Wayne had a little trouble pronouncing the name of one of the five villages of the Cinque Terre, the “Five Lands” that hug the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. That city’s name was Riomaggiore, but Wayne pronounced it Rigmarole-ee. He did not do it on purpose; it was just the best he could do with his Italian. What an amazing day it was! Words fail to describe the beauty of the ocean, the mountains, the cities clinging to the mountainside or hugging the ocean. It was as Italian as Italian can be. KG

The hill town of Lucca with its wall/ramparts still encircling the entire city and church bell towers still looming above tile colored roofs and narrow streets, the city of Pisa with its magnificent white marble Duomo and Baptistry with gold ceilings and brilliant paintings and mosiacs and the leaning tower–I climbed it and the marble steps are worn on different sides depending on which way you lean as you climb the spiral staircase to the top of the viewing area amongst the big bells at the top with sights of rolling hills and snow covered mountains–were just too much for Kathy and Melisa Standly to handle today.

As Randy and I climbed the tower, they decided they needed to use the restroom. Finding it, they discovered they needed money to buy a ticket to use it. Here is the problem–they had no money since Randy and I had it all in our possession and we were in the tower and would not be returning as soon as they needed us to. They went into a holding pattern as they searched Kathy’s purse for any thing loose within its cavernous interior. Each ticket would cost 50 cents, European. You guessed it, only 49 cents. Crossed legs were not going to do it. What to do? Kathy went begging for a penny–promising that when her husband returned, she would repay. A kindly older gentleman held out his hand filed with money and said, “Little lady, take as much as you want.” She took a penny. Here is the problem–they needed to buy two tickets and now had money for only one. Holding pattern again, but Kathy noticed that the ticket was for a certain time period and so she decided that she would go fast and give Melisa the ticket to use the remaining time. Melisa was hesitant when Kathy returned quickly, wondering if it was legal and Kathy insistently growled, “Take it and go!” Melisa made it and when Randy and I returned, they both wanted money in their possession from now on. The husbands replied that they were only too happy to share. WEG

What a day–I don’t think we could have packed more into it if you used a shoe horn and WD40 or told my wife Palais Royal had combined their Club 50 sale with another 50% discount, but she only had one hour to get it done. Highlights:

Uffizi Galary–Italy’s greatest art museum and the home of incredible Renaissance paintings and statuary from Ancient Greece, Rome and the Renaissance times. The gallery is in chronological order from late Gothic through the early 17th century. Most all of the well known artists of Italy are represented. Interestingly, there is a room for Cranach and Durer, the great Lutheran and German artists who where friends of the Reformation. The famous painting of Luther and his wife Katy are in that room. We spent hours marveling at the beauty of the rooms that housed the art as well as the art.

Central Market near Saint Lorenzo church–outside stalls selling lots of stuff, especially leather goods and an enclosed food market with most every food item sold by individual sellers.

The Accademia–oldest school of art in the world. Home to several important musical instruments, including the only Stradivarius violin that has no replacement parts or refurbishments and the first piano forbears as well as several Michelangelo statuary, including his David, carved from one piece of marble that other artists had refused to use.

The Cathedral Dome–while Kathy and I took care of some personal needs with a phone and future travel plans, Randy and Melisa climbed all 462 stair steps to the top of Brunelleschi’s dome to first see the incredible paintings of Judgement Day that adorned the interior of the dome and then the beautiful sites of Tuscany as you went on the outside railing.

The goose chase–hunting for the church that had an organ recital in the Oltrarno district across the Arno River. We never found it, but we did glimpse into a beautiful church where mass was being conducted. It was not a site the tourist maps include, but with frescoed ceiling and beautiful altar, it was a wonderful discovery.

Great Italian pizza–wood fired pizza, real Italian style with super thin crust. Delicious! WEG

The beauty of Basilica di Santo Spirito in the Oltrarno district of Florence was inspiring in its simplicity. Located across the Arno River from the historic area of Florence, the area is filled with wonderful restaurants and workshops where carpenters are carving wood ornamentation or restoring antique furniture. We found a wonderful Trattoria with freshly-made pasta and ate a wonderful lunch with the Standly’s who are traveling with us right now. We then saw the fantastic Brancacci Chapel with the frescoed walls depicting the life of Saint Peter begun by Masolino and Masaccio and completed by Lippi. It’s all Greek to me also, but the paintings speak for themselves.

