rainy day in Queluz

Thu 22 May- awoke to rain again! After breakfast, our typical buffet of cut fresh fruit, orange juice, coffee, eggs & bacon, bread and coffee cake, cereal, etc., we bought 24 hours of Internet connection for E10, so you're getting this update today, and I uploaded the recent photos to http://hutchings.smugmug.com in the Portugal album. We also researched places to stay later in our trip, in northern Portugal and Spain. Had a picnic dinner of salad and wine. This seems to be a good strategy - a big supper mid-day along with a long walk, then a light salad and wine for dinner around 7 or 8. Eating a large meal after 7:30 pm just causes difficulty sleeping, and is uncomfortable.

Oeiras Gardens of the Marquis of Pombal Palace & Queluz Jardim do Palacio Nacional

Wed 21 May- after breakfast, we headed for Queluz. On the way, we stopped by Oeiras to see the Gardens of the Marquis of Pombal Palace. They were beautiful, well worth the visit, and we took lots of photos. We then continued through curvy, narrow cobblestone streets to our Pousada Donna Marie in Queluz. It is right across from the famous National Palace and Garden, the 'Jardim do Palacio Nacional de Queluz' that was on our agenda. We checked in, then crossed the street to the Palace, where we saw many interesting displays of life in the 18th Century: china, furniture, art, statues, items of everyday life, etc. Many of the ceilings were painted, reminding us of the Sistine Chapel, and one room was almost completely tiled from floor to ceiling. The garden was nice, but under restoration, so the tiled canal was not available for viewing, a major disappointment to us. The gardens have not been well maintained - weeds are sprouting everywhere, and many of the shrubs need trimming. Also, there were not so many flowers blooming as we had expected from how they were blooming everywhere else
We had a 'splurge' dinner at the pousada: 'fillet mignon' (bife pimenta on the bill, which would be pepper steak, not filet) E23; 'lombinhos porco' (Iberian pork with asparagus and truffle puree) E22, 1/2 bottle Serras do Azeitanao red wine E6. It was quite delicious, and a very pleasant ambience, beautiful china, good service.

Cascais, Portugal

Tue 20 May- woke up to rain yet again! I thought this would be the dry warm sunny season, but we've had lots of rain, and lots more is predicted. After breakfast, Kiyomi did some work on the computer while I read. Finally the rain stopped and we walked along the beach promenade to Cascais, wandered around the town to the citadel (closed for renovation), to the church famous for its tiles (closed for renovation). It started to rain again, so we decided to have lunch at a nearby 'hole in the wall' restaurant advertising charcoal grilled food and packed with locals: jack mackeral and 'cherne' (turbot), served with boiled potatos, beans and carrots; 1/2 liter house white wine, bread & butter, olives, cafe and for dessert chocolate mousse and rice pudding; the total bill was less than E25 - less than half yesterday's cost and much better quality and quantity. It stopped raining, so we walked around some more admiring the architecture and gardens, Kiyomi investigating the shops, even though we don't need anything, and have more than we can comfortably carry. It must be a woman's instinct or something. We walked back to the hotel under clearing sky, observing how the ocean was grey and dark under the retreating clouds, and a beautiful blue under the blue sky. It was cool, but comfortable for walking. We enjoyed a picnic salad with wine.

Estoril Hotel Vila Gale

Mon 19 May- after the buffet breakfast, we located a hospital to have Stan's PT/INR test done. We followed the signs to Hospital Bernardo, which we had passed previously on the way to Vila Fresca. The whole process took about a half-hour, and cost just E3.5.
Then we headed for Estoril, which should have been a 45-minute trip, but the GPS lost its mind, and took us in a big loop east, and then back west north of Lisbon instead of taking us to the south. So it was a 2=hour trip, using several toll roads. In this case we should have followed the map and road signs. Our Hotel Vila Gale was in the GPS database, so once we reached Estoril, it took us there. The hotel is modern, right across from the beach and train station, a mini-market across the street, and just around the corner from the Tourist office. We had lunch at the 'Praia do Tamariz' right on the Tamariz beach: 'Avelada Branco' white wine E7, 'salada mista' E5, 'robalinho grelhade (grilled sea bass) E15 and 'dourada grelhade (bream) E14, for a total of E42 - the same as the Setubal lunch, but not as good quality- and taste-wise.
We walked around the residential area admiring the architecture and gardens (lots of beautiful flowers). We got our picnic dinner at the mini-mart, for an example of the prices: potato chips E1.45, 'canoniges' E2.84, JP Tinto wine E2.30, tomato 0.355 kg E0.75, banana 0.345 kg E0.39, 'limao' (lemon) 0.150 kg E0.21, 'pimento de cores' (orange pepper) 0.175 kg E1.75, 'pepino' (cucumber) 0.320 kg E0.68, 'champignons' (mushrooms) 0.100 kg E0.48.

