Buenas Tardes from Barcelona! Where was I.....
Ah, yes, we were bus-touring and had just left the Street of Discord. From there, we walked up Passeig de Gracia to La Pedrera, an apartment house built by Antoni Gaudi between 1906 and 1910. It's amazing. There are, to the best of my knowledge, no straight lines in the place. The front is made up of undulating curves, and the terraces of the apartments are very organic looking wroght iron, no two of which are the same. The building is no longer used as apartments, but is a museum dedicated to Gaudi. The attic shows images of his other works (which we get to later in the tour), the rooftop terrace is open to the public, and on a lower floor there's a replica of an apartment as it might've existed in the early part of the century. Very neat.
After La Pedrera, we hopped back on La Autobus Turistic for the ride to La Sagrida Familia (on the way we passed a church with 365 windows, one for each day of the year). La Sagrida Familia is a cathedral designed by ... Gaudi (are you sensing a theme here? Gaudi is the single most important reason Jeff and I came to Barcelona). As with most of Gaudi's work I've seen over the past few days, Sagrida Familia absolutely defies written description. It was begun, I believe, in 1910 (or maybe 1906), and at the time of Gaudi's death only one of the eight towers had been completed. No work was done on it for many years, but eventually work began again. At the moment it's the only cathedral in the world that is still under construction; they hope to finish in 30 years. We were able to go up in one of the towers, which was neat and gave us a nice view of the city.
After Sagrida Familia we had a quick bite of lunch (no ham, but cheese and bread), then went off to tour the grandstand of Camp Nou, the stadium of Futbol Club Barcelona. Jeff wanted to see a futbol match in either Madrid or Barcelona, but the days weren't right, so this was the closest he could come. It's one of the largest stadiums in the world, and holds over 100,000 people (the largest stadium is, I believe, in either Argentina or Brazil. Dunno how many rabid futbol fans it holds). We toured the FC Barcelona museum first, then went into the stadium. It's absolutely huge. Imagine the largest American football stadium you've ever seen, then add another level of seats. It's mammoth. After that, we went into the obligatory gift shop and bought FC Barcelona souvenirs and Spanish candy (yum).
Post futbol mania, we wanted to see Park Guell, a park designed by Antoni Gaudi (he reappears!). We hopped back on the tour bus, but because of where the Park is located had to ride almost entirely around the circle that the bus makes until we got to it (we could've stopped at the park before FC Barcelona, but the stadium closes earlier than the park, and we wanted to make sure we got to the stadium). Anyway, what with traffic and what not, we weren't to the park till nearly 8pm. The last bus left at around 8:30 pm, so we only had a short visit, but it was neat. We saw more of Gaudi's design and tile work (a very cool dragon guards the entrance), and since the park is on a hill got to see more views of the city. After the park, we took the last bus back to Placa de Catalunya, then walked back to our hotel. A few tapas in a bar, a dessert, and we were off to slumberland.
Today (Thursday) was even more beautiful than Wednesday, weather-wise. It was sunny and warm all day. We started out by grabbing a quick croissant in a Spanish fast-food place Adrianne introduced us too (yes, we've done Spanish fast food, but have yet to resort to American fast food). After that we walked through La Ribera (the neighborhood next to the one our hotel is in) to the Picasso Museum. This museum has the largest collection of Picasso's early works anywhere (back when all the noses were in the right place!), and from what I can tell most of them were donated by Picasso himself. It was really fascinating to see how talented he was even as a teenager, and also to see how his worked changed over the years.
After Picasso, we strolled a couple of blocks to Museu de la Xocolat -- The Chocolate Museum! It was a bit silly, but fun. It traces the history of chocolate through it's earliest uses by the Aztecs, discusses the production of chocolate, and has artwork entirely in chocolate (well, OK, some of them used other candies as well). From there we walked to Santa Maria del Mar, a church built in the 14th century. The columns supporting it's arch are 13 feet apart, which is wider than the columns in any other mideval building. Apparently if it were two feet taller, it would be structurally instable and the roof would collapse. There was a wedding going on, so we were only able to see part of the inside, but it was lovely (and the roof stayed up).
