First Ever Europe Visit, Summer of 2017 - Full Text

First-Ever Europe Visit, Summer of 2017

August 11 - September 2, 2017

This past summer, my daughter Nadia and I set foot in Europe for the first time ever. The Old Continent made a huge impression, impacting us at many levels in unanticipated ways. The Countries we visited, Spain and France, spoke to our hearts in their unique way.

Spain cast its Latin spell on us from the start, delighting us with its natural and varied scenery, its glorious plazas and monuments, its magnificent architecture and its cultural abundance. In two short weeks, we covered a lot of ground: Madrid, Avila (La Puerta de Gredos), Cáceres, Córdoba, Sevilla, Ronda, Costa del Sol, Granada, Toledo, and last but not least, the glamorous Barcelona, which at the time was mourning the loss of innocent lives of locals and tourists due to the unspeakable terror attack that took place at the popular and touristy Las Ramblas. Nadia and I witnessed Spain’s solidarity as they mourned and stood united against any form of terror and evil. One week after the tragedy we were standing in front of the street memorial and found it impossible to process the aftermath of the evil and how a handful of haters can cause unprecedented devastation to the masses. The outpour of love and support from thousands of by-passers was heart-wrenching.

Having grown up in Mexico, I felt a deep connection to the Spanish culture and language. What impacted me the most was setting foot in several “Paths of Sepharad” and becoming an eye witness of what once were vibrant Jewish Quarters in Spain’s numerous “Juderías.” Remnants of the lost Jewish presence are still standing in Cáceres, Córdoba (Maimonides’ birthplace), Sevilla, Toledo and Barcelona, the cities we visited, although there are many others spread out in Spanish land. This experience lit my soul from within connecting me to my Sephardic roots and affording me ghostly images of my ancestors that came to life through the voice of my maternal grandmother, who I am named after, whose tales of the old world came to life in context.

France also spoke to our hearts, more so to Nadia’s given that Lyon was the birthplace of her father, also of Sephardic origin, whose family eventually moved to Mexico.

In France, we danced at a wonderful Jewish wedding in Toulouse, and on our last day, even under the rain, we climbed all 700 steps to reach the second floor of La Tour Eiffel, where we met Paris for the first time from a high place, recognizing some landmarks such as the Champs Elysées. We certainly wished we had more time.

Unquestionably, our 21-day journey was filled with meaningful experiences, human connections, worth-sharing adventures and overwhelming admiration and inspiration. We witnessed unprecedented beauty, ranging from natural scenery and monumental architecture to historical landmarks that breathe a variety of three cultures and religions.

Upon our return, I reflected on the trilogy of our trip that accentuated our collective identities. In three weeks, we sailed through cultural boundaries speaking three languages and felt a sense of connection and belonging in all three cultures. In week one we wore English teaching hats, in week two we toured, socialized and mingled in Spanish and in week three we unleashed our French tongues to live it up “en Français.” At the end of our journey, this was surely a gift to acknowledge, savour and celebrate.

Perhaps the best way to crown our journey is by stating that we covered two countries, twelve cities, and set foot in eight UNESCO World Heritage sites: 

Avila's Medieval Walls and Monuments

Cáceres Historic Center

Cordoba's Historic Center (Jewish Quarter)

Sevilla's Historic Center

Ronda, the City of Dreams

Granada's "La Alhambra" and Palacio de Generalife

Toledo's cultural and monumental heritage

Barcelona's multiple architectural masterpieces

Overall, the trip was a total success and memories will be lifelong lasting.

Week One – Vaughan Town (Aug 13-18)

What is Vaughan Town?  It is a reputable and successful English immersion program founded by the American Richard Vaughan aimed at Spaniards who wish to improve their English fluency. The program consists of matching Spanish students with English-speaking volunteers and making them speak English nonstop for six intense days. Nadia and I signed up as volunteers, as we really wanted to experience Spain uniquely. Wearing our English teaching hats, we ended up in the beautiful Hotel Izan built on the hills of Sierra de Gredos, one of Vaughan Town’s sites. Here, we met 15 Spaniards and 17 English-speaking volunteers from various backgrounds. In exchange for our time (from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm) we received free accommodation and three meals a day. We certainly earned our fare and also truly enjoyed it.

What did we do all day?  Talk, talk, and talk with our Spanish counterparts in English only. Fascinatingly, as relationships developed our small talk evolved into personal talk and in many cases ended up in intimate conversation. Nadia and I were particularly drawn to the Spaniards, and connected with them in a personal way. Nadia was very liked by her younger peers, particularly by a few handsome men (married) who loved her energy and enthusiasm. Our challenge was to keep our English tongue going, as speaking Spanish was tempting yet strictly forbidden. We learned that these students pay a lot of money for the program, and must get first-class English immersion, and that, they got.

