Oberammergau & Spain
7 - 23 September 2010
7 - 23 September 2010
Tuesday 7 September & Wednesday 8 September - We flew Lufthansa from DFW to Frankfurt, Germany. We changed planes and flew to Munich . Upon landing, we claimed the luggage, met our driver, and were soon at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
Thursday 9 September - As this was not our first trip to Munich, we spent the day wandering around and enjoying the safe city. We walked over to the Alte Pinohteuk; the weather was overcast and brisk but felt refreshing to us. We entered the display area and saw several pieces by Michel Pacher including the Altarpiece of the Church Fathers well-displayed in a basement room which was under construction when we were last here. We looked at several other altarpieces in that gallery before leaving. We decided to walk down toward the Marinplatz but got lost and went way out of our way. Octoberfest begins next week and it’s the 200th anniversary; many shop windows display versions of traditional Bavarian clothing. Dinner was in Mark’s, the hotel restaurant; it’s compliments of American Express. We enjoyed dinner and had the entire restaurant to ourselves; we could hear the pianist in the lobby bar and he played well over an hour before taking a fifteen-minute break. After dinner, we went outside and walked down to the Marinplatz and back.
Friday 10 September – We wandered around Munich and window shopped. We stopped in the Dom and sat and looked for a while; then we walked the circuit inside the church before leaving and heading back to the hotel About 3:30, we called for the bellman and went down to the lobby. We checked out and waited for our car and driver. He arrived and we left the hotel before the scheduled four o’clock. According to our driver, opening and closing hours for shops are set by a law dating from 1936; tonight is known as “Munich’s Long Shopping Night” with stores staying open until midnight; last time they had 250,000 people. We saw some stages for music set up in the downtown area and several police vehicles parked around in readiness as command posts. The drive from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Munich to the Alpenhof in Murnau took about an hour. The scenery is pretty because the drive is into the mountains. We were welcomed to the Alpenhof and given welcome drinks of orange juice and coffee in the lobby. Then we were escorted to room 501 on the second floor. It’s a studio and is probably an upgrade. Downstairs there are a toilet; a living room, and a bedroom; upstairs are a full bathroom and a loft bedroom. Each level has a balcony. This “room” is 4 times the size of the one at the Mandarin Oriental.
Saturday 11 September –After lunch, we gathered out items for our Passion Play performance. In 1634 the village elders believed that they had been spared the worst of the Black Plague and vowed to perform a “miracle play” of the passion of Christ in Thanksgiving to God and they have continued to do so; it evolved into being performed on the years divisible by ten. All performers must be born in Oberammergau or have lived there for 20 years. Andreas arrived just before the scheduled one o’clock and we were off on the 30-minute-drive to Oberammergau. It’s a pretty drive through farming country and villages. The green fields, some with freshly mown hay, undulate against a darker mountainous backdrop. At some points the road passes through villages and businesses, churches, and houses delight the eye. Dairy cattle appear fat and contented; perhaps Brenham isn’t heaven? Andreas is from Garmish and had no trouble getting us into Oberammergau and dropping us just a short block from the Passion Play Theater itself. As the play didn’t begin until 2:30, we wandered up and down the town’s streets going into and out of shops---looking at everything and buying nothing. When the bells in various village towers chimed two, people began moving in the direction of the theater; a loud musical chord sounded from the theater at that time, too, and at 2:15 and 2:25. The lobby of the theater is used to display photographs from various earlier performances; entrances and exits are from the sides with the doors having huge letters above them. Tickets have row and seat numbers; ours were for row 3; seats A41 & A42. Attendants make certain that patrons enter through the correct doorway and others inside assist in finding the seat. The lady in charge of our section was insistent that everyone enter from the stage right end and crawl over those already there; going to the opposite end of the row to enter was verboten. What great seats we had right in the center front! The theater itself is huge and appears somewhat like a gymnasium filled with rows of seats. There are three sections of seats making four aisles. Entering and leaving isn’t easy unless your seat is on the aisle. There is a slope to the floor so the rear seats are higher. There is a roof over all the seats but none over the orchestra pit or the stage; that open-air effect appears to assist in the performance. Today was beautiful with sunny skies and crisp weather, but we wonder what they do if it rains. I’ve never been to an opera but believe this play is somewhat like a German opera; it has a narrator; a chorus; soloists; scenery; costumes; actors. It is all in German but books with both German and English text are available for 5 Euros. The first act begins with Palm Sunday and ends with the arrest in the Garden; it ends at 5:15. There is an intermission for dinner until 8:00. Then the second act begins and it ends with the Resurrection at 11:00. The quality of the music from the orchestra, the soloists, and the chorus is exceptional. Actors are dramatic and the entire performance is smooth and professional. Andreas tells us the town makes about 85 million Euros of the performances with some 60 million Euros being paid to the performers who must give up almost two years for rehearsals and performances. We enjoyed it; it exceeded our expectations but is something that we’re glad we did but won’t be in line to do again, even if we were able ten years from now. Restrooms are outside and crowded; we didn’t notice anyone entering or leaving during the performance. During the intermission, we ate the snacks we had brought with us rather than fight the crowds for a table in a restaurant. We did buy double-dip ice cream cones. We also walked down to the Catholic Church of Saints Peter and Paul, where the Rosary was in progress. We eased into the back---the congregation numbered about 20. We looked into more shops as we wandered back toward the theater. When the play was over, Andreas was waiting for us just where he had let us out; we had to wait a few minutes for the river of people to ease before we could pull out. We were back at the hotel before midnight.
Thursday 9 September - As this was not our first trip to Munich, we spent the day wandering around and enjoying the safe city. We walked over to the Alte Pinohteuk; the weather was overcast and brisk but felt refreshing to us. We entered the display area and saw several pieces by Michel Pacher including the Altarpiece of the Church Fathers well-displayed in a basement room which was under construction when we were last here. We looked at several other altarpieces in that gallery before leaving. We decided to walk down toward the Marinplatz but got lost and went way out of our way. Octoberfest begins next week and it’s the 200th anniversary; many shop windows display versions of traditional Bavarian clothing. Dinner was in Mark’s, the hotel restaurant; it’s compliments of American Express. We enjoyed dinner and had the entire restaurant to ourselves; we could hear the pianist in the lobby bar and he played well over an hour before taking a fifteen-minute break. After dinner, we went outside and walked down to the Marinplatz and back.
Friday 10 September – We wandered around Munich and window shopped. We stopped in the Dom and sat and looked for a while; then we walked the circuit inside the church before leaving and heading back to the hotel About 3:30, we called for the bellman and went down to the lobby. We checked out and waited for our car and driver. He arrived and we left the hotel before the scheduled four o’clock. According to our driver, opening and closing hours for shops are set by a law dating from 1936; tonight is known as “Munich’s Long Shopping Night” with stores staying open until midnight; last time they had 250,000 people. We saw some stages for music set up in the downtown area and several police vehicles parked around in readiness as command posts. The drive from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Munich to the Alpenhof in Murnau took about an hour. The scenery is pretty because the drive is into the mountains. We were welcomed to the Alpenhof and given welcome drinks of orange juice and coffee in the lobby. Then we were escorted to room 501 on the second floor. It’s a studio and is probably an upgrade. Downstairs there are a toilet; a living room, and a bedroom; upstairs are a full bathroom and a loft bedroom. Each level has a balcony. This “room” is 4 times the size of the one at the Mandarin Oriental.
