MY VINTAGE JOURNEY COFFEE SCENES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

   

MALAGA,  SPAIN

A little bit of Java makes the journey better. Here are some favorite coffee scenes that bring back memories, far beyond the sweet taste of the perfect cappuccino. 

Happy International Coffee Day!

STRASBOURG, FRANCE

PARIS, FRANCE

SEISER ALM, DOLOMITES

SENGLEA, MALTA

LISBON, PORTUGAL

"Don't forget to stop and smell the coffee."    -MVJ

THE WINDING PASSAGEWAYS OF FRIGILIANA, SPAIN

   

 Occasionally, you get a chance to revisit a distant place that you once loved; my recent visit to the charming white village of Frigiliana was one of those places. While visiting my family in La Herradura I decided to take a 45-minute bus ride that brought me back to this ancient Moorish village in the hills of southern Spain.

I allowed myself a full day to enjoy taking photos and peering down the many winding passageways. There were old fountains, flower pots, cats hidden away on the window sills, and beautiful green hills in the distance. I stopped at the small art galleries and shops along the way. I also enjoyed an early lunch at the El Casino Restaurant where I had the balcony to myself and a panoramic view.

Frigiliana sits 320 meters above sea level on the edge of the Almijara-Tejeda mountain range with a view of the larger town of Nerja (pop. 19,000) below. It is considered one of the best preserved of the many “pueblo blancos” (white villages) that are interspersed throughout the Spanish countryside and was voted the most beautiful village in Spain in 1982. The deep Muslim roots of this area date back almost 3,000 years and the village offers some of the most authentic Arab architecture in Spain.

   Frigiliana (pop.3,000) is a place where three diverse cultures: Islamic, Christian, and Hebrew, live together peacefully. In celebration, the popular Festival of Three Cultures takes place every year in August. The event is filled with lively dancing, music, local artisans, and traditional food—a good reason to return someday.

   

Sometimes after departing a place, I think about something that I wish I had taken more time to enjoy. In Frigiliana, that would have been the “Mosaics of the Twelve Panels.” These detailed mosaics were done by local artists in the 1960s and are now placed on walls throughout the village. Each mosaic depicts an important event that led up to the Battle of Peňon in 1567 and the end of Moorish rule. Maps and stories about the mosaics are available online.

MADRID BOOK FESTIVAL - FERIA DEL LIBRO DE MADRID

     

Once in a while, a layover between flights can prove to be a good thing and that's how I feel about my recent one-night stop in Madrid. It was June and one of the largest book fairs in the world was taking place in Madrid's El Retiro Park. I had just the right amount of time and energy to walk over to see what the book lovers of Spain were experiencing on this beautiful summer evening.

For over 90 years the Feria del Libro de Madrid has been attracting thousands of book lovers from all over Spain and beyond. This year's Book Fair (May 31-June 16, 2024) was situated along the historic old carriageway, Paseo Ferman Nunez, in the 350-acre El Ritero Park. There were numerous speakers, press events, and over 600 book signings for all to enjoy at this free event.

I walked from one end of the long promenade to the other, observing the more than 360 booths and thousands of books that lined both sides. There were authors and visitors, young and old, congregating at the booths. I examined the book covers and thought about their important role in making a book stand out, especially in a crowded marketplace such as this one. With the popularity of digital books today, it's reassuring to know that there are still many book lovers in this world who prefer their books in print.

Some of the love for literature that I experienced at this event stayed with me. For the first time, I completed an entire book on the nine-hour flight back to the US.

The book I read and recommend, The Librarians of Rue de Picardie, by Janet Skesilien Charles, (with a great book cover) was purchased at an old bookstore in Nerja, Spain that I visited with my grandchildren a few days before.

SIENNA & MILA
OLD NERJA BOOK CENTER

THE OLD BOOKSTORES OF RUSSAFA

Valencia, Spain, with its population of 800,000, has an abundance of booksellers. However, it's the unassuming little old bookstores of Russafa that I find the most intriguing. The books are stacked floor to ceiling in bookcases and free-standing book towers are scattered precariously throughout the store. These businesses would never make the list of “most beautiful bookstores in the world,” but there is still something about the small, musty, narrow places, stuffed with old books, that I enjoy the most.

   

Libreria Miranfu (Calle Los Centelles 23) is one of those special places with thousands of books stacked in the bookcases and book towers that are placed in the narrow aisles throughout. It requires a bit of patience and courage to pull a book out from the towers, however, I expect you acquire that talent the more you frequent these places. The owner spoke English and was always pleasant and helpful. 

