Barry Day – Page 11 – Barry's Adventures Following Retirement

“Old” is a Relative Term in Krems, Austria

So the past few days I have been out and about in Krems, Austria and there is so very much to absorb here! Yesterday alone I walked over 7 miles in awe! I am like a sponge soaking up Krems and I admit it is overwhelming! I will be writing more in the future about what I am seeing and doing as well as my reflections of this beautiful, historic town and area along the Danube River.

As I have said previously, Krems is “old” and I am so consumed with the architecture that I am rapidly filling the memory in my iPhone as I take one photo after another. But today I felt like I have to draw a line otherwise I would be taking pictures of everything! So the line I drew is this…unless it has some particular aesthetic value, I want to take photos if the structure (or whatever) came about prior to 1600! So that, for now, will be my guide for photographing and sharing “old” Krems.

Krems is the eastern gateway to the Wachau Valley which is a World Heritage Site. Today I want to share with you a photo of a local fountain and the story that goes with it, The fountain is near my apartment and is of a man on a knee before a woman with the inscription “SIMANDL”. I thought it was a man proposing marriage but it turns out that “simandl” means “henpecked!” The monument is about the story of the town’s men and, in this case, a man imploring his wife to give him the house key so he can participate in a man’s night out! You can read more about this very interesting fountain at this link here.

The food is terrific! I have eaten pork in many ways and there are so many cafes to grab a fragrant coffee, bold wine, or warm strudel in vanilla sauce. Even though it was cold today, I along with others ate fresh-made ice cream! Who can resist a cone for 1 Euro (about $1.10)!

More soon, my friends!

From 28 C in Mijas, Spain to 5 C in Krems, Austria!

Yesterday I arrived in Krems, Austria where I am residing on holiday from Mijas, Spain. It was a chilly 5 degrees C (41 F with snow flurries) when I arrived in Krems which is in stark contrast to the 28 degrees C (82 F with people sunbathing on the beach) when I left Spain!

After six months in Spain my lease had expired and people are returning for the hot Summer. My plan has been to stop next in Austria for several months and Krems became my choice after visiting in January. I am posting a few scenes of the architecture in Krems.

The town of approximately 25,000 may be the oldest in Austria. A few years ago a child’s grave was found in Krems and is thought to be more than 27,000 years old! The town is along the Danube (Donau) River and is easily accessible by train to nearby Vienna and elsewhere throughout Austria. Many tourists will soon be arriving by bus, boat and train to explore hiking trails, the river, food, culture, architecture and nearby castles. Since I like these things too, I will be a tourist for the next few months!

On arrival my landlord recommended I eat at El Gozo in Krems. It is his favorite restaurant so I met Lu, the owner. She is recently from Madrid and enjoyed helping me order tapas and wine. The food and value were outstanding and I have written a separate review of the restaurant on TripAdvisor. What a coincidence arriving from Spain and eating my first dinner at the sole Spanish restaurant in town!

After eating I had planned to shop for groceries… after all it was only 8:00 PM. Lu reminded me that in Krems, the grocery stores close at 7:00 PM which is sharp contrast to life in Spain where things are just beginning then for the evening! So I went grocery shopping today!

More to come so please return to my blog in the future and read about my adventure in Krems an der Donau!

Auf widersehen!

Reflections as I Near the End of My Stay in Mijas, Spain

In the waning days here in the pueblo it dawned on me that I think of this as my town. I know the town doctor and the people at the Bella Vista know what I like to eat for breakfast. Alfredo, the butcher at the market knows me and shakes my hand as we meet on the street and asks me how I am. Brenda and Steve at The English Tea Room are always friendly and enjoyable to talk with. Of course, Joanne, David and Martin who rent the place I am staying, are very helpful. I even have a taxi driver and butane delivery contact in my phone!

Today I realized that I was very comfortable in the pueblo. I have answered tourist questions like I knew what I was talking about! But most important to me was that I have become fascinated by the tourists just as the local people are fascinated by them. I sat for a while in Constitution Plaza and watched them. As a cruise ship tour group from Japan was in town today I realized they were enjoying the very same things that have drawn me to Mijas… the beauty of the town on the mountain, the white exteriors of the buildings, the cobble stone streets, the horse-drawn carriages, the donkey taxis, the husband and wife making and selling churros, three for a Euro, at the Plaza near the bull ring and park with its old fountains

As the sun shown on the buildings, I reflected on the initial time I saw the pueblo and how lovely it is. The numerous orange trees still have oranges on them and the air wafts with the aroma of street vendors roasting nuts. Today I had my traditional pitufa con tomate breakfast as I gazed at the valley, the massive Mediterranean Sea, Fuengirola, and the beach below.

