Soccer games watched: 2; US wins: 1
Parties attended: Mojacar Fiesta; Madrid Chocolate Festival, Spanish Inquisition Torture Weaponry Festival; choc fest pictured below
Things lost, broken, or stolen: 3- One bag (broken), one wallet (broken), one passport (lost and/or stolen), my dignity
Things gained and found: Renewed interest in travel, replacement passport, one hangover (surprisingly), 3 dresses, one skirt, 2 framed maps of Europe, one gorgeous fan from Segovia, 4 Espana trinkets, 1 snow globe, 1 shot glass, two shirts, one pair of work pants, 2 sets of meeeow undergarments (I clearly LOVE H & M or ache y eme as it is known en Espana), 3 pieces of pottery from Toledo, my dignity, one sleepless night, 5 lbs, 4 bottles of vino, one useless and inaccurate wrinkled Toldeo map, Issey Miyakey-Drop of Cloud perfume, 8 stones from the Mediterranean Sea (these were nearly rejected; I had to check them at baggage), one MADRID-MADRID-MADRID bag, one khaki hat, one guidebook from the Museo del Prado, knowledge about art, Spanish history and geography, 2 airplane sleep masks
Movies watched: Last Chance Harvey (awful), Sweet Home Alabama (always a fav), New in Town (decent), An American President (good!), Obsessed (creepy), Taken (creepier), National Treasure 3 (eh), Hot Fuzz (funny!), The Reader (wow), Milk (double wow), Two Lovers (good), one Family Guy episode (perfect), one million music videos (amazing!)
Food and drink consumed: Bread, cheese, olives, olive oil, donuts, churros y chocolate, salad, rice, tomatoes, ice cream, Coca-Cola Light, sangria (lots!), San Miguel cerveza, fibre flakes y leche, marzipan, gazpacho, cider, Burger King, Taco Bell, Subway, Spanish tortillas (eggs and potato quiche), veggie lo mein, pizza, Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup (2), one gratis guilt sandwich from Delta Airlines billed as vegetable, contents include hard-boiled eggs, butter, cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce. Sick. I am sure the legit vegetarians were very pleased with their entrée.
Cathedrals visited: All that exist in the entire country (it seemed J)
Passport stamps earned: Only 1, shipping me back to the US
Hours spent in the Madrid airport: 2 coming, 6.5 leaving
Connecting flights missed: 1
Gratitude earned: see next blog entitled “My Acceptance Speech”
I want to hear this passport story!!!! Also, did you lose or find your dignity first. Aka, do you have your dignity right now?
ReplyDeleteLost, then found. Passport story is this: had it on the last 10 minutes of the flight. Used it to complete a swine flu form. Realized it was missing after we deplaned. Was detained in airport for 2 hours, almost deported. My friend told security we were related (she is a Spanish resident now) and this is the only reason I was not sent immediately back to America. I had scanned my old passport on my computer (thanks to my traveling partner, Nancy, and was able to show them what it used to look like. We waited forever for a letter to be drafted, legitimized, and faxed to the airport. Then, I had strict instructions to sprint to the American Embassy for a replacement passport (in my pajamas) only to find that they were on lunch, and to come back in an undisclosed amount of time. I returned in one hour and found out they were no longer seeing American citizens. So, I was almost deported again. After some begging, they finally let me in. I waited another 1.5 hours and emerged with a new passport. It was brutal!!!! And a little funny. I am the world's worst traveler.
ReplyDeleteWow. Almost getting kicked out of the country and telling strangers you're a prostitute? You sure make your trips exciting!
ReplyDeleteHey!!! Do you konw what is that monument that you have taken a photo of...?
ReplyDeleteIt is the Valley of the Fallen Monument, it was conceived by the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco to honor those who fell during the Spanish Civil War. However, only two names are commmerorated- those of Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera and Franco himself. Are you proud of that? heheheeheeheheh, I'm just joking, it is a big monument to visit even when we don't feel proud of it because it was made for both sides of the war and finally Franco used it just for the people who die in his side.
If you don't recognize me I am Espinete from facebook
Porcupine-that is awesome information! Thank you! I was actually kind of embarrassed because I didn't recall the names of a lot of the places we visited! Feel free to keep adding bits and pieces of history for me! :)
ReplyDeleteOk, I will do it with every photo you add to the blog
ReplyDeleteThird picture, I think it is the Toledo Cathedral, not sure but I would bet my life, here you have some information about it
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sacred-destinations.com/spain/toledo-cathedral.htm
Anecdotes:
It has a watch with one single handle
One of the only watches a single handle that exist in the world is in the Cathedral of Toledo, on the door of the Fair "(also known as the" Clock ") was built two centuries ago by Manuel Gutierrez, and former produced a characteristic sound with a hammer to beat on the anvil located inside the area. There is at least one clock in the cathedral tower, which has never stopped working, and has three bells, with an area visible from outside.
Horn of the elephant:
Entering through the door of the clock, just to the left can be seen hanging from the vaults of the cathedral a large horn held by a string according to tradition is one of the oxen that transported the first stones to build the temple and died there because of the effort. Its size and low curvature suggests that it might actually belonged to an elephant, and others think that may also be a kind of horn that Mozarabs used to summon the faithful to replace the bells, prohibited for Muslims. It is also curious that in the nearby columns, but not on the floor halfway up some people are buried who died at the time of construction.