Madrid - Day Twenty-Eight

Day Twenty-Eight

Date:     26 April  2013

Place:    Madrid

Weather:   Cool but fine.

Accommodation:   Hotel El Coloso, Madrid

Team Travel is having a couple of days in Madrid going our own ways so today’s report is from my perspective only and not a collective one.

David and I set off to do some shopping which included buying some outfits for the grandchildren.  There are so many lovely clothes for children!  As we walked the Grand Via, one of the main streets in Madrid, it was noticeable that there were several people lying on the ground sleeping with all their possessions and a cup out the front.  There are also more beggars who quietly ask for money.

We had seen on the news the previous night that there were demonstrations in the main square in Madrid about the horrific unemployment rate which stands at 27%.  Unfortunately, this affects the younger population however we did see an interview on BBC TV saying that these figures affect three generations:  the jobless middle class, their children and the elderly parents who they have to live with.  It’s a very sad situation for such a lovely country.  The people have been very accommodating and friendly even when we have lots of communication problems.

On the way to the bus we stopped for a visit to the Temple de Debod a 4th century Egyptian temple given to the people of Spain in grateful appreciation for the work done by Spanish engineers on the Aswan Dam.  It gives lovely views from this site.

 The Centro de Arte Reina Sofia...front entrance with body guards out the front.

JUST in the photo....Queen Sofia probably having a preview of the Salvador Dali exhibition.

The rear entrance....pleased we'd bought our tickets earlier.

 

After buying gifts we used the second day of our Madrid Red Tourist Bus and set off for the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza  but somehow we missed that stop so we headed to Centro de Arte Reina Sofia.  Just as well because as we were walking up to the main entrance which appeared to be blocked by armed guards Queen Sofia exited from the building to an awaiting car.

The latter museum is famous for housing the Guernica by Pablo Picasso.  As we had been through so many galleries the sole purpose of this visit was for this painting only however we did wander around a couple of the other galleries and enjoyed views over the local area.  We were pleased to have bought the 3 in 1 ticket as we avoided the long queues at both galleries today.

I must admit that I was not surprised to see the size of the Guernica (huge) but I did imagine it to be in colour!  All these years I thought I was looking at black and white prints and the painting is monochromatic black and white.  Live and learn!

The next visit was a little distance up the road to the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza which houses a mind boggling array of art work covering from the 13^th to the 20^th century.  Works include Rembrandt, Monet, Pissaro, El Greco, Rubens, old religious icons, Picasso, Dali and so on……  quite overwhelming actually.   The collections houses 700 permanent paintings with a further 600 paintings on display from Carmen Cervera, wife of the industrial magnate Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen.  The magnate and his son had amassed a private art collection of monumental proportions and was acquired (at a good price!) with bidders from all over the world.

Wonderful....The Museo de Thyssen-Bornemisza

After two hours we had reached saturation point and we were back on the bus to explore the rest of the city.  We passed the ‘home’ of Real Madrid the city’s famous football club.  Due to safety reasons games only take eighty thousand spectators with seventy thousand tickets already taken by season ticket holders.

Great architecture in Madrid...quite a few buildings have this interesting shape.

 

Home of Real Madrid!

 

It was time for an earlier dinner so we wandered down to the Plaza San Miguel and miraculously found a table and some stools so we spent a lovely time sipping beer, wine and choosing tapas.

This will be my last blog for Spain as I plan a rest day tomorrow and get myself ready for the plane to Morocco early on Sunday morning.  If you are keen to follow our next adventures you can find us on:

www.sandraanddavidinmorocco2013.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Madrid - Day Twenty-Seven

Day Twenty-Seven

Date:     April  2013

Place:    Madrid

Weather:   Sunny

Accommodation:  Exe Colosso Hotel, Madrid

After a breakfast at a café we were on our way to the hop-on-hop off bus on Grand Via one of the major streets in Madrid.

The day had started off cool and as we chose to sit on top of the bus it was even chillier!  We went most of the way around and decided to get off at the Prado Museum (much excitement!) to enquire about ticketing.  I had read if you subscribe for the three major art galleries which I had wanted to visit then it was a lot cheaper.  You have to love guide books as this was the case so our ticket included the Museo de Prado, the MuseoThyssen-Bornemisze and Centro de Arte Reina Sofia.

