A walking tour of Madrid

On the last day of our trip, we have tickets for the Prado Museum. We've spent more vacation time appreciating food than art, so the Prado is a great place to wind things up. The museum houses the royal collection, mostly funded by new world gold. Some say it's the greatest painting museum in the world. Virtually everything we will be seeing came from Spain or one of its colonies.

 After about an hour and a half of wandering and taking in just the  second floor exhibit, we realized that it was time to prioritize. Otherwise we'd be there well into the evening.

We decided to skip the travelling Picasso exhibit, since we had seen the wonderful exhibit at SAM, and the day before we saw Picasso's  'Guernica' at the Reina Sophia Museum

 The Prado could have enthralled us all day, but our tired feet won out. It was time to leave.

For the walk  back to the hotel, we decided to do the walking tour  in Rick Steves guide book. This would take us from the museum through the Puerta del Sol, the center of the Old  City, back to Plaza Mayor.

Just  need to mention that this guide book became a constant companion and introduced us to most of the hotels and restaurants  we enjoyed during our stay. With Rick and the internet, you can't go wrong.   :)

Our first stop was Taberna de Delores for their $2.50 sandwiches. Yum! This tapas bar has been popular with both locals and tourists since it opened in 1908.

Next, we dropped into LHardy, another Madrid destination since 1839. A restaurant/sweet shop, this place was packed, so we picked up some sweet gifts and continued on to the Puerta del Sol.

This massive city square was the eastern gate to the old city. Now 10 streets converge here along with throngs of people out enjoying the vibe of this lively city!

But that was just too many people for me , so we chose an alternate route to get back to the hotel.




That evening, after a good rest, we headed for dinner at Posada de la Villa, where we had enjoyed tapas the previous evening. I had to go back for the crispy fried bits of lamb!



click on image to read the story



 Dinner was excellent. The setting was lovely and we ended up chatting for a while with Diego, a young Spaniard who owns  a small software company north of Madrid. He was enjoying dinner with his family and very  graciously treated us to a special liquer of the region.

What a sweet way to end our  visit.

Holy Toledo!

Travel is so much more than pure enjoyment. You learn so much; about the place you're visiting, about smarter ways to travel, and about yourself. My friend Barbara had recommended I read Iberia , the James Michener classic, which I picked up just before leaving Seattle. This book is a 'must read' for anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of Spain and the Spanish people. I took the liberty of jumping between chapters, just to be sure I read up on a city we were about to visit. And the book lends itself well to this.

I particularly loved the chapter he wrote on Toledo. In the 60's Michener was fortunate to spend a good amount of time there , something I soon learned is worthwhile. A World Heritage Site, Toledo is one of the few places in the world where Christians, Muslims and Jews live harmoniously together. Evidence of the three cultures is everywhere you look in the Old City. Because it is just a quick train ride from Madrid, throngs of people visit, most for just the day.

Atocha station, Madrid. We finally got seats on a train to Toledo!



 So the best way to really see Toledo would be to spend at least two days, preferably more. What I had hoped to do was retrace Michener's path as he wandered from the grand cathedral in the center of the city, to the Jewish and Muslim neighborhoods, and visit the site where loyalist forces held out at the point of starvation for ten weeks during the Spanish Civil War.

Alas, my grand tour was not to be, as we made the most of our one day in this amazing city.

But both Jeff and I were very taken by the grandeur of the cathedral. This building alone took two centuries to complete. It houses some amazing art along with treasures bought and pillaged from the new world.

the lower part of the altar



the upper dome of the Transparente



The Transparente is a marvel of architecture, engineering, and art. At some point in the construction of the cathedral, the man in charge wanted to better illuminate the altar. To do this  a huge hole was made in the ceiling and another in the back upper part of the altar. As light shone in, it created a beautiful glow. Meanwhile up in the dome around the big hole are carvings and frescoes that boggle the mind.

One of the most interesting parts of the cathedral is the small chapel in the rear of the church that was created for the muslims who converted to catholicism. To this day, the mass is said in arabic at 9AM. This is the only time the chapel is open to visitors.

A quick visit to a store selling and displaying steel products, for which Toledo is known;

  a quick look into the Santa Cruz museum;

    a peek at the Alcazar which is closed for renovations;

       a bit of lunch;

.....and we were back on the train zipping to Madrid determined to revisit this wonderful place (for a few days!) on our next trip to Spain.

