by David McGuffin | Aug 6, 2011 | Culture & Customs, Destinations
There has been a tradition in Italy for many years in which two lovers secure a padlock to famous sites. The symbolism here is that their love is forever joined together at the site by the act of locking the padlock. Pretty romantic, eh?
Over the years, I have seen this tradition spread to the far reaches of Europe. I don’t know if the tradition has made it to the USA yet, but I bet it will someday. I first ran across these padlocks in Florence, on the Ponte Vecchio. Here there is a bust of Cellini, the famous goldsmith of Florence, and all around it were padlocks secured to the railings. Recently, I’ve noticed the city of Florence has placed a sign on the site stating, “It is illegal to put padlocks here.”
In the Cinque Terre, there is a path known as the “Via dell’ Amore” (the pathway of love) connecting the villages of Riomaggiore and Manarola. Along this pathway, there is a “graffiti wall” where lovers leave their own graffiti scribbles and mark their special spot with a padlock. Lining the path are thousands of padlocks marking the site where love was securely locked in the hearts of two lovers. There is even a hardware shop in Riomaggiore that sells specially engraved padlocks with the Cinque Terre logo.
Originally, there was a wall of “lover-themed” murals along one section of the pathway. These were beautifully crafted designs by artists commissioned for the project. Almost as soon as the murals were completed, people began adding their own bit of graffiti. As you can imagine, this small amount of graffiti turned into a big glob of graffiti completely covering the original works of art. This went on unchecked for many years. In June, when I arrived in the Cinque Terre for the first time this season, I noticed the walls had been completely whitewashed, totally obliterating the original murals and the countless thousands of individual graffiti. Now, in August 2011, the whitewashed wall is filling up with new graffiti works, by new strolling lovers, leaving their marks of fame.
Yesterday, as Charlotte and I were walking this “lover’s lane,” we noticed a new tradition has sprung up. Apparently, it is a cheaper alternative to the padlock and has spread like wildfire along the path. The two lovers, instead of “locking thier love” with a padlock, now simply tie any object in a knot, symbolizing “tying the knot.” Unfortunately, this has created an ugly appearance at the once charming “Via dell’ Amore.” Now it has the appearance of trash and rubbish collecting along the path.
Trashy Love?
The matter is even more complicated in that the National Park has no direction and few employees as a result of scandal and corruption. Hence, there is no one to “police” the area and keep it clean.
by David McGuffin | Jul 15, 2011 | Culture & Customs, David's Journal, Destinations, Eating & Drinking, Experiencing Europe, Restaurant Reviews
Candice Brown, a former student, has family who live in France. Luckily, Candice and I were able to coordinate our travel schedules so that we could meet up in Lyon, France.
Preplanning is the key to getting a seat on one of Europe’s busiest trains. I booked my TGV ticket online, several days in advance (visit http://www.voyages-sncf.com, choose your route, and pay by credit card online). The journey was a breeze once at the Paris Lyon TGV station. I zipped through the French countryside at lightning speed and was in Lyon in just over two hours.
Candice, our friend Abby, and her grandfather Jean-Paul met me at the station in Lyon. We hurried back to Jean-Paul’s home where I met Chantelle, his wife. After a little visit, we were off to explore the town.
Starting at the Cathedral, on the highest summit, we made our way downhill through woody parks, medieval cobbled streets, the Renaissance city, and finally the 20th century “new” town. It was a delight to have Jean-Paul and Chantelle as my private guides. I felt so special that they would devote a day to showing me around their hometown. An added bonus was visiting with Candice and Abby, not in Orange Park, but in France.
One of the highlights was our dining experience. The Restaurant Les Adrets (here is the TripAdvisor link) was located in the heart of the old medieval town and seemed to draw attention from only the locals. Jean-Paul told me that reservations were essential, and luckily, he had booked us a table! There was no menu and very few choices, but that did not matter, because the food was divine!
For my starter, I had toasted bread loaded with greens, olive oil, and fresh anchovies. It was amazing! A funny thing: when I asked Jean-Paul how to say “anchovy” in French, he laughed and said, “It is a French word, so it is anchovy.”
I’ve had a lot of salmon in the past few weeks, but Restaurant Les Adrets’s salmon plat was the best so far. It came perfectly prepared and fresh from the sea. The local wine from “Cote du Rhone” was presented in a traditional “pot” or glass bottle, only available in the Lyon area. The bottle had several inches of glass at the bottom. I speculated the bottles were made that way so that they would not tip over after a bottle or two!
Later, we returned to Jean-Paul’s and Chantelle’s home where we sat, talked, and visited. This was the best! I picked up so much about French culture, protocol, and customs. Like any grandparents, they were proud of their grandchildren and their immersion into their (French) culture. I am truly thankful to have had an opportunity to experience Lyon with the perfect hosts in Jean-Paul and Chantelle.
Lyon- Candice, David, and Abby
Candice and Abby, thanks for showing me around!
by David McGuffin | Jun 14, 2011 | Culture & Customs, David's Journal, Destinations, Eating & Drinking
Fado in Coimbra is different than that of Lisbon. In Coimbra, Fado centers around the university community and is sung by men dressed in traditional academic capes, robes, and leggings. Like in Lisbon, it is accompanied by classical guitar and a specially tuned Portuguese guitar, but sounds totally different.
My group and I arrive early at A Capella, a small 14th century chapel turned tapas bar and Fado venue. The owner and chief Fado singer were practicing a rock and roll set scheduled for performance at 12 midnight. Luckily, we were able to preorder a set dinner menu of lamb or fish.
