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Photobomb ~ Madrid Style

Posted in London, Madrid, Photography, Travels, tagged credittologan, London, Madrid, Photobomb, Photography, Spain on Sunday, 5 May, 2013| 13 Comments »

Urban Dictionary defines photobomb: “any time the background of a picture hijacks the original focus”

If you spend time around central London especially highly concentrated tourist spots such as Big Ben, Parliament, Tower of London, it’s obvious London is a photobomber’s dream. I still duck and attempt to stay out of other people’s photos but John has gotten into the game and loves to wave/smile big if he happens to run by when someone is taking a photo. More and more I notice people posing in my photos. Recently, while walking along the canal near Regent’s Park, a runner stopped mid- stride and asked me if I wanted her in my photo. Awkward! If I said “No” she might feel rejected and “Yes” seemed a bit creepy.

During our short weekend trip to Spain, my daughter Logan was taking photos at Plaza de Puerta del Sol when a very colorfully dressed man did his best pose. First he sees his chance:

Opportunity identified

..and he definitely steals the focus while doing his best vogue:

#Photo credit to Logan

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Madrid Wrap-Up

Posted in Madrid, Photography, Spain, Travel, tagged Madrid, Photography, Spain, Travel on Saturday, 4 May, 2013| 7 Comments »

Nobody goes to bed in Madrid till they have killed the night!” – Ernest Hemingway

We didn’t “kill the night” but did our best to see as much as we could during our way too short visit to the wonderful city of Madrid!

Traveling has always been an obsession with me. The first “vacation” I planned on my own was at the age of 13 when I saved every babysitting dollar I made to pay for a flight to Disney World to visit family friends on my own. It took me a little over a year to save enough money for the trip and I had to wear the embarrassing “unaccompanied minor” sticker on my shirt but I made it. Fast forward many years and there’s always plans for a trip simmering away and Madrid has been on the travel list for a long time. So grateful I finally got a chance to experience it for myself.

After all those years of waiting to visit Spain’s capital, my top five favorites (in no particular order) are:

1) Madrid Marathon: well-organized and great atmosphere for both the runners and the spectators. A few degrees warmer would have been nice…

2) Chance to Practice my remedial Spanish: I love being able to practice my Spanish with locals ~ especially those patient enough to endure the butchering of their language. The look in my daughter’s eyes when she sees me speaking Spanish is one of such respect ~ I can tell it gives her confidence to converse too. We both want to get much better at speaking Spanish so we’re looking into another trip to Spain so we can take Spanish immersion classes.

3) El Parque del Buen Retiro: my previous post said it all. This is a fabulous place to take a picnic, in-line skates and spend the day!

4) Museo del Prado: The Prado which is listed as one of the oldest and best art museum in the world. I have to agree. Even though we were limited on time, we carved out a few hours to enjoy a stroll though some of the galleries to view beautiful and thought-provoking paintings. I used a Spanish audio guide so my understanding of some of the paintings might be suspect. Photography is not allowed. Backpacks must go through a security screening and left at the cloakroom. For more information, click here.

5) All the beautiful Plazas in Central Madrid: Plaza de la Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and Plaza de Santa Ana are my particular favorites. Would have loved to sit out at a café but the chilly weather prohibited any outdoor seating.

Recap in photos:

Iglesia de San Jerónimo , across from The Prado, Madrid

Wedding in the beautiful Iglesia de San Jerónimo

Palacio de Comunicaciones (Currently City Hall Offices) at Plaza de Cibeles

Fernando Arch Fernando VII, Madrid

Dark clouds over Madrid

Fernando Arch Fernando VII, Madrid

Cherub Fountain in Madrid

Plaza Mayor, Madrid

Another Beautiful statue in Madrid

Cellar seating at Botin Restaurant, Madrid ~ considered the oldest restaurant in the world

No Dogs Allowed ~ except this fuzz-ball (on left)

Murals in Madrid

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Madrid: Saturday in Parque del Buen Retiro

Posted in Madrid, Photography, Spain, Travel, Travels, tagged exercise in the park, In-line skating, Madrid, Marble Statues, Park in Madrid, Parque del Buen Retiro, Photography, Spain, The Fallen Angel, Travel, Vacation on Tuesday, 30 April, 2013| 3 Comments »

It was a short walk from our hotel (Vincci Soma) to Parque del Buen Retiro, and as soon as I walked in, I realized I was going to want more then a mere weekend in Madrid. I could have stayed in the park for the entire day ~ it’s big, beautiful with lovely gardens, marble statues/monuments, acres of greenery, manmade lakes and an abundance of locals doing various exercises.