On my return to my apartment I stopped for bread just out of the oven. Like a local, I knew when it was ready and had my plastic bag ready to carry my items away, just like the local people do. In the final few days here in Mijas Pueblo I feel like I have become a local resident.

As I move to Krems, Austria in a couple of weeks I am certain to further reflect on my adventure in Mijas Pueblo on the Costa del Sol, the warm beach,, the mountains in Morocco that can be seen on a clear day, the beautiful sunsets, no snow, and many other things. It has been a wonderful place to stay.

Day Trip to Malaga

Malaga is the nearest community to Mijas Pueblo with a substantial population on the Costa del Sol in Andalusia, Spain. It is the capital of the Provence of Malaga. The city is one of the oldest in the world with a recorded history that dates into the 700’s BC. Phoenicians, Romans, and the Moors were all in Malaga at one time or another.

Malaga is a port for several cruise lines and many of the people on those cruises take day trips to Mijas Pueblo where I have been residing since October. The climate in Malaga is mild.

My day trip began with a bus ride down the mountain I live on to get to the train station in Fuengirola. Forty five minutes later I arrived in the heart of the small city of half million inhabitants.

Walking the streets of Malaga there is no doubt you are in a European city. The architecture is beautiful and the avenues are graced with old as well as newer sculptures and fountains. There are outdoor cafés everywhere and it seemed to me that if there was room for a small table, that was sufficient reason to have a place to drink some of the best coffee in the world or to stop for ice cream or chocolate.

Malaga is the birthplace of Picasso. I must admit that I find the curiosity surrounding him much more interesting than his art. That is just my taste. But Picasso is found everywhere including one of the Picasso museums that are in the area.

Some recommend that Malaga should be a destination for those wishing to avoid snow and winter. Although it is a nice city, my preference is to claim my spot on the side of the mountain overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and the distant Atlas Mountains in Morocco.

Next week I plan to visit Mallorca, a Spanish island in the Mediterranean. I hope you will stop by my blog for one of my final entries before I move on to Austria on April 1.

For those who have asked, my hernia surgery took place three weeks ago and I am healing fine. It has taken a bit longer than I had anticipated but all is going well.

Mallorca – Winter Next Year?

As I approach the end of February I have been sorting what things I should take to the U.S. on my upcoming trip. I leave for the U.S. this Thursday and will be returning to Spain March 8/9. Before heading off to Krems, Austria for my two month holiday, I have decided to make a quick three-day trip to Playa de Palma on the Spanish island of Mallorca. (The above Mallorca picture is provided copyright of HM Hotels).

Mallorca is one of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Pictured on the map, it is the large island on the right side. Why there you ask? Well, in Mijas I am only an hour and a half away and got a flight / hotel deal that is great. I have been watching the Winter weather there and it has been better than Mijas and I am thinking it might be a place to go to! So, I have it booked for March 10 – 12.

Following my trip there, I will write about it in the blog and let you know what I think about it as a possible destination. Meanwhile, I am determined to soon write about my day trip to Malaga. Malaga is Picasso’s birthplace.

My Day Trip Adventure to Ronda, Espana

A day trip to beautiful Ronda is a “must do” when in southern Spain!

While in southern Spain I have ventured to several nearby places. Previously I have mentioned my day trip to Gibraltar and in this post I am going to write about my journey to Ronda.

Ronda is only a short bus or train ride away and I went by bus on a small group tour. The town is high in the mountains and there are plenty of twists and turns to get there. Like so much of Spain, there is a great deal of history and different cultural communities associated with Ronda. It dates to prehistoric times and has seen settlement by the Celts, Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths, Arabs, and Spanish. Today’s architecture reflects the influence of Arabs and Spanish.

Earnest Hemingway and Orson Wells lived portions of their lives in Ronda and Wells is buried there. Although these individuals are well known for their literary and theatrical contributions, the town of 35,000 and the country have been heavily influenced by bull fighting and is reported to be the home of the sport. Outside Ronda’s Plaza de Toros is a statue honoring the most famous matador, Pedro Romero Martinez, who allegedly fought 5558 bulls without being seriously injured! Across Spain are 30 foot high monuments to bulls and the sport as seen in the photo.

Of the most famous of landmarks in Ronda, though, is the Puente Nuevo or the “New Bridge.” The name is misleading as the New Bridge construction began in 1751 and was completed in 1793. This massive structure is about 390 feet above the canyon floor and connects the two parts of Ronda. In the photo, can you see the people standing on top? The bridge not only connects the town but also was a part of the judicial system in Ronda where once found guilty of a capital offense, the guilty party was quickly tossed over the edge to his death.

