Mad About Madrid

As you know, I'm tagging along with Stephanie on her business trip to Madrid. You can see all of the pictures here, or again at the bottom of the page.

Madrid 2010 JPGS

On our first day in Madrid, I pretty much spent the day resting from the previous day's travel marathon, although I did scout out some restaurants and picked up some local flavor from a nearby supermarket.

When Stephanie finished with work, we headed out to the Plaza de Espana -

- and walked over to the Temple of Debod, gifted to Spain by Egypt.

From there we took a trip on the teleferico for some good views of the city, the Palacio Real, and the neighboring Almudena Cathedral.

After that, our plans to eat by a lake in near Casa Del Campo were thwarted by the World Cup Celebrations, which made it nearly impossible to get there.

Still, it was an amazing sight to see the huge crowds of revelers. It was also extremely hot, so we headed back towards the hotel for dinner. I have to say, the Madrid metro system is quite impressive - timely and comprehensive - you can get anywhere and it's very easy to connect between the different lines.

On Tuesday after Stephanie left for work, I made my way down the tree-lined Paseo del Prado to see the Prado Museum.

The museum was great, unfortunately it was another no-photo zone, but I snuck a few in. Unfortunately, the paintings I liked most didn't come out, but I still got some good ones, like this pair of an extremely large brother and sister. I don't know why, but I found them intriguing.

After the museum, I went to see the Anton Martin market -

- and picked up some more goodies that we can't get in Tajikistan (good olives, good baked goods, figs) to bring back to Stephanie. By then it was getting pretty hot, so I stopped for some paella and headed back to the hotel for an afternoon siesta.

When Stephanie got back from work, we headed out to tour some more of the city, taking in the Puerta del Sol -

- Plaza Mayor -

- Plaza del Cordon, and the winding streets of the Austrias district.

From there it turned out to be a relatively short walk to the Cathedral Almudena de Real, which had an interesting mix of classic and modern decor.

The Palacio Real is right next door to the Cathedral, so we checked that out as well although it looks like we weren't be able to go inside because the royal family is visiting.

I know it sounds like a lot to accomplish after work, but it doesn't get dark here until after 10pm, so we had plenty of time.

After all that sightseeing we went looking for food and found a whole store full of Iberian hams, with the hooves still on them -

- after that we stopped at a nearby restaurant to try some of the ham along with a dish of eggs, homemade potato chips and refreshing sangria. It really hit the spot. After returning to the hotel to call it a night, we took in some fresh air and the night views of the city skyline from our balcony.

On Wednesday Stephanie planned to work at night to coordinate with her offices in the U.S. so we decided to take a day trip to Toledo - only 30 minutes away by high-speed train. Our adventure got out to a fun start when we got to the train station and learned that the tickets couldn't be purchased on a self-service machine. We had to take a number and wait in a cramped little waiting area.

When our number came up, the lady told us we had taken a ticket for the line for people who want to purchase a ticket for the following day. Who knew? So we got another ticket, which put us at the back of the line for people who wanted to purchase tickets for that day. As we watched the minutes drain away before our 9:20 departure, we got increasingly nervous. Finally, at 9:10, our number was called. We dashed up, I spoke in broken Spanish (all that I have left since learning Russian), and we got the tickets.

Fortunately, while waiting, I had scouted out the location of our track and we were able to make a dash for it. In the end we got on the train just fine. All settled in, we enjoyed a breakfast of figs, yellow plums, hard cheese, and some baked goods I picked up the day before. Soon enough, we arrived in Toledo.

Toledo is, in appearance, primarily a medieval city, but it actually dates back to Roman times and was of course occupied by the Moors for a good while and definitely shows the Arabic influence. We spent the rest of the day wandering the winding streets, taking in the sites like the Alcazar and the various churches.

The cathedral in particular was very beautiful, but was also one of those places where we couldn't take pictures.

I snuck a few, but couldn't help wondering why pictures are disrespectful when they have this extraordinarily hokey video blaring in front of the main altar on enormous TV screens. I'm still convinced that it's just a gimmick to get visitors to by post cards. We also stopped into a restored synagogue, which was more austere but still nice - especially the ceiling.

In our wanderings we picked up some delicious marzipan that was hand made by one of the convents - delicious and about half the price of the stuff in the tourists shops. Lunch was in a little out of the way place that wasn't remarkable except for the very good gazpacho. We worked off lunch by taking in the views -

- and walking down to the old city gates -

- and then caught the bus back to the train station -

- which was beautiful in it's own right.

When we got back to Madrid, we were started by an enormous baby's head near the train tracks. I guess we missed it in our rush in the morning, but I don't see how we could have. Creepy.

On our way out, we encountered a literal rain forest in the train station, complete with a turtle pond.

The afternoon was dedicated to a tour of the botanical gardens, with some amazing flowers, a bonzai exhibit, and a nice greenhouse section.

