Madrid, Spain

Madrid

It was wonderful to finally hear a language that I know, although a few differences from, "Fiesta!!! Si!!" on a Mexican vacation.

Let's have a quick leccion en Espanol:
All you need to know are the following things

1. Bathroom - is not bano, it's "Aseos"
2. Ok, yes, yea, sure, whatever - all can be translated to "Vale"
I would highly recommend saying this if you are clueless ( likely will happen at one point in Espana... )
3. "Di me" - talk to me.... Instead of hola or Ciao, everyone will say this to you in Spain... Everyone. It's kind of like, " what can I do for ya?"


I loved Spain, the language is so beautiful to listen to and it's not unlikely to go a few days without hearing any English. The hotel we stayed at had no one working who spoke English. I got used to saying, "cafe con leche" en la mañana, y "tienes cambio para la machina con agua?" a las tres en la mañana... I really will miss talking in Spanish, I think that's one thing that I do wish I did in college... Continue with Spanish. I never really felt that I was any good at it, but combined with the culture, I think I would have really enjoyed studying there. Getting on the plane back to Ireland, I was translating in my head about switching seats and then I realized the stewardess was Irish... (and we've been over the fact that Gaelic goes right over my head), so i reluctantly talked in English. It seems like I have been away from Ireland for months and I am so excited to return.

A few things about Madrid


Unless you have friends there who you can party with, don't stay in Madrid for more than 1 full day ( for tourism purposes anyway). I mean there are probably loads of stuff you can do there... well there are actually according to my tourism book, but if you are like me and don't really want to look at every piece of art ever created, go se other cities, like Barcelona - definitely on my list now... ( trip 2- when i have money, date unknown...) You will want to make sure you see a few important things.


Primera (first)
Madrid was founded by the Moors and it is strategically placed in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula for good reason. Emir Mohammed chose it as a strategic position from which to defend Toledo. The city's name, Madrid has Arabic origin and it refers to the many waterways that exist underneath the ground and irrigate the area. Madrid was conquered from the Moors in 1085 at the hand of Alfonso IV and grew from there. The mountains that surround the city makes Madrid one of the sunniest cities in the world - 200 days of clear skies and sun on average every year. It's famous Velazquez sky was full of sunshine when we were there and I actually might consider myself a little tan!

What we saw:

Plaza Mayor

Plaza Mayor was constructed by Philip III to increase the "prestige" of his reign. It is impressive, but someone is a little full of himself don't you think? The work was began in 1617 and was completed in only two years. The project was a total innovation for the city due to its rationalisy and approach to town planning, in the Baroque style which was to become a characteriestic of architecture during the regn of the House of Autria. The ground floor, "Casa de la Panaderia," was used as the city's bakery and today houses the Civil Registry. Opposite this is the "Casa de la Camiceria" and between the arches of the actual square, the premises of numberous atrisans and tradesmen. The Square contains 136 house and 437 balconies from which up to 50,000 people were able to enjoy the celebrations and other events that took place there. Bullfights... tourneys... the pclamations of kings... royal weddings... executions... everything important in Madrid took place here.






A top view for a better perspective than what my camera can take!




In the center of the plaza, there is an equestrian statue of Philip III - the first monarch ofthe House of Autria to be born in Madrid. This statue was moved to the square in 1847 after the wedding celebrations of Isabel II, when the last bull run (corrida) was held in the square.








Cathedral of the Almudena and the Palacio Real

Parque de Atenas

This area is breathtaking... beautiful parks and benches and gorgeous sights over the area surrounding Madrid. The Cathedral of the Almudena was built in the 19th Century by the Marquis of cubas and is in a Gothic style (meaning it was heavily influenced by medieval architeture. The cathedral was not actually finished until 1993, and was consecrated that same year by Pope John Paul II. Until then, the Basilica of San Isidra had been used as a Cathedral. The catehdral is dedicated to the Virgin of theAlmudena, patron saint of Madrid, and venerated in the city for many century. The statue of the Virgin was said to have been hidden in the stretch of city walls or in a nearby grain stor during the Moorish occupation. Once the city was reconquered by Alfonso VI in 1085, the statue of Mary was then known as the Almudena, which then became a popular name for girls in Madrid.

