Rosalie's View and Snaps of Spain

Click off the geocities advertising so it doesn't cover the pictures and makes it more pleasurable to view.

Hotel Opera, our hotel in Madrid Spain

early morning view out our window, before the traffic starts and the "honking" begins

we were on the 5th floor

picture of our neighbors across the street waking up                          "GOOD MORNING"

Rose catching the "metro" (subway)

Rose bed on the left.....Dick bed on the right

bathroom...toilet on left....badet on right

One of the subway areas before cleaning

Dick walking subway after cleaning

Our first day looking at the Bullfighting Arena area...            hoping to get tickets.

Happy Dick, got tickets from a "scalper" fact is, that is how we got all of them!

First day we arrived, got tickets to that evening bullfight..was raining but it didn't stop us! This is Dick renting our cushions to sit on in the arena.

Dick waiting for the Fights to begin...does he not look HAPPY AND CONTENT!

How exciting Dick was... First comes the Matadors, then the Picadores are behind them.........(I don't like the picadores the most)

Let the GAMES BEGIN ! They kept the arena covered so the grounds would not be so muddy.

through SUN or RAIN....we weren't going to miss it!

Then behind the picadores comes the    rest of the "crew" (they have the yucky job

These are the mules that tow away the "LOSERS"

I know that Dick used this on his page, but is so darn cute of him that I had to use it again! Can you tell we had been in LONDON

what a beautiful placement this Matador made here...jumping right in front of the bull, and a dangereous position to be in. Unfortunately I CUT the Matador's head off.  Look how how he jumped.

I wasn't going to show this, but decided that if I had to see it, you will too!     This is the guy below that I        don't like. Pickadore

Can you imagine yourself in this Matador's place?

This Matador did so well the Presidente allowed him to cut off the bulls ear. So he is parading around the arena proudly.  Can you see the BULL'S EAR next to the red and white flowers?  The ladies throw flowers because of the good job he did and now he can take the ear home and put it in his "trophy" case. :>) .

Matador finishing his job....HOLY BULL!

SOME SHOTS OF BEAUTY OF THE MATADORS WORK

Rose was focused on them CLEANING those capes after a fight. I would like to know the cleaning solution they used.

View of another Matador doing fine work in working the bull

He apparently did not plan well, and the bull's path left him looking awkward.

Isn't that Matador in the Black outfit CUTE, AND WHAT A GREAT SMILE HE HAS.  He must love his job!

One thing that I observed in Spain was that public bathroom doors to the toilets are full length...U.S.A. have cropped doors where people could look under and over. Guess they like their  PRIVACY!

Pictures below and ones left and right of this picture are all of this Catedral

Fountain in front of the Prado Museum. I am sure Dick got a better picture of it on his Web Page. The picture at the right I took of a lady painting a copy of an original.  Guess they let people do that because there was a man doing the same thing with another picture elsewhere that Dick took a picture of.

I guess they have these covererings placed between some shopping areas due to the heat in the summer to bring comfort to the shoppers going from store to store.

I took this shot when we first arrived in Madrid because I was so taken by the atmosphere of the friendly looking streets and places to sit and eat/drink.  Yes, it was dropping a little showers on us, but very light.

Picture on the right was taken at "BURGER KING", can you believe!  One of the helpers took the picture on our way to see Flamenco Dancing. I have a story to share about this night. I was wearing a pair of my mothers reinstone earrings that night and after the show, Dick and I wanted some ice cream so we returned here.  When I walked in the door, the girl behind the counter (who didn't speak English) kept pointing to me and was babbling in her language about something, then she reached in her pocket and pulled out an earring....I didn't know, but I had dropped one of the earrings on the floor when we had been there earlier that evening and she gave it to me.  It was the type that screwed on, so I guess I had not tightened it enough. I had not missed it and apparently was walking around like a "pirate" with one earring.  I was so happy to get to returned to me.

This is a group that was playing on the streets one evening when we were strolling.  A girl would go through the crowds to sell their CD's and a hat was placed on the ground for donations.

Another observation that we made was Madrid's gas stations.  It was positioned in a little "out of the way" places off the sidewalk.  This one was located next to a Plaza that we walked everyday to go to the subway from our Hotel Opera. It was the only one that we saw.

