SpainMadrid

For the third time on our trip we were pleased to be standing outside the international arrival doors ready to great visitors. Shan and Wes organized a southern Spain itinerary and we would be traveling together for the next 10 days. It was great to let someone else worry about what we would be doing everyday and what we would be seeing. Of course I read up on Spain just in case Shannon missed something-she didn't.

Our route through Spain:

• Madrid
• Toledo
• Segovia
• Seville
• Tarifa
• Gibraltar
• Tangiers
• Morocco
• Ronda
• Granada
• Torremolinos.

I was fairly confident that we would make up for lost party time that Scooter and I had been missing or trying to avoid.

Here they come, looking no worse for the wear after a 7 hour plane ride, their first trip across the Atlantic Ocean. They said they were ready to go even though their body is telling them it is 2:00 AM! Well, OK, then off we went back to the Hotel Charmartin to collect our things and call for reservations at a less expensive hotel with a better location. This was to be the Hostel Residencia Valencia, recommended as bright, cheery, and professional for 5,700 ptas./$42 for a double with bath. As Scooter and I have learned what you picture from the guidebook description and reality are almost always two different things. After a couple of subway stops and a walk down Gran Via we arrived at a narrow entrance with an even narrower lift. Shannon and I went up to the fifth floor to 'check it'. It was OK, but definitely not what Shannon was expecting. I was somewhat prepared and figured that for the money and the location it was as good as anything else we would find and the owner speaks English-big bonus. This was going to be a different kind of trip for Shannon and Wes and we hoped they didn't mind the cheaper hotel rooms. We didn't plan on spending much time in our rooms anyway.

We jumped into Madrid with both feet and went straight to the Royal Palace, Europe's third greatest palace after Versailles and Schonnebrun. It was the home to Spanish monarchs from 1764 to 1931. Today it is used as a tourist sight and for official state functions by King Juan Carlos. The palace is filled with glamour and opulence. There is also a pharmacy museum and armory on the grounds. We all had a laugh at the strange shiny black flat-backed guard hats. Poor palace guards, around the world they have the silliest military uniforms. Scooter spent the rest of the trip trying to figure out why the hats were turned straight up in the back. He even asked a couple of the guards but none of them spoke English and none of them knew why the back of their hats were flat. It has to have some practical reason and Scooter figures it is so they can stand against a wall and their hat won't touch. I think he is full of it.

Second sight of the day took us to the Reina Sofia, a first class modern art museum in an antique building decorated with a futuristic elevator. Wes seemed especially engrossed strolling through the rooms filled with Picasso, Miro, Dali, and Magritte. The museum was definitely worthwhile. Time for a pizza and beer break.

Ordering food in a new country is always a challenge for the first few meals but our travel in South America set us up pretty well for menu reading in espanol. So far we had not been too daring, pizza is pizza everywhere, its the toppings that get tricky. Next stop was the Atocha train station, I am sure it is truly unique. The inside is filled with a tropical rain forest setting that is constantly being misted, it is a little humid but pretty. We were here to pick up our AVE train tickets to Seville. AVE (Alta Velocidad Espanola) is Spain's high-speed train, there are not too many routes yet but they are a big notch above the next best train. The line took forever, as Shannon was falling asleep, we were finally paying for our tickets. This task done we went back to the Gran Via area and found a cerveceria filled with locals and tourists alike watching the passing parade of people. We were trying hard to do what the Spaniards do, eat and drink a little here and a little there. This is not easy with two hungry men who like to eat 3 squares a day, not graze. Onward through streets lined with tapas bars to the Plaza del Sol. We find another comfortable outdoor cafe to complete our evening. We had a good first day.



