Why Fly?

Looking at retirement causes many changes in perspective.  One of the better changes is a relative lack of deadlines.  You have time!

Over the past ten years we have grown increasingly disgusted with the cost, the hassles and the state of airline travel.  Cancelled or delayed flights, baggage limitations, damage to and outright theft from baggage, seats built for dwarves, etcetera.  We have put up with this due to the necessity of business travel and the time limitations on our rare vacations.

Guess what!  No more business travel.  No more time limitations.  Our time is now our own.  If we can avoid an airplane ride, it just makes the whole travel experience that much better.

We have been destination cruisers for about 15 years.  For a while it was comforting to think that we only had to unpack once during our vacation and the ship was basically a hotel that followed us around.  Over time however, the ship became more of a tether pulling us away from places we wanted to be.  So, for a time, we stopped cruising, preferring to spend time in the places we wanted to go.

When planning our trip to Spain we were astounded at the cost of airline travel and dreading the idea of 20 hours of flying and airport connections.  On a whim we looked at repositioning cruises, since it was to be the springtime ships would be going from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean…seemed like a good fit for us.  We found several cruises from the east coast of the US or the Caribbean to ports all over the Med and were delighted by the low prices.  The perfect cruise for us left from San Juan, Puerto Rico and arrived in Malaga, Spain a 1.5 hour bus ride from Granada!  The cost for two people, in a balcony cabin for two weeks with several interesting stops when added to the cost of air travel to San Juan was less than the price of the economy class airfare to Spain!

Hmmmm, let’s evaluate. 

Two weeks of reasonably good food in several restaurants, a double bed to stretch out on, a private bathroom, maid service, 24-hour room service and entertainment all included.  Beverages of all kinds are available for purchase when you want them not when the flight attendant decides to visit you.  No jet lag?  Sold!  An added benefit; two weeks of living expenses are covered as well!  We were to stop in St. Thomas; St. Maarten; Lanzarote; Tenerife; Madeira and then made final port in Malaga, Spain.  We would arrive in Spain happy, tanned, well rested and ready to go.  Having energy from the first hour of the first day would be a first for us in Europe.

Another thing to consider, we were going to be in a state of near exhaustion from the last few weeks of getting rid of everything in our lives and saying good-byes to everyone.  Perhaps some "down time" on a ship on our way across the Atlantic would give us a chance to rest and catch our breath before beginning an entirely new life, in a new place, with a new language.

We booked it! It was an RCCL cruise on the Adventure of the Seas and we used vacationstogo.com to get the best deal.  Cost of air tickets to San Juan $189 each accommodations in Old San Juan for 4 nights $324, cruise in a balcony cabin for 2 weeks $799 each.  $2300 total for everything including meals….two one way coach class tickets to Madrid $2160, no contest.  Keep in mind that we knew we were going to spend money for food and drink in San Juan and for drinks and extras on the ship but these expenses were already in the regular monthly budget for living expenses, no matter where we are we will have to eat and drink.

If you have time and have the flexibility to travel whenever you choose, a cruise just might be the way to knock the longer flight segments from your travel and save your back from those awful airline seats.

Besides, isn’t retirement about not being in a hurry?

Just a moment in Madrid, Spain

While in Granada we discussed with our friends our plans to take the train to Madrid on Saturday.  We were flying out mid-day on Sunday and wanted to avoid any last minute transportation issues.  After all, we did have to be back at work on Monday.

Everyone thought we were nuts!  They kept asking us why we were taking the train and not the bus.  Well, in our experience buses were not nearly as comfortable as trains, took a whole lot longer, and in some places you could be accompanied by all kinds of other passengers like goats and chickens that you would not want to spend hours on a bus with.  The chuckles of laughter were enough to get us to check it out.

The intercity bus system in Spain is very, very good.  The buses are very modern and equipped with restrooms on board.  They are clean and very efficient and cost a fraction of what the train does.  So we looked at the schedules, much to our surprise the bus to Madrid only took 30 minutes longer than the train and we would not have to deal with the overwhelming size and confusion of the Atocha train station.  The additional trip time is spent at a very modern travel stop where everyone gets off the bus to stretch, go to the bathroom and get something to eat or drink.  These stops are typically well equipped and might also have a book store, tourism office, cafeteria and grocery store.