Saturday 11 September –After lunch, we gathered out items for our Passion Play performance. In 1634 the village elders believed that they had been spared the worst of the Black Plague and vowed to perform a “miracle play” of the passion of Christ in Thanksgiving to God and they have continued to do so; it evolved into being performed on the years divisible by ten. All performers must be born in Oberammergau or have lived there for 20 years. Andreas arrived just before the scheduled one o’clock and we were off on the 30-minute-drive to Oberammergau. It’s a pretty drive through farming country and villages. The green fields, some with freshly mown hay, undulate against a darker mountainous backdrop. At some points the road passes through villages and businesses, churches, and houses delight the eye. Dairy cattle appear fat and contented; perhaps Brenham isn’t heaven? Andreas is from Garmish and had no trouble getting us into Oberammergau and dropping us just a short block from the Passion Play Theater itself. As the play didn’t begin until 2:30, we wandered up and down the town’s streets going into and out of shops---looking at everything and buying nothing. When the bells in various village towers chimed two, people began moving in the direction of the theater; a loud musical chord sounded from the theater at that time, too, and at 2:15 and 2:25. The lobby of the theater is used to display photographs from various earlier performances; entrances and exits are from the sides with the doors having huge letters above them. Tickets have row and seat numbers; ours were for row 3; seats A41 & A42. Attendants make certain that patrons enter through the correct doorway and others inside assist in finding the seat. The lady in charge of our section was insistent that everyone enter from the stage right end and crawl over those already there; going to the opposite end of the row to enter was verboten. What great seats we had right in the center front! The theater itself is huge and appears somewhat like a gymnasium filled with rows of seats. There are three sections of seats making four aisles. Entering and leaving isn’t easy unless your seat is on the aisle. There is a slope to the floor so the rear seats are higher. There is a roof over all the seats but none over the orchestra pit or the stage; that open-air effect appears to assist in the performance. Today was beautiful with sunny skies and crisp weather, but we wonder what they do if it rains. I’ve never been to an opera but believe this play is somewhat like a German opera; it has a narrator; a chorus; soloists; scenery; costumes; actors. It is all in German but books with both German and English text are available for 5 Euros. The first act begins with Palm Sunday and ends with the arrest in the Garden; it ends at 5:15. There is an intermission for dinner until 8:00. Then the second act begins and it ends with the Resurrection at 11:00. The quality of the music from the orchestra, the soloists, and the chorus is exceptional. Actors are dramatic and the entire performance is smooth and professional. Andreas tells us the town makes about 85 million Euros of the performances with some 60 million Euros being paid to the performers who must give up almost two years for rehearsals and performances. We enjoyed it; it exceeded our expectations but is something that we’re glad we did but won’t be in line to do again, even if we were able ten years from now. Restrooms are outside and crowded; we didn’t notice anyone entering or leaving during the performance. During the intermission, we ate the snacks we had brought with us rather than fight the crowds for a table in a restaurant. We did buy double-dip ice cream cones. We also walked down to the Catholic Church of Saints Peter and Paul, where the Rosary was in progress. We eased into the back---the congregation numbered about 20. We looked into more shops as we wandered back toward the theater. When the play was over, Andreas was waiting for us just where he had let us out; we had to wait a few minutes for the river of people to ease before we could pull out. We were back at the hotel before midnight.
Stage - Passion Play Theater
Looking Toward the Rear from the Stage - Passion Play Theater
Catholic Church of Saints Peter and PaulSunday 12 September –Andreas was there for the 8:30 transfer to the Munich airport. We drove by the largest horse farm in Germany and through more farming country until we reached the bahn. Just like on Friday, speeds on the bahn are as follows: left lane = speed of light; right lane = slow; middle, if there is one, = fast. It took us a little over an hour to get to the airport. We found the check-in line for Business Class and it didn’t take long to get boarding passes for our flight to Madrid; the luggage was checked through to Santiago de Compostelo. We waited in the lounge until time to board the flight which departed at 11:35; we had to ride a bus from the terminal to the plane parked on an apron and it was very warm and very crowded. Then we taxied for over 10 minutes before taking off. Once aboard, they served drinks; everyone on the flight was served a meal. The snow-capped Alps provided a great view from our window. Our route took us over Zurich; Geneva; Lyon; Toulouse; the Pyrenees. As we neared Madrid, the rugged landscape in many shades of brown with darker, grayish-green vegetation was enlivened by a turquoise river and lake. We landed in Madrid about 2:00 but it took several minutes to taxi to the gate. Once inside the terminal, we learned that we had a bus ride to Terminal 4 where all Iberia flights are. We checked in there for our Business Class seats and passed through the VIP Security. We then made our way to the VIP Lounge to wait for our flight to Santiago de Compostelo which is scheduled for 7:00. We spent a long time in the lounge; every time we looked at the board, it showed our flight delayed even more. We boarded about 9:15 and actually took off at 10:15. A flight attendant told us that there was an air traffic controller’s strike/slow-down in Madrid and that only one of the two runways was open. The flight wasn’t a long one and we were served drinks and sandwiches. We landed in Santiago de Compostelo a few minutes after 11:00. After getting our luggage, we exited and found our driver waiting for us. It was still before midnight when we reached the NH Obradoiro Hotel. The girl behind the desk spoke English and quickly had us on our way to room 233. It is a two-room suite.
Monday 13 September - Santiago de Compostelo is a town in northern Spain with an interesting history. Sometime in the ninth century, a monk followed a “field of stars” to a ruined Roman temple and discovered the long-lost tomb of Saint James, the son of Zebedee and the Apostle of Jesus. [He had been a missionary to the people of Spain but had returned to Jerusalem in time to be beheaded. However, two of his followers stole his body and head before they could be fed to the lions and took them back to Spain.] The local bishop declared them legitimate and they built a small church to Santiago (Saint James) de Compestelo (Field of Stars). In medieval Europe this became a pilgrimage church and very important on the pilgrimage route. The most popular route of the Camino Santiago is about 500 miles long and begins in Roncevalle, France. Even in medieval times a million or more pilgrims made the journey each year, some in penance and others in thanksgiving. Thousands of modern pilgrims walk, bike, or ride horseback along the route marked with yellow arrows. This is the third most important church in Christendom after Jerusalem and Rome. The entire town’s reason for existence is Santiago.
After breakfast, we got a map from the front desk and trudged into town; it’s a steep uphill climb for a part of the way. Once in the central area, we found The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostelo. Inside the door, we paid 10 Euros for the audio tour. We asked the person there if she knew when they would swing the botafumeiro, the huge incense burner. She didn’t know but said it might be after today’s noon mass, as the burner was hanging lower than usual. We entered the side transept and saw how crowded it was. We decided to sit down in one of the pews and just look at the church for a while. It was about 10:45. After listening to a couple of the audio guide’s descriptions of things we could see from our seats, we decided to just stay there through the mass and see if today was the day for the botafumeiro performance. While waiting, we listened to the remainder of the items on the audio guide. The present cathedral is Romanesque and in the form of a Latin cross. Construction began in 1075 and lasted 150 years.Master Mateo is given credit for the design and it is said his sculpture is on the façade. Our seats were in the right arm of the cross; the main aisle was completely packed. Soon there was standing room only in our area with nobody allowed to stand in the central aisle. Each pew comfortably held five adults and there were probably forty pews in our area. An iron railing enclosed the area around and in front of the high altar and priests were there praying with worshippers who came and went; confessionals along the sides were busy places, too. About 11:45 a young nun appeared in the chancel area and led a tutorial of the songs and responses used in the service. At noon the huge bell tolled the hour and organ music began. Soon the procession of priests reached the chancel area and the service began. Other than having a few people read scripture in other languages, the entire service, including the homily, was in Spanish with the nun’s clear voice leading the songs. When it was time for the actual communion itself, priests stationed themselves just outside the metal railing and also at the backs of each aisle with containers of the host. It didn’t take very long to serve the huge crowd. After the completion of the communion service, we noticed eight men in red robes inside the metal railing. One of them lighted the incense in the botafumeiro. This silver burner weighs 120 pounds and is suspended from an iron structure spanning the chancel area high above the altar by a heavy rope. Using a system of pulleys, the eight men called tiraboleiros pull on the rope which causes the incense burner to swing from side-to-side. Each pull on the rope sends it higher and higher into the transepts; at times it almost seems to touch the ceiling. Sweet-smelling smoke spews forth to perfume the air. It is said the custom originated to counteract the odors of the pilgrims who had traveled the Camino de Santiago. It was an impressive display and well worth the wait.
