When we sailed to Cartagena in order to do maintenance work and travel we didn't know that surprise was in our future. I don't recall when my son in Germany told me they were expecting, but it was after we were in Cartagena. So, we knew we would need a trip to Europe close to when our new granddaughter was to be born.
First glimpse in the morning of Spain.
Our last trip to Europe was travel to Spain in 2019 and I wanted to see more Spain and Linda wanted to see more France. So, we decided that if we fly into Madrid, a non-stop from Bogota, and do a road trip through Spain and France we could achieve all of our objectives. Our new granddaughter was due in mid-April so we planned for a May trip. We had to schedule the length and timing of our trips through South America so that we could get it all done.
We made our plans for our trip to South America that I wrote about in our previous blog post and simultaneously we made preliminary plans to go to Europe. Our departure to Europe became a bookend for our trip to South America.
When we do long-distance flights we try and upgrade to Business Class. I had plenty of frequent flyer miles on American Airlines that could be transferred to Iberia Airline that has two or three daily non-stop flights from Bogota to Madrid making mileage seats more available than trying to fly from a US hub. So, using miles I booked a round-trip from Bogota to Madrid. Our plan was to rent a car and do a road-trip through Spain and France to Germany and then return after spending about two weeks with my son in Germany to enjoy his new baby girl, our newest granddaughter, our 11th grandchild.
We booked our flights and went back to work on our major refit planning. After we finished our work we did our trip to Argentina and Chile and soon the time arrived for us to depart to Europe. I had booked tickets for us from Cartagena to Bogota on Avianca, the local airline just to get us over the short trip to Bogota. Not a big deal since Avianca and other airlines have flights almost hourly from Cartagena to Bogota.
On the 6th of May we went to the Cartagena airport and flew to Bogota. Iberia has an arrangement with LATAM airlines that allowed us as Business Class passengers to use the Latam lounge where we spent several hours waiting for our flight after we got to Bogota. LATAM is another major carrier in South America. We had previously flown it from Cartagena to Iguazu Falls and they had great service. The lounge had great food and wine and we were adequately prepped for our overnight flight to Madrid.
Our fight was enjoyable but the hours flew by (no pun intended). I set my times to arrival times so I could begin to think in the new time zone. The overnight was short. We had dinner about 2 hours after takeoff but, it was already 3AM at our destination. I dozed as I could but we were already approaching the coast of Portugal. We were eating breakfast and it was time to land. There is a 7 hour time difference between Bogota and Madrid.
We landed in Madrid almost an hour ahead of schedule and worked our way through Immigration and Customs and got to the Hertz rental car counter about 30 mins before we scheduled our pickup. At the rental counter they wanted us to upgrade to a BMW diesel for about EU540. I said no. After seeing the difference between diesel and gas it would have taken us about 60,000 miles to break even. They gave us a BMW 118i anyway instead of the VW T-cross or similar I reserved.
Barcelona
We got our car and the first stop was Barcelona so, we hit the road running. We had our destinations and lodging to Germany booked before we got to Europe so we knew where we were headed. We used Waze and it has worked well everyplace we've been. So, we inserted our hotel information and drove the 6+ hours to the Barcelona suburb of Sant Cugat. When we were in Spain in 2019 we stayed at the AC Hotel in Sant Cugat and we booked it again. The hotel is right next to the train station to go into the City and the suburb is delightful. It had another name but it is the home of famous entertainer Xavier Cugat so they changed the name. The drive was a struggle after the overnight flight.
The last trip to Barcelona we missed going inside the famous Gaudi work, the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia. This time we booked tickets far in advance so we could get in. It was even more incredible than we expected. We did the audio tour and spent most of the morning admiring and enjoying the design and construction of this most ornate religious masterpiece. Truly a wonder of the world.
After our time at the Basilica we walked to the Public Market for lunch at the same stand where we had lunch 6 years ago. The market is incredible and a highlight of any trip to Barcelona. We bought a hunk of Manchego Cheese to enjoy later. We then walked to the Chocolate Museum to buy some chocolate. On our last trip we found some incredible chocolate there and again it didn't disappoint. We walked back to an ice cream store we passed on the way and sat down to enjoy some fantastic ice cream and make our plans for dinner. We decided for dinner we would just pick up some bread and a bottle of wine and then have the cheese, bread, wine and chocolate for the evening since we had a lot for lunch. We were still on jet lag so relaxing was the order of the day.
