A Bunch of Bull

The Swiss love their cows, the Portuguese have their rooster, and the Spanish display their bulls.  Bulls are everywhere in Spain.  Most famously, there is the Osborne bull.  Osborne is the name of a brand of Spanish sherry, and back in the 1950s an advertising campaign for the company placed enormous, black, metal, bull silhouettes along hills and roadsides throughout the country.  There are at least 94 Osborne bulls still remaining in Spain.  Very few have the Osborne name or anything else printed on them.  

The image is so popular it has become a Spanish emblem and is even printed on postcards, souvenirs, and merchandise.

We photographed this Osborne bull in Andalusia.

Rarely does a bar or café in Spain not have a mounted bull's head or two on the wall.

And bulls are favorite characters for kids:

But my personal favorites are the real McCoy . . . the ones lazing around the fields that I photographed at rest stops and outside of town.

The Old Wooden Shoe Carver in Gouda

My family loves to watch craft demonstrations, and what could be more culturally relevant and fun in the Netherlands than observing a wooden shoe carver at work?  This old gentleman at the cheese market in Gouda kept us entertained for at least an hour watching his skill with ax, chisel, and file.  In his perfect English he told us he had been making Dutch wooden shoes his entire life, and now, in his retirement, he likes to demonstrate the centuries-old handicraft at fairs, markets, and international shows.

Wooden shoes are called klompen in the Netherlands (because of the klomp-klomp sound they make when you walk) and are still worn by many people in the lowlands of Europe even today:

Starting with a block of soft but strong aspen wood, the friendly shoe carver in Gouda roughly shapes it into a shoe with an ax.  He then continues to file and chisel the shoe into its final shape.

Later it is painted and/or etched with wood-burned designs.  Wooden shoes in all sizes are one of the most popular souvenirs purchased in Holland!

Finished and unfinished klompen.

Related posts:
Chocolate Making in Broc, Switzerland
Cheese Making in Gruyères, Switzerland
Violin Making in Mittenwald, Germany
Glass Making in Murano, Italy
Porcelain Making in Delft, the Netherlands, and in Oberschliessheim, Germany

Travels With My Mom

On this Mother's Day,

some memories of travels with my mom:

My brother, mom, and I in Wüstenzell, Germany, in 1963.

My kids, mom, and I in Wüstenzell, Germany, in 2005.

Photo Friday: Torre del Oro

Torre del Oro in Seville.

There are much more grandiose and better known attractions in the ancient city of Seville, but we really grew to like the peaceful river walk around the Torre del Oro, or Tower of Gold, beside the Guadalquivir River.  

The twelve-sided military watchtower built in the year 1220 was designed to protect the city from invaders, served as a prison in the Middle Ages, and is now a small naval museum with lovely views from the top.

Torre del Oro at night, with Isabel II bridge in background.

This is my Photo Friday post link-up to DeliciousBaby.com.

The Village of Rimpar in Germany

Okay, so we went to the village of Rimpar for a beerfest.  Sans kids.  That doesn't mean I can't recommend it as a family destination, does it?

Hubby and I in Rimpar, Germany.

It just means I'll have to import some photos from Google since most of mine are not particularly family-friendly:

German children would not, however, find this photo unusual.

Amongst all the festing, we did take the time to take a short look-around at Rimpar in the district of Würzburg.  The most notable sight is Grumbach Castle, built in 1347, with its small historical museum and lunch tables on the grounds perfect for an afternoon picnic.

Photo credit:  Reinhard Kirchner at Wikimedia.org

Rimpar also has several clean and modern children's playgrounds and might be the perfect rest stop for a family traveling the Autobahn 7 through Franconia.

Playground Scheuerberg in Rimpar.
Photo credit:  www.rimpar.de

Photo Friday: Playing Dress-Up

My kids are both teenagers now, and yes, they occasionally still like to play dress-up when we travel:

My son as Spanish matador.

Cordovan hat.

Flamenco hair flower.

Just like when they were younger:

Royal orange cowboy hat in Amsterdam.

Bavarian carnival hat.

This is my link-up post to Photo Friday at DeliciousBaby.com.

Mary's Day

Although it originally began as a pagan festival, May 1st, or the celebration of May Day, was Christianized during the process of conversion in Europe and continues to be observed by some in Europe and America.  In the Roman Catholic tradition the entire month of May is dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and in Catholic school when I was growing up we held May Crownings with crowns of flowers placed on a statue of Mary.

