I have been so busy trying to get settled, living and working in Roma, learning Italian, I haven’t had time to post. I will try to have more regular posts in the future but for now here is a summary of Julie’s 50th birthday celebration (the title of the post in italiano)! Instead of a party, she wanted a vacation. So…
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| Julie, not showing her age. :) |
Saturday 21 Nov. 2015: Travel to Gran Canaria, an island owned by Spain.
We got up at 6am to be sure to make our flight in plenty of time. We had a 15 minute walk, a 30 minute subway ride, and a 30 minute train ride to the airport. Nice we never need to get in a car in the crazy Roman traffic! We arrived in plenty of time for our 12:00 flight, had a nice early lunch, and headed to the gate only to find our flight had been delayed. We boarded and finally left 2.5 hours late, which caused us to miss
our connection in Madrid, Spain but managed to get rebooked on a 9:30PM flight. Thus, we had about 4.5 hours to kill in the Madrid airport, not quite enough time to head into town and do something (Julie disagreed) but too long to spend in the airport. We had a snack, lots of walking (the Madrid airport is huge, even though we only went through the three floors of the one of five terminals!) followed by dinner in the same restaurant we had a snack in and finally got on our flight. With the one-hour time change and a 30 minute taxi ride, we arrived at our resort at about 12:30AM. So the first long day was spent traveling…
Sunday 22 Nov: Discovering our resort
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We stayed at the Riu Palace Oasis Gran Canaria, an all-inclusive resort on the south side of the island. It is very near the beach and the famous Maspalamas sand dunes.
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| The 5 story white building on the right side is our hotel. |
These dunes are pretty impressive and they offer camel rides through them. This island was named not for canaries (though there are canaries there) but for the large dogs (cane - Italian for dog) that once inhabited it. We started our day with a huge breakfast, the first of many huge meals. The food was excellent and they had every imaginable breakfast food available. We quickly realized a couple things about this resort. First, the average age of a guest was probably mid-70’s. We definitely were youngsters. Throughout the week we did notice some around our age, even a few that were younger with small kids but not many. Probably less than 5% were under 70 years old. This made Julie feel really young for her 50th birthday! Second, the most common language spoken was not Spanish but German! Most of the staff spoke Spanish, German, English and often another language or two. Made us feel pretty bad knowing only English and a bit of Italiano but we are learning. Spanish sounds a lot like Italian but just when we started thinking we understood, some word would be entirely different. One day we found a group of young Italians there, listening to them talk was comforting so I guess we are making progress. When we spoke to people in the hallway, we never knew what would come out of our mouth. For example in the morning, “hola, buongiorno, good morning, hi, guten morgen” all came out at times. Julie even threw in an occasional bonjour! Sometimes we would have a sentence that contained two or more languages and it was confusing for all around, especially us. I guess this is typical language confusion when learning a new language and then visiting a country with yet another language that is similar.
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| Peaceful at night |
The resort was beautiful. A large outdoor pool was surrounded by many comfortable lounge-chairs with several "pool boys" to be certain you had enough fresh towels.
The property was spacious with paths, many palm trees of all different kinds as well as cacti all around the gardens.
Gran Canaria is very dry getting only about 9 inches of rain per year! It is very temperate too. Now is the start of the colder season with the average high around 24°C (75°F) and lows around 18°C (64°F). During the hot months, the highs only reach an average of 27°C (81°F), so it is about the same, every day, all year round. Our bike rental guy commented, “it is so boring here. Nothing ever changes. I hope for rain or something to happen that is different”. In our resort there were tennis courts, ping-pong, pool, foosball, air hockey, and a putting green. For the most part, none of it was used, perhaps due to the average age of guests. Other than that, the grounds were dotted with many lounge chairs in nice relaxing locations. 
Julie soon wanted to see what the beach was like. We left the grounds, which opened directly onto the boardwalk.
To her delight, there immediately were lots of places to shop! So before I knew what happened, I was shopping with her and carrying bags! How did this happen? It seems this was going to be "the best birthday ever". She found some cute dresses, sandals and other things that she just had to have. She was a happy girl. She kept trying to get me to buy a skimpy speedo, something many guests even in their 80’s and way overweight were wearing at the resort, so if they can do it, why not me? I finally succumbed to her "suggestions". There are no photos to prove it, however. J Other than eating, and shopping, we spent the first day relaxing by the pool and drinking tropical drinks. I quickly exhausted the beer menu which consisted of Amstel (not light, so not awful but not what I was looking for). Every little shop on the street or beach, however, had a good supply of German beers to cater to the German crowd. So Sunday night I bought several Hefe’s and other beers to stock our room fridge. As the week progressed, I mostly drank Campari and orange juice (like a good Italian should) and Julie drank Pina Colada’s. Of course we are still singing, “Do you like Pina Colada’s, getting caught in the rain…” Hopefully, that song will soon be out of my head.