After mass ended, we made some photos inside the church. We also visited the various chapels and other areas mentioned in our audio guide. It isn’t the most beautiful church we’ve visited and just didn’t have the “feel” of a place to pray. We thought the ornate gilding of the central altar didn’t “fit” with the rest of the church.
We liked the Chapel of the Savior and the other small chapel that was once a separate church outside the Cathedral itself. We left the church after 1:00 and wandered down into the town for lunch. Then we headed back toward the cathedral and went to the Praza Quintana to check on the line to enter the Holy Door and view the tomb of the apostle. Evidently people were either at lunch or siesta because the line was fairly short. We only waited about ten or fifteen minutes and entered shortly after the bell chimed three. As this is considered a Holy Year because the Feast of Saint James falls on a Sunday, we were privileged to enter the ambulatory this way. We went inside and then climbed some steps where we were behind the bust of Saint James which sits above the high altar. Many embrace him from behind and he wears a silver cloak studded with jewels. We then went down the other side and down more steps to the crypt where we saw the silver casket containing his bones. Then we finished our tour of the ambulatory and left the cathedral.
We re-entered the church and went out the front to view the façade. It is known as the Portico of Glory and was sculpted in 1180 by Master Mateo himself. After making a few pictures from across the Praza do Obradoiro which has a scallop shell etched in the center. Scallops are abundant on the Galician coast and their shells are associated with Santiago throughout Europe.
Tuesday 14 September – After breakfast we walked back up to town. Once there we paid 6 Euros to enter the Cathedral Museum. The first part wasn’t very good; it contained modern replicas of medieval musical instruments but none of the computer stations operated properly. We left that part and went around the corner into the other portion of the museum. Here there are pieces of Master Mateo’s original choir as well as a reconstruction of it. We then climbed more steps and saw the Biblioteca with some illuminated manuscripts on display. We also saw the Treasury, which has some magnificent pieces of silver used for services. Several rooms contain tapestries; one contains vestments. Off the cloister are other rooms which contain small chapels with elaborate altars. In one corner are three of the old bells which were replaced a few years ago. We thought this tour one of the best parts of the entire cathedral; from a balcony we could look down on the square and were able to make some photos.
After descending, we exited the museum and wandered a few streets in town. Then we went back to Praza Quintana and to Monasteiro San Paio where we entered the church. After looking at it for a while, we paid 3 Euros to go into the adjacent Museo de Arte Sacra which we enjoyed. Leaving there, we wandered around to the back of the monastery where we rang a bell and bought a tarta de Santiago from a nun. Then we wandered back down into the winding streets of the town for lunch. On Praza Obradoiro, we stopped at Hostal dos Reis Catolicos, the world’s oldest hotel, where we looked inside and were unimpressed by the lobby. We then walked back to our hotel. We relaxed in the room for a while and enjoyed a snack of the tarte de Santiago, a delicious almond cake dusted with a powdered sugar Cross of Santiago. After 6:00, we left the room and began the adventure of trying to mail the post cards. Reception doesn’t do that; only tabaco shops have stamps. On the walk back into town we stopped at a tobacco shop and were told to go to the praza de correos. He then gestured toward town. Finally I asked a guard outside the museum who told me in Spanish and with gestures where to find the post office. We walked there and it was still open; perhaps it closed during siesta. I took a number and waited for it to come up near one of the windows; three cards were mailed at a cost of 2.34 Euros. Next we window shopped a little and then went to the Cathedral where 7:30 mass was just beginning; we sat in the back of the nave to get a good view of the high altar all lighted up and glistening with gold. We decided to eat at Cre-cote just across from the Holy Door in Praza Quintana. It was pleasant sitting outside and watching the people in line to enter the crypt. We also enjoyed just watching the locals and the tourists in the square. We were fascinated that one tower of the cathedral looks very much like a pagoda and made a photo of it; some of the other towers are almost lotus-shaped like the temples of Angkor Wat. Sacrilege, I’m sure. We sat there a while and then window shopped as we made our way back around to Praza Obradoiro where we sat for a while and watched the fading sunlight on the façade.
Wednesday 15 September – Today was our easy day in Santiago de Compostelo. After breakfast, we got ready and walked into town arriving about 10:30. The uphill walk wasn’t any easier today than Monday. Once downtown, we went to the Cathedral because I wanted one more look at the Portico of Glory; the scaffolding in place for restoration work makes it very difficult to appreciate. After that, we wended our way through the winding streets peering into the shops. We also visited a tourist information office but found nothing more we wanted to do. The bells in the tower chimed eleven as we twisted our way back to Praza Obradoiro and the tourist train. It was jam-packed but the lady selling tickets told me that it ran on the hour and that they would return at 11:45. We sat in the shade on the side of the plaza and people watched until that time. It was interesting to watch the tours and the individuals coming and going to the Hostal dos Reis Catolicos; the town hall; the Cathedral. We were also interested in a church on the street below which intrigued us with its fine pieta above the doorway. Part of the time we watched a man decoupage colored papers over dried walnut shells on sticks to make maracas. When the tourist train returned, we were some of the first and paid 10 Euros for the ride. We enjoyed seeing more of the town than just the old, central portion. There are more churches and monasteries in other parts of town as everything here owes its existence to religion. Just before we turned around at the bus station, a traffic circle held a bronze statue of a pilgrim near the point where the French route enters the city. After the train ride ended, we went back into the winding streets looking for a place to eat. We ambled our way back through town and returned to the hotel.
Monday 13 September - Santiago de Compostelo is a town in northern Spain with an interesting history. Sometime in the ninth century, a monk followed a “field of stars” to a ruined Roman temple and discovered the long-lost tomb of Saint James, the son of Zebedee and the Apostle of Jesus. [He had been a missionary to the people of Spain but had returned to Jerusalem in time to be beheaded. However, two of his followers stole his body and head before they could be fed to the lions and took them back to Spain.] The local bishop declared them legitimate and they built a small church to Santiago (Saint James) de Compestelo (Field of Stars). In medieval Europe this became a pilgrimage church and very important on the pilgrimage route. The most popular route of the Camino Santiago is about 500 miles long and begins in Roncevalle, France. Even in medieval times a million or more pilgrims made the journey each year, some in penance and others in thanksgiving. Thousands of modern pilgrims walk, bike, or ride horseback along the route marked with yellow arrows. This is the third most important church in Christendom after Jerusalem and Rome. The entire town’s reason for existence is Santiago.
