Spain~Costa del Sol~November, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011 to Saturday
Left Beach Haven with Judy Howard about 2:30 in Jerry's truck. Stopped in Newark at the Spanish Tavern for a good meal before our flight. The restaurant van took us to the airport. Long flight (seven and a half hours) without sleep. Arrived in Madrid and picked up the car. Left at 9:45 am and drove six and a half hours to the Crown Resorts between Fuengirola and Marbella .
The terrain was flat and dry, giving way to rolling hills and millions and millions of olive trees. Stopped for a view of Desfiladero de Despena Perros National Park with hugely craggy mountain pass topped by yellow lichen-covered rocky crags. Very winding road leading to brand new highways with o speed limits. Our GPS system. "Katherine" didn't recognize the new highways and kept trying to get us to "Turn around when possible." Stopped at a wayside inn for a late lunch (Gail had a delicious Salmorejo Cordobes, a wonderful version of chilled gazpacho; cream of garlic,bread, tomatoes and oil beaten to a light emulsion with ham and chopped hard boiled eggs. Judy had a pork and cheese sandwich on good bread). The apartment we had rented was in a complex that was scheduled to close on Monday, so the desk clerk talked us into moving to their main resort, Club Marbella, about a mile away. Good choice. It was very nicely laid out with two bedrooms and two baths, a good kitchen, living room and nice deck overlooking the pool. Walked to the mini-mart down the street, picked up some necessities, had a light meal and to bed.
Sunday, November 6 Sevilla
Drove on good roads over the mountains and down again to more olive groves and now citrus. Made a huge mistake by driving too far into Sevilla and getting hopelessly lost in a maze of six-foot wide streets with our five foot eleven inch car. With Judy's navigation we finally found a place to park in Plaza Nuevo (We were sure the car would be ticketed or towed before we left, but we were so glad to be parked that we didn't care) Saw the Alcazar and the Cathedral and walked the streets of the Jewish Quarter. Had a plate of Spanish Chacina (cold cuts), cheese and bread, then ice cream a bit later. Six hours later, we returned and picked up the un-ticketed car, drove back to our place, had a nice dinner and to bed.
If any one place comes close to rolling together everything that's quintessentially Andalucian, it's Seville . Here in the region's capital and biggest city, that special Andalucian way of life is distilled into its purest and most intense form. It has more narrow, winding, medieval lanes and romantic, hidden plazas than half of Andalucia's other cities put together. It's the home of those two bulwarks of Andalucian tradition, flamenco and bullfighting, and its heritage of art and architecture (Roman, Islamic, Gothic, Renaissance, baroque) is without rival in southern Spain. Roman Seville, named Hispalis, was a significant port on Rïo Guadalquivir, which is navigable to the Atlantic Ocean 100km away. Muslim Seville, called Ishbiliya, became the most powerful of the taifas (small kingdoms) into which Islamic Spain split after the Cordoba caliphate collapsed in 1031. Poet-king Al-Mutamid (106991) presided over a languid, hedonistic court in the Alcazar palace. In the 12th century a strict Islamic sect from Morocco, the Almohads, took over Muslim Spain and made Seville capital of their whole realm, building a great mosque where the cathedral now stands. Almohad power eventually crumbled and Seville fell to Fernando III (El Santo, the Saint) of Castilla in 1248. By the 14th century Seville was the most important Castilian city. Its biggest break came in 1503, when it was awarded a monopoly on Spanish trade with the American continent. Seville rapidly became one of the biggest, richest and most cosmopolitan cities on earth, and a magnet for everyone from priests and bankers to beggars and conmen. Lavish Renaissance and baroque buildings sprouted, and many geniuses of Spain�s artistic golden age (the late 16th to late 17th centuries) were based here. However a plague in 1649 killed half the city and the Guadalquivir became more silted-up and less navigable for the increasingly big ships of the day. In 1717 the Casa de la Contratacan, the government office controlling commerce with the Americas, was transferred to Cadiz. Another Seville plague in 1800 killed 13, 000 people. The beginnings of industry in the mid-19th century brought a measure of prosperity for some, but the majority remained impoverished. Seville fell very quickly to the Nationalists at the start of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, despite resistance in working-class areas (which brought savage reprisals). Things looked up in the 1980s when Seville was named capital of the new autonomous Andalucia within democratic Spain, and sevillano Felipe Gonzalez became Spain's prime minister. The Expo '92 international exhibition (1992) brought the city millions of visitors, eight new bridges across the Guadalquivir and the super-fast AVE rail link to Madrid. Seville�s economy is now steadily improving with a mix of tourism, commerce, technology and industry.
