traveled with Marlene Miyamoto, a colleague from the summer English program.

After saying goodbye to Xi’an, we boarded a plane and traded that smoggy city of 9 million for the clear blue skies of Lijiang, in Yunnan province. We were on our way, geographically and climbing in elevation, to Tibet.

Lijiang- Traditional Costume

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

香格里拉
SHANGRI-LA

After an enjoyable stay in LIjiang, we boarded a bus and continued our journey, heading westward and climbing in elevation. We crossed over the Yangzi (Yangtze) river and with each passing kilometer the architectural styles and road signs showed an increasing tendency toward the Tibetan culture.

Yangzi River

Temple in ShangriLa Stupa and prayer wheels

ལྷ་ས
LHASA

Visiting Tibet was the fulfillment of a dream from my youth. It was amazing. At an elevation of twelve thousand feet (3,656 meters), I frequently suffered from shortness of breath, and needed to pace myself. No matter- it is a place for contemplation, not for hurry.

Peter in Lhasa

Lhasa

Jokhang Temple - Lhasa

Potala Palace

Drepung Monastery

Drepung Monastery - Prayer Wheels

Drepung Monastery

Monks debating at Sera Monsatery

成都
CHENGDU

This city is the capital of the Sichuan (Szechuan) province. We enjoyed our stay there, but should have stayed several more days to better appreciate it. The food there was fabulous (of course!), and the province is famous for the Giant Pandas. Near the city is a famous research and breeding center for these animals.

Chengdu

Pandas

Chengdu - food Chengdu - food

桂林
GUILIN AND THE LI RIVER

After Chengdu, Marlene and I headed in separate directions. I continued on toward the southeast, going to the city of Guilin.

Peter at the Li River

River scene Fisherman

武汉
WUHAN

Straddling the Yangzi (Yangtse) river, this town was recommended to me by a friend who had taught English there.

Yangzi River in Wuhan

Wuhan vista

承德
CHENGDE

Chengde, is situated in Hebei province north of Beijing. It is famous for the “Mountain Resort”, a vast park that was the summer residence of the Qing emperors. “Sure”, a student from my classes in Xi’an, was from the city. He invited me to take a bus to the city and kindly acted as my guide.

Peter and Sure in Chengde

Lake at Chengde Statue of Qing emperor

北京
BEIJING AGAIN

Back in Beijing I made an excursion to the Great Wall. I also went to Tiananmen and the gates of the “Forbidden City”. Finally, what trip to the capital would be complete without a meal of “Peking Duck”?

Great Wall Peter on the Great Wall

Zhengyang Gate and Arrow tower Heroic Status

Forbidden City

Peking Duck


WATCH THIS SPACE! LINKS TO MORE PHOTOS  AND TRAVEL TALES OF MY 2015 TRIP TO CHINA ARE IN PROGRESS!

A Quick Excursion to Canfranc

(click on any picture for an enlarged view)

At the end of January (2015) I shot off on a brief excursion that took me from Xàtiva to  Zaragoza to Canfranc to Vic and then back to Xàtiva.

Once a day, an Intercity train, originating in Cartagena, goes from Xàtiva to Zaragoza. But because it does not arrive at the destination until late in the day, when I go to Zaragoza, I usually take an early Cercanias (commuter train) from Xàtiva to Valencia, then get on an Intercity to Zaragoza. It is a long but scenic journey, with about a dozen stops, including Sagunto and Teruel. Along the way, it passes Sarrión, the town whose picturesque view provides the heading photo for this site.

Upon arrival in Zaragoza’s Goya train station, I took the Tranvia (a sleek, modern, streetcar) to my hotel near some ruins of the old Roman walls.

Hotel view
View from my hotel room

I lucked into a room with a small balcony and a lovely view over the rooftops to the cathedral of Pilar. Across the street from the hotel, right below my window is the long metal roofed structure of the Central Market- a collection of stalls selling a colorful mix of fruits, vegetables, meats, embutidos, and fish. Looking to the right were more

More rooftops
More rooftops

churches poking up past residential rooftops. Zaragoza is a picturesque city, with a wealth of history in evidence. Interestingly it does not seem to be a destination for many American tourists.

It was almost 3:00 pm, and I sought out one of my favorite restaurants in the city for a plate of Migas. This is a humble but tasty regional dish made from fried breadcrumbs that can be garnished with a variety of offerings. I chose loganiza (a style of sausage) and an (over-easy) egg on top. Very traditional choice!