After breakfast, we got a map from the front desk and trudged into town; it’s a steep uphill climb for a part of the way. Once in the central area, we found The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostelo. Inside the door, we paid 10 Euros for the audio tour. We asked the person there if she knew when they would swing the botafumeiro, the huge incense burner. She didn’t know but said it might be after today’s noon mass, as the burner was hanging lower than usual. We entered the side transept and saw how crowded it was. We decided to sit down in one of the pews and just look at the church for a while. It was about 10:45. After listening to a couple of the audio guide’s descriptions of things we could see from our seats, we decided to just stay there through the mass and see if today was the day for the botafumeiro performance. While waiting, we listened to the remainder of the items on the audio guide. The present cathedral is Romanesque and in the form of a Latin cross. Construction began in 1075 and lasted 150 years.Master Mateo is given credit for the design and it is said his sculpture is on the façade. Our seats were in the right arm of the cross; the main aisle was completely packed. Soon there was standing room only in our area with nobody allowed to stand in the central aisle. Each pew comfortably held five adults and there were probably forty pews in our area. An iron railing enclosed the area around and in front of the high altar and priests were there praying with worshippers who came and went; confessionals along the sides were busy places, too. About 11:45 a young nun appeared in the chancel area and led a tutorial of the songs and responses used in the service. At noon the huge bell tolled the hour and organ music began. Soon the procession of priests reached the chancel area and the service began. Other than having a few people read scripture in other languages, the entire service, including the homily, was in Spanish with the nun’s clear voice leading the songs. When it was time for the actual communion itself, priests stationed themselves just outside the metal railing and also at the backs of each aisle with containers of the host. It didn’t take very long to serve the huge crowd. After the completion of the communion service, we noticed eight men in red robes inside the metal railing. One of them lighted the incense in the botafumeiro. This silver burner weighs 120 pounds and is suspended from an iron structure spanning the chancel area high above the altar by a heavy rope. Using a system of pulleys, the eight men called tiraboleiros pull on the rope which causes the incense burner to swing from side-to-side. Each pull on the rope sends it higher and higher into the transepts; at times it almost seems to touch the ceiling. Sweet-smelling smoke spews forth to perfume the air. It is said the custom originated to counteract the odors of the pilgrims who had traveled the Camino de Santiago. It was an impressive display and well worth the wait.
After mass ended, we made some photos inside the church. We also visited the various chapels and other areas mentioned in our audio guide. It isn’t the most beautiful church we’ve visited and just didn’t have the “feel” of a place to pray. We thought the ornate gilding of the central altar didn’t “fit” with the rest of the church.
We liked the Chapel of the Savior and the other small chapel that was once a separate church outside the Cathedral itself. We left the church after 1:00 and wandered down into the town for lunch. Then we headed back toward the cathedral and went to the Praza Quintana to check on the line to enter the Holy Door and view the tomb of the apostle. Evidently people were either at lunch or siesta because the line was fairly short. We only waited about ten or fifteen minutes and entered shortly after the bell chimed three. As this is considered a Holy Year because the Feast of Saint James falls on a Sunday, we were privileged to enter the ambulatory this way. We went inside and then climbed some steps where we were behind the bust of Saint James which sits above the high altar. Many embrace him from behind and he wears a silver cloak studded with jewels. We then went down the other side and down more steps to the crypt where we saw the silver casket containing his bones. Then we finished our tour of the ambulatory and left the cathedral.
We re-entered the church and went out the front to view the façade. It is known as the Portico of Glory and was sculpted in 1180 by Master Mateo himself. After making a few pictures from across the Praza do Obradoiro which has a scallop shell etched in the center. Scallops are abundant on the Galician coast and their shells are associated with Santiago throughout Europe.
Tuesday 14 September – After breakfast we walked back up to town. Once there we paid 6 Euros to enter the Cathedral Museum. The first part wasn’t very good; it contained modern replicas of medieval musical instruments but none of the computer stations operated properly. We left that part and went around the corner into the other portion of the museum. Here there are pieces of Master Mateo’s original choir as well as a reconstruction of it. We then climbed more steps and saw the Biblioteca with some illuminated manuscripts on display. We also saw the Treasury, which has some magnificent pieces of silver used for services. Several rooms contain tapestries; one contains vestments. Off the cloister are other rooms which contain small chapels with elaborate altars. In one corner are three of the old bells which were replaced a few years ago. We thought this tour one of the best parts of the entire cathedral; from a balcony we could look down on the square and were able to make some photos.
After descending, we exited the museum and wandered a few streets in town. Then we went back to Praza Quintana and to Monasteiro San Paio where we entered the church. After looking at it for a while, we paid 3 Euros to go into the adjacent Museo de Arte Sacra which we enjoyed. Leaving there, we wandered around to the back of the monastery where we rang a bell and bought a tarta de Santiago from a nun. Then we wandered back down into the winding streets of the town for lunch. On Praza Obradoiro, we stopped at Hostal dos Reis Catolicos, the world’s oldest hotel, where we looked inside and were unimpressed by the lobby. We then walked back to our hotel. We relaxed in the room for a while and enjoyed a snack of the tarte de Santiago, a delicious almond cake dusted with a powdered sugar Cross of Santiago. After 6:00, we left the room and began the adventure of trying to mail the post cards. Reception doesn’t do that; only tabaco shops have stamps. On the walk back into town we stopped at a tobacco shop and were told to go to the praza de correos. He then gestured toward town. Finally I asked a guard outside the museum who told me in Spanish and with gestures where to find the post office. We walked there and it was still open; perhaps it closed during siesta. I took a number and waited for it to come up near one of the windows; three cards were mailed at a cost of 2.34 Euros. Next we window shopped a little and then went to the Cathedral where 7:30 mass was just beginning; we sat in the back of the nave to get a good view of the high altar all lighted up and glistening with gold. We decided to eat at Cre-cote just across from the Holy Door in Praza Quintana. It was pleasant sitting outside and watching the people in line to enter the crypt. We also enjoyed just watching the locals and the tourists in the square. We were fascinated that one tower of the cathedral looks very much like a pagoda and made a photo of it; some of the other towers are almost lotus-shaped like the temples of Angkor Wat. Sacrilege, I’m sure. We sat there a while and then window shopped as we made our way back around to Praza Obradoiro where we sat for a while and watched the fading sunlight on the façade.
Wednesday 15 September – Today was our easy day in Santiago de Compostelo. After breakfast, we got ready and walked into town arriving about 10:30. The uphill walk wasn’t any easier today than Monday. Once downtown, we went to the Cathedral because I wanted one more look at the Portico of Glory; the scaffolding in place for restoration work makes it very difficult to appreciate. After that, we wended our way through the winding streets peering into the shops. We also visited a tourist information office but found nothing more we wanted to do. The bells in the tower chimed eleven as we twisted our way back to Praza Obradoiro and the tourist train. It was jam-packed but the lady selling tickets told me that it ran on the hour and that they would return at 11:45. We sat in the shade on the side of the plaza and people watched until that time. It was interesting to watch the tours and the individuals coming and going to the Hostal dos Reis Catolicos; the town hall; the Cathedral. We were also interested in a church on the street below which intrigued us with its fine pieta above the doorway. Part of the time we watched a man decoupage colored papers over dried walnut shells on sticks to make maracas. When the tourist train returned, we were some of the first and paid 10 Euros for the ride. We enjoyed seeing more of the town than just the old, central portion. There are more churches and monasteries in other parts of town as everything here owes its existence to religion. Just before we turned around at the bus station, a traffic circle held a bronze statue of a pilgrim near the point where the French route enters the city. After the train ride ended, we went back into the winding streets looking for a place to eat. We ambled our way back through town and returned to the hotel.
