Patriot's Point

If the C-17 Globemasters lined up at the Charleston airport aren't a giveaway, it won't take you long to realize this town has strong ties to the military. As you look across the Cooper River from the Battery, the second thing you'll notice is the aircraft carrier parked on the north side of the river (the first thing you notice is the Cooper River Bridge - 520' is a mountain in the Low Country!). The Yorktown CV-10 operated in the Pacific theater during the second half of WWII, and is one of 3 ships that make up the Patriot's Point museum.

We started out on the destroyer USS Laffey, which was involved in Okinawa and known as the "ship that would not die." She took 3 direct hits and 5 kamikaze attacks, but still limped back to the West Coast, was repaired in Seattle, and acted as support for the Bikini a-bomb tests.

The Yorktown was named after the ship which was sunk at midway. She had most of her decks open, including engineering (4 steam generators, 8 turbines!), the galley and mess, flight deck, and hangar deck. It felt downright spacious after the destroyer! My favorite parts were the machine shop and a Steerman they had hanging on the flight deck - I took a picture for Grandpa.

Our final stop was the diesel-electric USS Clamagore, a submarine. It was used in U-571, if you want to get a feel for the clausterphobic  life of a sailor in a swimming steel cigar.

Historic Charleston

The first free weekend in Charleston, everyone but myself and Jim were back in the PNW... What to do first?
Of course, one of the things that Charleston is most famous for is the first shot of the civil war, which was fired on union troops in Ft Sumter in Charleston harbor. The Cold War bunker in the middle of the fort was a bit of a surprise, but it housed a very neat little museum. The mortar foundation awed my civil engineering self with its sheer mass. Today, the guns were quiet.

We walked back down East Bay street and took in a little Colonial history at the Old Exchange building. Costumed historians filled us in on its history. George Washington danced there, the Redcoats used it as a prison, and remains from the old fortified city wall are still in the basement. We wandered around south of Broad and through the market... History aside, Charleston really is a charming city.

"In walking about Charleston, I was forcibly reminded of some of the older country towns in England. The appearance of the city is highly picturesque...It has none of the smug mercantile primness of the Northern cities, but a look of state...a little gone down in the world, yet remembering still its former dignity...Charleston has an air of eccentricity, too and peculiarity, which formerly were not deemed unbecoming..." British actress Frances Ann Kemble, 1839

Sweet South Carolina

I have discovered that there are some huge advantage to working for an aerospace company. For starters, it's an international business. What that means is that lots of people travel. Its taking a year and a half, but now I get to travel to. Right now I'm in Charleston South Carolina.  Why Charleston? Because boeing has a plant here. So I was basically given an indefinite semi vacation to the lovely South Carolina coast.
Charleston has been a pleasant surprise. The city is full of history from the revolution do the present day. It was the tuner box that started the Civil War. The streets are a mix of old French style with a hint of American colonial and have that inviting southern feel generated by a long, two story deck. Now imagine cobbled streets with flowering trees and the sound of Horses clapping along and you're there.

Charleston Sunrise

Iberia via HipGeo

Our trip map from HipGeo. Portugal and southern Spain!

24 Hours in Madrid (+ trip pics!)

Our night was short because the bus to Madrid left at 8 the next morning. It was made a little shorter when something I'd eaten earlier decided it didn't like being in my guts any more... It made for an interesting drive while i waited for the next bathroom. Em couldn't sleep much after 4 either, so we enjoyed our breakfast and cool walk to the bus. Luckily we both got an hour plus nap in right after leaving Grenada and were at least somewhat awake for our hike to Hostal Cervalo. We couldn't stay there long, though! We had only 23 hours in Madrid and so much to do!! 

The first stop was Puerta del Sol, where he protests happened a few years ago. From there the streets are full of shopping- fashion, electronics, futbol, helado, bars/cafeterias... We had fun despite our tiredness. We walked home past the royal palace, and left a few minutes later to go to the Reina Sofia art museum. It's free after 7, but by the time we got in we had just over an hour. We ran up the stairs to the Spanish Civil War gallery. It's an emotional roller coaster on a good day. When you're physically and emotionally exhausted already, it's numbing. Guernica is grayer than i expected, and as i looked at it i kept seeing the peaceful city near Mundaka that we visited a few years ago. 