Many of the buses in Spain are equipped with WiFi and some are even set up as luxury executive transportation with large seats, plugs for all your electronics; and food and drinks included in the ticket.  Even these special buses, which are double the price of a normal bus, are a fraction of the price of train tickets.  There are routes in Spain where the train is a better option because the roads are so difficult and the buses take a lot longer.  In these cases the train is worth the money.  To travel from Granada to Madrid the train was 80 euros per person and the bus was 17.  No contest!

We arrived in Madrid early afternoon and checked into our hotel, a charming small hotel just a 15 minute walk to the Prado and very near both the bus station and Atocha.  Taking a walk, we did what every self-respecting tourist should do in a new city; we found a café and sat down outside to have a bite to eat and a beer. 

Madrid is a big city, over 4 million people live there and the noise and traffic confirm it.  We knew we did not have a prayer of a chance of getting to know Madrid in one night so we decided to limit ourselves to just one thing on the agenda, the Prado museum.  We were there on a Saturday and much to our delight we discovered that the Prado opens its regular exhibits to the public on Saturday and Monday evenings for free from 6pm until they close.  The days of the week and times may change from season to season but they do this so that the residents can go and enjoy the Museum without all the groups of tourists that fill it up during the daytime hours.

The Prado is far too large and has way too many exhibits to be seen in an evening (or a week for that matter) so we picked just two artists and tried to see everything that was on display by Velazquez and Goya; after all we were in Spain.  We did manage to see most of the collections by these two wonderful Spanish artists in the three hours we were there but the closing bell rang much too soon; hours in the Prado fly by like minutes.

We had a late dinner in the hotel restaurant and slept soundly on our last night in Spain.  In the morning we had our coffee in the hotel and checked out the metro and buses schedules to the airport, we decided to relax for the morning and just take a cab.  We knew the travel back to the states would be grueling and we could not have been more right.

Flying out of Madrid was very interesting.  Additional security measures were being implemented on all flights to the US due to an elevated terrorism threat level at the time, we still don’t know why.  These security measures cause major operational problems for many airports.  The Spanish way of implementing “additional security measures” was to put all the planes that were leaving Madrid to go to the US at the very far end of one terminal and restrict access to this area by installing additional security procedures.  Once you passed through this additional security and went down to the gate area you were absolutely not allowed to leave for any reason.  There were no restaurants or shops located at this end of the terminal though water bottles were available from a vending machine, and of course, our flight was delayed by an hour.  Poor Mike, the smoking area was 20 yards outside the secure perimeter!

We were flying a US carrier that we have flown many times and never liked.  We had an eight hour flight across the water, a four hour lay-over in Philadelphia and then a five hour flight home to Phoenix.  Well, in Madrid, our flight was delayed another hour, and then another…..by the time our flight left we were exactly four hours behind schedule.  Once we got settled in our seats and got off the ground the announcement was made that one of the restrooms was not working, really….four extra hours on the ground in Madrid and they could not find a plumber?

The pilots managed to make up about 40 minutes time in flight, probably not long enough to make our connection but long enough to let us hope.  In the Philadelphia airport we found much to our delight that Spain had gone through their seasonal daylight savings time adjustment, which had not been reflected in the aircrafts schedule, and we actually had arrived in time to make our flight to Phoenix!  Clearing customs and immigration in Philadelphia we were surprised and slightly chagrined to discover that the US was now stamping an entry stamp into the passports of its own citizens.  We wonder if we’ll need an exit stamp as well.  Needless to say by the time we arrived in Phoenix we were very happy to be done with the “travel” part of traveling.

Nasrid Palaces at the Alhambra

Playing hookey from our graduation ceremony gave us the afternoon to get to the Nasrid Palaces at the Alhambra that we had missed in our first visit.  We went on-line and bought tickets a few days ahead of time so we knew we had to present ourselves at the entrance to the Palaces right at 2pm.

We had a little time to wander from the main gates through the gardens and down to the lower level where the palaces are.  The Nasrid dynasty ruled in Granada from the 11^th century until the Christians conquered in the 1492.  These palaces are what are left of the original Moorish palace and many areas have been beautifully preserved and restored.

