Winter Festivities

The holiday season finally came to a close in San Sebastian. First there was Tres Reyes (January 6), aka Three Kings Day or the Epiphany, which celebrates the end of the 12 days of Christmas when the three kings arrived with gifts for baby Jesus. This is when Spanish children get most of their presents. But here in San Sebastian the festivities don’t end until January 20 with La Tamborrada, the city’s saint day and annual 24-hour drumming festival.

It is our first winter in San Sebastian in three years, after traveling the past two, so we have been readjusting to wintertime. Thankfully, the weather has been relatively mild so far. One of our favorite things to do is walk on the shoreline at low tide and see all the dogs enjoying the beach, as they aren’t allowed during the summer season. We’ve enjoyed several stellar walks, including one in mid-December with warm, beautiful conditions.

For Jeff’s birthday last week, we visited another favorite place, the Villa Antilla Hotel in Orio. Not only did we enjoy the spa’s water circuit, but the stay gave us the opportunity to be away the night of January 19, when the drumming starts at midnight and keeps going until midnight on the 20th. The weather on the 19th in Orio was stunning and we enjoyed a lovely walk near the beach.

We returned to San Sebastian on the 20th to enjoy the musical spectacle. Our friend Angela, who is American, had joined a newly formed Tamborrada group that had the perfect route and time to march – midday along the La Concha pathway. Many Tamborradas are a fraught affair, with cold, rainy, windy weather, but this year’s weather was perfect. Our apartment sits directly above a popular pedestrian street where a group played about every 30 minutes, validating our decision to spend the night away.

We stopped in at Constitution Plaza, the most prestigious place to play during the festival, to see my yoga teacher’s group perform.

This year’s event set new records for participation, both by children and adults. (The kids’ groups have a parade at midday.) This local tradition is in no danger of going away.

The music stopped around 10:30 pm where we live, which was helpful, other than the one random person that continued banging away on their own for a bit longer. We were able to sleep eventually.

This weekend we were out and about, and although the weather was less than ideal for us, we still enjoyed walking along the coastal path, while surfers took advantage of the waves in the La Concha Bay below, which is not normally a surf spot.

Winter’s pleasures will mostly be enjoyed locally. The cider season has opened and we’re looking forward to some adventures close to home, while planning out next trips.

Hasta pronto,

Shana & Jeff

Paris: City of (Christmas) Lights

Based on our last post, you might think that we spent all our time in Paris in museums, but that was not the case. Unlike the visit where we did 5 museums in 5 days, this time we only did four, which still left us plenty of time to enjoy the city’s holiday vibe, good food and wine, and visit some Christmas markets, as well as the newly reopened Notre Dame.

Of course, Notre Dame was the hottest “ticket” in town. Recognizing the high demand the reopening would create, a timed entry system was put in place. Slots disappeared quickly, so we enlisted help to get an entry time as new opportunities became available at midnight here when we’re asleep. We were grateful for the west coast assistance! Ironically, when we showed up for our 9 am entry, we waltzed right in without having to show our passes! We did see that the entry plaza became a mob scene in the afternoon though.

The renovation is worth seeing. Recalling that Notre Dame seemed quite dark inside, especially at the back, the revelation is how light and colorful it is now.

While Notre Dame is impressive, in the end, the people and techniques behind the renovations are most fascinating.

The Christmas markets can be fun, and we ventured out to La Defense – Paris’s modern “downtown,” which hosts one of the bigger markets. It was so crowded that we didn’t stick around long. The same was true at the Tuileries Garden market. This was not unexpected as it was only a few days before Christmas.

Having read that the Jardin des Plantes has a fantastic light show, which this year was Jurassic themed, we thought it would be fun. While it is certainly festive, and we enjoyed being outside despite the chill, it was underwhelming.

Oh well, as we say, they can’t all be winners.

Paris has become a favorite destination. There are still plenty of places we have yet to see – including more museums. We’ll see what or who brings us to Paris in 2025.

Happy New Year,

Shana & Jeff

Another Paris Art Bonanza

When Jeff read in July that the Pompidou Centre in Paris would be hosting an exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Surrealism movement, we knew we’d have to go see it. As we planned the trip, we found several other opportunities to see art, not knowing how well each exhibit would seamlessly flow into the next.