Rather than going directly home, we hunted down some horchata and froyo near Sol and wandered the long way back. Re-packing for the last time was surreal- Emily commented that it felt like "tomorrow we're on to the next city." Two weeks is long enough to get into a routine, and we were living with our backpacks for just about that long. 
Getting up, drinking espresso at a cafe, packing, and getting on a subway with our backpacks is pretty normal. Going though security, getting on a plane, and flying west is not normal. Hasta luego, España.

Bonus: Here's the trip slideshow

Granada

Our walk from the bus to White Nest hostel took us through the tiny, crooked streets of the Albacin (Moorish) neighborhood. The hostel is actually close to the bottom of the ravine that runs below the Alhambra. The stream at the bottom was a natural air conditioner- a welcome change after Sevilla. We wandered the streets on Saturday and shared a tortilla with ali-oli sauce and mojitos (hey, it was still hot out and we had had sangria the past 3 days!) at a great little cafe on a pedestrian street filled with bars.

Sunday we were up early and had hiked to the Alhambra by 8. We were with the first group in to the palaces at 830. I don't think that either of us were really ready for what we saw. The level of artistry and intricacy in the tile, stone, wood, and plaster work was stunning. We took a full three hours to wander the multiple palaces, the lush gardens, museum, and fortress. 
The sun was hot as we came back into town, and we were glad that we had done our major sightseeing so early. After a break at the hostel and lunch we wandered town again, stopping in shops, drinking espresso, and winding down to the river. Granada is at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, which still had streaks of snow in July. The river itself was low but glacier blue. 

We spent an hour or two resting and then got dinner before the flamenco show. I stopped in a kebap stand and got pita falafel, while emily opted for shrimp at a cafe that we had stopped at earlier in the day. The only problem was that our waiter had thought she'd ordered razor clams. You should have seen the look on her face. Absolute horror. i think it was made up for when the shrimp finally came. 

The flamenco was at a place called El Chien Andalou, the Andalusian Dog. We were in a long, low, barrel vaulted basement packed with low stools and tables. We ended up sharing our table with an Italian lady (who also spoke Spanish and French), a French lady, and her two sons. The show began with a solo guitarist, added a singer, and then added a dancer. Linda warned me that flamenco was "soooo intense," and was she ever right! I wish i could have seen the lady's feet, because the rhythms coming from the floor and the guitar and the singer and the dancer's hands were captivating. Everything about it was captivating.

Sevilla days 3 - 3.5

artsy fartsy
the plan for day 3 in Sevilla was to fill up on art and see the northern part of the city center. We went through our usual routine of yogurt and fruitbat home followed by coffee/oj + croissant in a cafe, and then wandered over to the fine arts museum. It is in an old monestary and mostly 15th-18th century religious art that had been donated. I most enjoyed the display of 19th and 20th century paintings. Many were impressionist and either portraits or scenes from everyday life. 

The next stop was across the river at the ACCA, Andalusian Center for Contemporary Art. The trouble was that the building was not accurately positioned on our map, and we spent an extra mile in the sun trying to find it. There were a variety of fine and multimedia installations from international artists. We spent over an hour wandering through. 

The art centers had worked up quite the appetites in us, and we were on the far side of major construction from food. So we jumped on a bus (a/c!) and rode it all the way to Prado de San Sebastian on the south side of the city center. From there we walked through the university and found a sort of fast food/cafeteria place where we ordered fresh salads, mini-sandwiches, and lots of water. Emily found us a shaded route* all the way to the big wooden mushroom/tree sculpure, which we knew housed roman ruins. (there was a break for ice cream here when we got to the sculpture :-)
Thinking that we had just bought tickets to the exhibit, we stepped into an elevator... And rode to the walkway and viewing platform on top of the sculpture! We enjoyed the view of the city before riding back down and going in the correct door. 