The Park was originally laid out by Felipe IV in the 1600s for the use of the Royals and close family/friends but the park was opened to the public in 1868. Throughout the following years, statues and buildings have been added with the most recent being the “Bosque de Recuerdo” (memorial forest) which is a memorial for the 191 victims of the 11 March 2004 train bombings.

Exercise for your legs, Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

Whole lot of exercising going on in this part of the park, Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

In-line Skaters of all ages were everywhere in the Park ~ lots of lessons, too.

True Love: a girl and her Iphone

Big Bubble, Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

Spanish Guitar music in Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

It’s a great place for the Madrileños to enjoy a pleasant walk, a vigorous workout or just to sit and watch the world go by.

El Ángel Caído (Fallen Angel), Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

At the base of El Ángel Caído

El Ángel Caído (Fallen Angel), Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

The park has many beautiful marble statues including El Ángel Caído (The Fallen Angel ~ Satan) by Ricardo Bellver. He is said to have been inspired by a passage from Paradise Lost (John Milton). The gargoyles around the base of the statues creeped me out more than the statue itself. From my research, it looks to be the only public statue of Lucifer and supposedly it sits at 666m above sea level.

Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

Columns near the Alfonzo XXII statue, Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

Dolphins, Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

Statue in Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

Statue, Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

Fountain in Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

Alfonzo XXII Statue, Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

Cuba Monument, Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

Besides the lovely statues, there are several beautiful buildings including Palacio de Cristal which was built in 1887 as a winter garden but is now being used for temporary exhibitions of modern artwork. If you look closely at the photo below, those color discs are the artwork currently on display.

Palacio de Cristal ~ the color discs hanging from the ceiling are part of the Modern Art Exhibit

Inside the Palacio de Cristal ~ dics on the floor are part of the modern art exhibition

Logan in the Palacio de Cristal, Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

Park Vendor outside Palacio de Cristal, Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

Our time in Parque del Buen Retiro was wonderful and I definitely would have stayed longer but after a few hours it was time to head over to Museo del Prado to see the Goyas. The Museum is a short walk just outside of the park…

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Madrid Marathon 2013

Posted in Madrid, Photography, Spain, Travels, tagged Madrid, Madrid Marathon, Photography, Rock and Roll Marathon, Running, Spain, Travel, Vacation on Sunday, 28 April, 2013| 9 Comments »

Couldn’t believe it was 34°F when John left for the start of the marathon. Burrr…

JP getting ready to head out for the Madrid Marathon

We next saw John at Plaza del Sol which was the 18km mark and where a great Rock and Roll band was playing:

JP found us!

Logan and I attempted to catch John again at the finish line but he ran too fast and we miscalculated. He ended up finishing the marathon with a 4:05:05. Yeah to John!

John’s observations of the Madrid Marathon are:

Mostly the runners are from Spain with not a lot of foreign runners. More of a local marathon than a destination marathon
Fewer women than other marathons he’s run
Not as many people were “dressed up” ~ although we did see Nacho Libre and Minnie Mouse outfits
They had in-line medical volunteers amongst the runners spraying “icy hot” on runner’s joints and vaseline for chafing. John only saw one “wipe-out”
All runners including marathon (elite as well), 1/2 marathon and 10k started in the same corrals at the same time then diverted at different stages of the race. Usually runners start at different times.
Course was a bit hilly
Only food handed out along the course was power gel at one station
Bottles of water and electrolytes were handed out but the large bottles were more than he needed at one stop. He prefers the smaller cups
Lots of Porta Potties
Lots of wonderful bands (after all it was a Rock and Roll Marathon)
Overall, he loved the marathon and would like to run it again!

Here’s a bit of what I saw while cheering the runners:

Elite Men, Madrid Marathon

One of the Elite men, Madrid Marathon

Elite Runner, Madrid Marathon

Fun Band at the 18km, Madrid Marathon

Madrid Marathon at the 18km

Back of Two Minnies and a Mickey, Madrid Marathon 2013

Nacho Libre (?) at the end of the Madrid Marathon

Helping Mom and Dad to the Finish Line

End of the Marathon Band

John’s marathon shirt was too small for him, so lucky me, I have a new shirt to wear to my next tennis match.

