This is a Phlog. That’s short for Photo Blog. Here goes. My life in Madrid in Phlog.
Tag Archive: Europe
Live like it’s the last day of your life? Naaah. If that’s my mantra, I’d likely just stay home and spend time with family. Or pray in a convent or church.
I live like there are many days ahead to celebrate life. I go to the Prado and take in just a few. Knowing there would be other days to enjoy more. Leisurely. No rush. I visit Barcelona for a weekend thinking there would be many more weekends to spend there. I love visiting and revisiting places I enjoyed. That explains why I take photos in the exact same places where I had my photos taken years ago. The unwanted pounds. The unwanted lines and wrinkles. Little reminders of time past. Who cares? I’m enjoying life. Without the rush.
It’s not that I recommend it, but more than a few times I find myself buying a ticket from a vending machine to catch a train departing in less than 5 minutes. Imagine the thrill of brisk walking to the escalators, down to the ramps or platform, and hearing the train doors close behind you after having just hopped in.
And how about the excitement of reaching your destination? No matter how much you’ve read up on the place, I like the momentary ignorance and madness of deciding which way to go out of the train or bus station. Do I turn right, left or go straight? When I went to Aranjuez, I wondered whether I’m getting off in the middle of a forest. That’s how it looked just before the train stopped and I heard the announcement that we have reached Aranjuez. I walked for about 10 minutes to reach the Royal Palace and Gardens. No one to ask as most others who got off the train took the bus or were fetched by friends or relatives. It would feel the same way going to Valle de Los Caidos, except that most bus passengers are likely tourists like you too.
Fortunately, Spain has a superb transport system. The Metro, regional trains, fast trains, buses are all so easy to deal with. And clean! I also found the Spanish very friendly and helpful. Once, there was this middle-aged lady who actually walked with me for some blocks till the last corner just before my destination. In Alcala de Henares, the young students tried to be very precise with their directions (a plaza or square lined with plane trees, a building with many columns, a house with bronze statues and a fountain, etc).
It helps that google allows me to do virtual tours and obtain directions. While I do get maps and check out the attractions in each place, I always seek to get images of the palaces, museums, parks or whatever else I intend to visit. This allows me to easily “spot” the sites I intend to visit.
What I love about traveling solo is I get to linger longer in places I like, and eat whenever it suits me. The only drawback is that I don’t get to eat all I like. I mean, you can only order so much for yourself, right? No one to share with. My routine is normally to eat small portions but more often, so I get a variety of the foods I’d like to try without appearing like a glutton.
Good research, with lots of allowances for spontaneity, and a good pair of walking shoes. Or boots to keep those walking legs warm when the temp drops. This is important. No way I’m walking anywhere unless I have comfortable footwear. Many make this mistake of looking fashionable rather than comfortable. Trust me, they are not mutually exclusive.
So who says you’re too old to travel solo? I have no talent in the kitchen. Just survival cooking for moí. I’m pretty neat at home but it’s not like I enjoy domestic chores. I love to read, but my pocketbooks travel with me. A bench in the park and a cup of good brew make perfect companions. I get my adrenaline rush chasing trains, snapping photos and eating local delicacies. When I am home, I am more likely doing my “research” or blogging rather than busy with my knitting needles. C’est la vie! 😉😉😉
Why ever not? Stayed away from my beloved pig for some weeks since Segovia. Time to have that memorable moment to savor before going home to Manila.
Casa Botin or Sobrinos de Botin is in the Guinness Book of Records as the OLDEST RESTAURANT in continuous operation in the world. Established in 1725, its claim to fame is even bolstered by an endorsement from no less than Ernest Hemingway who once said the place serves the best cochinillo. Like Hemingway, many Spanish and Western authors have been lured to this place and actually had the restaurant as setting in their novels.
Be warned though. The place is a tourist trap. Make sure you have reservations. Decide whether you’re having the suckling pig or the suckling lamb. Both are good. And if you’re a party of say 4pax, you can actually share a couple of cochinillo and an order of Cordero. Tell the waiter you are sharing and they’d take care of splitting the 3 orders into 4 platefuls of the coveted meat. Then share a pitcher of sangria or a bottle of house wine. No sense ordering the set menu of €43 per pax when the included dessert is just some dollop of ice cream. And if you’re skipping dessert, you might as well order the morcilla from Burgos for appetizers, if you like.
After your Botin dinner, walk off all that cholesterol to the Mercado de San Miguel for errrrr…… more cholesterol. There’s a bounty of choices here. Nougats or turrones, crema de Catalan, meringues, yogurt, etc. And if by chance you’re able to work up an appetite other than for desserts, visit this TV guy named Senen and check out his tortilla española. Buen Provecho!