Nimes
Barcelona is a place where there is so much to see and do but we were on a mission. After our second night we headed north to France. Our first stop was the ancient city of Nimes. Nimes was one of the original Roman cities where we spent one night. Waze took us right to our hotel, but, we couldn't tell it was our hotel so 20 minutes later after driving around again we came back to the same spot and pulled over far enough out of traffic that we could stop. The area where our hotel was situated was full of honeycombed narrow streets that were difficult to drive. Many were blocked off. So, when we stopped, Linda walked around the building and found the entrance to the hotel in the back where we couldn't drive. The clerk dropped the barricade and let us drive in to unload and then we moved our car to a public garage. Somehow they did not have our request for a parking spot and none now were available.
After unloading and parking the car we began our sightseeing. First stop was the Arena. The Arena is reputed to be one of the best preserved Roman Coliseums. Even though it was the scene of gladiatorial contests and other public events over the millennia it is still used for public events. After visiting the Arena we walked around to buy some croissants and other groceries now that we were in France. For dinner we went to dinner at a place just a block from the hotel, Le Caboulot de La Serendipity. A very nice vegetarian restaurant where we had a new experience. The food and wine were great but when we went to pay the credit card service required a PIN. We don't have PINs for any of our credit cards. Apparently in Europe that's typical. So, I paid with cash.
Inside our restaurant
We only planned one night in Nimes and the next morning we had an appointment for a wine tasting at Domaine d' Poulvarel that was 30-45 mins from the hotel. The winery was out in the country in a beautiful setting. It was a very small boutique winery but their wines were excellent and not too pricey. After tasting we bought several bottles. The hostess who was one of the owners recommended a restaurant down the road and also to visit Le Pont du Gard that was only 15 mins away, She said it was probably the second or third most important structure in France so we drove to see it. Le Pont du Gard was a Roman aqueduct built 2000 years ago to take water to Nimes and it is very well preserved. After that we found the restaurant she recommended closed so we were off to Valence. We grabbed a sandwich at one of the rest areas on the highway.
Valence
Our second destination was a 2 night stop in Valence on the Rhone River. It was a very short drive after leaving the Nimes area and again we had trouble finding our lodging but for a totally different reason. Waze got us right there but we didn't know what we were looking for. Turns out our lodging was in an old French farmhouse in the country. It had a sign but we missed it so we asked a woman walking to her mailbox and she knew exactly what we were looking for. It was just in back of their house.
The lodge, L'Oazis d' Malissard, was located on a small back road with fields all around. When we got out of the car the smell of Jasmine was enchanting. It was ideal. Too bad it was only 2 nights. The owner helped us up to our room. He actually gave us a choice. He had 2 rooms and we were his only guests. He talked with us quite awhile and offered many suggestions about places to go and things to do. The room was modest but comfortable and on both mornings he brought us a beautiful breakfast of breads, cheeses, fruits, juices and tea/coffee.
Our first order of business was another wine tasting at Domaine Chaboud Cellier in Saint Peray across the Rhone River in the Ardeche region. The tasting was brief and we bought 1 bottle for our collection. Then we drove into downtown Valence where we walked around admiring the ancient buildings and had dinner and then drove back to our farmhouse.
There was always a smiling face and wagging tail when we arrived.
Sunday morning our host had advised us that there was a Market in the town of Romans. By the time we got out it was late but we got there in time to enjoy the town, the market and some refreshment. We then drove over to the town of Tain-l'Hermitage where there was a large chocolatiere, Chocolate City. We bought some chocolate there and then walked along the banks of the Rhone until it looked like rain was imminent. We got back to the car as it began to pour. Not content with what we had done so far we drove to Maison M Chapoutier that was a bodega in the same town. Linda had tried to book a tasting but none was available on Sunday. We found out they don't book reservations on Sunday but they gladly offered us one. I think we tasted 5 wines and we bought several more bottles. The wines were excellent. The best one that was incredible was way out of our price range. If we had the way to keep it properly we would have considered it but with traveling and living in the tropics it would be a waste of money.
The Brunch Menu
Our host had recommended a place for us for dinner that we hadn't tried but we went there on our second night. The Café de la Poste à Chabeuil was in the small town of Chabeuil. We just split a pizza and a salad but it was very tasty and I had a nice local wine. The price was very reasonable and the service was great. Definitely would go back again. After our wonderful dinner we headed home for the night.
