Port Barrelling

Oporto, Portugal is awash with Port. Here we are trying to sample directly from the barrel at "Taylors" winery. Oporto has many good port making wineries located on the river opposite the old city.

Port itself is an English idea brought to Oporto in 1715 and perfected by the locals and traded ever since. Port is made from local red grape varieties that Australia does not produce.

Oporto itself (pop 300,00) is a very old city, classic but VERY run-down and is built on a two very steep slopes coming down to a river - Paul and I have named it the "El Fiord Town" because it is so steep.

Ole!

Russell Crowe... stand aside!!!

Bull fighting is the 21st Century substitute for Gladiators!!! Instead of Christians, Bulls!!! In two hours Paul and I saw three twenty something Toriadors kill six bulls!!!

The Ventas stadium (capacity 23,000) in Madrid is the number one place to see bull fights. Any Toriador that makes it here becomes an instant celebrity. It might as well be a Colleseum.

Of the six bulls, we must say that two won! One guy received a gash to the shin and another to the derriere. The Spaniards just love it and yes, approx 40% of the crowd is women!

Wait till you see the movie footage!!!

Ole!!!

How Can An 82 Year Old Build This?

Justo Gallego

This is Justo Gallego. He is 82 years old. He is building a Catholic Church in a little town Megorada Del Compo, 40 km outside Madrid, in 36 degree heat.

He is building this church by himself.

He is using leftover and donated materials from nearby industrial estates, including concrete, wire, tiles etc. He is not an architect, or a builder, or an engineer. Just a simple man who says that he is doing it "from the heart to thank God for a full and good life". We found out about Justo from the Spanish guys we met in Madrid (refer post "In The Cool Of The Night).

When we visted there was a journalist from Holland who has done a story on him and now the Vatican is aware of what he is doing. Several architects and engineers have visited the site and are dumbfounded and impressed. The structure shows architectural flare and is structurally sound. How is he doing this?

Look at the next post to see his progress. This is an incredible story!

Holy Toledo

Toledo is the Spanish equivalent of Jerusalem. In the 13th century it was occupied by Jews, Muslems and Christians. It contains two old Synagogues and a huge Catholic Cathedral.

Toledo is also the home of "El Greco" or Dimenikos Theotokopoulos, the famous 16th Century artist born in Crete in 1519. We visited his home which is now a musuem displaying 18 originals.

In The Cool Of The Night

After a 36 degree day, we look forward to the cool of the Madrid nights and a refreshing Sangria or two in the myriad of corner restaurants and bars throughout the city.

In this photo, we met the Spanish guys next to us and the guy in white next to Paul just happened to have visted Sydney!!! Their summary of Spanish youth sounds the same as Greece - low wages, not enough jobs for educated people, very expensive housing, people staying at home, marrying late and the list goes on...

On our second Madrid day we visited the ultra modern "Reina Sofia" musuem of modern art which was a disappointment - only four Picasso´s but lots of Dali almost made up for it. We also strolled through the central park, complete with mini-lake and boats - the closest thing to a beach that the poor heat-stricken Madrilenos have!

We have travelled 3,071km to this point since our car pick up in Paris.

Madrilenos

The first thing you notice about Madrid is PEOPLE. Yes, everywhere! The impression you get is that there are five million people living in a city that was only designed for two million. Madrid is classic in every sense. A collision of rennaisance, baroque and even gothic rising above a literal "sea of humanity". Pictured is the Palace Real De Madrid which was built by the first King Carlos and only used by the current King "on special occasions"! Combined with 33 degree heat and five cars for every person and this city takes a lot of energy to visit.

The Prado Museum (we visited free on Sunday) lives up to its reputation - hundreds of 15-18th century paintings from the masters over three floors, the size of Westfields! Goya is especially prominent.

The night life is equally as impressive - the air swells with the smell of food (no vegies in sight) , wherever there is a spare space there is a restaurant or bar! "Madrilenos" refers to the young revellers who celebrated the release from totalitarian Franco in 1975.