Libreria de Vell Russafa (Calle Sevilla 19) sells used and out-of-print books in an aged corner store that is reminiscent of a Harry Potter movie. This well-known neighborhood bookshop, with books piled high to the sky, is one of the oldest in Valencia. Pete, the owner, often engages in conversation with fellow book lovers—and sometimes they share a sip of wine together.

Brunch in an old bookstore.

                                                           

Ruzafa, also known as Russafa, is a neighborhood located in southeastern Valencia (pop. 800,000). It was originally a rural farming area, that later became a working class-immigrant neighborhood and today it is referred to as the edgy hipster part of town or the “cool place to live.” It is also home to a variety of small independent shops, restaurants, cafes, bakeries, antique stores, vintage clothing, and bookstores. On a pleasant day, the customers at the many bars and cafes overflow into the streets. It's also a place where children play in parks that are surrounded by apartment buildings.

Related Post:   Verbatim Books - A Vintage Bookstore in North Park, San Diego, March 3, 2020

A VISIT TO EDINBURGH CASTLE BY MILA

MILA

Today's blog post features a special guest writer – Mila, my granddaughter, a curious and talented nine-year-old. She's currently in Edinburgh Scotland with her family. They spent Easter Sunday exploring Edinburgh Castle and this is Mila's story: 

2:24PM: WALKING AROUND IN A LARGE GRAVEL AREA WHILE WAITING TO GO INTO THE CASTLE.

             

2:26PM: WE GET ICE CREAM.

AROUND 2:30PM: WE GET INTO THE CASTLE AND GRAB A MAP.

2:52PM: I GO WITH MY MOM TO MY PERSONAL FAVORITE, 
ST. MARGARET'S CHAPEL

ABOUT 3:00: WE SEE TWO OF MY FAVORITES, THE DOG CEMETERY AND THE
FORE WELL, IN WHICH I DROPPED TREE PEBBLES FOR MY SISTER, WITH A VERY SATISFACTORY RESULT.

3:49PM: WE GO TO A PLACE CALLED THE GREAT HALL

4:45PM: WE LEAVE AND GO TO A CAFE

5:00PM: I GO BACK WITH MY DAD AND WE SEE THE CROWN JEWELS.

ABOUT 5:20PM: WE GO TO THE GIFT SHOP AND I GET A MOOD RING AND A PENCIL.

QUEEN MARGARET (ABOVE)
[ST MARGARET'S CHAPEL IS THE OLDEST BUILDING IN EDINBURGH CASTLE. 
BUILT IN ABOUT 1130, THIS CHAPEL WAS PROBABLY PART OF A GREAT STONE TOWER. IT IS DEDICATED TO THE SAINTLY QUEEN MARGARET, WHO LIVED IN THE CASTLE IN THE LATE 1000'S]

AZULEJOS AND THE OLD TILE FACTORY OF BELEM

On a hill above Belem, Portugal sits Sant'Anna Fabrica (Calcada da Boa-Hora 96), the oldest operating Azulejos factory in Europe. This family-owned business is still making artistic tiles and ceramics by hand just as they did when it was founded in 1741.

FABRICA SANT'ANNA

The showroom is open daily and visiting this place is like going to a museum. There are hundreds of artistic tiles and ceramics on display and thousands more molds in the factory to choose from. They also make special designs per customer request. Less than 18 percent of the products sold remain in Portugal and the rest are shipped to customers all over the world. About 65 percent of the products are shipped to the United States. A replica of a panel that was specially designed for Barbara Streisand is on display in the factory.

SHOWROOM

After visiting the showroom, I made a reservation to return another day for the factory tour where the original wood-burning kilns are still on display. The methods, materials, and tools used to make the impressive Azulejos haven't changed much through the years and it takes many months to complete an order. Using natural clay, the tiles and pottery are molded, cut, dried, baked, glazed, and painted by hand before the final baking. Each individual piece is checked manually for quality using the same techniques and high standards that they have been using for almost 300 years.

 Skilled artists, sitting on small stools, were painting on tiles the day we visited, each with a little paint cart sitting next to them.

ARTISTS AT WORK IN FACTORY

One of the many reasons there are so many buildings constructed with tiles in Lisbon is that it was the material of choice when the city was almost totally rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake. Tiles were cheaper than stone and other materials and offered many of the same benefits.

On my last day in Belem, as I take one more leisurely walk to enjoy the colorful ceramic tiles that adorn the buildings, I have fleeting thoughts of returning someday to load up on Sant'Anna tiles to decorate my own little Portuguese villa by the sea.  

Related Post: Azulejos & A Vintage Tiles Shop in Faro, Portugal, October 12, 2016

THOUSANDS OF MOLDS STORED IN FACTORY