Summer Trip to France and Spain 1919
By Lucas and Elizabeth Bouchard
August 17,1919 4:00 pm E
We arrived at the Alhambra Palace Hotel in the late morning after a miserable train ride from Cordoba. Fortunately, the trip was not too long. The accommodations are like nothing I have seen before. The hotel was built in an old palace just a decade ago, and it has the most modern amenities. I spent a long time soaking in a sunken bathtub that could serve as a small swimming pool. Lucas and Laura took Jack to a nearby park to work off some excess energy while leaving me to some peace and quiet. We plan on dining in the hotel this evening and we will have a full day at the Alhambra tomorrow.
August 18, 1919 8:30 am L
Dinner last night was quite an experience. We took the host's suggestion and ate their Moroccan themed dinner. We sat on low couches and pillows around an enormous silver tray. Jack of course thought it the best thing ever to "eat on the floor"; and with one's hands on top of it. His favorite was B'stilla which is a pigeon pie made with very fine pastry sheets formed into a round. It is savory but the top is dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon to form a design. Jack loved breaking off pieces and eating it with his hands; he declared it "sooo good."
August 19,1919 8:30 am E
The Alhambra was everything I had imagined and more. Built in the 13th century by the Moorish occupiers, it is the crown jewel of their legacy of architectural artistry. The detail of the stonework around the windows and doorways is truly amazing. It looks like someone had piped frosting on the most intricately designed wedding cake. Each window and door is as beautiful as the last and the tilework… magnificent. We visited the summer palace called the "Generalife" in the morning and had our lunch there in the gardens. Another magnificent place to visit; it is smaller but with similar architecture, but also featuring lavish gardens and pools.
August 20,1919 8:30 am E
Yesterday we spent much of the day in the streets of the old Moorish neighborhood "Albazyn" doing some shopping for gifts for our friends and family. Just Lucas and I returned to the Alhambra last night for a special musical event; the intimacy of the darkness lit only with candles was hard to describe. It was very romantic just, as Lucas had planned, as was the dinner afterward. He had the restaurant bring in sea scallops fresh from the coast; they were sweet and succulent and beautifully accompanied by fresh vegetables. He had a special chocolate cake made to my sheer delight. My husband certainly knows how to treat his wife.
August 20, 1919 10:30 am L
We are on the way to Málaga on the Costa del Sol. Málaga was founded a couple of millennia ago and is one of the Mediterranean's most important seaports. We were glad to add it to our list of destinations, but it was hard to leave Granada and the magic of the Alhambra. I remember visiting it as a child, but it was almost like seeing it for the first time, when you see it with someone you love. Someday, I hope that Jack will return, perhaps with the woman he loves, so he can experience it all over again. He is younger than I was, so for him it would be truly new.
August 20,1919 9:30 pm E
The train from Granada to Málaga was only a couple of hours so after we settled into our hotel, we went to visit the beach. We decided we would also take in the beautiful cathedral that dominates the city scape afterward, so we didn't get into our beach attire. Lucas satisfied Jack by buying a kite for them to fly and he was truly excited. He ran his little legs off keeping the kite flying with little help from Lucas other than takeoff. Lucas assured him he can roll it up and take it to HV with us in one of the trunks.
The Roman Catholic church was constructed between 1528 and 1782; with the long timeframe over which it was built it contains elements of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. Originally it was to have two belltowers but the second was never built because of a lack of funding. Hence, the cathedral received the nickname "La Manequita" which loosely translates to "one armed woman". We have visited many beautiful churches during our visit, each one distinct in some manner. The 40 wooden choir stalls of this church are one of the standout features. They were built in the mid-17th century of mahogany and cedarwood with each stall containing a carving of a saint. The gleaming beauty of the wood itself and what master carvers accomplished with it is a sight to behold.
After our visit to the Cathedral, Lucas and I dropped off Laura and Jack at our hotel. Luca made the accommodations at the last minute, when we added Málaga to our trip. The hotel is small but very nice, with beautiful tiling and a lovely little courtyard. Jack wanted to play, and Laura said she would read and relax and keep an eye on him. Lucas and I went for a late tea at the Palacio Solecio, a palace with Moorish architecture that has since been converted into a hotel and restaurant. We usually share one dessert, but we couldn't make up our minds between the recommendations of the waiter, so we ordered both. Lucas selected a piece of the Tarta de Málaga and promptly offered me the first bite, as I was looking at it with yearning. Mine was a chocolate confection and both were equally delicious. To be fair, I gave him a small bite of mine too. These special moments together are precious as we both know that our honeymoon is winding down, but we will take many wonderful memories with us.
