Ode to El Retiro Park

Ode to Retiro

While Alisa was away at ETSI building devices, writing proposals, and meeting new colleagues, the kids and I were left to our own devices.

That device was, primarily, the stroller.  

The hassle of packing in and clearing it through security was well worth it as I could buckle Lanna into the front and Sammy or Joey (or both) could hang out in the back section has been incredibly helpful as we tour around Madrid.

Our apartment is just a few blocks away from Parque del Buen Retiro.

I have come to love Retiro for its beauty, design, and wealth of playgrounds.  As it is named, it is a place of pleasant retreat and it is just a short stroll from our apartment.

It's been present since the mid-1500's for the royal family and open to the public since 1767.  Thank goodness for that!

The boys love it for the countless ice cream stands, the numerous pigeons to chase, and the wealth of playgrounds.

Much of our days have been spent in Retiro.  There is always something new to see or experience.  I have loved our time there.

One of the most quintessential views of Retiro are shots across the small lake at the impressive statue across the way with the small lake dotted with the bright blue boats that you can rent.  As noted in a prior post, the boys and I had gone to sea while Sydney spent time with Lanna.  That was the last of our seagoing days as I couldn't bring myself to row the two boys with Lanna in the baby bjorn.  Alisa strongly seconded to remain on dry land.

The lake is filled with karp and they often come up to the surface or flip themselves into the air before splashing back in.

The boys really enjoyed the view from the monument.

There are four lions above and four women below, each riding a different sea creature.  Joey got himself acquainted with all the ladies, while Sammy mainly focused on the one with the turtle.

For those of who haven’t seen it, Sammy can do an impressive turtle face.  He’s and Joey are doing it here with the turtle statue (which pales in comparison to the real thing).

The cental point of the monument is the tower, dedicated to King Alfonso XII.

We took many of the different entrances into Retiro and each displayed a different beauty.  My favorite were the ones right across from the Prado Museum with a variety of beautiful trees and fountains.  This is the view from the top looking back towards the entrance.

And with the kids up top, looking back.

We stayed in that garden one morning for small brunch and felt very much at peace in this beautiful place.

Mostly, however, the kids were thrilled about chasing pigeons (which could be found pretty much everyone) or the more exotic black and white birds that were seen flitting across the park or hanging out in the green.

We also found that Retiro has playgrounds nestled everywhere with tall, shady trees and benches encircling them.  The playgrounds here have soft sand with slides, swings, little climbing rock walls, and netted ropes as a staple.  The kids had an absolute blast exploring all of the options.

And when they’ve tired of the playground and need a boost of energy, what better than a popsicle!  Cool, refreshing, and only about 10,000 varieties to choose from.  Its hard to walk more than a 100 feet in Retiro Park without finding a popsicle stand. 

Joey has focused on the “jet” style popsicles while Sammy is an aficionado of all things Calippo.

By the time we’re ready to return to the apartment, the kids exhausted with popsicle mustaches.  It’s so invigorating and enjoyable as we stroll amidst the sunbathers near the water, those sitting at one of the many open air restaurants enjoying a beverage, all the others walking the broad path while the musicians scattered throughout adding hints of trumpet and accordion echoing in the bright afternoon sunlight.

Checking out La Vuelta

The return from Aranjuez was uneventful (even going into the parking garage did not seem so daunting).  With all the activity down near Plaza de Cibeles when we left that morning, we were interested in seeing what was the cause for all that excitement.

We found out pretty quickly.  This was Spain's equivalent to the Tour de France which has been active since 1955! http://www.lavuelta.com/la-vuelta/2015/us/

They have twenty-one stages throughout Spain.  

http://www.lavuelta.com/la-vuelta/2015/us/parcours-general.html

The streets were even more alive and bubbling with activity (which I did not think was possible given  how lively it always seems to be in Madrid).  Some major streets were shut down between Puerto de Alcala and Plaza de Cibeles, and the entire Paseo de Prado and the now closed roads were filled with team buses, pace cars, and police.

To get an idea of the route and closure in Madrid, here's this map

My photographing skills are still not ideal and I need to learn not to take pictures by looking directly at the sun, but as we walked down the closed road to Plaza de Cibeles we took some pictures.

