| 12:00p |
Flamenco heaven
Last night, Blair, Aedan and I attended the "Concierto Flamenco" featuring Angel Rojas, Carlos Rodriquez and Mayte Bajo at the Teatro Albeniz near La Puerta del Sol, and it was amazing. The three dancers have garnered all kinds of "premios" (prizes) for being the best in Spain, and it's no wonder why they were deemed the best. Not only were they fantastic, but they had an incredible band of seven musicians: a flautist, a cellist, two classical guitarists, a percussionist, and two flamenco singers, one male and one female. The choreography was superb, as was the lighting, and the dancers were at the top of their game. Their website is www.nbeflamenco.net, and the program said that they were featuerd on PBS during an 18-city U.S. tour, which included New York, Miami, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia. We need to invite them to San Antonio!
Friday, Beatriz, my oldest sister in Spain, arranged a tour of La Gaceta de Negocios, sort of the Wall Street Journal of Spain, for me and my students. (Her husband is a journalist for the paper.) It was very interesting. The editor of the Gaceta, Hernando Calleja, was extremely gracious and very informative. Many of my students overslept (Too much partying in the city that never sleeps...forget New York!), and it was their loss. Those who attended really enjoyed the visit. The Gaceta is a Monday through Friday paper, plus they do a weekend edition that features art, books, culture, films, etc. Or as Hernan would say, "Et-theh-tera, et-theh-tera."
Friday afternoon, Blair, Aedan and I went to see Harry Potter 3. It was in English with Spanish subtitles. I was afraid that it might be too scary for Aedan, but she did fine. (She sat in Blair's lap, but she did fine.) I really like the new director's interpretation of the book. I liked his vision. Plus, I think the actors are really growing into their roles. We all enjoyed it and look forward to seeing it again at home. I enjoyed reading the subtitles. For Voldemort, they didn't translate it you-know-who. Instead they translated it quien-tu-sabes.
Saturday, we went to Toledo. We met at the Bus Station of the South at 9:30 a.m. for the 10 a.m. bus. It only took at hour to get there, and it was a nice ride for four euros. Not as scenic as the trip to Segovia, though. Anyway, we walked up a hill to La Puerta de Bisagra, one of the only Moorish doors left into the city. Toldeo is beautiful: winding cobblestone streets, ancient buildings with beautiful verandas, and tons of shops with swords, black and gold jewelry, and ceramics. Supposedly, all of the swords for "El Hombre de Los Anillos" (Lord of the Rings) were made in Toledo. I had another bocadillo de calamares (squid sandwich), and Aedan had another McDonald's hamburger. (She said that she couldn't wait to tell her friends that she gets to eat at McDonald's every day. Arrrrgh. Surrounded by delicious food, and she won't eat any of it.) Toledo's Cathedral is another marvel. Giant, Gothic, and paintings, including ones by El Greco, for days. The coolest, I thought, were sculptures in the dome looking down at you. They looked real. We took the 6 p.m. bus back to Madrid, so it was a full day of walking and sightseeing.
Sunday, I woke up early and went to El Rastro, a giant, open-air flea market in Madrid. I was a regular when I lived here before, and it hadn't changed much. I bought a couple of antique religious icons (Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary with Baby Jesus) and some antique laces that were made by hand. (Mindy and Carol E., Heads up! I got some for you for future crazy quilts!) I also bought Aedan three more hamsters to add to her Hamtaro and Bijou collection. She was pleased.
Sunday at 1:30 p.m., we met my Spanish family for lunch. It was so good to see them again. Four of the five sisters were present (The absent one lives in New Jersey.), along with Mama (Pilar) y Papa (Paco). We went to a restaurant (El Norte) near their home, and the food was delicious...a little bit of everything: jamon serrano, paella, tortillas espanoles, papas, etc. Beatriz organized the whole thing. And, they gave each of us a present! I got a beautiful scarf in blues and purple. Blair received a cookbook in English of all the Spanish delicacies. Aedan received a baby doll and some purple hair things. Best of all, they gave us an 8 by 10 photo of the entire family taken on Pilar and Paco's 50th Wedding Anniversary taken this past November. Afterward, the sisters and some of their children went with us for a walk in a nearby park. Maria brought her Westie dog, Pizca, who's adorable. It was nice to hang out with everyone. From there, we ran to the theatre to catch the show, so now I'm up to date.
I haven't written about classes, but they are going well. The heat is on the students. Their final stories are due a week from tomorrow. We only have 10 days left in Madrid. I wish I had Hermione's time turner!! |