From there we walked down to the waterfront. I did not put my feet in the Mediterranean, even though I've never been in it -- we were still at a harbor, after all, so the water was pretty skanky. It was still amazingly blue and clear, though -- we could see quite a ways down the mooring lines of the boats. We took a harbour cruise that we thought was going to go out actually into the open sea, but instead just meandered around the port (one of the difficulties with not speaking the language is that you're never sure exactly what you'll get). But it was a nice day and we were sitting down, so it was OK.
From the port we walked up Las Ramblas, the main pedestrian thouroughfares. We saw what has to be the world's largest foosball table, and several street entertainers (mimes that looked like statues, a man covered with flowers, jugglers...). We grabbed a quick bite of lunch, then went to the Contemporary Art Museum. This was actually a disappointment. They were doing a retrospective of a man named Tapies, and we both found his art a bit inaccessable. Beyond that, the permanent collection was very small. So, we didn't stay long, but instead went back to our hotel (we'd arranged for a late check-out) for siesta!
And now here we are! Our train for Madrid leaves in about 4 hours. It will get into Madrid about 8am Madrid time, and we'll kill a few hours there before hopping on our flight back home around 1pm! Hard to believe, but the whold trip is nearly over.
So, what are the final musings on Spain?
The Spanish are far less concerned with personal hygiene than we (or at least me) are. It was an accomplishment to find a bathroom stall with toilet paper, and if it also had soap and a hand-dryer, it was nearly amazing. On my next trip I'm bringing my own toilet paper!
The Spanish really do eat ham, eggs, cheese, bread or tuna at nearly every meal. I bought a baguette pizza today that appeared to have olives and red peppers on it, but also had tuna hidden under the cheese. It was very good, but a little unexpected!
I have absolutely fallen in love with Smart Cars, and desperately want one for my own. Sorry, Trina, but they are FAR cuter than Minis (even Mini Driver).
Barcelona is in many ways a lovely city, and obviously loves the artistic tradition in the city, but of the three places we went, it's the last that I'd go back to. It was nice, but the people weren't as friendly, they weren't as likely to help us muddle through life in Spanish, and because it's a large city, it's hard to get around just by walking, which makes it harder to explore than either Madrid or Granada. It was nice, and I'm glad we came, but of the three I'd go back to Madrid or Granada in a heartbeat, and would go back to Barcelona either on a day trip or in 30 years when Sagrida Familia is completed.
So, Adios from Spain! It was a great trip, and I'm sure I'll have to append something to this blog in the next few days, as I've probably left something crucial out!
Thursday, May 13, 2004
Hola from Barcelona!!!
I suppose I should actually say Hello in Catalan, since that's what everyone speaks here, but since I don't know that, we'll just have to settle for Spanish, since that's pretty much everyone's second language.
Once upon a time, many years ago, Jeff's friend Jon sent a postcard from Rome which read, "Michaelangelo is great. Da Vinci is great. Rome sucks, Italy sucks. Hope Meg's not Italian". I have to admit, after the first few hours in Barcelona I was very much afraid I was going to have the same opinion of this city; that the art and architecture were wonderful but I could do without the city itself. We got in on the train around 10 Tuesday morning, after a lovely train ride (brushing one's teeth as the Mediterranian is flashing by your window -- yeah, that's cool!). It was raining, which is always yucky and especially as a tourist. We caught a cab as close to our hotel as possible (it was on a pedestrian-only street), then walked the rest of the way. The hotel was, shall we say, less than what we expected. We'd been shooting for cheaper hotels all along, trying not to break our budget, and up until Barcelona had had wonderful luck. Well, our luck ran out. The hotel was clean, but it seemed damp and smelled musty (at least partially from the rain, I'm sure), and was very definitely aimed at a younger (i.e. doesn't care what their hotel is like 'cause they're never there!) crowd. I discovered, much to my chagrin, that I'm old enough to care deeply what my hotel is like! So, we did the mature, responsible, adult thing, and immediately went to the tourist information booth and found a new hotel! This one is quite nice, clean, non-damp and musty, and improved my opinion of Barcelona considerably!
Once we got checked in at the new place and bags moved and what not, we set out for the tourist bus. Yes, make fun if you will, but Jeff and I actually took a tourist bus. It was actually a really good idea, for a number of reasons. First, it gaave us a good look at the city to get ourselves oriented (Barcelona is a LARGE city). Second, it kept us out of the rain (it rained constantly Tuesday). And third, the passes we bought were good for Wednesday as well, so we were able to use them for transportation on Wednesday.