How best to spend €3? Buy a ticket to the Museo Sorolla!
This is the house where the great Spanish painter Joaquin Sorolla lived with his lovely wife and muse Clotilde. This is where he painted in his spacious, lovely studio. Imagine the great painter here with his wife and 3 lovely children. And the gardens!
Joaquin and Clotilde make for a truly handsome couple. Judging by their portraits, they seem to be so much in love! There is a sala exclusively for Clotilde. The Spanish Master was truly inspired to paint this lovely sitter! And their children….. my favorite is Sorolla’s painting of Clotilde and the baby. So much love and warmth there. . . . . in an expanse of white blanket!
Have you ever been to a house with so much good vibes? For a Spanish villa this size, it’s amazing how all those positive vibes of love and adoration seem to be in the air all throughout the Casa!
If you’re planning to visit, bring a book to read in the lovely garden. It’s not big, but I absolutely enjoyed the villa’s tiny but well-appointed garden. Hard to believe it’s just off a busy street in the city. Come to think of it, you may enjoy the garden without even paying the €3. The admission fee is for viewing the artworks inside the lovely villa. But please don’t scrimp on this one. When you come out of the villa after viewing Sorolla’s paintings and appreciating the beauty of his former art studio and residence, you’d actually be feeling good. There is something so “positive” inside that house that is worth more than the measly fee you paid.
Luckily for me, we had more Spanish units in college than the younger set. Just the same, I am stumped whenever I’m forced to express myself in Spanish, and more so, when I’m compelled to listen to someone reply to me in Spanish. I’m telling you…… The easy part is expressing yourself in Spanish. Google Translate and all those English-Spanish dictionaries work for all those questions you have in mind. Until they give you their answers. As in DUH????
I have been living in Madrid the past 2 months. I still don’t speak Spanish. But I go to the palenque, ride the metro, take day trips out of Madrid using the bus or train, visit museos, shop and sip good coffee along Gran Via, and feel “comfortable” in this foreign land. I would always find something “familiar” — no matter how vaguely — in every phrase or sentence uttered, or in many signposts or directions. Thank God the numbers (uno, dos, tres….), prices (quince, dies, katorse….), time (alas cinco, alas cuatro…..), days (Lunes, Martes, Miercoles….), months (enero, febrero…), are all familiar to us. These days, I confidently greet our porter “Que tal?” , hoping he would reply in “despacio” mode.
Going to the palenque is always an adventure. I easily found my “Suki” (favorite shops) where the vendor would actually gently correct my Spanish. Like tomate, not tomato. Cuarto (1/4) not cuatro. My fish vendor would even teach me how to cook the fish as if I understood beyond “plancha” (grill) and harina (flour). 😄 I easily spend 2 hours here, even drink coffee from a bar where the sacred brew is served in a glass! And how I remember my very first ordeal here….. How to order coffee with little milk. You see, you typically order cafe con leche (with milk) or cafe cortado (espresso). The problem is I’m not crazy over espressos and the alternative cafe has mucho leche!
I have been very observant about signposts. More so about menus. Many Spanish dishes naturally found their way to Pinoy tables. The names ring familiar, sometimes similar, other times completely different. Like there is alBondigas here versus our alMondigas. Of course, every Pinoy loves Jamon but our Hamon is more American than Spanish. Which is a pity. And who has not heard of Arroz Valenciana? Valencia is where paella originated. How about Leche flan? Or pastillas?
Even here, you don’t throw your “Basura” just anywhere. When you want to rent or lease something, you say “Alquila” or “alquiler” similar to our arkila. And it’s not difficult to figure out what entrada and salida mean.
It will take some great effort for me to learn a new language like Spanish. Call me slow. But I’m always amazed how some Tagalog words are rooted in Spanish. After all, they ruled for nearly 400 years, didn’t they?
My TravelBlog piece dwells on my day trip to Toledo — my second time here in this lovely city brimming with art, culture and history. Ten years ago, I was also here and blogged about my experience in a brief stopover on our way south from Madrid. This time around, I would not be deprived the chance to visit and LINGER in the cathedral and in this place made even more famous in many El Greco paintings.
I choose to concentrate on the Toledo Cathedral. Having just recently visited the cathedrals in Avila, Segovia, Sevilla and Cordoba, you may think it’s overkill to visit another one. Not so in Toledo. The retablo behind the Main Altar and that “hole in the ceiling” —- the dome — are enough to justify the €7 admission here. Not to forget, I particularly love the statue of a smiling Mama Mary and a playful Infant Jesus in the Choir area just right across the Altar.
