Flying High!

Flying High

No problem at all getting to Hartsfield Jackson International Airport – hub of the world it sometimes seems.  Robin dropped me at the Race Trak where I met Rick for the drive across town.  Not much traffic mid-day and just as we arrived at the cell phone lot, Susie called that she had landed and was waiting curbside.  I jumped out and got my bags with rick’s help and after a quick hug, Susie jumped in.  Thanks Rick but what good luck for you.

I went in and dropped my bag and took advantage of the TSA Pre-Chek so no wait and no hassle.  The little train sped me to concourse E and I strolled my way to gate 30.  I had a nice surprise in the section of display cases about the history of Atlanta.  There was a teletype machine from United Press International.  Yep.  That is what brought us to Atlanta.  As a Western Union telegrapher my Dad was unable to transfer from the brutal Chicago winters and so changed jobs, not done so often in the old days like it is today.  So to get out of having to shiver on street corners while waiting for a bus my dad went to U.P.I.  So this trip is off to a good start for me!

Elva was waiting at the gate and we have been catching up on life since we traveled last fall to the Ukraine and Romania.  And, of course, like all of us travel addicts, we began planning another trip.  It will have to remain a surprise until all the pieces are in place but might involve our three granddaughters and a beautiful European capital!

Our flight took off on time and I am awaiting my first ‘free’ Coke as we head in the direction of Washington, D.C. and then out over the Atlantic.  The B767-400ER seems nice and more comfortable than some.  The leg room is minimal but at least there are only two seats across so I am watching the sun sinking pink and Elva is reading at the aisle.

The flight was quite ordinary except that there wasn’t a single good thing to watch on the personal screen!  Thought I would catch up on ray Donovan but they had only the first episodes which I watched last month going and coming from Africa.  Ahhh!  The trials of the frequent traveler.

The dinner menu remained the same as well so I again had the salad with cold chicken breast and enjoyed it.  The egg muffin sandwich for breakfast – not so much.  What was different is that during the night they made the dreaded “If there is a doctor on board…” announcement.  And there was.  Seated near us was a very pretty, blonde lady doctor.  As it turned out, someone in First Class was having a problem because of their diabetes.  Luckily the doctor had good advice and reassurance for the lady.  And, perhaps, some sugar or orange juice.  Not much else could happen as we were three quarters of the way over the ocean.

We arrived in Madrid on Wednesday morning a little early but our driver was there to meet us.  Soon we were settled in at our Hotel Husa Paseo del Artes which is aptly named.  It is located on the Calle de Atocha kitty corner from the main train station.  Six of the major museums are within a short walking distance including the world class and world famous the Prado.  We are taking full advantage of that.

We were settled in our large room by 10:00 am and so set out for the day.  I had purchased two day passes for us to use the Hop On Hop Off bus (hereafter referred to as the HOHO) before I left home which then gives a discount.  We knew that we would want to be sure to stay awake as late as possible to counteract any possible jet lag.  Well, we certainly succeeded at that!

The HOHO was my strategic plan to not only acclimate but to get oriented to our own neighborhood as well as all of historic Madrid.  The first part of the day we toured all of The Old City.  The architecture is amazing.  Beautiful stucco and brick midrise classics.  Every window was adorned with a delicate wrought iron balcony, bright windows behind which fluttered pristine curtains.  The occasional geranium still bloomed in the warm sunlight.

From our comfortable seats in the open air upper deck of the bus we listened to detailed descriptions of dozens of fountains, and plazas, and regal buildings.  Because we were so very tired we chose to not go into any of the sites but just to enjoy the views.  After finishing the historic route we changed buses and rode out to be beautiful bull ring with its blue and white tiled roof and air of importance.  

This bus ventured out into what used to be the suburbs but is now the heart of the new business city.  Skyscrapers reached up some 60 floors into the clear blue sky and were designed as geometric groups or gleaming but deliberately leaning statements of modern architecture. Not as beautiful as the old city but the new city distinctive.

The buildings in Madrid Center (historic) have weight and balance to them that is noticeable.  The humblest abode seems as important as the mightiest cathedral.  Ornate statues top so many buildings that you almost tire of looking up but then you might miss something even more spectacular than what you had seen.  The tour named every architect and artist that you could possibly expect to be part of Spanish culture.  Each built a building, or decorated the ceilings, or crowned the rooftop.

After several hours of touring we hopped off at the corner near our hotel and popped into McDonalds.  They have ordering kiosks where you can select your choices, in our case a couple of Cokes, and then step to the separate line at the counter to pay and pick up your food.  While I picked this up Elva downloaded her email to her phone since our hotel does not have free WiFi.  We took our Cokes two doors up the street to our hotel and put our feet up for an hour while we munched on cheese and crackers that we brought with us from the plane.

Then off we went again.  This time on foot up the broad cobbled sidewalks to view the Cibelas Fountain and the Triumph Arch.  It was warm and sunny and we felt a walk would be great after sitting so long on the plane and then on the bus.  It did feel good to stretch but, for one, was getting a little woozy and punchy.  But the city captures your interest.  You want to be out among the cheerful, bustling crowds.  Only a few beggars are asking for handouts and mostly do not follow you.  The city is strikingly clean.  The one noticeable downside is how many people smoke!  Yes, cigarette smokers are unavoidable.  And like so many cigarette smokers everywhere, the butts just get tossed. Luckily there are sanitation workers everywhere who are kept very busy.

We began to end our day by joining the line for entry into The Prado.  By 5:45 the line was about a block and a half long but moved very quickly once it was 6:00 pm.  In the evenings admission is free.  This is apparently no secret to tourists and your artists alike.  Many of the locals carried sketch pads.  Using Mona Winks, the Rick Steves’ guide to museums, we found some of our favorite paintings quite quickly.  Each has a quality of color, or light, or viewpoint that makes it so interesting.

Despite the long line the interior did not feel crowded.  The gallery is so massive and the double or triple deep rooms expanding off the main entry corridor are nicely spaced and give ample room for both those who want a quick look see and those who want to contemplate either the depiction shown or the genius that created it.

We both knew we could hardly take another step.  Walking back toward the waiting comfort of a hot shower we considered the Spanish standard of tapas but decided that we couldn’t enjoy the noise of the bars or the food and definitely couldn’t even make the decisions necessary.  Across front the hotel is a pizza place so we each ordered a delicious pizza and ate about half, taking the rest with us to put on the mini-fridge.

Fast showers and crash time finally some 20 hours after taking off in in Atlanta!