The program is well run, and students are constantly rotating to get exposed to different accents and communication styles. We tackled together numerous phrasal verbs and idioms with examples, which I thought was a lot of fun when used in context. We also role-played telephone conversations, and finally, the students presented to the group various skits, which they prepared from scratch. At the end of the program, I delivered a speech that I am pasting below, which speaks for itself. In short, Nadia and I loved wearing teacher, conversationalist, mentor, and friend hats and had trouble saying goodbye. We walked away full-handed and proud of our dedication to breaking language barriers.

Vaughan Town in Gredos, August 13-18, 2017

Vaughan Town in Gredos

August 13-18, 2017

By Violeta Esquinazi

Somewhere in the middle of La Puerta de Gredos' mountain range lies the scenic Izan Hotel, one of the venues of Spain's renowned English immersion program Vaughan Town. Here, several English-hungry Spaniards (the learners) meet an eclectic group of Spanish-starved Anglos (the conversationalists) to engage in a weeklong conversation about everything and anything.

The Vaughan's agenda is to impose communication in English ONLY, so the learners are submitted to endless conversation drills and a bombardment of phrasal verbs and idioms. The latter's hope is merely to survive in the wilderness of limited speech, rather than running out the door pretending they feel under the weather, or plain and simple, ending up calling it a day.

The fact remains that the Spanish captives will have to pull themselves together, perhaps going back to the drawing board of basic grammar rules without cutting corners until the words sink into the neurons of their brains. In any event, the anticipation of getting through six days of verbal torture runs high and only time will tell them if signing up for this program was either a curse or a blessing in disguise.

After the group settles down in their respective chambers, most don't know what to expect. The Anglos hope to get their act together impressing the Spaniards with their distinct English accents, making it near to impossible to be understood, and a strategy to show them they've got all the power. The truth is that no one wants to miss the boat, and everyone in their own unique way rises to the occasion in ways unimagined.

As the week unfolds, some folks hold back their emotions, often wondering if they can take in so many one-to-one sessions. Others get through the experience of biting the bullet, rushing into conversations about their sex life to avoid philosophical topics that might get them into tongue twists. Many beat around the bush hoping the Anglos will cut them some slack and let them go off to the bar to get their frustration out of their system.

Whether you are Anglo, Spaniard, learner or conversationalist,

The Management Team will constantly crack you down. Giovanna will likely walk into any possible mischief and remind you to do it over, and Pete will remind you to arrive on time, on the dot, or else things will get out of hand and you will be asked to go off. At the same time, Pete's many talents will entertain you; at times his humour will drag on cracking you up in laughter making you feel that he is pulling your leg.

One thing is for sure, that at the end of these intense five days of endless speaking we become friends and know a lot about each other. Besides learning phrasal verbs, idioms and vocabulary, we learn aspects of each other's life journey, unique cultural background, life challenges, and achievements and dreams and aspirations.

As the program comes to an end, emotion builds up. The Spanish are put to the test preparing and presenting a topic in front of the group, which requires skill, wit, fluency, and courage, and the Anglos stand by and cheer their way to achievement.

Before we go off on our final field trip to Barco de Avila to drink yet more beer, the whole delegation poses for a group photo in order to preserve the memory and remember the faces of old and new friends.

As to my own experience, I feel that I have spent the week standing in the middle of a bridge looking both ways and feeling a strong sense of belonging. I believe that language barriers disappear beyond the power of words when people built together with a bridge of cross-cultural understanding that fosters meaningful connections and friendship. My prize was to walk away fully handed and happy-hearted.

Vaughan Town must be doing something right building these bridges of understanding amongst people of the globe well beyond teaching the English language.

Note: Text in bold indicates phrasal verbs and idiomatic expressions learned during the week.

                                                                             

Week Two – 6-Day Tour of Andalucia by Julia Tours (Aug 20-25)

Day 1 – Cáceres (August 20, 2017)

Cáceres is a city in western Spain's Extremadura region. Founded by the ancient Romans, it retains widespread evidence of subsequent occupation by many different cultures. Its old town, Ciudad Monumental, has a mix of Gothic and Renaissance architecture, with cobbled medieval streets, fortified houses and palaces. Encircled by 12th-century Moorish walls, it also has around 30 towers, some occupied by nesting storks.

We left Madrid on August 20^th from Hotel Principe Piu. Even though the tour pick-up location was within walking distance, we didn’t want to risk getting there by foot-dragging our burdensome luggage or failing to find the right spot, so we arrived timely in a cab.

Aboard the bus were approximately 15 travellers, including Moroccans and Latin Americans, as well as Carline, a young woman from Ottawa with whom Nadia connected.

