Playa del Ingles, Gran Canaria

For my stay in Grand Canary I chose to stay in Playa deal Ingles, which translates to beach of the English. In a way it is a very fitting name since English was much more widely spoken than Spanish. Of course I could also have gotten by in German, Swedish, Norweigen, Danish and several other languages as well. Playa del Ingles is a bit dated, there are newer resort communities a bit farther along the coast, but they all share an abundance of sun seekers from northern climates. 

Of of the interesting things to note are the shopping centers. Here they usually contain a grocery store or two, some duty free shopping (the Canary Islands are a duty free zone), restaurants and bars. The closest center to me was the Jumbo Centrium and it lived up to its name, it was the biggest center in the area. Two shopping centers, a load of restaurants, lots of duty free shopping (Michael Kors was the big seller, though not sure if it was real or knock-off) and an abundance of bars. 

Playa has over the years gained a reputation as a gay get away spot so it was no surprise that there were more than a few gay bars at the Jumbo. As I walked about one evening I counted 30 gay bars before I stopped counting. Most were casual sit down bars, but at least 4 featured drag shows of varying qualities including one featuring a little person drag queen. There were also a handful of men only clubs with names like Tom's Cruie Bar, the Celler, Bunker and Construction. And bar life starts late, like 10, 11 or even 12.

One of the big draws is the beach which runs for several miles. It has a great quality of sand, vey fine and comfortable. Behind the beach is a large natural reserve with beautiful sand dunes. Makes you think perhaps you are in the Sahara desert, except with an ocean. Speaking of the Sahara, the Canary Islands are located off the coast of Western Sahara, a disputed territory. Unlike the Saharah which I pictured inhabited by Bedoin tribes with the men in flowing robes and the women veiled, the area of the beach farthest from the town is a Playa Natural. There I was, wandering along as I was created, when a ranger drove by with no sign that it was out of the ordinary. 

The first of my day trips was to Telde, a not so interesting city, and the on to Las Palmas, the capital city. Las Palmas was an interesting visit. There is a nice older section near the Cathedral with some good turn of the century modernist inspired architecture. The Cathedral itself was not that interesting in my opinion. On the way back it began to rain, a rarity as I was told they only get 6 days of rain per year. 

The second day trip was along the south shore. I started in Puerto de Mogan, a pretty fishing village. It's described as Gran Canaria's Venice, but two half block canals didn't make me think Venice. Even though I didn't ride the Yellow Submarine, I enjoyed Puerto de Mogan.

From there I took the local bus back along the coast. Since it is a volcani island, this stretch of the coast is mostly steep cliffs, so not a great route if you have a fear of heights. At many points where a canyon came down to the sea there was anew condo development hugging the cliffs. Some nice looking resorts in this area. 

At one point I got off the bus and strolled along a path that had been built between a new developement in one canyon, to Puerto Rico, an older village in the next canyon. It was a nice walk that must have cost a small fortune to build into the cliff. From Puerto Rico I caught the bus down to the lighthouse on the far end of the dunes. Here there was another large new developement with the largest swimming pool I have ever seen. From there I was able to walk back through the dunes to Playa del Ingles.

My final excursion was to Teror, one of the inland cities. Teror has a nice church that contains Our Lady of the Pines, the patron saint of the island. Teror is a cute little town with colonial homes whose balconies overlook the main street. According to the legend, our lady was found in a pine tree here. How the statue got there is anyone's guess.

In Teror I got to sample two Canarian dishes, chorizo from Teror, sort of a spicy paste that I didn't care for, and wrinkly potatoes with mojo, small potatoes boiled in salt water served with mojo sauce. The potatoes were good, but not something worth a detour. 

As you go around the island, much of it looks similar to the American southwest. Arid with some sagebrushy looking vegetation. Then there are massive plastic covered greenhouse structures that you can't see into to see what is growing. 