The Cathedral of Seville was once judged the third largest church in the world after Saint Peter's in Rome and Saint Paul 's in London, it is now arguably the largest church in the world when compared using the measurement of volume. Seville 's fifteenth century cathedral occupies the site of the former great mosque built in the late twelfth century. The central nave rises to an awesome 37 meters over a total area of 11,520 square meters. The Cathedral is touted as the final resting place of the remains of Christopher Columbus, although there is some dispute from the Dominican Republic . Two kings, St Ferdinand and Alfonso X, are buried here for sure, in the Royal Chapel watched over by Our Lady of Monarchs who is patron saint of the city.
La Giralda is a large and beautiful minaret tower, originally intended for the chief mosque, but now is the magnificent bell tower of the Cathedral and a symbol of Seville . Climb the 34 ramps for a great view of the city.
The Real Alcazar is a beautiful palace in Mudajar (Moorish) style, built in the XIV Century by Pedro I the Cruel. With its myriad rooms, extravagant architecture, lavish gardens with many courtyards, ponds and secrets to be explored, it is a fascinating place to visit. Be sure to check out the room where Christopher Columbus's journey to the Americas was planned. You can see his coat of arms embroidered on the wall along with many other royals. In the heat of summer it offers a cool retreat from the sun's glare and can quite easily keep you occupied for a few centuries, if not all of your life. The gardens are especially attractive.
The Jewish Quarter (Barrio Santa Cruz) is located around the Cathedral. It is filled with small winding streets and is generally regarded as the most charming part of the city, but it is also fairly touristy.
Monday, Nov. 7
Beautiful day. Breakfast on our deck, then off for the white towns "los pueblos blancos". Got a little turned around on our way to Ronda but recovered nicely. Spent a couple of hours walking the streets, bigger and more "modern" than what I remembered. Had a nice lunch at a bistro, then on some yellow winding roads to Grazelema, another beautiful town. Most everything was closed, but we enjoyed walking the cobblestone streets. Then some OBT (off-the-beaten-path) white roads through the mountains and more white towns, stopping to visit with some future "jamon ibericos" and their offspring. Back to our villa. Dinner at Le Bistrot Suisse: delicious tomato soup and then chocolate fondue with fruit--very healthy.
Ronda is one of the popular and therefore most tourist-conscious hill towns in this part of Spain . Its main feature is a narrow gorge with perpendicular walls up to 328 feet high in places dividing the old quarter from a slightly more recent one and spanned at the top by its famous New Bridge . This was built in the eighteenth century about a hundred years after a less ambitious one was completed a good deal closer to the water and not far from the extremely well preserved Arab baths. A short walk away, down a series of little cobbled streets, is the collegiate church of Santa Maria la Mayor. It has an arch that was once part of the original mosque, a minaret updated in the 16th century, some beautifully carved choir stalls and two large altars, one of which is drenched in gold. The town hall occupies some elderly barracks facing the same square, directly opposite the convent of St. Clare. The main attraction is the bull-ring, built in 1785 on the site of an older one, and the birthplace of bullfighting in the classic style. The rules were laid down by Francisco Romero in the 17th century, elaborated by his son Juan and perfected in practice by his grandson Pedro, who became one of the great bullfighter of Spain .
A short drive took us to the white town of Grazalema , located in a high valley in the Sierra del Endrinal and dominated by the magnificent rocky outcrop known as Peton Grande, this pretty mountain village is a most popular base for visitors to the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. The park is a vast protected area of rugged limestone mountains, which are famous for being the rainiest place in Spain . These high levels of precipitation account for the verdant vegetation in the surrounding countryside. The limestone peaks around Grazalema are the first barriers that clouds from the Atlantic meet, causing plentiful rainfall. A unique microclimate has developed where a wide range of flora flourishes, such as the rare Spanish fir (pinsapo) that grows in the Sierra de Pinar close to Grazalema. Grazalema is a lively village whose population of 2,250 swells hugely with the influx of visitors to the park. Its steep, cobbled streets are immaculately kept and are lined by whitewashed houses with windows covered by wrought-iron rejas and plant pots spilling over with colourful flowers. In the heart of the village is an attractive main square, the Plaza de Espa�a, lined with bars and restaurants. On this square is Grazalema�s central sight, the 18th-century church of La Aurora . Also here is the village hall (ayuntamiento) and the parish church, the Iglesia de la Encarnacion. Up Calle Mateos Gago from the square is the 17th-century Iglesia de San Jose , a former Carmelite convent with paintings by a disciple of Murillo. Close to the church is a viewpoint that looks out over the village.