Just a little bit excited .....(me anyway!).

 

As we were already at the Prado we decided to spend the time there.  The Prado is huge with vast galleries and smaller rooms over four levels.  As you can get desensitised pretty easily even when viewing the great masters I decided to concentrate on the  Spanish three I was most interested in:  Goya, Velasquez and El Grecco.

The leaflet highlighted the masterpieces not to miss so having the ‘cheat list’ we set off to find them.  Needless to say, it is a pretty wonderful experience standing in front of huge paintings painted two to three hundred years ago.  The Rembrandt was near van Dyke and Pieter Brueghel!  What a feast of art!

The stand out for me was the Velasques painting Las Meninas (The Handmaidens).   It was in an entire room of his work – all large and lead on to other rooms of his work as well.  As we were intending to leave we once again passed by a gallery of Rubens…..wow!

After quite a few hours we had ticked all the boxes in the leaflet so we retreated to the Prado café and had some lunch about 2pm.  Our feet were sore and we needed a break.

A quick look around  the Prado shop was in order before we were back on the bus.  David and I decided to hop off at the Botanical Gardens and we enjoyed a leisurely stroll around these huge gardens which includes a large pavilion, a lake, many fountains and shady grassed areas.

Met these very strange Australians on the tourist bus!  David and I made a quick exit at the Botanical Gardens.

 

Magnificent.....boating available as well.

 

After a big day it was time for a break so we headed back to the hotel for some R&R (afternoon nap!).

Our dinner time date was for 7.30pm so we set off to the same district as last night just behind the Praza Mayor.  There are so many choices and we had some great food and wine after walking past restaurants and reading their menus.

Our next stop was the Market of San Miguel which was in fine form at 10pm.  We chose our desserts of delicious little tarts and cakes and stood at the counter.  Then on a whim we decided to end the evening with a sangria.  All four of us stood with our large glasses of sangria with soaked fruit and boy was it alcoholic!

Mercado de San Miguel.....lots of little shops with tapas, wine and desserts.

Getting our sangrias organised!

Caught up with those strange Australians!

 

It was all such fun!  You have to admire the way the Spaniards enjoy themselves.

 

 

 

Toledo - Madrid Day Twenty-Six

Day Twenty-Six

Date:     24 April  2013

Place:    Toledo - Madrid

Weather:   Sunny, cooler night in Madrid

Accommodation:  Hotel Exe, El Colosso               

It was a happy morning in Toledo as we set out to explore two famous monuments – the cathedral and the Santa Cruz museum.  As with all of Spain nothing opens until 10am so we had breakfast at a café with another interesting choice by my travellers:  tortilla (which is supposed to be an omelette) however it turned up in bread!  Should have said tortilla francaise!  Oh well, live and learn.  My choice of a coffee and doughnut was so much easier!

David had another case of NABC so Desley, Cameron and I joined the queue for the cathedral behind a Japanese tour group.  You have to be early to beat tour groups!!

As it was 11 euros to enter the cathedral we altered our plan to go in and out quickly.  We decided to book out of the hotel by noon as planned however we would store our bags at the hotel so that we could take in a more leisurely look at the cathedral and the Santa Cruz museum as well.

I have to say that we have had our fair share of audio guides on this tour and I think all of us are suitably qualified to be able to critique this service.  Well, today’s was great for several reasons.   They were hands-free as they had a lanyard, earphones, an easy to read map and they also gave directions where to walk to next.  There have been many occasions that we have wandered around looking for the next number.  So many times we have had to hold the equipment to our ear which makes it difficult to make notes and take photos.

The site of the cathedral has been an area of religious significance since the 6^th century AD. As the cathedral took 200 years to build (1226 – 1493) it features a range of styles including French Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods.  The 88 columns are huge and are 44 metres high!

There are several stand-out features of this cathedral:  the altar of gilded wood featuring scenes from the New Testament;  the treasury;  the Transparente directly behind the altar and the tower.  We climbed the stairs in a small group with a guide to the belfry which gave wonderful views over Toledo.  We stood among huge bells but unfortunately the view didn’t make for good photographs as huge bars have been placed over the windows.

 

The nave features painted themes of the New Testament surrounded by gilded wood.