Our first tour stop was Cáceres, a monumentally walled city with a population of 1000. Facing the main plaza, or “Plaza Mayor,” is the entrance to “Torre de Bujaco,” where one could climb up to the top to get a glimpse of the city. We opted out, given the short free time we were given to walk around. Also facing the plaza is “El Palacio de la Isla,” currently a Historical Archive.

My focus was to visit the Jewish Quarter, so after picking up a map at the tourism office we started our way up the hills of Cáceres, heading towards the Old Jewish Quarter. I was advised to focus on the old Quarter only, as the newer one had nearly vanished.

In one and a half hours, we walked up to a picturesque narrow-winding road filled with a brilliance of medieval architecture, narrow streets, luminous, whitewashed houses, and flowers brightening up windows and balconies. Climbing up under the scorching heat we were able to reach the Old Judería signalled with a street sign reading “Barrio de San Antonio” next to a Star of David. My heart leaped. As we continued, embedded in the cobble-paved road I spotted a metal-plated logo with the word “Sfarad” in Hebrew. This was the first of many such signs we would find along the ”Red de Juderías de España, Caminos de Sefarad” (Jewish Quarter Network, Paths of Sepharad.) I was particularly moved when I stood in front of the Christian Chapel “La Ermita de San Antonio,” formerly a synagogue.

I note that Cáceres is one of Spain’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

http://www.ciudadespatrimonio.org/ciudades/index.php?cd=3

We rushed back to the comfortable, air-conditioned tour bus to continue our way to Córdoba.

 

Day 2 – Córdoba (August 21, 2017)

Córdoba is a city in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, and the capital of the province of Córdoba. It was an important Roman city and a major Islamic center in the Middle Ages. It’s best known for La Mezquita or El Alhambra, an immense mosque dating from 784 A.D., featuring a columned prayer hall and older Byzantine mosaics. After it became a Catholic church in 1236, a The Renaissance-style nave was added in the 17th century.

The age of splendour of the Spanish Jews first began under the Emirate, and later during the Umayyad Caliphate, reaching their Golden Age in Cordoba during the 10^th and 11^th Century, when they attained the highest levels of well being and culture. During these centuries, some Jews in Cordoba became ministers of the Muslim monarchs, such as Hasday ibn Shaprut, and there were also wise men and philosophers, as important as Moises ben Maimon, –Maimonides– who brought Jewish thought to all all-time peak. The Center of Jewish religion and culture became established in Cordoba, with the rabbinic academies of Cordoba and Lucena.

A magnificent Jewish Quarter is preserved in the area designated “World Heritage” by UNESCO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNyjrzD1Kjw

We arrived in Córdoba in the evening and Nadia and I took a stroll downtown. At the main plaza, we befriended a Muslim Moroccan family and enjoyed a good conversation.

The next morning, a local tour guide led us through Cordoba’s Plaza Mayor and unto the impressive Cathedral, previously a Mesquite. The Moorish architecture, exquisite, artistic and detailed stonework, tile work, stained window, and woodwork permeated through the heavy Christian paraphernalia. After spending several hours in the many chambers of the cathedral, we headed to the world-famous Jewish Quarter. Here, while my heart beat faster, my attention was directed to taking photographs that could speak of the cultural heritage before me. We quickly found ourselves at the heart of the Jewish quarter in the Plaza Maimonides. At the center, an impressive and beautiful sculpture of Maimonides speaks of a time where Jewish culture and religion climaxed.

Cordoba, the City of the Three Cultures captivated our hearts from the start, and it is hard to know where to draw the line when one experiences awe and admiration at an amazing place that opens up the mind and the heart from within. It was here where all three religions reached a historical peak of understanding that ended at the time of the Inquisition.

In the late afternoon, we headed off to Sevilla.

Maimonides Statue

Day 2/3  – Sevilla (August 22-23, 2017)

Sevilla is the capital of southern Spain’s Andalusia region. It's famous for its flamenco “tablaos”, particularly in its Triana neighbourhood. Major landmarks include the ornate Alcázar castle complex, built during the Moorish Almohad dynasty, and the 18th-century Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza bullring. The Gothic Seville Cathedral is the site of Christopher Columbus’s tomb and a minaret-turned bell tower, the Giralda.

We arrived in Sevilla in the late afternoon and were given a couple of hours at our Hotel Catalonia Santa Justa to rest up. Instead of resting, Nadia and I headed off by bus to a nearby shopping center, as we were determined to find a trendy low sleeve shirt we had seen before, one Nadia could wear at night to the flamenco performance we had bought tickets for. The trip was a waste of time, and we came back to the hotel empty-handed, hungry, tired and pressured for time. We had one-half hour to shower and get dressed before the tour bus came to get us.

