Madrid

We packed up our bags Friday morning and headed back to the Malaga railway station, but this time it was Joan who dropped off me, Beth, and Julie. Joan was going to fly to Madrid while the rest of us took the train - she would drop off the rental car at the airport.

This time we were early enough to stop at Dunkin Donuts. I think this was the first coffee that I had in Spain - and it was Dunkins! And I splurged on a Boston Creme donut as well!!

Charlene's group met us at Dunkins. We had some time to spare so we headed for the loo and stopped at a jewelry shop on the way back. I bought myself two necklaces as souvenirs of the trip. 

We headed out for the train. We had the leftover crackers, cheese, sandwiches that Joan had packed up for us.  We were traveling like locals.

We passed the same olive orchards and more. I was fascinated by them. Someone had said that Italy uses Spanish olives in its olive oil. I wondered when they are harvested, how are they gathered, are they sold to a large company or do farmers sell olives or olive oil locally? So many questions. Julie told me to ask her brother-in-law Angel when we had dinner with him that night.

I noticed a teenage girl and a younger boy across the aisle. They had seats facing each other. They were busy on their cell phones - maybe playing games, listening to music - just like kids anywhere. They had brought sandwiches. After finishing them, they stretched out - resting their legs on each other's seats. They were very nice looking kids - the girl was very pretty. They were comfortable with each other - I presumed they were brother and sister. As we were pulling into Madrid, the girl made a phone call. I don't know why but I was very touched when she said "Hola, Papa" in a happy voice - like she was looking forward to seeing her father. They both were smiling as they gathered their knapsacks and were leaving the train.

We took more taxis to the hotel. Julie had made the reservations in her name - now we were sorting out the rooms. Tom and Sarah got the room with the king size bed. Charlene and Debbie were bunking together in a twin room. Julie and Joan were sharing. Our room - mine and Beth's - wasn't ready. So we waited in the lounge. The others gradually came down. We all had a drink or a glass of wine. There were some appetizers. Finally our room was ready. We checked it out and then headed back downstairs. Most of us were going to try the Hop On Hop Off bus tour of Madrid. Julie was waiting for Joan who was due to arrive any time. 

We all walked up to the nearby plaza where there was a bus stop. Beth and I figured out from the map that we wanted the bus that went around the center of Madrid. But the first bus that came by was one that went as far as the soccer stadium. Everyone jumped on so we did too. We tried to buy a 48 hour ticket but the female conductor was very rude - said there were no 48 hour tickets. So we had to buy a 24 hour ticket. We got seats upstairs in the open top and settled in for the complete loop. Part way around, the others got off to go shopping.

I guess you never are far from home these days!

I love these colorful street signs!

I thought this was a museum but it is a shop, restaurant. Would have loved to have seen the inside. 

I love architecture or actually the details on buildings. What would the details be called?

I don't speak Spanish but this is something about Saint Isador, patron saint of farmers and Madrid.

I was surprised at the police and military presence in Seville and Madrid.

Just liked the details.

I think this is the Prado.

More modern looking street sign.

Love the arches, tiles, grillwork!

The blinds to block the midday sun - and look at the detail on the metal grill.

This was the plaza near our hotel which was 2 blocks away.

I love the yellow and the simple details.

When we had completed a full tour on the bus, we got off near the hotel and looked in a couple of shops. Then we decided to relax in an outdoor cafe. We were sitting there having a drink when the others walked by on the way to the hotel. And then Julie's brother-in-law passed us. It was great to see him! He is such a nice man. He had picked Joan up at the airport and dropped her at the hotel. Now he was walking back to his car. We were meeting him and Polly later that night for dinner.

There was something about sitting outside in a foreign city and meeting people that you know! I can't explain it - maybe I didn't feel so much like a tourist - I don't know. But I felt good about it!

We walked back to the hotel and got ready for dinner. More taxis to drop us off at the restaurant. Julie's sister Polly, Angel, and their friends Leon and Elena were having a glass of wine at the bar when we arrived. Of course, I've known Polly since Julie and I were at Boston College. But I haven't really seen her since she married - she has lived in Spain since that time. I had met Angel when he and Polly came out here to Cape Cod a couple of years ago - Leon and Elena were with them. This past summer they were all here again on Cape Cod, and Beth and I met them at the O'Connell's cottage in Wareham. Estabon was also there - so were Elena and Leon's daughter and son-in-law. So it was great to see them here in Madrid.

We went upstairs where a long table was set up for us. 
Estabon was going to join us later. The white and red wine started flowing. Beth and I ordered a pitcher of Sangria - it was delicious. Polly ordered plates of different appetizers/tapas. Everything was delicious - except one dish made with anchovies. There was more wine and another pitcher of Sangria. 