When I left the restaurant, the city appeared unusually quiet, and it seemed as if almost every store was closed. Although most businesses in Spain observe the siesta from about 1:30 to 4:30, it was late enough that they should have been open. As it turned out, it was a holiday! It was the festival of San Valero (Sant Valerius), patron saint of the city, former bishop of the town, who died in 315 CE. All the fun stuff, including a parade with Gigantes y Cabezudos (giants and “big headed dwarfs”) had occurred in the morning, hours before my arrival.

Night view
Night view from hotel room

One of the fun things about Spain, is that there are so many fun festivals, and one of the frustrating things is that you will never know they are about to occur if you are in a town a few hundred miles away.

The next morning, I went back to Goya Station, and got on the Regional train, that heads north from Zaragoza to Huesca, and then

Jaca
At a small train station

winds it way through a bunch of towns including Jaca, and ending up in Canfranc, a town close to the border with France.

Along the way, the train passes near the village of Riglos, at the foot of massive (conglomerate) rock formations, understandably popular with rock climbers.

Mallos de Riglos
Mallos de Riglos

 

 

 

 

If you have ever tried to take photos from inside a moving train, then you know the frustration I felt trying to capture their majesty.

Riglos
The village of Riglos nestled at the foot of the rocks

These stunning formations played peek-a-boo behind embankments and small stands of trees, as the train’s path drew close. Even when you got a momentary clear view, reflections from interior lights on the train spoil the picture. If you want to see them in their glory, you can do a web search on “Mallos de Riglos”.

Rio Gallego
Rio Gallego

 

The train’s route then runs along the Gallego river and the Yesa reservoir before it reaches Jaca.

I had expected that along the way I might see a bit of snow. Perhaps a white mantel on the higher peaks of the Pyrenees.  By the time we reached Jaca we were socked in, with no view of the mountains, and it was spitting snow.Snowy Landscape

As the train wound its way toward Canfranc, the snow was heavier and heavier. Soon the countryside we passed was buried in a thick blanket of snow, with more falling.

As the train pulled into Canfranc, I was suprised at the large throng of bystanders snapping photos

Train in Canfranc
Train in Canfranc

and taking videos of the train’s arrival. The last time I came to Canfranc, it was on foot, descending from Somport Pass. So I am not sure if visitors to Canfranc are always excited to see the train come in, or if it was because of the snow.

The train pulled to a stop next to a snowman, and we all exited.

Train

The train stop was just outside the fenced off old Canfranc International Train Station. A beautiful building, built in the late 1920s, it is now an abandoned, crumbling ruin. Close to the station is a tunnel that passes under the peaks. The other side is France. This had been an important rail link between the countries. But in 1970, a train crash on the French side destroyed an important bridge that was never rebuilt.

Canfranc Station
Canfranc Station

They say the old station was used in the filming of the epic film “Doctor Zhivago” (what a great movie!), but when I watched the movie again, I could not identify it in any scene. Certainly the stunning exterior does not make an appearance.

I worked my way to the back side of the station where you can get a view of the entire building. To get there, I had to tromp through thick wet snow, my running shoes sinking into the snow (I wasn’t very well prepared!). Along the way, I passed several people wearing snowshoes. That was how I should have done it!

Canfranc Station
Canfranc Station

There are legends about the tunnel and station and events of the Second World War. It is said that the Nazi’s smuggled stolen gold on trains to Canfranc. Who knows!?

Peter in the snowI spent the next few hours wandering around the town in the snow. It was coming down hard, heavy, and wet. It was amazing that through it all my feet stayed dry!

Building

 

 

 

 

 

I stopped in a store and picked up a couple souvenirs, went to the tourist office and got a map, and went to a restaurant to eat my midday meal. I had chosen the restaurant based on a listing in the Guia Azul (Blue Guide) for Aragon. It was OK, but… I end up doing better using gut instinct!

15-CanfrancCarsAndSnowAfter three hours I was cold. And with the weather as it was, this was not a good day for outdoor wandering or trying to catch the shuttle bus up to the pass. (besides, I heard in the restaurant that they had closed the pass due to snow and high winds!)

 

TrainSo, even though the train would not leave for another two hours, I walked back to where it was parked. The engineer was just climbing aboard to start the diesel engine. I motioned to him and he opened the window a crack.
“Can I get in?”
“The train doesn’t leave for another two hours!”
“I know. But it is snowing and wet out here.”
“What’s your destination?”
“Zaragoza”
“Oh, OK.” He tilted his head toward the door. “Get on.”
And I spent the rest of my time in Canfranc snug inside the train as I waited for it to leave.

 

Vic: A small city in Catalunya

An eighty minute ride north from Barcelona on the “R3” train route takes you to Vic, a city of about 40,000. The site has been occupied since pre-roman times, and today it remains an important regional center of commerce.

