Day 7: Toledo & Madrid

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Today, on the first day of our 14 day Spain tour, we took an excursion form Madrid to the ancient city of Toledo, then returned to Madrid, where we had dinner, took a walking tour of the oldest part of downtown Madrid, and spent the night.

Toledo

The ancient walled city of Toledo.

10,00€ (10 Euros) is equivalent to about $13.35

Toledo has been a traditional sword-making and steel-working center since about 500 BC.

Catedral Primada Santa María de Toledo (Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo) is one of the three 13th-century High Gothic cathedrals in Spain. Construction was begun in the year 1227 and completed in 1493 (266 years).

Cats were important in days past to control rats and mice. The "cat door", seen here, allowed household cats to come and go as they pleased.

In 1586 El Greco painted one of his greatest masterpieces, The Burial of Count Orgaz, for the Church of Santo Tomé in Toledo. This work, still in place, portrays a 14th-century Toledan nobleman laid in his grave by Saints Stephen and Augustine. Viewing this masterpiece in person was one of the highlights of our visit to Toledo.

Carol waiting for me to finish taking pictures at Toledo's Puerta del Sol (Gate of the Sun).
This will become a routine pose for my better half as she prompts me to "come along...":)

Bridge over the Tagus river leading to Puerta del Sol on left .

Evening Walking Tour in Madrid

Following a sumptuous multi-course late-night (for us) dinner, our guide took us on a walking tour (how appropriate) around the oldest section of downtown Madrid.

Santa María la Real de La Almudena (Almudena Cathedral) is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid.

Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace of Madrid) is the "official" residence of the Spanish Royal Family at the city of Madrid, but is only used for state ceremonies

The ancient Egyptian Templo de Debod (Temple of Debod) and reflecting pool. The temple was donated to Spain in 1968 in appreciation for the help provided by Spain in saving Egyptian antiquities from the area flooded by Egypt's Aswan High Dam in 1970.

Madrid traffic on a Friday night at 10:00 pm!

Day 6: Madrid

Friday, October 11, 2013

Today was "free time", so the three couples struck out on our own. Carol and I decided to visit the nearby Plaza Mayor (Main Square) to sightsee, have lunch, and relax before our tour of Spain begins.

The Plaza is a 17th century cobblestone square where coronations, bullfights, and public executions (!) took place in times past. Today it is a pedestrian plaza and gathering place.

Tonight we met up our tour guide, Jorge, and the other members of our tour, and were treated to a traditional dinner at a local restaurant. Our tour group (some of which are see here entering the restaurant) is made up mostly of retired couples from Australia (Sidney,  Melbourne, and Perth), Canada (Vancouver and Toronto), and Singapore, plus a number of locations across the U.S., making the social interaction within the group a multicultural experience within itself.

The evening meal in Portugal and Spain is somewhat different than what we are used to at home. Dinner is a drawn out social occasion that doesn't start until around 8:00 pm and ends anywhere from 10:00 pm to midnight. A multicourse meal and leisurely conversation are called for while people socialize and discuss the is issues of the day. Waiters will hurry to serve your meal, then leave you alone until you request your check. It is considered rude for the waiter to bring your check before you ask for it. If you are not aware of this custom, you may have a long wait.

Day 5: Lisbon to Madrid

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Today, the six of us checked out of the Hotel Britania in Lisbon and flew back to Madrid to meet up with our tour group for a 16 day tour of Spain.

Madrid Airport

  Our hotel in Madrid is located directly across the street from the Atocha Train Station, seen here, where terrorists bombed three trains in March 2004. Memorials to those killed are located in and around the station.

Day 4: Lisbon & Sintra

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Our second day of sightseeing did not start off so well. Around 5:00 AM this morning our fellow traveler, Ron, was admitted to a local hospital with an irregular heart beat, where he spent most of the morning before being released. Lady Luck seems to have it out for Ron and Sally this trip after their cancelled flight, inoperative ATM card, and now this. Ron's condition is something he has been dealing with for a while, so he and Sally have put on their happy face and have chosen to continue the trip with us. As much as we were reluctant to do so, the other four of us went ahead with the Lisbon-Sentra tour that we had scheduled beforehand.

Our first stop was Torrre Belem (Tower of Belem). This fortress sits on the banks of the Tagus river that is the southern boundary of Lisbon looking out along the river to the sea. It was built in the 16th century to defend the city.

 

Next stop was the Padrao dos Descobrimentos (Monument of Discoveries), a 150 foot high monolith that honors Portugal's Golden age of Discoveries. It's shape represents a Portuguese explorer's ship lined with major figures of the Discoveries including Henry the Navigator and Vasco da Gama.

 

This mural at the Monument of Discoveries depicts the extent of the Portuguese Discoveries across the Atlantic. Similar discoveries occurred throughout the Indian Ocean into the Western Pacific.

 

Pastelis de Belem is a famous pastries shop in downtown Lisbon that has been producing a tasty egg tart since 1837. This local favorite is best when eaten warm, fresh from the oven, and sprinkled with cinnamon. Our tour guide got us there just before the crowd arrived as shown in above picture above.

 

The chapel of the 16th century Mosteiro dos Jeronimos (Jeronimos Monastery) contains the tomb of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. That's Elaine and Carol approaching the entrance in the foreground.

 

Beautifully ornate cloisters decorate the inner court of the Jeronimos Monastery.

 

Thy tomb of Vasco da Gama, one of the most notable figures in the Portuguese Age of Discovery. He established a sea route to India which allowed the import of goods without use of the arduous Silk Road through the Middle East. This resulted in Portugal becoming a major trading center and economic power.

 

Palácio Nacional da Pena (Pena National Palace) was residence of the monarchs of Portugal during the 18th-19th century. It is located near the little town of Sintra on the outskirts of Lisbon.