Opposite the Cathedral of the Almudena is the Palacio Real. Philip V wanted to create a Palace that immitated the Palace of Versailles and in the syle of the designs for the Louvre Place (France as well). Filippo Juvara from Italy was originally commissioned to tdo this, but he died shortly after creating the plans, so Giovanni Battista Sachetti, disciple of Juvara was commissioned instead to build the palace. The palace was built in Baroques style with a mixture of French and Italian infludences in its constructive and decorative elements. The plaace is today used for important social and roaly events. It still contains many of the original furniture!






Parque de Atenas









Where we stayed: Hotel Josefina right on Gran Via. It was a perfect location and was very clean for what I thought I might be getting myself into. It was central to everything that we wanted to see and is close to nightlife, which is helpful. Everyone also knows where Gran Via is so if you get completely lost ( very unlikely, because very thing is so well labeled and with a map, you'll be fine- unlike Venice...).

The only and really the only issue I had with the hotel was the fact that the lift was super sketchy... It's kind of one of those elevators you look at and say, "yea, I don't think so, I'll be taking the stairs." However, here is where the issue gets a little more exciting. Hotel Josefina is on the seventh floor of an incredibly old building and the stairs are a serious deal to tackle. So, when I was stuck in the elevator between the 3rd and 4th floor with a man who was determined to climb out, I had a thought- I ate a lot of pasta in Italy, and I also promised Dad I would come home on the 29th. Stairs or my life? Obviously stairs. I only took the elevator one more time and it was to get my huge suitcase down.

Speaking of my suitcase, we are fighting. One wheel does not work anymore. That was fun to pull down Gran Via, not. I have lucked out though, of the four flights that I have taken on this vacation, my suitcase has been over by 3 to 5 kilos. I have yet to pay an overage charge (50 euro). I'm not sure why I haven't had to pay, I just keep smiling and say I'm sorry or lo siento! Once I get back to the states, I will no longer be the interesting foreign girl anymore so I should probably locate my personality.

To view all of my pictures from Spain, click HERE.

Pray with the Gods...

I think I might actually know more about Greek Gods than I could have ever wanted to know. Three days later...7 archeological sites, a bridge documentary, and truly I have been fully educated.

Reflections after the "cruise":


Mara and I were mostly excited about seeing Olympia where the first ever Olympics were held. Unfortunately, we could only look over the fence because they took us there on Easter Sunday and it was closed. Well, I could have told you that. What I did enjoy was a town called Delphi (pronounced del - fi ) it has some sort of serious archeological significance, but to be honest, I went to the Down Town Club the night before with some locals and I was in a little bit of of a fog. The actual actual town of Delphi had one main road and a gorgeous view of the mountains that were seen from the balcony of our hotel room.











There was a Greek dancing show up near the church in town to celebrate "Christos Anesti" meaning Christ has risen. We definitely enjoyed ourselves and met a few locals who were willing to show us around and take us to a bar that served ouzo and other liquor that I did not pay for. My kind of 3 day archeological tour. I asked the one guy, ( insert hot Greek guy name here) if the club played American or Greek music. He replied, "well, my cousin owns it, so they will play whatever you like." so we have left our mark on Delphi with Rihanna and Drake, you're welcome pop music.


Perhaps the best moment of the trip was the following morning where the friend we met from Kenosha who was on the trip with us explained how she had gone back to the hotel at 5 am. This does seem insane, considering we left with the group at 6 am that morning for Athens. What is even more insane is that I went back to the hotel at 12:30. Hmm 4 and a half hours - she is quite the party girl- I think I'll keep her. Greek men are not exactly shy and to be honest, the Irish men could take a few hints.