In the morning our host helped us with our bags and couldn't have been more helpful as we bid adieu to Valance and headed to Colmar.
Colmar
The drive from the Valence area to Colmar was our longest in France up to that point, although, the drive from Madrid to Barcelona was longer. We had a small apartment booked just outside of the tourist area. Waze took us to the property and we were able to get into the parking lot. In these old towns if you have a car, parking is crucial. This property had its own very ample lot. Many places have no parking.
The drive to Colmar was also very costly for tolls. We had some tolls in Spain that weren't much but the tolls to Colmar were about EU55 which is about US$62. Once in Colmar we could walk to and around the old section. The first night we were tired and the jet lag was still catching us so we opened a bottle of wine and ate some food we had and went to bed early.
The next morning we planned to go to a local place for breakfast but we found out it was closed. So we just walked into the old town. On our way we found the market that had several restaurants and decided on one for brunch that was excellent. Linda had a salmon quiche and I had a German plate of sauerkraut and sausages. We were in Alsace which for much of its life was German and lots of German influence.
We then walked on to the area known as "Little Venice." So-called because of the canals that flow through it. The old-town is full of restaurants, cafes and nice shops. There are some touristy places but we avoid them. After our sightseeing we went back to our room to refresh and make dinner reservations. We then walked to the Karcher winery for a tasting. We got there as a large group of Scandinavian tasters were leaving but the Sommelier invited us in and helped us taste several Riesling wines. Alsace is known for its Rieslings. They were excellent and we had to buy several bottles because we enjoy Rieslings. The host was very friendly and we visited with him for over a half-hour as we enjoyed his great wines.
An antique Schrank in the winery
Our dinner at Bistro des Lavandieres, literally Bistro of the Laundress, was less than spectacular. So we left Colmar underwhelmed with the food but overwhelmed by the town. The restaurants we wanted to hit were closed so maybe next time would be better.
In the morning we left for the main event. To meet our new Granddaughter in Esslingen, Germany.
Germany
Our drive from Colmar to Esslingen was about 3 hours. We had originally thought about stopping in Strasbourg on the way, but decided against it with luggage visible in the car. We don't like to park in public with our bags visible and we also had wine cases that were visible. So, we drove on to my son's home in Esslingen. Esslingen is a small city just outside Stuttgart, Germany.
One of my sons moved to Germany in 2021 because he was unable to get a US visa for his Vietnamese fiance to come to the US. Once he moved to Germany and got his resident status he could get her to stay in Germany and they married. Now they have a daughter who was the main reason we came to visit. Our road trip through Spain and France was just an add-on bonus.
We met our new granddaughter and she is beautiful. It has been years since I held a baby so small. Actually, none of my children were ever that small. By the time I saw most of my other grandchildren they were bigger. What a time to meet her and bond with her. She is so precious.
The old Town Hall where they were married.
The Moat and Parapets
Besides visiting and enjoying our new granddaughter we did a trip to Strasbourg to make up for not stopping on the way and then drove on to Frankfurt so my son, his wife and daughter could visit the US and Vietnamese Consulates to request passports and birth certificates. Our little girl will have resident status in 3 countries and also grow up with 3 languages.
While in Germany we did several local sightseeing trips with the baby. Details in the pictures.
The Wehrmecharkanal
We spent two weeks playing with Emma and providing some free time for her parents. We could see huge changes in her in just the short time we were there. We also did some shopping and prepared some meals for them. The time went by quickly and then we had to bid our farewells. Don't know when we will see them again. Hopefully, it won't be another 4 years.
Who woke me up to take this picture?
Chalon sur Saone
After saying our goodbyes and wishing we could take Emma with us we drove to Chalon sur Saone. A medieval town on the Saone River. Chalon was a beautiful town with a beautiful riverport. We did a walkabout and sampled some chocolate and had dinner and went to bed early. The next morning we got packed up for the drive to Bordeaux.
