Chapter Eleven: Roman Engineering & Spanish Royalty o Segovia y La Granja

I didn't really expect a lot from Segovia. The Aqueduct sounded interesting, but I wasn't sure I could spend a whole day there. I was happily proved wrong as I spent the day in the small city of Segovia and a neighboring town.

We started with a walk around the aqueduct, which is seriously impressive in person. Great views of it from above and the side are made even more impressive by the fact that it's around 2,000 years old.

Aside from the aqueduct, Segovia also has a Cathedral and an Alcazar, a palace that really resembles a Disney castle. Walking through the Alcazar fortress gives a great view of the surrounding landscape and the interior shows the opulent royal tastes.

After seeing the aqueduct, cathedral (and really, I'm a little tired of cathedral interiors by this point, but the exterior was beautiful), and fortress, we walked through the town to see the cathedral and get lunch. While Segovia's culinary specialty is roasted pig, I decided to have a strange sandwich that combined chicken, lettuce, carrots, and an egg but was alright if a little bland.

We finished touring Segovia with a short stop by the shops and small stands (where I picked up some postcards and what I think are the Spanish equivalent of Starburst) before taking a short bus ride to La Granja, another small palace in a neighboring town. While the palace looked interesting, the gardens were the highlight. Strolling through the gardens was a great break from the cities and a chance to enjoy a quiet, uncrowded natural setting.

Chapter Ten: Seaside Town o Valencia

We caught an early bus out of Madrid an headed for the seaside town of Valencia. I threw my bag into the bus's luggage area and climbed through the bus, searching for seat 50. Unfortunately, the bus only had 49 seats, but I quickly grabbed a vacant seat and was on my way. We stopped halfway through the trip at a small rest stop where I quickly surveyed the surroundings and realized I was pretty far from Madrid. Farms, plains, and windmills still cover the land that Don Quijote once traveled through.

As we arrived in Valencia, I realized I didn't know too much about the city aside from its location and its culinary specialty - Paella. It turned out I didn't really need to know much more. We spent the first afternoon relaxing on the beach, with real sand rather than the rocks of A Coruña. After a delicious Paella lunch served in a pan about a few feet in diameter a siesta en la playa was wonderful. The sun was shining, cool breezes were blowing, and gentle waves were falling upon the shore. After a nice nap in the sand, I ventured out into the Mediterranean. The water was surprisingly warm and beautiful, so I floated out into the sea and looked back on the town, port, and hills.

As the afternoon went on, we explored the area around our hotel, which included the "Ciudad de Las Artes y Las Ciencias," which is apparently Spanish for "futuristic Franklin Institute."

We spent the evening as most evenings in Spain are spent - with tapas. After the heavy seafood paella lunch, some bread, croquettes, and olives were a great evening cena. Accompanied by Sangria de Cava - Sangria made with Champagne as the base drink, possibly the greatest drink of all time - it was a great tapas evening.

The next morning we explored the cultural parts of Valencia, starting with some of the cathedrals and city hall. Apparently one of the cathedrals has the Holy Grail, so in the tradition of Indiana Jones and his Scottish father, I journeyed there and saw the Grail. The lack of trippy tests of faith and invisible bridges was a little disappointing, but it was still pretty excellent to finish a personal quest of mine. After the quest, we stopped for a brief Horchata, a local specialty made from tiger nuts that is different from the Latin American Horchata and the Vampire Weekend version of Horchata.

We also visited the giant market Mercado Central, which houses hundreds of food stands and contains everything from fruit to meat to spices. We enjoyed more paella for lunch as well as Valencia's famous local drink, Agua de Valencia. Agua de Valencia is no mere water, however. It is a mixed drink that includes orange juice, champagne, vodka, and gin. It was alright, but no match for Sangria de Cava. After a brief discussion of whether Valencia warranted more cultural exploration, we returned to the beach where we enjoyed another beautiful day. Heading out the next morning for another long bus ride back to Madrid, I enjoyed a freshly squeezed Valencia orange juice for breakfast, although I'm not sure if the oranges actually came from there as they're probably out of season.