Palmela, Portugal

Sun 18 May- after breakfast it rained, so we stayed in and caught up on email and Internet business. It cleared up in the afternoon, so we walked down to the end of town (literally down, the castle is on top of the hill) and found a nice restaurant that serves grilled fish. Kiyomi talked with the head griller (actually pointed) for the sardines and swordfish we wanted, we had a pitcher of the house white wine, salad, potatos, cafe, and a sample of the regional muscato drink, like the one we bought at Bacalhao. Kiyomi was so pleased she ordered a squid and an octopus grilled "to go", which we took home for dinner later. The total was less than E30, a real bargain considering how good the fish was and how nice the service was. Then we walked back up to the castle and started investigating river cruises for August. We had the squid and octopus for supper (with our 'Muscatel do Setubal'), and it was quite good - it looked like it was grilled on a skewer with green pepper and sausage, and came with a whole extra order of boiled potatoes. It was quite tasty.

'Pousada de Palmela' castle

Sat 17 May- after breakfast, we packed and moved a few miles to the 'Pousada de Palmela', another 500-year old former castle built to defend Lisbon on the south. Our room is much bigger and modern, Internet is available and the pousada seems more upscale than the Pousada Sao Filipe. We´re catching up on clothes washing, enjoying the view our room has from the castle, walking around the castle ramparts. There is a church, a tourist office, a museum, a tile shop, cafe/bar on the castle grounds, and a large wooded park with paths and benches to enjoy. A wedding was just breaking up as we arrived, and another apparently had a reception in the dining room. We had the buffet, which featured many regional and speciality dishes, including desserts, which we enjoyed, and Serra Azeitao wine. There was also live music and a very up-scale ambience - we could almost imagine we were royalty. The bill was E115, but it was definitely an experience, and we stuffed ourselves on the delicious food.

Sat 17 May- Pousada de Palmela

Sat 17 May- after breakfast, we packed and moved a few miles to the 'Pousada de Palmela', another 500-year old former castle built to defend Lisbon on the south. Our room is much bigger and modern, Internet is available and it seems more upscale than the Pousada Sao Filipe. We´re catching up on clothes washing, enjoying the view our romm has from the castle

Fri 16 May-Setubal, Portugal

Fri 16 May- Drove to the fishing docks and walked past dozens of restaurants selling fresh grilled fish. The charcoal grill is just outside the restaurant along with the catch of the day on ice for us to choose. Prices are per kilogram, and range from cheap to expensive. The smell of cooking fish is mouth-watering. We walked around the pedestrian-friendly old town, then had early supper at 'Restaurante O Fernando' on Avenue Luisa Todi of grilled seafood: dourada pequena (small bream) E11.25, cherne (turbot, or black jewfish, looks like Chilean sea bass) E11.25, fish roe E13.50, beer (E1.20 each) and cafe (that's a very small cup of strong coffee, E1 each). the total of E40 seemed high, but the quality was excellent. The roe was like herring roe, the bream was very good, and the cherne was superb - a rich and delicious flavor. The grilled fish dinner reminded Kiyomi of her youth, when grilled fish was a staple of her diet.
We visited the 'Casa e Capella do Corpo Santo', to see the ceramic tiles (azulejos) and the chapel covered with gold-leaf carvings. The building also houses a maritime museum with old sextants, dividers, compasses, etc. used in the early days of navigation.
We picked up a picnic dinner of veggies to go with our 'Muscatel de Setubal' and chocolate.