Think about this question, "Are you married?"
Pretty straight forward if you ask me. The guy I asked this to ressponded, "well, kind of. I'll explain later." It's really a yes or no type of question, but I accepted the shot of ouzo anyway.

After the tour, Mara and I headed back to Athens, thank goodness. Not the most beautiful city you have ever seen, graffiti literally everywhere on every building. I can't say I was impressed by Athens the city, but I was impressed by the Parthenon. It showed incredible views of the city of Athens and the masses of houses that are around it.









Mara (legit primary source) read that the temple at the Parthenon was for goddess Athena (Athens - creative, I know) because the people in the area were impressed by her Gift of the olive tree that represented renewal. It's a long story, but you can read about it here.

To see all my photos from Greece, click HERE.
Off to Espana... Madrid has huge game tonight against Barcelona. And it's in Madrid, where we are. And, it's tonight. Bienvenidos a Espana...

Greece... The way to Olympia

Greece

Well, the cruise we signed up for is actually a bus tour with no bathrooms and I will definitely not be wearing my Italian sandals tomorrow, that's for sure. I am being seriously educated on the history of Greece and went through the area surrounding Athens towards Olympia where we will stay for the night.

What we saw: The Corinth Canal, the Epidaurus Ampitheatre, and Mycenae.

What I ate: thank goodness for regular sized coffee here... Italy was killing me with espresso. I tried lamb from a spit today at an outdoor restaurant, well I can say check next to that. I suppose now is when I miss steaks on the grill, corn on the cob, and watermelon. hard to admit it, but USA, there's just something about you that I am in love with and yes, I do appreciate your many amenities, like chai tea lattes and Target.

Tonight, midnight Easter services...

Roma, Italia

Rome



Where to start? When in Rome, see the Vatican. That makes the absolute top of my list. I don't think I could explain in words what it was like to spend Good Friday on the steps of the Vatican. It is really more than you could ever imagine. The size alone of the Basilica is overwhelming and the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's famous Genesis fresco is so perfect... I could have looked at it all day long. Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel against his will and was at the time in competition with an up and coming artist, Raphel. His Fresco is breathtaking and although no pictures were allowed, everyone took them -how could you not?

St. Peter was martyred and buried underneath the Vatican and all succeeding popes held the Vatican as their residence. Vatican City is its own country and has its own monetary system and post office. How do I know all of this? -I'm a genius, no really. It is essential to take a guided tour of the Vatican and you don't need to prebook it. There are tons of independent English speaking guides who are insanely knowledgable, and for 10 extra euro, you will actually know what you are looking at. I could have listened to our tour guide all afternoon! We were lucky enough to get a little inside information about the Swiss guards who work for the Vatican... That's pretty much all I am allowed to say, but I will explain that any girl who gets a date with a Swiss Guard gets a private tour of the Vatican Gardens... You can put two and two together yourself; I, on the other hand am sworn to secrecy and will never have pictures to prove anything.

Other interesting things about the Vatican - Michelangelo's masterpiece, Pieta, is also housed here at St.Peter's. It was knocked over after a psycho entered the basilica claiming to be Christ with a hammer and tried to destroy it. The marble sculpture was repaired but is now behind bullet proof glass... The dome inside St. Peter's marks the highest point in Rome and Michelangelo designed the inside of this as well. If you have one day in Roma, take a picture outside the colosseum and go in to tour the entire basilica and the Vatican museums including the Sistine Chapel. It will revive you, it will inspire you, but most of all, it will likely reaffirm your faith. I went back twice in 2 days just to see it.

I did actually do other things in Rome, like tour the Colosseum. This hits number 2 on my list and I would again recommend a guided tour. Most of the tours, well actually all of the tours I took in Europe were guided and only required an extra 10 to 15 euro and usually a jump in front of all of the lines. We grabbed a hop on, hop off bus tour for 20 euro that allowed us to go all over Rome and get off to see the sights we chose. It worked out really well, however if you want, most of the city is completely walkable. The Colosseum was enormous and holds 50 thousand spectators (obviously not anymore). The guide explained that all people were allowed to attend the events in the Colosseum except for actors and ex-gladiators. There were lotteries at the events and raffles where people could win animals or even slaves. During the time of the gladiators, it was common for most households in the middle class to have around six slaves working for them.

