DAY 65 JULY 29 MADRID, SPAIN

The Taucktorians head over to the

MUSEO DEL PRADO
The Prado Museum contains the world's greatest assembly of Spanish painting-especially works by Velazquez and Goya-ranging from the 12th-19th centuries.  The museum opened in 1819.  The importance of the Prado is founded on its royal collections....lots of foreign art too.




The Goya Gate in front of the Museum...quite the grandiose building I might add.  Hey what does Prado mean?  Meadow, as it used to be in a meadow Boca.   Yup, it costs more than 35 million Euros to run this place annually.  Used to be the government paid for  80% of the operating and expansion costs but now they are trying to reduce it to 50%.  Cut backs and all, the Prado is still one of the most formidable bidders for paintings- in the WORLD.

Part of the Goya Collection....naked Mama, I mean, Naked Maja.  c  1800

El Greco, The Knight with His Hand on His Breast,  c 1580-  Pleeps personal fav.

 The Three Graces c 1635
This was one of the last paintings by the Flemish master Rubens.  The 3 woman dancing in a ring are the daughters of Zeus, and represent Love, Joy and Revelry.   Early Taucktorians??

We get the rest of the day off for good behavior.  Thank you Pleep.  More Starbucks for the caffeine addicted....

 Tschoke Shop- yes Bubs you need your very own Don Quixote statue...you're such a Man of La Mancha Bub...

and your very own Spanish  Sword....yes Annie did load up.  You need a Sword because??

Foster Grants?  Nah, Ray Bans.

Come on Boca, keep up!  This place is hot as hell but a lot of fun and great shopping!

Time to go back and change for dinner...yeah the camo pants work.  Annie eyes some luggage on the street as she is need of more luggage for her booty.  No not that booty Bubs.

Annie and Bubs check out the menu at the square...the place was packed so we had to jockey for a table...Annie put your shoulders back and I bet we get a table pronto!

 That took about 35 seconds...a table of guys offered their chairs.   Way to go Annie!

They so enjoyed watching Annie eat a little paella ...

Time for the walk home...Boca's pals stop to check out the street performers...

Beyond Break dancing....

 Crowd participation made it fun to watch....better move it along Boca, we have a big day tomorrow...

DAY 64 JULY 28 MADRID, SPAIN

All ABOARD THE AVE!

 High tech and known for speed, the AVE train is our next mode of transport.  No family friendly car for Boca please.  And make sure it's near the bar car with plenty of Bloody Mary's filled with those Extra Virgin Olives please.

 Joe and his never ending back pack and instructions....hasn't he figured out we Taucktorians are hopeless non-listeners.  Ha Ha...to "no" us is to love us.

 Vieve la difference...oh my darling, you are stilling in front of me.  Whew.  Joe, don't let her know she can swivel the seat around to face me....we've had more than enough FACE TIME I can assure you...

 Boca, stop laughing about that poor guy who flipped his tray and for gosh sakes don't take a picture!

A few hours of the great AVAEXPERIENCE and  time to reflect on Spain.  Now I understand in early times, why Spain was a coveted prize for foreign conquerors - Phoenicians, Romans, Moors, Catholic Monarchs, Christian forces....religion and politics ruled these folks like a ping pong ball.  Although the inhabitants of this very varied country have one main thing in common,  a natural sociability and a zest for living.  The Spaniards we have met have been gregarious and welcoming.  Catholicism is still a pervasive influence in spite of waning church attendance of the under 35 set- we so enjoyed the beauty and splendor of the gorgeous Cathedrals.  Hey young folks, there's a reason your forefathers believed and built such churches and monuments to honor God.  Just a thought.

Let's keep in mind in the last 40 years Spain has undergone much social change- until the 1950's, Spain was predominately a poor, rural country, in which only 37% of the population lived in towns over 10,000 and by the 1990's the figure was 65%.  People flooded into towns and the country saw an economic boom, party due to the burgeoning tourist trade (now 10% of country's income)....the Franco the Dictator died in 1975 and things changed...then scandals...then the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and the Expo....still many Basques favor independence...and now high unemployment (although you wouldn't know it from the packed streets) and now a new King.  And anyone who knows this country will tell you that it is the Spanish people's capacity to enjoy life to the fullest that is Spain's greatest asset and attraction.  OLE.  Loving our Spain Experience.


enough thoughting, we're in...


MADRID

The local guide awaited us with bus and info about Madrid.  The capital of  Spain- famous art galleries, a royal palace and grand public squares.  And some very cool architecture...

Off the bus gus for a walk through Plaza Mayor,  Mercado San Miguel and Plaza de Espana...hey, isn't that a stat of Don Quiote, Annie??  Yes, it's the statue of the author Cervantes and Don Quixote ridding his horse while the plump Sancho Panza rides his donkey along side....anybody for spinning windmills??

Let's check out the rest of the square Boca...

A guy's gotta make a living....

Break for lunch...can't let 3 hrs go by with out some chow for the Taucktorians...CAFE DE ORIENTE.  Overlooking the square and palace. Charming spot for MORE VINO in the heat.  Great quality, friendly service and a first class location- across the street from the palace.  Good choice Joe.

COME ON BOCA...TIME TO SEE YOUR SECOND FAVORITE- THE PALACE...the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family but it is only used for state ceremonies these days.  The palace was used by the Royal Family until the abdication of King Alfonso i 1934.  The current royal fam lives at ANOTHER palace out in the burbs.