To be sure, the Surrealism exhibition was unreal – it was even designed as a labyrinth, which was clever, yet a bit frustrating (probably intentionally so). Starting with Andre Breton’s 1924 Manifesto of Surrealism, a French national treasure, the scope of the works on display was tremendous, including all the big names as well as many unknown to us. It was interesting to learn the history and inspirations for the movement, and how it evolved. Marcel Jean’s Surrealist Wardrobe was a real treat – a humble object that becomes so much more, offering an imagined escape through its many portals.

Ultimately, surrealism shows how art is an expression of philosophy, reconfirming why many of Jeff’s favorite artists are surrealists. As we left, pondering everything we had just seen, the fountain full of colorful sculptures outside was a fun bonus.

Next up was a return to the Picasso Museum to see Jackson Pollack, the Early Years (1934-1947). We knew of Pollack’s later drip paintings but knew very little else about him or his art. Picasso was highly influential in Pollack’s artistic evolution, both thematically and stylistically. He had Surrealist influences as well, which were noteworthy after our Pompidou visit. Being able to compare Pollack and Picasso works side by side was intriguing.

A fabulous docent had the group of French children mesmerized. The museum has recently allowed a modern Cubist artist to paint the “chapel” space, and if you hadn’t read the description, you might mistake it for Picasso’s work. The museum is an elegant and inviting space – you can see Jeff taking a brief rest down below.

Our third exhibit was Heinz Berggruen, A Dealer and His Collection, at the Musee de l’Orangerie, which was filled with works by 20th century masters, including Picasso, Klee, and Matisse, among many others. Berggruen escaped Nazi Germany yet 60 years later sold his extensive collection to the country he left behind. The collector/dealer perspective was distinct, but the artists overlapped and felt like an extension of the prior two exhibits.

Several of Monet’s famous water lily paintings are on permanent display at the L’Orangerie. Serving as a modern counterpoint were Amelie Bertrand’s Hyper Nuit interpretation of the water lily motif.

These contemporary versions of classic works were the perfect segue to our last exhibit, Pop Forever, Tom Wesselmann & …  at the Foundation Louis Vuitton. Admittedly, neither one of us had heard of Wesselmann, who was one of Pop art’s leading figures. So, the exhibit was quite an education, both about the artist and the movement. Wesselmann was prolific and seeing his works presented with so many other Pop artists (many of whom we did know of, e.g. Andy Warhol) was entertaining, as Pop art has quite a sense of humor.

These two collage pieces take the mundane and make it fun. Many of Wesselman’s pieces are multidimensional. His large pieces were especially amusing and witty.

As we left the FLV we were greeted by a newly arrived sculpture, Flower Parent and Child by Takashi Murakami, who has collaborated with Louis Vuitton in the past. The piece was recently moved to Paris from Kyoto. The golden piece matched well with the gold Balloon Dog by Koons shown in the exhibition.

As this will be our last post of the year, we wish you all joy and good health in 2025!

Adieu 2024,

Shana & Jeff

Porto

This was our second trip to Porto, but our first trip was negatively impacted by the relentless cold and rain. Fortunately, this time we got fantastic weather and were able to enjoy the city much more. One day, the weather was so good, that we took a bus out to the coast and a bit north of the city, and just walked back along the river. It was a very nice just to enjoy the sun and watch all the people who were doing the same thing we were.

 We also got great pictures of the riverside, and the city's famous Dom Luis Bridge.

Porto is, unfortunately, a city that is really focused on tourism including shops selling touristy stuff on seemingly every block. We noted that the level of tourism was incredible considering that it was not high season. As a result, we really did not do a lot of tourist stuff. We did wander in to Porto's main train station and got some pictures of its blue tiles.

We also found, as in the rest of Portugal, that most churches charge for entry, so we did not go into them, although of course we got pictures from the outside.

From left to right, is the Torre dos Clerigos, the highest tower in the old part of Porto, which is part of a church; the Church of Il Defenso; and the Chapel of Santa Clarita (also known as the Chapel of Souls). We did briefly go in the Chapel of Santa Clarita, so we can safely say that the facade is the most impressive part of the church.

Overall, we enjoyed our time in Portugal, and would definitely like to go back to see some areas in the central part of the country near Nazare, but we will give Porto a pass on future trips.

That is all for now.

Jeff and Shana

The Douro Valley

We spent 5 nights in the Douro Valley at our friend´s quinta (wine estate). The Douro River starts in Spain, winds its way across northern Portugal, and empties into the Atlantic at Porto. The valley, carved by the river, is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world and a UNESCO world heritage site. While the summer weather can be quite warm, by mid-November it was crisp, and a bit overcast. It´s a beautiful area and the fall colors added to its allure.

