The next morning I went for the free walking tour through the city. Two young, attractive female pickpockets hit some of the tourists but left empty-handed. I learned more interesting tidbits about Madrid before ending the tour at the AMAZING Palacio Real! The castle's interior is so fabulously decorated that my jaw dropped. The throne room and the dining hall was absolutely fabulous. The best part, however, was the armaria. I almost missed it, as the small sign pointing toward a door at the end of the palace wing did not tantalize me after passing through ornate throne rooms. The museum featured tons of full suits of armor modeling in stance or mounted on armored horses displayed on raised platforms towering overhead complete with jousting spears. Truly AWESOME! The darkened room sparked my imagination as the armored figures came to life. I wanted so badly to steal a picture but more signs warned against photography. After my menu del dia, I wandered back to my room and spent the rest of the day relaxing and watching Game of Thrones, which has helped me visualize Spain's medieval, regal history.
On my last day in Madrid, I took the metro to Reina Sofia. I patted my back for managing the system without a meltdown, although la tourista officina did tell me which metro line to take. Picasso's Guernica dominates a massive wall in the mueso. The exhibit includes his preliminary sketches as well, depicting details Picasso chose to eliminate from his final work. His wife took photos as he painted, showing how he changed the composition midway through the piece. I saw Goya sketches from the Spanish Civil war, Dali, political artwork and photographs of Spain from the 1960s. Some of the art was a tad avant garde for me. Spanish artwork in Reina Sofia contrasts with the more traditional religious and royal depictions in the Prado. I walked Calle Huertas back to my hostal.
I had to sample the Madrid McDonalds as other travelers told tales of tasty regional differences, but I found the same old boring Big Mac. For my last supper in Spain, Jane and Carlos took me to a small hillside town outside of Madrid to see the Monastery of San Lorenz, which was the burial ground for many royalty. Beautiful vistas, delicious dinner with more excellent Spanish vino rioja, followed by chupitos. I chose the lemon instead of the Baileys; I can always drink that at home!
The next morning Carlos and Jane dropped me off at the airport, and of course, I was crying when I said hasta luego a mi prima Jane. I don't know when I will see her again. Tambien, estoy muy triste porque me gusta Espana mucho, y este viaje fue fantástica. Fue todo que quiere en mi víaje. Yo regresare a Espana un dia pronto.
But you can't visit every city, every monument, every museum, every scenic vista. In Spain I stayed mainly in northeastern Catalonia and on the Mediterranean coast, leaving only for Granada in Andalucia, Madrid/Toledo and Seville. I've only seen a fraction of Spain: no Cordoba, Valencia, Malaga, Ronda, Cadiz, Salamanca, Pamplona, San Sebastian ... |
Farewell Madrid, hostels, museums, my loaded backpack
I did not lose a single thing of value on this trip, not even the electrical outlet converter I always expected to leave behind. I routinely set down and forgot my disposable water bottles I re-used. Before boarding the overnight train from Tarragona to Granada I accidentally abandoned on the platform my plastic bag of condiments: a bottle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and some dry pasta. Otherwise, I returned home with everything except those damn books I donated to one hostel or another after reading.
This trip was amazing. I did have my moments of frustration, but otherwise, smooth sailing. I learned the value of spending more time in each place. In the future I plan to stay at least one week in each city I visit. If I don't like the hotel/hostel, I will change my reservation. If I really like the area, I will have enough time to change my hotel reservations with notice, or take day trips from the hotel/hostel where I stayed. I'll purchase train tickets ahead of time to save money if I plan a long ride: Madrid to Girona, Tarragona to Granada, for example. I will definitely alternate hostels with the more private pensiones or hostals, or at least pay extra for a private room in a hostel. I will consider an apartment if more affordable in a central location for several weeks, taking day or overnight trips from a base. Absorbing more in one area, traveling less via bus/train/airplane with fewer transitions. When visiting a country like Spain, it's easy to put together a list of "must-sees." But you can't visit every city, every monument, every museum, every scenic vista. In Spain I stayed mainly in northeastern Catalonia and on the Mediterranean coast, leaving only for Granada in Andalucia, Madrid/Toledo and Seville. I've only seen a fraction of Spain: no Cordoba, Valencia, Malaga, Ronda, Cadiz, Salamanca, Pamplona, San Sebastian ...
There are many ways to travel; the way I traveled worked well. I had the most trouble with transitions, moving into a new city or new lodging, making reservations, repacking to relocate, finding the correct bus/train, etc. I made twelve transitions inside Spain, not including flying in and out of Madrid. And although I was in Spain for 37 days, that's a lot of moving carrying a loaded backpack. Some transitions were easier than others, such as Jane and Carlos driving me from their place back and forth to the hostal/pensions in Madrid. However, each transition came with unique stresses. And next time I'm going to work on the language before I go or carry a smart phone to help with translation. Plus, I will focus on the trip overseas, not tack it onto a major expedition through the US. For almost six weeks prior to leaving for Madrid I'd been driving across the US, in and out of campsites, in and out of motels, in and out of people's homes, in and out of dozens of cities unfamiliar to myself, and to be quite honest, I'm amazed at how well I've handled all the changes and the travel after years of waking up almost daily to coffee while soaking in my hot tub surrounded by my familiar trees and flowers.
Flying home over Madrid and western Spain was amazing. The patchwork of golds, reds, oranges, browns, greens and blacks separating the land into circles, squares, ovals, triangles, rectangles, trapeziums and parallelograms reminded me of a cubist painting. I know now where Picasso found his inspiration. Saying hasta luego to Spain was surprisingly emotional for me. I had an incredible journey. On my last night, mi primo Carlos asked me which experience stood out the most. I just kept listing one after another.
I immensely enjoyed getting to know mi prima Jane mejor. I'm crying as I write this. She is an amazing woman and she and Carlos made my trip to Spain beyond memorable. And even though I was traveling on my own, Jane and Carlos made sure I could contact them if I needed help. Jane kept in touch via e-mail, making suggestions and reservations for my stay in Madrid, touring with me to Toledo. I did not feel alone and it was wonderful knowing I had familia standing by in case I needed help.