Thu 15 May-e Quinto da Bacalhoa

Thu 15 May- it was a rainy cool day, unusual for this time of year, but we decided to go to the the town 'Vila Fresca de Azeitao' to visit the garden at 'Palacio e Quinto da Bacalhoa', (http://www.bacalhoa.com), which at 670 years old, was built before Columbus set out for the New World. It is famous for its vineyard and the special grapes it produces, art treasures from Roman times on that were collected by the wealthy owners of the palace, and architecture. We've seen wine with the Bacalhoa name everywhere, and apparently it's been a premium wine since 1979. When we arrived about noon, we were told we needed reservations from the Bacalhoa wine shop. The earliest tour was 4:30, but we decided to go for it. While at the wine shop, we did some tasting of the famous wines, a white, a red and a 'Muscatel de Setubal', a muscat-based fortified wine (like port). The white was very smooth, not much fruit taste; the red was very distinctive with lots of flavor; the muscat was sweet and fruity, much like a plum wine. We liked it so much we bought a bottle.
We visited a tile shop ('Azulejos de Azeitao'), which manufactures tiles and can ship to the US (http://www.azulejosdeazeitao.com ; email azulejosdeazeitao@megamail.pt). We may order a tile decoration for our back yard from them. Luis and Teresa gave us a nice tour and explained the process.
For lunch the 'Restaurante Pe de Vinho' was recommended, so we had octopus with potatos and a salmon souffle/casserole. The octopus was like we had in Sintra years ago - tender and delicious arms; and the souffle had a delicate but rich flavor. We had the olive oil pudding and coffee for dessert The pudding was not oily at all, but a seemed like a bread soaked in honey, much like the Indian dessert of dough balls in sugar syrup.
We went to the Palacio for our tour after shopping for dinner snacks. Since it was rainy, we could not walk in the gardens, but were kindly allowed to photograph them from the upper floor. We were given a tour of the interior of the Palacio, and shown the art treasures: sculptures, paintings, tiles, etc.

Wed 14 May - on to Setubal

Wed 14 May- after breakfast, on to Setubal (pronounced stew-ball by the locals) to our 'Pousada de Sao Filipe', previously a castle high on a cliff overlooking the city with a great view of the city and the Natural Park of Arrabida, in which it is located. Our room was up a long flight of ancient rough stone stairs, and no elevator was available. We walked down the hill to the town and back for exercise; since it's in a natural park, the walk was through lots of green and flowers to the town.
We had supper at the pousada: grilled vegetables and grilled fish of the day (bream) and the house white wine. The dining room had a great view of the city, and we were surrounded by beautiful dishes and tureens.

Tue 13 May - Marvao, Portugal

Tue 13 May- after the included buffet breakfast, we tried to find the medieval road shown on the town map. We were unsuccessful, but the walk was very pleasant. Actually, the streets of Marvao seem medieval - cobblestones, narrow and winding. We continued walking the now-familiar streets back to the castle on this cool cloudy day, sat in the castle garden just enjoying the sound of the fountain and the birds, admiring the view of the countryside.
We had an early snack at the 'Restaurante Casa do Povo' of 'sopa de dia' and 'salada mista', then 'pudim de ovos' for dessert (an egg custard like Flan). We returned to Casa do Povo for dinner: veal steak and pork ribs with potatoes & garlic, a split of Borba red wine, and chocolate mousse for dessert.

Mon 12 May - to Marvao

Mon 12 May- after breakfast, off to Marvao (http://www.cm-marvao.pt), a castle town on top of a mountain in the middle of a Natural Park, just a few miles from Spain. Along the way, we saw many future black pork, veal entrecot, and lamb stew meals; plus some beautiful wildflower carpets of purple. In Marvao we're staying at 'Pousada de Santa Maria' at N 39 23.606 W 07 22.556. Originally a home rather than a convent or castle, it then became the Eagles Nest Inn, and became a pousada in 1967. Marvao is a small town, population 159, with about 4 or 5 restaurants, 6 or 7 roads (some are one way only, some are blocked off for pedestrian use only), but at 2000 ft elevation, it has magnificent 360 degree views of the surrounding countryside. The main attraction is the castle, which you can enter and wander around, admiring the views from the walls, and the many little gardens inside. The town was probably begun by Romans, fortified and named by Moors in the 9th century, then by the Christians in 1226, reached its maximum population in the 16th century, then gradually wasted away over time.
It's a lovely small town, well worth spending a night or two, walking the walls around the city and exploring the castle. We walked around twice to get our daily walk, then had a Superbock beer (www.superbock.pt) at 'Restaurante O Castelo' just a few meters outside the castle. We had supper at 'Restaurante O Varanda do Alentejo': vegetable soup (squash or pumpkin puree with string beans & carrots, fried pork with clams, grilled veal and a split of house wine, Borba red (http://www.adegaborba.pt). Good, although the meat was a little tough, suprising after the other veal we've had.