Scooter has been officially dubbed "Metro Meister". Shan and Wes are impressed with his ability to navigate in underground transport systems, as I continue to be in each new city we visit. For me, the hard part is just trying to get a ticket out of the ticket machine, much less find my way to a specific destination. Today our big adventure is to travel an hour away by bus to the city of Toledo. We followed the guidebook instructions to the bus station and after walking around the city block where it was supposed to be located. We figured that we had found another guidebook error but Shannon who is new to the travel scene can't believe the guidebook would be wrong. We stopped in at a bank and found out the bus station had been moved two years ago. We got new directions and the Metro again...found it. The bus was very nice, a double long, obviously this is a big tourist destination. The sights in Toledo include El Alcazar and a Cathedral. Actually, the entire old town has been declared a national historic monument. It looks like you might expect, narrow cobblestone streets, pointy roofs, and big stone walls. We are in a hurry to the Alcazar because it closes for lunch so we catch a ride to the top with a stinky cab driver. This Alcazar was a former royal residence and military fort, this being our first Alcazar, we were impressed. We went quickly through the building and displays so that we would have time for the flea market. The guidebook declared this to be market day and said not to miss it. I had a new shopping buddy who could appreciate the fun of walking around and looking at stuff. Scooter and I have been to our share of markets around the world. We hurried down the streets asking for directions to the market and upon arriving everyone was in the process of packing up. Don't bother with the flea market unless you came to Spain to purchase knockoff tennis shoes or kitchen utensils. At lunch time we again consulted our guidebook trying to avoid both a restaurant with pictures of food out front and McDonald's. I wanted to find that special cafe that served the perfect meal. I am reading through the guidebook for recommendations, studying the map for locations. Scooter wants to know what time we should meet because he is fairly familiar with this ritual and knows it will be another hour before we actually eat. He heads to McDonald's for a sure thing. Shannon, Wes, and I found what we were looking for at the Marvella Hotel Restaurant. After a leisurely meal (waiting for the sights to reopen after siesta) we strolled through the streets, ate Toledo's famous marzipan sweets, and made our way back to the cathedral. This is a beautiful cathedral that took over 200 years to build (1226-1493). Every corner seemed to hold a treasure. The church's sacristy has many paintings by El Greco, Goya, Titan, Rubens and Valazquez.

From here, at Wes's request, we visited the sword and knife workshop run by a man missing several fingers--you would think he could find something else to test the swords on. With a fire pit and true craftsmen it was very traditional. We also stopped in the suit of armor shop, but since no one was in the market for one, I settled for a pair of earrings, black steel ware inlaid with gold, copper, and silver wire like little globes. This town is full of souvenirs, can you say"tacky"?

We took off through the narrow streets again, this time in search of a beer. We got lost. Finally found a cerveza stop and then found our way to the bus station and the Bus Bar full of local characters and Spain's equivalent to Ricki Lake on TV. In an effort not to return to Hostel Valencia any sooner than we had to, we selected a restaurant on the Plaza Mayor for an early dinner by Spanish standards, 8:45. Enjoyed a great meal and margs at El Cuchie. Fat and happy we walked back to Gran Via soaking in the energy of Madrid's night life.

We were venturing out on our own by car today. Off to a dubious start when I went downstairs to get the name of a rental car service from the front desk and a phone number. I went back to the room and somehow I didn't dial correctly. I spent ten minutes trying to explain to the guy on the phone I wanted to rent a car and where were they located. I then figured out that I had been talking to the guy at the front desk for the last ten minutes in my limited Spanish. The hotel manager took pity and assured me he would arrange everything. While I am attempting to rent a car, Wes is attempting to get a cup of coffee from a vending machine and instead ends up with a cup of hot milk again the hotel manager is observing the silly tourist antics. Auto secured, we went to breakfast taking no chances by eating at Dunkin Donuts-Wes ordered coffee this time.

At Autos Bravo we picked up our fully insured Seat Ibiza. OK, with Wes in the driver's seat and Shannon and I in the back navigating we were on our way to the first sight, El Escorial in the Guadarrama Mountains. Shannon had planned everything and was doing a great job with the itinerary. With Wes driving and Shannon and I navigating from the back seat we should have no problems. Scooter advised us it would be wise to purchase a map but we quickly put him in his place because we had the guidebook we didn't need maps. It was supposed to be less than an hour from Madrid so when we were just over an hour away and did not see any of the prescribed roads listed in the guidebook we gave Scooter his job back, bought a real map, and went to another city, Segovia. When we missed our turnoff for Segovia we continued on to the ancient walled city of Avila. Spain is full of places t o see. Avila is the birthplace of St. Theresa and is famous for its well preserved medieval walls from 1100 AD, 2 km long with 88 towers. We took the whirlwind tour by car, not for the faint of heart but Wes took the narrow streets like a pro. Back on the road to make a second pass at Segovia. We made it this time driving through some beautiful mountain scenery. Coming into town we are met by the sight of a huge roman aqueduct. It was built by the Romans who ruled Spain for 500 years 2000 years ago. This 2,550 foot aqueduct wit 118 arches was built using no mortar and it still operates today. Scooter wants to know how big the river is on the top of the aqueduct and the only way to find out is a climb to the top. The Romans were very clever engineers and the aqueduct was one of their most clever inventions. To live the good life as a Roman you needed running water in your house. They went to great efforts to divert a river through the middle of town and would use aqueducts to bridge valleys and hills. It is very hard to make water go uphill. We found the steps that took us to the top of the aqueduct and after some creative climbing Scooter let out a, "I can't believe it." It seems that the Romans built these huge structures and the part that carried water was only a six inch trough. He was also disappointed to find that a modern day pipe had been installed to carry water. What fun is it to have a genuine Roman aqueduct if you aren't going to use it. Cool sight.

