Tony left Portland March 28, 2003, 1st e-mail received, March 31, 2003
For e-mails and pictures go down -----------\....
for Picture tour only of Spain Click here
P.S. Thank you all for your prayers for Tony's safe journey and may have this spring been kind to your tulips and daffodils: Vic and Jean
1st e-mail received, Date March 31, 2003,
Subject: Hola a mi Familia,
"Tony is picking up on the Spanish language!"
Hi,
I just wanted to send a note and say that I got here fine. I am in Madrid and it has been a perfect trip so far. I am staying in a hostel in the Huertas neighborhood (near the Prado Museum and some of the big government buildings). The hostel is run by this middle aged couple, neither of whom speaks English. The man was pretty gruff with me at first, but I am trying my best to use Spanish and I think he appreciates it, as he's definitely more patient with me now than when I first showed up. I have learned that beginning conversations with the words " Hablas Ingles? "is a great way to alienate the locals. But if you make an attempt at Spanish they are pretty understanding.
Anyway, I hope that you are all well. It is only my second day but it is already going too fast. I will be home before I (or any of you) know it, so do not worry. There are many posters and signs saying !No Guerra! which I think means No War!, especially since most of the signs have fake blood and bullet holes drawn on them. However, so far the people and signs haven't really been anti-America and no one has given me any grief, which was my only major fear. And I've had two people walk up to me and start talking in Spanish, so I don't think I scream "Yankee". Anyway, I left all my " Bush-Cheney 2004" buttons back in Portland.
I am running out of time on this computer (I never realized how long it takes me to write a message!) so I will say goodbye for now. Take care, and I will write again soon!
Love,
Tony
go to Picture tour of Spain http://www.rogueforum.com/tourMadrid.htm
2nd e-mail received, Date April 6, 2003,
Subject: Good idea,
Hi,
Thanks for the advice. So far, hostels have worked well for me. I am in Barcelona, where I have been since Wednesday. Itīs a beautiful city. Today I took a train to a town called Girona, about 1 1/2 hours away. The town is built on some ancient Roman ruins and I walked along the old Roman wall and took pictures of the cathedral that is in the middle of the tangle of streets around the ruins. For some reason, this was my favorite day so far. Tomorrow I will take a train to Valencia, which will give me a nice view of the coast (I think). Tuesday I will spend in Madrid again where I hope to attend a big soccer match and then Wednesday I am going to Toledo. So far, I have had no problems and the days are flying by.
I hope that you are all well. Any news?
Tell Mom I am fine and send her my love.
Tony
go to Picture tour of Spain http://www.rogueforum.com/tourBarcelona.htm
go to Picture tour of Spain http://www.rogueforum.com/tourValencia.htm
go to Picture tour of Spain http://www.rogueforum.com/tourSanDiago.htm
go to Picture tour of Spain http://www.rogueforum.com/tourMonsarat.htm
April 2, 2003; Vic Corchero <corchero@ccountry.net> wrote:
Hola; got to pass the word from the Church ladies. One had a daughter that traveled Europe and found that staying in monasteries worked very well. Though I believe that was in Italy and Croatia. Anyway, hope you can drop another line soon. (:})-lf-SC Mom and Dad
3rd e-mail received, Date April 9, 2003,
Subject: Soccer,
Hi,
Just wanted to drop you a quick note. I went to the Madrid-Manchester U.K. futbol (soccer) match last night. I bought a ticket from a scalper so I actually got in and when I told the guy I was rooting for Madrid because my family was from Spain, he gave me an awesome seat. I was just twelve rows back from one of the corner posts. Madrid won 3-1, and it was an amazing thing to watch. I am so glad that I went! It was a 1/4 final game for the whole European league, and the people were so energized over it! They were singing songs and cheering and the guy next to me was talking very quickly and used the words "XXXX" and "polla" in almost every sentence.( . XXXX = not nice------ polla is a young pullet ie. chicken, also it could be "sissy", Vic )
There were allot of British fans too, and they were very passionate as well, but they were vastly outnumbered. There were 80,000 people at the game and Iīve never seen so many people so into something. No one gets up for drinks or to go to the bathroom while they ! are playing. I looked off to the side and all I could see was an endless stretch of black hair and brown faces that were all facing the same direction. It was like an army.