We also saw one of the highest cherry pickers ever which the boys loved!

It was difficult navigating through the dense press of people.  This isn't a great picture but does give an idea of the sheer number of fans and spectators.

We were probably 50 feet from the track when a swell grew in the crowd and the cheering and yelling became deafening.  Then we saw the blur of all the bikers helmets as they zipped by.

That was good enough for us!  After a long and tiring day at the Palace followed by experiencing La Vuelta, we were ready to head home.

Everyone slept well that night (especially Sammy who nearly fell asleep on the stroller ride back).

The Summer Palace at Aranjuez

On Sunday, we headed out of the city to the Summer Palace in the city of Aranjuez. The trip was shockingly simple, after the typical challenge of just collecting ourselves to get out of the apartment. Parking was no problem. Everything was going great!

We enjoyed the gardens at what we thought was the front of the palace, but then we're pretty sure this was the back. Joey and Sammy took a few laps around the fountain and even showed a little brotherly love. Or is that choking? I'm not sure, but let's just say love for the record.

We brought a picnic lunch, since the palace gardens were advertised as a popular place to picnic by the river. Alas, the gardens were entirely closed due to something translated into English as a "whirlwind." As we peered through the gates, the gardens looked absolutely fine. But nevertheless, we were left searching for a new place for our picnic lunch. We walked by the river, where everyone (especially Lanna) enjoyed watching the ducks. But Jay was concerned that the security guard boded ill for a picnic lunch.

We then walked down a picturesque lane by the gardens, but it had no benches. After passing a large family of stray cats, we found a bench in what looked like an abandoned event parking lot. It was not picturesque, but there was a bench, and we had our lunch.

We then walked back to the Palace, where a kind stranger agreed to take a family picture. So we managed to get a picture of all of us without resorting to a selfie stick (which we have not yet lowered ourselves to purchase).

Then Jay took a selfie of himself and Lanna with his attached selfie stick (aka long arm). The clouds were amazing!

We then took a tour of the inside of the palace, which was my favorite part. I love the endless sequence of pointless rooms, all decorated to the hilt! The boys were pretty good at not touching everything, and Sammy only got in trouble once for playing in the curtains. Seriously, I don't think those were original curtains. There was even a display of royal wedding gowns, which I particularly loved.

We then treated ourselves to ice cream and popsicles. For some reason, Sammy wanted a popsicle in the shape of a foot. At first, I protested. But then, in wise parental form, I decided it wasn't worth arguing about. He enjoyed eating the toes.

All in all, a great day! Here are a few more pictures of the palace.

A lovely Spanish lunch

On Saturday, after our trip to Toledo, we sadly had to take Aunt Sydney to the airport. We got slightly lost getting there, since our GPS for some reason only allows you to put in street names but not landmarks. However, we left very early so that we still got her to mysterious Terminal 4 two hours ahead of her flight. We missed her the instant we dropped her off... but hope to see her again later in the trip!

We then successfully navigated to a larger grocery store near the airport. I selected a Mercadona, which is reportedly one of the few stores in the world that is good to its workers (along with Trader Joe's and Costco). We parked right next to the store and stocked up on heavy items (gotta love shelf stable milk), invested in some European diapers, but did not buy any of the whole fish whose smell permeated the store and got Sammy all worked up.

After quickly dropping off the supplies, we headed over to my Spanish colleagues apartment for lunch. We managed to park nearby AND figure out the way to pay for parking (not as easy as it seems!). We headed up a tiny elevator, walked down a dim hallway, and then came into a bright, airy, cheerful space that was incredibly welcoming. Andres and his wife, Mellika, had prepared a beautiful lunch with appetizers of shrimp and avocados and pimento filled olives, roast beef for the adults, and lamb chops for the children. Our kids quickly explored the apartment and played with nearly all of their daughter Sedda's toys. Or maybe all of them. We finished with a rousing game of European Jenga, in which engineer Andres helped the kids avoid knocking down the tower.

