ALONG THE WAY - DAY TRIPS
From Madrid, we drove to Segovia where the top sights were the Roman aquaduct and the Alcazar (Palace). Literally, though, the top sights in Segovia were the storks...
The countryside from Madrid to Toledo offered up spectacular views. You might have seen a similar picture on the cover of an RS Spain guidebook!
Traveling from Toledo to Consuegra, we stopped for a lesson in the saffron cultivation and an opportunity to buy direct from the farmer (who also had a thriving enterprise in pate and honey). I REALLY got a kick out of their car!
Saffron is harvested from the crocus flower, which is purple - hence the color-coordinated salesroom and car.
Thanks to our bus driver for pulling off the road to afford us a photo op of this roadway icon in Spain
I have to remind myself I'm in Spain - especially when I'm seeing nest after nest of storks! Storks, to me have meant Holland, rooftops in Amsterdam. But - here they are! And, too, from the bus window we've seen bright red fields of poppies - which I'd always associated with northern Europe - Flanders Field - yet again, here they are. The poppies remind me they are still finding vast fields of remains of those killed in the Spanish Civil war. We stopped at a rest stop/cafe owned by a staunch Franco supporter - a man who wants to bring back the days of dictatorship, where "the other" is anyone who vocalizes opposition, where differences are suspect. While Spain was declared a democracy after Franco's death, this man's party got 10% of the vote in the last election - chilling. I noticed most of the clientele were young men and women - 20 and 30 somethings - chilling. Perhaps the poppies are here because we need reminding - in Flanders, in Spain - everywhere - we need to remember not only the cost of war, but the beauty of peace.
Leaving Granada, we headed toward Ronda. Helen had arranged for us to have brunch in the village of Salinas, where a handful of local women opened their homes to us for brunch and conversation - a chance to learn about each other (and eat some great food too!). (On my next tour I need to bring along a personal assistant to get the names of "special people" - like this lady - and to write down what's on the menu BEFORE I eat!).
The Matador and the Bull Farm
OK - all judgements about the pros and cons of bullfighting aside, I thought the matador was a hard-working and very hospitable guy, opening up his ranch to us, letting us see the ring and training area close-up. We first saw him wave to us while he was working out in the bull ring, then he took the time to come aboard the bus to chat (and that took guts!).
OLEUM VIRIDE
In the hills of the town of Cadiz, in Andalusia, an olive oil-producing farm welcomed us inside. We were served a wonderful lunch (so good - that I ate it before taking pictures!). They offered several products made of olive oil and a great-smelling olive oil soap that I purchased.
Beautiful Andalusian Horses
Wow - choosing which of these day trip photos to publish was really difficult. The horses were majestic.
Incredible control
From the Andalusian ranch, it was on to Jerez for our "assignment." Helen had given each of us an "assignment"- a specific item (cow's cheese, goat's cheese, fruit) to purchase and bring back to the hotel for an al fresco buffet dinner and wine sampling. What fun! You can see the results in the "Eating/Sleeping" tab. We even saw a little flamenco in Jerez - olé!
Sitting in a small tapas bar where it's 87 in the shade, guys are slapping each other on the back, girls are tossing their hair and sipping sangria, and I thought I heard - no - I did hear Leonard Cohen singing "and she feeds you tea and oranges that come all the way from China." I think "How incongruous is this? The cold baritone of Leonard Cohen against this backdrop of color, life and heat." But I guess that's what passion is - right? Spain is nothing if not passionate. That guy in the market in Jerez - he's carving up a huge tuna and he drew a crowd. This wasn't work - it was a production! And the flamenco - heaven only knows what that's about but the dancers are either ecstatic, enraged or miserable. Well, I don't know but I think maybe age and comfort has made me a little too laid back - maybe a little passion might do me some good - maybe I'll bring a little of Spain back home with me.