Tuesday, Nov. 8 JEREZ & ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA
Another great day! Blue skies and cool temps. Heading toward Jerez de la Frontera we passed many villages with narrow streets; the only color contrasts depend on how recently the owners had set to work with a paint brush dipped in white and the roofs are a mass of rounded tiles weathered into varying shaded of gold and reddish brown. The road led along the sea then north across grazing lands populated by the famous black fighting bulls and through hilly country past forests of oak, pines and Spanish firs, with clumps of walnut trees, quince and cherry orchards, oranges, wild olives and prickly pears. "Katherine" was a great help.
We were excited about the famous horse show we were scheduled to see at noon . We had about half an hour to explore and watch the horses practice, in the 19th century Recreo de las Cardenas Palace, which is the headquarters of the famous Andalusian School of Equestrian Art with some of the most superb horses to be seen anywhere. The horses�a cross between the native Andalusian workhorse and the Arabian�and skilled riders in 18th century riding costumes demonstrated intricate dressage techniques and jumping in the spectacular show called "Como bailan los caballos Andaluces, How the Andalusian horses dance."
Jerez is known the world over as the home of sherry, although it makes quite a feature of its brandy as well. The town began life as Ceret under the Romans, the Arabs renamed it Scherish, which accounts for the word "sherry", after which it progressed to Xeres and finally settled for Jerez . We were fortunate to get to the House of Sandeman in time for a tour and a tasting with tapas at the end. There were three sherries to accompany our meat, cheese and olives: a dry, cold fino, a medium-bodied amontillado, and a sweeter, very smooth olivero.
On the way home, we stopped in Gibraltar . We didn�t take the cable car to the top, as it was getting late, cool, and dark, but did get some good pictures of "The Rock". We took some detours looking for a seafood restaurant and found Sinbad�s, right on the sea, with fish by the kilo. Judy picked a dorado from off the ice (which tasted good, but was very boney), and I had grilled gambas.
Wednesday, Nov. 9 GRANADA
We drove along the ocean and tried to find the Arab lookouts and castles. We did see a castle but couldn't figure out how to get to it. At Almunecar, we walked on a pretty beach made of smooth stones, then on to Motril. The entire length of the coastline in this part of the country is guarded by dozens of ancient watch towers, approximately one to each headland and rocky promontory, most of them isolated and in various stages of decomposition. Occasionally one is accompanied by a little fort of comparable vintage or by a collection of small white houses in the Moorish style. The views from the road as it slices its way round the hillsides high above the water is magnificent.
North to Granada , watching the snow-covered Sierra Nevadas on the way. The main road cuts through majestic scenery through a ridge known as the Suspiro del Moro, or Sigh of the Moor. The story goes that the last king, Boabdil, paused here on his way into exile for a backward glanced at the Alhambra , thereby earning himself a caustic comment form his mother. She remarked that he wept like a woman for something he had failed to fight for like a man, but who overheard this vindictive observation is less well documented.
Parked (in a lot) without any trouble and spent 2½ hours touring the Alhambra . The "red fortress" is a palace and fortress complex constructed during the mid 14th century by the Moorishrulers of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus, occupying the top of the hill of the Assabica on the southeastern border of the city of Granada. The Alhambra 's Moorish palaces were built for the last Muslim Emirs in Spain and its court, of the Nasrid dynasty. After the Reconquista (reconquest) by the Reyes Catolicos ("Catholic Monarchs") in 1492, some portions were used by the Christian rulers. The Palace of Charles V, built by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in 1527, was inserted in the Alhambra within the Nasrid fortifications. After being allowed to fall into disrepair for centuries, the Alhambra was "discovered" in the 19th century by European scholars and travelers, with restorations commencing. It is now one of Spain 's major tourist attractions, exhibiting the country's most significant and well known Islamic architecture, together with 16th-century and later Christian building and garden interventions.
Then drove the northern route on gorgeous new highways and south again to the sea. We had seen a restaurant in the morning that I felt sure was the reincarnation of Le Mirage, a nice place Jerry and I had visited in 1994. What a surprise when we arrived about 3:30 and found it to be open. We had a wonderful meal. Judy had a huge piece of tuna, perfectly cooked with steamed veggies, and I had "crispy suckling pig" with Bordelaise potatoes. We shared a delicious bottle of Campillo Crianza 2007 Rioja, drove the 15 minutes home, stopping for supplies at the supermercado. Checked our email and to bed.