Valencia may be a bit of a lightweight when it comes to art or architecture, but for an early fall weekend when a beach trip was desperately needed, it was absolutely perfect.

Chapter Nine: Felipe II's Dream o El Escorial

Felipe II had a dream. A dream that all the peoples of every nation would one day live in a world where Catholicism dominated as the one true faith. Unfortunately, Felipe II was living in a time when Protestantism was in vogue. So, he built himself a nice palace outside of Madrid devoted to God and Catholic ideals.

To visit this royal monument, we took the train from Madrid to the suburb town of El Escorial. Today it's apparently a nice set of neighborhoods and small businesses closer to the mountains, but after a walk through the modern parts of town, we discovered the palace.

Felipe's desire for a Catholic world, or at least a Catholic sanctuary, can be felt through the austere halls and religious paintings. My visit started with seeing the paintings and tapestries that were part of the king's collection. While the collection represents his religious beliefs rather than an artistic taste - especially given his dislike of El Greco - it definitely contributes to the atmosphere of the place. Elsewhere in the palace can be found his bedroom that overlooks a chapel and a map of the galaxy with Earth at the center. So, just in case you forgot, the Catholic Church is God at El Escorial.

The views of the surrounding countryside and mountains were quite beautiful and the exterior architecture and gardens were impressive, probably more interesting than the art contained within the palace - aside from the ceiling art in the library.

The monastery at the center of the palace was quite large and detailed, but really, what Spanish church isn't? Personally, a real highlight of the journey was a trip into the royal crypt. The crypt holds many generations of the Spanish royal family and is unavailable to the public. Fortunately for me, I rented an audio guide and with it, was permitted to enter the crypt. Strange system to allow just the people with audio guides or tours, but it kept the riffraff out and was an opportunity to see an amazing sight.

Chapter Eight: Out in the Street o La Noche en Blanca

Returning from Galicia, we were greeted by La Noche en Blanca, an annual Madrid celebration where people crowd the streets, music blares, and Madrid's population gets a chance to finally kick back and enjoy their evening... Just kidding, that's what happens every night.

But apart from the usual Madrid routine of living on the streets, La Noche en Blanca offers a lot of activities and music. Additionally, the museums and some restaurants stay open later, so I spent a little bit of the evening trying to find exactly how to enter the Prado or Thyssen. Huge crowds made getting there confusing, so instead I enjoyed the large bubble makers and later sat outside the Prado eating some delicious Burger King chicken tenders. All in all, a great evening that showcased the youth of Spain rather than the old age demographics that are increasingly haunting España and the rest of Europe.

Language side note - "La noche en blanca" is a phrase that roughly means a sleepless night.

Chapter Seven: Kevin & The Tower of Hercules o A Coruña

I woke up early the next day to go for a run along the coast, which was a beautiful jog and I got a great view of the Tower of Hercules. The Torre de Hércules is an impressive lighthouse along the Galician coast that was originally built by the Romans, or possibly by Hercules after he buried the body of a giant he slayed beneath where the building stands, and was restored a little over 200 years ago.

We spent the rest of the day wandering around the city and port, and returned to the Plaza de María Pita, where we had been the night before. María Pita was a hero for resisting the British when they attacked after not being pleased about that whole "Armada" business.

So that was about it for the Galicia trip, and between Santiago de Compostela, A Toxa, A Coruña, Ría de Arousa, and all of the small towns, it was really great. Besides Santiago de Compostela I don't think it's a huge spot for foreign tourists, but it was really great to see that part of España.

Chapter Six: Celtic Heritage o Los Castros de Baroña

After the lovely day in A Toxa, we proceeded to the coast, where we saw the "Castros de Baroña," where the Celts used to live in Galicia. Rock circles outlined where small living spaces used to be. All around was a beautiful view of the ocean and from the rocky edges of land I could see dolphins swimming through the water. The Celts may have migrated far in their journey across the world, but they really loved their rocky coasts.