We relaxed over a long lunch in perfect weather on the Plaza Mayor-this is my idea of traveling but these perfect moments are a precious few. After lunch we climbed the stairs to the top of the aqueduct for a photo shoot then jumped back in the car for a mad dash to El Escorial, our original destination. El Escorial houses a monastery, mausoleum, museum, church, school, library, and royal palace. It was built by FelipeII during the 16th century to celebrate Spain's victory over France and to build a masoleum to honor his father Carlos V. Unfortunately, we did not make it in time to purchase tickets but were able to see the spectacular illuminated alter. Moving on, 8 kms to be exact, to the Valley of the Fallen/El Valle de los Caidos. This is a 150 yard tall granite cross marking an immense monument, mostly underground, to honor Spain's Civil War (1936-1939). Below the cross is an 860 foot basilica that the fascist dictator Franco built. Large 16th century tapestries line the barren stone walls. The entire project got started when Franco wanted to have some of his friends buried in El Escorial. The church told him that it wasn't his place to decide who got buried at the church. His solution was to build his own church/mausoleum. This was a very impressive structure and proves that modern day dictators can still build cool stuff. The view from the terrace is all woods and mountains with the first signs of colored Fall leaves. Sunset was beautiful.

Hitting Madrid's rush hour between 7-8 PM, we took a grand tour through downtown in search of Place de Toledo, our rental car return spot. Once we navigated our way there, we handed over the keys and without a word were on our way, on foot again. With four of us traveling together it can become difficult not to create some tense situations. It is just hard to get four people to agree to do anything. We came up with a little system that actually worked fairly well. Each day, each of us got to express one outstanding personal need. For example, earlier today I made everyone rush into an Irish pub for an ale because I had to use the w.f.. Now, Scooter had an overwhelming need to dine at Hard Rock- Madrid. As long as there were no objections we tried to meet everyone's needs. It was early for dinner so we stopped for drinks, tapas, and Spain's funniest videos at La Mummy, a local dive bar with good tunes. Then on to a meal at the ever popular Hard Rock Cafe.



Tapas are Spain's contribution to the culinary world and the concept is a good one but in reality they just are not that appetizing. A few boiled shrimps, a couple of cold meatballs, squid and octopus every way it can be served, sardines, anchovies in miniature portions. It is a rare thing to find a tapa to get excited about. So far my mainstays have been ensalada mixta and gazpacho andaluz, it does not help being a vegetarian in a jamon (ham) oriented society. You might wonder why we were not sampling more of the local cuisine. First of all we have yet to find a spectacular Spanish meal or menu. Secondly, the whole city seems to serve nothing but jamon (ham), not just your regular old jamon. Proudly displayed in every cafe and restaurant is a pig leg, complete with hoof and a touch of the original hair for color. The leg is placed in a wooden apparatus that has a clamp to hold the hoof/leg in place. When you order a jamon sandwich the jamon is shaved directly off the side of a pig leg. I am a vegetarian and the entire thing was very unpleasant. According to Scooter it was like eating a raw bacon sandwich. The locals must eat a lot of this stuff because every restaurant has numerous pig legs hanging from the ceiling with little cans to catch anything that may drip. I am sure the ham has been smoked or something but it still is a little weird. We thought we had seen jamon until we stumbled across the Museo de Jamon, a mega store for all your jamon needs.

The other disconcerting thing about eating in Spain is that the locals eat standing up and then proceed to throw everything they don't want on the floor-napkins, sugar packets, cigarettes butts, matches, etc. until the cafes are ankle deep in trash. Because this trash seems to be a sign of popularity, the restaurant owners never clean up in hopes of drawing an even larger crowd based on the width and breadth of his trash pile. It makes it very unappetizing. Despite the slight problems with Spanish dining, this country wins the award for strongest drinks!

We saved one of Madrid's highlights for our last day, The Prado. We packed up and dropped our bags at the Atocha train station and walked up the street to the museum. The museum itself is in a grand old building with high vaulted ceilings and marble floors. It is filled with only famous artists and their most famous works--the ones you study in art history class. I was struck at the lack of "filler" artwork. Every painting seemed important- Goya, Bosch, Greco, Valazquez, etc. We thoroughly enjoyed our 2.5 hour self-guided tour of the Prado. As an added bonus Felipe II's art collection was the special exhibit. Our train is leaving soon and we must depart for the ultimate Spanish destination the town of Seville.
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