Thursday, Nov. 10 MIJAS, ALORA AND EL TORCAL
Another beautiful day. Drove the short distance to Mijas, then drove around and around trying to find a parking spot. I managed to parallel park (on the right) our 7 foot long car into a 7 foot 2 inch spot. We walked all around the town. Judy found some pretty pottery wall planters. Mijas was comparatively unknown three decades ago, but is now becoming more and more popular. It is a delightful little town with cute donkey taxis. Immediately opposite, up the hill, is the parish church, Iglesia Parroquial de la Inmaculada Concepcion, complete with a bell tower left over from a Moorish castle that once occupied the site. The Virgen de la Pena, discovered in the castle tower in 1586, stands surrounded by votive offerings in a small hermitage carved out of a rock and protected by the remains of an ancient wall.
On to Alora, where we parked outside of the town and walked in to see the church (closed) and then up, up, up to the Arab Fort (under reconstruction). The small town of Alora is situated 40 kms north of Malaga by the road to Antequera and just 12 km south of El Chorro. From a distance, it is a typical pueblo blanco; a whitewashed village nestled between three rocky spurs topped by the ruins of a magnificent castle which has an interesting history. Alora's castle was first built by the Phoenicians and subsequently expanded under Roman rule. In the 5th century the castle was virtually destroyed by the Visigoths, only to be rebuilt under the Moors; remnants of this era still remain, namely the decorative steel door and the traditional Arab mirador.
We had planned to visit El Chorro and Bobastro, but, after spending forty-five minutes following Katherine's directions through the very narrow streets of Alora, we headed out and drove through beautiful farming country towards Antequerra. We stopped at a roadside inn and had a very good three-course meal (mixed salads with tuna, merluza (hake) for Judy and Cazon en adobo (smooth hound shark nuggets marinated in paprika and vinegar then deep fried) for me. With bread, olives, wine, and dessert it was nine Euros each. We got to the outskirts of Antequerra and satisfied ourselves with photos of the castle.
Then onto very narrow, curvy, "white" roads to Villanueva de la Conception and a steep crawl up to the moonscape of El Torcal. Lots of hawks riding the thermals. El Torcal Park Nature Reserve is known for it unusual limestone rock formations and some of the most beautiful and impressive limestone landscapes in Europe . The whole area was under sea until one hundred million years ago. Then the violent movements of the Earth's crust forced it upward into hills and mountains up to 2500 feet, the limestone still kept its layered horizontal formation. Because of this, over the millions of years the rain and wind have been able to chisel away at these layers to form incredible shapes. To reach the heart of the park it is possible to drive up to three-quarters of a mile above sea level along a good access road into the park.
Home to a quiet evening. Tomorrow is our last day on the Costa del Sol .
Friday, Nov. 11 CORDOBA
Yet another glorious day. Left about 9:30 for a nice drive across rolling hills to this beautiful city. Found a parking lot just outside of town and walked in. Cordoba was founded by the Romans and due to its strategic importance as the highest navigable point of the Guadalquivir River , it became a port city of great importance, used for shipping Spanish olive oil, wine and wheat back to Ancient Rome. The Romans built the mighty bridge crossing the river, now called "El Puente Romano". But Cordoba 's hour of greatest glory was when it became the capital of the Moorish kingdom of El-Andalus , and this was when work began on the Great Mosque, or "Mezquita", which, after several centuries of additions and enlargements, became one of the largest in all of Islam. When the city was reconquered by the Christians in 1236, the new rulers of the city were so awed by its beauty that they left it standing, building their cathedral in the midst of its rows of arches and columns, and creating the extraordinary church-mosque we see today. As well as the unique mosque-cathedral, Cordoba 's treasures include the Alcazar, or Fortress, built by the Christians in 1328. Cordoba 's medieval quarter, once the home of the Jewish community, is called "La Juderia" (The Jewry), a labyrinth of winding, narrow streets, shady flower-filled courtyards and picturesque squares such as La Plaza del Potro.
