Sheilaclapkin's Blog;

Sleep # 23

Today we visited Sibenik, and I dare you to pronounce it. I have tried all morning. When you think you’ve got it, you don’t.  The atmosphere in Sibenik is lively with little streets leading to great things to see.  The Cathedral Sveti Jakov, which dates back to the 13^th century, is not to be missed and is located just next to the fortress walls.  There are steps leading up to and down from everywhere you want to go in this city. People are carrying large parcels up and down the stairs and their exuberance got us in the mood to shop a bit.  Skip bought a little polka dotted piggy bank for about $l.50 and no sooner had he walked out of the curio shop; it dropped and broke into many pieces. A lady next to him said, “That is an omen you should stop saving.”  Now did she mean stop saving money or stop saving piggy banks?

The Green Morning Market

We also took a side trip to Trogir, which is on an island located inland and connected to land by a stone bridge. During the drive into Trogir, we were treated to an hour of views along the Dalmatian coast where we saw islands, little inlets, villages and beautiful scenery full of ancient wonders as well as modern.

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This is a mussel farm.

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Now, on the ride back to Sibenik, which you cannot pronounce we went by the mountain route and all I can say is that if you need a place to stash someone in the witness protection program; this is it. No one will ever be found or recognized.  We did see many vineyards, the changing of the colors and harvesting of the olive trees.  Everyone knows the ownership of each tree and one would never pick from anyone’s trees but the trees that belongs to them.  A large plastic tarp is laid beneath the tree and 5 or 6 men all stand around the tree picking the ripe olives.

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View of central Dalmatia

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We enjoyed going further afield today and exploring something that was not on the beaten path.

Kotor, a charming city, is backed up to a huge mountain with fortifications surrounding its medieval center. It is lovely and we got so lost inside the walls. Really, getting lost is the fun part.

City Gate

City fortification walls

More walls

Day time view of the mountain fortification wall around the city of Kotor.

Night illumination of the ancient mountain fortifications around the city of Kotor

A very content resident of Kotor.

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Sleep #22

Kotor, Montenegro

We woke early this morning as we were being whisked away to the end of the Kotor Bay to the town of Perast. Why leave beautiful Kotor I asked myself and received my answer loud and clear. Perast is a town at the end of Kotor Bay that has two islands directly in front of it. One island is called Our Lady of the Rocks and the other is called the Island of Death.

Our Lady of the Rocks and The Island of Death

We were taken by boat for a visit to Our Lady of the Rocks, which is an artificial island made my sinking shiploads of rocks year after year and gradually an island appeared from the sea.  Even to this day they have a parade of boats where they ceremoniously drop rocks into the sea by the island.  Legend has it that sailors found a painting of the Madonna and Child on the rocks near the site in 1452 and ever since that miracle, after a successful voyage, each sailor places a rock on the island. The church, which is built on the island, is very beautiful and is filled to capacity with lovely antiques and artifacts.  It was a visit to appreciate.

Our Lady of the Rocks church on the island.

The Island of Death was not really discussed and when asked, our guide said that it is not used now, but sometimes the priests hold meetings and retreats there.  Also, someone in the group said they thought I was once used for prisoners in the past.

The Island of Death!

As we walked through the town of Perast, a charming little lady came out of her house,  and we tried to have a conversation with her using fingers, hands and body language.  Skip wanted to go into her house and look around; she graciously let him enter.  She tried to rent him a room, so we thought, because she kept pointing to upstairs and putting both hands as a pillow, closed her eyes and smiled.  We enjoyed the encounter and I gave her a hug good bye and she kissed me. What a sweet little lady. She was happy and so were we. On the way back from Perast, which by the way is pretty much at the end of Kotor Bay, our boat proceeded allowing us to view the life on the shore. It is fantastic to see and be allowed to witness life in Montenegro. Montenegro has a long history that is complicated and not forgotten, but their lives have mended and they are doing quite well in every way. They seemed to have weathered the war storms quite well.  The water in the bay is so clean and clear you can see the fish enjoying the good life. Life on the bay as follows . . . . .

