Tag / Spain

Not much to report from our return home. Long flights…but completely uneventful. Bad airplane food…but some hearty fare during our layover at IAD. A bit late into SFO…but a cheerful smile from Yusuke when he picked us up. A perfectly low-key day to wrap up a trip full of adventure.


Time to sleep, reflect…and start planning the next trip!!

There is something oddly freeing about beginning your day with no luggage. Certainly no fretting over which outfit will fit the weather…will the clouds burn off…will it warm as expected? Nope. Doesn’t matter.


It will be another feeling altogether if my bag doesn’t show up by evening.


Began the day with coffee and croissants from a nearby Starbucks. Then off to the Prado. What a beautiful morning to be outside. Everything feels so lush. Breathe deeply and take it in.


The Prado. One of the nice things about a return trip to a large, iconic museum is that you can take a step back and focus on the things you really like. For us, we are continuously fascinated by the Prado’s collection of El Greco, Velázquez, and Goya. But we also enjoyed an (appropriately) small exhibit on miniatures. Classic European museums are wonderful for sparking artistic creativity.


El Retiro. We’ve visited this grand park twice before. Once on the cusp of summer, when fountains are dry and people only walk at dusk when the 100+ temperatures subside. And once in winter, when (again) the fountains are dry and people only walk during the brief midday sun. So autumn in the Retiro is a true delight. The fall colors are starting to pop. The grass is green and fragrant. And once-quiet gardens are filled with the splash of fountains.


On the good news/bad news front, my luggage was found…but it will not be delivered to Madrid until after we leave in the morning. I’m sure I will see my clothes eventually 🙂


We had dinner tonight at Lateral on the Plaza Santa Ana. Really wonderful tapas…one more night of tapas before we head home. Wonderful meatballs; chicken brochettes; a dreamy tortilla; and a surprising quesadilla that rocked.


Walked through familiar streets from past trips. A couple of beers at Liquid. Madrid feels very comfortable. Like a conversation with an old friend. A great way to end our trip.

We arose with the rooster to catch our morning flight. The air was still as the sky slowly proceeded from black to a delicate shade of blue. A second rooster joined in from a bit further away. No motorbikes at this hour. Coffee and orange juice and we were off.


A cleancut kid with a faded red cart wheeled our luggage to an awaiting taxi. Shops were closed. A couple of cats scampered by.


A short traffic-free ride to the airport. The morning sun lit up the Mosque and its coral-pink minaret as we passed. We spotted fresh snow in the High Atlas off in the distance.


Many lines and check-points to navigate, but everything went smoothly. Checked in with Royal Air Moroc for our first hop to Casablanca. Exchanged our remaining dirham for Euros. (Morocco has a closed currency and visitors are not permitted to take dirham out of the country. The exchange to and from dirham is tightly controlled and tracked by passport. Very strange system to an outsider.) Pre-security, security, and passport control…like sheep being herded from one pen to the next. And a line for the toilet of course 🙂 Our flight somehow was listed to depart from gates 1, 2, AND 9. Although there is no 9, and 1 was closed. Odd. Either way, we simply boarded a bus to take us out on the tarmac. On time, we took our quick hop to Casablanca. We literally hopped as we landed.


Changed in Casablanca (another security check) to Iberia 3703 bound for Madrid. Christmas tunes played on the speakers overhead as we lifted off from this Islamic nation…an odd juxtaposition to be sure. (Not to mention that it is October. Even Starbucks doesn’t cart out their Christmas decor for a bit.) Snacked on sandwiches and Pringles…and a refreshing pair of Mahou cervezas.


A smooth landing in an overcast, drizzly Madrid. Easy passage through the airport.


Ah, but like a scorned lover, Morocco refuses to be forgotten. My luggage did not arrive…lost to Morocco…at least for the time being.


On to Madrid via a smooth taxi. Rain on the windshield. Madrid looked calm and clean on this lazy Sunday afternoon. Checked into the Westin Palace, celebrating its 100 years as a grand old hotel. They took immediate sympathy on me and sent an “emergency” toiletries kit to the room. And a couple of umbrellas.


We took a leisurely stroll past the Prado museum and had a snack. Then stopped in the Caxia Forum Madrid and viewed two free exhibits. First a show from London’s Tate Modern celebrating the work of William Blake. And then a fascinating exhibit on towers, from the Tower of Babel to the current worlds highest in Dubai…Burj Khalifa. Saw a model of the Sagrada Familia…ah, fond memories of Barcelona.


Rain stopped…stroll continued. A rainbow appeared over the Neptune Fountain. Saw this as a sign, so we stopped for cervezas and some patatas bravas. Wonderful and comforting. Life is grand.


After a hot shower to remove the Moroccan dust, we walked to dinner in a nearby plaza. It was so nice to feel the crisp air on our faces, and rain had left behind sweet smelling air. Dined at the creative DisTinto restaurant. Creative yummy tapas. A twist on croquettas with curry chicken. A wonderful tortilla with ham and cheese. And two types of sliders, both yummy. Really a nice simple meal.


Oh heavenly bed, take me away.

UA900 lifted off on time, leaving behind unseasonably hot temps in San Francisco. Phones switched safely into airplane mode, severing the stream of email notifications, Facebook updates, and general life-ness…at least for a while. Nine+ hours en route to Frankfurt provided us with ample time to stop thinking about that one shirt we should have packed, and focus on the excitement of three weeks of total newness. Our first visit to Barcelona. Our first taste of Africa. Getting lost in Marrakech. Our first camel? So much to think about…to get excited about.


Must sleep. Well…one more quick glass of wine. Then sleep. Definitely.


An early morning transfer in Frankfurt, but not so early that the airport wasn’t bustling. Back and forth thru tunnels. Watching well-off business travelers in a way-too-hot business lounge, crowding around stainless steel trays of frankfurters and meatloaf (Munich style…which I think is meatloaf made from hotdogs…or something the consistency of hotdogs).


A relatively short hop to Barcelona over the Alps skirting over Marseilles before approaching from the Mediterranean…a flat blue expanse, still in the late afternoon air. For the record, BCN is a beautiful, efficient airport. Take notes, SFO…they know how to move luggage quickly!


Checked into our apartment, perfectly situated in the heart of town. A bubbly young woman from DestinationBCN greeted us and gave us the nickel tour. Fourth floor bay window with a peaceful breeze and comfy chairs in which to sit and blog. But first, a long over due shower.


Fresh and riding a second or third wind, we took an afternoon stroll along Las Ramblas…THE quintessential walk in Barcelona. An arrow-straight cobblestone street, lined with shops. Las Ramblas took us on a gentle slope down to the water and the Port just in time to catch the towering statue honoring Christopher Columbus in a warm sunset backlight.


From the Port, we headed into the winding, historic Gothic quarter which immediately transported us to our favorite European cities steeped in history layered in graffiti and gelato. Stopped for dinner on the Plaça Reial. La Terrasa del DO didn’t disappoint: a wonderfully creative version of patatas bravas and a fantastic dish of crispy potatoes layered with egg and chorizo. Afterwords, we grabbed a plaça-side seat for a raspberry mojito and a view of the craziness. Shirtless tumblers, romantic guitarists, and origami artists all vied the eye of any woman (or the Euros of the woman’s boyfriend to end the performance).


We slowly walked off dinner as we wound thru the Gothic quarter back to our apartment. We are already infatuated by this charming city.

Continuing in my posts from Spain, here are my shots from Cordoba, our second stop. The influences and layers of Moorish, Christian, and Jewish cultures dominate these images.