Before leaving Chalon, we tried to refuel at a station just a block from the hotel. The problem was, it was fully automated. On our trip we had credit card issues. Apparently, all European credit cards have PIN and you can’t use them without it. I have a PIN for cash advances but I haven’t used it in years and I don’t know if it would work anyway. In restaurants or gas stations where there were attendants, I was able to use cash or my ATM debit card. But, it was annoying. We left this station and on the way out of town there was a Totalfina station where I could use my credit card successfully. Tolls were another issue. Most toll booths, which are also fully automated, worked with our credit card. Sometimes the readers didn’t pick up the chip and we needed to insert them. But, we always made it work.
The narrow residential streets
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is known the world over as the one of the major wine regions of France. Our drive from Chalon was very interesting because there was no direct way between Chalon sur Saone and Bordeaux so our routing took us down 2 lane highways through lots of little towns. My mind tried to capture what life was like in those small towns and what it was like to fight through each of those little hamlets in WW2. The scenery was beautiful.
The Clock Tower entry into the old walled City of Bourdeaux
As we approached Bordeaux it was getting near rush hour and the highways were jammed. Our last 20 miles took us well over an hour. Our routing app, Waze, took us down all kinds of streets and eventually taking us over the River Garone and into ancient Bordeaux. We picked our way and finally found our hotel in the heart of the historic neighborhood.
When we checked in our hostess mentioned that Thursday, the next day, was a holiday and we should visit St Emilion. After checking in we went out to find an early dinner and then did a walkabout. Most places in Europe dinner isn’t until very late. Most places don’t start dinner until 2000, 8pm. On our driving days we usually have a light breakfast, small lunch and by 1800, 6pm we’re pretty hungry. The European solution that we adopted on several days was to have some hors d’oeuvres and a bottle of wine. Usually, after that we’re checked out for the night. But, this evening we found a nice restaurant that began serving at 6 after which we did a walk around the neighborhood.
View looking up at the Watch Tower
Above: Le Tetre de la Cadene
The next day we drove to St Emilion which is a medieval town about 30 miles from Bordeaux and just a world away from everything. St Emilion is touristy but is the heart of the Bordeaux region and typifies Bordeaux. As is our usual we got out late and by the time we got to St Emilion most of the free parking spaces were taken. After circling the town we found a car leaving in a parking lot in the middle of town. We tried to pay for the parking, but found out that since it was a holiday it was FREE.
Strolling around the town each view was more beautiful than the last. We found a store with duck confit that we had been searching for. We visited a wine cave and tasted some wines. Then we had a very late lunch that was incredible at Julie’s Garden. (Jardin de Julia). Our meals were grilled over a wood-fire and tasted incredible.
The Hotel DeVille on the plaza
After driving back to town in the remaining hours of day light we did a few more rounds of walking. In the tropics, sunset comes early. In these higher latitudes it is much later giving us almost a second day.
Porte de Bourgogne
Next morning we loaded up and drove to our final stop, the Rioja region of Spain.
Logrono
Our drive took us back through the Pyrenees but on the western side this time by Bayonne France. The mountains, as they usually do, caused clouds, rain and fog. The scenery was spectacular. I’m not sure we got great pictures because it was highway driving. But, soon we were back in Spain and into the Rioja region.
Logrono is the capital of the Rioja province in Spain. It is famous for its Rioja, Tempranillo and Garnache grapes and wines of the same name. Logrono was typical of many of the towns and cities we found in Europe. Unlike the US there are few suburbs. It’s open country and then urbanization with mid to high-rise buildings. We arrived at our apartment complex and fortunately, our host was there to let us in the garage and up to our apartment because getting in and out was not intuitive. The accommodation was beautiful and well thought-out. It was probably the most comfortable rental unit we had on our trip. After getting settled we walked to a neighborhood cafe and the food was excellent.
Looking upstream
The next day, Saturday, was the only day we didn’t have anything scheduled, so we slept late and then visited the Franco-Espanolas Winery that was in town but on the other side of the Ebro River that flowed along the town. A long-established winery founded by some French vintners in the late 19th century when the French grape vines were destroyed by parasites. However, instead of returning to France, they stayed in Logrono. We were unable to get an English speaking tour on Saturday so we just visited the winery, had a few glasses of wine and bought a few bottles to bring back.
Then we drove out to another medieval town, Lagurdia. Laguardia is an excellent example of a medieval town with it’s walls and ancient churches intact. It also had many wineries that were unfortunately closed when we got there. After some walking around we had lunch and headed back to our apartment.