View from trainOnce the train surfaces after its passage below the streets of Barcelona, it traverses spillover urban sprawl of that city. Eventually however, you reach agricultural lands with rolling hills and views of distant mountains.

The old part of the city is not too large and can easily be explored on foot.

Eleventh Century Bridge

My wanderings began at an 11th century Romanesque bridge that was part of the old route to Barcelona.

(by the way, all of the photos in this set are low-resolution. Sorry!)

 

 

Cathedral archesThe bridge is close to the cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle (Sant Pere).

A notable aspect of the cathedral is the beautifully embellished Gothic arches that define a passage around the cloister.

Sant Pere: Bell Tower
Cathedral Bell Tower

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Street scene

Roman temple and Casa Masferrer
Roman temple said to date from the second century, and view of the “Casa Masferrer”

 

 

 

 

 

Now it is a bank

 

 

 

a modest window
Sometimes the simple adornment of a window can catch the eye

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although the town was lovely, and merits a return visit, I had actually come to Vic specifically to attend its Saturday open air market. A previous year, we had gotten some tasty “embutidos” (sausage) that were made in Vic. Apparently the town is famous for its embutidos, and I was on a mission to get some more!

Fruits and vegetablesThe market was incredible. It takes up the entire “Plaça Major” in the old quarter of town, and then spills over into adjoining streets, and down along the “Rambla Davallades.”

The market seems to sell just about everything, and is far more comprehensive than the bi-weekly market in Xàtiva.

There is clothing, shoes, kitchen utensils, and purses. There are booths selling handmade pottery, and stands promoting political causes. Stands loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables caught my eye. It is only the impracticability of buying these items so far from home that allow me to move on.

QuesoYou can buy baked goods and artisanal cheeses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MushroomsThere are more varieties of mushrooms on display than I could imagine, along with truffles.

 

 

Gourds

 

 

 

There are gourds, and domestic fowl: ducklings, chicks, hens, roosters (crowing away!), Fowlalong with birds I could not identify.

 

 

 

 

 

Flowers

 

 

 

 

A whole row of stalls sells cut flowers and potted plants.

When I first got to the market, I was able to explore most of it. But by noon, you could barely make your way through the dense crowds!
My advice is: go early!

 

 

There was one thing that I did not see for sale in the market at any stall: Embutidos! Yet that was what I had come for!

Luckily, in the nearby streets a dozen butcher shops each sold a wide variety of meats and sausages. I did not leave empty handed!

SAMSUNGMy embutidos

 

 

Plate of sliced embutidos

Lisbon

In Lisbon, the language is unambiguously Portuguese.

25 de Abril bridge

As a snap decision, we decided to sign up for the organized tour of Lisbon. It was a mistake- one of two tour mistakes we made on the cruise. But: live and learn.

Keep in mind that our cruise ship was operated by a Spanish cruise company and the vast majority of passengers were Spanish-speaking. On some occasions there were “English language” tours, but we always signed up for the Spanish tours. Rhonda and I are both fluent enough that we could understand the guides.

The “25th of April Bridge” bears a striking resemblance to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. I have heard and read several different stories about construction related connections between the two bridges. The tales differ with regard to whether the designer was the same, the materials supplier, the construction company, or …

For the record, the longest span of the Golden Gate is 1,280 feet, and it was completed in 1937. The “25th of April” bridge’s longest span is 1,013 feet, and it was completed in 1966. The Portuguese bridge has two decks, with train tracks comprising the lower deck.

The bridge crosses the Tejo river, which is the longest of the Iberian peninsula. In Spain this river is known as the Tajo. This is the river that wraps around the beautiful city of Toledo.

Belem Tower
Torre de Belém

The “Tower of Belém” (Bethlehem), was constructed in the 16th century. It takes its name from the adjacent neighborhood of “Santa Maria de Belém.”

The building has a rather odd and  ornamental style, but it was constructed as an important addition to the city’s defense mechanisms. Equipped with cannons, it played a role in protecting the city from attacking ships.

Discoveries Monument
Discoveries Monument

Nearby is the “Discoveries Monument” which was built in 1960. It replaced a similarly themed structure that had been torn down. The monument bears the likeness of the prow of a ship. The various people depicted are led by a statue of Prince Henry the Navigator.

 

 

Jeronimos Monastery
Jerónimos Monastery

 

In the same general neighborhood is the huge “Jerónimos Monastery”. It is embellished with all sorts of ornate stone carvings.

Nearby we were shooed over to spend time in a bakery of no apparent historical or cultural significance. Cynically I wondered how much money a business like that slips to a tour guide in return for dropping off a busload of tourists.

