Madrid holds 6 million people and today, we joined the throng. We had a personal tour guide; Steven's friend, Ana. She is Spanish and lived in America some years where they became friends; an added bonus to my long-dreamed trip. Her English was great and we laughed most of the day as she pronounced words a big 'off' and Steven helped her and she helped him with his Spanish as well. Me? I just tried to twist my ears to keep up..
We began our day at 10 a.m. over breakfast at San Luira's Restaurant and I learned that in Madrid I do not order "cafe nube en tasa grande". Here, I order cafe con leche. It wasn't as rich and creamy as Andalucia and the Tortilla Espanole was crusty compared to Andalucia's fresh, soft servings.. Then, we had Gaspacho later in the day and it couldn't meet the wonder of the Gaspacho in Torremolines... but I regress.
We spent 12 hours walking the streets and seeing edifices that rocked my mind. The king's palace, the iglesia Real with the stained glass, nave, rich wood and colored glass ceiling in tiny pieces of mosaics that sparkled and awed. Palaces, botanical gardens, statues, stone animal statues on the sides and tops of political buildings and green trees surrounded us in every direction. It obviously receives more rain than the Costa del Sol.
As I watched so many of the Spaniards around the city, I saw many older women (some much older than me) with their gray hair dyed dark or carrot red. The other thing I noticed was many women dress elegantly in clothes, shoes and walk with the heads held high, proud and confident. I fell into the minority with gray hair... women really want to remain youthful --- not in a bad way. They just appeared to be very cognizant of their femininity.
Watching the Spanish flag whipping around high on the flag pole above the royal palace of Juan Carlos... (it is now owned by the state and not his official residence)... The red and yellow flag gave me goosebumps, making the reality of my visit emotional and I became more thoughtful of the history that touched me as I stared at the gold leaf on the gates, the cobblestones and felt the royalness on that spot.
I forgot my walking shoes in Malaga and my flip flops soon screamed at me... so Ana knew a shoe store where I found 50% off shoes! After a rest in Starbucks with cafe au lait, new shoes and Ana's tour guide button set on "GO" we saw a Madrid far beyond the tour books could take us through.
As the day progressed, we began walking toward the Prado Museum. Ana told us the entrance fee was free from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. and we arrived in time before the tickets were gone! It is beautiful and the paintings and scultures were amazing... My favorites were Velaquesa and Madreza. Goya was not what I imagined and others were filled with war, death and killing. I found a poster for my gallery wall at home as a memory of my trip to Madrid and hope it arrives in one piece.
We have changed the itinerary to leave Madrid on Tuesday and drive to Avila where Ana plans to show us the city. She found us a hotel and we are anxious to see it through her eyes. It is on the border area between Salamanca and Zamora. We are getting close to Fuentesauco...
By 10 p.m., our feet were crying and we found Cafe Santa Ana near our hostel -- where we ate something new! BONITO is something I must make at home. A tomato (tomate) slice first, then a thin tuna steak or tuna (atun) from a can, only not chopped up.. topped with roasted red peppers (pimientos rojos de horno) that are soaked in olive oil, rosemary and garlic. This is a salad or tapas. VERY good.
Tomorrow, a road trip to Avila and more adventures await. Steven is poring over the map and my notes --- I am a bit anxious to leave the big city and see the villages beyond.
