Burgos, Spain

To stay healthy, it´s recommended that you walk 10,000 steps a day. In Spain, no problem achieving that goal. Walking around Madrid yesterday, I logged 36,028 steps!My pedometer was panting. No wonder I hit the bed at 10:30 p.m. hecho polvo...ground into dust! What a day! What a city! Madrid has got it going. The energy in the streets is invigorating. People out walking, talking, laughing, enjoying life. I think a pedestrian culture lends itself to a higher (better) quality of life. You get out, rub shoulders, breathe the air, smell the (delicious) smells. You live outside of your hermetically sealed bubble (office, car, house).

We enjoyed an incredible breakfast at our hotel, Tryp Norte near Chamartin train station, and met in the lobby at 9:30 a.m. to take the metro to the Prado. It remains one of the greatest art museums in the world. Mother, Casey, Blair, Aedan and I soaked in the works of art by Velazquez, Goya and Bosch, among others. ¨Las Meninas¨ by Velazquez makes everything else pale in comparison, I think. However, Bosch´s ¨Garden of Earthly Delights¨ still gives me a thrill. When I was in college, I learned that he painted the triptych just after Columbus landed in America. His dark view of the unspoiled land (paradise), human degredation of said land, and hell (think end of the world) pulls you in. Take a look at it when you have a chance.

From the Prado, we walked down Castellana Avenue to the Bank of España metro stop to ride to the Canal metro stop. We dropped off eight pounds (literally) of Aunt Aggie De´s Pralines (made in Sinton, Texas) to my Spanish family that I lived with in 1981-1982. It was great to see Pilar, my Spanish mom who just turned 80 but looks like she´s 60, and Paco, my Spanish father, who also looks much younger than his 80+ years. (Life in Spain definitely agrees with them.) We stayed for a short while since we plan on having a big reunion with the whole family---my five Spanish sisters and their spouses and kids---when we return to Madrid.

We walked down Cea Bermudez, the street I lived on, toward Moncloa, the university area. We then went to El Corte Ingles on Princesa for lunch on the seventh floor. It felt good to sit down after such a long walk, and we enjoyed croquetas de jamon y papas fritas (ham croquettes and fried potatoes). After lunch, we cruised around the store. Didn´t buy anything. One Euro equals $1.40, so everything is very expensive. We then walked over to the Chocolateria San Gines, our favorite spot in Madrid. My mother said, ¨Someone could walk in here with a bad attitude and they´d walk out happy.¨ I agree. Chocolate, especially San Gines´ rich dark chocolate, is ambrosia of the gods. Chocolate y churros at San Gines is enough to make anyone take a plane to Spain. (I´d like to open up a franchise in San Antonio. I think it would go over big.)

From San Gines, we strolled through La Plaza Mayor, filled with artists, living ¨statues¨(people dressed up in costumes who stand completely still until you drop money into their tip jar...we saw Velazquez and a Princess Amadala-type character), people sipping coffee at outdoor cafes, and souvenir shops. One artist I spoke with gave me his card, and I learned that his name was Antonio. I told him that we were from San Antonio, Texas. He reminded me that today was Saint Anthony´s feast day. I´d forgotten. Saludos a San Antonio!(If you ever lose anything, ask Saint Anthony to help you find it. He´ll come through for you.)

We met up with the group at Kilometro Zero en La Puerta del Sol at 6:30 p.m. (All roads in Spain start and are measured from that point.) Dinner at Anonimatto. Delicious roasted chicken and mashed potatoes.

Today we left the hotel at 8:30 a.m. after another grand breakfast. I told my students not to get used to it. Breakfast in Spain in usually very meagre: coffee and a couple of cookies or a hard roll. This breakfast buffet beat all. I especially enjoyed the jamon serrano and tasty queso (cheese), not sure what kind, only that it was delicious. The bus ride to Burgos was about 4 hours. We stopped and took a stretch break on the way. The scenery enroute was spectacular: rolling hills, bright red poppies, ancient stone churches with beautiful bell towers, red tiled roofs, and no visual pollution (billboards) save for the occasional silohuette of a big black bull (toro), a liquor ad.

We have a 4 p.m. tour scheduled at the Cathedral, so I want to finish up this entry so we can grab a bite to eat before then. We´re in a ¨Cibercafe¨ called Caberet. The bartender is very nice, and he told me that he visited the U.S. (Baltimore, DC and NYC) in February. I love that the Internet connects all of us, but I especially love that we are able to travel back and forth to each other´s stomping grounds, forging new friendships and experiencing new sights, sounds, cultures, tastes, and ways of thinking, seeing and being.