Thursday 16 September –Our driver arrived just before 8:00 and we were soon on our way to the airport. We arrived there after about a 30 minute drive. Traffic was very light. We checked in for Iberia to Madrid and checked the luggage all the way to Granada. We landed in Madrid shortly after 10:00. We had to walk the entire length of the terminal for Iberia 0274 to Granada. The flight waited at the gate for 45 minutes or more for a couple of dozen late-arriving passengers. All in all, we were about an hour late leaving but the flight itself lasted only about 40 minutes so it was no problem. They served drinks and sandwiches. We flew over fields and orchards showing evidence of a flourishing agriculture. It was sprinkling rain when we deplaned and walked across the tarmac into the terminal and our luggage was a little damp when it finally arrived. Our driver was waiting and we left the airport and drove for quite a while through the outskirts of the city until we reached Granada; traffic was a little heavier here. We saw quite a lot of commercial establishments and small manufacturing plants. In the city itself we saw a lot of buildings covered with graffiti. Our driver stopped in the street in front of our hotel; put the luggage on the sidewalk; and showed us the entrance gates to the garden. We pushed the button to open the gate and got the luggage up the walkway, up the steps, and into the lobby of Hospes Palacio de los Patos. We were soon checked in and escorted to room 40 in a cupola on the top floor. The luxurious bathroom is a few steps down from the bedroom; we really like this room’s look and feel. We used the map we were given at the desk and splish-splashed our way through sprinkling rain toward the city’s center. That took about 30 minutes and we were a half-hour early for the opening the Catedral and La Capilla Real. By then the rain had stopped. We used that time to walk through the alleyways of the area surrounding them which was a warren of souvenir shops. It still has the feel of an Arab market. We walked the perimeter of the Catedral to find the entrance. On one sidewalk a huge spice market was set up and we saw a spice shop on another side. 
We paid 5 Euros (senior’s discount) and entered the massive structure built on the site of a mosque. No photos are allowed inside. This Renaissance structure is Spain’s second largest church after Sevilla. We first toured the Sacristy, an elegantly appointed room to store priest’s vestments and in which they dress. They have removed some huge paintings from high niches and placed them lower; it doesn’t work because it spoiled the proportions as they were painted to be viewed from far below. We wandered around pews and huge Baroque organs to see a vast, light space because it is painted white. The stained glass windows are not overly large, but they sparkle brilliantly. The gigantic columns are at least 25 feet in circumference; the vaulted ceiling has different coffered designs in alternating areas. Side chapels are opulent Baroque golden structures complete with paintings and sculptures. The high altar is also light and bright. A small museum occupies one corner room. Here we saw cases of elegantly embroidered vestments; busts; silver and gold items used during mass and processions. One interesting display in the ambulatory is of 8 or 10 illuminated music books which are mostly 16th century Gregorian Chants.
After we left the Catedral, we walked around the corner to enter La Capilla Real. Here the entrance fee was 7 Euros with no senior discount. We saw the massive and elaborately carved doors which connect the chapel to the cathedral itself but, of course, that would cut out the separate entrance fee. No photos are allowed here either. This structure was built to house the tombs of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Los Reis Catolicos. How special it is to see the tombs of the two people who created the country of Spain. The entire chapel has a light, lacy, filigree style and cost Ferdinand & Isabella one-fourth of their fortune. It was finished in 1521. Four Carrara marble tombs dominate the structure: Ferdinand and Isabella on the right; Philip the Fair and Juana La Loca on the left. We went down steps to see their lead coffins resting in the crypt below. We were most impressed by the altarpiece dedicated to St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. Scenes from their lives and the life of Christ surround them. Ferdinand and Isabella are praying at the side. We found it fascinating and one of the most beautiful we’ve seen anywhere. In the small museum here, we saw Isabella’s crown and scepter and Ferdinand’s sword. We also saw Isabella’s illuminated prayer book as well as crosses and flags carried by their armies in the battles to wrest Spain from the Moors. We couldn’t believe the opulence in these buildings and reminded ourselves that the gold and silver came from Spanish conquistadors in South America.
We paid 5 Euros (senior’s discount) and entered the massive structure built on the site of a mosque. No photos are allowed inside. This Renaissance structure is Spain’s second largest church after Sevilla. We first toured the Sacristy, an elegantly appointed room to store priest’s vestments and in which they dress. They have removed some huge paintings from high niches and placed them lower; it doesn’t work because it spoiled the proportions as they were painted to be viewed from far below. We wandered around pews and huge Baroque organs to see a vast, light space because it is painted white. The stained glass windows are not overly large, but they sparkle brilliantly. The gigantic columns are at least 25 feet in circumference; the vaulted ceiling has different coffered designs in alternating areas. Side chapels are opulent Baroque golden structures complete with paintings and sculptures. The high altar is also light and bright. A small museum occupies one corner room. Here we saw cases of elegantly embroidered vestments; busts; silver and gold items used during mass and processions. One interesting display in the ambulatory is of 8 or 10 illuminated music books which are mostly 16th century Gregorian Chants.
After we left the Catedral, we walked around the corner to enter La Capilla Real. Here the entrance fee was 7 Euros with no senior discount. We saw the massive and elaborately carved doors which connect the chapel to the cathedral itself but, of course, that would cut out the separate entrance fee. No photos are allowed here either. This structure was built to house the tombs of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Los Reis Catolicos. How special it is to see the tombs of the two people who created the country of Spain. The entire chapel has a light, lacy, filigree style and cost Ferdinand & Isabella one-fourth of their fortune. It was finished in 1521. Four Carrara marble tombs dominate the structure: Ferdinand and Isabella on the right; Philip the Fair and Juana La Loca on the left. We went down steps to see their lead coffins resting in the crypt below. We were most impressed by the altarpiece dedicated to St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. Scenes from their lives and the life of Christ surround them. Ferdinand and Isabella are praying at the side. We found it fascinating and one of the most beautiful we’ve seen anywhere. In the small museum here, we saw Isabella’s crown and scepter and Ferdinand’s sword. We also saw Isabella’s illuminated prayer book as well as crosses and flags carried by their armies in the battles to wrest Spain from the Moors. We couldn’t believe the opulence in these buildings and reminded ourselves that the gold and silver came from Spanish conquistadors in South America.
Friday 17 September –We were waiting in the lobby when our guide, Manuel Fernandez, arrived at 10:00. He called a taxi to take us to the Alhambra. Traffic was somewhat congested because of the rain but the drive up to the entrance didn’t take more than 30 minutes. We left the taxi near the entrance and Manuel began his commentary. He not only told us about the structures we saw, he also included details about the people who erected and used them; the customs and reasons for various constructions; the methods and materials used; the culture and life of Granada. The almost four hours passed quickly as we made our way through the structure. The Alhambra was the last Moorish stronghold in Spain and its capture by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1492 ended almost 8 centuries of Moorish presence. First and foremost a fortress, the Alhambra eventually housed about 2000 residents and was totally self sufficient. The water system relies on a mountain spring which is a source for the Darra River and uses aqueducts to divert water for use in the Alhambra. It is the culmination of Moorish architecture in Spain. We began by walking up to the Generalife, a palace built on the outskirts as an escape for the ruler. Terraces of fruits and vegetables still produce and there are also beautiful gardens for relaxing. Most of these gardens follow the Moorish design plan, but with Italian modifications. Moorish gardens were designed lower than the viewer because the viewer always sat on a carpet and never on a chair. Also, fountains in Moorish gardens murmur to provide relaxation and don’t splash exuberantly like Italian ones. It was in the Generalife that we learned how the Moors used molds for plaster which they hardened to create the intricate wall designs. When treated with a solution including animal fat, the decorations resisted weathering. Here, too, we had great views of the main fortification farther below and of the Albayzin, the old Arab Quarter of Granada. The Escalera del Agua shows how the water is brought into the fortress along the tops of the railings; originally there was a device which allowed the water to be diverted at the top of the staircase to run down the specially carved steps themselves. Leaving this area, we walked downhill with Manuel pointing out the results of archeological excavations which revealed the foundations of houses and shops.