The performance at Palacio de Flamenco was worth the money. The dancers, singers, and musicians were all flamenco professionals whose passion for the dance was contagious. The one-and-a-half-hour performance went by quickly and ended up on a very high note of ¡Olé!  Dinner at the hotel was mediocre, but we were too tired to be picky.

The day after we spent one full day in Sevilla, a city well deserving of the extra time. In the morning, the local tour guide, a woman by the name of Gloria, joined our bus that first took us on a panoramic tour of Sevilla’s “Plaza de España” and surrounding grounds that display effortlessly the grandeur of Sevilla. After spending an hour or so in the stunning Plaza de España, where I bought several Sevillan fans as souvenirs, we crossed through “Jardines de Murillo” to reach the gate of the famous “Barrio Santa Cruz.”

I note that the Barrio Santa Cruz today is the primary tourist neighbourhood of Seville and the former The Jewish quarter of the medieval city. Santa Cruz is bordered by the Jardines de Murillo, the Real Alcázar, Calle Mateos Gago, and Calle Santa María La Blanca/San José. The neighbourhood is the location of many of Seville's oldest churches and is home to the Cathedral of Seville, including the converted minaret of the old Moorish mosque La Giralda.

When the walking tour ended, Nadia and I purchased a ticket to enter the impressive Cathedral and then made our way up to the famous tower La Giralda on foot. To reach the top, we climbed 36 zigzagging ramps well worth ascending. From here, we admired the massive bells and delighted in a 365-degree view of Seville.

Afterwards, we wanted to visit El Alcázar, yet our hearts pulled us towards the Jewish Museum of Sevilla – “Casa de la Memoria, Museo de Interpretación, Juderías de Sevilla ”– located in the heart of Barrio Santa Cruz. The small museum houses on its wall a rich collection of Sepharad’s original Jewish artifacts, and on its walls, it retells the story of the Jews in Seville, the expulsion of Jews from Spain, and of course, the actual Inquisition Decree. The one and only curator, tour guide, greeter and receptionist spent quality time with us explaining very academically the various exhibits in a historical context. One of the exhibits caught my attention, a small dark room with old keys hanging from a circular ceiling. She explained that these were the original keys of repossessed Jewish homes after the expulsion. This display reminded me of my grandmother who spoke about the house key she had to let go of when the Sephardic Jews left Turkey several centuries later. For the Jews, the exile repeats itself again and again, always for the same reason: being Jewish.

https://www.juderiadesevilla.es/

That evening, all three of us, Nadia, Carline and I enjoyed an outdoor concert featuring Mawwa (Arabic) music at the very place, Jardines del Alcázar. The concert setting, the minty gardens, tall palm trees, and the warm and starry night were truly unforgettable. However, the concert was personally deceiving, because the three very talented musicians used the stage to voice their support for their people “who are not free and live in occupied lands under oppression.” This unexpected agenda turned off my romantic mood and drove my attention away from the Mawwa music, which I found interesting and a bit monotonous.

This great day ended on a good note. We took a cab to our hotel, as there was no way we could find the energy to walk back. At midnight, Seville streets were packed with tourists and locals drinking beer and eating tapas. Before catching the cab, we even had ice cream to sweeten our way.

The City of Seville houses several UNESCO World Heritage Sites including El Alcazar, La Catedral, La Giralda and el Archivo de las Indias

Chttp://www.andalucia.com/travel/world-heritage/seville.htm

Plaza España

 

 

Barrio Santa Cruz, previously La Judería

El Alcazar

La Giralda

Views from La Giralda

 

Centro de Interpretación, Juderías de Sevilla

 

  

Day 4 – Ronda and Costa del Sol (August 24, 2017)

On day 4 we visited two sites, Ronda and Costa del Sol. In Ronda, we spent approximately three hours walking around this small, yet charming city.

Ronda is a mountaintop city in the province of Malaga that’s set dramatically above a deep gorge. This gorge (El Tajo), separates the city’s circa-15th-century new town from its old town, dating to Moorish rule. Puente Nuevo, a stone bridge spanning the gorge, has a lookout offering views. New town’s Plaza de Toros, a legendary 18th-century bullring, is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.

The Ronda’s balcony offers scenic views of a varied landscape. Ronda, the City of Dreams in Andalusia is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

http://www.rondatoday.com/rondas-request-to-king-juan-carlos-for-unesco-world-heritage-status/

In Ronda, we passed through La Plaza de Toros, La Alameda, la Plaza Mayor, la Iglesia de Santa Maria and the downtown core where I bought a couple of summer dresses. Needing a washroom urgently, I used the city’s public facilities and was charged “.60 céntimos” to get in but had no complaints about cleanliness.