Ding dong!

The huge marble Transparente at the back of the nave....Baroque at its most obscene!  One red cardinal's hats hangs in front of it signifying his burial place.  It is a tradition of the cathedral and they stay there until they rot.

In the Chapter House all of Spain's archbishops have been painted since earliest times.  As the church was not built until the 13th century the faces prior to that were left to the imagination of the painter.

 



The Custodia is housed in the Treasury - it's huge with gold, silver and jewels and weighs over 200kgs.

 

Back at the hotel we booked out, stored our luggage and went to see the Santa Cruz Museum which was free!  We moved around escorted school groups to see two of El Greco’s outstanding pieces – The Assumption and Crucifixion.  They are large pieces and include scenes of Toledo in the bottom background of which the painter is famous for.

Standing outside the Santa Cruz Museum....a wonderful sunny day.

 

A bite of lunch of salads and chicken at a Praza Zocodover and we were then on our way to Madrid once we had packed the car at the nearby carpark.

Madrid was only an hour away and it seemed little time at all and we were on the outskirts of the capital.  After Karen (our GPS) made some confusing directions as there are so many roads to negotiate we eventually found our home for the next three nights in a central location.  She also doesn’t like tunnels and I think we all held our breath until we found the right road again after going into it twice!

David and Cameron took the car for refuelling and returned the car to the rental company which was fortunately not too far from the hotel.  It was at least easier to find than the hotel was!

We had a quieter afternoon in our rooms before meeting for dinner.  The area near Plaza Mayor was recommended by our hotel receptionist as a great area for tapas so we made our way over there and in this area found the delightful market hall which has many small eateries serving all sorts of tapas and drinks.  It was very busy and we dined at a café with the market in view.  We had a wonderful meal and Desley and I enjoyed a sangria each…..we both agreed however the sangria in Granada overlooking the sunset of the Alhambra has been the best.

Sunset at the Praza Mayor where waiters touted for our custom.

 If only we could have found a seat in the markets as there were so many treats.

 

The sangria was a great choice.

 

It was an easy walk home and the weather had turned very cool. 

 

 

Ubeda - Toledo Day Twenty-Five

Day Twenty-Five

Date:     23 April  2013

Place:    Ubeda - Toledo

Weather:   Sunny, mid-twenties and cool evening

Accommodation:   Hotel Imperial, Toledo.

After another leisurely start and a 9am breakfast we left Ubeda through its narrow alleyways to head towards Toledo.

On the road again......

The countryside of the region Ciudad Real is the heartland of La Mancha famous for Don Quixote.  It  was very flat abutted by two large ranges either side of the vast plains.  Once again there were large groves of olive trees in what looked like pretty poor soil.  A lot of the trees are very old with gnarled trunks however it seems with pruning they can go on forever!

We made a detour to Consuegra at 1pm to see the windmills made famous by Cervantes in his book Don Quixote de la Manch in 1604.  The windmills stand high on a hill behind the town and the eleven mills have been restored.  The road we followed is the Ruta de Don Quixote which follows the route in the region and identifies areas that Cervantes identified in this centuries old tale.

The vast plains of La Mancha.

 

The fabled medieval windmills made famous in Don Quixote.

The old headquarters of St John can be seen in the background.

 

It was then on to Toledo, the hill top village made famous by El Greco in the 1600’s.  Once again we negotiated narrow alleys to find the hotel however it wasn’t as bad as Ubeda’s streets.  We dropped off the bags and set off in the brilliant sunshine and cooler conditions to have some lunch only three doors down from our hotel.

Croquettes of Venison...... Noooo.....not Bambi!

 

Our first stop for the afternoon was San Tomo. This church is famous for one thing:  the El Greco painting The Burial of the Count of Orgaz.  It stands alone in the entry area.  I’m sure the church has no problem with funding as every person who enters in charged two euros fifty. 

The Spaniards called the painter El Greco which means The Greek as he was born in Crete and moved to Toledo when he was thirty.  His real name was Domenikos Theotokopoulos and he signed his work with his real name. It’s a wonderful painting depicting El Greco at his best – the details in the count’s coat to his broad brush strokes so identifiable of his painting technique.  In this painting he depicted himself – seventh from the left and included his young son in the left corner.

