I did Madrid

I should back up and talk about the week between Morocco and Thailand. I walked across the border to Spain and spent my last evening on the African continent in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta with my friend Rose. The next morning, she took a taxi back to Morocco and I took one to the ferry landing. Morocco receded and Europe beckoned. I always had in mind post-service travel (I knew back in 2006 that I would have a big birthday in January 2009) and early on I thought I would go to Europe – Spain and then maybe up to Holland to see my family. Then Thailand chose me, but first I had a few days in Spain.


I took the ferry to Algeciras, put my bags in a hotel room, and went to Gibraltar for a day – I had been there for a day in March, but it was too windy for the cable car then and I really wanted to get up the Rock. From Algeciras you take a city bus and then walk across the border (this time I convinced an official to stamp my passport, even though he did it reluctantly – it’s customarily only for people who need visas). First stop, the cable car! Most of Gibraltar is a park; it was nice to walk around a that a little. The main attraction is the Barbary Macaque population there – very entertaining. Of course, I saw many a Barbary Macaque in Azrou, so it wasn’t as novel, but it was fun to watch the other people ooh and ahh over them. I also had a Magnum bar, not knowing when the next one would be. I walked along the main street, strolled around Trafalgar Cemetery - what history! - and had a nice European dinner.


The next day I took the train to Madrid – it seemed a luxury compared to the trains in Morocco. Very comfortable ride! I had low expectations for Madrid – I had heard it’s just another big city – but I am from just another big city too. I loved it! Would love to go back. I think those who pooh-poohed it were there in the summer, which is supposed to be hot. It was not hot in December – in fact, I was slightly underdressed, which kept me from doing a lot of exploration on foot. But I did explore! The Royal Palace, the Prado, the Museo de Arte Reina Sofia, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum –I just drank up the art as if I hadn’t had much for 27 months. I think I saw every single painting in the Prado and almost every one in the other two. And even though I didn’t do a lot of walking around, I liked what I did see – a beautiful European capital.

The Palace...

The Prado...

Reina Sofia...

Plaza Mayor...


On the way to the airport, I remembered that I had heard about Terminal 4, part of the new wave of airport architecture, by Richard Rogers. I decided I had just enough time to go from the terminal where I checked in (I had a layover in Germany for most of the day - time to start reading the Thailand books) to see it and come back. I really did have barely enough time - but it was worth it!