Habla usted Espanol?

On March 6 we were reminded once again how we are ripped off in the USA when it comes to healthcare. I had the beginnings of a small issue and, since we were leaving for Madrid the next day, decided to have it looked into by a doctor. We went to the health clinic in our building. Even though I am not a Portuguese citizen and have no insurance that is valid here, I was seen by a doctor (who spoke excellent English) for the grand sum of $37. Then I had the prescription for an antibiotic filled for the grand sum of $7. BTW, this clinic is operated by the government and is free for citizens.

March 7 we took off for Madrid. The drive takes about 5 hours on excellent highways all the way. We stopped for a light lunch at a small cafe that - in season - offers camping. The server spoke enough English to overcome our weak, to non-existent, Spanish. The drive to Madrid crosses an area of olive groves, cherry orchards - in full bloom - and solar "farms". Spain and Portugal together produce the largest percentage of renewable energy in the world. The day was sunny and warm, yet across the plain we saw the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra de Gredos. Quite beautiful!

We arrived in Madrid at rush hour - glad we were going into the city instead of out. Our hotel, the Doubletree by Hilton Prado is on a side street near the Fuente de Neptune and easy walking distance to everything. Because we were tired we decided to eat at the hotel restaurant - a Japanese restaurant called Kirei. What a pleasant surprise! We got the tasting menu and enjoyed one of the finest meals we have ever had anywhere - even at Michelin star-rated restaurants! After dinner we took a walk around the area before retiring for the night.

On Wednesday, March 8, we took the City Sightseeing tour - only 10 Euros each - senior citizen rate! This being the International Women's Day, I was pleased to see a huge banner hanging on the Congreso de Diputados (House of Representatives) in recognition of the day. We were also reminded of the current direction our country is taking re refugees when we saw the Madrid city hall with a huge "Refugees Welcome" banner prominently displayed.

Refugees welcome in Madrid

Recognizing women in Spain

After a delightful lunch and people watching on Plaza Mayor, we visited the famous Prado Museum. Wow! In the course of our whirlwind tour of this massive museum I discovered a wonderful artist with whom I was not familiar, Claudio de Lorena. My favorite of his works is The Embarkation of Saint Paula.

We also enjoyed the special exhibit of works by Master Mateo. He was granted a lifetime pension by King Ferdinand II in 1168, so it is assumed he was director of work on the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. This museum requires several days to do it justice, so we'll just have to return.

Beautiful architecture is everywhere in Madrid.
We especially liked this little church at the entrance to the Prado.

From the Prado we hopped onto the other route of the City Sightseeing bus for a look at the more modern areas of Madrid. And that's where our real adventure began. We had noticed large groups of people marching along the various streets and sidewalks with prominently displayed signs, purple flags and balloons. As we neared the end of our tour at the Fuente de Neptune, we were unable to reach the destination because the entire area was blocked to traffic and thousands were gathered, or marching toward, the demonstration for justice for women. After an extended ride through a sea of traffic, the closest our bus could get us to the hotel - which was near the fountain - was Plaza de Colon from which we walked about 20 minutes down the Paseo de Recoletos, to the Fuente de Cibeles - where we found ourselves in the middle of the demonstration! It was wonderful! 

Two views of the marchers heading for the Fuente de Cibeles

Part of the crowd at Fuente de Cibeles

From there we continued down Paseo de Prado to our hotel. 

We really liked Madrid! In fact, we like it even better than Barcelona, and plan to return again next year. 

March 9: Today we went to Toledo - one of the oldest and most important cities in Spain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

"Successively a Roman municipium, the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom, a fortress of the Emirate of Cordoba, an outpost of the Christian kingdoms fighting the Moors and, in the 16th century, the temporary seat of supreme power under Charles V, Toledo is the repository of more than 2,000 years of history."

It is also near the beginning of the Tagus River, which runs from there all the way to Lisbon and is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. After the requisite bus tour and a nice lunch, we started to wander through the winding streets of this ancient city. And that is where our real adventure began as we were unable to find the garage where we had parked our car. After at least an hour or more of walking and asking for directions, we finally found the garage and left for "home" in Lisbon, arriving about 10:00 p.m. We'd have been home earlier except that construction and closed streets played havoc with our GPS and we found ourselves in places from which we knew how to walk home, but not drive. This seems to have been our day for being lost. 

View of Toledo from across the River Tagus

Roman bridge crossing the Tagus from Toledo