Sun 11 May-Evora

Sun 11 May- a chilly day, windy and cloudy. After breakfast, we went to the Public Gardin, where we enjoyed the ruins and the peacocks & hens more than the plants. The mercado was open, and there was a flea market featuring all kinds of goods: balances, watches, coins, stamps, pottery, glasses, an ancient Singer sewing maching, foot-powered, and old Victrola record player and 78 rpm records, lots more. We walked through the streets enjoying the architecture and noticing the three main colors: red roof tiles, white walls, and ochre molding. We had supper at 'Restaurante 1/4para as 9': 1/2 bottle white wine (E5), bread (E2), three entrees at E3 each-herring roe, grilled peppers, and diced liver, and the main course a big dish of clams (E17)

Sat 10 May- Albergaria do Cavalerio and Evora

Sat 10 May- after the lavish buffet breakfast, we moved to the nearby 'Albergaria do Cavalerio' at N 38 34.488, W 07 54.846, inside the walled city Evora, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Our hotel used to the the olive oil producer for the church/convent next door, but has been refurbished into a very nice small hotel with lots of rustic charm (the stone olive presses are still in the courtyard, and some of the interior walls are the original). It's walking distance from all the interesting parts of the town: roman ruins, moorish ruins, castles, cathedrals, defensive walls, museums and good restaurants. We visited the Se (cathedral) and saw the religious vestments and trappings used by the previous bishops and cardinals of the cathedral. They are really beautifully embroidered, and quite pretty. There was a lot of art: sculpture, paintings, carvings, jewelery, etc. that was gifted to the cathedral over the years. It was a cool 65 F or so, perfect for walking. So we visited the mercado (closed at the time), the Evora Museum (temporarily in a small convent, and hardly worth the effort), then back to the hotel for a rest before dinner. We went to the 'Restaurante Adega do Alentejano' and had: 1/2 liter red wine (E2.80), tomato soup (more like a hearty tomato stew with bread, egg, sausage and spices, definitely not Campbells!, E7.50), 'lombinho', a black pork dish that was more like beef than pig, E9.50), bread (E0.75), and 'petisco' (a chicken salad type spread for the bread, E3). The total-E23.55, about $36. Our great waiter explained all the dishes so we could choose what was best.

Fri 9 May- Evora and our 'Convento do Espinheiro [thornbush]' Luxury Hotel & Spa

Fri 9 May- after breakfast and packing, on to Evora and our 'Convento do Espinheiro [thornbush]' Luxury Hotel & Spa NE of Evora at N 38 36.055, W 07 53.303. It was built in 1458, so is 55 years old; but has been refurbished into a luxury hotel (the nuns never had it this good!). Apparently Evora is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and our hotel is a national monument. We were upgraded to a suite, which is pretty lavish. It's rainy and cool, so we're just enjoying the luxury of the hotel, and then for dinner, since the restaurant was full they drove us to 'Fialho' (www.restaurantefilaho.com) in the town. On the way we saw a beautiful 180 degree rainbow, complete and bright from on side to the other. At the restaurant we had: entrees of octopus (5.50 euro), cheese (very soft and mild in a hard rind, 4 euro), chicken puff pastries (1.25 euro) and thin sliced black pork (9.50 euro); then for the main course, 1/2 bottle 'Comenda Grande' red wine (7.50 euro), Roast Lamb (15 euro) and Wild Boar (15 euro), a total of 62 euro. The lamb was mild and tender, more like a tender stewed beef. The wild boar was between pork and beef, with a mild flaver, and was served with home-made potato chips. It wasn't oily or fatty or gamy at all, and very lean. Other good regional wines recommended: Paro Marca tinto'97 and Cartuxa tinto '02. We were so full we could hardly sleep!