Sleep # 21

Korcula

Korcula is a beautiful old town on a long and skinny island. We walked up to some of the newer parts, but mostly enjoyed being in the old medieval part of town. We relished our day and hope you will look at some of the photos and be there with us.

Korculan’s want you to know that Marco Polo was born here in 1254 and his name is plastered all over town. For tourists looking for interesting artifacts regarding Marco, wander all over town looking for the house where he was born.  We think we found it several times, but maybe not. There are so many Marco Polo signs you don’t know which ones are really Marco or advertising souvenir shops, coffee houses or a bakery.

We found that the medieval quarter is laid out like a fish with tiny lanes branching off of the backbone.  We walked up and down the backbone, branching off into the little lanes.  We sat in the lanes and passed time.  We got the feeling we were in the internal structure of things.  Here are many photos of the tiny lanes because I think you will enjoy that each one is different and unique.  The lanes are not just decorative and quaint; they have a purpose. They are designed to catch the sea breeze and to provide shade, which I appreciated very much.

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Have you ever wondered what is behind a LOCKED ancient door like this one?

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I have  wondered and this time the weathering left a hole on the sides of the door just big enough for my lens to slide through.  Here is a peek into the environs on the other side of the door.

ZADAR

Sleep #20

The Greeting To the Sun

We did not feel like guests in Zadar, we felt a part of the Zadar  family. It was Sunday morning and so many of the inhabitants were sipping their coffee on the main streets and children were riding their scooters, small bikes, and parents were holding their helmets. I wondered why they didn’t put the children’s helmets on their heads. Not only was it Sunday, but also they were celebrating All Saint’s Day with a huge section set up for flowers in the main square. Everyone by the end of the afternoon were carrying bunches of flowers.  We were told that after church families went out to the cemeteries to honor their dead with their prayers and flowers.

Church of St. Simeon

Look at the beautiful marble streets in Zadar.

We checked out all of the money exchanges in Zadar and all were closed.  We were timid about using the ATM even though we did secure a pin number before leaving home.  We could not even buy a coffee. Oh dear. We didn’t need any money after all.  We started out with a map and were able to scout out each sight. It felt a bit like a scavenger hunt.

This location has  ancient connections to Liburnians, Romans, Byzantines, plus Greek influences and  date back to the 9^th and 10^th century.

We really enjoyed finding the ruins, which are interestingly left to seek and find. No one else was touring these ancient spots, but others may not realize that the ruins and the garden held much of the mystique of this city. If you listened and paid attention you felt a part of the past in the present. Meaning, you came to understand that you were in a place with ties to another time and remnants of proof were there for your hands to feel and your feet to touch.  It even smelled dank and old as you went into and out of the leftovers. It is the best sights the city has to offer.

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A big scavenger hunt score: The Five Wells Square

In the front of the harbor of Zadar there is a huge circle of glass and other materials that form a symbol called: A Greeting to the Sun. (see first photo) and a little way down from the sun greeting circle is the only Sea Organ in the world.  The city of Zadar is very proud to have the first musical organ driven by sea waves and what a unique musical experience it provided. We sat with other listeners to an unusual melody of haphazard notes sounding continuously. Actually, I became quite lulled by the tunes, or mistunes. The day was spent in glorious sunshine and ended with the perfect sunset  as we sailed away to come again another day.

Sea Organ

Listener's to the Sea Organ Concert

Some sailing away sunsets are glorious.

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Sleep # 17

Murano, Burano and Torcello

I remember photos sent of my cousins Louis and Keith’s percolation system in Lake Tahoe, well today we saw it in action. Percolation of water is how quickly a volume of water dissipates into the subsoil, therefore not having any flooding and or puddles of water on the surface. I talk about the natural percolation system here in Venice because their drains are plugged up with everything imaginable. We could not get out of our hotel lane here in Venice to go for an excursion this afternoon, so we found some upper back alleys and got to the meeting point to board our water taxi out to Murano, Burano and Torcello.  St. Marks Square was flooded as well. When we returned 4 hours later all of the water had percolated and the flood was gone, probably back again tomorrow if the tide is high or as the Venetians call it  “Acqua Alta”, high water.  We heard that they are going to build some form of break so the water will not get over the banks as the land has been sinking for many years. There is another problem and the water rises up through the rainwater drains, but the inconvenience is fairly short-lived. We wondered why they have giant tables end to end in the square. This morning we saw them in action. People were walking across the square on the tops of these low tables as well as pulling their luggage across them.  My feet and socks were wet. So much for Acqua Alta and the percolation process as first hand witnesses.

