We enjoyed Lisbon and its kaleidoscope of sights and styles. Saw buildings covered with blue and white decorative azulejos tiles. Walked the black and white mosaic sidewalks in Lisbon's 18th century city center. Climbed through steep, narrow alleyways in the Alfama, the Moorish Quarter, where the Moors built steps up the precipitously steep slopes to connect a maze of narrow, twisting streets, and visited the old Moorish castle. From here we looked out over the city, admiring the whitewashed houses with red tile roofs; the different quarters of Lisbon fitting together like a beautiful mosaic; and the soaring span of the Ponte 25 de Abril, little sister to San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.
On the 18th, we departed from Rossio Square train station to visit Sintra, a historical city with three castles. Here, across the street from the Sintra Palace we had delicious octopus for lunch, which was amazingly tender and tasty. We visited the Castle Pena, and saw many historical furnishings and art that decorated it. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to visit the Moorish castle.
We visited one of the fabled Pillars of Hercules, as Gibraltar was known in the days of ancient Greece and Rome. (The other pillar was Mount Hacho on the African coast - these Pillars defined the limits of navigation in those days.) Today, Gibraltar is a British colony on the southern coast of Spain. Named for the Arab leader Tariq ibn Ziyad, who captured the peninsula in 711 AD, Gibraltar has always been a fortress. We saw the sheer cliffs rising nearly 1400 feet from the Mediterranean Sea. You can find more than 500 species of flowering plants on Gibraltar. Olive and pine trees grow on the Upper Rock, and wild monkeys, the Barbary apes, roam freely here, only too happy to pose for tourists. We had intended to take the cable car up, but it was closed due to high wind, so we took a tour car to the Apes Den, home of the famous Barbary Apes. Visited the "Great Siege Tunnels," a labyrinth of tunnels inside the Rock carved out by the British in 1779. Went into the 13th-century Moorish Castle, and passed by Nelson's Anchorage to see the world's only remaining 100-ton gun and the harbor where Nelson's fleet anchored after the Battle of Trafalgar.
Entering Tangier is like beginning an adventure out of the Arabian Nights, full of myth and mystery, beggars and thieves. Rub the magic lamp and hear the legend of Hercules, who slew the giant Antaeus here, married his widow, Tinge, and produced a son, Sophax. To protect his son's city (called Tangier after his mother, Tinge), Hercules pulled Africa apart from Spain, creating the Straits of Gibraltar. Built on the slopes of a chalky hill on Africa's northern coast, Tangier has been known as a refuge for writers, artists and expatriates. Modern Tangier is a mix of various periods and nationalities -- Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs and modern-day Europeans. It was an independent, international city from 1923 to 1956, when it became part of the Kingdom of Morocco. The movie Casablanca should have been called Tangiers, because this was the city of espionage and contraband during WW II.
Not wanting to be alone in Tangier, we took the tour "Historic Tangier". Rode through the new town of Tangier. Then went up into the mountains, passing the governor's residence and the king's summer palace. Stopped to enjoy the view at Cape Spartel, the northwestern extremity of Africa's Atlantic coastline. Drove to the Caves of Hercules and saw the strange sea window looking out to the Atlantic Ocean. Back in Tangier, strolled through the Kasbah, an area of walled compounds at the highest point in the city, where hordes of itinerant salespeople confront you at every turn, offering watches, bracelets, burnouses, jellabas, rings and all kinds of other merchandise for sale. The compounds have been the palace and administrative quarter since Roman times. Stopped at the Café le Detroit for mint tea and coffee, and a view of the Harem Gardens, the Medina (Tangier's Old Town), the Bay of Tangier and the Straits of Gibraltar. Continued through the Kasbah and the souks, the Old Town's markets. We were entertained by a snake charmer. We passed the Villa Hosni, home of the late Barbara Hutton, the Woolworth heiress, who hosted legendary parties in the 1920s.