 

The "Wanderers" at  Pena National Palace. 

(Thanks to David Heatherly for the tip concerning the travel vest. Love it!)

 

Portugal, being the western-most country in Europe has, within it, the western-most point in Europe, marked by the Cabo da Roca (Cape Roca) monument. (The young lady is hurrying to have her picture made by the monument before the next group of tourists arrives.)

 

Granite boulders and sea cliffs along the coastline at Cape Roca, the western-most point in Europe. The Romans called this place "End of the World" because there was only water as far as the eye could see and they assumed there was no more "world" beyond this point.

 

Picturesque fishing boats along the western coast of Portugal near the town of Estoril.

 

Carlos was our personal tour guide for the day. He, like most Portuguese, is proud of his native country and loves to show it off to visitors. He exemplifies the warm, accepting, nature of the Portuguese people.

 

Day 3: Lisbon

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

After our exhausting journey yesterday and the day before, we awoke to a beautiful fall day in the ancient city of Lisbon, or "Lisboa" as it is known locally. On our first day of sightseeing here, we took a "Hop-On/Hop-Off" sightseeing "windshield" tour to familiarize ourselves with the highlights of this beautiful city. The images below are an attempt to familiarize the reader with some of the highlights of Lisbon.

The Ladies (Sally, Elaine and Carol) ready for the first day of sightseeing in Lisbon. Look closely, because they will not likely appear this rested and alert for the remainder of the trip.
(Post-trip note: Turns out my prediction was spot-on!



Hop-On/Hop-Off Tour Busses

All sidewalks and walkways in Lisbon are made of cobblestone and many are decorated in the fashion seen here. The lighter color stones are limestone and the darker stones are basalt, mined in nearby quarries.

Portugal is famous for its porcelain tiles that decorate many of the  buildings in and around Lisbon. If you look closely you can see an example of this long-held tradition on the face of the second building from the corner.

Another example of the traditional Portuguese tiles. Blue on white is a popular color combination displayed all across the city. According to local legend, it represents the blue sky that is typical of Portuguese weather, and the blue ocean that is the western boundary of Portugal. 

Modern vehicles and historic trams share the streets of Lisbon.

Street lamps recall the illustrious maritime history of Portugal with a depiction of old-time sailing ships used in the 15th and 16th centuries to make great new discoveries and establish the first, and longest lasting of the global empires.

Large cruise ships dock at the Port of Lisbon.

Christ the King monument overlooking Lisbon.
Momumento a Christo Rei, as it is known, was inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking Rio de Janeiro, and was erected following World War II to signify gratitude for Portugal being spared the ravages of that war (due to its neutrality).

Lisbon "street art" is over the top!

Lisbon streets are narrow and crowded.

Laundry day, Lisbon style.



Regular gasoline is 142.9 Euros per liter, or $5.41 per gallon. Spain and Portugal rank about 10th or 11th in the cost of gasoline among European Union countries. In other places the cost is a good deal higher.

 

For our granddaughter, Kai'a, and grandson, Ethan, both of whom are big Star Wars fans: Star Wars in Portuguese!

Day 1-2: The Longest Day

Sunday-Monday, October 6-7, 2013

Prescription for a long, tiring day: Up at 4:30 am, finish packing the suitcases, lockup the house and be picked up by the airport shuttle by 8:00. Cool heels for two hours at the airport because 8:00 am was the only shuttle option available. One hour flight to Dallas/Fort Worth airport. Meet up with two of four traveling companions (Tom and Elaine from Dallas) and have lunch while cooling heels for another five (yes, five!) hours at DFW because that's the only flight option available. Ten hour from DFW to Madrid. Cool heels for another five (yes, five!) hours at Madrid airport because that's the only flight option available. One hour flight from Madrid to Lisbon. Arrive in Lisbon approximately 26 hours, and what seems like a million miles, after leaving home with not one cross word between us! Unpack, shower, change clothes, meet up with our other two traveling companions (Ron and Sally from Mobile whose flight was cancelled due to the tropical storm in the Gulf causing them to be re-routed through London) and have dinner. Whew! Just when you think you have all the obstacles overcome, up pops another. Ron and Sally's ATM card would not work at the local ATM machines, so no local money (Euros) to spend. (No one uses travelers checks any more, but when the ATM won't take your card.....) Return to the hotel (more on that later), drop (literally) into bed, and sleep the blissful sleep of the weary traveler. With all of that fun stuff out of the way, we are finally ready to get started with our Bucket List Wanderings...

My traveling companion (and better half) awaiting the flight to DFW.

We arrived early as you can see...

 

Carol and Elaine at DFW awaiting the flight to Madrid.

 

AA-36 preparing for the long DFW-MAD "red-eye" flight.

 

Early morning landfall (a.k.a "feet dry") over the Western Coast of Spain.

 

Olive trees of Catalonia Province, Spain.

Spain is the world's #1 producer of olives and olive oil.

 

Elaine, Tom, and Carol at Madrid International Airport

 

It must be Madrid!

 

Boarding the Iberia Airlines flight to Lisbon.

 

Lisbon from the air.

 

Hotel Britania - Lisbon

 

Our hotel (Hotel Britania-Lisbon) is a 30 room "boutique" Art Deco style hotel in the city center that was built in 1942, and recently re-modeled. It has an interesting history due to the fact it was built during World War II during the German occupation of most of Europe. Portugal did not take sides and was officially "neutral" during World War II, becoming a haven for various nationalities of Europeans and Middle Easterners fleeing the ravages of war. As a result, Lisbon became a haven for spies trying to gain intelligence from these various groups. The Britania Hotel was the scene of elegant social gatherings of the Lisbon elites during that time and was, no doubt, the location of much mystery and intrigue.