Sadly my time here was too short to see how the west was won in Sioux City, a recreation of the American western frontier. Sioux City seems out of place, but perhaps it is the Spanish version of Disney World. Likewise, I missed Hanger 37 where I could have played desert war games.  From the promo commercial playing in baggage claim, Hanger 37 seemed to be a Disney World Verizon of the war in Afganistan, a bit weird for me.

Barcelona - Second Museum Day

Two other museums caught my attention for this trip. One of them I saw a on a banner hanging from a light pole near Sagrada Familia. Who knew that Barcelona would be home to the Hash, Hemp and Marijuana Museum?

It was an interesting collection divided into various subject areas. The first area covered the biology of the plant which was very informative. I never realized that there were male and female plants, and it's the female that is grown for smoking. Also, hash is resin collected from the leaves, I thought they were some how cooked down to make hash.

One of my favorite rooms was one with an audio visual presentation of marijuana in songs. Never gave it much thought, but there are a good number of them. There were also rooms on the commercial production of hemp which has had many uses over the years. Columbus would not have discovered The new world without hemp for the ropes on his ships.

The next museum on my list was the Museu del Disseny de Barcelona, a really nice design museum. There I saw 

a nice display on the development of graphic arts in Spain with some pretty posters for DDT amount some really 

nice tourism posters. 

The highlight of the museum for me was the floor devoted to fashion. Unlike lots of museums that display clothing without much context, here the collection was broken into various periods of styles. The display focused on how fashion was used to reduce, enlarge and elongate the human figure. Each display case included a manquin that showed the changes. Sometimes the waists were very tiny with huge hips built out to the sides. Each case also included a recent designer dress showing the same effect.  What pain men designers inflicted on women with these corsets.

There were also displays on products that were invented in the area and small collections of pottery, glass, wall paper and textiles. Amazing to see fabric that was dated back to the 4th century. I guess that they didn't have H&M and Zara back then with cheap, but not lasting fabrics.

Por Favor by Nahuel Tajan

It is also worth mentioning that most of the neighborhoods in Barcelona have cultural centers that offer classes and have exhibitions. At my local center I caught a small exhibition by Nahuel Tajan that had some thought provoking paintings. 

Museum day in Barcelona

Casa Mila by Antonio Guadi

Barcelona is a city with a great number of museums so every time I visit Barcelona it seems I find another museum or house to visit and this trip was no exception. Thanks to the Bacelona tourism bureau I discovered a couple of new museums, then saw a banner hanging from a street light that alerted me to another unique niche museum. I had visited Casa Mila pictured above, and at 20.50€ It wasn't on the list this year. But I did pause to take the photo to share with you.

The first museum on my list was the Museu del Modernisme. If contained an excellent collection from the period. If back in the day you had a modernist architect design your home, then chances were he also designed some of the furnishing for it as well. The photo above is just a taste of what I saw. There were some incredible pieces of furniture in the collection including pieces designed by Gaudi for Casa Batllo.

There was one floor that was devoted to art which had some really nice vintage posters. There were also some sculptures and paintings. It was interesting that the paintings were displayed in a slightly darkened space and the paintings were spotlighted with filters that lit just the art, not the frame or surrounding area. I haven't seen this done before and it really directs all of your interest towards the painting.

Casa Punxes by Joseph Puig i Cadafalch

Up next was Casa punxes, another modernist building that I have admired in the past. When I saw that it now had a museum that you could visit, I thought it would be good to see the inside of the building. The good news was that yes I got in, but the bad news was you really didn't get to see the house. It turned out that the museum was an audio visual show that explained the story of St. George (Jordi in Catalan.) the show was interesting with the head set playing as you are led through the museum by doors that automatically open as you go through.

The museum did include entrance to the roof so you could enter the seven towers. Each tower contained a theme related to the building.

From there I headed up to see the first home designed by Gaudi. As I headed up the street toward it it looked interesting. As i got closer I realized that what I was seeing was not the building, but intead I was viewing a cover that had been erected to cover scaffolding as they reconstruct the building. Guess I will have to make another trip to Barcelona to see the finished house.