Alfama
In the Alfama district

After a confusing zig-zag through several city neighborhoods, we ended up at the famed “Alfama” district. Here we descended from the bus once again. Much has been made of the restoration, and sprucing up of this, the oldest of Lisbon’s neighborhoods. But the guide, waving her numbered paddle, ushered us through many dilapidated sections in a way that caused me to feel like an unwelcome voyeur. Unsmiling residents leaned out windows staring down at the noisy herd.

Here, many of the streets are quite narrow, and many due to either the incline or stairs, are impassible by cars.

 

Steep and narrow

Some of the alleys were too narrow to even consider as a passageway for our throng.

 

 

 

 

I wondered what the door looked like on the other side!
I wondered what the door looked like on the other side!

 

 

 

A door with four mail slot made me curious. Rhonda pointed out that there seemed to be four floors, and possibly four apartments in the building.

 

 

Steep streetIt was not just the cousin of the Golden Gate Bridge that had us thinking of San Francisco. Rhonda pointed to the steep streets in Lisbon that seemed so like those of the California city.

 

 

 

In the end we were pretty disappointed by the content of this tour. (and many of the other passengers seemed equally disillusioned.)

We decided that we would have been far better off, and gotten a better feel for the city if we had just hopped a streetcar from the pier, headed downtown, and explored a bit on our own. We could then have capped the visit by sitting in a square sipping beer, watching people.

Restaurant sign
Restaurant sign

 

 

 

 

A Coruña

“A Coruña” sits in the northwest corner of Spain. The language of this region is called either Galician or Gallego. Yet most scholars consider Portuguese and Gallego to be dialects of a single “romance” (derived from Latin) language. However, politics dictates that we give it its own name. The Spanish (Castellano) name of the town is “La Coruña”.

Hercules
Hercules

We disembarked the ship with the modest goal of visiting the “Tower of Hercules”, an ancient lighthouse at the northern side of the city. Though the name evokes Greek mythology, the original lighthouse was built by the Romans in the first of second century CE.

GaiteroWe blundered our way to the monument on a city bus, and as we approached the tower on foot encountered a “gaitero” (bagpiper). A form of bagpipe is a traditional instrument in this region, and was not introduced from Scotland. In fact evidence seems to indicate that bagpipes in this part of Spain predated any such instrument in the British Isles. Still, it is important to note that parts of Spain have a Celtic heritage.

Marker

Inner Stair

 

 

 

 

The lighthouse, billed as the oldest working lighthouse in the world, has been rebuilt several times over its 2000 year history, but remains of the original Roman foundations are still present, and can be viewed as you enter the building.The tower is quite impressive, and you can climb a series of winding steps on the inside to get to the top.

Understandably, the view of the sea is wonderful from the top.

View from towerAfter descending the tower, we walked a bit along the shore to admire the waves crashing over some tiny outcroppings of rock.

 

The sea

We then headed back into town on a bus in search of beer and bocadillos. We were well rewarded!

 

Bilbao

Our cruise started in Bilbao, a city on the northern coast of Spain. To get there we took the train: first to Madrid, then to Bilbao.

En route to BilbaoThe train from Madrid to Bilbao was long (almost 5 hours), and slow by Spanish standards. But it was a comfortable ride, and it traversed some beautiful scenery. Especially notable was the segment from the town of “Miranda de Ebro” to Bilbao. The train passed through stunning green mountains. Huge white and light brown cattle grazed peacefully in pastures. Wide valleys opened up, and we went through small towns of stone houses.

Abando StationThe last stop of the train was the  picturesque Abando station in downtown Bilbao. A large stained glass window dominates the north end of the terminal, though to me the view of pastel colored buildings seen through the open end of the other side was just as lovely.

Stained Glass

 

 

 

 

 

 

View Through Station

As with many train stations in Spain, the interior of the station was a lively center with shops and restaurants. It is a shame that so few stations in the United States are like this.

 

 

Opera HouseOur hotel was quite close to the station. After we dropped off our bags, we wandered around the city. The first order of business was getting something to eat. We headed over a bridge, Opera House detailpast the opera house, to the city’s “Casco Viejo” (Old quarter) and found a nice restaurant with tables outdoors.

 

Casco Viejo

 

 

 

Our hunger satisfied, we continued rambling through the city.

Side of train station

 

 

Buildings on river

 

 

 

 

 

The Nervion River winds through Bilbao, and provides many opportunities for panoramic views of sectors of the city.

 

We headed through a commercial district, past Jado PlazaJado Plaza,

 

 

 

 

Plaza Moyua

 

 

past Moyua Plaza, and along the Gran Via, until we reached the Sacred Heart monument.

 

SacredHeartMonument

 

Monument to Caslida Iturriza

 

 

 

Then we worked our way, back along the river toward our hotel.

