Madrid, Spain

See Barcelona blog for Madrid photos

We journeyed from Barcelona to Madrid. Originally, we planned on taking the high speed train, a 2.5 hour trip. However, this whole trip was rather last minute, so we found out that the train ride would be 530 euros (around $700.00) one way. We switched to the bus, and had a predicted eight hour ride become a ten hour ride, due to traffic accidents, and a police roadblock, checking vehicles for drugs. So much for civil liberties here. We arrived in Madrid after 1AM, so the subway was closed. Fortuitously, the hotel was not far from the bus station, so we split up into 2 taxis. Typically, the hotel rooms are for 3-4 people, so there is an expectation that you will rent two rooms for a five member family. Well, we were on a budget, with the average room going for over 100 euros. We would rent 1 room, and slip in the other 2 family members. We would usually have 2 double beds, so it all worked out. All of the TV programs were is Spanish. Also, there were porn channels included, that would inevitably show up when the channels were being changed, drawing yelps and blushes from our innocent children.

The return trip was much smoother, in the daytime. The countryside is fairly stunning, with small, quaint villages, each with an old church and spire prominently seen from the road as we went by. There were beautiful mountains, with Fall changing the deciduous trees into myriad colors. Also, the orchards and vineyards were plentiful, with brilliant orange and yellow leaves. We saw many large windmills, as Spain transitions into a more green energy country. I highly recommend this trip. The geography was constantly changed. I snapped many a photo, thru the bus windows.

Madrid is a very large city (six million, 3rd largest in Europe,after London and Berlin), less conquerable than Barcelona. We stayed a few miles north of the city center, taking the bus to Plaza Puerta del Sol, where the pedestrian activity blossoms. This "Port of the Sun" has an interesting activity, on December 31st. When the clock strikes midnight, one eats a grape with each ring of the local bell, twelve total, which is said to bring good prosperity for the coming New Year. We walked nearby to Plaza Mayor, a large enclosed space, surrounded by a rectangular white building, with scenes painted on the facades. The plaza was constructed in the 1500's. It has quite a history, as it was the scene of soccer games,bullfights and, during the Spanish inquisition, public executions against supposed heretics. Now, it is the scene of artists selling their wares, and quaint cafes.

On Sundays, there is a huge outdoor market that has thousands of vendors, called El Rastro. The kids had a blast wandering from stall to stall, buying cheap leather jackets and scarfs, which were 1 euro each. Stephen found a monkey puppet. It was quite crowded, so we were on pickpocket alert. I have a money belt, and this time I kept most my outside cash tucked into my sock. The kids always get embarrassed when I reach in my waist for money. The food was as good as in Barcelona. Justine even found a Mexican restaurant, that had great soft tacos. I enjoyed a cactus taco. We also found an indoor market, that had the usual tapa offerings, as well as great olive, cheese and seafood selections. Typically, dinner starts at around nine PM, so when we would have our usual six PM meal, the restaurants were not crowded.

We went to the most famous of the Madrid museums, El Prado, reputedly the largest art museum in the world. The paintings had to be moved out during the Spanish civil war, ending up in Switzerland. We were most impressed by El Greco, Goya, and of course, Rembrandt, the latter work from 1634. A roman statue from 2010 years ago really got the kids attention.

Spain is in the hot seat, along with Ireland, in the European Union. Ireland repeated the same mistakes that we did in the USA. Their banks were reckless, lending out money without regard to the ability to pay it back, and they have gone bankrupt, precipitated by the death of the economic Celtic Tiger. Now, they await a bailout from the European Union. The Irish and the Spanish are proud peoples, and it is humbling for them to be in this position of dependency. I listen to the talk on the Irish radio when driving. People are frustrated that this reckless behavior has put them into a debt that everyone will feel, in terms of budget cuts, and reputation.

There were many "are we really here" moments on this trip to Spain. You get the feeling that you are in another world, which, in some ways is accurate. Everything is different, and quite exotic, in some fashion. It is quite special to go somewhere new, and see how similar, yet different, peoples of this planet are. The old structures that we saw reminded us of how young the USA is, in terms of the cities and their buildings. When you start looking at stuff that has been standing a thousand or more years, you really look at time differently.

In January, we are off to France, and England. No, we have not been asked to scout wedding or honeymoon sites for the next Royal couple.