Welcome to Barcelona - Food, glorious food

Display case at la Pastisseria

My flight arrived late morning yesterday and I discovered that the Barcelona metro now comes all the
way out to the airport. While that might have been the easiest way to get into the city, I opted totakethe shuttle bus to the next terminal where I could catch the train. The metro would have been 4.90€but on the train I can use a T-10 metro ticket, 10 rides for 9.95€. My hotel then was just a short walkfrom the station. After a quick shower and change I was off to the metro.

My first stop was to check the construction progress at Sagrada Familia which put me very close to
my favorite pastry shop, la Pastisseria. All that travel I had been doing needed to be rewarded so I
chose a La Rosa de Sant Jordi from the case and ordered a cappuccino.

Now that I was properly nourished, I could continue on my way. Barcelona is a great city to
explore on foot. It seems that where ever you look there is something new to see. I wandered past Casa Batilo, a modernist building by Gaudi and stopped in to Casa AmAmatller next door to check out the lobby and purchase some chocolate. Casa Amatller is another great modernist design by
Josep Puig i Cadafalch that was built for Antonio Amatller, a chocolate maker. I purchased a nice
box of truffles with a cava (Spanish champagne) filling.

From there I headed down to the visitor center to pick up brochures. As I headed there I made a pit stop at Dino, one of the many ice cream shops. But not just any ice cream shop, this branch of
Dino is one that I can count on to carry Roquefort walnut ice cream. Probably not something for everyone, but definitely for me.



From there I headed thru the Bari Gothic, the old part of Barcelona to the Cathedral. My shorts were apparently of sufficient length and modesty to get me past the door guard who was turning many people away.

After a bit more walking in the Bari Gothic it was time to head back to the hotel. Dinner was a coupon special chicken with peppers sandwich, fries and a soda close to the hotel. Then to bed for a good nights rest since I slept very little on the plane.

Miami Beach - Part 1

Breakwater Hotel, Ocean Drive

The purpose of this trip to Miami Beach was to dog and cat sit for my good friends George and Armando while they were off on an eight day cruise with family. It was fairly easy to talk me in to the trip since their lovely home is only a five block walk to the beach and in the Heart of South Beach. I had a couple of days with them before the cruise, and a week with them after the cruise.

I've spent a fair amount of time in Miami so the trip was more about relaxing and working on details for my next trip. That included taking the time necessary to learn the basics of putting together a blog. So here are some of the highlights of my time in Miami Beach.

Great city for Walking
Miami Beach is fairly compact and my walks ranged From South Point (1st St.) up to about 18th St. Much of the area is the Art Deco historical district. The most famous and easily visible buildings are on the three streets closest to the ocean including a great Art Deco/moderne post office, but there are some fine examples scattered about. I usually try to vary my route to see more of the city.

It is also interesting to see the new buildings and the buildings being renovated. Nice to see that they are trying to preserve the character of the historic district so high rise construction is mostly at South Point or along the bay.

Museums

Wolfsonian Wrestler,
1932 L.A. Olympics

One of my favorite museums is the Wolfsonian which is housed in an old moving and storage warehouse. The museum has a really great way of presenting shows that focus on design or periods of history and then does a great job of explaining and putting things in context. The per ant collection features objects that are as every day as a vintage toaster or as big as an architectural features rescued from demolition. It also has a wonderful gift shop the relates well to the museums mission.

The show this time was Promising Paridise, Cuban Allure/American Seduction, focusing on the growth of Cuban tourism from the early 20th century thru the 1950's and how that tourism was reflected in American music and dance. It was an exhibit that relied on a lot of period photographs and printed materials. It did show a few clips of American musical movies including one clip with Carmen Miranda. In the display about the glitzy, large resort hotels, there was mention of how President Batista hanged some of them over to the mob and American corporations.


The other museum that I usually visit when I am there is the Bass Museum, but unfortunately it is currently closed for renovation. I am looking forward to seeing the changes when it reopens. I have seen a number of good shows there.