 

Bilbao riverwalkWide walkways along the river make it a perfect area for strolling, jogging, or bicycling.

Boat on river

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iberdrola tower

The Iberdrola tower in Bilbao is one of the tallest buildings in Spain.

University

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guggenheim

 

 

Floral DogThe Guggenheim Museum

 

 

 

In front of the Guggenheim is a piece of living art: A dog constructed of living flowers. Apparently it was supposed to have been a temporary installation, but it proved so popular that it has been maintained.

 

The next day we took the Metro from downtown to the suburb of Gexto where the cruise port is located.

Gexto Port

 

 

Time to board the ship and head for other cities!

 

 

A note about the Basque language:

Bilbao is in the Basque area of Spain. Although “Spanish” (Often called “Castellano” in Spain) is spoken by most people in the region, there is another language that is native to the Basque area called “Euskara”. The language is of special interest to those who study languages because, not only is it not a “romance langauge”- derived from a form of latin, such as Castellano, Portuguese, French, Italian, etc., but it does not even belong to the larger “Indo-European” language family. Although I made a half-hearted effort to learn a few words of Euskara for this trip, I quickly gave up. It is nothing like any other language I have ever seen. This picture shows a page from a local newspaper.

Euskara

A Cruise

Pullmantur EmpressThere is a class of cruise called a “re-positioning” cruise. For example, there are cruise ships that may spend the summer in the Mediterranean, and the winter in the Caribbean. Once a year they cross the Atlantic heading west, and once a year they cross heading east. A few years ago we took one of these from Barcelona to New York. Six or seven days crossing the ocean is not most people’s idea of a good time, so cruise companies attract passengers by adding ports of call on one or both ends of the trip.

Empress MooredA few months ago, we were looking through some travel brochures and saw a different sort of re-positioning itinerary. The Spanish cruise ship operator’s ship “Empress” spent the summer cruising the Baltic (fiords, Baltic Capitals, etc). Then their schedule is for the ship to begin various itineraries in the Mediterranean. Their re-positioning operation had two stages. The first took the ship from Malmö, Sweden (Near Copenhagen, Denmark), to the port of Bilbao on the north side of Spain’s Atlantic coast. From there, the second stage involved sailing to Valencia on Spain’s Mediterranean coast. We were passengers on the second stage.

Overall it was a very pleasant experience, and we got to visit a number of spots for the first time. Our cabin was comfortable, with a window on the starboard side of the ship. The food was good. It was an “all inclusive” trip. Our previous trip on the Norwegian Gem had been “all inclusive”, but you had to pay for any soft drink, for water, and for any alcoholic beverage, and they weren’t exactly cheap. On this trip, a choice of five different soft drinks was freely available from a fountain machine. Canned beer and table wine were free, as were a great variety of liqueurs and mixed drinks. Premium wines and certain brands of liquor did require an extra payment.

This map was provided by Pullmantur on their web site.
This map was provided by Pullmantur on their web site.

Our trip started in Bilbao, and the ship stopped in La Coruña, Lisbon, Casablanca, Gibraltar, and Almería, before finishing in Valencia.

We took cruise sponsored excursions in Lisbon, Casablanca, and Gibraltar. The Lisbon excursion was a waste, we would have been better off exploring on our own. Our excursion in Casablanca involved that city as well as the capital: Rabat. The trip was very long: 10 hours, but was great! If you read the news, you may be aware of the current tension between Spain and Britain over the status of Britain’s colony Gibraltar at the southern tip of European Spain. Perhaps that is a contributing factor to the horrible experience we had on our tour of Gibraltar at the hands of the British tour guide who was generally offensive and dismissive of the Spanish speaking group (including us) who made up all but two of the tour group.

Pere in Life Jacket

 

The staff on the ship were all wonderful and helpful. We were in good hands!

I will also say that the required safety drill was much more thorough than on our previous trip with Norwegian.

I have broken the pictures of this trip into segments for each port of call. As I have time to sort the pictures, I will upload a selection.

Algemesí

Algemesí is a small city not far from Xàtiva. It can easily be reached on the commuter train line (Cercanias / Rodalias) that connects Xàtiva and Valencia. Algemesí is the train stop just north of Alzira.

Mare de Deu de la Salut

 

Algemesí is host to a yearly festival of note called the “fiesta de la Mare de Déu de la Salut.” Literally this refers to the mother of God of health, or “our lady of health.”

Spain has an abundance of local festivals, and I had not been aware of this particular one. But a couple of days after my arrival I saw an article in the newspaper, so on Sunday September 8th, I hopped on the train and got off in Algemesí. Much of the festival activity goes on between the small church dedicated to Mare de Déu de la Salut and the Plaza Mayor, site of an impressive, larger church dedicated to Santiago (Saint James).