You got it Blaine!  Oh to be young again...the palace is on the site of a 9th-century fortress and was constructed as an outpost by Muhammad of Cordoba.    New palace needed per the Hapsburg's (1516)- 1,450,000 sq feet and 3,418 rooms later the tourists get to visit.  Loaded with art and fine materials...and renovation.  Ya gotta love those Haps!

Boca, did you hear the guide "NO PICTURES IN THE PALACE????"

HUH?

The staircase is technically not in the palace, right?  This place was certainly built to impress-vast and  lavish.

Pleep couldn't help but sneak a pic of his favorite room....

WESTIN HOTEL

Time to check in...only 108 degrees...everyone is schvitzing.  The Westin Palace was "suggested" by King Alfonso XIII.  Huh?  It took 18 months to build and opened in 1912 and at the time the Hotel Palace was the largest hotel in Europe.  It included a new invention....the telephone in each room.  Love the location....walking distance to what Boca wants to do.

Check in Boca...the hotel is now a part of the Starwood Hotels.  Bubs only cares about a comfy bed but Boca is all about the ambiance and who slept here....Brad Pitt?

Talk about a Tiffany ceiling- wow to the La Rotonda restaurant!  No time to snoop around Boca- get cleaned up and ready to hit the Botin. The Botin?

BOTIN
The Sobrino de Botin founded in 1725, is the oldest restaurant still running in Spain- where is an older one??  The restaurant was founded by a Frenchman and his family still runs it.  If someone has done this year after year for almost 3 centuries they've gotta be doing something right.  Annie, are you wearing your chapeau for protection from the moon light?

Boca peeks in the kitchen...what the???

Yep the Sobrino family specialty is cocinillo assado (roast suckling pig).  Even ol'Ernest Hemingway mentioned it in a novel- The Sun Also Rises.  If its good enough for Ernest...  Some of the waiters have worked here over 40 years.

Annie scampers up the steps to grab a table...the place is an institution and will get mobbed shortly.  Good job Annie!

The gang awaits their suckling oink oink...hey where's the rest of the gang?

Down in the basement?  I guess like in school our reputations preceded us and thought separating the gang was necessary...huh??  A tourist trap for sure but worth a visit if you are a pig aficionado.  Not the place for you Vegans.  Oink Oink.

DAY 63....PART B...ON TO CORDOBA, SPAIN

Let's hit it...on the road to Cordoba Bubs.

What in the heck is that?

 Boca, that is where some of the Gypsies live.  Live?  As in the side of a mountain?

In a cave?  I guess that's one way to get around real estate taxes.  Pick pocketing must be not be recession proof....

Olive trees...and a very pretty country side.  Pleep asked...if olive oil comes from olives where does baby oil come from?

And more olive trees...the biggest olive growing place on the planet- per the Olive Times.

And, yeah, another castle and more olive trees.  The Andalusia area produces 75% of the olive oil produced in Spain.  I stopped counting the rows of trees at 1 million...last year they produced over 760,000 tons of olive oil.  And by the way what exactly is EXTRA EXTRA Virgin Olive Oil?  vs just Virgin???  Olive trees start producing at 5 yrs (used to be 15) and  max productivity kicks in at  40 years and after 140 they begin to decline.  They do the harvesting between November-March and it is primarily done by hand.  No wonder my olives from Whole Foods are so dang expensive.  And for you cooks out there....olive oil should be consumed within 12 months of bottling and can begin to go rancid after 15 months.  And everyone knows Boca's most favorite place for the olive in the bottom of her Martini Glass.  Cheers.

Pit stop...this is one peeing crowd but amen to the tschokes and snick snacks...hey it's all about the olives girls.

Except when it's about the "melons"...  you go Annie.

And a few more olives....

Just the sight of more olives makes Boca  thirsty again...

Hey gang, there's the famous Cordoba Roman Bridge..

 and there's the mosque cathedral church....you heard that right.  Now that's one big a## building.

Roman in ancient times and then the capital of the Islamic Emirate and then the Caliphate of Cordoba...I see a walking tour coming on.  Get your Voxes out fellow Taucktorians.  Some say Cordoba was the most populous city in the world at one time- a very Muslim society and at that time quite tolerant toward its Christian and Jewish minorities...yeah, the good ol days.

And naturally, a UNESCO World Heritage Site...when this place was built there were 3000 other mosques in the hood!  The Great Mosque of Cordoba became the Great Cathedral of Cordoba...

 As always, Boca's lovin the ornate...never too much.

 The renovation is stupendous and brings in all those tourists...worth the trek.

 Although a Catholic Church today....all that mosquey stuff is a little creepy for this Christian.  In an active church?

 Per Pleep ,"Get over it Mom".

Time for a family style dinner...poor Joe tries to get some calm over the Tauktorians...fugetabout it Joe!  This is a tough crowd.

and one more note to Blair and Annie....

Ok. Ok. Ok.  Glad he didn't say anything about blogging.  Annie and the  Aussie mug it up.

 A rowdy table...and the others weren't??

David gives a matador demonstration and Maria begs for a fill in bull...

Plates and Plates and Plates of savory and delectable food...

 And more vino of course....what language is that you are speaking Annie??

Only to be followed by roof top dancing....no cameras allowed Boca.

 This wild and crazy group got on like old friends-"Outstanding," said Joe, "and what a pleasure to lead such a lively group".
No sour pusses allowed or we'll have to...

AND ANOTHER GRAND FANTABULOUS TIME WAS HAD BY THE TAUCKTORIANS.