By then it was time for Stephanie to get to work, but a little later we took a break to get dinner. While strolling through our neighborhood, we were crossing the street and a woman with a rather husky, (to be truthful, he was almost perfectly round),boy was crossing toward us. The boy looked less than pleased to be there and suddenly, his mouth yawed open and his gum just fell out of his mouth and onto the street. It looked like he just gave up chewing.

Without thinking I said, "He sure doesn't look like he had trouble keeping food in his mouth." Which I know was mean, but we were laughing pretty good all the way to dinner. Our neighborhood isn't the best spot for eating in Madrid, and we were starting to despair of finding a good place to eat when we discovered a little tapas bar that turned out to be just the thing. We had a nice selection of tapas and some very good Sangria before returning to the room, where Steph had to get back to work and I just kicked back and relaxed. Tough life, I know.

Thursday was our last day and I didn't have a whole lot planned while Stephanie was at work, although I did make a dentist appointment for the early afternoon given the dubious quality of oral care in Tajikistan. With my free time in the morning, I wandered around a bit, taking in the sights, and then found a cider house I had read about and stopped to sample the different kinds, accompanied by some chorizo and an empanada. Well, by the time I had sampled all the ciders I was interested in (all of them), I was pretty well on my way.

When I got back to the hotel I decided to e-mail Stephanie a fun e-mail to brighten her day. The subject was something along the lines of "Come back soon, I'm rather drunk". I only found out later that at the time, Stephanie was giving a presentation and when my e-mail arrived, the notification came up and everyone in her training could read the subject. They thought it was hilarous. Stephanie was a bit embarrassed, but I think it was probably a nice way to lighten the mood ;-)

My trip to the dentist was quick and painless, with a thumbs up report, so I went back to the hotel to relax and wait for Stephanie to get back from work.

Thursday night was a special treat as we went to see a flamenco rendition of Carmen by the Flamenco Ballet of Madrid.

The show was outstanding and we followed it up with an outstanding meal of potatoes, eggs, and black pudding, fried chunks of iberian pork (a pork rind lover's dream), seafood paella, roast suckling pig (melt-in-your-mouth), and of course, sangria.

All that while sitting out on the Plaza Mayor as the sun set.

It bears mentioning that the sun didn't set until almost 10 pm. We though Italians were bad about eating late, but the Spanish take it to a whole new level. Many restaurants don't even open for dinner until 9pm! But, with the moon rising over the square -

- we made our way over to the Opera House, which faces the Palacio Real and took in the night scenery. I think it was the perfect way to end our trip to Madrid (and the walking was good since we both ate way too much!

By the time we got back to the hotel, we had about 4 hours of sleep before it was time to head to the airport for our flights to Riga. But that will come in a later post. For now, here's the rest of the pics from Madrid:

Madrid 2010 JPGS

1 Day, 4 Countries

I'm writing this from the more well-rested side of a 24 hour blitz through Europe, leaving Dushanbe in the morning, having lunch in Latvia, dinner in Prague, and making it to Madrid in time for the post-World Cup celebrations. Here is the quick link to all the pictures, and the story can be found below...

Eurotrip 2010 JPGS

I took the trip to meet Stephanie in Madrid, where she is doing some training for work. Stephanie left on Saturday morning so that she could get to Spain early enough on Sunday to prepare for the training. Since we're obviously paying for my travel, I took a lower cost flight on Sunday morning.

I went to the Dushanbe airport at 3 am on Sunday for a 5 am flight. As the plane took off, the sun was already rising at the beginning of a very long, but fulfilling day. I was able to catch a couple of shots of the mountains of Central Asia before napping fitfully for the rest of the five and a halfhour flight to Riga.

Given the very cramped seating, I was more than happy to get off the plane when we landed.

I had a 6 hour layover, so I got through customs easily and found my way to the express bus area and was in the historic center less than an hour after landing. I didn't do too much detailed sightseeing since we're both coming back this way and hope to tour the town more fully when Stephanie is done with work each day.

That said, I saw some nice architecture and got my bearings so that we can be more effective on the way home.

A lady was selling Hitler martrushka dolls next to ones of Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden. Aninteresting mix to be sure.

I also saw some interesting features like a statue of the musicians of Bremen.

After sampling some Latvian food for lunch, I enjoyed a free outdoor concert in a nearby park -

before wandering back to the point where I could catch the bus back to the airport for the next leg of my trip. The flight from Riga to Prague was almost 2 hours, but thanks to the time zone change, I landed in Czech Republic only 45 minutes according to my watch. In Prague, I only hada 4 hour layover and had to be more purposeful with my sightseeing.

Once in the Euro-zone, you don't have to go through customs in each country. It's quite disappointing not to get my passport stamped for each one, but on the bright side, I was able to get out of the airport that much more quickly. I dashed outside and found the taxi stand and negotiated a price to take me sightseeing and back to the airport in time for my connection.

The driver wasn't terribly friendly, but what he lacked in personality, he made up for in efficiency. Our first stop was the Prague Castle - a huge collection of buildings that I didn't have nearly enough time to see.