In addition to the usual activities, this year the event was being filmed for a documentary about the Valencian Community. This meant that in addition to the “civilian” photographers in the crowd, cameras held high overhead to try to capture scenes mostly hidden by the crowd, there were photos being taken from a huge mechanical boom apparatus, and even a remote controlled hovering camera that briefly flew onto the scene.

The day was hot, the square was incredibly packed so I did not stay long enough to really do justice to the festivities. Nevertheless, here are a few pictures and a short video.

Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor / Plaça Major

 

Church of Santiago
Church of Santiago

 

 

 

 

 

 

Santiago detail
Santiago

 

 

 

Muixerangues
Muixerangues- There are obvious similarities to the “Castellers” of Catalunya, but here, the height of the groups is less of a goal. In this scene pictured, the participants actually move around in a circle once they have formed the towers. (See the video snippet at the end of this post)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young participant after the show
Young participant after the show

 

 

 

 

 

Bastonets- Groups of male dancers in red and female dancers in blue      smack small batons and clank metal disks while weaving in and out.
Bastonets-
Groups of male dancers in red and female dancers in blue
smack small batons and clank metal disks while weaving in and out.

 

 

 

 

Viewers on balconies or at windows of nearby buildings had a great view!
Viewers on balconies or at windows of nearby buildings had a great view!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Male dancer wearing a traditional Valencian outfit
Male dancer wearing a traditional Valencian outfit

 

Female dancer
Female dancer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Door to the small church dedicated to Mare de Deu de la Salut
Door to the small church dedicated to Mare de Deu de la Salut

 

On the side of the church several plaques depicted scenes from the celebration.
On the side of the church several plaques depicted scenes from the celebration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plaque

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Procession

Brief video highlights:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ratafia

Ah, Ratafia!

Bottle of RatafiaI had never heard of Ratafia until I visited Pobla de Segur, a town of 3,000 in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Mere chance led me to a non-descript building at number 4, Avenida Sant Miquel del Pui, just a half a block from the town’s church. This was “Portet Distributions”. Over the front door, bold red letters on a retracted tan awning declared it to be a “Maker of traditional liqueurs of the Pyrenees”.

The retail shop was just inside the front door, the room full of an assortment of bottles filled with colorful liquids. There were tall tapered bottles, small gift bottles, bottles of ornately embellished glass, and a whole row of bottles whose glass neck included a relief image of a man on a raft. I asked for more information, and about 15 minutes later a solidly built bearded man in a dark plaid shirt arrived. His name was Àngel Portet. He and his brother Carlos own the distillery. Over the next forty minutes he gave me a tour of the site, as well as an education about the history and traditions associated with Ratafia.

Raiers
Historical photo of “Raiers” moving a raft of logs down the river. (From Wikimedia Commons)

The name of this business’s signature offering, “Ratafia dels Raiers”, pays tribute to the “Raiers” (rafters), who worked as part of the lumbering process. This now defunct occupation involved tying great logs together into rafts, and floating them down the Noguera Pallaresa river to the Segre and onward toward Lleida.

 

 

Ratafia is the classic liqueur of Catalunya. For generations it has been made in the small towns and on farmsteads throughout the foothills and mountain areas of the Pyrenees. In some areas of France, the term Ratafia can refer to a sort of sangria (wine mixed with fruit juice) embellished with cinnamon or other flavorings. But the classic Ratafia of Catalunya is a smooth sweet liqueur created from a base of aguardiente or anisette, to which the distilled essence of herbs is added.

Àngel Portet
Àngel Portet i Boixareu

Àngel and I hit it off right away, and he went into great detail about the origins of this small family business, founded in 1883. A room between the retail shop and the distillery itself was adorned with old photos, and with various copper and clay vessels and other paraphernalia that had once been in active use in the distillery. On one wall, a long bent copper pipe, discolored with age, formed an arc over an antique photo of a group of workers posing next to a large keg. By their style of dress, it must have been the early 1900s. Àngel pointed out that the very same copper pipe mounted on the wall appeared in the photo.

Walnut Trees Flower
Walnut trees begin to flower. (From Ratafia “Facebook” page)
Harvested Walnuts
Harvested Walnuts (From Ratafia “Facebook” page)

Walnuts, as well as over a dozen different aromatic herbs contribute to the blend that gives Ratafia its distinctive flavor. Tradition calls for the walnuts used in Ratafia to be harvested on the feast of Sant Joan (St. John / San Juan), which aligns with the summer solstice- the longest day of the year. At this point, the nuts are mature but still soft enough to be sliced with a knife.