Ronda is a beautiful town but does have a large number of tourists in it. I love Ronda, the sites and the food. There are places to eat everywhere and serve a variety of dishes from all over the world.

Update from Mijas Pueblo, Spain

Here’s an update on my adventure following retirement. Read about what’s happening and my plans for my next stop.

It has been several weeks since I blogged about my odyssey to obtain my residence card from Spain. Hopefully, when I go to the local police station to retrieve it on 16 February, everything will be found to be in order and I can be granted residency.

A lot has transpired since my last update! Recently I was out for a walk and on a whim just decided to begin hiking up the 1600 meter mountain I live on (see the photo). You may recall from a previous posting that I did this once before in October and got thoroughly soaked. This time I took a different trail and went a good deal higher up the mountain than I had previously. Probably I made it half way up. You can see a picture of the white pueblo in the photo from Fuengriola, Spain. As you can see in the other photo, the views from the side of the mountain where I went to are terrific! Mijas is the white area in the lower left corner and the Mediterranean Sea is in the middle left.

I could have gone much higher on the trail but decided to not for three reasons. Since I was really out for a stroll, I didn’t have proper shoes as the trail became more challenging. I also hadn’t brought along water (not a good idea on a hike) and I didn’t bring any protection if it rained. The getting wet part really was the clincher as the clouds became threatening and were enveloping the top of the mountain. I went back down the mountain to Mijas and it promptly began to rain. I had made a good decision to return when I did!

Other things have been happening also. One day in December I lifted a canister of butane incorrectly and developed a hernia. My tests are complete and my worldwide medical coverage is in place so I am to have surgery on Thursday to fix it. The surgeon, anesthesiologist, and staff are all women and so far the process has been very efficient. I admit though that I am more involved with the insurance company than I would be in the U.S.

Finally, my stay in Mijas will end on 31 March. I have made my next plan to move from Mijas on 1 April. My next stop then will be in Krems, Austria where I will stay for two months. I will post more about Krems in the future. It is a lovely town of about 25,000 inhabitants and is located on the Danube River about an hour by train from Vienna.Here are a couple photos.

That’s all for now from my adventure after retirement! I don’t think about work at all!

The Odyssey

In high school many read Homer’s Illiad and the Odyssey. Although I don’t recall much about these epic poems, they have provided me inspiration for this blog entry. This entry is different from the others that I have documented in my adventure following retirement and you may not even find it interesting (assuming you did with the previous ones). Regardless, I have been on an odyssey to obtain permission to stay in Spain (and thereby Europe) for more time than a visitor. Unlike Odysseus and his ten year journey, my odyssey has taken five months and promises at least one more.

My odyssey began last September when I learned that I needed a visa to live in Spain. I really am uncertain what made me think I could just show up at the gates and stay! I learned this tidbit at the Spanish embassy in DC just by chance and “fortunately” they guided me to apply for what is called a “non-lucrative residence visa” which means if I am approved to stay, I can’t work (take jobs away from Spaniards). Given I was retiring, that idea appealed to me so I set forth somewhat blindly doing my research and collecting my documentation.

Documents include a letter why I want the visa, a medical report (that I had no contagious diseases), a police report (super legalized that I wasn’t a criminal), several applications that ask essentially the same things, verification of my pension (with proof that I have enough money to survive), proof of medical insurance (which guaranteed I wouldn’t put a drain on the Spanish healthcare system as well as a guarantee that if I got really sick, I would be taken out of Spain), numerous passport size photos, translation of the documents by a “certified” translator (found one at the local courthouse in PA), and then fees.

As it turns out the US is divided into eight areas by the Spanish government so I had to deliver my documents and fees in person in New York. I had my documents in pretty good order since I communicated regularly with the consulate to ask questions. My documents made it through first shot! Many don’t and people are sent home to get additional / corrected documentation. Two weeks later, I had to return to New York to pick up my visa. This was extraordinarily fast as the time usually is two to four months! To my surprise, I wasn’t yet done!

Although I now had a visa from the Spanish Government firmly placed into my passport, it expired in 90 days! The New York consulate told me I would need to go to the police station in nearby Malaga with additional forms to get a residency card so I could stay for a year!

So on return to Spain, I quickly took a copy of my lease to the Mijas Pueblo town office and received a letter saying that I am a resident. However, they gave me additional forms to fill out and told me to go to the police station in Fuengirola, instead of Malaga. Since Fuengirola is closer, I crossed my fingers and found a person there who told me I didn’t need those forms given to me BUT I did need to pay taxes at a bank (a new form), get finger printed and apply for the residency card after the New Year holiday. An appointment was set for today. I took my application, proof of taxes paid, my passport and a copy of every page of the passport except the cover. Yes, I submitted numerous blank pages as they requested.

