tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48813915279179032872024-03-05T07:17:45.920-08:00Mary's Travels and TravailsMy life is an adventure.Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.comBlogger426125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-50762133005348620092022-07-16T04:50:00.211-07:002022-07-26T10:41:20.505-07:00Murals in Vigo16 July 2022Today we walked all over Vigo hunting for mural artwork, something I have been meaning to do for a while. (We also visited Parque do Castro, but that is another post.)This first one is near Plaza de America, but tucked away behind some buildings where you wouldn't see it just driving by. I recall seeing it when I first came here as I stayed in Airbnb's in this neighborhood. This muralMaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com1Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain42.240598899999988 -8.720726813.930365063821142 -43.8769768 70.550832736178833 26.4355232tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-54637612016363743962022-07-11T10:17:00.058-07:002022-07-24T11:36:11.364-07:00Playa do Samil, Vigo11 July 2022One of my dear friends is visiting from Madrid, so we took advantage of the nice day and went to the beach! It wasn't hot enough to swim, but lovely for just hanging out and putting our feet in the water.I love to start out my beach days at Il Papero restaurant across from the beach, and end them there with a scoop of house made ice cream before catching the bus home.Turtle RockI likeMaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain42.240598899999988 -8.720726813.930365063821142 -43.8769768 70.550832736178833 26.4355232tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-88223898126643580132022-06-05T10:06:00.023-07:002022-07-24T10:15:18.816-07:00Parque do Castro, Vigo, Galicia05 June, 2022Went with a friend to visit my favorite city park here, which is a hill atop which is the ruins of an old fortress, one of many which were throughout the region. This striped butterfly didn't come out so well in the photo, but I have never seen one like this before. Hopefully I will see one again and get another chance. It was missing part of its tail. Part of the fort, looking Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain42.240598899999988 -8.720726813.930365063821142 -43.8769768 70.550832736178833 26.4355232tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-28607850837792228362022-04-10T07:00:00.448-07:002022-04-24T10:28:23.448-07:00Real Alcázar de Sevilla 10 April 2022The visit to the Real Alcázar de Sevilla (Royal Palace of Seville) is supposed to take about 2 hours; I think it took me about 3 1/2. Firstly, it is huge and labyrinthine. Secondly, there are many different parts with different themes. Thirdly, I need time to absorb and assimilate what I'm seeing. This one is really difficult to blog because I have SO many photos that Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0Royal Alcázar of Seville, Patio de Banderas, s/n, 41004 Sevilla, Spain37.3830519 -5.99022579.0728180638211526 -41.146475699999996 65.693285736178836 29.1660243tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-85548124893944535412022-04-10T02:00:00.002-07:002022-04-24T02:59:44.960-07:00Sevilla, Jardines de Murillo10 April, 2022Started the day by walking a couple blocks to a sidewalk bar/cafe I saw when walking from the bus stop to my hostal. My go-to breakfast in Spain is coffee and toast with fresh tomato puree, olive oil, and a bit of salt. I splurged for the orange juice, because Seville is in the orange growing region. (That said, fresh squeezed orange juice is always available everywhere in Spain.)Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0Jardines de murillo, Av. de Menéndez Pelayo, 41004 Sevilla, Spain37.3834505 -5.98809999999999939.0732166638211567 -41.14435 65.693684336178848 29.16815tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-69428204579919814112022-04-09T11:00:00.264-07:002022-04-20T12:23:23.544-07:00Sevilla, Day 1 09 April 2022Having settled in and had a bite to eat, I set off to have a wander around the city of Seville, Spain. Turning right from my hostal, a block or so up was this official building. It was heartening to see the support displayed for Ukraine. The Barrio de Santa Cruz, formerly the Jewish Quarter until the Jewish people were attacked in the 14th century, followed by the Inquisition Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-90616165778059691862022-04-09T07:00:00.001-07:002022-04-20T09:43:10.052-07:00Traveling to Sevilla 09 April, 2022On the way to Sevilla, Spain for spring break! All this time I've been here and never yet been to the southern part of Spain, which is the part most stereotypical and best known to the outside world.But first, to get started,how about a little philosophy in the bus station toilet... "Is this the life that you want to live?""If it never hurts, it won't make you happy."Phew... Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-25587596449359765802022-03-21T06:23:00.029-07:002022-07-25T05:31:04.730-07:00Playa de Samil during Calima 21 March 2022Today I wanted to walk on the beach, and was rewarded with a gorgeous sky that looked like sunset (even though it was well before actual sunset). There has been a massive Saharan dust storm passing through Spain which is what is causing the sky to be darker and redder than usual. I couldn't decide which photo was the best, so here are all three.Which one do you prefer and why?Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0Praia de Samil, 36212, Spain42.2089827 -8.77651629999999916.414238118717041 -43.9327663 68.003727281282963 26.379733700000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-21367383215737440562021-12-18T11:00:00.001-08:002021-12-30T08:14:31.235-08:00Crazy Santa Motorcade18 December 2021I was hearing lots of motorbike noises and honking of horns, when I received a message on WhatsApp from one of the teachers at my school, telling me that there is a Santa Claus parade outside. So I hopped out onto the balcony (I can see just a peek of the main street), and sure enough, there were hundreds of motorcycles and scooters all being ridden by folks dressed up as Santa!&Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-31948043809523218222021-09-22T07:16:00.002-07:002021-12-30T07:48:06.149-08:00Goodbye Madrid, hello Galicia 22 September, 2021Starting a new chapter in Spain, I am moving from Madrid to the northwestern corner of Spain, the province of Galicia. I have never visited Galicia, but it is said to be cool, rainy, green, and share Celtic ancestry with Great Britain. After two years in the heat of Madrid I am more than ready for this change. On the train at last. Buh-bye Madrid! Leaving from Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0Galicia, Spain42.5750554 -8.133855814.264821563821151 -43.2901058 70.885289236178835 27.0223942tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-65337774661960098052021-08-17T07:35:00.129-07:002022-07-24T09:13:42.973-07:00Hawaiian Paradise Park 17 August 2021First day in Hawaii, just south of Hilo in a residential area, visiting a dear friend. This was the view from my room at dawn - not a great "view" per se, because it's largely obscured by bushes, but the birdsong and the incredible lush foliage and flowers were so beautiful in my eyes in the moment. There are sadly no sand beaches nearby, just
rocky lava shelves from which IMaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0Hilo, HI 96720, USA19.7216023 -155.08488719.689253507390397 -155.11921927539063 19.753951092609604 -155.05055472460938tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-78165862618005100212021-07-01T05:39:00.082-07:002022-07-25T05:58:36.354-07:00Complutum Roman City Archaeological Site, Alcalá de Henares 01 July 2021Today I went on a day trip with a friend and colleague to see a Roman archaeological site just outside of Alcalá de Henares, where I went to university last year. It was once a prosperous city called Complutum and is now partially covered by the modern city; fortunately, the part on the outskirts of town was excavated and preserved. It was free to visit and provided quite good Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0Alcala de Henares, Madrid, Spain40.4843898 -3.368802312.174155963821157 -38.5250523 68.794623636178841 31.7874477tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-34754752423697503542021-01-02T11:14:00.008-08:002021-01-02T12:06:28.116-08:00Madrid wanderings 02 January 2021Met up with a friend to hang out in Madrid today. The streets are mostly deserted until mid afternoon, as it's the norm here to stay up late and get up late. We had the streets mostly to ourselves until around 3:30pm, when we decided to call it a day and head home as it began to feel too crowded. We started at Plaza del Sol, popping in at a favorite ecotienda or natural food Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com1Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.703790212.106541563821153 -38.8600402 68.727009236178844 31.4524598tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-59867550060630930972020-12-31T14:59:00.002-08:002021-01-01T09:25:35.642-08:00Nochevieja (New Year's Eve) 31 December 2020This year I was invited to spend New Year's Eve with the family of my flatmates, just a few blocks away. I didn't take many photos as it was a family gathering. I have spent all of the holidays with them due to quarantine here in Madrid; gatherings are limited to 6 people and the holiday curfew is at 1:30AM. It was really kind of them to invite me; back in the US, I would Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.703790212.106541563821153 -38.8600402 68.727009236178844 31.4524598tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-35283407332317206132020-12-30T13:00:00.000-08:002021-01-01T08:49:36.513-08:00Last Full Moon of 202030 December 2020This afternoon I decided to check out the food court at the nearby Madrid Sur shopping mall before doing my grocery shopping, because going to a huge supermarket when I'm hungry never ends well for me. In the mall are the usual types of fast food: KFC, McDonald's, Don Tortilla, and this bar/restaurant, Casa Garcia, which despite the mall furniture, serves up a bocadillo (baguette Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com1Puente de Vallecas, Madrid, Spain40.3870042 -3.669533412.076770363821154 -38.8257834 68.697238036178845 31.4867166tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-30222669830646830532020-12-28T13:56:00.003-08:002020-12-30T06:38:31.754-08:00Parque de las Siete Tetas 28 December 2020There is a park here in Madrid which is named Parque del Cerro del Tio Pio (Uncle Pio's Hill Park), but which the locals refer to as Parque de las Siete Tetas (Park of the Seven Titties) because it has seven little hills clustered together. As far as parks go, it's not very remarkable in terms of landscaping or anything, but it does boast one of the best views of the city. Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-48463762321387660732020-12-27T09:55:00.011-08:002020-12-31T04:02:17.349-08:00Post-Holiday Cooking: Soup and Cake 27 December 2020I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my flatmates and their parents here in Madrid. Madrid is still observing quarantine rules, so gatherings were limited to 6 people. There was an incredible amount of food, it took several hours to get from appetizers to dessert both days. While I love eating, and everything was delicious, I did miss participating in the cooking. SoMaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.703790212.106541563821153 -38.8600402 68.727009236178844 31.4524598tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-1345063195745292832020-10-10T03:12:00.007-07:002020-12-28T14:25:09.773-08:00Spanish Tortilla (omelette) 10 October, 2020Today I made my first ever Spanish tortilla! For my USA friends, in Spain "tortilla" is a large, thick omelette, traditionally made with potatoes and onions, but there are many variations. It is then cut in slices and served with bread or on a baguette. Inspired by this Spanish cooking video, I used zucchini and cherry tomatoes instead of potatoes. I
had the heat a Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-78040493314669012802020-07-07T08:54:00.001-07:002020-12-27T10:03:18.688-08:00My New Lanikai Ukulele07 July, 2020
As my graduation present to myself, I bought a new ukulele! I'm so excited! It's a Lanikai tenor size ukulele, solid mahogany with maple inlay, walnut bridge and fingerboard, and mother of pearl dots.