We began our tour of the palaces in the Mexuar, or the public rooms of the palace.  These areas would have been meeting rooms and the places of commerce and diplomacy.  The design of these rooms was meant to be impressive of course, to the people seeking an audience with or the services of the ruling family who were no doubt awed by the vastness of the spaces and the huge expense incurred in their design and decoration.

Islamic artwork uses geometric patterns and patterns found in nature like flowers and leaves but does not use depictions of people of animals.  The written Arabic language also lends itself to beautiful designs and words and phrases are carved everywhere.

From the Mexuar we headed into the Comares Palace (Palacio de Comares) which was the actual living quarters and private residence of the Caliph and his closest family and advisors.  It is difficult in this day and age to really comprehend how people lived at this particular time.  Many rooms had pool s and fountains with running water to help cool them in the hot summer months. Ceilings are coffered and inset with inlaid wood and painted in flowing Arabic script.  The windows and arches were designed for both strategic significance and for the views of the kingdom, and each one is fully carved and decorated from the inside so the view of the window is as beautiful as the view seen from it.

The finally the Palace of the Lions (Palacio de los Leones), this was the part of the palace that housed the harem.  The women and children lived in beauty and luxury.  The patio of the Lions is the centerpiece of this area and at the time we first visited it was closed for restoration.  We could only glimpse in through the scaffolding and plywood but what we could see was spectacular.  (The restoration work is now complete and it is absolutely spectacular!)

The tours of the Nasrid Palaces can be done many ways, we did it on our own, just purchasing tickets and reading about the things we saw.  There are Audio guides available for those that haven’t done their research and live, guided tours are offered if you want to spend the money.  The number of people admitted to the palaces is limited each day because they are trying very hard to protect and preserve them.  If you want a very different and quite romantic experience, try taking the tour at night, the views are spectacular and the groups are smaller so there is a more intimate feel to the palaces.

All in all and afternoon very well spent!  

The best Irish Pub we've found yet...

Seems like everywhere we’ve been there’s one or two self-proclaimed Irish pubs.  So, out of our own personal interest, hunger and thirst, we’re going to look for and document Irish pubs wherever we go.  We’ve been saying for years now “There’s an Irish pub in every town and if not, there’s a business opportunity”.  We’re going to have a little fun with this so please let us know if we’ve missed a candidate.  We welcome all suggestions (researching will be enjoyable). 

The first Irish pub sets the standard of course, and it sets the bar high.  To try and bring a little objectivity to this very subjective effort we propose to rate the pubs on the following scale.

1.  Ambience (1 to 3 points) – dark wood paneling and furniture, lighting, mirrors, floors, signage, etc.

2.  Irish Bartender (0 to 3 points) – a second point is available if there is more than one Irish bartender.  The third point is for a bartender that insults you while he/she serves you and you find that you enjoy it (he or she could only be Irish).

3.  Taps (0 to 3 points) – One point each for having on tap:  a) Guinness, b) Irish ale, or beer, and c) Irish cider.

4.  Kitchen (0 to 4 points) – One point each for having: a) an Irish breakfast fry-up, b) a bacon sandwich, c) a shepherd pie, and d) food quality.

5.  Entertainment (0 to 3 points) – No I do not mean “Paddy jokes”.  Fiddlers and tenors are appropriate as is futbol and hurling (on the television of course).  Bartenders count.

First up:  HANNIGAN & SON(Granada, Spain)

Located at the base of the Albayzin near Calle Elvira we are rating the original Hannigans (there are two in Granada).  We found this gem in the fall of 2010 and have been returning ever since.  We give 2 points for ambience for the dark wood, the bar and the signage.  Uncomfortable and poorly arranged seating are only a small problem.

Hannigans receives 3 points in the Irish Bartender category because Rory and John, God Bless them are both Irish and Rory is also the house master of the insult, bad jokes and on good days, part of the entertainment.

This pub scores extremely well in the Taps (3 points) and Kitchen (3 points) categories.  Guinness, Strongbow and Murphys Irish Red are all on tap although we have been considering that we should deduct one point for their also having Amstel on tap.  The kitchen is small but generates an amazing fry up, bacon sandwich and hamburger (made with Irish beef and good Irish cheddar cheese) along with a limited number of other items such as chicken wings.  They do not offer a shepherd pie.  Kitchen hours are somewhat limited (currently 1:30pm to 5:00pm weekends and 7:00pm to 10:00pm weekdays) and closed for a couple of months during the summer so you have to plan a little but it is well worth it.