After riding the bus around and seeing various sights (from the bus, of course -- once we were out of the rain we STAYED out of the rain) we grabbed a bite of dinner. We ate at an odd place. It was obviously geared towards tourists (menus were in French and English, with not a word of Spanish), but there were definitely some traditional Spanish foods on the menu. We'd skipped lunch, so ate larger meals than is normal at a Spanish supper. Jeff had veal and I had chicken; no jamon or queso anywhere (not even any pan), but there was a fried egg on each plate, so I guess it's still a traditional Spanish meal! Then back to our clean, non-musty room, and our earliest bedtime since getting here.
Wednesday, luckily, wound up being a lovely day. It was cloudy in the morning, but not raining, and we wound up having a sunny afternoon. We slept in, had a breakfast of cafe con leche, croissant (Jeff), crepe de la frutas rojas (Meg), and zumo de naranaja. Yum. On our way up to the bus stop, we passed the Market, and wandered around there for a bit, taking pictures and eating some fabulous strawberries. Then off to the tourist bus! Our first stop was La Manazana de la Discordia, or "The Street of Discord", a block of Pg de Gracia near the Placa Catalunya where Antoni Gaudi and two other modern architects (Domenech i Montaner and Puig i Cadafalch) each built a house. Each house is interesting in it's own right, but the three together are a little much, as they're not really complementary. Hence the street name.
Gotta go for now, it's time for breakfast. More on Barcelona later.
I suppose I should actually say Hello in Catalan, since that's what everyone speaks here, but since I don't know that, we'll just have to settle for Spanish, since that's pretty much everyone's second language.
Once upon a time, many years ago, Jeff's friend Jon sent a postcard from Rome which read, "Michaelangelo is great. Da Vinci is great. Rome sucks, Italy sucks. Hope Meg's not Italian". I have to admit, after the first few hours in Barcelona I was very much afraid I was going to have the same opinion of this city; that the art and architecture were wonderful but I could do without the city itself. We got in on the train around 10 Tuesday morning, after a lovely train ride (brushing one's teeth as the Mediterranian is flashing by your window -- yeah, that's cool!). It was raining, which is always yucky and especially as a tourist. We caught a cab as close to our hotel as possible (it was on a pedestrian-only street), then walked the rest of the way. The hotel was, shall we say, less than what we expected. We'd been shooting for cheaper hotels all along, trying not to break our budget, and up until Barcelona had had wonderful luck. Well, our luck ran out. The hotel was clean, but it seemed damp and smelled musty (at least partially from the rain, I'm sure), and was very definitely aimed at a younger (i.e. doesn't care what their hotel is like 'cause they're never there!) crowd. I discovered, much to my chagrin, that I'm old enough to care deeply what my hotel is like! So, we did the mature, responsible, adult thing, and immediately went to the tourist information booth and found a new hotel! This one is quite nice, clean, non-damp and musty, and improved my opinion of Barcelona considerably!
Once we got checked in at the new place and bags moved and what not, we set out for the tourist bus. Yes, make fun if you will, but Jeff and I actually took a tourist bus. It was actually a really good idea, for a number of reasons. First, it gaave us a good look at the city to get ourselves oriented (Barcelona is a LARGE city). Second, it kept us out of the rain (it rained constantly Tuesday). And third, the passes we bought were good for Wednesday as well, so we were able to use them for transportation on Wednesday.
After riding the bus around and seeing various sights (from the bus, of course -- once we were out of the rain we STAYED out of the rain) we grabbed a bite of dinner. We ate at an odd place. It was obviously geared towards tourists (menus were in French and English, with not a word of Spanish), but there were definitely some traditional Spanish foods on the menu. We'd skipped lunch, so ate larger meals than is normal at a Spanish supper. Jeff had veal and I had chicken; no jamon or queso anywhere (not even any pan), but there was a fried egg on each plate, so I guess it's still a traditional Spanish meal! Then back to our clean, non-musty room, and our earliest bedtime since getting here.