Estabon arrived and sat down at my end. Tom was beside me and opposite Angel and Leon. They were having a conversation about business, comparing the United States with Spain. I asked Angel about olives and learned that Angel had one olive tree and Leon had three. Leon also grows quince and makes jelly out of it. 

It was a fun night - everyone talking and laughing. Charlene's group was heading home tomorrow. The rest of us were leaving Sunday. 

All of a sudden Charlene's group decided it was time to go. I downed the last of the Sangria before we headed out to grab a couple of taxis and to say goodbye. I especially wanted to say goodbye to Tom - he was someone else who had a lot of questions for everyone he met - I had enjoyed his company and his questions!!


There is something about being with local people that really makes a trip come alive. You are more than a stranger in a foreign city. You make a real connection with the place. You learn how the locals live - what life is really like for them. That is how I felt when we met Patrick in London and when we met Julie's family and friends in Madrid.

It was a great night - just too short!!

Seville

Thursday morning Julie drove to the railway station in Malaga. 

I have to give Julie the credit that is due to her - she made everything go very smoothly the whole time we were in Spain. I certainly don't claim to be a travel guide or a travel expert, but any time I've traveled in Ireland or had family touring Ireland, it was always me - and often my sister Patty with me - plotting out and leading the journey. We often plotted out trips or at least made suggestions for family and friends heading to Ireland. I think GeeGee and Beth will agree that I took the lead in Washington, DC last fall, and I certainly planned this trip to London.

I think to get the most out of traveling anywhere -  whether locally, nationally, or internationally, you need to do your homework - read up on where you are going - you'll have a better appreciation of your destination.

And although I had read up on Madrid, the Costa del Sol, Spanish history, Islam, and Morocco, it was great to just go with the flow - sit in the back seat and let Joan and Julie get us where we were going. Let Julie make the arrangements for everything. Just follow along, relax, and enjoy. 

But that ended on the way to Malaga! Joan had decided not to go. I was in the front seat, and Julie put me in charge of the GPS!! Me!  I don't have GPS - I've only used my son's a couple of time - and that was to go somewhere in Massachusetts!! Now I needed to help find the way to the railway station! I failed miserably - I couldn't figure it out. I kept starting over and over again. It was getting close - Julie was afraid we wouldn't make it in time - or if we did, there wouldn't be time to park the car - so she wouldn't be able to go. Oh my god! How could we go without Julie!! Not because we wouldn't be able to find our way - I was sure I could - but because she had done all the planning for this trip - plus she had never been to Seville!!

We were driving on a highway, but Julie managed to pull over at some point - lo and behold, we were not as far away as we thought.  We made it to the railway station, parked the car, and made our way inside with plenty of time to spare.

We didn't see Charlene's group but knew they would be there in time. Julie took our tickets and passports, and we headed to check in. 

I hate to admit this, but Julie tried to get us discounts on the ticket price because we are 60+. I'm not embarrassed about the discount -  didn't I obtain "concession" discounts everywhere Beth and I went in London. But the age!! I certainly can't be that old!! Where has time gone? Here in Malaga it was not so easy to get a discount - there was a glitch with the computer system - and it was in another language!! God bless Julie. They eventually told us to check with Customer Service when we returned that night.

We found Charlene's group - guess where they were? Having coffee at Dunkin Donuts!! Who'd have thought! 

Julie, Beth and I were in the same railroad car - the others were in another car, and poor Charlene was in a car by herself!! I loved the train - it was clean, comfortable, and we had great views out the windows.  And Joan, God bless her as well, had made us lunches to eat along the journey which would take about two and a half hours. So we just sat back and relaxed.

Roughly halfway to Seville - I think it was in Cordoba - the train made a stop. When it resumed the trip, I was suddenly facing backwards on the way to Seville. I guess that is why there was an engine in the front and back of the train. I had to change seats - I get motion sickness if I sit backwards in a moving vehicle. And that was the only burp in the journey.

We passed by SOOOO many olive orchards or farms - they went up the sides of the mountains. It sort of reminded me of the old potato beds that I used to see up the sides of the mountains in Ireland. Make the most of all the good ground that you can. There were fields with mature trees - some with young trees - and some that looked like the fields had just been harvested - maybe some kind of crop. I am very interested in any kind of farming after living in Gortdromagh, Ireland where my husband and his father had cows, sheep, hay fields. We passed places where there would be several houses close together - other houses would be quite a distance from each other. We saw some cows in the fields. Some of the houses were new - many looked old. I wondered just how old they might be. My husband grew up in a house that was over 150 years old. These houses could be as old - maybe older. I also wondered if the new houses used their old houses to store farm equipment, supplies, etc. like they do in Ireland. I saw people working in some of the fields. I wish I could have talked to some of those farmers.