Back to food. It's easiest to sum up that by the end of the week, we both felt like beached whales at most times! Think of Thanksgiving for every meal, three times a day. At first you wanted to try everything that looked delicious, and it all was. By the end, we were more selective but still overeating. There were so many amazing choices and it was always changing. I did start every breakfast with yogurt with grains mixed in and Julie had porridge. We ate lots of nice tropical fruit, much of it grown on the island. We also had large salads as part of most lunches and dinners. The salad bar was fantastic it was fun to put together a huge salad. But of course we also "needed" some freshly grilled fish, or steak, or pork, or lamb or…afterwards. And then there were a good dozen choices for dessert each meal. Phew! We could easily go through the next week without eating.
So this day, like most days, we were up at 7:45 after enjoying 9 hours of sleep. It was nice to have lots of time to relax every day with no rushing from home, to bus, to train, to shuttle, to work, to shuttle, to train, to bus, to home. Julie enjoyed not spending the day trying to figure out how to pay the electric bill, or why our internet wasn’t working or any number of daily issues at home.
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| Finding some time to just relax... |
Monday 23 Nov: Biking around the area
Julie had seen there were bike rentals and has really missed riding her bike like she did in Maryland. We rented bikes, including helmets and locks for only 16€ total for 24H! They picked us up at the hotel, gave us our gear and we were on our way. The bikes were not great but ok. The bike path system in Gran Canaria is pretty good. Some of the large sidewalks along canals are pretty rough but there were dedicated bike paths, many stretches were rubberized and very smooth. Riding along the palm trees with warm sun on us was very pleasant. As we rode along the dunes, first I smelled them and then soon I saw a group of probably 30 camels, all with saddles waiting to take people into the dunes. The dunes are natural and as the week progressed we realized that wind is common and shapes the dunes and everything else on the island. We came back for meals and a few breaks but probably rode a good 10 miles around the area. Sometimes the paths were too crowded with people making biking frustrating but other times were fantastic. What a fun day.
Tuesday 24 Nov: Bus trip to Las Palmas
Tuesday morning, we walked the 3-4 blocks to the bus station and bought a ticket to Las Palmas, the largest city on the island. It is located on the north end of the island and as we learned is significantly more windy and colder. The bus ride was about an hour, most of it along the eastern coast of Gran Canaria. We couldn’t get over how dry and desolate it is besides the resort locations which clearly are watered. The hills are bare rock and very dry. The Canary islands are all volcanic, each containing multiple volcanoes. We also passed many windmills which clearly are supplying the island with electricity. I suspect they never stop as there pretty much is always at least some breeze if not a strong wind.
Soon after arriving in the historic district of Las Palamas, we found a place for lunch. We ate at an Irish pub, something we realized is fairly common on the island. After lunch, we jumped on the “hop on, hop off” tour bus around town. We had purchased a package deal that included the bus ride both directions (about an hour each way) and the tour bus around Las Palamas all for a very reasonable 25€. We got off the bus near the famous Las Canteras beach. Fortunately, we had brought some warm clothes including a coat as it was windy and cold. This did not keep some hardy people from sunning themselves or even swimming. Of course, Julie thought they were “insane”. We had a nice walk along the beach and neighboring area before getting back on the bus again.
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| You can see the reef off Las Canteras beach |
This time, we went on top in the front seat of the double decker which was a great choice. The view was amazing, although a bit scary at times with how close we came to buildings or long hanging palm trees. The driver was great and we enjoyed riding along learning about the history of this beautiful city. Christopher Columbus stopped here to resupply for his trips to America and there are abundant statues to recognize that. It is a city of around ½ million people and very clean and beautiful. 
This trip really pointed out that, as compared to Rome, everywhere looks very clean and tidy and well organized. Rome's "issues" will be highlighted in future blog posts. On one of our stops we happened to end up near the local "bike share" stations. There was a row of bikes and as we stood there, more would leave and more would arrive. We looked them up online as we waited for our bus and it turned out all you have to do is sign up and then you can use the bikes as much as you want, all for free! This was a highlight for Julie. If we would have had more time we would have tried them out.
As a side note, Rome is the only major city where bike share has failed, all the bikes were stolen and/or badly damaged fairly quickly.