Albazin from Generalife
Generalife Garden
View from Generalife
Generalife
Escalera del Agua
View of St. Nicholas ChurchThen we entered the Palacios Nazariaes seeing rooms decorated from top to bottom with carved, gilded, and painted wooden tongue-and-groove ceilings; molded-plaster walls; filigree windows; stucco and marble columns; ceramic tiles. Each room was new and amazing because the combination of the elements differed. When the Alhambra was constructed, no technology existed for multi-colored ceramic tile; each color had to be fired separately. We enjoyed seeing the various courtyards with their ponds and fountains surrounded by intricately carved pillars. We enjoyed the first room, which was once The Court of Justice and later converted into a church; remnants of a mosque still remain in a side room. In what was the Throne Room of the Moorish ruler, now called the Hall of the Ambassadors, we were amazed at the lavish decoration. It was here that the surrender was signed between the Moors and the Catholics; here, too, the edict expelling the Jews was signed. Here we learned how Muslims use geometry to symbolize religion with 8 being the perfect number; there are seven levels of Heaven in Islam with Allah being the eighth. There are also Five Pillars and many rooms have only five windows. The famous Courtyard of the Lions is under reconstruction but an adjacent room held the 12 reconstructed lions awaiting the completion of the remainder of the fountain and its hydraulics. There are three different lions which alternate in the circle. We saw the Harem area with concubines on one side of the garden and wives on the other. In typical Arab fashion, the public spaces are on the ground floor with the private spaces above. Each of the four wives had her own apartment with a window looking down into the public area below. After the palace, a brief stroll through the gardens with more viewing opportunities provided contrast.
Ceiling
Ceiling
Ceiling
Ceiling
Multicolor Tiles
Our last stop was the Palace of Charles V (Carlos I). He intended to make Granada the capital of Spain and spent quite a bit of money on the Catedral, La Capilla Real, and Palacio but gave into pressure from Castilians and others to move the capital to Toledo. However, Charles was educated enough and modern enough to refuse to allow the Alhambra to be destroyed and demanded that his palace be a separate building erected on the same grounds. This building was very modern for the 1500s and represents a great geometric theory; the exterior is a perfect square while the classical interior is a perfect circle.
Palacio de Carlos I / Carlos V
Mezquita
Calle de las Flores
Calle de las Flores
We also saw a building first constructed as an orphanage for choir boys, then used as a hospital, and now a part of the university. From there we continued to the Old Synagogue, the oldest in Spain. Because it was converted into a church, it was not destroyed. It, too, had Mudejar decorations on the walls. It seemed to be almost a cube with a niche for the Torah on one wall and a cross on the other; men worshiped on the main floor and women on a balcony.
Synagogue
Synagogue
Synagogue
Roman Bridge Area
Raphael/Plague Tower
Mezquita
Mihrab
Processional Monstrance - Treasury
Replicas of Master Masons' Marks
High Altar of Catholic Church
Pulpit carved from South American mahogany
Choir carved from South American mahogany
It was about 1:30 and David called Pedro to tell him to pick us up at 3:30. After lunch we then wandered around the shops some more. We decided all the shops had about the same merchandise and we didn’t see anything we wanted so we headed back to wait for Pedro. He was early and we left Cordoba about 3:00. The route we took toward Sevilla began with more olive trees but transformed into more pastures and hay fields. We reached Hotel Alfonse XIII in Sevilla about 5:00. American Express provided a free dinner and we relaxed in the room until the dining room opened at 8:30. Dinner was in the patio, a beautiful setting. Service, if there was any, was resentful and haphazard; food was terrible. After dinner was over at 10:00, we walked outside for a while before returning to the room. We were in bed about 11:30; fireworks, which we could see from our window, went off at midnight.
Sunday 19 September – Breakfast was in the same patio as last night's dinner with the same cigarette butts in the same corner of the floor as when we sat down last night. It was a buffet and not the freshest one at that. We heard some other comments from people who weren’t pleased with the food or the service or both. About 10:00 we left the hotel and walked over toward the Catedral. Bells in the Giralda were clanging 10:15 when we got to that area; they hang in arches and part of the arc of their swing is outside. We entered the Catedral which was packed with people and saw that mass was about to begin. There were cameras filming the event and viewing screens set up in various places. We saw on the screen that some seats were filled with nuns and when the procession began we saw lots of white-robed priests; several cardinals; several bishops; and the archbishop himself complete with miter and staff. We learned that it was a beatification mass for a nun. We decided to leave the crowded building and went across to the Alcazar where we paid the 15 Euros admission. Because we had been here before, we declined the services of a guide and the audio tour. We walked through the Patio of the Lions and the Patio de la Monteria and into the Admiral’s Apartments. This area was designated for the administration of the Americas by Queen Isabella after she realized that Columbus’ discovery was a “big deal.” We just wandered through the reception room and the room displaying fans and went to the chapel to see the painting of Santa Maria de lost Buenos Aires in the chapel. Many believe this is the only painting containing portraits of both King Ferdinand and Columbus. We declined to pay the extra admission to visit the royal apartments used by the present day monarch when in residence and entered King Pedro the Cruel’s Palace, built in the 14th century in Mudejar style. We enjoyed the courts and rooms with their ornately plastered walls and sumptuous and elegant ceilings. The stylized décor appeals to us. The Gothic Wing came next. It contains, of course, a chapel but the tapestries showing Charles V victorious in Tunis are its claim to fame. We then took the elevated walkway to the far side of the gardens before going downstairs to sit for a while in the shade. Then we wandered a little in both the Christian and the Muslim gardens before heading toward the exit.
Alcazar Entrance
Alcazar Interior Courtyard Entrance
Interior Courtyard
Ceiling
Interior Patio Detail
Interior Wall Detail
Interior Wall Detail
Ceiling
Interior Wall
Ceiling
Ceiling
Tiled Wall
Hall of Tapestries
Leaving the Alcazar, we went to the tourist information office to ask the location of El Torno, a cooperative selling products produced by cloistered nuns. We found it and bought some coconut cookies. When we came out of that street, it was obvious by the crowd of people lining the street outside the Catedral that something was about to take place. We waited for a while and soon a procession began with a cross flanked by two candles. Next came several dozen people. About four dozen nuns singing hymns came next. They were followed by another processional cross flanked by candles. Then some men appeared carrying a silver float atop their shoulders; it held a statue of the beatified nun and flowers. More singing nuns followed. We had never seen a procession like this and enjoyed it. People in the crowd clapped as the statue reached them.
We decided it was time to eat and wandered into the Barrio Santa Cruz. After eating, we bought ice cream which we ate seated on a tiled bench in a courtyard. Then we wandered around some in the twisting, narrow streets before heading back toward the Catedral. It opened for tours at 2:30; we would have gotten in sooner than we did had we not been in the wrong spot. We had to walk half way around the building to get to the individuals’ entrance where we paid the pensioners’ price of 2 Euros each and not the regular rate of 7.50 each. As this is the third largest church in the world after St. Peter’s in Rome and St. Paul’s in London, it takes a while. In contrast to our last visit, the lights were on. We first went to the main altar to see the huge, gold altarpiece; it’s much more beautiful when the iron grillwork is open. Then we split up and wandered around the church looking at each of the side chapels and at the displays in the Treasury. We declined to climb the Giralda even though our ticket included it. This bell tower on top of the former minaret is the structure’s best feature. After touring the church. we exited through the Court of the Orange Trees and walked back to the hotel. It was almost five o’clock and we had spent most of the day walking. We were tired but glad we made the effort to return and see what we missed before. About 6:30 we left the hotel and walked back into the twisting streets of Santa Cruz to find something to eat.