We boarded our excursion boat to  Murano Island, which you may know is famous for their glass manufacturing industry, sometimes referred to as Glass Island. We had no idea that there are many glass factories. We thought it was just one factory making all of this wonderful art. The island is slow, and has fewer tourists walking the streets.  We were treated to a glass blowing demonstration, but did not stay to the end and or shop in the factory store. We headed out into the streets along the canals to see the island’s interior.  We had to be back to the boat at a certain time so we walked a counted number of minutes giving ourselves plenty of time to make the boat’s leaving time. The island held some magic. I was looking for something magical to take home to family and friends.

You know that Italian art glass sometimes contains millefleur, (mosaic glass art) which means thousands of flowers and is used to make many beautiful glass art vases, paperweights and jewelry.

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In a store tucked away from the maddening crown, I found loose pieces of Millefleur and bought a few magical pieces. If you want one, I have enough for many of you.  Each one is hand picked and you can have the magic inside the glass piece.  Usually they are encased in glass boiled and blown, but these are in rare untreated form. One is yours for the asking. Come by and get yours or I will send it to you.  Right now they are covered in bubble wrap and placed in my shoe for safe travels home.  I say safe travel because Skip’s suitcase busted and we had to buy a new one.

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Now let’s go on to our excursion to Burano Island.  I loved the look of this little island. It is known not only for their lovely lace making, but also known for its fisherman’s houses that are painted in bright colors. You may choose any color you wish for your house, but once you have chosen a color you can’t ever change it. You may re-paint it but it must be the same color forever. Some of these photos will give you an idea of the lovely little Burano.

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Last on our excursion we stopped at Torcello Island. It is said that Picasso and Hemmingway both had long stays on this island because of its quiet, serene, idyllic nature.  It was the first civilization in the huge estuary leading to the Adriatic and only the Cathedral and the church remain to mark that time. We walked along the canal for about 10 minutes noting farms, a multitude of cats, roosters and chickens, grape growing and some lovely scenes. We returned to Venice in an intimate relationship with a beautiful sunset amid clouds carrying tomorrow’s rain.

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The Cathedral

The weather in Barcelona cooperated with all of our plans for three days. The day before we arrived they were treated to thunderstorms bringing the temperatures down, giving the days and nights a spring-like feel.  Our panoramic tour in the afternoon allowed us to see several buildings for the 1992 Summer Olympics held here in Barcelona.

Summer Olympics 1992 Barcelona

The name Antoni Gaudi is synonymous with Barcelona.  Gaudi was an important architect who gave the city special landmarks using his style, direction and visions. We were treated to a viewing La Familia Sagrada. This Cathedral is named after the family that commissioned its being built. It is hard to explain the awesome nature of the experience standing in front of this work of art.  It is not finished in Gaudi’s lifetime. He was supposedly hit by a tram in June of 1926 and was not on hand to oversee the completion.  The city of Barcelona, as you can see from the following photograph, is working to finish the restoration of this resplendent work.  The have planned to open the finished work in June of 2026 marking the 100^th anniversary of Gaudi’s death.

I wish my photo did this edifice justice.

A little closer view of La Familia Sagrada

Guell Park

I could hardly sleep waiting for the early morning taxi ride to Parc Guell, a project that was made possible by the commission of The Count of Guell as a city-garden. The garden, which is designed and executed by “Gaudi”, was finished and made a pubic park in 1923. We were advised to rise early and take a taxi to visit this park early because later in the day it becomes too hot and the crowds are impossible to maneuver.

In Park Guell

Also in Parc Guell

Lovely Parc Guell.