In the afternoon we headed off to Torremolinos in Costa del Sol and landed at our hotel, Sol Principe around 3:30pm. Torremolinos is a Mediterranean resort town on southern Spain's Costa del Sol, known for its sandy beaches such as El Bajondillo and La Carihuela. Nightlife, dining, and shopping are centred on Calle San Miguel. Away from the beachfront and its high-rise hotels are several golf courses and amusement parks, as well as pockets of traditional Andalusian culture such as the village of El Calvario.

Our hotel room had a marvellous beach view, and in no time we found ourselves at ease, enjoying the view and getting tempted to walk to the beach. After fighting to get a couple of beach towels (had to sign a voucher and leave a deposit of 10 EU for each towel), we made our way to the shore and nested on beach beds that were free of charge. Then we found our way to the water, walking painfully through the rocky shoreline. The Mediterranean water was quite cold, yet refreshing.

Dinner at the hotel was very enjoyable. The huge buffet spread out through huge dining rooms filled with guests from all over the world. After dinner, we enjoyed a band playing groovy music around the pool.

We wished we could stay longer at this location to recover from the constant rush, but it was wishful thinking because our tour guide made it very clear we were leaving at 7:30am the next morning.

 

Torremolinos, Costa del Sol

Day 5 – Granada (August 25, 2017)

Granada is a city in southern Spain’s Andalusia region, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It's known for grand examples of medieval architecture dating to the Moorish occupation, especially the Alhambra. This sprawling hilltop fortress complex encompasses royal palaces, serene patios, and reflecting pools from the Nasrid dynasty, as well as the fountains and orchards of the Generalife gardens.

Our tour bus dropped us off in front of the Alhambra in Granada at approximately 9:30 am. The place was bursting with tourists and tour guides from every part of the world. At the entrance of this magnificent hilltop fortress, our local Spanish tour guide, a young man by the name of Sergio took very good care of us. He was amazingly knowledgeable, friendly and funny and really led the way with gusto, flavour, and passion.

I shall not attempt to describe the magnificence of this Moorish fortress, also used as a palace and a government office, because my words will not do it justice. When one stands before a piece of art that takes the breath away, the intellect becomes dumb and the emotions take over, as they should, into a speechless sense of awe. I can only say that such feeling elevated me to the point of acknowledging the miracle of God’s creation, the natural world He created for us, of course, including the creature he created in His own image, the human being that is capable of unlimited creativity that surpasses the boundaries of reason.

Under scorching heat, we visited the fortress and surrounding gardens. At one point we got tired and opted out on the last visit to one of the fortress’ edifices. I was happy to take many photographs that speak for themselves, yet come pale in comparison to the real-time experience.

I wish to share how our brilliant tour guide enhanced my experience of this magical place. When we were in the main palace, after he explained the distribution of space and decor, he invited us to envision the Caliphate’s chamber in actual Moorish time. He described the rooms in great detail: stained glass windows filtering light through the artfully stitched arches; on the other side, he described the Caliphate’s chamber, also his bedroom, submerged in dim light, its walls covered with multi-pattern rugs, oil lamps forming shadows, and incense travelling through the air. Sergio continued – “As the Moorish ruler sits in the dark on layers of cushions, perhaps surrounded by fruit platters and nuts, imagine his subjects, one at a time, standing before him unable to see him, while he can see them all, and from this very spot be honoured, spared or sentenced.”

Granada UNESCO World Heritage Site

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/314

In the afternoon we were given the choice of either joining an optional tour of the Albaicín or free time. Nadia and I chose the latter, as we were tired and craved our own space. After resting a bit, we took a cab that took us to a high point, “Mirador de San Nicolas,” where we admired the view of the Old Medieval city. Then we walked up to the Albaicin, where the middle-class Andalusians live, including the gypsies. As we ascended we felt a change of vibe, let’s say, we were not in a nice neighbourhood. We were hungry and had a very bad experience at a local restaurant. The place was unclean, flies all over the place, a parent-led his little boy to urinate under a tree only two meters away from our table; also, the restaurant owner was deceiving, serving us food that did not match what we had ordered, and he even refused to give us the advertised free tapas. We walked away still hungry and upset after confronting his terrible treatment of tourists and mediocre business practice, even though Nadia did not want me to get upset. I seem to have little tolerance for mediocre service and disrespect to customers. C’est la vie.

We made our way downhill until we reached downtown and enjoyed the free time.

 

 

 

 

Day 6 – Toledo (August 26, 2017)

The ancient city of Toledo sits on a hill above the plains of Castilla-La Mancha in central Spain. It is located only 70 kilometres away from the Spanish capital. The region is known for the medieval Arab, Jewish and Christian monuments in its walled old city. It was also the former home of Mannerist painter El Greco. The Moorish Bisagra Gate and the Sol Gate, in Mudéjar style, open into the old quarter, where the Plaza de Zocodover is a lively meeting place.