A short stroll away is the El Greco museum which houses the twelve apostles with Christ and the well-known San Bernadine.  This is a great museum as it also portrays the housing of the time as well as many of El Greco’s paintings.  The audio guide helped us to move through with lots of information.

A dream come true....so many of El Greco's work.

 

After the museum we went to the cathedral which is so well known in El Greco’s paintings of Toledo however despite the information guide saying it was open until 6.30pm it closed at 6pm.  Lost in translation again!  We will have to see it tomorrow before we head off to Madrid.

The huge main cathedral of Toledo....lost amid tiny alleys.

 

It was time for shopping and the boys went off for some cervasa (beer) while Desley and I hit the shops.  It’s interesting to see each town and what they have to offer the tourists.  In Toledo it’s all Don Quixote, knights, knives and black and gold jewellery.

As we’d had a late lunch Desley and I picked a tapas bar not too far from the hotel.  The small meals were delicious and we discovered a great rose.

It was very cool walking back to the hotel.  Tomorrow we will have more exploring in Toledo before we head off to Madrid.  Our Spanish holiday is quickly coming to an end.

Granada - Ubeda Day Twenty-Four

Day Twenty-Four

Date:     April  2013

Place:    Granada - Ubeda

Weather:   Sunny and warm

Accommodation:  Hotel Don Pedro         

It was a leisurely breakfast after our late night before we headed off to the small town of Ubeda which is noted for its quaintness and renaissance architecture.  We drove past olive groves all the way....nothing but olive trees for miles in the distance!

Amazing!



Once again, we had to negotiate narrow streets and David was out of the car to help give distance measurements around tight corners.  The hotel is centrally located, has parking and wifi.  When Cameron and David came back from parking the car they had quite the tale to tell as the car drove into a lift and they then sat in it while it moved to the basement level.

A tight squeeze!  Well done Cameron!

 

We wandered the streets which were deserted – siesta time and a Monday when museums are shut!

It was past lunch time and we looked around for a place to eat.  A little café near the outlook over the valley seemed to fit the bill and we sat inside away from the sun.  Once again we bungled our way through the menu only to be told it was not available – probably because we were too late.  When I looked up from the table this is the picture I saw:  David was trying to make sense of the menu;  Cameron was using a phone up - Spanish/English;  Desley was going through her phrase book and I had the dictionary out!

 

Pork meatballs....homemade.

 



Biggest pork sandwich!

We weren't sure what this was when it arrived...but it was creamy tomato soup and very delicious.

We managed to order two beers and two juices and as we were still looking at the menu the hostess turned up with baby meatballs in sauce.  Who were we to complain……we were hungry.  I pointed to something else on the menu which apparently was available and a long roll with pork, tomato and oil turned up.  Then without further ordering four small soups arrived.  I guess the hostess just gave up on us and fed us!  The lunch was delicious and I attributed our good fortune to Santa Maria of Lost in Translation once again!

The map showed a walking route to follow which seemed to skirt the city and take in the old fortress walls.  The trek gave wonderful views over the valley and you could see olive trees forever.  We diverted from this way to see the church of San Lorenzo which is in a state of disrepair.  The town was very quiet however we had a good look around and found the main city centre.

View from the lookout and walk around Ubeda.

 

The square a few minutes’ walk  from the hotel is noted for its outstanding renaissance buildings.  It includes two churches and a palace.

After a short break in our rooms we headed to the church in the main square to peek inside as it was closed when we visited earlier.  It’s a lovely church, well-tended with a courtyard entrance.

We then drove to Baeza which is another small town a short distance from Ubeda.  We passed olive trees most of the way.  Baeza, like Ubeda, sits on a hill with amazing views.  Baeza was waking up for the late afternoon and we strolled the streets taking in the Renaissance architecture.  Each notable building had a description of its past in Spanish and English which was very helpful.

Baeza...noted for its renaissance architecture.   The Fountain of the Lions (Fuente de los Leones) and the Jaen Gateway and the Villalar Arch.

 

Karen, our usually dependable GPS guide decided to give us an up close and personal tour of olive groves on the return journey so poor old Cameron had to have his wits about him as we negotiatied small roads.  The lanes in the town are also narrow so it was with sigh of relief when we eventually made our turn into our hotel….only to put the car back in the lift!