Check out  other pictures of Toledo. by clicking this link.

Madrid digs

We planned to leave La Zenia a few days before heading home,  to spend  some time in Madrid. As we had done very little planning for this trip outside of getting our plane tickets, we were a little nervous about what we'd find for a hotel room.

But as luck would have it, we found Hotel Plaza Mayor. Located in the heart of the Old Town, this place was comfortable, affordable, and very unusual. Our room was basically an attic space that had been spruced up. It made a nice little suite with a super deck. You just needed to remember not to bump your head!

The walls on the lower two stories were huge slabs of granite.

The building was quite old with interesting architectural details. When I asked the desk clerk what it had been before it was a hotel, he said it was a convent attached to the church next door. I had heard about converted convents and wasn't too keen on the thought of staying in one, until we found this place. Apparently, back in the day, the nobility would need to get their illegitimate (and other potentially embarrasing) offspring out of view, and this is where the girls ended up. I imagine the  accomodations were  a bit more luxurious than a convent of today.

The hotel opened out on a little square and just next door was a massive structure that apparently served as a prison for the affluent. Currently it is an administrative building, and a grand one at that. Our deck looked out over its roof and mighty towers. We felt that we could just reach out and touch them.

enjoying a warm afternoon on the deck

Immediately beyond the square is Plaza Mayor, one of the big gathering places in Madrid and the former site of some horrendous doings during the Inquisition. It was the beacon that kept us from getting lost on our many walks and a great place to sip cerveza and people-watch.

Our stay in Madrid was much too short, but an enjoyable end to our trip. The last two posts will cover our adventures in Madrid and Toledo. Stay tuned!

Cartagena Spain Day 25

 Visiting many of the local towns has forced us to brush up on our Spanish history! Yesterday, we spent the day in  Cartagena, a little gem, with a history going back to the Phoenicians! This is the point on the continent where Hannibal landed to march those elephants over the Pyrenees toward Rome. It has hosted the  Romans, Visigoths, Moors, Hapsburgs, Bourbons, and most recently the American Sixth Fleet. But after our navy pulled out, the city found itself in a real decline. It was then that they looked to tourism and made serious efforts to restore so much of its rich and diverse history. It's a pleasure to visit, very walkable, and full of historical interest and public art. Still largely undiscovered, it remains much of its authenticity and charm.

The most spectacular of its sights is the Roman Amphitheater, built in the first and second century BC!
Its museum has artifacts going back to that time, as well as some from subsequent occupations over the centuries. You can literally reach out and touch Roman artifacts!

Just amazing!

Jeff explores the stage area

one way to the top of the castle

Next door to the theater is the castle perched high over the city with a commanding 360 degree view.  The building was remodeled by its many occupants over the centuries,  and contains a terrific museum describing these changes.you can either walk to the top or take a lift. We opted for the lift ride down.

interior of the castle with explanation of its changes over the centuries

the lift

view of the city below

After a leisurely stroll along the waterfront, and a delicious lunch, we realized that it was almost 5PM and time to head home. We could easily have spent more than a day here, and hope someday to return.
To see more pictures of Cartagena, click on this link. Enjoy!

The other side of travel; meeting people, making friends

This is the first long vacation we've taken since our honeymoon in 1978. Being together - just the two of us - for a long period of time in a foreign country - has strengthened and deepened our bonds and made us more aware of each other.
 We have also taken great joy in meeting new people, and forming new friendships.
At this point, we've met folks from England, Australia and the Netherlands. Many people from northern Europe and other parts of the world have found Spain a welcoming country for travel and even full-time residency.


 We met Rob and Sue, a British couple on holiday in Mairena, a tiny hill town in Andalucia. The B&B where we stayed - Las Chimeneas - had a small, refreshing swimming pool where we first encountered them enjoying an afternoon dip. That evening, at dinner, Bonney asked them to join us at our table. They did and we ate together for the balance of our stay.  They were fun and very interesting, with a raft of experiences outside our own, including how to put a Euro transmission into  reverse!

Sue and Bonney

You might think that putting a car in reverse is not a big deal. Well, in the hill towns of Spain, it can be! We were in Calahorra (pronounced Calora). As is typical with Spanish hill towns, many of the streets are extremely narrow with tall buildings on either side. Sometimes they simply tail off into nothingness, other times they lead to even narrower streets that are really only passable on foot or by scooter.