When you travel with others, you let each person’s abilities shine for the good of the whole. I like to be in charge, Kathy likes to organize, Melisa likes to execute, and Randy likes to think about what he is good at, so we appointed him the engineer/fix-it man. His first big task, self-appointed I might add, was to try to figure out how the ever-changing colors of the candle worked that way. That’s the candle I purchased in Seville and Kathy snuck to Florence. So far, every experiment he has run on the candle has proven false. We are going to the Uffizi Gallery tomorrow and Randy said he thought the mesmerizing colors of the candle would rival any painting by Botticelli or Fra Angelico
or Titian or Raphael or Da Vinci or Ghiberti or Lippi or Caravaggio or any of the great painters of the Renaissance. Such is the power of that Spanish candle. WEG

We have officially arrived in Italy. Florence is our home base for the next month. Is it different than Spain? Absolutely. We have only been here for about a day, but the architecture and the pace of life and the public demeanor of the the average person immediately strike me with the differences I notice. Spain is a much more conservative country, both in dress and in public conversation. I am not suggesting one is better than the other.

We were excited to see Randy and Melisa Standly who are with us for about two weeks and so we will galavant around Tuscany with them and are looking forward to it. Kathy and I already slipped into the grand Duomo (cathedral) that is noted for the Brunelleschi dome that commands attention with its red tile roof atop multi-colored marble walls engraved with mosaics and recessed statues of Bible characters. The inside of the dome is as impressive as the exterior, painted in a grand scene of heavenly glory.

Our apartment is comfortable and well placed for what we wish to do while here. Kathy brought a little bit of Spain with us–can you guess? The candle that turns colors. I could not believe that she snuck that into her suitcase. It is burning its ever changing colors as I type. Oh yes, she brought several pounds of Valor a la Taza chocolate for her “hot drink.” Alas, there are not the abundance of pastry shops that we had so close to us in Seville, but I did notice a few in the piazza just up the street–all aglow with flaming torches and linen covered tables under white awnings. Rather classy. I’ll be checking them out later.

What an exciting and uneventful day it was going to be. We packed, said goodby to our apartment and Seville and got to the airport with time to spare. We were scared whitless by the RyanAir email we received a few days prior which informed us of all the stringent rules that if not followed to the letter would result either in a huge fee or denial for boarding. We thought we were all ready, and sure enough all went well as we got our stamp at the airline office and pre weighed our bags–I was well within the limits–Kathy barely squeezed by after she ate one of her hidden chocolate bars–she was a pound under weight–at least in the bag:-)–and measured the size of our carryon to make sure it would be allowed. We had time to eat a little something, did, and then to our horror, just moments before we were to check-in for the gate, we realized that our documents were missing.

I did not start it–Kathy insinuated that I had mis-placed them. Imagine us tearing through our suitcases, clothes flying. I replied that I am not in charge of documents, she is, after all, she knows how I lose things. “Yep,” she said, “you lost them.” “No, I remember handing them to you,” said I. “No!” She was adamant that I had brought us to this travesty. I was positive she lost them, but do you know what it is like when your wife’s dander starts to rise–that dander was going off the charts. Then we remembered, we had printed one extra copy of the documents–big sigh of relief. Now to start the process all over again. Of course, this meant we were now at the back of the line and the plane is no seat reservations–first come first served, and that meant we would be middle row rear and I would be stuck between–well, you know.

Sure enough when we got to the gate we waited in a very long line and as they made the announcement to begin boarding they also said, “Passenger Graumann and his wife, please come to the counter.” Ah-oh. As we approached, the attendant handed us our first documents, found somewhere and smiled and pointed for us to go first in line. Amazing! The other passengers wondered who these important people must be. As soon as we cleared the check-in, I turned to Kathy and said, “See how blessed we are because I lost those documents?” HIGH FIVE–SLAM DUNK–I WIN!!!

It was right under our nose–an architectural gem–and we had not seen it. How was that possible? We were so comfortable in the historic old town that we no longer took a map on our outings, but somehow we missed this. El Divino Salvador Collegiate Church is considered a masterpiece of the Baroque expression of art and the high point of the Spanish School. It is exquisite in every detail. The realistic beauty and passion of the religious figures depicted throughout were often times breathtaking. We stood quietly in awe as beautiful music filled the space and gave it a majestic serenity. It was here on the masterful Baroque organ that De Arauxo composed “Facultad Organica,” one of the music world’s outstanding organ works. Our last full day in Seville–tomorrow we leave for Italy–and we accidentally left one of Spain’s best for last. WEG

(Please note: Occasionally on the video, I said, “Rococo,” when I should have said “Baroque.”)

To all of you sending Kathy notes of encouragement about the chocolate, she is hopelessly enamored without it. And, I have caught on to her shenanigans with the so called authentic Spanish hot chocolate, that is really nothing but straight and pure warm chocolate in a cup. Whether it is in solid or liquid form, it still has the same number of calories–one cup (btw–a cup for Kathy is a mug the size of a Texas quart jar) is an entire caloric intake for a day. I can eat 10 pastries and not even come close.