It was now nine o’clock and after a route march to find somewhere to eat we settled on one of only a couple of places open and ordered the Menu del Dia …. Menu of the day for 12 euros.  You can choose three courses from a set menu which is very good.

By the time we made it home it was after eleven pm but we are in no rush tomorrow as we are having breakfast at 9am.  Toledo is our next stop not too far away.

 

 

Granada - Day Twenty-Three

Day Twenty-Three

Date:     April  2013

Place:    Granada

Weather:   Sunny, mid-twenties.  Cool evening.

Accommodation:             Hotel Alixeres

We had a full day in Granada and as we had our tickets already purchased there was no rush to scramble all over the Alhambra.

After a leisurely latish breakfast we started our tour with the audio guides at 11am.  It was a glorious day – sunny and not too hot!

As we had already visited the Palacios Nazaries the previous evening we set off following the suggested guide and the ‘not to be missed’ sites which were highlighted on the brochure.

As the Alhambra is a very large site over six acres we tried to be quite methodical in our approach.  Generally, the area is made up of four historical areas representing the eras of settlement in the unsettled times from 700AD to 1600’s.  The history covers the Moorish empire to the reconquest by the Catholic empire and Ferdinand and Isabella.   The four areas are:  The Palacios Nazaries – Moorish  influence;  the Palacio de Carlos V begun in 1526;  the Alcazaba – the fortress of the 11^th century of the Islamic rulers; and the Generalife – the gardens and summer palace of the sultans.

The Palacio de Carlos V is a very pretty building which from the outside is rectangular but after going through the foyer the central area is round, two storeyed and colonnaded.  From here it was only a short walk throught the Puerto del Vino (16^th century) to the Alcazaba which was the fortress for the area.
 

Looking down from the upper balcony....can you pick David in the centre?

 

From the top of the Alhambra particularly the Torre de la Vella in the Alcazaba tourists can see the Sierra Nevada Mountains which are still heavily snow-capped.   The bell-topped tower is the larget feature and stands high above Granada with four standards.

Fantastic views from the Alcazaba....looking back to Carlos V Palace.

 

Yep....it's the Odd Couple abroad!

Granada! 

We then wandered up to Generalife at the far end of the Alhambra.  The Generalife was wonderful – carefully tendered and colourful gardens form displays around water features a very distinct feature of the Arabic influence.  The grounds are so beautiful that it is very easy to be snap-happy!

Walking up to Generalife...finally got a photo without thousands of tourists!

The Generalife with its magnificent gardens.

Looking through a window from Generalife to the Torre de la Vela, the flagged tower which formed part of the Alcaszba.

The magnificent gardens of Generalife!  Wow!!

 

It was time for lunch so we decided to revisit the restaurant  where we dined last night as it was so delicious.  The Italian restaurant delivered more very tasty meals and we then decided to give ourselves the afternoon off and meet up for our next venture at 7.30pm.

I had an afternoon sleep….I needed to do a bit of catch up and David organised our plane fares to Morocco.

David and I set off about 5pm and walked down through the gardens to the main centre.  There are myriads of streets all touting souvenirs which are distinctly northern African with some flamenco wares.  After a look at the local cathedral we enjoyed people watching while sipping juice and a beer to give our feet a rest and put in some time before we met up with our fellow travellers for the evening.

We all walked up to San Nicolas on the hill over-looking the Alhambra.  It was a spectacular view and we weren’t the only ones up there!  We looked around for a restaurant and eventually after a discussion concluded that viewing the Alhambra was one of those life-time experiences (like the Parthenon a couple of years ago) and we decided to splash out and dine at the lavish restaurant overlooking the Alhambra.  When the bill arrived we realised we had broken our record...hey, YOLO!

 

Bathed in the afternoon sunlight ...what a view from the restaurant.

The Sierra Nevada Mountains in the background.....still heavily snow-capped and a spectacular backdrop to beautiful Granada.

 



Dessert envy! ....Cameron's choice.

 

We were absolutely delighted with our meals……a very attentive but unobtrusive waiter, a view to die for with a gradually setting sun, the Alhambra being gradually flood-lit and the realisation we were very lucky tourists.