Love these girls!

The roman city that was discovered while excavating the sculpture's foundation is very well displayed. Interactive displays next to each foundation gave a rendering of what it looked like and was used for. Our favorite part was probably the beautiful mosaics on the floors of several of the buildings. 
Having spanned Sevillan art from the 5th century to the 21st, we went on new quest for the medieval city walls. I was disappointed that i couldn't climb on then when we got tbere, but they were massive and a beautiful example of double wall defences. The low front wall was backed by a deep channel and then the higher wall which had supporting towers every 150-200 feet. 
We came back into downtown and walked through the long Hercules square. Legend says that the city was founded by the greek hero after he created the straight of Gibraltar, and the square has pillars topped by lions to honor him. We re-hydrated with OJ and trudged back home. 

As the weather cooled, we went out in search of dinner again and wound up at the same tapas bar as the first night. This time we knew better than to order 5 plates of food... Just tortilla with salmorejo sauce, a huge plate of jamon, a Spanish ratatouille with a quail egg cooked on top, and the usual bread. Plus a pitcher of sangria. 
Around 9 we wandered down to the river and spent a little of our travel money from Aunt Marilyn on renting sit on top kayaks for an hour. The river wasn't cold but still felt wonderful on our exhausted feet. We paddled up and half-floated back as the sun set over the city. We were lucky that Jone had her phone and got some pictures.

Our final morning was pretty relaxed. We dressed, packed, and walked with Jone to the bus station. We arrived with time for coffee and croissant, and then said our goodbyes as the airport bus pulled up. Somehow it seems easier to say goodbye after you've proven to yourself that it is really just "until next time."

Hasta la vista, Triana!

Em and i walked back to the hotel, grabbed our bags, checked out, walked to Fientorina Heladeria one last time (it was closed), got regular ice cream at a cafe, and got on our bus to Grenada...

* the reason for crooked streets in Moorish cities? They keep the sun out. It feels 10*cooler in the crevasses between the buildings!

Our first full day in Sevilla - July 4

We needed a plan for our day. That and a phone charger. Emily's had been left at Lost and Found. After breaking our fast with yogurt and fruit, we struck out in search of espresso, a walking tour, and the cathedral. We found them together in the center of town and had enough time for a drink and toast before the tour began. Do you know that you can get olive oil for your toast instead of butter in Spain? It comes in a little packet like creamer! 

Our guide took our group past the cathedral and described how Giralda tower was saved from destruction during the reconquista, how the statue's head at Puerta Jerez was broken off after Spain won a football semifinal, how a Bourbon princess willed her palace to be turned into an orphanage and sailing school after her death (Sevilla was a major port for American trade), how Plaza de España was built as a giant hug for the Americas but is also the palace at Naboo and the Dictator's palace, and the real life of the women who worked at the cigar factory which is now the university. The most famous of those women? A gypsy named Carmen from the opera of the same name.

Later in the afternoon we hunted down a phone charger (we wouldn't have survived without Jone as our translator!!) and then visited the cathedral and Giralda tower. The cathedral was built on a mosque for which Giralda was the mineret. The back door of the cathedral is through a courtyard filled with orange trees and a beautiful Moorish arch. The tower is also unique, with ramps instead of stairs. That way the imam could ride a donkey up, rather than walking 5x/day!
The inside of the cathedral itself is dominated by a huge organ and heavy walls and pillars. It is an older gothic style than the airy York Minster, but definitely impressive as it draws your eyes upward. The 18th century chapter house and side rooms are filled with treasure, much of it brought back from the Americas.

Christopher Columbus

In the late evening, after crashing at "home" for a few minutes, we wandered back to the river side and played cards while feasting on more delicious tapas dishes and sangria. I never thought I'd hear Emily say she liked cod, but we scraped the bowl clean! Besides good food and good company, we enjoyed watching the sun set over the city and river. Beautiful!