Bell Tower topped by La Giralda
Original Giralda [weathervane] on Display
High Altar
High Altar
Altar de la Plata
Organ
Rear of Choir
Columbus' Tomb
Treasury
Chapter House
Royal Chapel
Monday 20 September –After checking out, we waited for our airport transfer and Pedro arrived at 9:00. We loaded everything, left the hotel, turned left at the Torre del Oro and headed for the half-hour drive to the airport. We went to gate 3 to wait for our Iberia flight to Madrid scheduled for 10:30. After landing, we made our way to Baggage Claim and then waited about 30 minutes for the luggage. We left the airport about 12:30 for the half-hour’s drive to the Ritz Hotel. Upon arrival, we checked in and were given room 403 which overlooks the front of the hotel; I think it’s an upgrade. We were also given a voucher for a free “High Tea” and instructions for the free WiFi, which the Spanish call “Wee Fee.” The room is well-maintained and posh with an attached marble bathroom. We decided to get some lunch and went across the side street to VIPS Neptuno. By the time we finished eating, it was about 2:15. We looked into a couple of nearby shops and then walked back to the Ritz to get a map from the concierge. Then we walked up to the Puerto del Sol and window shopped for an hour or so. Upon returning to the hotel, we logged in to the computer and cleaned up email, etc. We changed clothes and went downstairs for our free High Tea about 5:45. It was delicious and we enjoyed sitting there in the elegant surroundings and being served from china and silver. It was almost 7:00 when we left and went outside to walk for a while. We made a huge block walking up the hill behind the hotel to the park and then along that street until we came to the street on the other side of the hotel. We enjoyed seeing the various architectural styles of the buildings we passed and even peeking into the lobbies of some. One had a workshop where one lady was pinning fabric to a dressmaker’s form while another spread fabric on a huge cutting table.
Tuesday 21 September –After breakfast we returned to the room and gathered our belongings for today’s tour to The Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. There was a lot of police presence and extra security around the hotel and the doorman said that Prince Felipe was coming for a meeting at noon. Then the ex-president of Columbia would be here. It was a good time to leave. Elena, our guide, arrived at 10:00 and we walked to the car where Carlos was our driver. He had driven us on our first trip to Madrid. We left the city for the approximately 45 minute drive from Madrid to the foothills and the village of San Lorenzo. On the way, Elena pointed out various sites including a restored watchtower used in the 13th century. She also showed us the 300-meter-high cross at the Valley of the Fallen, a memorial to those who died in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. She explained that the government had closed the site last year and keeps giving excuses for not reopening it; she thinks the real reason is that General Franco is entombed there and they don’t want people visiting the grave of a dictator. We drove through the picturesque village of San Lorenzo and arrived at El Monastario de San Lorenzo de El Escorial, a monastery erected between 1563 and 1584 on the orders of Phillip II. It was to serve as a burial place for his father, Charles V /Carlos I and to commemorate his victory over France in the Battle of San Quentin on 10 August 1557, the feast day of San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence). He hired two architects and we saw some of their drawings inside the building. First they built a monastery and then the king’s apartments. Next they constructed the basilica. The granite used in the construction as well as the marble used in embellishing some portions all came from Spain. We entered the basilica and saw the flat vault of the ceiling which enabled the choir area above to have much more headroom; it was revolutionary for its time. Then we entered the church itself which is Romanesque and in the form of a Greek cross with equal arms. Massive granite pillars support the Brunelleschi-style dome whose windows provide light to the area below. The entire Renaissance structure is plain, and even its 23 chapels with two saints each are inset. All attention is focused on the massive altarpiece of gold with paintings depicting the life of Christ. There is a gold cenotaph of Charles V on the Gospel side of the chancel and one of Phillip II is opposite. The ceiling of the choir area in the rear balcony is frescoed with the Last Judgment painted during Phillip II’s time but the remainder of the ceiling was frescoed in the succeeding century. From the basilica, we went to see the royal apartments. Those of the queen are on the Gospel side of the basilica and those of the king on the Epistolary side. The apartments are rather plain and consist of a large public room with an adjacent writing room/office and bedroom. There is an oratory attached to the bedroom with windows which show the high altar of the basilica. This makes it possible to say that the king and queen “sleep with their heads in the church.” These mirror-image apartments are connected by a long room used for walking around during inclement weather. This room’s treasure is a series of framed maps taken from an old book. From the Royal Apartments we descended into the crypt completed some 200 years after the remainder of the structure. This baroque room is the Pantheon of Spanish Kings and Queens from Charles V/Carlos I to the present day. Outside this baroque room is a closed door leading to the room where corpses are placed to decompose for decades until there are only bones to be placed in the elaborate tombs. This room has slots for only 2 more bodies and those are supposed to be the parents of the current king even though they never ruled. Nobody knows where the current king and queen will lie. In several other rooms are mausoleums of various other members of the Hapsburg and Bourbon royal family. Perhaps the most touching is Panteon de los Infantes, a room with a tomb for royal children. The sacristy was closed for restoration so we walked out into the Monks’ Garden which felt calm and restful. We saw the hospital wing and the pond used for raising fish. From this point, we walked around the building and back into the entrance to go up to the Library on the third floor. This is a long, vaulted room with a frescoes ceiling. It contains thousands of ancient books with gilded edges turned toward the outside of the shelf to prevent deterioration. There are copies of some of the illuminations on display as well as some models, such as the one of the universe with the Earth in the center.
Tuesday 21 September –After breakfast we returned to the room and gathered our belongings for today’s tour to The Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. There was a lot of police presence and extra security around the hotel and the doorman said that Prince Felipe was coming for a meeting at noon. Then the ex-president of Columbia would be here. It was a good time to leave. Elena, our guide, arrived at 10:00 and we walked to the car where Carlos was our driver. He had driven us on our first trip to Madrid. We left the city for the approximately 45 minute drive from Madrid to the foothills and the village of San Lorenzo. On the way, Elena pointed out various sites including a restored watchtower used in the 13th century. She also showed us the 300-meter-high cross at the Valley of the Fallen, a memorial to those who died in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. She explained that the government had closed the site last year and keeps giving excuses for not reopening it; she thinks the real reason is that General Franco is entombed there and they don’t want people visiting the grave of a dictator. We drove through the picturesque village of San Lorenzo and arrived at El Monastario de San Lorenzo de El Escorial, a monastery erected between 1563 and 1584 on the orders of Phillip II. It was to serve as a burial place for his father, Charles V /Carlos I and to commemorate his victory over France in the Battle of San Quentin on 10 August 1557, the feast day of San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence). He hired two architects and we saw some of their drawings inside the building. First they built a monastery and then the king’s apartments. Next they constructed the basilica. The granite used in the construction as well as the marble used in embellishing some portions all came from Spain. We entered the basilica and saw the flat vault of the ceiling which enabled the choir area above to have much more headroom; it was revolutionary for its time. Then we entered the church itself which is Romanesque and in the form of a Greek cross with equal arms. Massive granite pillars support the Brunelleschi-style dome whose windows provide light to the area below. The entire Renaissance structure is plain, and even its 23 chapels with two saints each are inset. All attention is focused on the massive altarpiece of gold with paintings depicting the life of Christ. There is a gold cenotaph of Charles V on the Gospel side of the chancel and one of Phillip II is opposite. The ceiling of the choir area in the rear balcony is frescoed with the Last Judgment painted during Phillip II’s time but the remainder of the ceiling was frescoed in the succeeding century. From the basilica, we went to see the royal apartments. Those of the queen are on the Gospel side of the basilica and those of the king on the Epistolary side. The apartments are rather plain and consist of a large public room with an adjacent writing room/office and bedroom. There is an oratory attached to the bedroom with windows which show the high altar of the basilica. This makes it possible to say that the king and queen “sleep with their heads in the church.” These mirror-image apartments are connected by a long room used for walking around during inclement weather. This room’s treasure is a series of framed maps taken from an old book. From the Royal Apartments we descended into the crypt completed some 200 years after the remainder of the structure. This baroque room is the Pantheon of Spanish Kings and Queens from Charles V/Carlos I to the present day. Outside this baroque room is a closed door leading to the room where corpses are placed to decompose for decades until there are only bones to be placed in the elaborate tombs. This room has slots for only 2 more bodies and those are supposed to be the parents of the current king even though they never ruled. Nobody knows where the current king and queen will lie. In several other rooms are mausoleums of various other members of the Hapsburg and Bourbon royal family. Perhaps the most touching is Panteon de los Infantes, a room with a tomb for royal children. The sacristy was closed for restoration so we walked out into the Monks’ Garden which felt calm and restful. We saw the hospital wing and the pond used for raising fish. From this point, we walked around the building and back into the entrance to go up to the Library on the third floor. This is a long, vaulted room with a frescoes ceiling. It contains thousands of ancient books with gilded edges turned toward the outside of the shelf to prevent deterioration. There are copies of some of the illuminations on display as well as some models, such as the one of the universe with the Earth in the center.
