My Favorite Place in Madrid: Plaza Mayor

from my journal on 2/8:

"It's Friday, the sun is out, and i am alive and well in Spain.

I sit on a circular stone bench surrounding a lamp post in the heart of Madrid's historic district- Plaza Mayor. I'm listening to Jump, and they're singing longingly of California, India, London- but I am more than content to sit here, in Spain.

There are cobblestones under my feet and sunshine on my face, and I feast gladly on pretzel Goldfish and cereal bars. The Plaza is alive with people eating, talking, enjoying the Spanish sun.

I hear languages- all different kinds flowing together in a loving hum that gives the square a soft movement, the ebb and flow of conversation like some gentle, great ocean. I float along willingly. There are musicians here- a cellist, a percussionist, an accordian player. They add their offering to the ocean.

The paintings on the buildings around me tell a story. I wish I knew what it was. A moment ago, someone nearby was smoking a pipe. The aroma was rich, deep, and filling. The pigeons soaring through the open air add an element of poetry to such a picturesque setting.

A welcome breeze plays wiht my hair, and I close my eyes, enjoying the complementary sensations of the coolness of the air and the warmth of the sun.

I wonder if the statue man is still somewhere behind me. He is painted gold and has something rigged up so that it appears he is riding a horse, mimicking the statue of Felipe III which sits (unmoving) in front of me.

Painters add color to the edges of the square with their creations- a flash of orange here, a stroke of blue there. Reds, pinks, and greens follow.

I am overjoyed to be here. This is wonderful. Thank You, Lord."

Welcome to Segovia

Ah, Segovia: city of the grand Roman aqueduct, the last great Gothic cathedral to be built in Spain, the fantastic Alcazar (castle-palace), and dead baby pigs that are happily eaten as a delicacy. only a two hour train ride from Madrid, and well worth the trip. as an added bonus, riding the train makes you feel like youre going to Hogwarts!


Church of Saint Millan


the aqueduct, built at the end of the first century by the Romans, who turned the town into an important military base.

the aqueduct was in use until the 19th century, and ive heard it is still functional today and used to bring water into the city from ten miles away. it was built entirely without mortar, meaning the stones had to fit together perfectly, which is absolutely astounding.

yay, Segovia!

poor baby piglet. the meat is cooked in such a way that it is so tender a plate is used to cut it apart.

beautiful Spanish countryside

happy to be alive and in Segovia.

on the way to the castle where we pretended to be princesses. the Alcazar was Walt Disneys inspiration in creating the Cinderella (or is it Sleeping Beauty?) castle!

there we are!

courtyard inside

weaponry room

these guys totally reminded me of my bros- Alex, Samuel, and Daniel. miss you boys!

fantastic view

interesting bit of history: King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel lived in this castle. they were the king and queen who sent out Christopher Colombus!

maybe this is Queen Isabel, maybe its not. i really have no idea. but it sure is beautiful. there are stained glass windows everywhere inside the castle.

the Segovia Cathedral, built in 1525

Segovia's Plaza Mayor- a fantastic place to sit at one of the sidewalk cafes, sip a cafe con leche, take in the sunshine, and thank the Creator for making Spain (and life, for that matter) a playground for our enjoyment and His praise.

this was one of those days you could call perfect, and i hope and pray youve experienced one yourself. the weather was gorgeous, the sights were humblingly spectacular, and the company was excellent.

Mike Howerton, an author ive quoted before who is much wiser and more well-traveled than i, puts words to this day:
"Days like today not only prove the existence of a Creator, they prove a Creator's love of the piercingly beautiful... I no longer believe in the word "coincidence." I know that powers much higher are in control of my life and trying (suceeding rather) at making me one of the happiest and most awe-struck people in existence... I love. I live. I laugh. Is it possible to be more blessed? I wonder."

Amen.