Tomorrow I am headed to Seville. I was going to go today but I needed a break from hard-core traveling and so I just rested in Madrid. Tonight I may go to a flamenco show.
I hope that you guys are well. How is Mom? Send her my love.
Love, Tony
go to Picture tour of Spain http://www.rogueforum.com/tourSeville.htm
4th e-mail received, Date April 11, 2003,
Subject: Historic Seville,
Hi Mom and Dad, Yeah, soccer is huge here. In Europe in general, but especially in Spain, Italy, and England, it is like a religion. Outside the U.S., soccer is a pretty amazing phenomenon. It's like the Olympics, but it goes on every year. There's a bunch of different leagues, and I don't understand it all, but I was pretty fortunate to see that game. Madrid is only a fews steps away from playing for the European title, and that game was one of the last hurdles. Oh, yeah, I now remember that the guy next to me kept using the word "coņo" as well. He was very colorful. Sometimes he was mad, sometimes he was disappointed, sometimes he was exultant, but you could only tell by his tone of voice. He always used the same words. Today I am in Seville. It's a very bright, cheerful city and I like it quite a bit. It's the kind of place that makes you just feel relaxed and content. It also has the most awe-inspiring cathedral I have ever seen. The size and hard core Gothic design of the structure are staggering. I shot a whole roll of film of it without even realizing what I was doing; I just kept walking around it and it looks different from every angle. It's also impossible to get much of it into a single frame. I got in trouble for taking pictures inside though so I stopped. I saw a flamenco show last night which was wonderful. I think I have a few good pictures from it (or rather I took a few and I hope they will come out). After the show I walked back to the cathedral (I don't know why but I am in love with that building) and there were dozens of bats flying around the bell tower, screeching and diving and doing all the other creepy things that bats do. It was perhaps the most Dracula-esque moment of my life. Thanks for writing me back. It makes me happy to hear from you guys as I move about. How is everything going there? Love, Tony
go to Picture tour of Spain http://www.rogueforum.com/tourSeville.htm
go to Picture tour of Spain http://www.rogueforum.com/tourAvila.htm
April 12, 2003; Vic Corchero <corchero@ccountry.net> wrote:
Hi Tony, this is a big deal for us, we are enjoying your trip immensely without the drudgery of pack-UN-pack etc. As you might guess for old folks that is important. The Cathedral is likely and was shot in an old classic movie "el Cid" before your time. It was impressive in the move but you got the full shot.. Anyway, keep um comin, I have lost track who else is enjoying following your adventure. We are fine here, hasta la vista, con salude de Dios, (:})-lf-SC Mom and Dad
5th e-mail received, Date April 12, 2003,
Subject: Next week plans,
Hi, just a quick note,
I am on my way to catch a train. I plan to
spend Easter weekend in Caceres and
Pozuello. I want to spend Good Friday in
Seville (there's a world famous Catholic parade
there for Semana Santa that lasts all week but
culminates on Good Friday) and then take and
afternoon train to Caceres. I'll look for
the bakery on Saturday, and plan to have a car
rented and spend Easter Sunday, or at least go to
Mass, in Pozuello. I don't know that I'll
spend the whole week there, but I'll be there for
a few days. The white towns, I
think, are what tourist books refer to as the
White Hill Towns of Andalucia. They are
supposed to be beautiful but I won't be seeing
them this trip. They are hard to get to
without a car. I am having a certain
kind of trip this time, relying on the train and
seeing cities all around the country.
Next time I will probably stay in one or two
provinces (Andalucia-Extremadura, for example)
and rent a car for a week or two. That way
I will be able to move about more freely and
explore areas beyond the city centers.
But this trip was the perfect way to start;
I got to see so much of the countryside and
visit alot of different areas and decide where I
would like to spend more time and where I
probably do not need to go again.