As you can see, Parc Guell is a must see and takes several hours to enjoy to the fullest. One thing that happened truly is an unplanned and very exciting traveling experience and it happened in Guell Park the day we were there.  When the small group of us arrived at the park we had it all to ourselves. It was stunning and unforgettable. We toured the park uninterrupted by crowds and other travelers. When we finally wound down to the ground level, sellers of souvenirs arrived to set up their shops on the ground in the main sandy area of the second level of the park, but what happened with the police and the sellers is the story

I said to Skip, “Gee, look at all the stuff they are selling on the ground.” Naturally, we all went down to see; maybe they had something for our loved ones back home. I purchased several pairs of earrings; they had been paid for and bagged. Then a hell of a racket started, “Policia, Policia,” and all of the sellers rolled up their goods in blankets and swooped them up. Tourists had items grabbed out of their hands and within what seemed like seconds the sellers were there and then, they were seen running like mad out of the park.  Where was my camera? It was in my pocket with my brain. I could not record this event.  All I can show you is the empty space that had once been filled with sellers and their goods.

An area once filled with sellers, now empty.

It happened so fast and we were in the middle of it in kind of stunned state. What now? We left to further our Gaudi experience, but Parc Guell now has a primary and a secondary meaning for those of us who were there at that instant.

When in Barcelona you become  “Gaudied,” which means you try to see all the Gaudi you can while there. (I made this word up for myself)

After leaving Parc Guell we continued by taxi to Casa Mila, also for the records called La Pedrea (meaning stone)

It is called Casa Mila because the Mila family commissioned Gaudi to build this apartment house and using the main floor as their family residence.

Casa Mila aka La Pedrera

The interior corridor of the apartments that surround the building.

When visiting the Casa Mila you visit the entrance, which was once the Mila family’s living space, then, you travel by elevator to the rooftop.

Statues of a man and a woman on the rooftop of Casa Mila

A surprise finding more Gaudi from the rooftop of Casa Mila.

When you wind down to the Attic space you explore and then, finally you visit an apartment.  I enjoyed becoming “Gaudied”

We saw the façade of one more building of Gaudi representation, but the name escapes me. How about a photo? Let me know the name of this building if you find out or you already know.

Next, we walked all the way down the Les Rambles to La Boqueria a massive food market. We lingered.  As we ventured on the Rambla full of incredible shops, rows and rows of outside restaurants down the middle of the street and people, cars and many taxis everywhere, we found a spot to eat. Traffic going one way on one side and the other on the other side, pedestrians on two sides and down the middle. All the while you are enjoying your food and drink, you can have a 360-degree view of everything.  It is pleasant actually.

We walked and walked to get to the Placa Catalunya. When we finally arrived we passed the important Fountain of Caneletas and it is said: “Whosoever drinks from the fountain of Caneletas will always live in Barcelona.” We didn’t even let the spray touch our skin. Barcelona is beautiful, but to live here is for someone else. God’s blessing to all them.

Palau Nacional by day:

Palau Nacional illuminated fountain at night:

Today we had a LOVELY visit to Toledo and arrived in Madrid later in the evening.

Just a note: Another lady broke two toes and had to be seen at the hospital. She is still with us, but moving slowly with a foot boot and crutches. She did not go home as well. Our dear Charlotte with the shoulder injury is quite an inspiration for all of us and will be for a long, long time.  We all love her!!  It is more difficult to get from place to place for the lady on crutches.  Feet take you everywhere and work quite a differently on cobblestones and ancient winding up and down streets in towns 500 years old.  But my hat and the hats of others go out to these two brave ladies.

On the way to Toledo we made a pit stop at a town described as Don Quixote’s hometown. Perhaps the setting Cervantes set was his home town. I do not know who ever really lived here, but why would the guides tell tales?  It all took place so many hundreds of years ago and it is a good bathroom stop, so why worry about this truth. Whoever lived/s here, it is a picturesque setting, plus it has the best bakery in the entire Spanish countryside.  The macaroons were heavenly and the bread pulled apart was the perfect soft centered, crisp outside kind you expect and usually don’t get.

TOLEDO:

Toledo was once the center of all Spain. It was the capitol and then the honors were moved to Madrid. People began to leave Toledo for Madrid and Madrid is now huge, bustling and magnificent.

