Right place, right time
Sometimes, despite months of planning a long trip, things change. You may see it coming, or not, but it is all part of the fun of traveling. Embracing the unexpected.
During our first four days in Spain, we have had a wonderful time. The people have been friendly and helpful, the streets are clean, the food is good and Madrid, where we have spent most of our time, is a beautiful city.
We have had to adjust to more rain than we expected, but in some ways, it has kept the lines shorter to some of the major locations we have visited.
On the other hand, we have stumbled across some opportunities that you could never plan to experience. Today is Palm Sunday, and we got to witness the procession of the boys’ choir and clergy into the Basilica del Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Their voices soared as they waved olive branches, since palms are very rare in Spain.
Later we got to watch the end of the procession through the windows of one of the most important libraries in the world in the 15th century. It was a surreal and touching moment only made possible by being at exactly the right place at the right time.
Later that evening, back in Madrid, as we left a restaurant, we stumbled upon a procession of penitents. These are solemn ritualistic public walks that occur during Holy Week. It featured a band and a float featuring relics from the church they are heading towards. The floats are carried by men un-derneath that are concealed from view. Others are wearing hoods and robes, ironically similar to those of the Ku Klux Klan. The purpose of the robes is to disguise the individuals so that the focus is on the cross, statues and other religious symbols. It was a moving experience, once again being at the right place at the right time.
During our time we have fully embraced Spanish food, tasting many tapas and other specialties of the region. Until the last evening we only ate at local Spanish restaurants, enjoying the food we had mostly never tasted before.
We have visited the Prado, one of the major museums of the world, featuring masterpieces from artists around the world, including the famous Spanish masters, El Greco (actually born in Greece), Velazquez, Goya, Dali and Picasso.
We visited the Royal Palace, which no longer houses the members of the monarchy, who were reinstated after the period known as “the dictatorship”. This was a period following the Spanish Civil War when Spain was ruled by Francisco Franco.
We traveled to Toledo, a former Capital of Spain and home of the Cate-dral Primada de Toledo. Construction on this cathedral started in 1227. It was opened in 1493, the year after Columbus discovered the Americas. It is honestly one of the most magnificent cathedrals we have ever seen.
This beautiful city, perched on a rocky outcropping, surrounded on three sides by rivers, has a history dating back 2,500 years. In its early history, the city co-existed between Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Later, partially due to the Spanish Inquisition, Catholicism became the dominant religion.
Another day was spent visiting the Palace of El Escorial, built by Phillip II in the 16th century. Phillip was a devout Catholic and built this palace in the austere manner dictated by the religion at the time. The massive exterior was cold and bare, but the gardens were exquisite and the ornamentation inside the palace made for a contrast between royal grandeur and monastic austerity.
We made our way to lunch in Segovia, which is known as the Capital of Castilian cuisine. We feasted on Roasted Sucking Pig, the specialty of the house. The waiter carves the meat with the edge of a plate, a tradition to indicate the tenderness of the pork.
Segovia was also the home of the Alcazar, the palace of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, known at the Catholic Monarchs. They unified Spain, began the great foundation of the Spanish Empire, expelled the Jews, supported Christopher Columbus, and unified Spain religiously through the Spanish Inquisition.
Our final stop was one of my favorites. Segovia is the home the largest remaining section of the Roman Aqueduct, built to furnish water to the city from the mountains in the First Century. It was in use until the beginning of the 20th Century, a period of almost 2,000 years.
It is a remarkable engineering feat, built of stone without mortar, at a slight decline that might cause it to soar above low valleys, and under the streets in higher locations. To be able to see this example of Rome’s power in its far-flung empire at its peak is just amazing.
We have enjoyed our four days in Spain and have a new appreciation of its grand history, culture and food. It exceeded our expectations and is easily a place we could return to for a more extended visit.
Next stop: Egypt, where we visit the works of a civilization even older than Spain.
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Dan Ponder can be reached at [email protected]