Attention To Detail

The exterior of the station

Maybe it is the fact I'm living in the land of concrete block construction (a.k.a. Albanian) or the fact that  the country is filled with the trademark lack of architectural detail that identifies buildings built during the Communist Era but during my travels throughout the rest of Europe, I repeatedly find myself in awe of the amazing architecture and attention to detail that is prevalent throughout the Continent.  My most recent moments of awe occurred during my trip to Spain.  With her grand boulevards, sweeping arches, and gold gilded buildings, Madrid was impressive.  I was most struck however, during our day trip to Toledo and the impressive attention to detail that I saw at the Toledo train station.




The original station was designed by architect Narciso Clavería y de Palacios and built in 1858. The current station was rebuilt on the same site and opening in 1920.  With the introduction of high speed rail to Toledo, the station was renovated yet again in the mid 2000s but care was taken to preserve the smallest of the original details.  It comes as no surprise to me that this building is listed as a Property of Cultural Interest and is considered to be a protected monument.  From the outside to the inside of the building, no detail is left untouched.

Inside details on a grand scale

Details, details.........

An old ticket window (everything is now automated)

Even the floor tiles are fancy

While the entire city of Toledo was beautiful it was our stepping off and departure point that impressed me the most.  High speed trains pass through Toledo today but for me just the mention of train travel evokes grand images traveling in luxury and class.  That class was missing amid Madrid's chaotic transit station but I felt it in Toledo.  Yes I thoroughly enjoyed my brief visit to Toledo but first and last impressions count for a lot and sure enough this little train station has left a lasting memory.

The walls that weren't detailed wood were tiled

Flamenco, Ole!

In full swing

Attending a flamenco performance was on the top of my list of things to do while in Madrid.  I had always heard about this colorful art form that includes singing, dancing, and guitar playing and wanted to experience it first hand.  The colorful costumes and lively dances are the hallmark of this performance art that originated in the south of Spain.  Dating back to the 18th Century and traditionally associated with the poor and the oppressed, today flameno is celebrated throughout Spain and across the globe.  Like so many traditional dances, flamenco is a form of folk art that speaks to the very heart of Spanish culture.  Firey, lively, and colorful are the words I would use to characterize so much of Spanish culture and as such, flameco embodies all of these traits.  Flamenco is such an important part of Spanish heritage that in 2010 UNESCO declared it to be one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Guitar players than opened and
closed the night's performance

On the recommendation of the concierge at our hotel, we made reservations for dinner and a flamenco performance at Corral de la Moreria and El Tablao Flamenco, which since 1956 has been entertaining flamenco seeking visitors in Madrid.  As the audience was sandwiched into a dining room filled with too many tables I was hopeful that what we were about to see would be as good as promised.  With the exception of two older Spanish gentlemen sitting at the table next to us, the audience seemed to be comprised of tourists (including the Americans behind us who loudly proclaimed that they didn't drink alcohol and wanted to be served a virgin pina colada in lieu of the Spanish wine that was offered).  The traditional food was decent but not overly exciting (although I think I may have just made a poor dinner choice) but I didn't have high expectations for the food.  For me, dinner was an after thought since what I really wanted to experience was the performance and that did not disappoint as the instrumental music, songs and dance coming from the small stage were truly impressive.  I wish I understood Spanish since I would have loved to have known the words to the beautiful songs that accompanied the guitars, castanets, and dancers.  The deep baritone voices filled the small room and set the tone for the expressive and sensuous dancing that followed.  In Spanish,  flama means fire and the feet of the dancers, both male and female, were certainly on fire as they danced away.  The night we attended Jesus Fernandez and Belen Lopez were the featured dancers and their movements were nothing short of impressive. Their steps were so rapid that from my perspective their legs and feet were mere blurs.  I found myself sitting and staring in amazement as they danced on every corner of the stage.  In the end I was left speechless.

