FEBRUARY 2014 • 50PLUS
as a site for locals to visit. Among the many featured painters are Goya (Once a waiter at Restaurante Bolin), Bosch, Rembrandt and Velaquez. As for Spanish foods, the Fryes found them to be wholesome, somewhat bland and by comparison to the U.S., rather expensive, $32 for a suckling pig, $28 for grilled sirloin of beef, coffee for about $3 and even bread and butter at tableside for about a dollar or a bit more. Spaniards do eat much ham prepared in different ways. The Fryes found their favorite food on the various menus to be paella, a rice and seafood stew. They also took a definite liking to late afternoon tapas. With 10 days from arrival in Madrid until they were to be homebound, the Fryes wasted little time sitting around; they were on the go. Visits with Ben and daily sightseeing excursions were the orders of the day. We only will mention the impressive Palacio Real de Madrid and the numerous museums as well as its seven interesting plazas, with crossroads leading to them throughout the city. The Plaza de la Puerto del Sol is said to be the exact central point of the entire country. It has elegant facades in all directions and in its northwest corner is a statue of a bear nuzzling a strawberry tree. This is said to be the official symbol of the city. Before we go further, what’s the weather like? We have heard over the years that “The rain in Spain is mainly in the plain.” The Fryes, to their liking, didn’t experience either rain or snow, but there may have been snow in the mountains, Pyrenees and Sierra Nevada ranges. Temperatures were mostly in the 40’s and with sunshine, still warm enough to frequent the sidewalk cafes. A visit to Barcelona, on the Mediterranean Ocean and an hour away by air from Madrid, was different. First of all, the airline trip at $125 was less expensive than via train and hours less time. Barcelona is a seaport and a favorite for cruise ships. Perhaps because of this, streets close to the docks are closed to vehicular traffic. But there are many interesting shops in the vicinity. It is quite a modern city
HAPPY TOURISTS: Erik, left, Ben and Sheila Frye enjoyed the many sites and sights in Madrid, Barcelona, Segovia and stops along the way.
AQUEDUCT: While Spain’s diverse landscapes may stir the souls of visitors, the aqueduct at Segovia makes you believe that the Roman occupiers in the first and second centuries were quite talented at engineering. They fitted together thousands of stones without any such thing as mortar to hold the granite rocks together. and was host in 1992 to the Olympic Games. Tours took the Fryes to various points of interest. Barcelona is Spain’s second largest city. Its architecture is spectacular. Said to be near the top of the many architectural experiences is a visit to La Sagrada Familia. This modernista brainchild of Antoni Gaudi remains as a work in progress 80 years after its originator’s death. Profoundly styled by Gothic styles of the Middle Ages, the large temple of worship is adorned with decorative
flourishes of the Passion of Christ, His Nativity and others. It has been under construction for over 100 years. The Spaniards say if a visitor only has time to enjoy one Spanish sight-seeing experience, this has to be it. The church attracts over three million visitors yearly. Once finished (if ever) it will seat 13,000 people. With time seeming to fly quickly by, the Fryes, had time to visit Segovia, 50 miles north of Madrid and an easy trip by bus or train. But why Segovia?
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AT CASTLE: Exchange Student Ben Frye poses before an ancient knight’s armor suit. This smaller city is home to a Roman built aqueduct that is 894 meters in length. Almost unbelievably, it was built using no mortar to hold 20,000 uneven granite stone blocks together and, at its highest point, is 28 meters. About 50 A.D., it was finally ready to store water brought from the mountains about 15 KM away. Yes, you can climb the tourist stairs behind the aqueduct to view the water and the expansive countryside. Of course, this account only scrapes the surface of Spain and its attributes and beauties. On a more modern basis, there are championship soccer teams (two), enormous stadiums and professional basketball as well as bull fighting, which a certain segment of the population is trying to have abolished as inhumane. Basically, Spain is not overly sophisticated and mostly inhabited by middle class-type people. Spaniards are genuinely friendly, helpful (Will smile when giving requested directions to here and there) and appreciative of their amenities in this land of varied plains, hills and mountains that has been peopled since the first humans walked the face of Europe. Would we recommend a visit to Spain? The answer seems rather plain. It is a “yes” to Spain!