We pick up a 3rd and wander Sevilla

Sevilla. After stops in Faro, Huelva, and a random rest stop/cafe between the two, we rolled into Plaza de Armas only a few minutes behind schedule. The poor driver of the bus to the airport was very confused as to why two backpackers who spoke no Spanish would want round trip tickets for that day. "Hoy? Ida y vuelta solo hoy!" "si, aja y aqui tambien, hoy. Yo sabe."
We got to the airport at 2:50, just in time to surprise Jone as she came off her plane. She expected us to be at the hotel, and a "kaixo, Jone!" as she headed for the exit made her spin around. The 3 of us rode back into town and unloaded our gear at the very nice Hotel Zenit (booked by Oma - muchas gracias!) in the Triana neighborhood on the south west side of the river.
Our first destination as we headed out was a heladeria recommended by Amy Ubungen. It was less than a mile away and filled with the best and most unique helados we have had the entire trip. Jone had chocolate, Emily ordered a mocha flavour, and i tested a combination of Sevilla Cream (custard) and Viennese Cake - a sort of Linzer torte flavor. Between the delicious sweetness and 100* heat, our treats didn't last long. 

the BEST helado yet! Thanks, Amy!

We had a map but no real idea of the importance of anything we were seeing, so we wandered that afternoon and simply explored historic Sevilla. We spent a while in the beautiful Plaza de España and the surrounding gardens, where the trees and heavy brick walls offered a little protection from the sun. The ones who had the worst of it were the carriage horses, who stood without shade waiting for passengers. There were also a few crazy runners out and about... One of whom, a PT, asked us to help him with a knot in his back. Jone and I walked on it for a minute - one of the stranger parts of the day, but he felt better afterwords. 

Look who we found! [Plaza de Espana]

Happy girl with her Tortilla

Foot weary, sweaty, and hungry, we went back to the hotel and relaxed for a few minutes before searching out a place to eat in Triana. The temperature had dropped by 730 so we ate outside at a bar. There was not enough room on the table for all we ordered - a cheese plate, salmorejo and jamon laden bread, tortilla patata (much to Emily's delight), bread, another tapa, and a pitcher of Sangria. 

We finally collapsed into bed after showers and slept wonderfully (AC!) until our alarm went off in the morning...

"Two women lost in an unknown city. Now that's what I call an adventure." - Elanor Lavish

Third time's the charm. I wrote a lovely post all about Sintra and the Algarve, only to have HipGeo lose it. Let's try this again.

Hiking fuel!

We hiked up the hill to the Moorish castle on Sunday. The skies were clear and the castle towers gave us a wonderful view of the park, palaces in the valley, and Pena palace just above us. The stone walls were rebuilt in the 19th century and wind dizzyingly along the high ridge. Emily didn't seem so sure about the lack of railings... On the way down we stopped for a 6:00 dinner, for which we paid lunchtime prices. The place we ate at had a view of Sintra palace over the valley and we amused ourselves throwing olive pits at pigeons. 
In the evening we unwound at Nice Way Sintra Hostel and laid out a plan for the morning. 

A nice couple from Calgary took this picture for us.

I was out the door early and took the 8:20 train to the town of Mem Martins. After an hour of wandering the same street and asking locals where the Crossfit gym was, i was ready to call it quits and head back to Sintra before Em started to worry. As i walked by a cafe on my way to the train station, i saw a man on the window with a crossfit Sintra tshirt - so i walked in and asked him if he could tell me where his gym is. He smiled and asked "Rebecca?" Paolo was the gym owner and drove us to the gym, put me through a warmup and mobility work, coached my cleans, and then gave me a 10 minute burpee-box jump + wall ball AMRAP. finally, since i was concerned about being back by 11 (at whicb point Emily was allowed to start worrying), he drove me back to the central square in Sintra. I call it Portuguese hospitality. In Paolo's words, "that's Crossfit."
Meanwhile, Emily had been on her own adventure to mail a dozen postcards and find a grocery store for lunch food. She walked all the way past the train station before finding a tiny grocery in a back alley in central Sintra. We lunched on chorrizo, cheese, and oranges.
The skies were cloudy and the temperatures cooler that day, which made for a more comfortable hike through Quinta da Regaleira and up to Pena Palace, but no views from either. Quinta da Regaleira has amazing grounds, including a well with a spiral staircase carved into the outside. When you descend you find a network of tunnels which exit to other parts of the gardens. The house is equally ornate and exotic. The floors are tiled with mosaics, the walls muraled, and the ceilings carved. It has exactly the rooms you need to play Clue, too... The perfect place for hosting a mystery dinner,we thought!
After a stop for shopping in town, we hiked up to Pena Palace. It was a fairytale. High, brightly painted walls on the outside with colourfully decorated, warm living spaces inside. This, combined with the cooler temperatures and forests of Sintra, explains why the Portuguese royals loved vacationing there.
We were ravenous by the time we made it back down the hill and into town. 