Dancing 

This flamenco performance was my single favorite part of my Madrid weekend.  I was in awe of it all; the songs, dance, and costumes.  The performance was so good that I would have forgone the less than exciting food and still paid the same price. Yes, I liked it that much.

And more dancing

Lost In Madrid

Palacio de Comunicaciones

I spent this past weekend in Madrid, Spain.  Under the auspices of early birthday celebrations, a girlfriend and I got away from Albania for a few days and explored all that this fabulous city has to offer.  This was my first trip to Spain and it didn't disappoint. I quickly discovered that Spain is a foodie's paradise and following so close on the heels of our excursion to Paris, I found everything to seem incredibly inexpensive.  (But then again, it might simply be the comparison to what we spent in France).  Madrid is a city that thrives at night; wandering out of the hotel before 9.00 resulted in our having the streets to ourselves but fast forward twelve hours and every inch of sidewalk and cafe space was filled with people.  I had to quickly adapt to the idea of sitting down to dinner at the time I would normally be heading to bed but it was all a part of the experience and totally worth it.  Sure we spent a lot of time eating, drinking, and relaxing but we also crammed a lot of sight seeing into our short stay. Long leisurely lunches--which began at 14.00 and dinners--which began at 10.00 provided the perfect opportunities for people watching.  Because Madrid is a city that attracts visitors from all over the world, trying to guess the nationality of our fellow tourists quickly became a favorite game.  From the tapas and sangria to a flamenco show and magnificent architecture, I fell in love with every aspect of this country. 

When Glenn and I travel our usual mode of transportation is our own two feet with an occasional train hop on-hop off bus served as our primary mode of transportation. I had always seen the big red double decker buses in city after city but with the exception of riding the water taxi version of them in Stockholm, had never hopped on board.  I had always dismissed them as being purely for tourists but do you know what?  We were tourists!  And as I quickly found out you can cover a lot more territory on a bus than you can when you rely solely on your own two feet.  And, when you are not sequestered underground the way you are on the metro, you get a whole new perspective on a place.  While you are limited to the routes they choose (in Madrid's case there are two), a bus ride can give you a good view of what the city has to offer.  From our front seat, roof top perch we had an amazing view of the city's sites and after one complete bus circuit we knew where we wanted to get off and explore.

Templo De Debod

or metro ride thrown in. This time the city's

And explore we did. To get a bird's eye view of the city we rode the telferico across Casa de Campo, now an expansive park but the site of the former royal hunting grounds.  From our cable car we could take in both the city's skyline and the snow capped mountains in the distance.  We visited Puerto del Sol, the spot from where all road distances in Spain are measured and explored the grounds of the Palacio Real (Royal Palace) to see how the other half lives.  (The monarchy is still alive and well in Spain).  Here we were amazed by the sheer opulence and beauty of the palace's interior.  (Unfortunately photography wasn't allowed inside of the palace so my picture taking was limited to exterior shots only).  And then there were the plazas.  One after another, each more impressive than the last, each broad plaza was rimmed by grand buildings and filled with fountains, sculptures, and artists portraying everything from Gothic figures and bronzed statues to Pompeii skeletons and abstract animals.  And the city became even more magnificant after dark. At night the neo-classical Palacio de Comunicaciones anchoring the Plaza de Cibeles illuminiated the streets and created the iconic sight that Madrid is famous for.  But as usual, my favorite part of the trip was simply wandering through the city streets.  Narrow cobblestone streets spiraled off of every square and we quickly found ourselves meandering down one narrow street and up another, each filled with shops, cafes, and interesting architecture.  It was easy to get disoriented but when we stepped into a new square we would use the skyline to reorient ourselves and move on. 

The entire weekend was relaxing and one I won't soon forget.  In addition to exploring a great city I loved having true "girl time".  We talked, laughed, and in what is a rarity for both of us, focused on ourselves rather than our numerous responsibilities at home.  Although a bit early, it was the perfect way to usher in a new decade.  Will I return?  Absolutely. I can't wait to share this city and her environs with my family because  I am sure they will love it just as much as I did.