The actual Fado began at 9:20 p.m. and continued in four-song sets until midnight. We all enjoyed the performances of the male soloist and guitar ensemble.
The food was good and by the end of the evening, the chapel was packed with 80-100 people drinking, eating and enjoying the Fado experience.
by David McGuffin | Jun 13, 2011 | Culture & Customs, Destinations
England has Oxford, France has Le Sorbonne, Florida has Gainesville and Portugal has Coimbra. Yes, Coimbra is Portugal’s university town with lots of interesting things to see and do.
We arrived in Coimbra around 2 p.m. on a Saturday. Having never been there, I was not impressed with the hotel’s location in a sort of dumpy part of the new town near the station and the river. In fact, the hotel staff had to convince me that Coimbra was worth an overnight stay. As it turned out, the Hotel Oslo has a wonderfully helpful staff, a good location to the sights and clean and modern rooms. I am glad I stayed in Coimbra.
I split up my afternoon at a medieval fair in the Cathedral Square and down by the river in a shady park. My friends Susan, Mrs. Mc and Lindsay are traveling with me on this whirlwind trip through central Spain and Portugal. Consequently, we kind of take it slow and easy because Mrs. Mc is a bit fragile and about 25 years older than me. However, she is a trooper and is willing to try and do almost anything. When it comes to climbing up and down steep cobbled lanes, stairs, and paths… it’s slow, but steady, going.
Today, the climb from the river to the top of town was crowded with about 3,000 people attending the medieval fair and once we arrived at the cathedral square we all knew it was not the place for us. There were all sorts of meat being cooked and sold right off the spit. Beer and wine were flowing freely and local were dressed in medieval period costumes acting out their various roles. If it were not so hot and crowded it could have been fun, but with steep streets and unsure footing, this was not a pleasant experience.
Down by the riverside was a different story. Pleasantly cool and shady, we all could have taken a nap on a park bench. Instead, we enjoyed a drink at the riverside cafe while watching local children learning to sail in their own little one-man sailboats.
Afterward, we took advantage of the traditional siesta by resting back at the hotel for a few hours.
by David McGuffin | Apr 7, 2011 | Culture & Customs, Eating & Drinking
For me, one of the delights of European travel is purchasing something “over there” that is not available at home. The Magnum Ice Cream Bar is one such item that has kept my European sweet tooth satisfied for many years. People who have traveled with me know of my passion for the Magnum Classic and how a tour is not complete until I’ve introduced the pleasure to all.
Unfortunately, my Magnum passion changed last week while I was visiting Madrid. Sitting at an outdoor table on the Plaza Major, I began getting a barrage of emails and texts from back home in Florida. At first, I thought an emergency must have happened with my family; however, my mind was soon put to at ease as I read the messages. It seems that the Magnum Bar had made its way across the Atlantic Ocean to Wal-Mart and Target freezer cases everywhere. My friends were notifying me with excited messages so that I could rush right out and get one. Little did they know I did not accept the news with their anticipated enthusiasm.
You see, I think there is something almost sacred about the exclusivity of certain products available in Europe, but not in the USA. On every trip to Europe, I once looked forward to my first Magnum Bar of the tour and my last Magnum Bar of the tour. I enjoyed reliving the first moment a rookie experiences a Magnum when biting through that rich dark chocolate into the creamy ice-cold center. I especially enjoyed the moment when my tour group members would come back to the bus and describe their afternoon Magnum Bar adventures. It’s a sad thing to think those experiences will no longer be a part of my tours!
However, while sitting there in Spain lamenting the non-exclusivity of the now “world-traveled” Magnum Bar, I began thinking of all the special products that no matter how hard someone tried, would never make it to the USA. That made me happy! So, from now on, I’ll use my Magnum Bar story to illustrate the need to “go local” and experience unique products only available in situ, at the location of origin.
What about you? What are your thoughts about the downfall of the Magnum Bar? Consider sharing a memory or experience only available “at the location” and which can never be mass produced and exported to the world.
by David McGuffin | Mar 13, 2011 | Culture & Customs, Destinations
Just by luck, I happen on a CARNEVAL celebration weekend in Zurich. Yesterday, the old city center was alive with people, mardi gras-like beads, tons of confetti and an odd assortment of costumes, bands, and well-lubricated people enjoying the event.
I did not arrive on site until about 7:00 p.m., but even at that hour, the town was alive with action. Actually, I had arrived to find someplace to eat dinner, but those plans were put on hold for a bit so I could experience the festivities.
Walking just one block in either direction from the wild festival atmosphere brings you to the peaceful river and a great illuminating view church spires.
Over the years, I have seen this tradition spread to the far reaches of Europe. I don’t know if the tradition has made it to the USA yet, but I bet it will someday. I first ran across these padlocks in Florence, on the Ponte Vecchio. Here there is a bust of Cellini, the famous goldsmith of Florence, and all around it were padlocks secured to the railings. Recently, I’ve noticed the city of Florence has placed a sign on the site stating, “It is illegal to put padlocks here.”
Originally, there was a wall of “lover-themed” murals along one section of the pathway. These were beautifully crafted designs by artists commissioned for the project. Almost as soon as the murals were completed, people began adding their own bit of graffiti. As you can imagine, this small amount of graffiti turned into a big glob of graffiti completely covering the original works of art. This went on unchecked for many years. In June, when I arrived in the Cinque Terre for the first time this season, I noticed the walls had been completely whitewashed, totally obliterating the original murals and the countless thousands of individual graffiti. Now, in August 2011, the whitewashed wall is filling up with new graffiti works, by new strolling lovers, leaving their marks of fame.