We then had a restful evening, enjoying the life of Madrid. Our car here is pretty cool- a Peugeot 5008 which meets our demands for sometimes holding 7 passengers without being too big. It also has a panoramic roof, which is difficult to capture from the inside, but this picture shows at least roughly how the entire roof is a giant window. Awesome for admiring tall buildings or gazing at the clouds or stars.

Catedral Primada Santa Maria de Toledo

Even before walking in, the narrow street had a quartet playing outside with melancholy yet calming music echoing through the stone street.

We got some audio guides to provide more information.  Joey found them very helpful.  

"It's kind of some Englishy-Spanish, but I understood most of the words they were saying!" he reported enthusiastically.  Dutifully, he listened to the entries in numerical order as he trotted throughout the enormous cathedral.  He did seem to enjoy himself.

Sammy was less impressed but was able to appreciate how much I was in awe of the architecture, the opulence, and the history.  He also really enjoyed the tessellated flagstone floor and refused to walk on the white tiles.

Words fail me (I know, surprising, right?) to properly describe this gorgeous, inspiring, humbling, and breathtaking building.  Pictures also do not capture the full glory or historic weight but I'll try.

This Gothic masterpiece was started in 1226 and took a short 267 years to finish.  The outside is tall, imposing, and beautiful.

Family picture that Sydney took from Plaza Ayuntamiento showing the front of the cathedral.

Once you step inside, the dim cathedral ambiance punctuated by the shafts of sunlight streaming through the stained glass encircling the cathedral far overhead.

It is massive inside.  The nave is a large cross in design and it felt like two football fields could fit end to end easily within this cathedral.  Sammy scampered off towards the pews in the far back (trying to avoid running on the white tiles) while Joey walked with Sydney toward the middle.

I caught up to Sammy near the western end which also housed all the gold work, jewels, and ornaments.  This room sparkled more than rhinestone night at a Southern line dancing party http://www.christopherpageapparel.com/#!product/prd1/2366400191/i'm-a-line-dancing-sista

The crowns and scepters were encrusted with gems.  Antique bibles were also there.  The red velvet which they rested on cast an aura of warmth counterbalanced by the glinting of all the silver and gold.  The other items in that small room paled in the shadow of The Great Monstrance of Arfe.  Standing over 10 feet tall, this unique piece has 260 tiny figurines and is purported to have used gold brought back by Christopher Columbus.
http://jeannetifft.photoshelter.com/image/I0000QGbEbY4wcP0

From there we went into the choir area that had finely detailed carved wooden seats.  Each seat had a different figurine carved into it and bespoke the time and attention to nearly every aspect of this place.  I couldn't help but think of all the backsides that had polished that wood over the years and if this seat was more popular than some of the more ornate (i.e. pointy) ones.

Across from the choir was the retable, another incredible cascade of gold.

We also had a chance to enjoy the beautiful St. Christopher painting near the portal of the lions on the south side of the cathedral.  Given my Dad has always worn his St. Christopher medal as he's the patron saint of traveler's, we wanted to have a shot of that for him:

Before we were completely overwhelmed by the grandeur, we walked into the Chapterhouse.  Walking through the original portal which is over 500 years old to be greeted by paintings of Again, the carvings, the artwork, and the beauty took your breath away.  They had paintings of all the archbishops and cardinals dating back to the very beginning.

Walking out of that room and back to the eastern end of the cathedral led us to another famous part of this cathedral, El Transparente.  This Baroque piece is essentially the most astounding window meant to help allow light through the cathedral from a window in the outer walls through the Transparente and into the tabernacle.  It is glorious.

It really was sensory overload walking through the inside.  We went outside to the cloisters to get some sunlight and interior views of the cathedral.

The interior courtyard had a peaceful garden filled with orange trees laden with fruit.  We enjoyed the view of the tower from this vantage as well as the frescoes.

Joey and I walked around and came upon an ancient wooden cart, complete with metal clad wooden wheels.  He had completed the entire audio tour by this time and was up for playing.  He pretended to be the horse in front of the cart.

And with that, we left this phenomenal building to explore the rest of Toledo.

Toledo

On September 11, we drove down to Toledo, a small hilltop city rich in history and noted for its multiculturalism with influences from Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faiths.  It had been the center of government for the ancient Romans, Visigoths, Muslims, and the Spanish kings.  

