Episode 1 – First Ever Blog Post

Well I’m doing it. I have to admit that I’m a little nervous about it and it’s a little intimidating but I figure YOLO. So with due caution, I’m posting this my first blog post.

All is well, I’m through security and anticipating an on time departure arriving Madrid Barajas at 9:50 am.

I’m staying at a hotelwhere we stayed on our honeymoon in the Plaza Santa Anna midway between the Puerta del Sol and the Plaza Mayor. The hotels been completely remodeled and is part of a luxury hotel chain. Now it’s the ME Madrid then it was Hotel Gran Vitoria.

In 1985, it had seen better days, but it was charming. It was the preferred hotel of a famous Spanish bullfighter named Manolete (I think). On our honeymoon we were told that we were staying in his suite but they probably told that to every guest. Plaza Santa Anna, then and now, is loaded with tapa bars and jazz clubs and the hotel sits across from the Teatro Nacional where Cary and I once saw a production of a play by Moliere.

Our honeymoon was my first trip to Spain but Cary had spent her sophomore year of college in Spain with the SMU in Spain program. It was shortly after the death of Franco and Spain was an exciting place. She knew all the parks, museums and public places and delighted in showing me all her favorites. On the first day of our honeymoon after breakfast of a sand mixto at the Museo de Jamón, we went to the Prado Museum where she introduced me to the great masters of European and Spanish art. She loved art, had trained as a student docent at the Prado during her year in Spain and was an Ibero American studies major at SMU so she knew and loved the art at the Prado and was a wonderful guide.

So what’s the plan for tomorrow? I figure I’ll go right to the hotel in the morning and either check in or leave my bag and then set out for breakfast and the Prado.

I think I’ll rent the audiophones in Spanish to help me get accustomed to the particular sound, accent and intonation of Castilian Spanish. After that I’m gonna do some walking starting with the Buen Retiró and stay up as long as I can certainly not hitting the sack til after 10:00 pm. I want to get on a good sleeping schedule as quick as I can.

I’m two nights in Madrid so I also have all day Thursday and then Friday it’s the train to Sahagún.

I’m gonna try and go to sleep right after dinner on the plane which is now boarding so I guess this is the end of my first blog post if it qualifies as such. If you read this far thanks.