Thanks for the messages. Send my love to
Mom and everyone else. Tony
go to Picture tour of Spain http://www.rogueforum.com/tourCaceres.htm
go to Picture tour of Spain http://www.rogueforum.com/tourPozuelo.htm
Vic Corchero <corchero@ccountry.net> wrote:
Hi, So how are you doing with the language? I hope you are avoiding McDonalds and eating "native". How are you doing for meals? I just put your e-mails on this web site and I just paste them on now. (:})-lf-SC mom and Dad
>Tony is touring Spain, check this web page for updates:
> http://www.ccountry.net/~corchero/tony'strip0403.htm
6th e-mail received, Date April 13, 2003,
Subject: Semana Santa has started,
Hi Dad, Thanks for putting that together, itīs very nice of you. Iīm sure the whole world is very interested in what I am doing. I am in Granada. Yesterday I was in Cordoba. These two cities have the strongest remaining Moorish influence, including La Alhambra, a massive hilltop fortress that overlooks Granada.
Iīm going to hike up to it tomorrow morning. I need to get up about 6:30 to make sure I get in. Semana Santa has started. I have already seen two processions. Men dressed in gowns and hoods (allot like the KKK, but colorful) walk by with huge candles and crosses, then a marching band, then a float carried by a dozen or more men (some of these floats weigh as much as 2 tons I read - they are covered with statues and Catholic iconography for the Easter season), and then more band, and then groups of women dressed all in black with headdresses and rosary beads. Itīs very beautiful and very eerie, especially the music. I got lost in a tangle of streets called the Albacin (an old Moorish district) and one of those bands started up a few streets! away. It was sunset, and that music really creeped me out.
I bought tea at Starbucks one day because my throat hurt; thatīs the only American establishment that I have been in. Other than that I have eaten allot of paella, fried fish (especially squid), arroz con pollo, and rabo del toro (bull tail - just like beef ribs more or less). I passed on a stew made of calf brains and bull testicles. Iīll stick with the tail.
The language thing is going O.K.. Iīm nowhere near fluent, but Iīm getting better and I still surprise people who donīt think Iīm American when they first meet me. Meaning, theyīre surprised to later find out that I am American. Traveling around so much actually hurts because they speak differently in some regions.
Around Barcelona they speak Catalan (a completely different though very pretty language) and where I am now, Andalucia, they drop the final s from many words. Buenas noches, for instance, is buena noch here. I was confused until the girl at the front desk of my hostel last night asked if I was having trouble understanding people in Andalusia "because of the s thing" and then explained what that meant. After that I could understand people much better. Anyway, take care and say hello to Mom for me.
Love, Tony
go to Picture tour of Spain http://www.rogueforum.com/tourCordoba.htm
go to Picture tour of Spain http://www.rogueforum.com/tourGranada.htm
7th e-mail received, Date April 18, 2003,
Hi,
I just wanted to say Happy Easter. I hope that everything is going well for all of you. I am still alive and well.
Today and tomorrow I am in Galicia. Itīs the Celtic part of Spain. Weather-wise it is allot like Portland, which is actually a nice break from the sun for me. I like it here allot; for some reason itīs probably my favorite place so far. It is definitely still Spain, but it also definitely has itīs own character. You hear live bagpipe music as you walk through the streets, and it is both the reputed resting place of the St. James and a great place to pick up witch paraphernalia. My hostel is above (and run as part of) a bar. It should be an interesting couple of days.
Right now I am in a place called BBiGG, which is kind of a 21st century arcade. They have cheap Internet access and a bunch of linked computers so people (i.e. young pimply dudes) can come in and play head-to-head Doom and Mortal Combat and stuff. I have my back to them but I can easily hear the sounds of machine gun fire and pump-action shotguns and the occasional exclamation of "ĄJuan esta el hombre!" and "ĄHasta luego, puto!" It seems like fun, actually.
I hope that you all have great weekends. Dad, my plans changed obviously; I wonīt be getting to Extremadura until Sunday night, Monday, mostly because the tourism in the Spain is crazy this week and I was having trouble finding places to stay.
Anyway, take care.
Love, Tony
go to Picture tour of Spain http://www.rogueforum.com/tourSalamanca.htm
go to Picture tour of Spain http://www.rogueforum.com/tourValencia.htm
Vic Corchero <corchero@ccountry.net> wrote:
Hi, we are really enjoying your trip. The Cathedral is likely and was shot in an old classic movie "el Cid" before your time. It was impressive in the move but you got the full shot. The word "coņo" is one of those that can be used in so many contexts. One I know can be nasty but others like just a question, "Why did you go do that dummy" another would be WOW!. So on a scale of 1 to 10 where are you now on the native Spaniard scale? Hope you leave that last week for Caceres and Pozuello. My mom says she told you about a bakery in Caceres run by Corchero's is that right. First place to go, then maybe a guided tour can be arranged. Anyway, keep um comin, I have lost track who else is enjoying following your adventure. We are fine here, hasta la vista, con salude de Dios, (:})-lf-SC Mom and Dad
8th e-mail received, Date April 21, 2003,
Hi Everyone, Thanks for the message from Aunt Josephine. This message will be short because internet is hard to find in this town and so I am using a kiosk in the train depot which has the most primitive keyboard I have ever seen. It took me 2 minutes to write the last 2 sentences.