The first site was the Royal Stable where we watched one of the trainers work a beautiful stallion. Then an interesting tour of the Alcazar, including pretty gardens and a "Mosaic Room". The Alcazar (of the Christian Kings) features a castle its delightful gardens and a Moorish bathhouse. The castle is almost a perfect square in plan of 4.100 square meters. It was rebuilt in 1327 by King Alfonso XI. His aim was to bring European Gothic architecture to the town. The castle walls connect the four (now three) corner towers by walkways or allures protected by battlements with prism shaped blocks. In a hall which housed the former chapel of the Inquisitions there are exhibited a magnificent collection of Roman mosaic art from the 2nd and 3rd century AD. The collection was discovered under Corredera Square in the city in 1959 and once belonged to a wealthy Roman Mansion.Outside the main castle walls the gardens occupy 55.000 square meters. It is certainly a very relaxing place to wander. There is a wide variety of plants, palm trees, cypresses, orange and lemon, trees to be seen which overlook stone fountains and large ponds. Originally the water was brought in by an aqueduct from the Sierra Morena and the great Albolafia waterwheel in the River Guadalquivir nearby helped with the supply. The large ponds were added in the 19th century.
Walked through the Juderie and found, finally, Licor de Belota. Bought two bottles (which turned out to be quite heavy). Cordoba's old Jewish quarter consists of a fascinating network of narrow lanes, more atmospheric and less commercialized than in Seville although souvenir shops have emerged.
Then we visited the amazing Mosque/Cathedral. Most interesting stop on the whole trip for me. The Mezquita dates back to the 10th century when Cordoba reached its zenith under a new emir, Abd ar-Rahman 111 who was one of the great rulers of Islamic history. At this time Cordoba was the largest, most prosperous cities of Europe , outshining Byzantium and Baghdad in science, culture and the arts. The development of the Great Mosque paralleled these new heights of splendour. The first glimpse is immensely exciting "so near the desert in its tentlike forest of supporting pillars." The architect introduced another, horseshoe-shaped arch above the lower pillars. A second and purely aesthetic innovation was to alternate brick and stone in the arches, creating the red and white striped pattern which gives a unity and distinctive character to the whole design. There are more than 850 colored granite jasper and marble pillars in total. Sunlight streams in from windows in the four cupolas creating interesting effects combined with artificial light from the thousands of small oil lights. In the centre of the mosque squats a Renaissance cathedral which dates back to the early sixteenth century while, to the left is the Capilla de Villaviciosa built by Moorish craftsmen in 1371. The Mosque was consecrated as a Christian Cathedral in the same year that Cordoba was re-conquered (1236). Alfonso X built the Villaviciosa Chapel with stunning multi lobed arches. The Capilla Real (Royal Chapel) was also built as a pantheon for Christian Kings. In the 14th century Enrique II rebuilt the royal chapel in Mudejar style. In 1523 with the support of King Carlos V the church built a huge nave inside the mosque. The cathedral was elaborated on over the years by many of the country's leading architects and artists. Architect Hernan Ruiz continued working transforming the Cathedral into Gothic style. The main retable in red marble is a neo-classical work of art by Alonso Matias with five painting by Antonio Palomino and sculptures by Pedro de Paz. The Baroque tabernacle is by Sebastian Vidal. The two mahogany pulpits by Verdiquier are interesting because they feature a near life size bull and a lion in veined marble and an eagle in black marble. The baroque mahogany choir stalls were carved by Duque Correjo in the 18th century.
Had a nice lunch at Casa Pepe de la Juderia. Judy had salad and fish nuggets and I had poached egg over ratatouille and presa de paletilla iberica con salsa de trufe (pork shoulder fillet with truffle sauce). Back to the car and drove to Media Azahara. Lots of walking and climbing. Leave Cordoba and head for Medina Azahara. Another gem to visit, it is certainly the main tourist sight near Cordoba ! These ruins are those of a capital city built during the 10th century by Caliph Abd ar-Rahman III . The city existed for about 60 years before it was burnt and became ruins in the sand. For a time people even thought it was the ruins of the old Cordoba . Those ruins eventually disappeared underground until they were rediscovered in 1910. After 90 years of restoration work, a small portion of this medina can now be visited. What you can see today is the Alcazar with the caliph's palace and the most important buildings, including the mosque. But unlike regular archaeological sites where thousands of years have destroyed most of what is left, the pieces of each palace of Medina Azahara were numerous and still in good shape, which means that today's visitors can visualize the settings of the city quite like they were during the caliphate's time. The most impressive part is probably Abd ar-Rahman III 's Hall, also known as the Rich Hall because of its ornamental richness.
