More boats

This photo shows the Tormes River with the cathedral in Salamanca in the background.

Green and Blue Spain

There are many parts of Spain that are blue and green. Here are some photos of northern southern Spain.

The 502 (Discussed below)

(Click on any picture to see a larger version with details.)

Back from Berdoo

Each year about this time, the City of San Bernardino, affectionately known as Berdoo, hosts the Route 66 Rendezvous -- a unique style of classic car show wherein some 1900 cars drive and park, park and drive, drive and park, and so on, for 4 days, all the while revving their engines (with open headers) in some sort of my-engine-can -make-more-noise-than-yours competition while some 500,000 spectators walk, waddle, sit, stand, mingle, photograph, film and swap "I used to have one of those" stories and consuming literal truckloads of artery-clogging bacon-wrapped grilled-onion-covered sausages, hot dogs, tri-tip steak sandwiches, Johnsonville Brats cooked on the world's largest outdoor grill (in truth, a semi-trailer-long grill, towed by a semi-tractor), a variety of other carnival-style eats ranging from cotton-candy to ice cream to caramel corn and candied almonds, and guzzling immeasurable quantities of Pepsi (they had the beverage contract), water, energy drinks, beer (only sold and consumed within a chain-link fenced area reminiscent of the smoking cages at the airport), and inhaling enough carbon-monoxide to justify their bizarre behavior.

Unca' Buck and I made our annual trek, imposing on the hospitality of the Grogans (got to see David, Shannon and kids, too), and shot a few pictures.  We were also able to team up for a bit with Daniel and Hillary who were then subjected to my non-stop verbiage on the differences between the trim on the Tri-Five Chevys; the Bel-Airs v. the Impalas v. the 210s; the sedan v. the coupe v. the hardtop; the small-block v. the big-block Chevy V-8s; and so on.  All of this over the roar of the informal open header competition.  Hillary got a headache which saved them more of my torturous explanations.

As you've noticed, if you've been following my blog, I am the proud owner of a yet unrestored 1961 Impala 2-door hardtop (Bubbletop) with a 265-inch small block with a 4-bbl and Powerglide; therefore, I focussed my camera mostly on other '61 Impalas that I saw, unless they had been ruined by converting them to low-riders with teeny-tiny wheels and ridiculous air suspension systems that either make them sit lower in the back than in the front (very east coast, yuck) or worse, that make each corner go up and down independently like some sort of malfunctioning robot trying to step over some doggie doo doo. (They make me wanna puke.)

The red and white Impala wasn't actually in the event when I shot it but was parked in a lot adjacent to where we parked; so I took advantage and snapped a few shots.  The engine (which got posted later and is up above this post) is a big block Chevy, a 502, that was installed in a 1954 Chevy, but looked so good I had to shoot it. Now, scroll down for the photos.

The Impalas of Berdoo

Baiona Bay

This is the first place Columbus landed upon his return from the Americas.  The ship you see in the background is a replica of the Pinta, the ship that sailed into the bay March 1, 1493. The port is on the Atlantic Ocean just north a few miles from the Miño River that forms the border between Portugal and Spain.

This photo is the one I cropped to create my new banner, in case you hadn't recognized it.

The Alcazar (Castle) of Segovia

One of Spain's most recognizable castles overlooks a moat-shaped ravine in Segovia, about an hour northeast of Madrid.  It was the abode of Ferdinand and Isabel, the Catholic Kings who ruled over the final days of the reconquest.  It was also here that Christopher Columbus first met with Queen Isabel regarding her financing his trip to the Indies, which of course, resulted in the discovery of America.

Here are some shots taken during the day and at night.  As a side note, David and Melissa were carried the 152 steps up the circular stone stairs to the top.  Steve also climbed up the stairs with me in 2007 when we visited Spain.

Street Cafe in Burgos

Burgos, about two hours north of Madrid, was the home of the famous El Cid who led in the fight against the Moors. A great place to enjoy the camaraderie of good friends, a light snack and a beverage—still the Spaniards' preferred way of keeping in touch, even in an age of the ubiquitous cell phone and Facebook.

Arcos de la Frontera

A typical sidewalk cafe as evening falls in one of the pueblos blancos (white villages) in southwestern Spain.

Ribadesella

One of my favorite photos, used as the cover photo to one of the editions of the textbook, shot in Ribadesella on the Cantabrian Coast in northern Spain. 

The Ebro River passing through Logroño, Spain

I like this shot of the Ebro river, the train station, the Roman-style bridge, taken near Logroño in the Navarra region, which is in the Basque country.  

El Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

Madrid's popular central park; a nice place to go to get away from the vehicular traffic.  I say "vehicular" traffic because the pedestrian traffic can be overwhelming at times.  This is a shot of the pond.