Again, we took a tour "Casablanca - A City of Contrasts" to travel through time to Casablanca, made famous by the Bogart/Bergman love story. Saw the white sands and the white skyscrapers of the modern port city. Passed by Place Mohammed V Square, the Town Hall, Tribunal and government office buildings constructed using the French idealization of Moroccan design strongly influenced by Art Deco. Drove to the colorful Central Market, and spent some time observing local customs amidst the abundance of fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and other goods (again fending off hordes of salespeople). Watched the dark business suits and miniskirts mingle with the traditional Arab burnouses and the jellabas. Absorbed the history of Casablanca's old town. The modern city forms a semi-circle around the old medina. Casablanca has undergone many transformations – from a 12th century Berber village to a 15th century pirate's base, destroyed by the Portuguese, who then built a new town called Casa Blanca (White House). During the French protectorate from 1912 to 1956, the modern city of Casablanca was developed and now spreads along ten miles of Morocco's Atlantic coastline. Proceeded to the incredible Hassan II Mosque complex. Built out over the sea, the huge mosque can hold 20,000 worshipers inside, and another 80,000 in the courtyard. The story of its construction is amazing, it was mostly volunteer labor, hand carving/sculpting/painting/tiling, performed over many years. Drove along scenic La Corniche, Casablanca's resort area, and stop for refreshments at a seaside hotel. Passed by the Cathedral of Notre Dame De Lourdes with its exquisite floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows, the King Palace district, the Moroccan Law Courts, the New Medina, the Olive Market (where we were given free samples of olives that lasted the rest of the cruise), and spend some time shopping at United Nations Square.
Las Palmas is the principal city on the most-visited of the Canary Islands -- Gran Canaria. Europeans have known about these sparkling islands for many years, and they can be found vacationing throughout the year in Las Palmas. We walked around the Triana, the historical center of the city. Spanish forces first set up camp here in 1478. The Hermitage of San Antonio Abad is a modest old church that was rebuilt two centuries ago on the ruins of the island's very first church. Christopher Columbus prayed there in 1492 on his way to the New World, as evidenced by a plaque on the side of the church commemorating the event. We walked through the oldest part of Las Palmas, admiring the neo-classical Cathedral (begun in 1498 but not completed until the 19th century). We went through the nearby fascinating Columbus Museum, which contains old maps and models of great seafarer's ships from the era of Columbus. Then we walked past the Columbus House, where Columbus is believed to have lived during a brief stay in Gran Canaria.
Santa Cruz is the largest city on Tenerife (one of the Canary Islands) and one of the busiest ports in Spain (though it sits in the Atlantic Ocean about 500 miles southwest of continental Spain). The islands get their name from the Canary Pines that are so prevalent everywhere. Looming high above Tenerife in the center of Teide National Park, is the highest mountain on Spanish territory, the volcanic Mount Teide. The northern part of the island is tropical and verdant, and the southern is arid and desert-like, while the islands have temperate climates year-round. Unfortunately we didn't have time to visit the Park. Maybe next time...
All that we really wanted to see was less than a mile from the Plaza de España. There are also three excellent museums: Museo de la Nauraleza y El Hombre, the Museo de Bellas Artes, and the Museo Militar de Almeyda. The oldest church in the city is the el Iglesia de la San Juan, dating back to the 17th century, and it has a beautiful bell tower. We visited the Mercado (marketplace) and found some good wine at bargain prices.
We visited Cadiz, the oldest inhabited city in the Western World. Phoenicians traded here 1,000 years before Christ, and there were archeological finds dated to hundreds of thousands of years ago (talk about old!). Nestled on Spain's Coast of Light, the city seems to glimmer as if it were dusted with gold. Balconies and glassed-in terraces sparkle in the sunlight – always with a view of the sea. Columbus set out from here on his second journey to the New World. Unlike Columbus, many captains did not make it safely back to port; their ships wrecked on the shoals or were sunk by the enemy and lie at the bottom of the Bay of Cadiz. Treasures that made it to shore are housed at the Cathedral here. We began with a panoramic walk through this 300-year-old city, through Barrio del Populo, the 13th century fortress city surrounded by beautiful artistic buildings, to Cathedral Square. We saw the 18th Century Cathedral, a veritable jewel-fest -- from its gold dome and baroque façade to its museum, overflowing with gold, silver and precious jewels brought back from the New World. We browsed through the Mercado, stalls of flowers, and birds at Flower Square, had lunch and then walked through the peaceful Plaza de Mina, a large square shaded by palm trees. We visit the Fine Arts and Archaeological Museum, where we saw works by Murillo, Rubens and van Eyck, and archaeological discoveries substantiating the town's antiquity.
