The sights and sounds of the streets is something I enjoy. I had a lot of time on my hands while the big guy was working so, I did most of this by myself. It’s a good thing I like to walk around and take in the cities I visit, because you learn a lot.

Madrid is a very bustling place, where getting any type of transportation is as easy as crossing the street. Walking, bicycles, motorcycles, and lots of taxis. Uber is not really there. The cab drivers protested against them about 6 months ago, taking their cars and blocking major intersections. It basically shut down the city. There are street vendors around, some are allowed to be selling their wares, and some are not. The ones that shouldn’t, have a kind of street code with each other. If they see the police anywhere nearby it can either be verbal or a whistle. No matter what they are selling, it can be picked up or hidden very easily.

I saw a lot of fur being worn by the women in this city, not only at the two weddings I saw but just walking around day by day. And on all ages. Not since my days working at The Broadway Fashion Valley have I seen so many minks. “Designer Dresses and Furs. This is JoAnn how may I help you?” If I ever go back, I know where I can wear my moms.

One last thing….families and friends enjoying being together. Laughing, eating, drinking, and conversation.

#TuesdayTravels #TravelingwiththeSilverFox #twobrokekids

If there is a wine region to see and experience in the countries we visit, we will be there. On Friday, we went on a wine tour with the wonderful Rio as our knowledgeable guide.

The drive out to the winery’s we were to visit was full of olive trees. Old ones with double trunks, and young ones with the skinny trunks. 50% of the worlds supply of olive oil comes from Spain, but Italy has the greater production. Also, almond trees. The nuts are used to make marzipan.

The first place Rio drove us to was the medieval town of Chinchón. Bodega Del Nero was the first Winery we were to tour. It was established in 1870 and the 150 year old building is still being used to produce their wine. Our guide was Roberto, a 5th generation wine maker. He didn’t speak English, so he spoke in Spanish, and Rio translated to English. They own their own vineyards outside the town, and handpick the grapes. They grow the vines in clay soil, and the fermentation process is in clay barrels, the traditional way instead of in steel vats. They hold 4,000 liters and are very porous. The cleaning of the insides of these pots is very meticulous and takes a skinny person to go inside to clean, and to be very careful not to cause any damage. Any knick will make them unusable again. Roberto paired our tastings with local cheeses.

The 2nd Winery we went to was Bodega de Jesus Diaz in the town of Colmenar de Oreja. The Winery is housed in a former 16th century Franciscan convent. Antonio was our winemaker. White wines, 10,000 liters, are fermented in clay pots, red wine, 5,000 liters, are fermented in cement vats. The biggest production is their white wines. These are all stored in a building from 1840. Way down in the cellar are the riddling racks for the sparkling wine they produce. Since the weather was so pretty outside we did our tastings on their patio. Again, Rio interpreted to English for us who are Spanish language challenged. While opening up the sparkling wine, Roberto used an instrument to lop off the top of the sparkling wine. Our samples were again paired with local cheeses and meats.

It was a wonderful experience. I love to see how the different regions produce their wines. A lot of the winery’s in these countries are tucked away in small towns. So, not only do you get to hear about the locals make their wines, but you get to hear about their villages. Everyone wants to share and answer your questions. And Roberto and Antonio happily poured their delicious wines.

#MondayBlogs #twobrokekids

It’s all about the churches. As I have written before or stated before, I love going into old churches. I can spend a good deal of time in them. Looking at the statues, the paintings and reading about their history. I imagine what it must have been like when they were first established, the music that was played, the smell of the incense…..which at times you can still smell the lingering odor. And these past couple of days did not disappoint.

The big guy found a church for me to go to on Sunday that was about 20 minutes away by cab, and they had a noon mass in English. The Basilica of Jesus de Medinaceli or its formal name, Basilica de Neuestro Padre Jesus de Medinaceli. This church was built around the statue of Padre Jesus Nazareno sculpted in the 17th century. The Duke of Medinaceli erected the the chapel for this statue in 1689. The image almost did not survive the Spanish Civil War, but his survival has inspired quite the devotion. Got to mass early enough to be able to walk around to see the beauty of this church. And of course it was in Spanish. I know the mass well enough to know what is going on, accept for the sermon. Even in a language I did not understand, it was short and to the point.

Yesterday, I took a cab to the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Teal de La Almudena. The church is dedicated to the Virgin of La Almudena, patron saint of the city. Legend has it that during the Moorish occupation, the Christians hid the statue in the fold of a wall at a grain store nearby. Not wanting to leave her in the dark, they lit candles at her feet before covering closing up the site. King Alfonso VI of Castile had heard about the statue, and after conquering the Moors, promised to return to look for the image. He asked the faithful to pray to find the image. In 1085 she was found, with the candles still burning at her feet. In 1993, Pope Saint John Paul II consecrated and dedicated this Cathedral. Her beauty does not disappoint. She is surrounded by paintings depicting the life of Jesus. I said my rosary in the crypt below which has its own beauty with paintings and side altars. After all of that, I went out to walk more of the streets, take in the sights and listen to my surroundings.

Traveling with the SilverFox Spanish Style

Having a husband that works in Europe, Wales specifically I never know where I will end up when I am over here visiting. This time around I am in Madrid….for a whole week. The big guy has business and I get to explore this colorful city.

This past weekend we went exploring all around the place, as much as we could. They have a huge monument to Christopher Columbus. Also, statues to the Catholic monarchs that funded his voyage. It was interesting that the names of the sailors that accompanied him on that voyage are engraved there. Spent some time at the square, Puerta Del Sol that dates back to the 14th century. It is a most popular one, and the scene of many demonstrations which we saw on Saturday. I asked someone what it was about, and he told me it could be about anything. The upcoming election that is pitting the conservatives against the liberals……hmmmm, that sounds familiar. Or he said it was probably the cab drivers protesting about the Uber drivers. About an hour later they were gone, having made their point.

Got to see the Real Madrid stadium where the crowds were just leaving after seeing their team play. The people didn’t look to happy since they lost. Out of all the championships they have won, they are most proud of the fact that they have over 10,000 season ticket holders.

On Saturday night, we did a Tapas tour. Natcho our tour guide took us to 6 different neighborhoods of Madrid so we could sample the local food and and and soak up the atmosphere. One of them was called The Letters because the literary people use to live there, and another one was The Universidad, because of the college students.Meats, cheeses, a dish that he referred to as a tortilla, but resembled a frittata was full of potatoes, cheese and butter. Because of the different cultures and unique neighborhoods he told us that there are 13,000 different bars and restaurants in the city.

We are very close to the Puerta de Alcala, the most famous monument in Madrid. It was commissioned in 1778 by King Charles III for his desire to endow the city with a worthy entrance.

A new week begins, and for me more exploring.

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