We parked outside the town and walked to the southern side. This memorial noted that this gate (there were 5 gates into the walled city) was denoted as the Gate to the Jewish Quarter. The jews that lived in Laguardia up until the Inquisition were forced to live in the areas inside this gate. After the Jews were forced out the Quarter sat vacant for many years.
Looking into the Quarter
The next day, Sunday, we had big plans. We had scheduled a lunch at a boutique restaurant called, Sabores, (Flavors), for 1345 and before that we walked around the downtown. Logrono is a principal town along the Camino de Santiago de Campostialle. The Camino is an ancient pilgrimage that starts at several points but goes through the north of Spain to Campostila. One of the major tracks of the Camino goes through Logrono. We saw it at several points in town.
Outside the Wall
Soon it was time for lunch and we went to Sabores ( Sabores ) and were the first for their 1345 seating. I don’t know everything we ate and the courses were not as listed on their website. But, when we were finished I absolutely could not eat another bite. In fact they served two sweet morsels for a final dessert and I didn't eat them I was so full. All the food was excellent and the wines we had with it were spectacular. We keep having unbelievable food and spectacular wine that is far better than the last great food and wine. We need a break.
But, our next appointment was at the bodega of Marques de Riscal for a tour and tasting. The tour of the winery was one one of the best we’ve had and the wines were of course spectacular and out of our price range, The tapas we enjoyed were exquisite and complemented the wine very well. As we were the last tour of the day they moved us along so we bought a few bottles and headed for our hooch.
Catedral de Santa Maria de Redonodo
Effestrations on the Catedral Redondo
University of Logrono
Monday, our final day, we had one thing on the agenda and that was a tour and tasting at the bodega of Campo Viejo. In our month in Europe we only had a few rainy days and none that dented our plans. In Germany we had several rainy days but we weren’t going anywhere so it didn’t matter. Now, our last days and we were having rain. It rained as we drove out to the bodega Campo Viejo. In spite of the rain the scenery was beautiful as far as we could see.
Our first order of business, however, was to pick up some bubble wrap so we could fill out our suitcases. With all the wine we had in it, it was important that nothing moved during transit. We found a Mail-Boxes Etc. in town where we bought what we needed and then headed out to the bodega.
The Hotel at Marques de Riscal is extremely unique and it is run by Marriot. A unique design with the multi colors. Absolutely exquisite.
The barrel cellars.
Campo Viejo is the largest producer of Rioja and Tempranillo wines in Spain and thus the world. They export virtually everywhere. We’ve been drinking their wines for years. So, it was a treat to finally see the winery.
.jpg)
The front of the bodega
An automated shade opens to the outside of the barrel aging room.
Campo Viejo, translated means old country which is ironic since it isn't that old, owns or controls numerous vineyards throughout the Rioja regions. Many of them are contract growers that produce grapes based on the specifications of CV. However, all of the grapes are brought to the bodega outside Logrono where they are processed into wine. We had an excellent tour and a guide who was originally from Argentina and was excited when we told her we had just been there.
When we left it was the end of our trip. Just one night and then back to Madrid for our return flight.
Heading home
The first half of the trip from Logrono was down a 2 lane road that went through some spectacular scenery dotted with small towns, rock edifices sticking through lush green foliage. What a beautiful passage to end our wonderful travel. Eventually we got on the Autopista that took us back to Madrid.
After we checked into our hotel we returned our rental car to the airport to avoid the need to do it before our flight. Which is a good thing because we drove around for a long time looking for the rental car turn-in. That way, in the morning we could just take the airport shuttle right to the terminal door. That night we repacked our bags with all the wine securely stowed and getting the bags to be less than the weight limit. When we checked in for our flight they were well below the limit so we could have bought at least 3 more bottles of wine..
The night at the hotel was quiet and uneventful and the next morning we boarded our plane and flew back to Cartagena. Our magical trip completed.
We got back to our boat home after having been gone a month. The trips to and from Germany were filled with history, beauty and wine. The two weeks with my son were wonderful. I hadn't seen my son in 4 years, I had never met his wife and of course I had never met Emma. We had fun. Hopefully, next time we see her she'll remember us.
We returned with 19 bottles of wine. I hope we can drink them all while they're still good which may be a challenge in this hot climate. Our 4th European trip is in the books. Now for our next trip. Back to the States in 3 weeks.
No comments:
Post a Comment