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Adventures In and Around Lucca

By Caleb

Our first stop in Italy was Lucca, about 45 minutes west of Florence. Lucca is still fully surrounded by a wall that was built in the 16th century and then planted with trees along the top in the 19th century. We stayed in Lucca for one week in an apartment just one block outside the wall. For a couple of those days we explored the old city of Lucca where there are many churches, a tower with seven oak trees planted on top, restaurants, and little shops.

The wall around Lucca.

The wall around Lucca.

Entry gate to the walled city near our apartment.

Entry gate to the walled city near our apartment.

Guinigi Tower in Lucca.

Guinigi Tower in Lucca.

In addition to seeing the sites in Lucca, we also took many side trips that week. One of my favorite side trips was to Pisa. When we arrived our first view of the leaning tower was down the long main road. At first glance the leaning tower doesn’t look like it’s leaning, but once you get up close you can really tell. Only my dad, Noah, and I went up to the top. As you walk up you can really feel the tilt.

Setting up a "pushing the tower over" shot.

Setting up a “pushing the tower over” shot.

View from the top of the tower.

View from the top of the tower.

Another side trip took us to the area called Cinque Terre – five small coastal towns located very close to one another along the Italian coast. When we got to the first town, Riomaggiore, the main path along the coast was closed so we decided to take the hiking trail through the hills to the next town, Manarola. The trail was only a little more than 2 km there and back, but it was straight uphill and then straight downhill on the other side in the hot sun.

The easy path is closed!

The easy path is closed!

Only way is straight uphill.

Only way is straight uphill.

At the top before the steep descent to Manarola.

At the top before the steep descent to Manarola.

Our last side trip was driving through the mountains in the Garfagnana region north of Lucca. We started out driving to a small town called Borgo a Mozzano to see the Devil’s Bridge. The bridge is in a very weird shape so we stopped there to check it out. Next we visited the small village of Bargo and walked around. It was during the afternoon when everything was closed so it was very quiet. As we were driving home we spotted a little town in the hills (Coreglia Antelminella) and decided to go check it out. Once we got there it was practically empty; there were only a few old people sitting outside.

Devil's Bridge.

Devil’s Bridge.

Outside the main cathedral in Barga.

Outside the main cathedral in Barga.

Views of Barga and the surrounding hills.

Views of Barga and the surrounding hills.

Heading back to our car in quiet Barga.

Heading back to our car in quiet Barga.

Walking up the path to Coreglia Antelminelli.

Walking up the path to Coreglia Antelminelli.

This was a great week because we got to explore Lucca and take many interesting side trips.

The Art Museums of Madrid

By Max

I never thought I would be the one writing a blog post about art museums, but here I am thinking about how much I enjoyed my museum experiences in Madrid.  Truth be told, I still can get bored and have to fight off urges to touch the art, but as I worked my way through the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Reina Sofia, and the Museo del Prado, I found myself appreciating not only the individual works of art, but also how they so clearly intersect with religion, politics, and history.  I wasn’t just pretending in front of my kids, I was really viewing and reflecting with only brief mind wanderings to the upcoming NBA draft, the Yankee’s rotation, or my next meal.

There is something about being in a country, or a whole continent for that matter, with such a long tradition of art, religion, politics, and history that makes it hard to not to immerse yourself in these endeavors.  Plus, the fact that these great museums are easy to access for free or affordable prices does not hurt!

We started our museum visits at the Thyssen.  Formerly a private collection, the Thyssen provides a great survey of European and North American art from the 13th century to 20th century pop art (http://www.museothyssen.org/en/thyssen/coleccion).  Here we were able to move from early Italian art with its dark and somber depictions of the Holy Family on through to the Renaissance, Impressionism, Surrealism, and the wildly colorful work of Roy Lichtenstein.

El Museo de arte Thyssen-Bornemisza.

El Museo de arte Thyssen-Bornemisza.

 

Noah posing with an Andrea della Robbia.

Noah posing with an Andrea della Robbia.

A few days later, Sue and I took advantage of the free evening hours at the Reina Sofia.  Known as one of the top modern art museums in Europe, the Reina Sofia is the place to take in your fill of Spanish artists including Picasso and Dali.  The featured piece here is Picasso’s Guernica.  Covering much of a large wall, this mural depicts Picasso’s response to the Spanish Civil War.  While Guernica is cleary the focal point of the museum, each of its three collections (http://www.museoreinasofia.es/en/collection) calls out the tension between industrial progress, war, and political and civil unrest.  Lots of brain power required to make sense of it all.

