Trading Turkey for Tapas

Thanksgivings have always been a special time for us to travel. Some of our most memorable involve meeting our dear friends, Cara and Willie, somewhere. We all met in Sicily when Cara taught across the hall from me, and she was my teacher sponsor. Even though years pass between our visits, it's always like we were together yesterday.

Malaga, Spain, was our destination for Thanksgiving, 2011.
November was the perfect time as very few tourists filled the great number of available apartments.

Roman ruins

 Our choice for Thanksgiving dinner...El Pimpi

Flint and Willie get really serious about two things...food and music.

Our taste buds were NOT disappointed!

 

Pointing to one of the many Monk Parakeets that fly and squawk in the area. Birds of Europe  lists them in the section 'Introduced breeding species and species recorded only as escapes.'

Will there be a statue some day? (See Picasso below. A similar statue of
Hans Christian Anderson, who frequently visited Malaga, sits in another park.
A little ugly duckling looks out of his satchel.)

 And, what did the Hop On-Hop Off bus tour bring out in our crew???

The Bull Ring and interesting exhibits

View from Cara and Willie's room
from Hotel Igh Eliseos
Nice hotel, excellent location, friendly staff

Park near the hotel

Cathedral interior...One of many lovely churches in Malaga

Birthplace of Picasso

We visited Museo Carmen Thyssen Malaga. One of those museums that is the perfect size...
not so much to overwhelm so there is time to look at it and appreciate what is there..

Floral Nativity

They turned on the Christmas lights for us!

How many smiles has this lady brought to children over the years?

Our final evening included Richard, Dana and children who now live in Spain.

When Cara moved

out of her classroom across the hall, Dana moved in.

Once again, it was if we had just been

together yesterday. 

Hailey was one of the youngest babies I have ever held,

and she's always

been Flint's 'Little Comet'.

We ran down to the hospital as soon as school dismissed that day. 

What a fun family!

Such a special Thanksgiving, and we must say that we are very grateful

for our friends wherever in the

world they may be.

Eleventh Entry: Cluj to Budapest

How appropriate that we would leave Romania on such a dismal day! Our days there were light-hearted and filled with sunshine. The dreariness of the day matched our feelings. Marinel drove us to Cluj for our train to Budapest.

However, the gloom of the day made this stop perfect! Hotel Dracula for coffee and a show. Being led down dark stairs by candlelight, we were told about the Count. The candle light was extinguished, the coffin opened, and the desk clerk jumped out! Exiting via the dark staircase, a hand grazed our thighs. We all thought it was each other, but No!!! Someone else was in on the scare...and this one REALLY surprised us!

As we arrived in Cluj, who was on Romanian radio, but Iz singing his beautiful rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Rural views from the train included gypsy camps and wildlife.

JP and I arrived late in Budapest at night, but we had to find something to eat. Just a couple of blocks away, we found a nice little eatery that we would visit more than once.

We began our wanderings around the city with stops that included St. Matthias Church, Fisherman's Bastion and just lots of walking around. JP had asked a friend from his high school days and her husband to join us as they live in Germany. We wandered until their arrival later our first day. I was amazed at what an upscale city Budapest has become although it was beautiful and vibrant on my first trip.

(My previous visit to Budapest was 18 June 1985-a day trip from Vienna. I did recall the beauty of the city, but my journal reflects more of my fellow tourists and their personalities, not being allowed to take pictures along the border, hidden Russian barracks among the trees near the border, our guide continually reminding us that we were on a schedule, two of the men in our group writing their postcards as they walked, and the guard trying to pronounce my name when they returned passports to us. Some one in the crowd commented, "Those American names!" We did have a delicious meal in The Hungarian Restaurant on Lenin Place, a noodle soup, cabbage salad, pork with noodles and sauce, and chocolate cake.)

War Memorial

The delightful couple who met us...

so sorry that the hotel insisted that she take my worn out shoes home with her! I left them by the trashcan just IN CASE someone would want them! I think they felt badly that they had removed my bed and had to bring in another one for the last night. They just didn't know that we were an aunt/nephew traveling together.

"Shoes on the Danube Promenade"
A memorial to those who were shot into the river during the 1940's
60 pairs of iron shoes stretching for about 40 meters

Fisherman's Bastion
JP and I ate a lovely lunch outdoors at this lovely restaurant Halaszbastya

Interior of St. Matthias Church
Beautiful details and stained glass

The 'Hop On-Hop Off' bus ticket included a Danube cruise, goulash soup, and a beer. We cruised at dusk to watch the city light up.

 JP had a great idea when he came up with this trip. I wonder where his great ideas will take us next..........

Tenth Entry: Romania and the Painted Monasteries

We left Kiev in a big rain enroute to Suceava, Romania, stopping for breakfast, lunch and customs. The border stops-one departing Ukraine; one for entering Romania-didn't seem to take as long as the one hour stop on the train. But, it did seem a bit tense. JP and I had to get out of the vehicle at one point. The passport stamps show the mode of transportation--a car, train, etc. Driving all day, we met our lovely hostess (our driver's sister) and their parents at their little grocery store. A delightful family! It was dark then so we didn't see Fernando's Hideaway until the morning. We stayed in their house that was modeled after the old-style Romania houses. (A portion of land had been returned to the family after the collapse of communism.) It's 'out in the country,' and is set away from the road. A neighbor lit the fireplaces prior to our arrival so we would be comfortable.

 

Hands preparing supper; Palinca and native pottery

The wood stove that serves as a fireplace, too.



Every bite and sip....delicious!
Sarniale and niamaliga (polenta), Palinca and white wine from Cotnari,
Cozonac (Moldovian cake), and Lavanda tea



The entrance to Fernando's Hideaway
We awoke to a beautiful day.

First stop of the day:  a tiny museum

Since the key wasn't available, we saw it the next best way.



Common transportation
The horses always have a touch of red for good fortune.



Selling extra crops along side the road



Knock or ring the bell to buy here.

Stork's nest
Unfortunately, they had just migrated south.

Voronet Monastery

Suchevista

Market

Author's house

Popa Museum-an incredible collection of art, masks,

artifacts, culture, and works of Popa. I bought one of

the last carved wooden bowls that was for sell.

 JP and Mrs. Popa. What a delightful little lady! She burst into

song as she took us through the hallway lined with a wonderful

collection of Romanian art.

Some of Popa's whimsical sculptures