Time flies … my adventure has ended. What’s left are memories of the very short trip to a foreign land, an escapade of sorts. One day, they may fade but hopefully the memory will etch in your heart forever.
Madrid was great, one of the cleanest places I’ve been to. The beautiful sculptures, monuments and buildings were simply captivating. They took my breath away as there were so much to see and so little time to savor them all! The must-see places include:
Puerta del Sol - shopping paradise, but beware of pickpockets. A guy from the same tour group lost 1000 Euros but nothing else was taken, not even his wallet. Other than that, you’ll enjoy yourself there if you ain’t claustrophobic! In fact, I did not even carry any purse just cash in a secret place ;-P
Royal Palace - be sure to be early as there’s a long queue to enter this huge palace. No photos are allowed to be taken. A few blocks away is the Royal Theatre, where such performance such as the opera is performed.
Madrid is a shopping haven, be sure to bring enough cash or plastic money as I can guarantee that you’ll go shopping crazy here. Items such as handbags, purses etc by Spanish designers for instance Tous can be bought at a cheaper price.
Madrid and Spain in general is a pretty safe place for tourists and travelers alike. I have no qualms of exploring the city on my own at night. In fact, I had no problem walking from my hotel “Hotel Atlanta ” to Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, which isn’t far at all - it may have been a 15 - 30 minute walk.
2 nights in Madrid may not be enough but we had to continue our journey to the city of Toledo, a World Heritage Site. It was foggy and we were unable to see the beautiful city of Toledo from the hill top. We were then taken to tour Toledo on foot. Pathways were covered with cobbled stones and the forts and buildings still stand strong. Church bells could be heard ringing in the middle of the windy day to signify the time for service. I observe the priest, vicars dressed in black robes enter the doors of the church while the rest of us the tourists and locals enjoy the view and fresh air. After the long walk and many stops it was time for lunch, so we found a great halal place to have a large platter of doner kebab. Umm the crispy & crunchy vegetable and juicy lamb meat sliced thinly in this fabulous flat bread. Every two bites is downed with a sip of Cola to quench our thirst.
Below are pictures of Toledo
Tagus River
An artisan hard at work
A different angle
The city of Toledo
Anybody home?
Take 5
What’s left of the fort
Once we’ve filled our stomach, we’re ready to proceed to Cordoba which is quite a distance away. The journey took us through hills and valleys covered with olive trees all along the highway. We had to make a few pit stops along the way for prayers as well as toilet stops.
Cordoba, a beautiful city known for its architecture, heritage & history. Once a place ruled by the Muslim empire for hundreds of years and finally fallen to the Christian rulers, namely Ferdinand and Isabella. (Let’s hope I got my facts right!) Not much is left of the Islamic monument, nor are there plentiful of Muslim of Spanish origin. Most of them have either migrated or converted to Christians.
Below are a few pictures taken of the interior and exterior of the Mezquita.
The oranges are bitter so no one actually eats them.
No pillar is the same as they were taken from Roman temples and other Roman sites.
Within the Mezquita compound
Alleys and houses not far from the Mezquita
What’s left of the Universidad Islamica Internacional Averroes De Al-Andalus
Our journey across Spain took us to the next city, the city of Granada famous for its Moorish heritage and landmark, the Al Hambra. We arrived in Granada in the late afternoon, took a quick shower and explored the city. Well, actually went last minute shopping for gifts. We’re quite fortunate that there’s a mall close by, the El Corte Ingles.
That night, we had planned to watch a performance made famous by the gypsies living in the South of Spain, the flamenco. The drive to the Gypsy cave was not a long one but we (the vehicle we were in) had to squeeze through the amazingly narrow and steep streets. Thank God for the ever efficient driver, we arrived at our destination in one piece. 
The performance was held in a cave-like room, it is a family affair (I don’t know if it includes the grandmother!). I was captivated by their elegant moves and how their feet move following the beat of the music. I could never do that. I must be born with 2 left feet.
He is HOT!
The granny?
Another HOT dude?
Ole!
Muy Bonita
Typical Granada homes (casa)
View from the top
La Al Hambra by night - after the show
That’s enough for the night!
We visited the Al Hambra & Generalife the next morning.
Generalife, a summer palace and garden built during the reign of Muhammad III. It’s situated not far from the Al Hambra and part of the garden is maintained by gardeners. It is best visited during Spring and Summer when flowers bloom. However, tickets are limited as the Spanish government tries to control the influx of visitors into the area.
Our local guide
Generalife & Al Hambra
A view of Al Hambra
After the grand tour of this fabulous landmark, we returned to the city center for lunch.
&
We are about to leave Spain for Morocco but before doing so we had to spend a night in Torremolinos which is a city not far from Algeciras and Tarifa, where we were taking the ferry to Tangier.
It’s time to make a move. While on the road, you could see hundreds of wind turbines.
Port of Tarifa
Punta de Tarifa
Leaving Spain behind ;-(
Adios for now!