The landscape became more urban, and we arrived in Seville. We went outside to the taxi rank. After a little confusion, we split up into a couple of taxis. We were meeting our tour guide outside of a Starbucks - that was all I knew. Julie was giving the drivers the directions.

On the way to Starbucks.

This is where we met Concepcion from Sevilla Walking Tours - at Puerta de Jerez.  Charlene had recommended Concepcion after being on a tour with her a few years ago. I had seen Concepcion on PBS - she was in an episode with Rick Steves about Seville. His book mentioned that she used him as a guinea pig when developing her walking tours.  www.tripadvisor.com had quite a few favorable reviews about her walking tours.

Hotel Alfonso XII across from Starbucks.

Outdoor cafes are everywhere - and are very inviting!

Don't you love the colorful tiles?

We'll come back for a horse and carriage tour later.

The Cathedral in Seville is the third largest in Europe and is the largest Gothic church in the world. I love the details!

Charlene, Debbie, Julie following our guide in the white shirt in front of Julie.

I love the architecture!

An exhibit on Castille and Leon was taking place in this dome.

Those blinds above going from building to building are to block the strong midday sun. Concepcion said that they would soon be taken down when the days get shorter and before the holidays.

Common colorful sight.

Another exhibit but look at the motorcycles! Easier to navigate through town than cars.

More motorcycles!

Colorful shop in the old city.

Sarah heading down this narrow street.

Tom, Charlene, Sarah, Beth, and Julie in front of bell tower.

The Cathedral was built on top of a mosque - this is part of the oldest section of the Cathedral.

This bell tower was originally a minaret of the mosque. Many churches in Spain were built over mosques and the minarets became bell towers. Where once muezzins called Muslim worshippers to prayer five times daily, now the bell calls Catholic worshippers to prayer.

Sarah, Debbie, Tom, Charlene, Concepcion, Julie.

The tour ended in this plaza. Above, Julie, Charlene, and Beth are listening to Concepcion wrap things up. Below, Concepcion was ready for rainy weather!

Another colorful tiled bench and a souvenir shop.

While Concepcion came to the end of a wonderful tour, Sarah and Debbie were grabbing a table at a nearby outdoor cafe. We all managed to squeeze into one table. The food was good but we weren't sure where it was coming from. The restaurant that owned the spot where we were sitting was closeby, but waiters were running down the street with plates of food! 

After eating, we split up - Tom, Sarah, and Debbie were going to see the Cathedral and then shop - they were looking for goatskin wine bags for their kids. Julie was interested in a carriage ride. Beth and I also wanted to see the Cathedral. So Julie watched our bags, and Beth and I headed off to the Cathedral. 

Oldest part of the Cathedral. 

This is where we entered. 

My hips were starting to complain so I did a quick loop around the inside of the Cathedral. I saw the elaborate memorial and grave of Christopher Columbus.  I sat and said some prayers at the main altar. Beth caught up with me. The exit was out the opposite side of the Cathedral. We were surprised at all the police gathered around - they were on foot, on motorcycles, on bikes, in police cars and in police vans. Someone told us they were there in case of protestors!

We met up with Julie in a small park - Charlene had joined her. 

Charlene in the small park where she and Julie were watching our bags.

These white pigeons were everywhere.

So Beth and I went with Julie and Charlene on a horse and carriage ride around Seville. 

I was fascinated by the roots of this tree - a little blurry - I took it from the carriage as we passed by. 

Love the stone, the tiles, the architecture!

When we finished the tour, we headed to the agreed meeting spot to catch up with Debbie, Sarah, and Tom. We found a couple of benches and sat and people watched for a while. But it was getting late. We had to grab taxis to get to the train station.  Charlene said she would wait for the others so Julie, Beth, and I headed for the taxi stand. And who did we meet at an outdoor cafe? Tom, Sarah, and Debbie! Someone ran back for Charlene, and we headed to the train station. 

Julie hadn't forgotten about the discount on the tickets. We headed for Customer Service when we got off the train. Julie and Beth went inside. I plopped in a chair outside. Julie was tenacious - I could tell from outside that she was giving as good as she got. One supervisor was quite rude - she left the office where Julie and Beth were and walked out past me. She was through work and apparently couldn't wait to get out of there!! I was thinking way back to Ivan, our tour guide to Morocco, when he was saying that the average Spanish person didn't care about anyone except his immediate family and friends. This was pretty evident with that supervisor.

Julie filled out some forms and is supposed to hear something about the discount. I don't think she has heard anything yet.

I felt badly for Julie driving home - I was tired so she must have been as well. When we got back to the apartment, we ate some supper. I finished packing up, hit the shower, and headed to bed. We head to Madrid tomorrow!!