Although tiny, it has remained an iconic and enduring town.  It is associated with fine steel and artisanal metal work called damascening.  Fitting for a city that is both strong and beautiful.

The thought of enduring through conflict was much on our minds on September 11 as we experienced this amazing city.

We started off with some lunch at the top of the eastern escarpments, looking down at the Rio Tajo below.  They had some modern updates with small playgrounds that the boys enjoyed near the spires of the Alcazar.

Despite being so small, it was easy to get lost.  The streets were narrow with the buildings high enough to limit visibility.  The city planning was intentional to help protect the citizens from the brutal summer heat and the sharp winds that rise off the La Mancha plains.

I think that's why they had these metal maps implanted in the ground throughout Toledo:

These were impressive but useless to us.  Fortunately we had a map that we could carry with us that prevented us from becoming hopelessly lost.

From the Alcazar we went to Catedral Primada Santa Maria de Toledo.  That was a beautiful place and a dedicated post will follow.

Another church, Santo Tome, was seen after that which paled in comparison to the Cathedral.  It was much akin to taking an Aston Martin for a test drive then checking out a Nissan Altima.  The second church did have a beautiful El Greco painting titled The Burial of Count Orgaz.  (A great article on that painting can be found here):  http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323415304578370621638609246

After the cathedral we meandered down the winding streets to the Sephardic Museum.  This was equally impressive with a vaulted carved wooden ceiling and carved plaster walls.

The walk down the hillside brought us to another beautiful building.  This was the monastery San Juan de los Reyes.  Sammy and I enjoyed looking up the intricately carved towers.

Having been fully sated on religious dwellings and religious history, we then sat down for some afternoon tapas near the Puerto del Cambron.

While we enjoyed some tiny tuna filled empanadillas an old car navigated its way through followed by some buses (which we were impressed any buses would be able to navigate any of the Toledo streets) for a wedding! This was approximately the 5th wedding group we'd seen since our arrival to Spain.

After this restorative break, we followed the twisting road down to Puente de San Martin, one of the four bridges in Toledo.

It was a spectacular view and we took full advantage of its vistas.

This is looking back at Toledo (southeasterly) from the bridge.  Yucca grew spectacularly well on the hillside and the tall stalks there are from the yucca plants.

Before we left, they had installed a zip line across the river.  They asked me if I wanted to fly.  I did.  It was amazing.  Unfortunately I couldn't take any pictures while cruising over the Rio Tajo but it was the time of day just before sunset when the colors are mellowed, giving the sensation of contentment and fulfillment.

We trekked back to the garage afterwards, commiserating with an SUV that had made a poor choice for a left turn and was nearly wedged into one of the tiny streets.  They may still be there for all we know.

It was an exhausting day traveling with three young kids in late summer heat and being on your feet all day.  It was also exhilarating to have walked the same streets of Roman centurions, Visigoths, El Greco, and Spanish kings.

History is a powerful force.  Great things have happened.  Terrible things have occurred.  Yet we are here today to remember the past as accurately as possible, learn from it, be inspired by it, and join in the millions of others we live with to craft history moving forward to create our own legacy.

Sisters are the BEST!

A huge THANK YOU to my sister Sydney for spending our first week in Madrid with us. We couldn't have done it, or at least couldn't have done it as smoothly, without her here. She was patient as she was squashed in the back of the car, resourceful as she created games for our kids out of nothing, and consistently happy as we walked for hours and hours across Madrid and Toledo. She even joined me for a delicious Basque dinner at the restaurant Goizeko, where we both braved the waiter's recommendations and ate sweet shrimp (with heads!), squid in ink sauce, cod with red and green sauce, and lamb chops. Finally, she remained completely calm as we got lost trying to find terminal 4 at the airport! 

We all love and miss you Sydney! Hope you quickly adjust to life back home. And maybe we'll see you again in London?

On her final morning, a rare cloudy moment on our rooftop terrace. It's impossible to get everyone looking normal, so I opted for the picture in which the two sisters look the best. Sorry, kids.