Nov 26-30: Madrid, Spain by Cathy

Three-hours on AVE (Alta Velocidad Española) through stunning countryside and we arrived in Madrid. We happily left our intestinal issues behind, but sadly the warm weather, too. For five days I wore my winter “uniform” – synthetic down jacket over wool sweater over wool turtleneck, and scarf. Still, when the wind blew, it wasn’t sufficient for temperatures in the 30s. Luckily, we had sun, so the daytime temps were good for getting in some sightseeing. Our Airbnb, another score, overlooked Plaza de la Paja in the “La Latina” neighborhood. The square also served as a dog park, so I got a bit of vicarious pleasure from that.

From here, it was an easy walk to the San Miguel Market to gawk at all the delicious food (and a not-so-appetizing looking huge-mouthed fish on display).

And speaking of food, Jeff took himself out for a nice dinner our first night in Madrid (his stomach being 100%, ours not). He quickly became amigos with Fabio, the restaurant’s owner, who gave him a full tour of the restaurant, including the downstairs part of the building, which he is renovating for live music and a more club-like space. Wanting us to meet Fabio, we all returned three nights later for another delicious meal.

Close to the San Miguel Market, we visited Plaza Mayor with its artisan and souvenir booths … 

… and continued on to Puerta del Sol, for more shopping (OMG, the shoes! Madrid es La Ciudad de Los Zapatos!), and a dazzling display of Christmas lights after dark.

We visited El Corte Inglés (biggest department store group in Europe, 4th worldwide), just to see it, like Harrod’s in London, or Galleries Lafayette in Paris. Down the street, we luckily found a new pair of jeans for Mick since his growth (officially taller than me) has made his old pair look more like shorts than pants. (It may be a good time to mention that my little boy’s voice has changed and is now that of a  young man. I confess there have been a few bouts of melancholy associated with this milestone.)

Less commercial and more cultural, we visited the Murall Arabe (remains of the 9th century wall, built by the Moors to protect the Muslim citadel of Mayrit) and the Catedral de la Almudena, which overlooks it.

Just a bit further is the impressive Royal Palace, its gardens, and the Plaza de Oriente where the gentle wind and plane trees put on a lovely show of falling leaves.

If the palace reminds you of Versailles, that’s because it was built by Philip V, grandson of France’s King Louis XIV, who was born in Versailles in 1683. King Charles II of Spain named Philip as his successor (Philip was the grandson of Charles’ half-sister, Maria Theresa, the first wife of Louis XIV) before his death in 1700 as he had no direct heirs. This made a lot of countries mad and ready to fight for their piece of the Spanish Empire’s pie. Fight they did, for 14 years. Eventually, the war ended with the partitioning of Spain and the requirement that Philip give up any future rights to the French throne for himself or his family. All said, Philip ruled from 1700- 1746 with the exception of a brief period in 1724 when his son ruled before dying of smallpox. Charles II was the last Hapsburg to rule Spain and Philip V was the first member of the House of Bourbon to rule in Spain. A long-winded way to explain why Madrid’s Royal looks like Versailles.

Mick had a bout of homesickness during our stay, so Jeff thought a visit to the zoo/aquarium might lift his spirits. I opted to spend the day attempting to whittle down a thousand pictures from Morocco and combine them with some of the stuff we learned before it all evaporated from my mind.

Jeff distributed this picture to some of our friends (and posted it on my Instagram account) and gets endless laughs at what he calls this picture of “Cathy, me, and Mick.” Our friend, John Padden, responded that I should probably get my “brows done,” but I think I’m more concerned about the whiskers.

Next stop, Heraklion, Crete, Greece where we expect to find even older, old stuff.