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Madrid: A Little Drama in the Journey

Posted in Madrid, Photography, Spain, Travels, United Kingdom, tagged Gatwick Airport, Hotel, Iker, Isla del Tesoro, London, Madrid, Madrid Marathon, Metro, Photography, Running, Spain Subway, Travel, UK, Vegetarian Restaurant on Saturday, 27 April, 2013| 9 Comments »

Although I promised myself not to book a before 8am flight out of Gatwick ever again, the £24 (each way) to Madrid was too tempting. I booked our flight at 7:25 am. Not wanting to repeat our mad dash to catch our flight like we did when we traveled to Malaga, we got up at 3am, caught the 3:53 night bus to St Pancras Station and then caught the 4:24 am train to Gatwick. And then it happened, I JINXED myself by gloating how great we did getting to the train early enough to relax. We were about 5 minutes out of Gatwick when the train came to a dead stop. We sat for about five minutes then we were told there was a fire alarm going off at “Three Bridges” signalling center and we would have to back up to the previous station. We still had about 2 hours before our flight so I wasn’t too worried but there were several panicking folks on the train who had flights taking off within the hour. We finally got to the airport and then…we waited and waited. Our flight was delayed due to maintenance issues and our 7:25 flight took off a little after 11am. Which is fine with me. I’d rather be safe than on time.

I thought I’d get to Madrid too tired to do anything but once we caught the Metro our hotel in the Salamanca barrio and, BONUS, got upgraded to a one bedroom apartment, I was ready to go out and hit the town.

Vincci Soma Apartment

Vincci Soma apartment (Kitchen)

I booked this hotel based on it being close to the start and finish line of the marathon. Turns out it’s in the high-end district and in a very desireable location. Love it when it works out that way even though I didn’t plan it.

We went to the convention center to pick up John’s marathon packet. I have great respect for runners, especially those who can run 26.2 miles and love being around them as they pick up their numbers and timing chip. Such an energetic atmosphere ~ and it’s contagious.

John getting his goodie bag for the Madrid Marathon

Madrid in the running for 2020 Olympics

By the time we finished at the convention center, it was time for dinner or so we thought. It was 8:30 but the vegetarian restaurant we decided to eat at didn’t open for dinner until 9:00! So late for me but when in Spain…we walked around the block until they opened and I’m glad we waited, it was delicious food.

Isla del Tesoro, Vegetarian Restaurant

Veggie Paella at Isla del Tesoro

Spicy Noodle dish at Isla del Tesoro

Logan at Isla del Tesoro. Interesting decor and a huge burning candle with years worth of wax

Burning Candle and all it’s wax at Isla del Tesoro

We purchased a three-day Metro pass at the airport for €18 each. It allows us unlimited travel within zone A which includes the airport. It’s well worth the money as we’ve used it several times and it has more than paid for itself. The Metro is clean, efficient and easy to use:

With Logan at the Bilbao Metro stop in Madrid

And we happened to run across this billboard on the walk back to the hotel:

Logan and a larger than life Iker (her favorite football player) in Madrid

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London: Marathon 2013

Posted in Madrid, Spain, Travel, tagged London, London Marathon, Madrid, Photography, Priscah Jeptoo, Running, Steel Band, Travel, UK, Wheelchair Marathon on Tuesday, 23 April, 2013| 5 Comments »

Along Pall Mall, London Marathon 2013

This past Sunday was a perfect day for the 33rd London Marathon. John wasn’t selected to run this year so we went out to cheer on the 34,631 runners. We took the bus to Trafalgar Square then walked down Pall Mall to the finish line. Prince Harry gave out the medals and attracts quite a crowd on his own, let alone all the runners and spectators, so we decided the 25 mile marker was a better viewing spot then the finish line.

Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya ~ Women’s Elite Winner of the London Marathon 2013

Effortlessly Gliding at the 25 mile mark of the London Marathon

Wheelchair Participants in the London Marathon 2013

London sure knows how to cheer on these wonderful athletes ~ especially in the wake of the Boston Marathon tragedy. No doubt Madrid’s Rock ‘n Roll Marathon next week will be just as exciting and John will be running in that one.