Wednesday, luckily, wound up being a lovely day. It was cloudy in the morning, but not raining, and we wound up having a sunny afternoon. We slept in, had a breakfast of cafe con leche, croissant (Jeff), crepe de la frutas rojas (Meg), and zumo de naranaja. Yum. On our way up to the bus stop, we passed the Market, and wandered around there for a bit, taking pictures and eating some fabulous strawberries. Then off to the tourist bus! Our first stop was La Manazana de la Discordia, or "The Street of Discord", a block of Pg de Gracia near the Placa Catalunya where Antoni Gaudi and two other modern architects (Domenech i Montaner and Puig i Cadafalch) each built a house. Each house is interesting in it's own right, but the three together are a little much, as they're not really complementary. Hence the street name.
Gotta go for now, it's time for breakfast. More on Barcelona later.
Monday, May 10, 2004
Hola from Granada!
Jeff, Adrianne and I arrived in Granada Saturday evening and went straight to our hotel. It’s incredibly cool. It’s a restored palace built originally in 1503 (about 100 years older than my entire country!). The rooms are all tucked into nooks and crannies off of a central courtyard. Theoretically it has a view of the Alhambra (the main Granadian tourist attraction), but unfortunately our room only had a view of the courtyard. It was still cool, though. After checking in we went to a restaurant where one of Adrianne’s friends works to have tapas and sangria. This time our tapas were a mixed plate of meats, cheeses, smoked fish and pates, and a plate of grilled vegetables. Quite good, and of course the meats were.....jamon. Adrianne tells us that the major food groups of Spain are jamon (ham), queso (cheese), huevos (eggs), tuna and bread – one or more of those foods will appear in every meal, if not every dish, one eats in Spain. Jeff and Adrianne decided that Adri’s “It´s all good” catchphrase in Spanish would be “Todo es jamon” – It’s all ham. After dinner we had tea in a Morrocan teahouse, Kasbah. Jeff had Mango tea, Adrianne had vanilla tea, and I had Pakistani tea, which is a cinnamon-y tea served with steamed milk. Jeff wouldn’t let Adrianne and me split a pipe (they claim it’s only fruit-y tobacco in it...).
On Sunday we got up and had breakfast; churros con chocolate again, but this time from a place called Cafe Futbol, which serves the BEST churros in all of Spain (in Adrianne’s opinion, anyway). We wandered around the shops on Tea-Street (Adrianne’s name for the street with the tea-houses) for a bit, then headed up to the Alhambra with a picnic lunch in the afternoon. The Alhambra is the best (and possibly last, but we don’t have the guidebook at the moment) example of a Moorish palace in Spain. We ate our picnic in the Gardens of the Generalife (and fed two of the stray cats who live there), then wandered around the entire complex. There are many buildings that make up the complex, including the Generalife, the palace of Carlos V, the Alcazaba (which Adriane and I both want to call the Askaban), and the Palace Naza-something. Much of the Islamic art (sculpture, carvings and tile) are still in place, though in certain places the work is more modern, having been installed by Ferdinand and Isabel after they defeated the Moors and gained control of the Alhambra (and all of Granada). The only blight on the landscape is the palace built by Carlos V, which is of a totally different style, and, according to Granadians, is a scar on the landscape of the Alhambra. After touring the buildings (where we encountered a girl that was the Spanish equivalent of Grace!) we climbed the tower of the Alcazaba, from which we could more or less see our hotel, and could certainly see all of Granada. Adrianne was able to help us find things like the bull ring that we wouldn’t’ve been able to pic out ourselves, and was even able to show us the neighborhood she lives in.
Once we came down from the Alhambra we rested a bit, then went to Adrianne’s house for dinner cooked by her Spanish Mom, Mari Carmen. Unfortunately, her ‘hermanos’ (Spanish brothers) weren´t there, but we had a lovely time with Mari Carmen, and a tremendous meal. We started with shrimp (sin cabezas, para Adri), cheese and the ubiquitous pan (bread), then had a soup made with leeks and celery. The main course was a pork loin with a warm carrot sauce over it, and a salad made of potatoes, tuna, eggs, tomatoes and green peppers (two of the three required foods!). It was all delicious, and sparked a real educational experience for Adrianne as Mari Carmen was explaining what was in each dish and she was trying to translate. We learned that apio is celery, and that puerros are leeks, but in both cases only after Mari Carmen went into the kitchen and brought them out so we could see them! Mari Carmen is a wonderful hostess, and was concerned that Jeff and I got enough to eat – if we didn’t, she was going to go into the kitchen and slice up some......jamon! After dinner we had a dessert of fresh strawberries with yogurt, and then Mari Carmen brought out pastries with our coffee – yum! Needless to say, we ate way too much (even without the jamon), and went home quite sleepy and full.