We took the time to relax, but also explored what the region has to offer, most of which is wine-related, and we were happy to partake. The vineyards are planted on steep terraced hills, which create a wonderous scene.

We learned during this trip that Portuguese wineries have adopted a commercial approach to tastings and tours. A visit generally requires a paid-in-advance reservation with a minimum cost of 15 euros/person. Although a tour is provided, most winery tours are similar and we´ve done our fair share, so this is not our preferred model. Still, at Quinta de la Rosa we confirmed that grapes are picked by hand due to the steep terrain and learned that the grapes are crushed by foot (a la ¨I Love Lucy¨, albeit in large concrete containers). This method is better for ports and there are different rhythms and paths used during the very long shifts. The bast factoid was that your feet and legs stay stained for days!

Pinhao is one of many riverside villages. It´s train station is decorated with tiles depicting the region´s viticulture.

To get a view from the water, we took a river cruise on a traditional rabelo boat, the type historically used to transport the barrels of port wine to Porto´s Vila Nova de Gaia warehouses where the wine is aged. It was a nice way to enjoy the scenery and learn more about the history, geography, and geology of the valley.

The Douro was the perfect place to slow down. We enjoyed lunch at Aneto & Table, a winery-owned restaurant in Peso da Regua, one of the larger riverside towns in the area. There were wines paired with every dish. And we had another memorable lunch in Aramar, a small hillside village, at Regional Fonte Nova, where the owner was a truly gracious host. During our meals and tastings we reconfirmed that we prefer wine over ports. Of course, there are occasions for every type.

On our way to Porto, our last stop of this trip, we paused in the Vinho Verde region, known for its very fresh white wines. While the wines at A&D Wines-Quinta de Santa Teresa were spectacular enough to ship some home, the highlight of the tour was meeting Sal, the owner´s 8-month-old spaniel puppy. He followed us around the grounds and happily kept us company while we tasted.

You can´t find a better way to make our day than good wine and a friendly dog.

We hope to return to the Douro one day to help our friend during harvest season, perhaps even getting to stomp some grapes.

Ciao,

Shana & Jeff

Coimbra and a Special Lunch

The drive from Nazare to our next destination in the Douro Valley was about three hours. Along the way we stopped in the university town of Coimbra and for a fantastic lunch of crispy pig.

Coimbra is a beautiful town that sits on a hill on the Mondego River. We were there on a beautiful day.

Although the place where Coimbra is has been settled sinced the Roman era, it is best known as the home of the oldest university in Portugal (technically started in Lisbon in 1290, but moved to Coimbra in 1308). After having coffee and a traditional pastel de nata at a cool old cafe, we wandered uphill through the town toward the university. Along the way, we saw a student in the traditional university cape, which supposedly inspired JK Rowling to use such capes for the students at Hogwarts (it is true that Rowling wrote some of Harry Potter in Portugal).

The main university square is quite impressive, and the entrance included information about student resistance to the Salazar dictatorship, which added to the knowledge we began to acquire at the Resistance Museum in Peniche. As you can imagine, the University was a center of protest from early in the dictatorship as students resisted moves to undermine faculty and student control of academics.  

Coimbra is a city of many churches. This was originally the Jesuit Church of the University, but later the bishopric seat was transfered here from the city's old Romanesque cathedral. So, it is now know as the "New" Cathedral even though it became the cathedral in 1772.

We did not actually spend any time touring the many churches of Coimbra, because they all charged entrance fees, which is something we don't really believe in. We've seen too many churches during our travels and honestly can't remember most of them distinctly anyways (especially the insides). As a result, we had time to get lunch at a restaurant recommended by our friends at Lisbon Winery: O Rei Dos Leitoes. 

O Rei Dos Leitoes is known for its crispy pork, so of course we had to order that, and it came with a (small) salad, and really delicious homemade potato chips. Generally, we do not get excited about potato chips, but these were fantastic, and were even served warm.

The restaurant's wine list was like a telephone book. Fortunately, Adriana at Lisbon Winery had recommended a bottle of sparkling wine to match with the pork. It was fantastic.

After lunch, I somehow managed to drive the last hour or so to our friends' finca in the Douro Valley. More on our adventures there soon.

Hasta pronto,

Jeff and Shana