Start each day with a full tummy

Breakfast as the Hotel Convencion is quite a spread. We've got a big day ahead of us as we head north to Avila and Segovia, hill towns of northern Spain. Our driver picks us up at 10AM. It's an eight hour private tour. Ah, the life of Leopards is so sa-weet!

P.S. This Blogger app is pretty darn cool. So get ready for a lot of real time posts...typos and all.

P.S.S. Five inches if snow today back home. Guess we timed this trip right! :-)

P.S,S.S. Hans and Judy are awaiting the birth their twin grand babies. Mom and Dad-please comment when they are breathing real air!

A little bit of culture for our souls

Met Hans and Judy for breakfast at 7:30. Finally somebody's awake! Bobbie was not amused by my early hours. We headed out at 9:00 and walked the 15 blocks to the start of the city bus tour. Blue skies, 70 and Madrid is simply beautiful. From the open air upper deck we had the whole bus to ourselves as we wandered through both the old city center and the modern areas. We took notes and got off at noon to wander the Puerto del Sol area for lunch.

By now it seemed as if all of the people of Madrid had decided to tour the city. The streets were mobbed.

As usual we are early with Europeans eating much later on the day...there are benefits...no lines and quick service. An hour later we are in the Prado Museum for three hours of viewing the masters-Goya, van Dyke, Villamonte, Ruben, el Greco! Over 1000 masterpieces on display on three floors. Waking and standing on marble floors for that long takes its toll! We all had our favorites and remarked that those art appreciation classes in college sure came in handy. Then it was off to the Temple of Debod and some great views of the city and royal palaces.

A bus ride back to the Carlos III Arch and the long walk back to the hotel (with a stop at the grocery) found us picnicing in our room before bed.

Another early morning

It is Sunday. I've been up since 2:30 AM. Fully rested and anxious to start the day. The only challenge is that the day doesn't start for another six hours. Bummer! Alas, I've had a Star Trek Voyager episode to watch on the iPhone as well as a great movie, "Margaret." Rent it. You won't be sorry. Now it's time to wait until I can bravely wake Bobbie for breakfast.

The hotel lobby is dark and eerily quiet. Guess they are cutting back on the electric bill.

After breakfast we all head out for our first scheduled activity. We'll be seeing the city from the top of an open air bus, getting on and of at local sights and touring the Museum del Prado. And...Tapas for lunch. Yummy! Stay tuned for a recap of the day.

Sunshine on our shoulders makes us happy!

The gang is all here and to celebrate our biannual gathering we took a four mile walk through El Retiro Park. Wow! What a spectacular arboretum of specimens. There were numerous paths and monuments as well as a few public buildings. The Crystal Palace (greenhouse) was beautiful with its antique glass panes and exterior painted Spanish tiles. The formal gardens featured uniquely sculpted tress. Then back to the hotel for a nappy-wap before dinner. Tonight is pasta night. Yippee! We ventured onto the street and found a local Italian eatery where there was an assortment of pastas and other dishes. The paella was delicious.

Cafe Americano and a Wifi spot to check in

Sitting in a Starbucks on Plaza Espana. So sa-weet!

It's 2 AM on the morning

A glass of Rioja, a slice of French cheese, and a hunk on Iberian salami had us to bed early. Now thanks to jet lag Tom is up and roaming the halls of the hotel. No good will come from this...smile. Today the rest of the gang arrives. Stay posted

It's RAINING!

We have arrived on Madrid! Finally! And...it's pouring. Feels just like home. The Hotel Convencion is quite nice. Lots of marble and chandeliers. Looks like it was decorated by Caesar AND Liberace! Two hours outside and we're soaked. Yikes. We are in the high rent district. Back to the hotel for a nap and a break in the weather. Six hours later we are looking for an umbrella under $50. Not an easy task. A quick stop at the local grocery for wine and supplies and we'll call it a night.

Cocktails across the USA

Martinis in Anchorage, Mimosas in Seattle, and Manhattans at JFK! Twelve hours to go and we start speaking Spanish.

Leaving on a jet plane, don't know when we'll be home again....

Our bags are packed and we're ready to go...boarding passes printed, credit card companies notified...shots, iPhones loaded with songs and moview we won't have time to hear or watch..you know, all that stuff.  The last two days of being incognito have been great.  No phone calls, few emails, time to gather our thoughts, go over our trip notes, confirmations, and get our packing list down to a manageable carry-on...smile. We've had lunch dates, movie dates, and time to acquaint our house sitting friends with the nuances of our home.  Now it's time to take off.  We're ready!  Our first destination...Madrid!  Stay tuned.

Our house sitters have arrived!

Pat, Noreen, and "Beanie," our friends from Wisconsin arrived today. They'll be watching over the leopard while we are away. Every day gets more and more real.

A Great Meeting

The Anchroage gang met last night for our last get-together before the great adventure begins.  We issued travel books, documents, brochures, and had a wonderful buffet supper and bit too much wine...smile.  We discussed any concerns about saftey in Egypt and all left feeling a whole lot better.  We are all so stoked!  Just eight more days and five of us take off for Madrid.  Stay tuned for more...