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| Free bike-share that works! |
We arrived back at our hotel in time for drinks and amazing green olives before dinner at 8:30. There are two seatings for dinner and we chose the later one being used to eating between 7:30 and 8 in Rome.
Wednesday 25 Nov: Jacuzzi day
Wednesday, we decided was a good day to relax on the beach and at the pool. The morning, however, was very cool and windy so we decided to see what was available indoors. Tucked behind the small fitness center (treadmill, elliptical, stationery bike and a few weights) was a door leading to the spa. We knew they had massages available but we didn’t know they had an indoor Jacuzzi (we tried the outdoor one a previous day and it was much too cold), a sauna, steam-room, and fancy showers that sprayed you from all directions. Nobody else seemed to know about them either as we had it all to ourselves! We spent the whole morning going from one relaxation system to another. Tough job but somebody had to use this stuff.
After lunch, we got ready to spend the afternoon on the beach. We got about 50 feet from the hotel and the sand was blasting us so hard with the high winds we decided it wasn’t worth it. So we played some foosball, did some more shopping and time by the pool. That evening we had a reservation for the separate restaurant where they serve you instead of the buffet. The menu was limited but all was good. Service was great but the low number of choices made us decide to only go there once. Every evening there was piano music in the lobby from about 6-8:30 and we listed sometimes. She played a variety of music but certainly leaned toward the older crowd. Likewise, there was entertainment after dinner most evenings. We listed to some bad pop music before deciding it wasn’t for us. This night, however, there were a group of guys from Africa that did juggling, acrobatics etc. The room was packed so we looked in from the back. They were very good but it was hard to see.
Thursday 26 Nov. (Thanksgiving): Car Trip around Island
On Thursday, we rented a car to see some of the sights where buses do not go. The previous night, we did the “paperwork” in our lobby on an iPad and easily had the car rented for 36€ a day including taxes and fees. The car was waiting for us Thursday morning. Julie really liked the Skoda Citigo with manual transmission. We drove up toward the airport before turning inland to head to the highest point on the island, “Pico de Las Nieves”. The road wound through small towns and many circles and was quite steep with lots of switchbacks. We climbed over 6000ft in elevation in only around 12 miles! Travel was slow but unlike Italy, there were not many people and they were not driving fast.
The car handled it well as did Julie, even though she is afraid of heights. Having her drive and try to keep the car on the road likely helped. Julie has to drive as I still do not have a replacement license for the one stolen by gypsies on the subway in Rome at the end of August. When we arrived at the summit, it was 7.5°C(46°F) and windy!! When we left the resort, it was about 21°C (70°F). This peak is around 6200 feet high and often times above the clouds. Many cyclists ride up this road which is impressive to say the least. As we stood on the overlooks, clouds would come sweeping up the ridges and hit us in the face with a cool mist. They would quickly pass and you could see the ocean, including our resort about 30 miles in the distance. Near the summit, just behind our lookout was a fairly large military base all fenced in. I guess they are still guarding it from foreign intruders much like they have done for centuries. The Spanish finally conquered the islands in 1483.
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| Preview of our next destination in the distance, Rogue Nublo |
After we had enjoyed enough of the cold, windy heights, we got back in the car and drove to the trail head for “Rogue Nublo”, a large rock outcrop you can see from the parking lot. The trail was probably about 3Km (~2 miles) but fairly steep at times with slippery rocks and gravel. Julie did very
well considering at one point there were steep drop-offs on both sides. The top was a large, rocky plateau that slopped up the Rogue Nublo. When the clouds would pass, we could see the large volcano, Teide, on the neighboring Canaria island, Tenerife. You could see much of the Gran Canaria from up there including the peak we were on earlier, the sand dunes in the distance and even the lighthouse near our resort! The hike down was quick and uneventful handing out encouragement to those wondering how far it still was to the top.
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Rogue Nublo
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Back at the car, we decided that I would drive, despite not having my license. I had not driven a car since the end of July in Maryland, and a stick since…the last time Sean let me drive his car! I had missed driving. We decided we would take our chances. I really enjoyed driving this sporty little car
on the switchbacks as we descended to the sea. We drove back a different way to see some places we had heard were great. We stopped in Puerto Rico, a coastal town, which was really nice. After walking around a bit, we decided we would rather have our free drinks so it was time to head back to our resort. Julie drove since we were now in town. When we arrived back at the beach, it was 23°C (73°F), quite a change from a couple hours before on the mountain top! We skipped eating lunch as we have been eating so much, neither of us was hungry! After drinks by the pool we had dinner.