 

Wood fired stillÀngel took me to a room where distillation was in progress. A cube shaped cement block encased a double-envelope tank with a small wood burning firebox inset below.  This was the still. He explained that the temperature must be carefully controlled and that a gas burner would be easier than the wood fire, but… and here he shrugged his shoulders.  Tradition is paramount at the Portet distillery. The exposed cap of the distilling chamber had the graceful shape of an onion, and its metal surface revealed subtle discolorations indicative of both the heat and its age.

Filling bottlesIn another room two women in smocks were seated at tables, carefully measuring Ratafia into small but distinctively shaped gift-sized bottles. A stack of labels lay on one end of a table, ready to be affixed to the bottles.

 

Every aspect of the processes here was touched by careful craftsmanship- human effort, not mechanized automation.

Àngel spoke about his struggles with the supply of bottles the company uses for its liqueurs. These include a wide range of sizes and shapes, and of course the bottles with the image of the “raier”. Quality was a requisite, and depending on the country of origin, the price could fluctuate with currency exchange rates. But the biggest challenge is that this is a small company, so the quantity of bottles he purchases is miniscule compared with most enterprises. He told me how conversations with bottle vendors went: “Oh, that is all you need to buy? Poor man. Why don’t you buy a whole trailer-load of bottles, then we can talk!”

Besides Ratafia, the Portet distillery produces a variety of sweet liqueurs from various berries, including raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries, cranberries, black current, and blackthorn.

Although their core production involves spirits that are rooted in tradition, Àngel and his brother experiment with new creations, including a rather unique liqueur flavored with the essence of mushrooms!

I was content as I left this small, family run distillery. I felt as if here in the foothills of the Pyrenees, I had stumbled into a secret room piled with gold and jewels.

Epilogue:
Late the next morning, it was time to head back to the city of Lleida, and then to Barcelona. I packed up my suitcase, and checked out of Can Fasersia, the boarding house where I was staying, and began my walk to the train station. As I crossed the bridge over the Flamisell River, I heard the toot of a horn. I turned my head and saw Àngel at the wheel of a small van passing by. He greeted me with a wave of his hand and continued down the road. What better send-off from this little town could I have had?

Ratafia Gran Reserva
A bottle of Ratafia “Gran Reserva” traveled back to Colorado with me!

Fallas 2013

“Fallas” is the name given to the hallmark celebration festival in the Valencian community. Although the grandest expression of the festival occurs in the city of Valencia, celebrations on a smaller scale occur throughout the area, and so of course, Xàtiva has a well developed tradition for this holiday. (indeed, even tiny Anahuir, a town near Xàtiva of barely 80 inhabitants boasts a scaled down version of the celebration!)

I have included not only some photos, but a few short videos in this posting. Watch the videos if you want to get just a little bit more of a feel for the Fallas!

Fallas
Cover from the special “Fallas” supplement to “Levante” the regional newspaper

 

The tradition has a variety of components and is timed to coincide with the advent of Spring, and recognition of Saint Joseph.

Planning and work for the event begin right after the end of the previous Fallas. A key element to the work behind the event is the “Casel Fallero”. There are multiple Casel Falleros in each city, and these organizations coordinate efforts, sometimes on a street by street level.

Although some focus on the image of great bonfires that consume elaborate sculptures, that happens rather quickly on the last day of a week long event.

The Fallas involve Valencian pageantry in its fullest manifestation. Women compete for honors dressed in ornate gowns and elaborate hair styles that evoke an earlier, traditional era of Valencian history, with aspects dating to the 16th through the 18th century.Falleros

Men wear traditional outfits as well, and together with a small musical band processions of the “Falleros” pass through the town.

Besides the “Falleros”, important components of the Fallas include:

 

Ninot- Argentina

Ninots
These are complex artistic sculptures that may involve a wide variety of themes. In years gone by these were wood and paper mache. Today they are more complex and use a wide variety of materials, though it is still absolutely necessary that the sculpture be burnable.

 

View looking toward the City Hall Plaza from the train station.
View looking toward the City Hall Plaza from the train station.

 

 

The Mascleta
Every day at 2:00 in the afternoon a wild cacophony of explosive devices is set off, usually lasting about five minutes. The crowd cheers madly. In the city of Valencia, this is done in the square in front of city hall. The event is so popular that the entire central area of town gets packed with people who want to attend, and it is difficult to get very close. (probably a blessing from the perspective of potential hearing loss!)

Plantà

The “Plantà”
This event involves the erection of Ninots around town. This can be a very involved process, requiring cranes and other equipment. In Valencia, some of the Ninots are gigantic, towering masterpieces, rising to the the height of a 3 or 4 story building. Even in Xàtiva, they can get fairly large. There is often a smaller- “children’s” Ninot near the larger works.

