Our latest destination was to Espana. The rationale for going to Spain: it costs less than other European countries, we know a little Spanish and...why not? On our way there, we ended up getting first class from Philadelphia to Madrid. The flight over is really long, especially since you are flying overnight and there is a huge time change. First class was amazing. I felt so awkward when the flight attendant came by a few minutes after we sat down offering champagne. I know I had a doe-eyed look on my face as I paused and timidly took the glass. We then had dinner...on real plates not the microwavable looking plastic things you get in coach. We had several courses ending in the most amazing Tiramisu I have probably ever had. I watched a movie and reclined my comfy seat back, put on my complimentary eye shades, put in my ear plugs, wrapped up in a thick blanket and went to sleep. Before I knew it, the lights came on and we were being served breakfast. Had it already been 6 hours? Eric and I looked at each other in astonishment thinking we had only been in the air a few hours. Wow. Had we really slept? I guess so. Even though we were still exhausted, that was the most comfortable and quiet flight I have ever been on. Thank you USAirways.
What I loved most about Madrid was the gardens we found in the middle of the city. There were tree lined paths that were in full fall bloom with their reds, yellows and oranges. It was gorgeous. We also found the most beautiful rose garden. There had to be hundreds of rose bushes there. As I walked around admiring their beauty and Eric sat waiting, I was hit on by the most charming older man. He started spewing Spanish. I must have had a stunned look on my face. I understand him ask where I was from (Spanish 101). I told him the United States, and he asked if I was from North or South America. So, we continued to have a conversation as he told me how beautiful the roses were in Junio (June). As he was talking, he grabbed my hand and squeezed it, feeling my wedding ring. He said goodbye, and I went on taking pictures. I came to a fountain, turned around and there was my gentleman caller. He wanted to take a picture of me in front of the fountain. "Foto?", he asked. I said, sure. He took a picture, grinning from ear to ear and left the garden. I told Eric about it, but he had his mind on where we were going next. When I told someone back home later and Eric heard he said, "He held your hand?" Ha ha.
Near the rose garden in the middle of a beautiful path lined with huge, brightly colored trees, was a fountain. There are lots of fountains in Madrid, but Eric told me something interesting about this one. The statue at the top was the only one in the world made of Lucifer. It shows the agnoy of a fallen angel. The rage of a saint banished. It reminded me of how high we as humans beings can ascend and how quickly we can join Satan in his hell. Just like this artist's rendition, Satan was surrounded by beauty, but chose the wicked.
We visited Toledo and Segovia as well. These were recommended nearby towns to visit. I have to say both were beautiful. My favorite was Segovia, though. I loved walking the narrow cobblestone streets even though I just about got run over several times. The aqueduct is what attracts so many visitors, and it really was a marvel. It was amazing to look up at this 2,000 year old structure that looked as though it was just built a few years ago. There was no mortar to keep it together. The Romans placed each stone perfectly on the other. It made the shoty way we build here in the States pretty embarrassing.
I ate some of the best Paella ever in Toledo, but realized I really do have an allergy to seafood after doing so. We walked around the rest of the afternoon with me itching and cursing an allergy that developed in my late 20s. I also realized while in Spain that my lifelong hatred of olives is isolated to the States. I loved the olives there along with the tiny little pickles we had as tapas in the afternoons.
Another thing about Spain is that they love jamon (ham). They are obsessed with it. In Segovia, it is recommended that tourists order cochinillo. It is a baby pig cooked and brought out whole to eat. We even stumbled into a ham festival in Madrid. I am from eastern North Carolina, so I loved it. It was like a big pig pickin'.
Our trip home was unique as well. No, we didn't get first class. We couldn't get out of Madrid! The flight we were on had plenty of first class seats, but alas, a cargo shipment bumped all of the standbys off. So, we began to search for another city to get to so we could fly home that day. As we began our search, two other travellers were trying to get to the States. We found ourselves all in the same boat. Stuck. We had chosen to leave the weekend that all of Europe celebrates The Day of the Dead (Halloween). One of the other people stuck, Kellie, also worked for USAirways. She and Eric tried to work their magic as best they could. We tried to get a train ticket. All booked to other major European cities. We tried to get a flight. All booked. We even looked into getting a car to drive to London to get out the next day. Yeah, that was over 2,000 euros. We spent hours carting our luggage around the Madrid-Barajas airport going from counter to counter trying to get out.
Finally, we sat down at a place to eat and realized, we just had to stay. Valerie, the other stranded standby, ended up being from the same area we were from in Virginia. She had moved to Spain 8 years ago and was going back to visit. She was able to get someone to find a hotel for us, because of course, most of them had been booked for the night. Thank goodness! We went to the hotel and then decided to try to find a restaurant nearby. Could we do that? After walking around for about half an hour, we realized there was nothing around our hotel. Of course! We all started laughing at how nothing was working out. We went back to the hotel and got some food there. We talked about how thankful we were to have found one another. During a time when you just want to cry, all we could do was laugh. We became a family in just a few hours. Valerie was like the mom, directing us which way to go and making decisions. Eric, Kellie and I let her lead the way.
We absorbed all of Spain that we could in the short week we were there. We were mostly in Madrid and found the people to be very accommodating and nice. We did find it odd that there were cameras just about everywhere. There were in the churches, museums, and perched on the top corner of buildings to capture the street's activity. We also thought it odd we had to pay to get into some of the smallest of churches. But, when in Europe, if they want the euro, pay the euro. The Palace in Madrid was gorgeous. We couldn't take pictures, though. There were several people throughout the palace who would yell at you if you took a picture and ask to see what picture you just took so they could see you delete it. I don't think a society where everyone is guaranteed a job is necessarily benefiting. Every tourist site was riddled with workers who stood around all day just a few feet from someone in the same uniform not doing the same thing. We helped the economy out a bit.
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| Palacio Real |
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| Fallen Angel |
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| Aqueduct in Segovia |
The next morning, we all arrived at the gate realizing that the flight was overbooked. We braced ourselves to stay another night. But, at the last minute, they gave every standby passenger a seat! What? Maybe it was the time change. Who knows? But, we all got on the flight. We said goodbye in an excited, wish we could have spent more time together way. Back in the States, we would be strangers once again.
We may never see Valerie and Kellie again, or maybe we will randomly meet up with them in some airport twenty years from now. That would be awesome. I definitely learned that I am grateful for the gift of strangers. I am grateful for meeting new people that you really know nothing about and how that not knowing somehow draws you closer in times of need. These are experiences that add needed perspective and show you just how big this world is.
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