The afternoon was spent at the beach in A Coruña, with its rocky beaches and large waves. Trying to make rock castles is not equivalent to sand castles. Later that evening, we took a brief stroll through the city and found a nice place to have pizza by the town square. Alright, I think the pictures do more justice to this experience than these words, so I'm just going to put a lot here in the interest of catching up because this happened a month ago.

 

Chapter Five: Culinary Side Note No. 1 o El Desayuno, La Comida, La Cena, y Todo En El Medio

One of the building blocks of Spanish life is its meal schedule. While no one is quite sure how many meals the average Spaniard eats each day, the guesses range from 1 to 14. Within this brief culinary diversion, I will examine the meals.

1. El Desayuno
First is breakfast, which is some fruit, cereal, or a pastry. While I usually grab a banana, peach, or apple at the apartment, while I'm out for breakfast I enjoy small Napolitana pastries filled with chocolate and a refreshing glass of orange juice. Usually, though, it's quite a light meal and doesn't really tide people over until lunch, which necessitates...

2. Tomar el Café
Getting a mid-morning coffee. Typically drunk during a break from work around 11 or 12 and could be accompanied by a small snack. The coffee here is apparently extremely strong, so I believe the formula for dilution is approximately 1 Tsp. Spanish coffee = 1 Gallon Water + 1 Quart Skim Milk. This brief meal allows people to hold up until...

3. La Comida
The 2 o'clock lunch. The lunch, while translated by every previous Spanish class I've taken as "El almuerzo," is apparently called "La comida" here and "El almuerzo" instead signifies "I'm not a Spanish native and you have every right to yell at me for calling this meal El Almuerzo." Indeed, there is a reason why this meal is called "the food." Every group of the food pyramid is represented here and a typical lunch usually includes a hearty bowl of soup, salad, bread, a main course of meat or pasta, and dessert. When eating at a restaurant, this meal has taken an average of two hours, seriously. Just for the record, a hearty bowl of soup means what a typical American would eat for dinner while the main course usually has twice the amount served during American dinners. Does this seem just a little excessive? In the opinion of some Americans, yes, especially when the cook forces you to finish everything served, leaving the author to wonder whether he is being Hansel and Greteled.

How can people eat such a large lunch and make it through the rest of the day? Well, that's what siestas are for. Here, between 2 and 4 are usually break hours for everyone. People spend an hour eating and then relax for a little while before heading back to their jobs. This meal keeps people full for most of the day until it is time for...

4. Tomar Algo
Later that afternoon - afternoon here defined as anything before 10 PM - there is the pre-dinner nibble that can also involve a drink. Just some nice patatas fritas and una cerveza o copa de tinto de verano. This gets people through work and leads to the final meal of the day...

5. La Cena
Dinner is eaten after 9 and for me usually consists of a PB & J or leftovers. Apparently there's a Spanish saying that goes "Eat breakfast like a pauper, eat lunch like a King, and eat dinner like a pauper" or something to that effect. It's an interesting way of eating, although sometimes the author enjoys a little more balance.

I haven't even mentioned tapas here, but that's really a chapter unto itself, and as such it will be addressed in a later chapter called "Tapas A Chapter Unto Itself." So that's the general meal schedule which leaves just one question. When do los Españoles find time to work?

The answer will be addressed in a later chapter entitled "They Don't."

Chapter Four: Recuperative Waters & F. Scott Fitzgerald o A Toxa

 The day after seeing the cultura antigua of Santiago de Compostela, we saw more of contemporary Galicia as we visited the seaside towns. We took a brief cruise on the Ría de Arousa which houses a lot of the shellfish industry. After a brief marisco sampling, we headed to the town of A Toxa. Known for its curative waters after a guy brought his dying horse there and the horse didn't die or something I don't know the tour guides really told us a lot and I can only pay attention to so much and it's not all as interesting as Santiago pilgrims, A Toxa is a small seaside town with the beautiful Hotel La Toja. "Hotel La Toja" is Spanish for "Hotel A Toxa" because the locals speak a different language for some reason that made sense in the 12th century but is a little inexplicable today.