View from the castle to  Calhorra

We found ourselves on one of these streets, unable to back up. Fortunately, Rob and Sue were right behind us and hadn't made the turn. Jeff, Rob and I managed to *push* the car backwards and get it parked headed in the right direction.  That was when Rob said "I don't want to sound cheeky, but"....and proceeded to show us how to get the gearshift lever into reverse. He was right - and very funny about it.  When it worked, a great weight was lifted from our spirits. We had the Power of Reverse!! OK, we're a little backwards when it comes to these things. :)


In Granada we met Kon and Hannah, an Australian couple travelling through Europe after a wedding in Denmark  At a little inn in the high desert country outside Lorca, we met  Cees and Elisa, a Dutch couple who spend their winters here and summers in Utrecht.

Bob and Denise

Denise, Bob, Janet, Bonney, and Colin at the ice cream shop

Finally, at our exchange home in La Zenia, we met a British couple,  Denise and Bob Bull. They took us under their wing and provided us with invaluable information about the area - information that led to several wonderful trips. We've enjoyed dining with them and meeting their friends. We've exchanged our details and hope to stay in touch and even meet up again - perhaps in Seattle!



We've learned a lot on this extended holiday. Not the least of what we learned was the seemingly obvious, but still surprising reality that we can form friendships and create community as we travel.

Jeff and a sweet gato

When our Spanish language improves, we hope to connect with more Spanish folks!

Leaving Guadalest and more pictures!

Day twenty three of our vacation. Jeff says it's really more like school. :)  We're taking in so many new sights and experiences and feel very fortunate.

A first for us today was waking up to dark clouds on the horizon and threats of rain in the forecast. Undaunted and oblivious, we headed back toward the coast, hoping to someday revisit this beautiful place.  On our way back, we lost our bearings in the town of Callosa d'en Sarria. Being lost has come to be an invitation to an adventure. So into town we drove, confident that the little car, which we nicknamed "The Box" would be small enough for any narrow old streets.

Jeff and The Box

We came upon the TI, (tourist information office) which unfortunately was closed for a short time, so we wandered on our own and found a charming town square, complete with church, government buildings, and a little cafe (called a 'bar' in Spain and Italy).  The town was preparing for their annual fiesta commemorating the Moors and the Christians, and was decorated in colorful banners. Pleasant, charming, it invited us to linger.

After a leisurely coffee and the prerequisite jamon con pan  & tomate (Spanish ham and bread with tomato sauce), we headed back to the TI. Though the claps of thunder were building, they were still in the distance, or so we thought. We ducked for cover in a doorway while the street in front of us turned into a river.
 The videos below tell the story.

The Box is parked at the very end of this street!
Drenched,and miserable, we had experienced a typical Spanish rainstorm!

For more pictures of our adventure, click this Picasa Web Album link.          Adios!

Guadalest! Days 21-23

Our neighbor Denise was insistent that we visit Guadalest, and she was so right. We looked it up online and decided that since it's such a popular destination for day-trippers, we'd get a room to enjoy the town when all was quiet. When we saw Cases Noves we decided to make it two days. What a great move!

The inn is lovely, each room has breath-taking views. The breakfasts and dinners are first rate. Owners, Tony and Sophia, are warm and easygoing and have created an inviting home.

Guadalest is a tiny town, 200 people, up in the mountains, away from the crush of the beach-goers. A stunningly scenic old castle, built in the 11th century by the Moors looks out from above, over the valley to the sea. The town's economy is based on this, with restaurants, souvenir shops, and many 'museums'. (At least one for every 20 inhabitants!) What hasn't been destroyed by war and earthquake is  a picturesque village, the lower part of which is reached by walking up, up, up a stone path, through the castle walls. This is the easy part to reach, so we did it right after arriving, and the views were terrific.
 Next day, after one of Sophia's delicious and fortifying breakfasts, we headed  to the top of the castle. Access is through the Museum Casa Orduna, the former home of a very wealthy family.

Many of the furnishings and much of the decor is intact. Their library was enormous!The museum itself was a destination, but we, like many others , were on a mission. 

 Soon we found ourselves out on the steps leading up to the castle. What a hike, and what amazing views at the top! I can officially say that my knee surgery was a success. This hike could not have been done on the old knee!