As I leisurely walked around the Cathedral, I would always catch myself looking up towards the ceiling. That “hole” impresses me so. I wonder how it was sculpted out up there, or how they even keep it clean, or how they change the lightings up there. Or is that natural lighting? Perhaps. As with many church areas where these geniuses of the past thought of almost everything!
What an inheritance! Spain is so lucky to have “inherited” all these treasures. And all those El Greco paintings of saints inside the capillas. Of course no photography was allowed inside the chapels which may well be art galleries by themselves given the many precious paintings inside. And as one steps outside, there’s so much more to see. Truly, Toledo’s claim as the biggest “open-air museum” rings true.
The best way to visit Toledo is to walk all around. Easily a half day just walking around, peeking in and out of churches and museos. Just imagine El Greco walking on the same cobble-stoned paths, drawing inspiration for his paintings and Miguel Cervantes for his Don Quixote novel from Toledo’s inheritance!
You may also want to read my 10 year-old blog on Toledo. It may be my 2nd time now, but the thrill of being in this huge open-air museum remains.
Cordoba. The Mesquita. Originally a pagan temple. Then a Visigothic Christian Church. Converted into a Mosque. And finally a Catholic Church. How can one go to Cordoba without visiting the Mesquita?
My earlier blog on Andalusia will tell you how we covered both Sevilla and Cordoba during the Semana Santa. Perfect place to be in, except that the weather hardly cooperated. Just the same, we were in luck when we reached Cordoba. Miercoles Santo had 8 processions running. All ending at the Mesquita. We didn’t watch all 8, but our attention was drawn to the young Nazarenos — trainees? Protégés? — in the crowd.
Unlike the “regular” Nazarenos, these young protégés had no pointed hoods over their heads. We even found one barely out of his stroller, nearly knocking everyone blocking his path as he seriously took on his role in the procession. His grandfather tried, in vain, to put him back on the stroller. And we also found girl Nazarenos. Pretty and cutesy participants to the Semana Santa processions. As they passed right in front of us — we were lucky to be standing right by the elevated platforms of the Mesquita — we heard cellphones ringing, as the teenage Nazarenos likewise engaged in light banter with friends in the crowd. All spiritual meaning may have been lost …… But who’s judging?
These young Spaniards are fortunate to have, and to keep these traditions. The processions may seem a bit unruly —- compared to the “silent processions” in Madrid —- even festive, but the tradition has not lost its meaning, and its charm, on me.
That’s what the driver of the red tourist bus said. IT’S RAINING VERY WELL IN SEVILLA. Very well, indeed.
We took the AVE fast train to Cordoba today only to find not so pleasant weather in this part of Andalusia. Then and there, we decided to hop back on the train and proceeded to Sevilla. Rounded up the Giralda with all those seats neatly arranged around the cathedral while young and not so young men and women donned their Nazareno hooded outfits for the religious procession. Alas, it poured too — more heavily here — and the procession and other religious festivities were all cancelled!
It was so frustrating to watch. Hooded Nazarenos unmasking, wet wooden seats folded up, crowds thinning and spilling into nearby tascas and tapa bars. Pasos staying inside the church without a chance to stray out for a procession. Even the ride on the hop on, hop off tourist bus was so gloomy as the skies opened up and threatened a flash flood around the beautiful city of Seville. We peered through windshields with wipers busily swatting off raindrops. We wrapped ourselves good as the chill started to freeze our fingers and numb our cheeks.
The morning after left Sevilla still wet, the floors of many tapa bars strewn with litter, too many coffee cups in garbage bins. Since we slept early the night before — so un Spanish — we woke up to catch the early hours in Maria Luisa Park sans the tourist crowd. It’s a lovely park though I still long for the charm of centuries-old buildings, bell towers, castles and churches.
By the time the tourist buses arrived to download more camwhores tourists like us, we were ready for another ride on the hop on, hop off red bus. Then off to the Sevillan Cathedral where throngs of tourists seem to have congregated around the Tomb of Cristopher Columbus. I grew tired waiting to snap a better photo.
We queued up to scale the ramps toward the Giralda Tower, a Moorish remnant that now serves as the bell tower of the cathedral. All of 37 planks? Can’t recall, but it sure felt that many. From the top, one is rewarded with the Sevillan skyline including the cathedral roofs.
Now, don’t forget that Andalusians take their tapas seriously. We did too. And let that be a good souvenir of our journey to Seville on this Holy Week. With or without the procession, sunny or cloudy, wet or dry, the home of flamenco is always worth a visit.
If you’re hankering for a lazy day visiting a cultural treasure and checking how royalty lived, died, and were buried then, take a day trip to the Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Simply called El Escorial, you can make a stopover here on your way to Avila or Segovia. Or you can simply do El Escorial, just 45 kilometers or less than an hour’s drive from the capital of Madrid, along with Valle de Los Caidos not too far from the palace cum monastery.