After wandering a little while we wound up at a fantastic little cafe/tea house called Saudade. We split a half bottle of a local green wine, and i had perhaps the best Panini of my life. 
Tuesday morning we rolled out early and made our way back to Lisbon by train, and by bus from Lisbon to Albufeira. Albufeira is a resort town on the Algarve coast known for its beaches. We stumbled around town (literally- I'm glad my tablet survived the wipeout) before finally figuring out our tickets for the next day and how to get to our hostel. 
Aside- the local bus driver didn't speak any English, we don't speak Portuguese... So broken Spanish on both sides it was as we tried to figure out what time to catch the bus back to the station. "español? A que hora mañana... El bus... Aqui?" "mañana...?" "si.", at which point our driver walked off and was back two minutes later with a schedule.

Lost and Found hostel was exactly what we needed. A quiet little oasis on the outskirts of town with rooms and kitchen wrapped around a tiled and flower filled courtyard. We changed into our bathing suits and walked the mile to the beach. An hour napping in the sun, splashing in the surf, and watching the sailboats pass was exhausting. We picked up groceries on the way home and made a MASSIVE Denver scramble. Yum! Our hosts let us use their clothes line to dry the two sink-loads of laundry that followed. Our shirts smelled like sea breeze when we brought them in. The last part of the evening was consumed by "A Room with a View" and spritzer.

Wednesday was another early morning. We caught a 7:10 bus at 7:25 - we knew Portuguese busses tend to run a little late, but we were getting nervous! - and finally our bus to Sevilla. There I will leave you, because i have already been writing for an hour as we roll across Andalusia towards Granada...

Guest Blogging 101

Moorish castle on the rocky outcropping above our hostel.

I am guest blogging. That's what Becca told me. Apparently even when the blog is 50% about you, you are a guest. Of course, you would know that Becca didn't write this entry because I sound nothing l like her....at least I don't think so. Maybe it's likes being sisters and thinking you look nothing alike when in reality you are practically identical. Anyways, you decide. 

That all being said, we made it to Sintra! This is what today looked like:
- pack up and stow bags at hostel in Lisbon
- 9.30 head to awesome metal elevator in the center of the city that we attempted and failed to take 3 times the day before
- get on metro to water, transfer to bus, head for tile museum
- 10.30 very kind old Portuguese woman walks lost Americans to the museum
- ART EXTRAVAGANZA
- stop for coffee, realize we are starving, and head for grocery store to get a snack
- 12.00 failed attempt to find post office
-12.30 tapas for lunch. Tapas may be Spain's greatest contribution to the world thus far.
- back to hostel, grab bags, and hit the road.....aka tiled sidewalk...for the train station
- 1.30 take train to Sintra, walk to new hostel, check in with the very frazzled new girl
- find bakery that welsh cook at Portuguese hostel recommended. Mmmmmmm.
- make way up mountain by foot to large, old, fabulous castle. Funny thing, there are very high walls and no railings. And everyone seems to survive just fine. Take note, USA.
- meet sweet couple from Calgary in castle
- hike down mountain. We took only one wrong turn AND came upon the gatehouse so it was totally worth it.
- eat at funky cafe
- stroll home.....and here we are

Takeaway: never try to convince me that we were not created to create. I won't believe you.

View from our room