Loved the Steel Band playing for the Jolly Man Runner

St James Park, A Restful Spot during the Marathon

Photographer Policeman at the London Marathon

Big Ben

Cheering the Runner of the London Marathon 2013

Cheering a Runner of the London Marathon 2013

Looking Over Her Shoulder, London Marathon 2013

Along the London Marathon Route

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Malaga, Spain ~ Farewell for Now

Posted in Madrid, Malaga, Spain, Travels, tagged Artwork, Barcelo, Beach, Costa Del Sol, Easy Jet, Malaga, Spain, Spanish, Torremolinos, Travel on Saturday, 16 February, 2013| 10 Comments »

¡Adiós a Malaga!

I could have definitely stayed another few days enjoying beautiful Malaga but as always it’s nice to be back home.

For our last day there, we took a train to Torremolinos to enjoy a bit of sun and sand. The train ride is about 20 minutes and costs €1.95 each. The short but meandering walk from the train station to the beach is lined with cafes and shops (mostly touristy stuff but a few artist shops).

Torremolinos Beach ~ looking toward Malaga

A la Playa

Spain 2013

On the boardwalk in Torremolinos

Fountain in Torremolinos near Train Station

One of the hotels in Torremolinos

Clocks in Torremolinos

Looking Fierce

While it was nice to spend time walking along the beach and having lunch on a patio enjoying the sunshine, I’m so glad we chose to stay in the city rather than at the beach. So much more character in Malaga and lots more cultural things to do. We stayed at Barcelo Malaga hotel located adjacent to the Malaga Maria Zambrano train station. Very contemporary decor, friendly staff, large rooms and great location. So easy (and cheap) to get to the beaches and airport. The walk from the hotel to the town center or to the Pier took about 10-15 minutes. They have a slide in the lobby which Logan couldn’t resist:

Slide at Hotel Barcelo in Malaga

On our travels, we usually purchase an item to remind us of our visit. I prefer to buy from local artists so I was excited to see a shop in the town center which carries only local Spanish artwork. It’s called “Versión Original Málaga” and is located at Calle Granada, 71. I’d popped into the shop several times and finally decided on hand painted poppy earrings:

Poppy Earring from Malaga (local artist)

And for John’s Valentine’s gift, I bought a hand painted mask. We’ve collected a few masks on our travels so this will add to the collection. How could I go wrong with fish and gnomes on it…

Hand-painted Mask from Malaga

Logan and I definitely fell in love with Malaga. We’re excited to return to Spain and we’ve already booked a visit to Madrid ~ thanks to Easy Jet for the $126.00 roundtrip flight from London to Madrid.

A highlight of our trip to Malaga was being able to practice our Spanish. It was wonderful to communicate in another language and actually understand when they spoke back to me (as long as they spoke slowly!). It warmed my heart when my daughter said she was so proud of me for speaking Spanish even though I’m not fluent. Hopefully, I set a good example of what a traveler should do ~ respect the culture, attempt the language (even if it’s rudimentary) and keep an open mind. Now, here’s hoping the people of Madrid are just as patient with us.

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Málaga, Spain ~ Day 3

Posted in Malaga, Spain, Travel, Travels, tagged Alcazaba, Art, Malaga, Málaga Pier, Motorcycles, Picasso, Picasso Museum, Spain, Travel on Wednesday, 13 February, 2013| 6 Comments »

A lot of the Museums and sites in Málaga are closed on Mondays (during the winter months) so we decided to make Day 3 (Tuesday) our full-on tourist day complete with the “hop-on, hop-off” bus tour. We hopped off at “Cafe con Libros” in Plaza de la Merced. The outdoor seating area included swings:

On a swing at “Cafe con Libros” in Malaga

Pablo Picasso was born in Málaga but left when he was nineteen years old and never came back (not even for a visit). Even though he had a “distant” relationship with the city, there’s a lovely Picasso Museum just off the Plaza de la Merced. The pieces on view in the permanent collection showcases eight decades of his artwork. It was fun to go through the museum with my daughter who hasn’t seem much of Picasso’s work ~ wish I had some of her reactions on video. Nothing like seeing the nude acrobat painting for the first time and trying to figure out which end is up. The entrance fee is €6 and well worth it. Logan was free. It’s closed on Mondays except in July and August. Photography is prohibited and backpacks must be checked at the desk.