The lucky tourists heading home....wallets a bit lighter but what a great evening.

 

A magical day!

 

Seville - Granada Day Twenty-Two

Day Twenty-Two

Date:     20 April  2013

Place:    Seville - Granada

Weather:   Sunny and low twenties.  Cool evening

Accommodation:  Hotel Alixeres

After breakfast we booked our accommodation for the night in Granada.  It was only a three hour drive away and we arrived about 2pm however a wrong turn in the city centre in traffic took us some more time.  Karen, our usually dependable GPS, also took us up the hill overlooking Granada to our hotel however there was no access through a boom gate.  After finding the hotel by foot, the car had to be taken down the hill further and accessed by another winding road. 

The weather is much cooler in Granada as it is near the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  The guide book stated that if you only could visit one city in Spain then Granada would be the choice!

After lunch our first task was to obtain tickets for the Alhambra the much lauded monuments sitting atop of the city.  The guide book said the best way to purchase tickets on-line but no matter where I looked I could not find where to buy them.  As the hotel is only over the road from the site we wandered down to join a queue for about 20 minutes and purchased night tickets for the palace (10.30pm!) and tickets for the next day.  The allocation of tickets for the day stands at 6,600 so it pays to be organised for this visit.

More directions later from helpful shopkeepers we were on our way down to Albaicin area of the city via a path below the Alhambra.  The path was very steep and cobble-stoned and we had good views of the ancient side walls.  As we entered the Albaicin we could see it was a very pretty area, old, with maze-like narrow alleys and beside a fast running stream with many pedestrian bridges joining each side.  The area was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994 and it is a lovely area to sit, drink, eat and view the Alhambra on the hill.

Our stroll on the way down with the back drop of the Alhambra.

Taking in a view from the bottom in the Albaicin area....lots of souvenir shops and restaurants.

In the Albaicin area with a view up the street that borders the precinct.



As we neared the main area of Granada we accidentally bumped into the Brisbane couple (relatives of Desley’s sister) who we dined with in Barcelona.  It was great to see familiar faces, speak English and share travel stories and tips.

They had given us the heads-up to walk up the hill to San Nicolas but a little way along we realised we would be too pressed for time as we had to have dinner and queue for the Alhambra at 10pm so we decided to put this plan into fruition tomorrow night.

The alternative return route on the other side of the Alhambra ran through lovely gardens.  Dinner at an Italian restaurant was delicious and we were high tailing our way to the queue for the evening visit to the Palacios Nazaries.

Suffice to say, the information and assistance to access this site is woeful!  We lined up only to find that we were at the wrong entrance (no signage) so we walked briskly to the entrance on the other side.  Ten minutes later we were inside the complex where a few people were waiting.  The views over the city were great and we slowly noticed people grouping.  A Canadian couple who had more attempts at purchasing tickets than you would believe (two trips up the big hill, a blind slammed down in their faces, wrong queue like us and told to arrive at 8pm!) asked if they should line up behind the barrier.  The answer was in the negative so we continued talking to them…..would you believe that the queue formed quickly into hundreds and we were relegated to join the line at the end.  Brother, something needs a shake up here!  We finally entered the building to find that the audio guides (which we'd left in our hotel rooms) were able to be used in the Palacios Nazaries despite the audio guide shop telling us there was not coverage for  that area!!

Eventually finding our way inside the interior was softly lit and breathtakingly beautiful.   Intricate hand-carved patterns are carved into the white walls in every room and there seems to be multitudinous rooms leading from colonnaded courtyards over two levels.   The stucco has undergone a lot of restoration and preservation as the premise for the building was that it was not built to last but be renewed and redecorated by successive sultans.  Arabic inscriptions abound with the fine patterns.

 

Looking out to Granada through the lovely windows.

 



There are three sections and the harem (Patio de los Leones – Court of the Lions) has only been recently restored with the return of the lions under the fountain.  It is a largish area fed by a ground level fountain.  Another courtyard area has a large rectangular pool which reflected the dimly-lit columns beautifully.

In the harem with the famous lions!

Unfortunately, no flash photography was allowed – of course, that doesn’t stop anyone and flashes went off everywhere!

The evening visit only lasts one hour and we were back at the hotel just before midnight.  A long day but a lot accomplished!