Finally Hannigans receives 2 point for entertainment.  Futbol and hurling are regularly on the television and the bartenders are worth a few laughs every time.  Music is from the bartender’s playlist and requests are sometimes granted.

Summary for Hannigans:

Ambience                                2

Bartender(s)                            3

Taps                                         3

Kitchen                                   3

Entertainment                         2

Total                                        13 point of a possible 16

This is a very high standard indeed and we can’t wait to get back.  Oh and Rory, you are only worth 3 points “petal”.

The Alhambra in Granada, Spain

The Alhambra looms over Granada and is Spain’s primary tourist attraction.  This fortress has a long and rich Moorish and Christian history far beyond the scope of this blog.  We are history buffs and indulged in a lot of reading before ever seeing it first hand, for us, the place is magical.  If you plan to visit, familiarize yourself with at least a bit of the history of the Alhambra and the related history of Granada before you arrive, it will be time well spent.

On our first weekend in Granada we decided to visit the Alhambra with two of our TEFL mates (yes, one was an Aussie).  We had heard that it was best to either purchase tickets on line, in a local bookstore or at certain ATMs but we figured that early on a Sunday morning, in Spain, we should be able to easily purchase the tickets we desired.  Oooops, definitely purchase them in advance!

We hiked the very steep hill from Plaza Nueva to the Alhambra and found that a small part of the lower citadel is open to the public, a very small part.  We went in and by 11, after seeing all there was to be seen in about 30 minutes we found ourselves at the ticket counter.  Here we discovered there are two types of tickets; one ticket is for the lower citadel and includes the summer palace and gardens or “Generalife” and the other includes access to the Nasrid dynasty palaces.  The Generalife/lower citadel tickets cost 6 euro and the Nasrid palaces tickets were 12.  You could buy them both together for 16 euro.

Unfortunately, the Nasrid palaces tickets are much in demand and tour groups buy them up quickly or in advance.  These tickets provide a limited number of people access at various but specific times.  If you are not present for your entry time and miss your group’s entry, well too bad.  The first time available for purchase that day was 3:30 and we decided not to wait and wander around for more than four hours and that we’d save the Nasrid palaces for another day.  We purchased the Generalife/lower citadel tickets.

Figuring to start at the top and work our way down we climbed to the Palacio Generalife which was the Nasrid dynasty’s summer palace.  This summer palace is located a significant distance up the hill from the lower citadel and features seemingly endless gardens redolent with colorful, sweet smelling flowers and the sound of constantly running water. 

From the Generalife one can look down upon the lower citadel and view its many towers over the terraced gardens.  The city of Granada lies in the distance and the entire palace conveys a sense of tranquility and quiet contemplation.

The four of us wandered aimlessly through the gardens and simply enjoyed the fountains, pools, manicured hedges, pathways and views from the gardens and the palace windows.

 A long, curved, tree lined path led down through the palace gardens, across an arched bridge over what can only be called a moat, into the outer passageways of the lower citadel.

The walls of the lower citadel contain many breathtaking viewpoints of the Albayzin on the hill across the river Darro, of the city of Granada and of the cultivated plains beyond.

Many of the towers placed in strategic points along the walls are accessible and with a little patience, one can take advantage of a photo opportunity without other tourists in the frame.

Inside the walls, the lower citadel contains the remains of the barracks for the palace guard, a myriad of staircases linking towers to defensible areas along the walls and, of course, more gardens and fountains.  There is a basilica whose interior can be viewed when services are not being held and the huge palace of Carlos V can also be accessed with this type of ticket

The palace of Carlos V is square on the outside and circular on the inside, is two very tall stories high and has an impressive inner courtyard.  It contains a small historical museum and on this day had an exhibition of Monet paintings, for an additional entry fee of course.

By 1:30, after 3 hours of wandering this incredible structure we had had enough and exited to the forested path leading down to Plaza Nueva, the starting point for any excursion to the Alhambra.  We celebrated our tour with pints of Murphys Red and a fry up for breakfast at our favorite local Irish pub; but that’s another story.