Finally back to our apartment in Coabunga (Calahonda)
Saturday, Nov. 12 MADRID
Long drive to Madrid . Left at 9:15 , stopped twice for gas and once for lunch at a very new truck stop with good sandwiches. With Katherine's help, we got to our hotel, Hotel Intur Palacio San Martin, Plaza San Martin 5, in the heart of downtown about 3:45 . I dropped Judy and the luggage off and Katherine and I found the Avis office on Gran Via.( Gran Via: Literally, "Broadway", Gran Via is one of the busiest avenues in Madrid , what you could call the main street of Madrid , and the location of the cinema district. The Gran Via is very similar to Times Square in New York City . Gran Via has a constant buzz of traffic and life. 3-4am early morning traffic jams are not unusual). As promised, it was closed, but we found the underground lot behind the building. All the spots were taken, so I settled for a handicapped spot, locked the car, put the keys in the dropbox (without the rental papers or parking ticket). Wandered back to the hotel and tried to email Avis to tell them I had the paperwork, but the internet is down. We decided to take a walk through the Puerta del Sol and some pretty busy streets to the Prado. Got in free at six and stayed about two hours. One of the finest art collections in the world and the best collection of classical art in Madrid . It includes many different collections: the Spanish (El Greco, Velazquez, and Goya), the Flemish and Dutch (Rubens, van Dyck, and Brueghel), Italian (Botticelli, Tintoretto, Titian, Caravaggio, and Veronese) and German (Albrecht Durer, Lucas Cranach, and Baldung Grien). Some highlights we saw: The Bosch masterpiece The Garden of Earthly Delights, The famous Velazquez piece Las Meninas, The Black Paintings and The Third of May 1808 by Goya, Adoration of the Shepherds by El Greco, and David with the Head of Goliath by Caravaggio. Lots of tiny cobbled streets as well as the Plaza Mayor on the way home. Stopped for an helado. Internet still down.
Plaza Mayor: The best known plaza in Madrid , this impressive square is now one of the main stops on any tourist visit. Originally built outside the city walls, this square has played host to bullfights, markets, symphonies, tournaments and executions. The statue of Felipe III sits in the middle across from the beautifully painted Casa de la Panaderia, the former headquarters of the bakers guild. One of the accesses to the square is Arco de Cuchilleros, beautiful stairs down. Near Plaza Mayor, is Mercado San Miguel (Saint Michael Market), built in 1913 and full of a wide range of high quality food.
Puerta del Sol: This plaza is the "heart" of Madrid and one of the busiest places in the city, and a favourite meeting spot for locals. On the north side of the plaza there is a famous statue of an oso (bear) climbing the madrono tree, which is the symbol of Madrid . Also in Sol, just in front of the Capital building of the community of Madrid , is Kilometer Zero, a plaque showing the point where the measuring of national highways begins. We saw 1,000 anti-business protesters here on Sunday.
Sunday, Nov. 13 Madrid
Sent email to Avis re the car and then went out to find Chocolateria San Gines, world famous home of churros con chocolate, a sort of Holy Grail of my food searching. Finally we found it and my dreams were fulfilled. Delicioso!! Walked to the Palacio Real. There were no English-speaking guides available, so we got the audio tour, which was very worthwhile, as most of the explanatory signs were in Spanish. The Palacio Real ( Royal Palace ) is an enormous palace, the biggest one in Europe in its kind, with plains of concrete around it and the Real Armorial (Royal Armory), a two-story collection of medieval weapons and armor. Though it is the official residence of the King of Spain, the royal family does not actually reside here and it is generally used only for state ceremonies. The Royal Palace is considered to be one of the most emblematic and beautiful buildings in Madrid , not only for its location but also for its architecture and the artistic treasures to be found in its rooms. The facades of the palace measure 130 meters long and 33 meters high with 870 windows and 240 balconies opening on to the facades and courtyard. It has a surface area of 100,000 square meters with 44 stairways and more than 30 principal rooms. Also located within the palace is the Pharmacia, which contains hundreds of bottles of early medicines and a reconstructed laboratory.
We came back to the hotel and dropped off my camera, which for some reason now weighs 50 pounds. Went walking again to the Plaza Mayor and el Rastro. El Rastro, only open on Sunday mornings, is Madrid's largest flea market, featuring rows upon rows of private vendors selling a variety of homemade goods, and a plethora of live entertainment. Wall-to-wall people. No Harley T-shirts. Found a nice family restaurant, El Toscano, where we had tuna, lamb sweetbreads, thin fried eggplant and una jarra de vino. How to pack for our exit tomorrow.
Monday, Nov. 14 Home
Hotel van took us to the airport through horrible rush hour traffic. The flight left on time and seemed shorter and easier than the flight over. Jerry met us. Good trip.
Gail South