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The most disturbing event of the whole trip occurred that evening when we were nearly done eating. At the table behind Julie, I saw somebody come by and put his hand on an older gentleman’s shoulder and say, “are you ok”. Then he repeated it much louder and with concern in his voice. I could then see the man looked like a statue. He was staring off into space, was not noticeably breathing and had a blank stare even when the man shook him or talked to him. From a nearby table a couple of 30-somethings came, picked him up and laid him on the floor. Another women who appeared to have nursing skills started assisting. After a bit it was clear he was breathing but still was non-responsive. The staff saw him on the floor but it was a good 5 minutes before anyone called a doctor, nor did they try to help. It was only other guests helping. We stayed out of the way as we had nothing professional to offer. It was 15 minutes before a doctor arrived and another 10 or so before the ambulance arrived. It is a bit scary to think that so many old people were at this resort and they didn’t seem to handle an emergency very well at all. In the end, he was ok. I do not know what happened but we were told he had Parkinson's disease and it could have been a medication issue. We saw him at dinner Friday night and he was alive and well. Phew!
So except for the episode at dinner, it was a very nice Thanksgiving together but we did miss family and friends. I missed Julie’s good cooking. There was no indication of the American holiday around us. We did find ourselves all day long thinking of what everyone at home was doing at that time. On Gran Canaria, we were 5 hours ahead of Maryland, 7 hours ahead of Utah/Montana and 8 hours ahead of friends in Oregon/California/Washington. We had been invited to share Thanksgiving with friends in Northern Italy this year so perhaps next year we will join them.
Friday 26 Nov: Beach day (Black Friday)
As we hadn’t spent a lot of time on the beach or by the pool, we chose to spend our last day on it. Turned out to be a perfect day! There was no wind when we woke on Friday. Often it kicks up but by the time we finished breakfast, it was still calm and a perfect time to head to the beach. So for “black Friday”, we worked on our tans. The beach must be a couple miles long and a good 100 yards wide at most points. In most places, the sand is very soft. There are patches of beach chairs with umbrellas that you can rent for a very reasonable price. We chose to spread out towels from our resort and just enjoy the warmth of the sun, the sound of the surf and people watching. There were thousands on the beach and a constant stream of people walking by but it did not feel over crowded. Not nearly as crowded as Ocean City in the summer. And as this is Europe, many women went topless (they do at the resort pool too and age and state of fitness have no bearing on their decision) and there was a large section of the beach that was “clothing optional”. We spent a couple hours in the sun before heading back for a quick shower to wash the sand off, a quick dip in the warm indoor Jacuzzi and then off for a late lunch. After that, more pool time and then a bit more shopping before dinner. What was really strange is many shops had “black Friday” sales. It wasn’t clear they knew what that meant but they were happy to announce the sale. Julie found a few more items but we didn’t end up buying a new suitcase to bring things home. :)
Our last night, the entertainment was a magician. We got to the bar where he was preforming just in time and thought there was no way we would find a chair but we did. It was hard to see at times as the stage is the same level as the seats and we were 10 rows back but he was pretty amazing. We are still trying to figure out how he did many of the amazing things he did and how was that woman so flexible! The show lasted an hour and we called it a night.
Saturday 27 Nov: Travel Home to Rome...
We got up early to have time to have a cappuccino by the pool, a short walk, breakfast and walk to the bus-stop. We missed the express bus at 8:30 but caught another bus at 9. We got to see a lot of the other beaches and resort towns on the way and arrived at the airport at 10. More fun places to explore in the future! Our flight was at 11:10 but they were efficient and we had plenty of time. Sadly, the air traffic control at Madrid was not so good. We circled for a long time and landed a good 30 minutes late. Having only 45 minutes scheduled between flights, it did not look good. We literally ran to our next gate which was nearly a mile away. Julie and I were the very last on the plane and they informed us that there was no way our luggage would be on our flight with us. We arrived in Rome and after a lot of walking from terminal to terminal (less than "correct" help from information) we finally found where we needed to check on our baggage. They assured us they would call sometime in the evening or the next morning. We never heard from them, Julie tried to call them several times, being hung up on once for asking in Italian if they spoke English (we were assured they would) and we finally heard from them about 3 in the afternoon. The bags finally arrived about 7:30PM Sunday night. Ready for our next adventure! But first, a few random pictures from the trip. Happy birthday Julie!
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| Creative street performer. He was like that for hours! |
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Looking down on the center of one of the many volcanos.
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