I dashed around snapping pictures of the various buildings -

- and then went inside the cathedral - which rivaled many of the best ones we saw in Italy.

On my way back to the cab, I stopped for some pictures of the view of the city from the castle and then we were on our way.

The driver pulled over so I could see the famous Charles Bridge as we crossed the river -

- and then headed to the Old Town Square, with quaint buildings and the centuries-old astronomical clock, which still works today.

Our next stop was Wenceslas Square, where I grabbed a quick picture or two before hopping back in the car to drive along the river on our way back to the airport.

My sightseeing went so well that I even made it to the airport in time to enjoy roast crispy duck with dumplings and cabbage and to pick up some chocolates for Stephanie.

Of course, afeter a day of perfect connections, my last flight is the one that ended up being delayed. I couldn't really be annoyed about missing sightseeing time though, because we only got held up after the plane was loaded. We took off about an hour late, which actually worked well since it put me in a position to get some great pictures of the sunset before I fell asleep.

I awoke as we were approaching Madrid to an announcement from the captain that Spain had won the world cup. There was a good deal of cheering from the Spanish passengers as we descended into Spain. Despite the late flight, I still landed before midnight, and so technically, the same day as I started. Despite being quite tired, I had time to notice how nice and moder the airport in Madrid is.

I didn't have to wait too long to get my bag and grabbed a cab to meet Steph at the hotel where we are staying. We got close, but not quite there due to the crowds thronging the streets. Fortunately, while loud and boisterous, the crowds were not at all dangers and some people even posed for pictures.

I also got some video of the celebration.

By the time I got all settled in, it was arround 1am in Madrid, so around 4 am in Dushanbe - just over 24 hours since I left our house. I'd say that's pretty good for one day. Now for the next few days, I'll relax while Stephanie is working and then we'll try to sitesee with whatever time she has left. Tough life, huh? I apologize if there are a lot of spelling errors. Apparently, my computer has decided that since we're in Madrid, it only speaks Spanish and keeps suggesting Spanish words as 'corrections'. And, frankly, I don't have the patience to go and check them all.

Here are more pictures for those interested:

Eurotrip 2010 JPGS

Zucchini Bread

Nothing too eventful this week. Stephanie made an amazing zucchini bread out of that giant zucchini and we've gotten a couple more that we've enjoyed by grilling. We've both been busy with work. Stephanie, because she's preparing to do this training in Madrid. Me, because I'm going to be out for a week to accompany her to Madrid.

We're both watching the world cup events unfold with some trepidation. On the one hand, it could be neat to be in a country that's in the finals. On the other hand, it could be pure madness. Only time will tell. Either way, we're looking forward to our little jaunt and will surely make the most of it. I'm taking my computer along and should have time for some updates while Stephanie is working. Friday, here I come!

Independence Day Weekend

Here we are, enjoying the end of a lovely three-day weekend. On Thursday, we had a local internet company come to install a direct hi-speed internet line at the house because our wireless has been less than dependable. Stephanie found the installation to be quite funny and MacGuyver-esque.

Apparently, when the guy arrived, he didn't have anything to cut the cable with so he asked to borrow our kitchen knives. Then, he needed a match to melt the end of the cable and finally, scotch tape to hold everything together. Despite the apparent patch-job, the internet has been working fine so far.

On Friday evening, we held the 'official' 4th of July event at the Ambassador's residence. This was the culmination of months of planning and it was much more of a work event than a fun event. As GSO, I spent most of the time running around making sure everything went ok. For example, one of the foreign minister's representatives asked as to the where abouts of the Tajik flag as the party was starting. We don't usually feature the host country flag at these sort of events, but there's nothing against doing so, so in the name of good diplomatic relations, we got one set up before the speeches.

The party was quite nice - there was a string quartet from the opera's orchestra, and we decorated the place by hanging all 50 state flags in the order that they joined the union. Some tasteful bunting and some red, white, and blue oriental lanterns set off the overall design. Inside, we showed a presentation of various iconic sites in the U.S. as well as pictures from last year's fireworks show in Washington that I took from my cousin, Helen's, balcony.

All in all, it was a success. I have to say, my favorite part was listening to our national anthem. There's something about hearing it in a foreign country that seems to give it even more meaning than usual. I was also thankful for the ice cream bars that were passed around, which helped a great deal with the heat.

On Saturday, we went out to brunch with some friends, but otherwise took it easy. We also harvested a huge zucchini from our garden.

The other plants are coming along, so hopefully we'll have some more vegetables on our plates soon.

The unofficial embassy celebration for the 4th of July was held Sunday on the embassy compound. We had a good time eating hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream, etc... They capped off the event with several rounds of roman candles, which was a nice touch and gave the kids a thrill - especially when the flaming embers sometimes fell around them.

Aside from a trip to the bazaar, which happened to be closed for cleaning, we just enjoyed our day off today and stayed out of the heat. Now, just a quick four day work week between us and our trip to Madrid, where Stephanie will run some trainings and I'll tag along for a nice little vacation!