Toledo is also known as the Capital of Sepharad, as well as the Jerusalem of the West. The Jewish presence in Toledo is documented since the time of the Visigoths, and ever since the Muslim reign Jews were considered “Men of the Book,” enjoying ample rights. Under the Christian rule of Alphonse VI, their growth and material wealth continued to flourish. Since the 8^th Century, the Jewish Quarter of Toledo was established in the southwestern part of the city, within its walls. It had five neatly differentiated quarters, with more than ten synagogues. Some of them can still be visited nowadays. Santa Maria la Blanca Synagogue, also known as the New Synagogue of Yosef Ben Soshan, and the Transito Synagogue or Synagogue of Samuel ha-Levy, where the Sephardic Museum is installed.

UNESCO declared Toledo a World Heritage Site in 1986 for its extensive cultural and monumental heritage and historical co-existence of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish cultures.

On our 6^th and final day, we visited Toledo, the medieval city that breaths art, history, conquest, religion and redemption and seduces the visitors with its unparalleled beauty. It is no wonder that this is the city that gave inspiration to Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra to produce El Quixote de la Mancha.

It was wonderful to be there, but it was very frustrating to be there for such a short time. We were rushed through the streets of Toledo and did not have the time to savour its splendour. Wanting to purchase a wall plate I ended up upsetting the tour guide who waited for me. The truth is that everyone wanted to have free time there to wander around as there was so much to see and admire, but we were on a tight schedule. The tour was coming to an end that day and in fact, we made it back to Madrid by 6:00pm as scheduled.

 

 

 

 

Week Three – Barcelona, Toulouse and Paris (August 26 – September 2)

Barcelona  (Aug 27-29, 2017)

On August 27^th we boarded a high-speed called Ave (Bird) that in three hours took us from Madrid's Puerta de Atocha Terminal to Barcelona Sants Terminal. Since our Airbnb reservation did not kick in until 5:00pm, we waited patiently around the station, with our luggage and all, until it was time to take a cab to our destination.

To our disappointment, our Airbnb was located in a proletarian area, far away from Barcelona’s downtown core, contrary to what our host let us believe. If that was not enough, there was no elevator, which forced us to drag our luggage two flights up to then find a small, stuffy and untidy apartment. The host was not in town, so his friend, a very strange, almost scary-looking man let us in. It did not take us long to realize that the place was filthy, lacked air conditioning and had a very bad vibe. Our awful first impression got confirmed as we explored the space, more of a dump than a tourist safe heaven. It was so bad that we immediately called the host to ask if we could leave, given the circumstances, yet he refused to give us a refund on the basis that we were the only ones to complain, as his place is booked 24/7.

We were relieved to find alternative accommodation at Hostel Paraiso downtown, and we contacted Airbnb to express our disappointment. After a long conversation, we agreed to stay one night only, as we had nowhere to go at that time of day but ended up filing a formal complaint to get our money back for the remainder of our stay. We supported our complaint with photographs that evidenced the bad condition of the place.

More bad news, that night I decided to do some laundry in the ancient washing machine. What a big mistake! The machine stopped in the middle of the cycle, locking up our clothes in the drum. At the point of tears, together we pulled the drum open to take out the soapy load, then rinse it at the leaky kitchen sink and then put it in plastic bags. The inconvenience was huge and we were very upset, yet we truly took the reins to move forward. The next morning we rose up nice and early and dragged our luggage as well as two bags full of wet laundry. The experience was like walking up the Via Dolorosa, but we made it safely to our new destination.

Our new location at Hostel Paraiso was awesome. The old facility has lots of character and we were fortunate to get a private room with a shared washroom. Fortunately, during our stay there were no guests, so we had the floor to ourselves. The loveliest thing of the place was having an elegant iron forged balcony facing the main street and witnessing the 24/7 bustle of the lively neighbourhood. We were also relieved when we found a wonderful laundry facility within walking distance where we were able to wash our laundry and get this wet load off our backs.

The next day we joined a free walking tour led by Javi, a tour guide volunteer who inspired us with his knowledge. He was so good that in the afternoon, despite being tired from walking three hours in the heat, I, not Nadia, decided to join his “Gaudi” tour. Javi led a large tourist group through Barcelona’s landmarks including Casa Milá, Casa Batlló, Palau de la Música Catalana, and last but not least, La Basilica Sagrada Familia. At this point, I was dragging my feet, but when I stood in front of this unfinished architectural masterpiece I realized what was before me. I was speechless. Again, I am short of words to describe the magnificence of the various architectural masterpieces that I saw that dress that adorn the city with unparalleled artistry.