Mari Carmen speaks virtually no English, so Adrianne was playing translator most of the night, but interestingly Jeff and could both follow their conversation (MC and Adri’s) fairly well. We certainly didn´t catch every word, and we DEFINITELY weren’t contributing, but we got the gist of what was being said. We especially liked the story Adrianne told of talking to Grace about the song she sang in church Sunday morning (“Nuestros Dio es un mas Grande Dio...).
Today (Monday) Adrianne has class, so Jeff and I have been wandering around Granada on our own. We saw the Cathedral (very impressive, very huge) and the Royal Chapel, where Ferdinand and Isabel are interred. If I haven’t already said, Isabel is the Isabel that was the patron of Christoper Columbus. She loved Granada, they loved her, and there are statues of her, streets and plazas named after her all over the city. After the Cathedral we met up again with Adrianne for lunch (paella), and are now sitting in an internet cafe waiting for the stores to open up again after siesta so we can do some shopping. Then tonight it’s shwarma or tapas with Adri before heading off on the overnight train to Barcelona!
Jeff, Adrianne and I arrived in Granada Saturday evening and went straight to our hotel. It’s incredibly cool. It’s a restored palace built originally in 1503 (about 100 years older than my entire country!). The rooms are all tucked into nooks and crannies off of a central courtyard. Theoretically it has a view of the Alhambra (the main Granadian tourist attraction), but unfortunately our room only had a view of the courtyard. It was still cool, though. After checking in we went to a restaurant where one of Adrianne’s friends works to have tapas and sangria. This time our tapas were a mixed plate of meats, cheeses, smoked fish and pates, and a plate of grilled vegetables. Quite good, and of course the meats were.....jamon. Adrianne tells us that the major food groups of Spain are jamon (ham), queso (cheese), huevos (eggs), tuna and bread – one or more of those foods will appear in every meal, if not every dish, one eats in Spain. Jeff and Adrianne decided that Adri’s “It´s all good” catchphrase in Spanish would be “Todo es jamon” – It’s all ham. After dinner we had tea in a Morrocan teahouse, Kasbah. Jeff had Mango tea, Adrianne had vanilla tea, and I had Pakistani tea, which is a cinnamon-y tea served with steamed milk. Jeff wouldn’t let Adrianne and me split a pipe (they claim it’s only fruit-y tobacco in it...).
On Sunday we got up and had breakfast; churros con chocolate again, but this time from a place called Cafe Futbol, which serves the BEST churros in all of Spain (in Adrianne’s opinion, anyway). We wandered around the shops on Tea-Street (Adrianne’s name for the street with the tea-houses) for a bit, then headed up to the Alhambra with a picnic lunch in the afternoon. The Alhambra is the best (and possibly last, but we don’t have the guidebook at the moment) example of a Moorish palace in Spain. We ate our picnic in the Gardens of the Generalife (and fed two of the stray cats who live there), then wandered around the entire complex. There are many buildings that make up the complex, including the Generalife, the palace of Carlos V, the Alcazaba (which Adriane and I both want to call the Askaban), and the Palace Naza-something. Much of the Islamic art (sculpture, carvings and tile) are still in place, though in certain places the work is more modern, having been installed by Ferdinand and Isabel after they defeated the Moors and gained control of the Alhambra (and all of Granada). The only blight on the landscape is the palace built by Carlos V, which is of a totally different style, and, according to Granadians, is a scar on the landscape of the Alhambra. After touring the buildings (where we encountered a girl that was the Spanish equivalent of Grace!) we climbed the tower of the Alcazaba, from which we could more or less see our hotel, and could certainly see all of Granada. Adrianne was able to help us find things like the bull ring that we wouldn’t’ve been able to pic out ourselves, and was even able to show us the neighborhood she lives in.