 

The “Despertà”
This is the daily “Wake Up” call to the city, involving an hour long mixture of marching bands and small explosive devices.

Awarding prizes
What is a competition without prizes. Although there is fierce competition among the casal falleros, in the end, everyone is a winner! The video clip below shows a couple of the jubilant teams parading down Xàtiva’s streets in celebration. Fallas is a really fun festival.

The “Ofrenda”
OfrendaThis begins with a precession that includes each falla group- the women and men in their ornate outfits, and accompanied by each group’s band. The women carry Ofrenda - Xàtivaflowers. This procession is fairly long, and group after group passes by. I began to wonder if there were even that many people living in the town! In Xàtiva you see whole families involved, including children, and even babies pushed along the procession route in strollers. In Valencia the event culminates in the careful attachment of the flowers on a huge conical wooden structure that represents the Virgin Mary. The concept is the same in Xàtiva, though in our town the flowers are placed on a flat backdrop in the cathedral plaza.

 

 

The “Cremà”
OK, this is what you have been waiting for. On the last night all the year’s hard work on the Ninot sculptures isPlaça Espanyoleto destroyed in flames. It is not, however, a simple bonfire. The lead Fallera lights a fuse which sets off a grand series of firecrackers, rockets shoot to the sky, and the flames begin to lick at the sculpture, and then suddenly consume it in with great scorching intensity.

The Ninots are burned one after another. At the first, (see video) it was hard to imagine that I was crazy enough to stand as close as I did. When I went to a larger one later, everyone was pushing to get as close as possible to the action. But when the flames leapt up, the crowd quickly fell backwards from the intense heat.

 

 

 

c/ Argentina

c/ Argentina

 

 

 

 

 

Burning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few notes about the Ninots-
Although the imagery of many Ninots is merely fanciful, there is a tradition to use these festive sculptures as an editorial platform for messages that range from humorous caricatures of various aspects of life in Spain (including tourists, and even Falleros!), to biting social and political criticism. Between a brutally damaged economy and a seemingly unending string of exposed cases of corruption involving politicians, banks, and businesses, there is a bitter side to current public opinion.
I spent a day in Valencia looking at some of the Ninots there. Some were stately or whimsical- such as a huge rendering of the Trojan Horse, or a collection of fairy tale figures from Aladdin and from the Arabian Nights. But others conveyed mocking images of failed leaders, and a failed system. The images were a protest of sorts, and could be sarcastic, crude, or even lewd.
Ninot: City Hall as house of horrorIn Xàtiva, a Ninot depicted city hall as a house of horrors, behind which the diminutive long-time mayor is engaged in an armed duel with a former associate.Nearby the Spanish Prime Minister creeps out of a grave. Looking on is Generalisimo Francisco Franco, the departed former fascist dictator. This alludes to the fact that only last year were the local opposition parties able to forge a deal with the reluctant mayor to remove the honorary “Mayor for Life” title bestowed on Franco.
In Valencia, one particularly strident Ninot, covered a whole spectrum of discontent using a theme of meteorologic terms. A caricature of police attacking young students protesting cutbacks was labeled “Atmospheric Repression”. Next to a representation of “Acid Rain”, was a section labeled “golden rain” which depicted a European Union angel urinating coins down a toilet labeled “Spain” as the Rajoykneeling Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy recites a prayer, “Our rescue, who art in heaven…”
No topic is off limits here, and another section used a play on words based on the Spanish word for “royal”, which is “real”, and contrasted impoverished “real” Spaniards with the nicely dressed “unreal” royal family. It is not only Spanish politicians who are ridiculed. The widely despised German Chancellor Angela Merkel was also depicted in a variety of scenes.
I am sure that there are some leaders here who breathe a sigh of relief when the Ninots are ultimately destroyed in flames.

Images of Valencia

NinotRight after the “Plantà”, I was fortunate enough to be invited by my friends Emi and Jordi on an excursion to the capital. I want to share a few scenes from the Fallas in the city of Valencia, including a crowd view (or actually, lack of view!) of a mascleta, a glimpse of the massive crowds, the carnival atmosphere, and a peek at some of the Ninots. There was a band of percussionists on one corner, whose rhythm seemed to mimic the continued thundering explosions of the mascleta, so I have used the sound of their drums as a background for some of the scenes.


It is difficult to convey just how packed with people the city of Valencia becomes during Fallas. When it was time for the “Cremà”, I stuck close to home in Xàtiva, rather than experience the madness in the city!

My travels: Photos and stories