August 21, 1919 8:30 pm L
Today was a blur as we are challenged to try to do so much with so little time here in Málaga. I am glad that we added it to our itinerary as it is such a perfect setting. Lovely beaches and so rich in history, and yet we only got a small taste. And of course, we do our best to mix in activities that Jack will enjoy, so our trip to the beach was essential. Today we went to visit the ruins of the Roman amphitheater which was fun for him because there is a lot of interesting climbing; I get my work out keeping up with him. The amphitheater is next to the Alcazaba (palace). To say that Spain has preserved a rich wealth of Moorish architecture, is an understatement. Andalucia has so many beautiful examples….. Cordoba, Granada, Málaga and coming up, we will have Sevilla. We ended our day by walking through the streets in one of the older neighborhoods. It is interesting to see the artisan work from town to town. We ended up finding a small restaurant that would serve dinner a little early by Spanish standards. Jack was getting quite tired as we put in a lot of legwork today. We were all famished, so I was happy that we found a place that would open for us; a shopkeeper recommended it to us and even called ahead to request an early seating. They took our order over the phone so they could get started before we got there. The people we have met during our journey have been so warm and welcoming, and they try to help in any way they can. I think having Jack, our little "rubio" (blond) helps get us some extra attention too.
August 22, 1919 8:30 pm L
Today we made our way to the Castle of Gilbrafaro which comes from the Greek and Latin meaning "rock of the lighthouse". It was built in 929 AD by the Caliph of Cordoba on a former Phoenician enclosure and lighthouse high on the hill above the city. Later in the 14th century it was enlarged by the Sultan of Granada, also adding a double wall down the hill to the Alcazaba.
During the Reconquista, Ferdinand and Isabella were in a three-month siege, which ended only when the Malagueños were forced to surrender due to hunger. Much of the structure was badly damaged or destroyed; not surprisedly since this was the first battle where gunpowder was used on both sides. But there are remains that are fascinating; the ramparts largely survived and from them one can get views of the sea. Jack was very interested in learning all about the battle.
In the afternoon we made another trip down to the beach and built our version of the castle ramparts. I guess we did a good job because we had several people stop and tell us that it was a good likeness. I am afraid that Jack and I both got our bottoms sandy and damp, so we will have to get our clothes cleaned at our next stop. We are on the evening train to Sevilla; there was so much more to see in Málaga but we saw what we could in the time we had.
August 23,1919 8:30 pm E
What a day we had today, our time in Sevilla has been compressed, so we are trying our best to fit in as much as possible. We spent much of the morning and early afternoon at the Plaza de Espana. Such beautiful examples of Spanish artisan tile along the bridges, building facades and especially the representation of 48 regions in alcoves divided by tile benches around the perimeter. Atter having our lunch there, we then went to the alcazar (caste/palace) to see another gorgeous example of Moorish architecture left by the occupation of Spain. A beautiful pool fills the center courtyard of the palace; the courtyard is lined with columns at both ends with the characteristic intricate stonework.
August 24, 1919 8:30 pm L
Another wonderful day in Sevilla as we toured the Jewish sector of the old town. We shopped there for a few small items and then were escorted to a nearby "finca" (ranch) for the afternoon and evening. On this particular finca, they harvest olives for oil; some of the trees were hundreds of years old. They also had a large area where they raised "toros", the bulls that would someday fight in the bull rings around Spain. We didn't take in a bull fight on our trip; we had thought of going here in Sevilla until we revised our schedule. We wouldn't have taken Jack in any case and Elizabeth wasn't sure she wanted to go either, so it seemed to be the one event to strike off the list when we decided to fit Málaga into our itinerary.
The woman who owned the small "pension" (motel) where we are staying loaned Elizabeth a traditional skirt to wear to the finca. The hem is shorter so that it doesn't get dirty. The woman insisted when she saw how Elizabeth was dressed when she came down to breakfast.
Jack was of course excited about the bulls. They are truly massive. A bull for an A-class ring weighs around 450 kilos or roughly 1000 pounds. We were able to get close to a few by a fence but even he stayed back several steps as the bulls snorted and breathed heavily. Jack was brave, but his eyes were as big as saucers until he felt sure that the gate was secure; then he was delighted.
August 25, 1919 10:30 pm L
This morning we went to the "Torre del Oro" (tower of gold) erected by the Almohad Caliphate in the early 13th century in order to control access to the Guadalquivir river. The ten sided tower later served as a prison in the Middle Ages. It got its name from the golden shine it projected on the river, due to the mixture of mortar, lime and pressed hay that it was made of. The tower's original base was added onto, with another 8 meters in the 14th century. When an earthquake damaged the tower, it was repaired, and a third level added in 1760.
I suppose boys will be boys; anything to do with military function Jack finds intriguing. I imagine it isn't just his gender, but the fact that he has been told that his father fought in the Northern territory and thus, anything related is interesting to him. Added to that is the fact that some of the military sites we have visited have armament that is intriguing to him from his keen attention to engineering/mechanics.
After the tower we had to get back to finish packing… a task for which we have all become experts. We are on our way to Lisbon on a sleeper car. We have a several days planned there, and one day trip to Nazare which is situated a bit north of Lisbon. We will board our transatlantic steamship in Lisbon, midday on the last day of August. We should arrive home in Hope Valley on the 15th of September.
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