Located on Spain's Costa del Sol, Malaga shares a history of invasion and colonization with Gibraltar and other Mediterranean ports. In fact, along Malaga's coast, you cam see a series of old watchtowers, spaced at intervals to warn local inhabitants of Moorish invaders or pirates. Similar to America's Paul Revere, the watchers in these towers had their signals - smoke by day and fire by night - in case of invasion. The heart of Malaga is its waterfront. Its beautiful seaside promenade, the Paseo del Parque, is shaded by palm and jacaranda trees, and is beautifully tiled to encourage strolling, with numerous chairs and benches to encourage resting.
We walked through this bustling, colorful port town of ancient streets and lovely villas set amidst lush, exotic foliage to the summit of Gibralfaro, a Moorish castle dating from the 14th century. We enjoyed a magnificent view of Malaga, the bay and the mountain behind. Then we walked to the Cathedral, a potpourri of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles, built between 1528 and 1782 on the site of the former mosque.
Known for its parks, gardens, nearby beaches, and mild weather, Alicante is a popular winter resort. Dating back to 325 B.C., Alicante was founded by Greeks from the west coast of Asia Minor, then captured by the Romans, and subsequently by the Moors. Its plazas and promenades are paved with red, white and black marble. We visited the old town area with its grilled windows, flower beds, and views of the harbor. Walked along the waterfront. Saw Arab women wrapped in caftans. Visited the modern art museum, housed in a former granary built in 1685. Took the elevator up to Castillo de Santa Barbara, a Carthaginian fortress built around 3 BC containing moats, drawbridges and dungeons, and offering a splendid panorama of Alicante and the coast. Enjoyed a cup of coffee while we drank in the beauty of Explanada de Espana, a lovely promenade running along the waterfront on the way to and from the Castillo.
To appreciate Valencia's present, you should know its past. The Spanish hero El Cid ( Rodrigo Diaz, remember the movie where he was played by Charlton Heston?) seized the city from Islamic invaders in the 11th century. The notorious Borgias of Renaissance Italy come from Valencia. The city was home to Jose Ribera, one of Spain's great 17th century painters. Writer Blasco Ibanez, author of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, is a native son. Ibanez also wrote about bullfighting. Ernest Hemingway came here for the bullfighting festivals. The city sits in the middle of Spain's fertile crescent, surrounded by orange orchards and rice paddies. Valencia boasts one of the world's largest central markets, where hundreds of stalls display a fantastic array of fruit, vegetables, fish, spices and local handicrafts.
We walked by the Cathedral, made up of a variety of architectural styles which includes El Miguelete, the city tower symbol. A chapel inside houses a chalice believed to be the cup used during the Last Supper, and by some to be the legendary Holy Grail.
Proud, passionate, alive! Catch the excitement of Barcelona, a city constantly changing with the times, hardly ever sleeping. See the performers -- mimes, fire-eaters and jugglers -- in the Placa de Catalunya at the heart of the city. Stroll along Las Ramblas Boulevard, with its 24-hour newsstands, bookstores and other street vendors. See where Barcelona broke loose from its medieval walls in 1850 into the art nouveau movement, epitomized by the fantastic architecture of Antoni Gaudi. In art as well as architecture, Barcelona fostered creative genius – Dali, Miro, and Picasso spent their formative years here and the evidence is on view in the Picasso and Miro museums. Barcelona hosted the 1992 Summer Olympic Games, then turned the buildings into permanent facilities for sports and tourism.
Highlights of Barcelona: We took the tour bus for a drive through Montjuic Gardens and up to Miramar for a fine panoramic view of the city and the harbor, and see the Olympic Ring with the Olympic Stadium. Walk up the famous tree-shaded Las Ramblas promenade, the spacious Placa Catalunya and along the magnificent Passeig de Gracia. Took photos of Gaudi's Church of the Sagrada Familia. Begun in 1884 and still unfinished, this temple with its peculiar expressionist style, profuse decoration and originality is truly a unique sight. Continue on to the Gothic Quarter, the oldest part of Barcelona. Drove past the 600-year-old Catalan Gothic Cathedral of Santa Eulalia, whose modern facade houses tall, slender columns and ancient, stained glass windows typical of the Middle Ages. We took both tour courses, which gave us an excellent introduction to Barcelona.
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