The third museum that comes to mind is the WEAM, the World Erotic Art Museum. I went several years ago and it was interesting, but not worth a repeat visit.

Food

It wouldn't be a trip to South Florida without sampling some Cuban food. I enjoyed a nice meal with my hosts and Armando's brother's family at Havana 1957 on Lincoln Road which is a bit of a tourist spot and then a solo lunch at Puerto Sagua, a long time standard. Tried the vaca frita at both and thought it was better (more crispy) at Havana, though the Cuban black beans at Puerto Sagua were much better.

Coquitos acaramelados

I made a couple of trips across the causeway to the mainland from for some other Cuban specialties. I wanted to visit la Rosa bakery for the coquitos since it seems to be the only place that carries them. Coquitos are similar to coconut macaroons, except they are round balls that are then glazed with a caramel coating that adds some crunch, and more than a few calories.

The other stop on the mainland was El Mago de las Fritas. I arrived there just after closing and was about to leave when someone arrived to pickup a phoned in order who suggested that I ask if I could get served. Not only were they happy to serve me, there was no sense of rush to get me out the door. I had a nice chat with the owners daughter while the rest of the family were eating their fritas at the other end of the counter.

Cuban Frita

A frita is a Cuban hamburger that adds chorizo and spices to the meat, then tops the burger with fries shoestring potatoes. Of the Fritas I have tried, I think el Mago (the magician) makes the best.


Better than the frita is the batido de trigo, which translates as a wheat milkshake. Doesn't sound that good, but trust me, you should try one, especially if you enjoyed puffed wheat cereal as a child. They are made with sugar, a few scoops of puffed wheat, and blended with milk and ice. Yummy.

Road Trip - Baltimore to Miami Beach Roundtrip

There is nothing like a road trip to get to know more about the USA. Ever since I was a kid I have always enjoyed hitting the open road. Back then the family would hit the road in a station wagon, back seat folded over at night so the kids could sleep. I remember sitting on the edge of the seat behind my father with an imaginary steering wheel in my hands. I've been lucky to have had the opportunity to drive coast to coast a few times and look forward to doing it again in the future.

The Baltimore to Miami route can be as fast as 19 hours driving straight through, though for this trip I took three days which far more comfortable and gives me a bit of time to explore off of I-95. I know the route well enough to know that leaving at 5:30 AM will avoid most of the rush hour traffic. I also now have my regular, reliably low priced gas stops. (VA exit 104, SC exit 164, GA exit 109 and FL exit 201.) Rather than a day by day account of the drive, I will just hit a few highlights.

Whirligigs, the North Carolina official folk art.



As you enter NC and stop at the welcome center you are greeted with one of Vollis Simpson's towering whirligigs. Simpson was a self taught artist who took metal scraps and fashioned them into things like rockets and planes that use the force of the wind to whirl and twirl. Reading the information plaque at the welcome center I became aware of the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park in Wilson, NC.

On the return leg of my trip I took the time to get off the interstate and make a visit to the park. While the plans for the park are quite elaborate, the current reality is a dirt and weed lot with about eleven whirligigs. While not the polished vision of the city, it was still a good visit with a chance to walk around and admire them. It was also a day with a bit of wind so most of the whirligigs were in motion.

Wilson is a small southern town that has seen better days, but still looks like a nice little community. The drive back to the interstate took me through the West Nash Historical District with some lovely period towns.

If you can't get to Wilson, NC, you can see the work of Vollis Simpson at the American Visionary Museum in Baltimore.

South of the Border



If you have ever driven I-95 through the Carolinas then you know that Pedro wants you to stop and shop. At one time it seemed that there was a billboard for South of the Border about every mile, usually portraying a bad Mexican stereotype. Now days the SOB billboards fight for space Glory Canned goods. Here is the Carolinas there is also an interesting mix of religious and adult bookstore billboards. I guess they are giving you the option to sin and get saved.