I learned that Barcelona is part of Spain’s community of Catalonia and that Catalan is the official language that uses a combination of Castellano and French. At first, we had trouble understanding signs and conversing with the locals, yet everyone appeared to be fluent in Castellano and the two languages have much in common. I also learned that Catalunians still hold a grudge in order to attain recognition and independence from the rest of Spain given their unique culture and language.

Last but not least, I learned that the colour violet is Barcelona’s favourite, also the colour of the uniform of their soccer team.

Did you know that Barcelona has Nine Must-See UNESCO World Heritage Sites?

http://www.apartmentbarcelona.com/blog/2015/02/18/world-heritage-sites/

 

 

Street Memorial at Las Ramblas

 

 

 

 

Toulouse (August 29-Sept 1)

We arrived in Toulouse via AirFrance and got settled into our Airbnb in the late afternoon. We quickly realized we had left the Spanish Olé environment and entered the more demurred, distant and impersonal French entourage. Luckily, our Airbnb was lovely, small, compact, clean and comfortable, almost like a dollhouse.

Our time in Toulouse was low-key, as we needed to recover from the roller coaster of experiences in Spain. Nonetheless, we managed to walk around to explore the area. We crossed the New Bridge by foot, above La Garonne, and reached the Capitol or main plaza after zigzagging through the narrow, antique-looking streets that converged into the downtown core. We explored our surroundings at a distance and laid low to ready ourselves for the big event ahead of us, Maja and Julian’s wedding!

On August 31^st we managed to get our nails done paying a fortune and receiving mediocre service. We assumed that we could call in a taxi before heading off to the ceremony since in Spain the taxis were all over the place. Not in Toulouse. Getting to the wedding on time was some sort of miracle because street taxis were nowhere to be found, and the taxi companies did not seem to have any taxis available at the time. That was stressful, to say the least.

The wedding was idyllic. It took place in the outskirts of Toulouse, in a classy and sober facility, more like a mansion bordered by a garden. The central patio led to the wedding hall and then a spacious high ceiling banquet room lined with textured, red brick walls that gave it a fortress personality.

The ceremony was memorable. We could sense the joy of the bride and groom and the two families that came together in a space and time to celebrate the union of their beloved. The Rabbi’s speech, while a bit too long, conveyed a marvellous message. He stated that the bride and groom’s union was a miracle comparable to the miracle of the Red Sea opening to let the People of Israel cross to the land of milk and honey. He explained that the chances for two people from two continents to meet are slim, yet the meeting happened, as the miracle of the Red Sea parting.  He added that in a holy union G-d is rejoicing for He has brought them together to become one.

We were lucky to get a ride to our Airbnb, arriving by 2:00am. There was really no point going to bed since our flight to Paris was at 8:00am the same day. That night, I beat myself up for planning such an early departure and allocating only one day to visit Paris.  What was I thinking?

   

Maja and Julian's Wedding (August 31)

Paris in One Day (August 1, 2017)

Our one-day in Paris was frustrating because when we got into our hotel we crashed. We slept for two hours before we could move again. Thanks to a few sips of strong coffee we were able to shake the slumber and make our way to Paris’ Tour Eiffel by bus.  We did not realize that Charles de Gaulle airport is not in Paris and that the drive would eat up another one and a half hour of our day. Nonetheless, we arrived in Paris around 5:00pm. It was cold and rainy, but that did not stop us from walking from Notre Dame to The Eiffel Tower.

This icon did not really come to life until we stood in front of it. The massive four-legged iron giant left us speechless. We were proud to climb up by foot, 700 steps to the second level, where we were told the view is at its best. The journey was as exciting as the destination, given the changing views from various heights and angles, including the evening light filtering through the threads of metalwork. At the second level, we enjoyed a 365-degree view that gradually dressed Paris in an evening gown of lights. Words are short to express our emotion being there together and ending our 21-day vacation at such a majestic height. 

We had difficulty getting home as it was getting late and the rain was coming down hard.  We managed to have a nice dinner at a Couscous Restaurant on our way to the train station.  That night the train had changed routes, as they were repairing the tracks and blocking off access to our destination.  We joined several other tourists in our quest to find our way to our hotel near the airport.  It was another ordeal getting home, showering and setting our alarm clocks for an early morning departure, I to Israel and Nadia to Vancouver.

 

  

 

Trip Anecdotes

Where is the Bed?
Our first accommodation in Madrid was the Funway Academic Resort, a student residence recommended by Vaughan for its affordability and proximity to the head office the location from where our tour bus would depart.

The modern space, decoration, and cleanliness were noted, even though the place was deserted. Our room was tiny, yet functional. However, where was the bed?  Could it be the love seat that turns into a hide-a-bed? No, impossible. Suddenly, I spot a switch on the wall, push it and we hear the bed coming down from the ceiling and almost bumping the top of our heads.  We moved quickly to the corner and laughed. How interesting, we thought.