More of Málaga from the bus tour:

House in Málaga

Horse and buggy in Málaga

Official Building in Málaga

Beach in Málaga

Seems everyone rides motorcycles/scooters around town.

motorcycles

Just before sunset, we went to see the Alcazaba (Palace/Fortress) which was built in the 11th century for the ruling Muslims. We were the last people to enter for the day and pretty much had the place to ourselves. Entrance fee for both of us was €2.55. What a bargain for a chance to see a beautiful location, high on a hill, overlooking Málaga.

Entrance to Alcazaba

At Alcazaba

Tub at Alcazaba

Sunset in Málaga ~ lighhouse at Pier

The Pier at night is so pretty ~ it’s lined with shops and restaurants.

Pier in Malaga

Water Fountain at the Pier in Malaga

Park at the Pier, Malaga

Along the Pier, Malaga

View into town from the Pier, Malaga

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More Malaga

Posted in Malaga, Spain, Travel, Travels, tagged Malaga, Spain, Spanish, Travel, Vegetarian Restaurant on Monday, 11 February, 2013| 2 Comments »

It took us no time at all to get on to “Spanish Time” ~ we got up too late and missed breakfast, then didn’t have lunch until 2pm, we’re almost done with siesta time and then it’s off to explore until our 8:30 dinner. Thankfully, Logan has a few more years before she gets to experience the midnight to dawn bar crowd.

We wandered around town again today. It’s just as pretty in daylight hours. Unfortunately, the weather turned a bit colder and is very windy but still better than London weather so we’re happy. I’ve been attempting to speak Spanish as much as possible and am thrilled at how patient the locals are with me. No rolling of the eyes like when I was in France and tried a few phrases in French. Granted, everyone I’ve spoken to here has had to have me repeat myself but they always let me have a second try (even if they speak English).

: Interesting Windows in Malaga

: View of Alcazaba (Fortress dating back to 1065)

: Spanish Flag

: Malaga

: Shopping in Malaga

: Palace in Malaga

: Orange Trees in Malaga

: Vegetarian Restaurant in Malaga

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Malaga Spain ~ Day 1

Posted in London, Malaga, Spain, Travels, tagged Carnival, Gatwick Airport, La Lechuga Restaurant, London, Malaga, Spain, Travel on Monday, 11 February, 2013| 4 Comments »

Note to self: No matter how cost-effective ~ do NOT book a 7 am flight out of Gatwick on a Sunday morning. Since we don’t have a car in London, we rely on public transportation. On Sundays, the trains don’t run as early as during the weekdays. The 5am train was packed and we got to Gatwick with only 1 hour and 20 minutes before the flight was scheduled to take off. Not much time to check a bag and get through security. Thankfully, we made it to the gate before they closed the doors. Confession: we did cut in line at security.

All the travel stress melted away when we landed in Malaga ~ it was a balmy 21° (68° F) and sunny! Oh, how I’ve missed you Vitamin D. Logan and I checked-in at the hotel and promptly got into the Spanish culture by taking a 2 hour siesta.

From our hotel, we walked about 10 minutes to the town center and came upon the end of Malaga’s Carnival celebration. It’s a beautiful town and we only heard one other English-speaking couple. This area is a bastion for British visitors but my understanding is most go to the beach resorts just outside of town. Logan and I preferred to get a little more into the Spanish culture and practice our Spanish (such that it is) so we opted for a stay in Malaga.

Fountain in Malaga

Glimpse of the Cathedral in Malaga

Carnival in Malaga 2013

Logan in Malaga

Statue at PLaza de la Merced

Malaga Carnival decorations

We decided to eat dinner at “La Lechuga” ~ a place called The Lettuce seemed like a good start for a couple of vegetarians. It’s located at Plaza de la Merced ~ birthplace of Picasso. La Lechuga was a great choice ~ very yummy! And not for just veggies, there were chicken, duck and other animals on the menu.

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Displaced Beachbums

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Archive for the ‘Spain’ Category

Photobomb ~ Madrid Style

Madrid Wrap-Up

Madrid: Saturday in Parque del Buen Retiro

Madrid Marathon 2013

Madrid: A Little Drama in the Journey

London: Marathon 2013

Malaga, Spain ~ Farewell for Now

Málaga, Spain ~ Day 3

More Malaga

Malaga Spain ~ Day 1

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