Thursday, March 26th, 2004

Part II - 'Geez its cold here'

I hadn't realized it in all the hussle and bustle of trying to get to a bed the night before, but when I awoke and went outside the next morning, it was cold! I discovered that February may not be the best time for visiting Western Europe -coming from the rainforest of West Africa, but I was there and I was going to enjoy it!

Because of my flight luck, I had three days in Madrid all to myself, and I proceded to the tourist information desk to get all the maps I needed. I then spent the next two days wandering around Madrid with my camera, wearing only a light sweater and a windbreaker to protect against late winter winds (and on one afternoon, snow). The first lunch- my first real meal in Spain, I headed to that bastion of American values (and value), McDonalds. Its pretty difficult to explain how a Big Mac can almost bring one to tears unless you've been there.

I walked all around the city, exploring virtually all of the major sites and museums. The main palace of Madrid was pretty amazing, but I couldn't get into the main cathedral which is opposite because it was closed for renovations. It seems the Crown Prince is getting married this summer and he wants to have it there. If someone could tape it for me, then I'll know what I was missing...

The museums were, on the whole, very nice but not New York or Paris or London or even DC. I guess when you're lucky enough to live and be able to travel and see much of the great western art of the world, even the acclaimed Prado falls short. They did have a few astonishing pieces though, which made the trip worthwhile. In terms of museums, I really enjoyed the modern art of the Queen's gallery, Reina Sofia. Picasso's Guernica is one of those legendary works which despite all the hype manages to inspire and awe that much more in person. I guess more and more I'm becoming a "modern" art fan, as I have ceased to appreciate a perfectly rendered still life of arranged flowers, pewter pitchers and animal heads.

As you may know, I'm an architecture freak, and Madrid provided some awe-inspiring moments. I have to say that I can't imagine a more impressive post office than the Palace of Communications. Its litterally a cathedral to the art of letter-writing.

Having been starved of western culture for the last nine months (as stark contrast to my at least once weekly cultural outings in New York), I set out to find a concert, opera or guy with a guitar to appease the thirst. I found what I needed. One night I discovered the chorus and orchestra of the City of Madrid. As luck would have it, it was an all-American program. It was just like being back in Lincoln Center. A note to New York cultural institutions: the best seat in the house cost 15 euros. The concert was wonderful, and I truly missed my friends at the NY Choral Society.

The following day, the 19th, was my 31st birthday. The positive side was that I was in a great western capital and could do anything I wanted. The downside was that I was all by myself. I decided to "seize the day" and get up early to spend the day in Toledo, the ancient city made famous by an El Greco painting, so I got on a bus and arrived an hour later. Toledo is a relatively small, hilly, walled-town with lots of cobblestone streets too small for cars (but which they seem to have found cars small enough to fit). I had a small map from the tourist office, but the small curvy streets were difficult to follow, so I got lost several times. Luckily it was small enough that if you tried not to turn for a while you ended up at a landmark. I saw all the major and most minor sites of the city, including the phenomenal Cathedral with its Spanish medieval and baroque interior.

I stopped for lunch around 1pm and found myself the first one there (Spanish folks, I came to find, do everything several hours late). I decided to treat myself to a good restaurant and enjoy the specialties of central Spain. Luckily, my hotel had a small library with a Fodor's guide in english, so I had some direction... The restaurant was a bit on the expensive side, but quite worth it. An extravagant lunch of smoked duck, roasted pigeon and baked local fish followed by marzipan cake and ice cream was truly a birthday gift to myself. I did make it back to the bus station and Madrid before dark. A Burger King double bacon cheeseburger and New York superfudge chunk from Ben & Jerry's capped off the day.

The next day, Deema, Jean and Frankie arrived together around noon and Tara got in late that night. The fun was only just beginning...

End of part II. there's more...