Today, though, the woman who told me what to do wasn’t there and wouldn’t be until next week. Her substitute said that I didn’t pay enough taxes and I had to go to the police station in Malaga, anyway. Fortunately there was a man behind me who translated for me and the substitute capitulated and said it was out of his hands and that I should wait for an officer to review my documents and take my finger prints. An officer saw me and accepted all of my forms except my photo which was passport size and needed to be smaller. Outside the office was a photoshop for this very purpose! I brought the photo to her and my next step is to report back precisely in one month. If everything checks out okay, I hope to get the residency card then!

Key things I learned… try to deal always with the same governmental official. Laws, regulations and procedures are interpreted differently between and within offices. Know that you are going to be given incorrect information and roll with it. I think it is wise to take the next step in the process as quickly as possible because time is against you. Research what others have posted on the Internet.

This is an expensive process. I think I have spent around $4000 so far (including the transportation to New York, fees, and taxes. I hope I am done!

Entrances to Mijas Pueblo Homes

The residents of Mijas Pueblo take a great deal of pride in keeping the village clean and attractive. Almost daily the women are cleaning the stoops leading to their homes. In today’s blog I want to share several of the entry ways to homes in Mijas. Sometimes the decoration is very simple but as you can see from the photos, there are times when the residents get very creative and occasionally carried away with the plant decorations.

My Day Trip to Gibraltar

It has been a magical time here in Andalusia, Spain reminding me why I have settled here. Snow is beginning to form on a few distant mountain tops but not in the sea-side towns that hug the Mediterranean coastline in southern Spain. Oranges are ripe on the trees that line the streets in a unique display of orange spheres hung to celebrate Christmas!

The air yesterday was warm in the middle 60’s when I visited nearby Gibraltar and today as I blog with my terrace door open. Yesterday I shed my jacket to enjoy the warm air. And last evening from my terrace I could see the mountains in northern Africa seeming to spring from nowhere across the Mediterranean Sea as the sun dropped in the western sky in a beautiful blaze of red, orange and yellow!

I enjoy traveling and have gone to several of the southern Spain communities. But recently I read a blog about Gibraltar and found a day tour for only 38 Euros. On clear days (like today) I can see Gibraltar on the distant horizon from my terrace, so yesterday I went exploring.

Although located on the Iberian Peninsula, Gibraltar isn’t Spanish but, by treaty, it is British! The language is English (and almost all of the 30,000 residents are bi-lingual) and everything is imported. They have their own currency equivalent to the English pound sterling. It is but 6 square kilometers big! The day was like being instantly teleported from one culture to another!

Gibraltar is famous for its iconic “Rock of Gibraltar” where the vast Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. Through the Straits of Gibraltar international shipping commerce has taken place through southern Europe, northern Africa and western Asia for centuries. With a warm sea breeze atop the rock and a clear sky, I was in awe of the strategic rock looking out at places that have been and continue to be of major importance to our civilization.

Gibraltar is the town at the base of the Rock. To get to it our tour bus passed through Spanish and British passport control. Gibraltar has a one-of-a-kind airport (on reclaimed land) where the road from La Linea, Spain crosses the runway! Yes, when an airplane lands or takes off, the road is closed similar to when a bridge opens to permit a boat to pass under a highway!

To the north and west of the Rock is the town of Gibraltar (pictured with La Linea and the airport runway) and to the south is Europa Point with its lighthouse, mosque, World War II tribute memorial to Sikorsky, and a memorial to Harding’s Battery originally constructed in 1869.

Gibraltar has numerous statues to honor its place in military history and the heritage from Spain, the Moors, Romans, and British. Monuments include a cemetery for those that died in Gibraltar from the 1803 Battle of Trafalgar in the Napoleonic Wars as well as monuments to the Corps of Royal Engineers (the Royal Engineers were formed as a military entity at Gibraltar in 1772) and to those who fought in World War I.

The town streets have a definite British feel with stores like Marks and Spenser and pubs with names like The Angry Friar. This is definitely not Spain!

The Rock is over 400 meters high which is taller that the Empire State Building or the Eifel Tower. Inside are more that 50 km of tunnels large enough for trucks! A highlight of the day came at Saint Michael’s Cave (also known as the Entrance to Hades). The cave has beautiful formations BUT for me, the presence of numerous monkeys is particularly interesting. In all, it was a wonderful, splendid day!