South of the Border itself is a collection of concrete block stores with various themes, a giant sombrero sign and a down at the heels mini amusement park. I think that SOB has past it's prime, but a kitschy stop on the highway.

Food stop - Florence, SC

If I am passing through Florence during business hours, I always make a stop to shop for food. Exit 164 is just a short distance from the Pee Dee Farmer's Market and on this trip it was peach season. Stopped head south and then again headed north. The market also had scuppernongs, sort of like a grape on steroids, a lots of other farm fresh produce.

Young's Plantations shop nearby is another usual stop. On the trip down I bought some tasty pecan muffins and some nice pecan pralines. The trip back they were out of pralines, but I did get some of the muffins. A nice thing is that at. The back of the store you can sample all of the baked goods, various pecan varieties and a few candied items. Unlike the food ladies (and men) at Costco, the sample station is unattended so you don't have to worry about getting two samples of your favorites. If you have stopped at the SC visitor center on the highway, you will have your 5% off coupon. What's not to love with coupons and free samples.

Traffic

No description of the drive would be complete without awards for the highway departments. Coming in first for the worst managed highways is Florida. Always under construction, this year they get extra points for re-routing the highway mid-afternoon on a Friday, narrowing the three lanes to one off and on lane as they paved the new route. Second place goes to Virginia, with back-ups starting 30 miles south of Washington, DC.

The Idea - To sell my house and contents and travel full time.

At various points in my life I had the thought of doing this, and actually did it for a while back in 1987. Most time when I would think about it, I could come with all sorts of reasons why doing it was not a practical idea, but as I look at those reasons now, I see they were basically a fear of setting off into uncharted territory. Sure, I will have to work out some details, but I am not the first person to do this and it may take some work, but I believe it will be worth it in the long run.

Several people have asked what prompted the idea this time. Well, it all began April 10th with a quick trip to New York. On the bus up to New York I was reading Eat, Pray, Love so my mind was already tuned to the idea of travel . I got off the bus and began the walk to my hotel, a short hike of about three and a half miles on the westside. Almost immediately I had a deviation on the route to check out an interesting church I hadn't noticed before. Sts, Cyril and Methodius and St. Raphaels, a fine stone covered, twin-towered, French Gothic Building.

As I was headed to the church, I was thinking how my travels never seem to follow a direct route, there is always something that catches my eye and makes me veer off course. It was then that I noticed that I wasn't depressed, something that while not debilitating, had been an issue for me. Thinking back on my travels I realized that depression was never an issue when I was traveling. No big deal. So I checked out the church, which fortunately was open for services.

As I continued on my way north, I began to think more and more about how much I enjoyed travel and would enjoy doing more of it. Almost immediately I realized that it would be difficult to travel for extended periods since there was the issue of a house in Baltimore to deal with. While I have been fortunate over the years to have friends to watch over the house in my absence, I knew that I would not be comfortable asking them to do it even more often.

So the first question was “which makes me happier, home ownership or travel?” Well, that was easy, home ownership while it has been great for me, isn't that important to me. I did a quick thought about renting it out, but I'd still be dealing with upkeep. I can always get another place to live, and it also leaves me open to relocating to another city.

The second question logically follow the first, “what do I do with all the stuff inside the house.?” I still possessed items from my very first apartment in San Francisco in 1973. Since I don't need all the space I currently have, some of it was clearly surplus to be disposed of, and some could go to storage. That was simple to decide, and sorting between storage and disposal could wait,

I was beginning to think this was a very good idea, but slowly the little doubts arose. “What about mail?” “Doctors and medications?” Before, I had let these become barriers, here I saw them as an obstacle course. Others had dealt with it, so it was possible.

So I had a couple of days in New York to think about it and by the time I returned home the idea had taken hold of me. When my neighbor who I have always relied on to shovel snow, rake leaves and generally watch over the house told me that he and his wife were moving, I saw that as a sign that I had made the right decision.

It's comforting to know that months later I am still very much at peace with my decisions.