Lounging and eating in the hotel, I was reminded of F. Scott Fitzgerald's stories in the best possible sense. The ornate decor and view of the water recalled Dick Diver's summer at East Egg, before the inevitable tragedy that forced him to blow up a diamond as big as the Ritz. As I lay happily in the sun, contemplating the Autumn to come, thinking of that green light and Daisy...

After the pleasant afternoon in A Toxa, the rest of the day was spent at Combarro and enjoying tapas in Pontevedra. For the former, it was yet another fishing town, distinguishable only by a little boy who said "Hablas inglés, yo creo. Que horible" like the little gremlin he was. The latter, however, was delicious. Mozzarella sticks, croquetas, shrimp in garlic sauce, tortilla española, all of the tapas were delicious in one of Pontevedra's squares.

Chapter Three: Where Franco Failed o Las Idiomas de España

With this brief aside, I shall attempt to address the question scholars of Spanish culture have been asking for generations - how many languages does this country have?

To answer it briefly, I'd say demasiadas.

To answer it in a longer fashion, I would say

1. Castellano - Traditional Spanish used all around the country
2. Catalán - Specific to Cataluña and las Islas Baleares
3. Valenciano - Specific to la Comunidad Valenciana
4. Gallego - Specific to Galicia
5. Euskera - Specific to País Vasco
6. Aranés - Specific to Valle de Arán
7. Aragonés - Specific to Aragon and Navarra
8. Astruleonés - Specific to Asturias
9. And then you start getting into Portuguese.

As to why there are so many languages, Spain is composed of what used to be a lot of smaller kingdoms and regions, but it now unified. At least, to the untrained eye. Independence-minded regionalists have been struggling for autonomy. But, from what I've seen in Galicia and Valencia, it appears that only ETA has been active in trying to gain this autonomy. While there may be graffiti that says "This is not Spain" in these regions, Spain is a country united by the siesta and I get the feeling that it would be too much of a hassle for everyone involved if Galicia started rebelling.

While Spain still maintains unity despite regional identities, the languages have survived. It's been 500 years since the Catholic Monarchs and Franco had a solid thirty years of fascism, but it turns out that history and military dictatorship were no match for Spanish obstinacy.

Chapter Two: A Partly Sunny Day in Santiago de Compostela o Abrazar el Santo

 After a few days in Madrid to adjust to the time zone and way of life, we headed north to Galicia. The tour of northwestern Spain began in the sleepy town of Santiago de Compostela. The town is best known for its cathedral which apparently holds the remains of Saint James and is the destination for pilgrims who travel the 500 mile Camino de Santiago. The exterior of the cathedral is worthy of the journey and seeing it on a partly sunny day was excellent. Inside the cathedral swings the Botafumeiro, which is Spanish for "Dispensing incense to the point of suffocating pilgrims." The interior is about as impressive as the exterior and the altar is quite beautiful, but one of the most interesting parts is actually located behind the altar. As it is 2010 and the year of Saint James, the cathedral's special back doors are opened, and all the pilgrims and sinners can enter a room directly behind and above the altar, hug a statue of Saint James, pray at the Saint's remains, and been forgiven of all their sins, although I think the rules said you had to go to mass within two weeks after and I forget if I did that. Whatever, the statue being situated right behind the altar allowed a great view of the cathedral. Apart from the Cathedral, Santiago de Compostela is pretty much a quiet town with a nice park and a culinary specialty of octopus.

After visiting the cathedral and town we walked part of the Camino de Santiago, experiencing some of the excellent downpours that pilgrims experience. Along the way, we saw the scallop shell, the symbol of Saint James and his pilgrims, in many places. Pilgrims wear shells around their neck usually and little metal shells marked the Camino de Santiago. We also took a small trip to a local vineyard where the owners discussed the wines of Galicia, the small operation they run, and how it's not a wine factory. Los Albariños are the most famous Galician wines, a fact that I had to write down for a worksheet we had to fill out that reminds me of something I had to do for a middle school trip to Colonial Williamsburg. Anyway, the Cathedral was quite impressive and the town had some excellent tortilla española and patatas bravas.