Tonight, we go to Teatro De La Maestranza for the Sinfonica De Sevilla in concert with Ravel, Saint-Saens, Schubert and Mozart on the play list. We have been looking forward to getting to this venue which looks impressive from the outside and is beside the famous Sevilla Maestranze or bull ring. I wanted to attend a fight there, but alas, the season opens after we depart. So, I am posting earlier today than usual. We will get back to our apartment after midnight unless the chocolate con churros shops are closed for the night, then we will get back earlier–I pre-bought some pastries just in case those shops are closed;-) WEG

For those of you who, along with me, would prefer hot chocolate to pastries if made to choose, then I have the authentic Spanish recipe for you:

Use the Valor Chocolate A La Taza 10.5 ounce chocolate bar that is made only in Spain, but has been exported to the U.S. The Valor bar is a chocolate intended for consumption after cooking and uses rice flour as the thickening agent. Heat whole milk on the stove. When warm, add 4 oz. of chocolate for each 6 1/2 oz. of milk. Stir constantly over low heat. Just before boiling, remove from heat. Let chocolate settle for a few minutes before pouring into a cup placed on a saucer; then, drink slowly. Be sure to use a spoon to get out the last bit of chocolate! Now, just imagine sipping your drink slowly on a moon-lit evening in an outdoor plaza heated with flaming torches, in the shadow of the ancient cathedral with street musicians providing enchanting tunes, while watching couples, young and elderly, walking arm in arm, relishing the moment. That’s the Spanish experience! And that’s why I say, “Chocolate is for lovers!” Let Wayne have his pastry:-)

Since many of you have inquired, I am also delighted to share with you the story of this traditional hot chocolate drink with which I have fallen in love, like most of the Spanish people ever since Christopher Columbus discovered cacao beans used by native Americans in 1502. It was Hernando Cortez, though, who sent cacao beans back to Spain in 1544. The Spanish explorers liked the drink made from cacao, but added something that the Mayans and Aztecs could not: cane sugar. Though the Spaniards brought cacao back to Spain, they incredibly kept the discovery a secret from the rest of Europe for almost a century! Once the rest of Europe tasted this new drink, it became a fad that swept across the continent. The nobility and elite of Europe were the only ones who could afford to drink chocolate, since it was made from two expensive imports – sugar cane and cacao. Finally, in the 1800s, the technology of the Industrial Revolution helped transform chocolate from liquid form into solid bars; thus, mass production made the delicacy affordable to the rest of the population.

Chocolate drinking establishments in Spain are called chocolaterias where the sweet, rich beverage and cakes and pastries are served. The story is told that the Spanish people were so enamored with the drink that the Pope was asked to change the rules regarding fasting to exclude chocolate! It seems that on every street here in Seville is an establishment that serves the thick, rich chocolate drink “con churros” (hot chocolate with fritters).

Come visit us in our home after our return to Tomball, and we can enjoy the Spanish experience together. I’m going to sneak a few Valor Chocolate A La Taza bars into my suitcase before leaving Seville. Just don’t let Wayne know; I’ve told him he cannot stuff pastries into the suitcase! KG

It’s a hard job, but someone needs to do it! And I have volunteered. I have eaten enough pastry in Spain to have been recognized as a pastry taster. It is a self-appointed title, but it works for me and Kathy has to let me taste test now, since it is my job.

So far I have visited ten purely confectionaries, and around 15 or so part pastry, part other food. Multiply all that by, um-m, say three different pastries each and you see why I am the Spanish Pastry King that I am. Here is my take:

The French toast/bread pudding kind of thing is great. Kathy is the baker in our home. She will try to recreate it when we return. If it works, just ask:-)

The pull apart with layered and airy crust topped with apricot cream is really good. It comes in several forms and some are one side chocolate or pistachio. Chocolate is always dark and barely sweet.

The North African nut, spice and baklava kind of thing dripping in honey is a show stopper. Only lack of money stopped me from eating every last one in the store. Kathy has put me on a pastry allowance, in case you didn’t know.

The cheese cake is more ricotta cheesy than ours, the cookies are all very light and fluffy–except the North African ones–they are dense and thick. The gelatin-concocted molds in many flavors and toppings look better than they taste.

The flakey rolls filled with chocolate are delicious.

I need to inform you that while I am eating pastry, my wife is sipping thick, you eat it with a spoon, hot chocolate. She drinks it by the gallon. I have tried to put her on a money allowance like she does me, but, believe me, nothing will come between her and the hot chocolate counter. WEG