El Rastro!

welcome to El Rastro: a huge flea market in Old Madrid that was established in the Middle Ages.

you can find just about anything here- new furniture, second hand clothes (including VERY large womens underwear), beautiful ceramics, politcally incorrect records, all types of weaponry, decorative fans, you name it.

do you need a didgeridoo? El Rastro has it.

abanicos galore


need a gas mask or two? El Rastros got you covered.

little old woman playing a mysterious instrument and adding awesomeness to the ambiance of El Rastro

because these are completely necessary...

look closely and you will see one of the rows is marked "Black Music."

its always been one of my great fears to run out of horns. thank you, El Rastro, for putting an end to this fear. what a relief.

its a good idea to follow a morning at El Rastro with some chocolate y churros...

... but BEWARE- this stuff is deadly, and you will most likely die a very painful and horrible death if you eat it on an empty stomach.

FACT: the number one cause of death to Americans in Spain is chocolate y churros on an empty stomach.

i learned this lesson the hard way, and i will NEVER make the same mistake again.

so, maybe Chantal was right about El Rastro, but it really is a fun way to spend a Sunday morning. there is so much to take in, it overwhelms the senses- color, music, people, noise, sunshine.

i am thankful for yet another beautiful glimpse into the Spanish people and their way of life. what a precious, precious gift this time here truly is. Thank You, Lord.

i love you, friends. come visit El Rastro with me.

Walk It Out

we have so much catching up to do its crazy. as Samuell L. Jackson so famously said in one of my all time favorite movies (you have to guess which one!): "Hold on to your butts."

first things first. may i present to you: The Walk of Shame. or, The Long Walk Home. or, Why, In the Name of Everything That is Holy, Do You Live So Far From Madrid?? enjoy.

Metro Norte is where we begin our journey. Hospital del Norte is the name of this stop, and if you are guapa enough, you do not have to pay for your ticket. suckas.

walking, walking, walking. elapsed time is about 2 minutes so far. see that red sign off in the distance? thats where we are going.

the red sign is getting closer... but this hill just keeps getting longer and longer.

we made it! now we're almost half way home. elapsed time: 12 minutes.

now we get to walk on the side of the highway for a good while. it makes me feel like a vagrant, which is kind of fun, i suppose.

oh look: a metal fence that is right in the middle of where i need to walk. what do i do? crawl under the fence of course. this usually means doing the splits, but most of the time the ground is fairly muddy, so that helps a bit. thanks, mud, for making this hellacious walk that much better.

at this point in our journey, dear readers, i look to my left and see a man peeing in the woods about 10 feet away from me. unfortunately for me, he does not have his back to me, and, even more unfortunately, i am wearing my glasses, so i get a pretty clear view of exactly how everything is going down. i begin to pick up the pace a bit for fear that this man would come after me because he thinks i am taking inappropriate pictures of him. and by pick up the pace, i mean i am in a dead run. at least this means i will get home faster... elapsed time: 22 minutes.

that green bus is the one i take to get to Madrid. we just passed my bus stop (bus stop = patch of dirt), and if you cant tell by the photograph, i am still running, but now i have to duck, too, so i dont hit my head on those low hanging tree branches. what an adventure.

still moving relatively fast. elapsed time: 25 minutes.

hallelujah, ive finally made it to my neighborhood. but we're still a good 8 minutes from home, and this hill seems like it goes on forever. its not so much that its incredibly steep or anything, it just s l o w l y inclines in such a way that by the end of it youre sucked dry of all resolve and have lost the will to live. that kind of hill.

at the top of the hill and begging for death.

i really do live in a beautiful area, but at this point of the walk, i hate everything and my knees feel like they are about to fall off.

getting closer...at this point i am dragging myself along the ground, gasping for breath...

nearly... there...

thank You, Jesus, im home. elapsed time: 33 minutes.

this walk can be pretty miserable, especially when its cold outside, and i have made it once in the dark, but i hope you can see the humor in my words here and not just my silly complaints. i am in Spain, and i love it here, and a 3o minute walk every once in a while is not going to kill me (although my tendonitis strongly disagrees).

thank You, Jesus, that i have legs that work and an Ipod shuffle and the weather here has been beautiful and i live in a gorgeous neighborhood near the mountains and i get exercise every day and i have time to think and my eyes have been opened to the beauty of creation and i am in Spain.

happy walking, everyone.