El Escorial
El Escorial
Monks' Fish Pond - El Escorail
Hospital Wing - El Escorial
Rear Facade & Arched Hospital Wing - El EscorialIt was a few minutes after 1:00 when we returned to the car. Carlos drove us into the village of San Lorenzo itself where we stopped for drinks at Arturo. Then we returned to Madrid and Elena again pointed out various points of interest. It was almost 2:30 when we returned to the hotel. We asked the concierge to make us a reservation at La Barraca and went to dump things in the room. The doorman called us a cab and we were off; the driver got a little lost and turned off the meter, apologized, and quoted a fare less than shown; we paid him 6 Euros. The grilled mushrooms; mixed paella; water; rioja; cream puffs; coffee were wonderful. After lunch, we walked back to the hotel and arrived around 4:30. Then we relaxed and computed. About 7:00 we walked up past Puerto del Sol to get hot chocolate and churros at Chocolateria San Genis. We enjoyed sitting outside and dipping the hot churros into the thick chocolate. Delicious! Then we walked back to the hotel.
Wednesday 22 September- We got up about 8:00 and went to breakfast in the hotel. After returning to the room for a while to compute and read the paper, we went for a walk. We walked up the hill behind the hotel to the park where we sat on a bench for a while. It was a relaxing and pleasant morning in Madrid with warm sunshine and a refreshing breeze. Then we walked up to the statue and fountain of Alfonso XII. There is a large rectangular basin there and row boats for rent. One elderly man was rowing around and around the basin; we saw him do it at least 4 times and he was still going when we left. There were a couple of other boats rented by people who were just having fun. We saw a dozen or so ducks on the water and saw fish jump a few times. A couple of cats seemed to live in the tails and curlicues of huge bronze dolphins spewing water. There were signs that someone feeds them. We left the fountain and walked back down the hill toward the street stopping and sitting for a while in the shade of a huge fir tree reputed to have been imported from America and planted in 1632. Then we walked back down the hill to the hotel and crossed the streets again. We stopped for smoothies and sat outside to enjoy them. When we got there it was noon and the glockenspiel on the Groupasama Segurdos building across the street began to play and continued for five minutes or more. That was an unexpected treat. There is some sort of protest about the general strike schedule for 29 September immediately in front of the Palace Hotel. We returned to the Ritz to get everything ready to leave at 2:00. I finished checking out and we went outside to meet Carlos. There wasn’t much traffic and we made it to the airport in about 20 minutes. We checked in for the flight to Frankfurt and then went to Security. Who knew there were so many people in Madrid who had never flown? The man who pushed in line in front of us had no boarding pass and had to leave to go get one. The young couple in front of us at the scanner had enough food for a meal and enough liquids to float a boat. It took longer than anticipated. It was 7:00 when we landed in Frankfurt. At Baggage Claim ours were the first two bags off. We got them and went to the Sheraton.
Thursday 23 September - We got up about 6:30, dressed, and went to the lounge for breakfast. Then we returned to the room, gathered our belongings, and headed across to the airport. We checked in for LH438 to DFW scheduled for 10:15. We went through Immigration and Security and made our way to the lounge. This was the "temporary" one with only elevator access. It was jam-packed. Leaving is always a problem because there are no stairs that lead back inside the terminal; the only ones are the emergency evacuation stairs that lead outside. Because of this, we left a little earlier and stood in the elevator line for several minutes before we could board and leave. Then we sat/stood in the gate area for 20+ minutes while waiting to board. This time we walked down stairs and boarded a bus to ride to the plane on the tarmac. Although it was pretty bumpy in lots of places, the flight went fairly well; the crew was a better one than some of the previous flights. Immigration at DFW was no problem and the bags were among the first ones off. The driver was waiting when we exited customs and we were soon home.
Wednesday 22 September- We got up about 8:00 and went to breakfast in the hotel. After returning to the room for a while to compute and read the paper, we went for a walk. We walked up the hill behind the hotel to the park where we sat on a bench for a while. It was a relaxing and pleasant morning in Madrid with warm sunshine and a refreshing breeze. Then we walked up to the statue and fountain of Alfonso XII. There is a large rectangular basin there and row boats for rent. One elderly man was rowing around and around the basin; we saw him do it at least 4 times and he was still going when we left. There were a couple of other boats rented by people who were just having fun. We saw a dozen or so ducks on the water and saw fish jump a few times. A couple of cats seemed to live in the tails and curlicues of huge bronze dolphins spewing water. There were signs that someone feeds them. We left the fountain and walked back down the hill toward the street stopping and sitting for a while in the shade of a huge fir tree reputed to have been imported from America and planted in 1632. Then we walked back down the hill to the hotel and crossed the streets again. We stopped for smoothies and sat outside to enjoy them. When we got there it was noon and the glockenspiel on the Groupasama Segurdos building across the street began to play and continued for five minutes or more. That was an unexpected treat. There is some sort of protest about the general strike schedule for 29 September immediately in front of the Palace Hotel. We returned to the Ritz to get everything ready to leave at 2:00. I finished checking out and we went outside to meet Carlos. There wasn’t much traffic and we made it to the airport in about 20 minutes. We checked in for the flight to Frankfurt and then went to Security. Who knew there were so many people in Madrid who had never flown? The man who pushed in line in front of us had no boarding pass and had to leave to go get one. The young couple in front of us at the scanner had enough food for a meal and enough liquids to float a boat. It took longer than anticipated. It was 7:00 when we landed in Frankfurt. At Baggage Claim ours were the first two bags off. We got them and went to the Sheraton.
Thursday 23 September - We got up about 6:30, dressed, and went to the lounge for breakfast. Then we returned to the room, gathered our belongings, and headed across to the airport. We checked in for LH438 to DFW scheduled for 10:15. We went through Immigration and Security and made our way to the lounge. This was the "temporary" one with only elevator access. It was jam-packed. Leaving is always a problem because there are no stairs that lead back inside the terminal; the only ones are the emergency evacuation stairs that lead outside. Because of this, we left a little earlier and stood in the elevator line for several minutes before we could board and leave. Then we sat/stood in the gate area for 20+ minutes while waiting to board. This time we walked down stairs and boarded a bus to ride to the plane on the tarmac. Although it was pretty bumpy in lots of places, the flight went fairly well; the crew was a better one than some of the previous flights. Immigration at DFW was no problem and the bags were among the first ones off. The driver was waiting when we exited customs and we were soon home.