The gladiators were often treated like celebrities and had managers that they basically sold their life to while fighting (for about seven years). I suppose with fame comes a price... Less than two percent of gladiators survived all their fights. Events held at the colosseum were seen as family events and even children could come to see the gruesome fighting. Underneath the colosseum floor were chambers that held the wild animals that would be released into the arena. They would often release two to three male lions who had not eaten in over a week together just to enhance the action for the crowd. There was also a canopy above the arena that was used as shade for the spectators, but was rolled up three times a day to release the stench that accumulated with all of the dead animals, hot sun, and sweaty people.

The Trevi fountain was another highlight of our trip and we were able to see it at night with a beautiful glow against the background of Roma. The fountain is the biggest in Rome and was designed by Nicola Salvi in the 18th century. The spring underneath the fountain was discovered by a virgin and the central figures depict Neptune flanked by two Tritons. It is supposed to be a fountain of love and it is traditional to throw in a coin and make a wish (which of course, I did).




There are many palazzos (plazas) throughout Rome, but the main ones that are critical to see are ...

1) Campo de' Fiori - with lively music and shopping surrounding the palazzo during the day, and bars and clubs to venture through at night. Try a Spritz - drink while you're in Italy at least once... Decide for yourself what you think.

2) Piazza di Spagna- in the 18th century, the Spanish Ambassador to the Holy See had his headquarters on the square and the surrounding area was seen as Spanish Territory. The famous Spanish steps are also here, beautifully lined with flowers and built by the French in 1725 to link the the Trinita dei Monti church with the Piazza di Spagna. When we were there, it was filled with tourists and was hard to fight to get a picture. Connected to Piazza di Spagna on the opposing end of the steps is Via dei Condotti, which will, if you let it, eat your money. High end shopping finds its home here in Rome and we took a pass at Prada and Gucci. Instead, we traveled to an area near the Vatican (like I said, I saw it three times...), called Via Borgo, which had more reasonable shopping (and Italian leather sandals).

3) Piazza Navona- there are three fountains here and plenty of Gelato options! This piazza is lined with restaurants, even in the smaller side streets and no matter where you go, try the house wine. We learned a little late that while cheap, the house wine at most restaurants in Italy is excellent and comes in a pitcher ( no wonder Jesus and I get along so well, turned water into wine....hmmmm).

So to wrap up Rome, which is difficult, let me tell you.
Where to stay? Anywhere central to downtown near Piazza Navona or in that area keeps you pretty central to everything. We stayed a block from Campo di' Fiori At the Pomenzia Hotel - complementary breakfast, real hair dryers, friendly staff, reasonably priced, and clean. No lift... And we were room 33. If you know anything about me, you will realize that my huge muscles were the only thing that allowed me to carry my (huge) suitcase up three (which was actually like six - two to each flight) flights of stairs. Pack light, I won't ever, but you should.

Where to eat? Anywhere that looks family owned and has people eating at it. Don't go into an empty restaurant, it's probably empty for a reason. Eat gelato, and eat a lot of it. It's vacation and you can hit up the gym when you get home. Gelato is only good in Italy once you've had it there. Also enjoy at least one bottle of Chianti to yourself, no sharing!








Where to go? Give yourself 2 full days in Rome minimum. Also, purchase the Eyewitness Travel Rome pocket and map guide (seven euro with debit master card), which saved my life and allowed me to know quick facts about the many gorgeous sights I saw in Rome. You must already appreciate it considering a lot of the information in this post came from my newly gained knowledge! The rest was written in by my editor.
See the Vatican, the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain (throw in a coin and make a wish) and the above Piazzas. then, at night, walk back to the Vatican when everyone has left and take one last look. You might never again see something so incredible, so soak it up.



To view all of my photos from Rome, click HERE.