The grain of the wood is so beautiful, it just glows, I don't know how to capture this in a photo but if you zoom in you may see more of the depth. The decorative details are lovelyMaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com1Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.703790240.0300434 -4.3492372 40.8035074 -3.0583432tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-79015143840939663372020-06-09T09:27:00.039-07:002022-07-24T09:41:34.843-07:00El Escorial and wildflowers09 June, 2020A very nice Spanish gentleman took me by car to visit El Escorial, a former monastery and sometimes summer palace in the foothills of the mountains north of Madrid. Unfortunately, it was still closed due to COVID-19 and we were one day early for the reopening, so we weren't able to tour the inside or the grounds. Although we couldn't go inside the monastery, we were lucky
in that Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Madrid, Spain40.5932386 -4.147574812.283004763821154 -39.3038248 68.903472436178845 31.0086752tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-70694819662568178892020-05-05T06:59:00.043-07:002022-07-24T08:46:54.851-07:00El Olivar06 May 2020The COVID quarantine has been de-escalated here in the Comunidad de Madrid, and we are now allowed to go out for walks at any time of day. Previously there were different times for people with children, elderly or high risk, and adults (anyone who didn't fit in the other categories).There is an abandoned olive orchard near the house I am living in here in Rivas which is currently Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Madrid, Spain40.3519065 -3.535733412.041672663821153 -38.6919834 68.662140336178851 31.620516600000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-17471339967293259612019-12-27T08:14:00.001-08:002022-07-24T08:42:01.186-07:00TIE card and La Alpargata 27 December, 2019Today I went to pick up my Tarjeta de Identidad Extranjero (TIE), which is my combination Spanish Identification card and residency permit. This is a photo of the line we have to wait in to collect the card. Finally legal! It feels like turning 21 again...To celebrate, I took myself to lunch at a little restaurant inside the Mercado San Fernando (marketplace). Marketplaces Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.7037902-14.931273700001306 -74.0162902 90 66.6087098tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-19089322300991049192019-11-30T08:51:00.001-08:002022-07-24T08:58:42.316-07:00Atocha Station, Madrid30 November, 2019Major European train stations are impressive, and Madrid's Atocha Station is no exception. I am compelled to take photos of it every time I pass by from the outside, but don't often pause for photos once inside. These photos are of the original train terminal, which has been converted to a conservatory and the actual station moved to a new wing of the building behind it, Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0Atocha, Madrid, Spain40.4023449 -3.688156912.092111063821157 -38.8444069 68.712578736178841 31.4680931tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-75706342747393036522019-09-23T14:00:00.002-07:002020-12-29T10:11:28.183-08:00Atocha, Fish, and a High-Rise Sunset 23 September 2019Today I went to the shop where I bought a SIM card for my mobile phone to investigate why I couldn't get service when I traveled to Germany. The shop was a couple of blocks from the main downtown train station, Atocha. The station is enormous and the old part of the building is beautiful. I'm sure I'll be back to photograph it inside and out. The building across the way Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.703790212.106541563821153 -38.8600402 68.727009236178844 31.4524598tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881391527917903287.post-14790083105644247752019-09-11T12:00:00.126-07:002020-12-29T11:14:33.587-08:00Doors!11 September 2019Those of you who have been following my blog may have noticed that I have a thing for interesting manhole covers and doors. Today I saw a lot of interesting doors and other architectural features!I started off my wandering in La Latina, with lunch at the vegan restaurant VivaBurger. The food was incredible, and it was so nice to sit outside and enjoy the day and people watch (Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845179507871559977noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.703790212.106541563821153 -38.8600402 68.727009236178844 31.4524598