It may be true that the edifice was inspired by the Temple of Solomon. The 2 statues of David and Solomon guarding the entrance to the basilica bolster this theory. For sure though, the structure integrated many architectural alterations. Far beyond being a royal residence and monastery, El Escorial is also a school, convent, library, and for the last 500 years, the royal burial site for most of Spain’s monarchs. King Philip II originally intended the place as necropolis for his parents King Carlos I and Queen Isabella of Portugal, as well as for his own family and descendants. The Royal Pantheon, creepy in all its marble goodness, reunite the Spanish Royal Family after life. It is aptly placed right beneath the royal chapel.
Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984, this 16th century royal site is likewise a treasure trove for great pieces of art from Spanish, Flemish, Italian masters from the 15th through the 17th century. From Titian to Velasquez to El Greco and many other collections. Too bad no photos to share, folks. Photography not allowed within much of the complex. I heard Mass inside the Basilica and took photos after the service. I was gently reminded by the guards with a simple, potent “No…..” before I could snap a photo of the dome which was inspired by the great church in the Vatican. Not surprising as the royal architect — Juan Bautista de Toledo — likewise worked in Saint Peter’s Basilica. Next to the basilica is King Philip’s royal quarters where a window allowed him to observe Mass even when his gout gave him problems. How about that?
My personal favorite is the Library. The vaulted ceiling’s frescoes reminded me of the Sistine Chapel, albeit on a less grand scale. The Spanish Monarchs and scholars must have spent a great deal of time here. More so as King Philip II intended El Escorial as a center of studies to counter Protestant Reformation then sweeping Europe, in keeping with Spain’s role as center of Catholicism during his reign.
It would take many day trips to El Escorial to fully appreciate its grandeur and view the entire horde of art treasures. My hands found a nice reproduction in watercolor in the monastery’s “tienda” but decided against buying it as I agonizingly peeled myself away to get back on my bus and join my tour group. The tour guide then pulled out a surprise by raffling off the same piece my fat fingers gently traced just a while back. You guessed right. I won that watercolor reproduction. It’s a beautiful day! Life is a celebration 😍😍😍
We started with Part 1 in #9 Madrid Blog Series. This Part 2 has more to do with my “Noynoying” moments here in Madrid. 💤💤💤 It’s been a month and a week now. Done with apartment hunting, appliance shopping, scrubbing, sweeping, cleaning and all that pile of bedlinen and towel laundry. So before I start feeling truly domesticated here in Madrid, I stepped out in search of more of Rizal’s favorite haunts. But not without a few moments of “Noynoying”. The “branding” started while I’m away, and I’ve got to say it’s funny and highly irreverent. Disculpe (“excuse me”) ….. for giving in to the temptation of actually using the brand for a blog title. 😜
The above photos were taken from the Philippine Embassy in Madrid. Jardin Rizal was dedicated in memory of Dr. Jose Rizal on his 150th birth anniversary last June 19, 2011. The Juan Luna Painting — España y Filipinas — couldn’t be more appropriate. One passes this lovely reproduction upon entrance to the Office of the Ambassador.
Earlier, I walked around the block 👣behind Teatro Español where I found Hotel Ingles, Los Gabrielles (now a cafe bar with flamenco 💃dinner shows) and Viva Madrid. I also wrote separate blogs 📖on Parque Retiro and Avenida Rizal/Islas de Filipinas where you find a replica monument of the hero. ⛲ This time, let me take you to places where JPR lived 🏠 (there were many — to a point that I felt JPR has been hopping from place to place), studied and joined protests.
The Congreso de Los Diputados, formerly the Las Cortes Españolas, is the site where Filipinos including our very own heroes used to lobby for equal rights with Spanish citizens. This site, which is a stone’s throw from the Museo de Prado is where the Pinoy community rallied for Philippine autonomy. Makibaka! There is also the Ateneo de Madrid where Rizal studied English, did research and watched plays. His second residence along Calle Manuel Fernández Gonzáles, 8 (formerly C/ Visitación) from May to June 1883 is right across Viva Madrid, one of his favorite haunts. I can just imagine Rizal and other propagandists meeting and dining here after a few drinks at Los Gabrielles off the corner.
Did I just say dining and wining? Those nocturnal activities, in between studies, art exhibits and rallies? Por supuesto! Our heroes were thousands of miles and oceans away from family and country. No internet. No television. No cellphones. No Facebook, no games! No wonder they wrote many letters! 📮📫Surely, they needed some moments of pleasure and leisure to break the monotony. And mind you, they were dead serious and passionate about their struggles for freedom and recognition. Far from “Noynoying”? You tell me. 😏
lifeisacelebration 