Once we came down from the Alhambra we rested a bit, then went to Adrianne’s house for dinner cooked by her Spanish Mom, Mari Carmen. Unfortunately, her ‘hermanos’ (Spanish brothers) weren´t there, but we had a lovely time with Mari Carmen, and a tremendous meal. We started with shrimp (sin cabezas, para Adri), cheese and the ubiquitous pan (bread), then had a soup made with leeks and celery. The main course was a pork loin with a warm carrot sauce over it, and a salad made of potatoes, tuna, eggs, tomatoes and green peppers (two of the three required foods!). It was all delicious, and sparked a real educational experience for Adrianne as Mari Carmen was explaining what was in each dish and she was trying to translate. We learned that apio is celery, and that puerros are leeks, but in both cases only after Mari Carmen went into the kitchen and brought them out so we could see them! Mari Carmen is a wonderful hostess, and was concerned that Jeff and I got enough to eat – if we didn’t, she was going to go into the kitchen and slice up some......jamon! After dinner we had a dessert of fresh strawberries with yogurt, and then Mari Carmen brought out pastries with our coffee – yum! Needless to say, we ate way too much (even without the jamon), and went home quite sleepy and full.
Mari Carmen speaks virtually no English, so Adrianne was playing translator most of the night, but interestingly Jeff and could both follow their conversation (MC and Adri’s) fairly well. We certainly didn´t catch every word, and we DEFINITELY weren’t contributing, but we got the gist of what was being said. We especially liked the story Adrianne told of talking to Grace about the song she sang in church Sunday morning (“Nuestros Dio es un mas Grande Dio...).
Today (Monday) Adrianne has class, so Jeff and I have been wandering around Granada on our own. We saw the Cathedral (very impressive, very huge) and the Royal Chapel, where Ferdinand and Isabel are interred. If I haven’t already said, Isabel is the Isabel that was the patron of Christoper Columbus. She loved Granada, they loved her, and there are statues of her, streets and plazas named after her all over the city. After the Cathedral we met up again with Adrianne for lunch (paella), and are now sitting in an internet cafe waiting for the stores to open up again after siesta so we can do some shopping. Then tonight it’s shwarma or tapas with Adri before heading off on the overnight train to Barcelona!
Hola from Spain! I figured a trip abroad was as good a reason as any to revive my Blog. Jeff and I are in Spain as we speak, visiting with our neice Adrianne (aka Adrian, Adrianna, Adri).
We flew into Madrid on Thursday, May 6th and after checking in and dropping our bags off at the hotel, went to the Prado. My Uncle George says that everyone must visit the Prado, because it’s wooden and might burn, and then the art would be destroyed forever. We didn’t see a splinter’s worth of wood, but we did get to see the art! Most of it is from the Romantic/Renaissance/Baroque periods, and lots of it was by Spanish artists we were not familiar with. We did get to see lots of Goya, including his pictures commemorating the Battle of May 2nd (Spanish fighters rising up against Napoleon) and the Shootings of May 3rd (Napoleonic soldiers capturing the Spanish fighters and executing them). Those are two of my favorite paintings, so I was happy to see them in person.
Adrianne met us Thursday evening, and we went out wandering through Madrid. We eventually found our way to Plaza Mayor, where we saw what Adri likes to call The Bread Building (where the Bread Guild met to set the price of Bread). We found a poster advertising a festival in Barcelon where Jeff’s favorite band, Wilco, will be playing later on this month (AFTER we’re gone) and considered ‘borrowing’ it, but it was stuck fast. Nearby we found a nice little restaurant to get tapas. That night we had jamon serrano (ham from special pigs fed a diet exclusively of black acorns), queso morrano, clams in a tomato broth, croquetas, green beans con jamon, pan (bread) and vino tinto (red wine). Plus cafe con leche and cheese cake for dessert. After that we wandered back to the neighborhood we were staying in, had nightcaps at a martini bar, then back to the hotel.
On Friday, after a breakfast of churros con chocolate y cafe con leche we went to the Reina Sofia, a museum with primarily modern art. We saw lots of Dali, Miro, and Picasso, including Guernica, Picasso’s painting inspired by the German bombings during the Spanish Civil War. It was incredible – it’s a moving painting in general, but to see it in person was indescribable. We also got to see early works by all three artists that were neither Cubist nor surreal; it was nice to see some different works by them. After the museum, we grabbed a quick bite to eat, then went back to the hotel for siesta (I like siesta!). In the evening we strolled around again, more in the commercial district. Since we had Adri to translate we went ahead and bought our train tickets to and from Barcelona, and spent some time in an internet cafe. I love the easy access to the internet, but I could do without Spanish keyboards! There are extra characters, and thus extra keys, so I have to do weird things like press Alt-Gr (Alt Grande) if I want the @ symbol! We eventually wound up in a Cuban restaurant where we had more tapas – chicken, pappas in a brown sauce, and croquetas sin jamon this time.
