Episode 15 – Madrid
This park with statues is close to the don quixote monument.
I never imagine Madrid can be so hot. It was high temperature above 40. Walking around under such heat without the help of wine is impossible. I had been consuming more wine than usual. Wine is cheap in Spain. You can find common table wine in super-markets for 1.5 Euro a bottle. If you want Perrier carbonated water, it will be 3 to 4 Euros. What would you pick? Continue reading
Episode 14 – Toledo – a hilly stop
Overlooking the old tower and bridge from a hillside
Toledo was once the capital of Spain. It also had a very strong Moorish influence. The day we arrived, we took a bus ride up to a hillside where we could see the winding river and the different pockets of communities. It was a grand view.
Inside of the cathedral
We had a young tourist guide who was energetic to organize a 21/2 hour walking tour for us. It was hot. The temperature was in the 40s. Everybody was trying their best to keep up. The sun was furious. We were walking the narrow, steaming streets of Toledo. There were the usual twists and turns and we finally took a break at the Cathedral. It was a mixed building of Romanesque and Arabic style. Continue reading
Episode 13 – Salamanca – the astronaut and the frog
plaza mayor
Salamanca is a small enough town for one to go on foot. Come to think of this, it may be the reason why you do not see too many obese Europeans. They have to travel on foot all the time. The streets are too narrow to allow motor vehicles to go through with ease. The problem with parking is horrendous. The pebble stone streets do hell to the suspension of the cars. Really nothing good comes out of this arrangement. Walking is healthy and it slows down the hectic pace of the daily rhythm. Continue reading
Episode 12 – Avila and Segovia
Avila and its intact walls
The major cities have their own grandeur and they are stunning and impressive. The surrounding smaller town are not lack of charm and grace. It is a lot easier to settle in a small town and enjoy it to its fullest. Avila is one of these little towns. Continue reading
Episode 11 – Lisbon – when there is a will, there is a way
Pena garden and castle
When we were in Portugal, we visited the Sintra castle. There are mixed stories about this castle. Some said it was used as a prison for royalties. Some said it was a summer palace. I just followed the crowd and enjoyed the scenery.
This patch of land is the former vacation site for the monarchy. It is full of vegetation, estates and summer palaces. Inside the castle are a lot of circular staircases when eventually made you all confused. We slide through the kitchen, dining room, living room, bed room, conference room, and it was a relief to get out of this maze. Continue reading
Episode 10 – Lisbon – Columbus, Columbus
The main street of Lisbon
Columbus was one mysterious person. The Spanish claimed he discovered the New Continent under the Spanish flag, whereas the Portuguese claimed Columbus set sail 4 times through sponsorship from the Portuguese crown. I am no historian yet I see the strong influence of sea explorers in Portuguese culture. I was just a normal tourist visiting a new place and looking forward to enjoy its food and people.
A lookout tower, military post
I had never been to Portugal before but the first impression was not a pleasant one. We ventured from Spain to Portugal and we could feel the mood difference right away. It could be compared to Aesop’s fable of the ant and the grasshopper. The ant (Portugal the worrier) prepared himself for the influx of the poor economy whereas the grasshopper (Spain the merrier) kept on enjoying the present day pleasure. Continue reading
We woke up at 6. We went to the hotel lobby at 6:45. We board the bus at 6:50 and we were waiting for this couple of idiots who went to the nearby subway to get breakfast. They were waiting in line for the order and would not leave without it. So the whole bus was waiting for them. This put everyone in a grouchy mood. Bad omen appeared again.
The rising of the wind blew away a lot of interest. We were going to walk to the restaurant yet the chill deterred us from loitering around.
The restaurant was situated right be the river bank with the custom building perching from a platform. This building was constructed with steps that led directly into the river. When the tides rolled in, the steps would be soaked. The restaurant building was separately constructed and it had a balcony that overlooked the river bank. It was dark and we could not see much of the river yet there were customers sitting outside with candle lid tables and enjoying their meal.
We did our usual tourist thing of visiting the Notre Dame Basilica, St Joseph Oratory and the Big O Olympic stadium. The weather was turning miserable. It was foggy and wet. We took the cable car and went to the top of the Big O and we could not see anything when the fog patches were so thick. It was disappointing.
Then things took a different turn on our way to Quebec City.
Click here for Episode 1
Our hotel is on Sherbrook Avenue. Sherbrook Avenue housed a lot of brand name stores. McGill University is also on Sherbrook. The main street St. Catherine Street is just a couple of blocks away. The location was good. The hotel was decent. The street was already dark when we settled in. We could not venture outside for too long. It took 2 cabs and a van to transport us to the restaurant.
The restaurant is inside an office building. There is a space between buildings and the restaurant built a terrace joining the outside wall of the 2 building. They add canopies to shield the sun and keep the rustic outside concrete walls of the buildings exposed. Shrubs and greenery were brought in and the atmosphere was soothing and relaxing. It was dark and we could not sit outside, so we retired to a main dining room.