In honor of May Day today, I find an excuse to post photos I've randomly taken in Europe of various Virgin iconography.

Tile mosaic on the streets of Seville.

Virgin and Child by Giovanni Battista Cima da Conegliano at the Louvre.

Mary painted on the Renaissance vault of the Seville Cathedral.

Stained glass window in the Mesquita in Córdoba.

Virgin of the Navigators in the Alcázar, Seville.

Review of Hotel Polo in Ronda

The fam on our balcony at Hotel Polo.

Location, location, location - always so critical when choosing accommodations - was unfortunately a bit neglected when we selected Hotel Polo in Ronda, Spain, for our two night stay.  Not that its location was inconvenient or cumbersome.  It was only a short walk to the magnificent Puerte Neuvo, or New Bridge, which soars over the dramatic El Tajo canyon dividing Ronda into old town and new town.  But Hotel Polo is located on the "new" side, and after strolling through the quiet, lazy, charming "old" town, I would much rather have slept there.  Precious little Hotel Ronda (link to it here) in the center of the old quarter would have been just my taste.  Maybe next time.

Anyway, my disappointment in Hotel Polo was somewhat hastened when arriving in what was obviously one of their unupdated rooms:  dirty carpet, slouchy beds with thin sheets and no pad, rickety old furniture, and moldy bathroom.

Our guest room in Hotel Polo.

Extra bed is a good feature.

En suite bathroom

Old furniture.

Alas, however, it's not always easy to find a room (with air conditioning) for four people in Europe, and the price was right ($125/night - in dollars because I booked on hotels.com).  The reception staff was kind and helpful and the lobby was clean and cheerful:

Lobby at Hotel Polo in Ronda.

Traffic on the street outside our window was not too heavy:

And I peeked into some nicely refurbished rooms that perhaps one might request:

My husband and daughter, big breakfast eaters, really liked the hotel breakfast (not included in the price):

And for families with little ones, a park with playground is nearby:

The Dramatic Cliffside Town of Ronda

The white hill towns and villages in Spain's Ronda mountains are nestled in striking natural surroundings, but none so magnificent as the city of Ronda itself.  Ronda is built on either side of a dizzying ravine, and the impressive 18th century bridge that spans across it is one of Andalusia's most awesome sights.

Puerte Nuevo, completed in 1793.

Founded by the Romans, conquered by ancient empires, Ronda finally fell to the Arabs in 713, from whom it received its rich Islamic architectural and cultural heritage.  Painted bright white to reflect the hot summer sun, and built on the edge of cliffs and hillsides as a natural defense against invaders, the village offers dramatic scenery and vistas.

Guadalevin River Trail

A good place to start your exploration of Ronda is to walk beside the deep gorge carved by the Guadalevin River.  Along the paved path are views of the hilly surroundings, handsome old mansions, and several more older bridges across the ravine.

Walking trail along El Tajo Canyon and the Guadalevin River.

Palacio de Mondragon at the top of the photo.

The pedestrian-only Puente San Miguel.

The Puente Viejo, also known as the Arab Bridge.

Arab Baths

At the bottom of the cliffside path are Ronda's 11th century Arab baths, thought to be the best preserved in Europe.  The cool, underground chambers and seating for the informational video are a welcome respite from walking in the hot sun.

Bullring

Ronda's bullring was built in the 16th century as a training facility for developing horsemanship, but in 1726, when Francisco Romero, from Ronda, used a sword and cape in the arena in a bullfight, he gave birth to modern bullfighting as it is performed in Spain and other countries of the world today. The guided tour of the complex (6.50 € per person) is extremely interesting, as is the accompanying bullfighting museum. What my kids (and I!) found extraordinarily cool about Ronda's bullring (as opposed to Seville's bullring, which we also toured) was that we were allowed into the ring! Needless to say, my son enjoyed a little role-playing:

Also exciting is visiting the bullpens:

Old Town Ronda

On the south side of the fabulous Puerte Nuevo bridge is the old quarter of town, with narrow cobbled streets, sunny Plaza del Socorro, and charming whitewashed residences.

Plaza del Socorro in Ronda

We stayed in a hotel (see my review here) on the "new" side of town because it was cheaper, but I regretted the choice once in Ronda since the old quarter was so much more historical and beautiful.  If you're just driving in for a day visit you'll be pleased to know there is an underground parking lot directly beneath Plaza del Socorro in the middle of town.

This is my link-up post to Photo Friday at DeliciousBaby.com.