That night we slept well because we were very tired, but it was impossible to get around the tiny space when the bed was down, even to go to the washroom. The next morning, while Nadia was sleeping I dared to push the button up to allow me to move.  She, of course, woke up startled and then broke out laughing, begging me to stop the bed before it reached the ceiling at a crushing point.

·      Lost Backpack

When we left Madrid to join the tour, we took a cab. The cab driver was unpleasant, to say the least, and drove away with Nadia’s backpack. Nadia realized this once the tour bus was ready to leave Madrid. We panicked, and thanks to our supportive tour guide, Felipe, we were able to trace the taxi company. The bus could not wait, so we left without Nadia’s backpack, which greatly upset her. Later on, we were reassured that Nadia’s backpack was recovered and delivered to the hotel. Fortunately, she managed well without her backpack and was able to overcome this inconvenience with my support.

·      Ziva, My New Friend

Thanks to inquiring about Jewish tour guides in Spain, I was led to Ziva, an Israeli Argentinian who now lives in Madrid. Prior to starting our Andalusia’s tour, Ziva kindly took us on a walking tour of central Madrid. We connected naturally and her time with us was most enjoyable, a bit too short, but very sweet. Coincidentally, Ziva is acquainted with two people I know in Israel, both Spanish teachers. Ziva is enthusiastic about organizing a tour of Israelis in Spain, targeting Spanish students.  A small world, and a great idea!

·      Unexpected Shabbat in Madrid

In Madrid Nadia and I enjoyed a Shabbat dinner at the parents of our Israeli friend Yael.  While Yael was not there, her mom Leslie opened her home to us with warmth. We enjoyed meeting Yael’s grandmother, sisters, and cousins. We were very grateful.

·      Felipe, Our Andalucia’s Tour Guide

Felipe was extremely kind and helpful, but his poor English drove us up to the wall. He made so many mistakes in one sentence, that at one point I covered my ears feeling upset. In one occasion it got to me, so I corrected him in a loud voice, stating that his English was not good. I guess I blew up but realized I had made a mistake by embarrassing him in public. It did not take long before I apologized and took responsibility for my lack of tact. I encouraged Felipe to work on improving his English since he was already a great guide, and his bilingualism could really make a difference. Felipe and I ended up hugging each other and making peace. We were both coming from a very good place.

For the record, Felipe repeated this sentence again and again over six days, and Nadia and I cannot forget his accent:

De pipl from de grin lábel, rimemba, wi pic yu from yur jótel in seven tiry, rimemba, the grin lábel jótel, rimemba.

·      Accident in Ronda

In Ronda, Nadia tripped and fell, causing her knees to become black. I was very scared when I heard her hit the floor. Everyone came to her rescue, yet feeling her pain as if it were mine; I attended to her like a mother whose baby has been hurt. Thank God, Nadia was not hurt seriously. One never stops being a mother.

·      Doors Shut-in Barcelona’s Metro

In Barcelona’s busy train station, Nadia and I got separated after she boarded the train and the doors slam shut pushing me out almost to the point of hurting my arm. If it were not for the people behind me, I would have fallen to the ground. Besides the scare, I worried about how Nadia and I would find each other. She knew our destination, but not the station name and we had no mobile to communicate. Thanks to a friendly lady from Bolivia who escorted her, Nadia made her way back to the original station, yet I was not there anymore, as I had made my way to our destination assuming she would be waiting for me there. I suddenly imagined myself lost in the forest, and instead of running around, I decided to stay put. Thank God, Nadia appeared at the station accompanied by the lady from Bolivia, who made sure Nadia and I met. What a miracle!

Violets and Toulouse
Did you know what Violets and Toulouse have in common? I didn't until I spotted the purple flower on many souvenirs in Toulouse. This got confirmed once I entered a store called "Les Tresors de Violette."  The delicate and aromatic flower is Toulouse's emblem as you can find out in this link.
https://www.accorhotels.com/es/travel-guide/toulouse/eventos-y-festivales/fiesta-de-la-violeta-e-127ahdg2277.shtml

·      Security Alert Above the Eiffel Tower

After we enjoyed the 365-degree view above the Eiffel Tower, we decided to take the elevator down. As we started the descent, the attendant got a call on his mobile, hung up and looked concerned. He announced to the crowd that police security requested us to return to the second level until further notice. Of course, people started to question what had happened. While we waited, we heard police sirens announcing a potential danger, but still ignored what had happened. In the meantime, I was able to access the news on my phone. They said that the Tower was being evacuated, as someone tried to threaten security with a knife. Another news clip stated that a suspicious package had been delivered. Thank God, after waiting for one and a half hours, we all made our way down safely.