tbaroundtheworld

One thing I will say about Spain is that it has the best taxi fleet in the world. Not only are they hanging around taxi stands when you need them, but there are so many cruising that you rarely have to wait more than a few seconds, in every single city we’ve visited. After loading up our gear and walking down Carretas one last time towards Puerta del Sol, we were in a cab in less than a minute. So different than Paris where you either have to brave the subway with your bags or hire a driver in advance because cabs are rare as hen’s teeth. At least in the neighborhoods we’ve stayed in. And what a driver we had, deftly maneuvering through the (what seemed to be unusually dense) traffic, getting us to the airport in about 40 minutes. American was taking tickets and since we were traveling on miles, we were able to use the priority check-in. The couple in front of us had at least 8 suitcases, and eventually she bashfully told us that she now has 5 grandchildren and that she loves to bri...

Sometimes the best things happen when you don’t expect them. After relaxing for the later part of the afternoon and packing our bags we decided to avail ourselves of what had become a really beautiful evening, and go out for a paseo, in the true Spanish tradition. We figured one last walk down Arenal to the palace before going and finding something interesting to eat for the last meal of this vacation. It was that time of day when the low angle sun blinds you unless you make your way to the shady side of the street, which we did for the long stroll down the mall. When we reached the area in front of the Iglesia de San Ginés de Arlés, we knew something was going on. The police had set up barriers, behind which were hundreds of devoted senior citizens. And in the courtyard of the church, the parochial float was out and parked for all to see. San Ginés surrounded by spring flowers sitting atop a big silver urn. Having done a Semana Santa or two, we were familiar with such a sight. So I...

And of course, what's a vacation without a lot of photos of yourself standing in front of something you hardly remember? Most of these are regular, but the first two gain Selfie Special Merit Awards. First Place goes to Both Photographing the Same Thing But From Opposite Directions. Second Place goes to What Isn't Special About the Inside of a Starbucks? Honorable Mention goes to You're Doing It Wrong

We didn't do a "What We See" in Sevilla, because we were too busy taking photos of horses and Flamenca dresses. With no such distractions in Madrid, we returned to our old form.