Toledo looks much like it did five hundred years ago. It looks this way because as I said, the capitol status was removed to Madrid, so Toledo sopped in its tracks and remained with the help of maintenance very much same.  Its charm is the look of antiquity and other factors, many historical events tourists find fascinating. Many of the monuments are facades and are dedicated to the memories and contributions of those not with us anymore, but who bequeathed remembrances for all of us who come to see how they lived and what they have left.

This beautiful Cathedral is only opened when dignitaries come for a visit which is not very often.

They say that the Christians, Jews and the Muslims all lived together in unity and religious issues were not prevalent. Is this true?  Did they really live in peace with no conflicts and for how long? I hope it is true and I hope it can happen again. Such naiveté, on my part, but let it be right.

One of two signs announcing the Synagogue.

We were treated to a visit to an old Synagogue called Santa Maria la Blanca and enjoyed being there, but realizing it is in an Arabic style, I asked why.  It was explained that the old Synagogue was renovated and made into a mosque long ago.

To be sure you do not miss The Santa Maria la Blanca, here is the second sign.

It is said that several years ago many Sephardic Rabbis were invited back to Toledo for a festive occasion. They were all offered to have the Sephardic Jews return to Spain and receive full Spanish citizenship in only two years when it normally takes ten to fifteen years to become Spanish citizens.  How many do you think returned to become Spanish once again?  How many will come? I predict, none. It is my opinion that it was a gesture with no reality, but a heck of a good show.

We entered a convent, climbed the stairs and knocked on the window of Mother Superior’s quarters. She is said to sell handmade Marzipan if you knock.  Skip knocked and we asked for a box of the marzipan; she handed the box to Skip and Skip handed her six Euros.  We saw a similar box down the road for only two Euros.  Oh well, let us just say we donated to the Convent.

Another note. Do you remember reading about the turtle story and my crossing the bridge? Well, again we had another bridge to cross today to meet the bus. After hours of walking in the lovely town of Toledo, the bus looked far away in the distance as our group gazed across the expanse of another bridge.  Skip said I wasn’t second last time, I was third,  so this time I made very, very, undoubtedly sure that I was FIRST to across the bridge. I did it in front of witnesses.  A young fifteen year old almost got me, but I even stopped to take a picture and still won. Like I said before, it was just I cheering for myself after winning the self-imposed race.  Yeah Sheila, good job in bridge crossing.  Thank you Toledo for your beautiful peek into yesteryear and a few moments in time to reflect, learn and listen to echoes from the past.

See my competition, and see how I clearly was in the lead? Just a little personal best in progress.

Just to add a side note: We are staying just a few blocks from the train station in Madrid where terrorists did their dirty deed several years ago. We have gone past it a few times.  I will go this afternoon to see the crystal monument they have there with all the names of those killed or injured in the attack.

Now that Madrid is the Capitol of Spain it has grown up to be a majestic, huge, metropolis with traffic, sculptures honoring heroes, a beautiful botanical garden, and the Prado Museum.

I will admit that the guide we had at the museum was so slow, much to slow for my biorhythms, so we ditched her and wandered around until we had enough. We wandered off to other areas where we lingered. We enjoyed were the Playa Major and had a long three course lunch in Playa del Sol. After hours of play, joints and feet aching, we jumped into a taxi. I got the front seat. Oh my goodness, let us dispense with all of the superlatives and just say, imagine an amusement park ride. Yes, the ride was exciting, daring and down right scary. But, that was the fun and the spirit of Madrid.

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A Costa Del Sol Sunrise from our balcony.

We are now in Costa del Sol.  The word Sol means sun and the sun shines down with a fury. It is so beautiful and hot, hot, hot here. We enjoyed a midnight stroll along the boardwalk that stretches for miles and miles.

Long ago these beautiful built up towns of Costa del Sol used to be tiny fishing villages of not more that 300 people, but now you will find huge condo complexes, gorgeous homes of the rich and famous and cities within cities. These little fishing villages have truly been transformed into a huge tourist destination. From our location today, we are to visit Malaga the birthplace of Pablo Picasso and a private museum with his paintings put on display by his grandson.