Thu 8 May- Alvito and Vidigueira

Thu 8 May- after a nice buffet breakfast, we took a ride through the countryside, small villages and Vila Alva, to Vidigueira. We had supper at the Vila Velha Restaurant: 1/2 bottle local Alenteja red wine 'Vila do Gamas', veal and pork steaks in Vila Velha style (in a rich, delicious cream sauce). The veal was tender and delicious, the pork lean and tasty, and freshly-cooked thick potato chips were served with the dishes. We were also served bread, olives, and an octopus dish as entree (a lot of food comes unrequested, and you'll be billed if you don't refuse it). Cost was 31 euro. We walked around a bit, looking at the small hole-in-the-wall shops with small selection of goods, comparing it to the incredible variety we get in Palo Alto. We drove back to the pousada admiring the countryside, wildflowers, olive orchards and vineyards. We had a picnic dinner of strawberries, cuumber, tomato, wine and chocolate.

Wed 7 May- Alvito catch-up

Wed 7 May- the pousada included a nice continental buffet breakfast, with fresh orange juice, fresh fruit cocktail, fresh soft curd and other fresh and delicious items. We decided to catch up on email and Internet work, so bought 24 hrs access for 10 euro. We had a regional-style lunch at the pousada: Sagres beer, tomato soup with bread, egg and spices (more like tomato stew); regional scrambled egg with ham (very rich and tasty) and vegetable pudding with grilled vegetables. All were very tasty, and filled us up. Stan read 'Accelerando' by Charles Stross, downloaded from the Internet. It is a fantastic view of a possible future up to and after the Singularity. If you like very techno science fiction, try it - there are a lot of ideas that are incredible.

Tue 6 May- Pousada Alvito

Tue 6 May- After a large buffet breakfast we departed for Pousada Alvito via Loule, Carraco do Vejha, Mertola and Beja. We used the secondary highways over hills, through small towns (blink and you miss them, but they have speed control and a stoplight - we suspect as a revenue source, so we kept strictly to the limit). The wildflowers are in bloom here, too, so we took some photos of the fields of vari-colored wildflowers. It was a warm sunny 28 C, warming to 31 C. Our pousada is a former castle, and is the major landmark of the small town Alvito, about 30 km past Beja. Fortunately they had provided GPS coordinates, because we expected to be in Beja. We had supper at O Buraco da Zorra, one of the three restaurants in town: half-bottle of red wine, deep fried squid & French Fries, and Alenteja style pork & French Fries. All very good, and about 23 euro (included cheese, bread and olives).

6 May (Tue)- Pousada Alvito

6 May (Tue)- After a large buffet breakfast we departed for Pousada Alvito via Loule, Carraco do Vejha, Mertola and Beja. We used the secondary highways over hills, through small towns (blink and you miss them, but they have speed control and a stoplight - we suspect as a revenue source, so we kept strictly to the limit). The wildflowers are in bloom here, too, so we took some photos of the fields of vari-colored wildflowers. It was a warm sunny 28 C, warming to 31 C. Our pousada is a former castle, and is the prominent of the small town Alvito. Fortunately they provided GPS coordinates, because we expected to be in Beja. We had supper at one of the three restaurants in town: half-bottle of red wine, deep fried squid & French Fries, and Alentejo style pork & French Fries. Both very good, and about 23 euro (included cheese, bread and olives).

5 May (Mon)- Tavira

5 May (Mon)- After a large buffet breakfast we visited Tavira. We visited the Castle, then took a tourist train/bus thru town for a relaxing ride, though very bumpy and through alleys that didn't look wide enough. We had supper at the Restaurante Imperial: beer, grilled calamari steak and grilled sardines, both very tasty (Tavira is noted for sardines). We were unpleasantly surprised to find our car booted - apparently we parked in a handicapped spot (which the Portuguese don't prominantly mark, except for a tiny 3"x3" almost invisible sign). Fortunately, the police office was nearby, and we paid the fine and were on our way, poorer but wiser. We also found our International Drivers license was not required, only the US license and passport.

4 May (Sun)- Hilton Vilamoura, Albufeira

4 May (Sun)- after a nice filling buffet breakfast, we packed and headed for the Faro vicinity's Hilton Vilamoura, which wasn't in the GPS database, but we went to the road it was on and drove until we got to it [N 37 05.483 W 08 06.712]. It's a huge new modern resort hotel, with flashy architecture, bright colors, a waterfall set in the midst of a golf course. We took a drive to Albufeira on the way there, past its marina, and into the old town, with its narrow, winding maze of one-way alleys. Returning to the Hilton, we walked to the Marina through what was 'old town' on the map, but was actually a very new upscale residential area set among the golf courses. We had supper at 'A Pranca do Peixe', a very delicious seafood meal of beer and the 'mixed seafood for 2', which was grilled mackeral, seabass and salmon with potatoes and vegetables. The bread was served with little packages of 'Pate de Sardinha' and 'Pate de Atun', very tasty instead of butter or olive oil.

