Save us from Semana Santa

Well, here we are back at the internet cafe, still looking for accomodations. Can't find a thing in Granada and we are going there on April 11th for a few days. Can't find much in Lisbon either since we will be arriving there right around their Liberation Day. Sorry to let you down, I know it's been a long time since I posted but I have been spending 1 - 2 hour stretches just trying to find a place for us to sleep. After doing that for a couple of hours without any success, one can get a little tired and frustrated and not feel much like putting in a trip journal entry. Know what I mean?

I'll at least get a few details down for posterity.

Madrid was beatiful!! The we spent 6 hours at the Prado, and it was fabulous! I've decided that we should bet a copy of a Rubens for the bathroom. I think it would help boost my confidence.

The next day we went to 2 more museums since we had bought the Art Pass which gives a discount if you buy it all together. We went to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia first where we viewed Picasso's Guernica. I love the story of when Picasso was asked by Nazi official whether he was responsible for this work! Picasso replied, 'No, you are' The painting depicts the bombing of the town by the Germans at Franco's request during the Spanish civil war. The Sofia had alot more contemporary art and we have a much better idea of what we like and what we don't. After that we went to the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza.

On the 29th, the weather improved dramatically and we spent the day strolling, after we did the internet thing and got our bus tickets purchased. We walked to the Plaza Mayor and the Plaza Puerta del Sol. We went to the Palace and to the Parque de Buen Retiro, which is terrific! There was a crystal palace there as well as tons of incredible fountains, all working and clean, I must add.

The world forgot to mention that it's daylight savings time. I have a hard enough time keeping track of that when I'm home, let alone when I am in a foreign country. The bus ride to Barcelona on the 30th was 8 hours. Found a place pretty quickly, with a nice balcony overlooking the street. Nice, but noisy. Their were daily anti-war protests there and it seemed a symbol of their sentiment was drumming, clapping, or banging on whatever is handy in unison. Generally, we had a group pass our hotel at about midnight. Forget about getting to sleep early. But they also keep much different hours here in Spain. Go out at 7 am and the streets are deserted!!!

I like the typical schedule, here's how it goes: get up at 8am; go to work at 9am; at 11am, go out for coffee or a brandy with a little sandwhich; go back to work at about 11:30 am; work until 1:00 pm; have a glass of wine or a beer at around 1:30 pm; go to lunch from 2 pm until 3pm; take a siesta from 3 to 4pm; go back to work, maybe, but a 5:30 pm it's time for afternoon coffee or tea; tapas and drinks begin at 7:30 pm and last until dinner which is taken at around 9 - 11 pm, except in summer when dinner can begin at midnight. So how may hours of actual work is that?

The food in Barcelona was fabulous, we had some terrific meals including veal in wine mushroom sauce, 3 mouse salad which was tuna, humus, tomatoe and eggplant mousse. We also had two terrific deserts. One was a Chocolatissmo and one was Catalan desert, almond and toffee ice creams, covered in custard, broiled, on a plate of chocolate sauce with strawberries. Yes, all this in the 20 dollar total food budget for 2 people, or close enough.

Next day we walked, and walked, and walked.....and walked. Les Rambles, Gaudi's buildings, the Sagrada Familia which is a cathedral started by Gaudi but not finished, Park Guell (another Gaudi creation), home to the world's longest park bench.

Tuesday the 1st we went to Montjuie (Hill of the Jews), we had to take a funicular and then a cable car to get up there. We walked down the hill through the park and to the Olympic Stadium. From there we walked to the National Palace, beautiful, with fountains running all the way from the Palace to the Plaza de Espana. So that day, we walked, and walked, and walked......

The next day we got to sit in one place for a long time since we took the bus to Figueras to visit the Dali Museum, a museum that Dali specifically to hold his artwork when the town of his birth humbly asked if he would only donate a painting to it. It was the best museum (structure) I have ever visited!!

Next we traveled down to Valencia, only a 4 hour bus ride and found a cheap room. The train station there was beautiful!! All the architecture in Spain is fantastic! Their market is celebrating 75 year and its the best one we have seen in Spain so far.

Well, it's been about 2 1/2 hours. I think it's time to go visit some more of Seville, which is also fabulous by the way!!!