Saturday was pretty much dedicated to taking pictures and buying souvenirs. We did see the Royal Palace, but only from the outside. We got to go inside the Cathedral, but there was a service going on and it was packed, so we only stood in the doorway. Apparently it was the day for everyone in that archdiocese to make a pilgramage to Madrid (seriously, or so Adri translated for us). We saw a statue of Don Quixote and Pancho Sanchez, but were out of film by that time so we had to buy a postcard rather than take a picture! In the afternoon we got the bus to Granada. It was a beautiful drive. We went through Castille de la Mancha, which is more or less the area Cervantes had in mind when he was writing Don Quixote (we didn’t see any windmills, though), then went through a region with mountains very similar to our Appalachins. After that were the Sierra Nevadas, which are larger mountains, and then down into Granada.
Next installment.....Granada!
We flew into Madrid on Thursday, May 6th and after checking in and dropping our bags off at the hotel, went to the Prado. My Uncle George says that everyone must visit the Prado, because it’s wooden and might burn, and then the art would be destroyed forever. We didn’t see a splinter’s worth of wood, but we did get to see the art! Most of it is from the Romantic/Renaissance/Baroque periods, and lots of it was by Spanish artists we were not familiar with. We did get to see lots of Goya, including his pictures commemorating the Battle of May 2nd (Spanish fighters rising up against Napoleon) and the Shootings of May 3rd (Napoleonic soldiers capturing the Spanish fighters and executing them). Those are two of my favorite paintings, so I was happy to see them in person.
Adrianne met us Thursday evening, and we went out wandering through Madrid. We eventually found our way to Plaza Mayor, where we saw what Adri likes to call The Bread Building (where the Bread Guild met to set the price of Bread). We found a poster advertising a festival in Barcelon where Jeff’s favorite band, Wilco, will be playing later on this month (AFTER we’re gone) and considered ‘borrowing’ it, but it was stuck fast. Nearby we found a nice little restaurant to get tapas. That night we had jamon serrano (ham from special pigs fed a diet exclusively of black acorns), queso morrano, clams in a tomato broth, croquetas, green beans con jamon, pan (bread) and vino tinto (red wine). Plus cafe con leche and cheese cake for dessert. After that we wandered back to the neighborhood we were staying in, had nightcaps at a martini bar, then back to the hotel.
On Friday, after a breakfast of churros con chocolate y cafe con leche we went to the Reina Sofia, a museum with primarily modern art. We saw lots of Dali, Miro, and Picasso, including Guernica, Picasso’s painting inspired by the German bombings during the Spanish Civil War. It was incredible – it’s a moving painting in general, but to see it in person was indescribable. We also got to see early works by all three artists that were neither Cubist nor surreal; it was nice to see some different works by them. After the museum, we grabbed a quick bite to eat, then went back to the hotel for siesta (I like siesta!). In the evening we strolled around again, more in the commercial district. Since we had Adri to translate we went ahead and bought our train tickets to and from Barcelona, and spent some time in an internet cafe. I love the easy access to the internet, but I could do without Spanish keyboards! There are extra characters, and thus extra keys, so I have to do weird things like press Alt-Gr (Alt Grande) if I want the @ symbol! We eventually wound up in a Cuban restaurant where we had more tapas – chicken, pappas in a brown sauce, and croquetas sin jamon this time.
Saturday was pretty much dedicated to taking pictures and buying souvenirs. We did see the Royal Palace, but only from the outside. We got to go inside the Cathedral, but there was a service going on and it was packed, so we only stood in the doorway. Apparently it was the day for everyone in that archdiocese to make a pilgramage to Madrid (seriously, or so Adri translated for us). We saw a statue of Don Quixote and Pancho Sanchez, but were out of film by that time so we had to buy a postcard rather than take a picture! In the afternoon we got the bus to Granada. It was a beautiful drive. We went through Castille de la Mancha, which is more or less the area Cervantes had in mind when he was writing Don Quixote (we didn’t see any windmills, though), then went through a region with mountains very similar to our Appalachins. After that were the Sierra Nevadas, which are larger mountains, and then down into Granada.
Next installment.....Granada!
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