It feels like 1,000 degrees in the sun, but in the shade and out on the beaches it is cooler. This afternoon, all I want to do is stay in our room, with the air conditioner blasting, but alas you are at the beach, so go out and enjoy. Mama Mia, they go topless here.  We noticed ladies are very free about their bodies and comfortable within them. It was one of those non-verbal messages to me.  I don’t have to strip to the waist, but should be happy with what is still there! Still working, still quite presentable, still supple and well hydrated and not too much of it all. One grandmother lifting her grandbaby up and down was so huge and so tan. Everyone is so tan. It looks like hey painted it on, but it is not. One topless wonder was redder than a fresh boiled lobster. Many topless women were mothers with children around them totally unconcerned they might be marking them for life. Marked, how, I do not know for sure. Perhaps it is a good thing, perhaps, not. What do you think?

Oh so sorry, no photos.

Tomorrow there is no luxury of staying at the hotel because the wake up call comes at 4:45 a.m. and soon thereafter we go to Morocco for the day. I can’t even imagine the heat there, but I do know that I will be able to cross off several notations on my bucket list. One is step onto the continent of Africa and secondly, is to add another country to our travel adventures.

First view of white washed houses on a hill, in Tangier, taken from the bus window.

We just returned from Tangier a two-hour bus ride and a 40-minute ferry ride from Costa del Sol.  While it is an interesting border town, it was exhausting. As soon as you get off your bus there are what seems like crowds of people hawing and sticking items for sale in your face.  Ask me what I bought and I will tell you nothing. I watched three sales and each took the entire free time we had.  One sale was two leather bracelets that were eventually purchased, but the dialogues started at ten Euros and ended both for three.  The negotiations were relentless and ended only as the lady entered the bus and sat down. The man acted desperate through the window. Oh my, too much drama for little ole me. The second purchase was a little carved camel. No great shakes, but the child wanted two Euros and the lady handed him a one-dollar bill. He was not interested in the money, but started his relentless pursuit of her.  The second to last was a necklace that was nice but so over priced in a store. The shopkeeper kept on going down and kept on going down, finally a price was agreed upon, he handed the woman the necklace and she gave him the money. He promptly took the necklace back and gave her the money back and said he was only joking, how could she believe he would sell it to her for that price. Twice she had the necklace and he had the money and twice he took it back and gave her the money back. I was in shock and felt funny standing there. In the end she got the necklace, but I don’t know what the final price was nor do I care.  Now can you see that I did not buy any thing? The negotiations here were, too dramatic.  One man followed me all the way through the bazar and told my kids to watch me and take care of me and that someone might want to see what was in my pocket. Freaky?

You are right; that is our daughter Karen riding on a camel.

Getting off of the ferry taught me that the ladies with the head scarves do not have a personal zone, they bang into you and push you aside to get going and be on their way.  I thought maybe they were anxious to get off the ferry and home, but no, this kind of banging and pushing aside happened the whole day every time we got down on the ground. Humm. I just mention this because it happened to me. It joggled me and banged me around. I never got hurt or bruised, just nudged out of the way.  I was jolted a few times into the walls of the alleyways because I was a THING in the way. I was something between this woman and what she needed to do or needed to get.  If it happened once or twice I would say, an accident, but now I see it is a way of being. a way of action.  The men never ever touched me even with a graze and they were all in a hurry, too. The women are very strong and confident out in their world and I wish them well. I thought they were weak and squelched, but not the ones I encountered.

Here she is going about her daily business.

When it was time to return to the ferry and go back to Spain, I was relieved and glad to have spent time there, walked on their soil and returned to less stress.

More photos:

Just a moment of their time. I am thanking them.

This caught my eye and I wanted to share it with you.

I don't know why, but I love this lady and the photo.

A nice mother and child photo.

Mostly men are out and about, but I did capture a few women doing their marketing.

Hard working man.

Look who is enjoying the carpet factory!

Our guide asked me to stop taking photos because she said the people might not like it. I guarantee you none of them saw me taking their photo from behind the pole, from behind the tree, from behind the building, from behind her back.

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