 

Entrance to the Reina Sofia.

Entrance to the Reina Sofia.

Picasso's Guernica.

Picasso’s Guernica.

 

Lastly, we descended upon the Prado, a seemingly never ending collection of pre-20th century European art.  To say we were overwhelmed here is an understatement.  Room after room of works by famous artists such as Rubens, de Goya, El Greco, Titian, Caravaggio, and many others began to blur into each other after the first hour.  Oddly enough, one of the highlights of this visit was a special exhibit of 10 Picassos on loan from the Kunstmuseum Basel in Switzerland; the only works on display from the 20th century. (https://www.museodelprado.es/en/exhibitions/exhibitions/at-the-museum/diez-picassos-del-kunstmuseum-de-basilea/).

 

Museo Nacional del Prado.

Museo Nacional del Prado.

Woman with Hat Seated in an Armchair - Picasso.

Woman with Hat Seated in an Armchair – Picasso.

 

While I had some museum fatigue set in by the time we finished the Prado, I left Madrid a slightly more aware viewer and eager for our next art museum – the Uffizi in Florence – stay tuned!

A Hike to Remember

In his second installment of what may or may not be an ongoing series of trip reflections, Noah  recounts a hike up and down a steep trail to an amazing beach in Turkey.

By Noah

One of my favorite memories from Turkey was an adventurous, thrill-filled hike we took in the tiny coastal town of Faralya. By town I mean there were three tiny hotels, a mosque, a bus stop, and a restaurant. The hotel where we stayed, Hotel Montenegro, was a group of cabins perched high in the mountain above the water. To this day it is one of my favorite accommodations on the trip. Incredible food, friendly staff, and an unbeatable location all contributed to making it such a winner for me.

From the hotel you could see down the cliff and at the bottom was a beautiful beach in a sheltered cove nicknamed Butterfly Valley by the locals. From the moment I saw that beach I knew I had to get down there and swim in its crystal clear blue waters. The only problem was that to get down to the beach you had to take a very scary and treacherous hike down the side of the cliff and, of course, you had to make the VERY steep journey back up.

Many people told us not to go, that it was unsafe for kids, that someone would slip and fall off the cliff, but still I wanted to go. After hearing an older couple’s story about hiking down and how incredible the beach was I figured, if they can do it, then so can I!

My next task: find a willing adult to take 4 kids on a dangerous hike down a cliff at 5:00 pm and back up before dark. To the surprise of everyone, the only adult willing to do it was my mom, who is scared of heights, but agreed to do it for us. The hike started with all at the very edge of the cliff providing a very clear view of the many thousands of feet drop that awaited us if we fell off the trail.

The first part of the trail involved scrambling down the rocky path, trying not to slip and not to kick the very loose rocks down onto the heads of the people below. Our first obstacle came soon when we reached a steep drop that required you to propel down with a dinky little rope tied to a tree. As you can imagine we were all quite terrified. It was probably only a 20 ft long drop, but it took us half an hour to complete.

From there we continued down the cliff, through more ropes courses, scrambling along on our butts, and using baby trees as support so we did not fall to our deaths. When we reached the bottom is was 6:00 pm and we could all finally take a deep breath.

A short walk led us to the beach where we were blown away by just how incredible it was. The sand was soft and white, the water so blue and clear you could see 50ft down, the cliffs that formed the coves shot out into the ocean making the beach feel very secluded. And on top of all that except for two people lying in a hammock the beach was empty. Nothing feels better after a long hike in the hot sun than jumping into the warm water of the Mediterranean and we were in heaven. Unfortunately, we only had 45 minutes there before we had to head back up by nightfall, but it was all worth it.

Butterfly Valley beach

Butterfly Valley beach

Another view.

Another view from farther away

The Spanish Way

By Romi

Late nights, slow mornings, afternoon breaks and different meal times make Spain feel much different from Seattle. In Seattle, people really don’t stay up late except on the weekends, but in Spain, people are out late every night of the week! People in Spain are up late having fun, eating dinner (usually sometime after 9:30 pm), and relaxing. Even the kids are out late with their parents. Many are playing around in the plazas next to the restaurants.