Rosalie taken in front of the Theater where we watched Flamenco Dancing...yes, with only one earring on, but you can't see that. Also Dick in front of Theater. We were not impressed with this production and left at intermission. We took these snaps at a distance to show where we were....

This facinated Dick and I to learnthat the Palace windows all had 4 layers of coverings. 1. shutters 2.clear glass/wood door 3.another heavier glass/wood door 4 a solid wood door....we wondered WHY!

Only one sample of the paintings that are painted on many of the ceilings in each room at the Royal Palace of Madrid

This Peacock was in the area I took the snaps that are on the left and the right I thought he was pretty.

Royal Palace in Madrid            side view

Off top floor of the Palace, this is the view looking off to the LEFT

Royal Palace in Madrid          front view

Off top floor of the Palace, this is the view looking off to the RIGHT

We are walking back to our Hotel from getting off the subway.  What you see in front where that tree is, is an area where they have benches and you can sit and enjoy watching people.  They have these in many areas. Madrid is layed out where you have about 5 veins going off from this area into streets with building/stores. Notice the "bland" colors of the buildings continue...all Spanish colors.

Person on the far  right (below)  is Dick enjoying the moment of his findings of the                            LaTorre del Ore shown in the picture to the left

This is called the Plaza Mayor and they have lots of shops on the ground floor to go into. This was also the area where Dick found the place where they had lots of pictures of Matadors and bullfighting pictures and an Authentic Matador Outfit.  The center picture is the place. Dick was thrilled to find because it was one of his wishes to see in Madrid. Refer to his page for seeing Dick inside looking at all the pictures....oh shucks I will share one of them of him that he didn't show on his web page of Spain................SEEEEEEE to the right

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After looking and looking at stores to find Dick some more  underwear and socks, and couldn't find any (guess no one wears undershorts or socks in Madrid) he was forced to find some detergent and wash his own.(believe it or not, we found a 7 Eleven store. So he filled the bathtub with water, soap and his soiled clothes and found places here and there to hang to dry... .WHEN IN SPAIN, YOU DO WHAT THE SPANIARDS DO !!! :>)

TRIP TO SEVILLA

This is what we took to go to Seville.  Gave me a chance to see what the outside of Madrid looked like. Reminded Dick and I a lot of Taft...very dry! I saw scattered around places that looked like little castles, very small ones and when talking to Joe, he told me that those are called Estates. Darn, I didn't take a picture.  On this train that I am sure Dick has explained on his Page, it is electric and goes up to 120 miles an hour.They also have a car that you can go to for refreshments. They even show a movie on it (course it was in Spanish) and they give you ear phones to listen to it or dial to music of your choice where I was able to find a station that had American music on it. I also listened to Spanish music also cause you know "when in Spain do what the Spaniards do".

This is the Chapel that the Matadors go to pray in before they "tangle" with the bulls. (and they probably need to). It was part of the Museum Tour that we had at the Arena in Sevilla

I did get a shot of Madrid on our way out of Madrid. Notice that all the buildings are of the same color..I noticed this throughout Madrid.  Guess they get paint "cheaper by the barrel"

Bullfighting Arena in Sevilla

These snaps are of a river across from the Bullfighting Arena in Sevilla which we found very relaxing to sit in the shade and wait till the Bullfighting Museum opened up.  They were closed for their siesta time.

Bridge connecting each side of the land

Whoops!  Caught Dick napping on the train to build his energy up for Sevilla.

You walk, you ride motor bikes, or you drive "toy cars".....see picture to the right!

CANOEING down the river

HOUSEBOATing down the river

Yes, one type of car that they drive in Sevilla, and in Madrid....you should have seen the tall huge man that came out of it.

as they say in Spain....CHEERS ! OPPPS, we aren't in LONDON, are we!!

waiting to get back on the train in Sevilla, Dick and I decided to have a "treat"....this is Dick ordering...but then I guess you could figure that out!  Boy he loves his ICE CREAM!

Too late for me to toast...Rosalie's soda is almost gone !  It was a Spanish Vanilla Soda float with the glass half filled with whipped cream.