I am in Caceres. I wasnīt sure what this part of the trip would be like as Caceres and Extremadura are not big tourist destinations so there wasnīt as much info. I really like Caceres. It is a small city (about 90k people I think) but it has allot of history and thereīs a fair amount going on. My train came through northern Extremadura to get here this morning. It is much greener than I thought, with rocky, rolling hills and many, many orchards. I am glad that it is so green.
I had read about how hard and rugged Extremadura is (most of the conquistadors came from this province) but I m here at the right time as the weather is beautiful, the hills are still green, and the trees are starting to show their flowers. Caceres has quite a few trees, especially in this one long, narrow park between the main streets. There are also a ton of storks that roost in the old towers and walls and build giant nests.
So far, I feel really comfortable here and think that it is quite a lovely city. Iīm pleasantly surprised; I expected something out of one of those Clint Eastwood movies they used to film over here, something dry and hot and nasty. This keyboard is killing my hands so Iīll say goodbye. Tomorrow Iīm off to Pozuelo. Wish me luck! I donīt even like to drive in the U.S.!
Send my love to Mom and everyone.
Even Toby. Tony
go to Picture tour of Spain http://www.rogueforum.com/tourCaceres.htm
go to Picture tour of Spain http://www.rogueforum.com/tourPozuelo.htm
9th e-mail received, Date April 23, 2003,
Hi, I am back in
Caceres and everything has gone fine. Tomorrow I
will go back to Madrid and then on Friday I hope
to take a day trip down to Toledo.
Pozuello was nice. It reminded me of Gilroy
more than aything else, although it is definitely
a small town. The drive went great.
The road signs are a little different that I am
used to but their meanings were clear and it was
a nice change of pace to drive somewhere rather
than walk or take a train. I can definitely
tell Iīve been doing this for a few weeks; Iīm
tired and plan to take it easy for the next few
days. I need to be at work on Monday
morning! Last night I saw an interesting
festival here in Caceres. Today is
Saint George (San Jorge) day and he, it
turns out, is the patron saint of Caceres.
In the town square the re-enact the battle in
which the Christians stormed Caceres and
reclaimed it from the Moors. It started
with this sad singing, then there was a pretty
strange dance routine (strange for a city run
festival - it was like modern interpretive dance
or something), then these guys on stilts with
horns and flaming spears came out. It was
pretty strange but very fun to watch. The
fight during climax came with a big sword which
Saint George rides in on this big thing at the
white horse and throws a burning lance/spear
Moors 15 foot long had one last dragon.
Iīm not sure where the Moors came by a dragon,
but they night. The dragon burned up (it
looked neat but smelled terrible) and then the
started actors all dancing and they shot
off some pretty impressive fireworks.
pictures of Unfortunately I donīt have any of
this because I was out of film and 11 PM all the
stores were closed. The festival started at
and went pretty much hope until dawn, although I
left way before that. How are you guys
doing? I you are well. Send my love
to Mom, and talk to you later. Love,
Tony
--- Vic Corchero <corchero@ccountry.net>
wrote:
> Hi, Sunday night, we would sure like to hear
from
> you, (:})-lf-SC Mom and Dad
10th e-mail received, Date April 28, 2003,
Hi!
Please do not worry; I am O.K. but I am stuck in
Dallas. Yesterday was a aweful travel
day. I spent
as much time standing in line trying to get on
planes
as I actually spent on planes. When I
finally got to
Dallas, I was exhausted and I forgot to write to
you.
I am sorry to worry you. I am O.K., and should be
home
this afternoon. I'll send you another
message when I
am home.
Love,
Tony
goto vic's web site at " http://www.ccountry.net/~corchero
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