The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain…
Or so it is said. As of late that hasn’t exactly been the case. The hills of the Sierra Nevadas have been getting a decent amount too and good old Granada has had its fair share of wet mornings and freezing afternoons. Just like home, right? Spain in general is suffering a rather severe winter. Go figure; I packed mostly warm weather clothing. At least we are gifted with the occasional thunder crack and lightening bolts, more than one can say for the rain in Oregon. Winter would be so much more bearable at Willamette if it were a little more exciting. Sunday night was a good night for winter storms here, for the low rumbles and sudden flashes, a good night not to use the blackout blinds or to close the window. I haven’t slept so well in a long while.
Monday morning we took a taxi to the Palacio de Congresos where we caught a bus and rolled through those rainy plains of Spain – the gentle rise and fall of olive trees and occasional vineyards blanketed by grey skies – to Madrid. We left at 9:30 and arrived around 2:30. We spent the evening exploring el museo de la Reina Sofia, where the infamous Guernica by Picasso is housed. If you ever visit, beware of the green exit signs pointing to white metal double doors: they are emergency exits, not to be confused with exhibit exits, and once you pass through them you will find yourself in an emergency exit stairwell and will have to wait for a friend to let you back in, if you are lucky enough to have a phone and know a friend’s number. We stayed in the Hotel Alexandra (the towels had my name on them and everything) and ventured to dinner in a little restaurant very close by.
Tuesday morning we met with a history Professor from Segovia named Eduardo who took us on a short historic visit of just a few of the sites around Madrid, including the palacio real, the plaza mayor and la puerta del sol aka mile zero of every highway in Spain. After lunch, we ventured to el Prado museo and took in hundred’s of classic Spanish art pieces (Goya, El Greco, Velasquez…) and an impressive exhibit of Francis Bacon’s work. We were there for a good 3-3.5 hours and had I not been so tired, could have easily stayed there for several more.
Wednesday brought lots of rain and cold at el escorial, a palace/monastery with a gorgeous library. After that was el valle de los caidos, also freezing and rather awe-inspiring and intense. It was built by Franco after the end of the Spanish civil war and used as a mass burial site for the dead on both sides of the fight. The basilica contains giant robed and faceless statues representing the 50,000+ unknown soldiers whose bodies lie in two rooms of the basilica. The whole monument is built into a mountainside (the stones of which are visible on the inside of the basilica) and shadowed by a giant stone cross that is multiple stories tall and visible from across the valley. The monument happens to be the burial site of Franco as well.
That night we discovered a delicious (and cheap) wrap restaurant across from our hotel, as well as a $2.35 bottle of sparkling red wine at the 24-hr store next door. Word of advice: Madrid = expensive. $2.35 bottles of wine and/or $1.50 40s are the way to go.
Thursday took us to Segovia, probably one of my favorite places thus far. With el acueducto romano, a sweet castle (after which the Snow White castle is designed) and lots of delicious bakeries and cute shops, it was unbelievably easy to spend four hours wandering around. Plus, it was sunny and warm, something we had yet to enjoy during our excursion. That night Taryn and I met up with Haley Rosenthal for a night on the town. We started at a “cave bar” with $10 drinks (cheap, according to Haley) and then moved to a discotec with lots of techno music and even more expensive drinks. It’s a good thing I can dance without being intoxicatedQ Our goal for the evening (at least for Taryn and me) was to be able to ride the metro back in the morning (which opens at 6:00). So after Haley and her girlies left around 4:30, Taryn and I enjoyed each other’s company until we could dance no longer, caught the metro, showered, packed, grabbed breakfast and met the group for the final day of ‘excursión’ in Toledo…
…which would have been beautiful had it not been snowing, hailing, raining and windy as soon as we stepped off the bus. We were troopers after a cup of coffee and, despite the lack of sleep, managed to enjoy several museums and churches (and lunch) before jumping on the bus back to Granada (and sleeping the entire way back).
Today is Sunday and I have a tad bit of a soar throat probably from little sleep and the cold wet weather. It was nice to get out of Granada, to be carefree and wander and learn, but it was even more fulfilling to arrive home Friday night unbelievably happy to be driving through the familiar sites and sounds of this place. You know you’re at home when…. Finally.