Dick asked me if I wanted to take this buggy ride but I declined. It started getting hot that day, around 90, and I didn't find it much fun to ride around in the hot sun. Hey, I could have lied and told you I rode it. :>)

Saw these nuns walking towards us and for some reason, I couldn't resist getting their picture.

Loaded down with gifts to bring back, and I was smart...I brought my pillow on this trip which came in handy for Dick to use on that long 8 hour flight to the U.S.A. Yes, that is Dicks hat also and his jacket next to me....I was his                                BAG LADY

No I don't know that guy...I was shooting the store called Accessorize at the London Airport .  That is where I got some London last minute things.  Hey, I had to "kill" 4 hours !

Last email we sent you all from this Internet Cafe

Last meal we had on our way home from Spain. Layover for about 3 hours at the London Airport, so we had FISH AND CHIPS

On our way home to the U.S.A. the pilot came on and told us to look out the window because we were flying over Greenland.  Hey, I don't see any GREEN ..... nothing but mountains and snow/ice, but was a thrill to me to be able to view this site that I may never see again.

ROSALIE'S LIST OF COMPARISONS AND OBSERVATIONS

ROSALIE'S GRANDSON CORY AGE 15 sent me via email while I was in Spain ,some words that he had learned in Spanish this year in school and thought that the words may be useful to me.  I thought it was so sweet of him and wanted to share in case you want  a quick lesson in Spanish.  they ARE important words that one needs to learn when in Spain! quiero..................................I want leche.....................................milk libro......................................book descansar..............................rest necessito...............................I need to hamburquesa.........................hamburger papas fritas...........................french fries donde estas...........................where do you live quiero comer.........................I want to eat quiero comprar......................I want to go shopping quiero tomar..........................I want something to drink quiero ir a casa.......................I want to go home Thanks Cory, we could have used these words had we been a "quick learner". :>)

wash rags............................................................................................................................wash rags not accessable in Hotel you have to park cars in designated areas and formation..........................................................they park cars how they want                                                                                                                                               including going the opposite directions                                                                                                                                                and parked even on part of the sidewalks         public drinking fountains...................................................................................................... no fountains to be found places to buy uderwear and socks..........................................................................................couldn't find any clothing stores that sell                                                                                                                                             these items (guess Madrid doesn't wear them) places to wash clothes...........................................................................................................no public facilities that we found American coffee with nice size cups.......................................................................................they only serve Cappuccino variety of soft drinks.............................................................................................................nothing but Coca Cola dogs on leashes....................................................................................................................doesn't seem to have a ruling apartments...........................................................................................................................they call them flats lots of policement around......................................................................................................you have to have a wreck to see one restricted smoking areas........................................................................................................smoking allowed everyplace standing anyplace on an escalator..........................................................................................signs saying to stand on right side                                                                                                                                             to allow people in a hurry to run or                                                                                                                                             walk on the left taxed on all non-eatable itemes................................................................................................no tax on anything no excess honking................................................................................................................constant honking by most drivers flavorable fresh fruit.............................................................................................................unflavorable bland tasting fruit nice red tomatoes.................................................................................................................unripe tomatoes and very sparcely given day light savings time gets dark about 8:00pm.........................................................................gets dark around 10:00pm people wear caps, hats, etc....................................................................................................never saw anyone wearing hats of any sorts                                                                                                                                          (except for Dick,and he was strangly looked at) all American food "FRENCH FRIES".................................................................................they eat fresh baked potato chips..no fries around in the U.S.A. people make "eye contact", smile and are friendly............................................no eye contact is made between women or men when reading paperback books, no special cover is on the outside.........................................women cover their books with plain paper, guess                                                                                                                                          so it doesn't start a conversation with anyone. hotels in U.S.A. are insulated to where you don't hear noise from other rooms ......................hotel in Spain is like being in the same room. The                                                                                                                                         walls are paper thin and you get woken up by                                                                                                                                          "late" or "early morning" activities.   :>) lots of overweight people...................................................................................................did not see ONE overweight person (maybe because                                                                                                                                         people do more walking to get places and to get on                                                                                                                                         subways.

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