3 May (Sat)- Lagos & Portimaa

3 May (Sat)- a buffet breakfast was included, so we enjoyed a feast of various breakfast foods. Went first to Lagos, a historical city dating back to Phonecians and earlier, but mostly rebuilt since the 1755 earthquake leveled it. It's very tourist oriented, lots of shops and restaurants. We had supper at the Mercado da Avenida: beer, mixed greed salad, and octopus salad, which had surprisingly tender and tasty octopus. Then we drove through Portimao, not stopping but driving through the Praia de Rocha. Back to the hotel for a walk around the neighborhood and then dinner of beer [http://www.cervefasagres.pt], loquats, potato chips and cherries.

2 May (Fri)- on to Portugal, Le Meridien Penina

2 May (Fri)- on to Portugal (just as I was getting used to the Spanish language!). We're at Le Meridien Golf Resort Penina, near Portimao and Lagos, on the southwest edge of Portugal, close to the Atlantic Ocean at N 37 09.688 W 08 34.820. We were welcomed with a hot towel and a glass of port wine, and shown to a very modern room with thin TV and nice bathroom (quite a change from PSB). We walked around the huge property, a very pleasant walk, seeing some big lizards, turtle, birds. We had the buffet dinner for 36 euro/person, a huge assortment of food, some pretty good, some so-so, but the desserts were all quite good, including a coconut custard confection like I enjoyed in Singapore 35+ years ago and haven't tasted since, and a confection like sweet condensed mild mixed with caramel.

1 May (Thu)- Cazella de la Sierra

1 May (Thu)- after a nice breakfastg at PSB, visit nearby towns via winding roads, through beautiful rural countryside, driving slowly not only for the road, but to enjoy the drive. Stopped near San Nicolas del Puerta at a recreation area to see the cascades, found lovely wildflowers, too. We continued on to Christiana and had supper at the Casa Grande: beer, bread, 'ensalada casa grande' and 'entrecot de retinto'. Yesterday's at Manolo was much better for quantity, quality and price. After return to PSB, we walked up into a new development area, saw a nice Hotel Vega de Cazella, rooms 65 euro/night (half what we're paying at the PSB). This is our last day in 'sierra norte de sevilla leofrece'. Dinner was an inexpensive but tasty meal of wine, cherries, artichokes and potato chips (for about 4 euro).

30 Apr (Wed)-Cazella de la Sierra

30 Apr (Wed)- another big breakfast at A XIII, then depart for Hotel Palacio de San Benito (PSB), located in the small town Cazella de la Sierra at N 37 55.665; W 05 45.690. We arrived after a 2-hour drive through beautiful countryside, a cool day with cloudless sky. We enjoyed the olive and orange groves, the green lush countryside, the pine trees with spherical shape, rather than the usual cone shape. The soil was distinctly redder and browner than other areas. PSB was a royal summer palace originally, but was converted to a small hotel, and is full of various remnants of the glory days: paintings, tapestries, lovely tile work, hunting trophies, fine porcelain, interesting furniture, and is really a museum. The patio area is also quite interesting.
We had lunch at one of the few restaurants, Restaurante Manolo on Paseo de Moro: beer, 'ensalada mixe' (salad); and a dish we picked from a picture that the owner called 'entrecote of veal', a huge, tender slab of beef on a sizzling platter, covered in a white sauce with peppercorns, grilled green peppers, and potatoes with an orange sauce. It was really good! The owner played really enjoyable music, pop songs from the 50s to the 80's, all artists and styles, but all familiar and favorites. He said he personally picked the calves that would provide the veal when they became about a year old.
We walked around the town from 4 pm, when it seemed deserted - no cars, no pedestrians, nothing; then when the stores started opening around 6:30, suddenly the streets filled with cars and people. We stopped by the local market to shop for a snack for tonight - the lanes were really narrow, and there were lots of people, but somehow everyone managed without any seeming stress or frustration. The Spanish schedule takes a bit of getting used to... it's certainly different. I managed to upload another set of photos to http://hutchings.smugmug.com. It looks like we have about 300+ photos uploaded now.