Evening in Sevilla.

Evening in Sevilla and the plaza is busy.

Siesta is when everybody takes a break and either goes home to rest and eat lunch or eat out. Siesta starts around 2:00 pm and lasts until 5:00 pm. Most shops and stores are closed during this time, but the tourists sites are open. Some of the restaurants are closed too, so if you’re hungry you might be out of luck!

Siesta time and the shops are closed.

Siesta time in Madrid and the shops are closed.

In Spain many people eat tapas (small plates) instead of big meals. Lunch is usually around 2:00 pm during siesta. At lunch many people also like to eat at the bars which serve bocadillos (sandwiches), french fries, and seafood. On our walking tour of Madrid we learned that a bar with many crumpled napkins on the ground means people like that place. My favorite food in Spain has been cheese, bread, tortilla patata, churros and chocolate, and violeta candies.

Lots of napkins on the floor - must be a good place!

Lots of napkins on the floor – must be a good place!

Churros y chocolate - YUM!

Churros y chocolate – YUM!

Siesta time and the shops are closed.

Romi and Caleb outside La Violeta candy store in Madrid.

From Island to Farm to Beach

By Sue

In addition to visiting the big cities of Barcelona, Sevilla and Madrid, our time in Spain has included more low-key destinations including the island of Mallorca, an organic farm in the La Axarquía region of Andalucía, and the Costa del Sol beaches of Torrox and Nerja.

On Mallorca we stayed in the lovely village of Santa Margalita. Our apartment was located across from the police station, four houses down from the church, and a few short steps to the town plaza. It was a great location from which to take in the sites and sounds of small town Spain including flea and farmer’s markets, pick up soccer games in the plaza, and lively meetings and choir practices in the  hall above the police station. When the hustle and bustle of life in Santa Margalita got to be too much, we could always retreat to the back terrace and gaze out onto the Malloracan countryside.

Welcome to Santa Margalida.

Welcome to Santa Margalida.

The church at the end of our street.

The church at the end of our street.

Soccer in the plaza.

Soccer in the plaza.

View from our terrace.

View from our terrace.

Hiking along the coast.

Hiking along the coast.

Our next stop was Casa Montes Negros (http://www.casamontesnegros.com/); a working organic farm located in the foothills of the Sierra Tejada mountain range. Our wonderful hosts, Rachael and Ramon, along with their kids Jasmine and Sam, have a lovely home and farm where they grow almonds, figs, olives and pomegranates. Their super sweet dog named Scooby kept us company throughout our stay, often napping in the sun on the terrace outside our rooms. Within a short drive was a beautiful national park where we went for a day hike and only encountered one other group of people (and a fox) the entire time. Even with the harrowing road filled with hairpin turns leading up the farm, it was hard to leave this idyllic location.

Casa Montes Negros.

Casa Montes Negros.

Our buddy Scooby.

Our buddy Scooby.

View from our porch of olive and almond grove.

View from our porch of olive and almond grove.

Hiking at the nearby national park.

Hiking at the nearby national park.

A fox comes by to bid us farewell.

A fox comes by to bid us farewell.

Rounding out our non-urban adventure was 10 days along the Costa del Sol. Here we spent a week up in the hills above Torrox, meeting up with Max’s high school friends Liz and Lauren, followed by 3 days in Marbella. Sleeping late, going to a different beach everyday, and floating on the Mediterranean Sea was the extent of our daily agenda. We did manage to motivate and drive to Granada to visit the Alhambra and while it deserves its own blog post, a couple of pictures will have to do.

Lovely beach in Nerja.

Lovely beach in Nerja.

Floating in the Mediterranean.

Floating in the Mediterranean.

The beautiful Alhambra.

The beautiful Alhambra.

A view of the Alhambra from the Generalife.

A view of the Alhambra from the Generalife.

Great visit with Liz and Lauren.

Great visit with Liz and Lauren.

Our biggest learning from these stops? It is really important to mix it up and get away from the main tourist destinations, especially when traveling in Europe. Until we arrived in Spain we were traveling off-season and in countries that have recently experienced a significant drop in tourism due to international reports of conflict and unrest in the region. When we arrived in Barcelona (our first stop in Europe) it was a bit overwhelming to see so many tourists everywhere. Building in time to explore less frequented areas has given us a window into Spain we could not have experienced by only visiting major cities and tourist destinations.

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