May 4: Looking back.....
Another week has passed. We cannot go forward with our story without telling you of the strange and scary doll in the otherwise beautiful doll collection at the Art Deco museum in Salamanca. Think Chucky, the feminine version, a mouth opened "GA-RAGH", teeth bared, black-as-her-soul eyes - a total surprise in a sea of beautiful dolls with smiling, happy faces and bright eyes. We jumped, we screamed...more than once..we had to go back a second time & confirm what we saw. Were her eyes following us? did you just see her head move? but we did not take a picture, because taking a picture of her would allow her to capture our souls and #2. "no photos allowed." ...and we usually follow the rules.
Toledo is the historical capital of Spain, protected on 3 sides by the Tagus River, and is considered (by Catholics, I suppose) to be Spain's leading Catholic city. We arrive by high speed train in 33 minutes from Madrid. The Toledo Train was much like a little circus train, with Thomas the engine pulling six circus cars containing the animals (us) on a 45 minute tour of Toledo with a stop on a promontory across the river Tagus so that we could take pictures of the walled city. The 15th century Catedral Primada, known for its paintings by El Greco ( notably, "the disrobing of Jesus") was imposing with frescos on the ceiling and walls, elaborate carvings, flying baby heads (freaky), and beautiful stained glass windows. We wandered the narrow cobblestone streets and settled for lunch at a sidewalk cafe for Migas Manchedos (bread, eggs, cheese, spices, yada yada) & grilled veggies, followed by cafe-bonbon, a delightful espresso-parfait with sweetened condensed milk topped with froth. Before heading back Madrid we toured "El Greco's home". Fraud, I tell you, fraud! It was not El Greco's home, nor had it ever been, but the owner had purchased this fixer-upper under the pretense that it had once been. Alas! Rebuild, restore, put in some art pieces, paintings, and a few El Greco's & paintings done by interns & students of El Greco, a nice garden, some beautiful flowers, put a sign out front that says "El Greco museum" and you've got yourself well, another museum in Toledo.
Another week has passed. We cannot go forward with our story without telling you of the strange and scary doll in the otherwise beautiful doll collection at the Art Deco museum in Salamanca. Think Chucky, the feminine version, a mouth opened "GA-RAGH", teeth bared, black-as-her-soul eyes - a total surprise in a sea of beautiful dolls with smiling, happy faces and bright eyes. We jumped, we screamed...more than once..we had to go back a second time & confirm what we saw. Were her eyes following us? did you just see her head move? but we did not take a picture, because taking a picture of her would allow her to capture our souls and #2. "no photos allowed." ...and we usually follow the rules.
Toledo is the historical capital of Spain, protected on 3 sides by the Tagus River, and is considered (by Catholics, I suppose) to be Spain's leading Catholic city. We arrive by high speed train in 33 minutes from Madrid. The Toledo Train was much like a little circus train, with Thomas the engine pulling six circus cars containing the animals (us) on a 45 minute tour of Toledo with a stop on a promontory across the river Tagus so that we could take pictures of the walled city. The 15th century Catedral Primada, known for its paintings by El Greco ( notably, "the disrobing of Jesus") was imposing with frescos on the ceiling and walls, elaborate carvings, flying baby heads (freaky), and beautiful stained glass windows. We wandered the narrow cobblestone streets and settled for lunch at a sidewalk cafe for Migas Manchedos (bread, eggs, cheese, spices, yada yada) & grilled veggies, followed by cafe-bonbon, a delightful espresso-parfait with sweetened condensed milk topped with froth. Before heading back Madrid we toured "El Greco's home". Fraud, I tell you, fraud! It was not El Greco's home, nor had it ever been, but the owner had purchased this fixer-upper under the pretense that it had once been. Alas! Rebuild, restore, put in some art pieces, paintings, and a few El Greco's & paintings done by interns & students of El Greco, a nice garden, some beautiful flowers, put a sign out front that says "El Greco museum" and you've got yourself well, another museum in Toledo.
Remember seeing "Young Frankenstein", the Mel Brooks movie? Hmm mm. Up another artery of cobblestone to a rather unimpressive Monasterio de Santo Domingo de Silos, a cloistered bakery proclaiming the best marzipan in all of Spain. It was a little difficult to find and we were first up one street, down another, cross to yet another, until, "yes, over there, I think that's it, over there". A small sign with a peeling picture of a plate of marzipan. A large, yellow-stone hidden entryway with two heavy, carved wooden doors: one large for entry, the other dumbwaiter-size on an adjacent wall. One long wooden bench facing the dumbwaiter. Two buttons: one to ring a bell,the other to control a single bulb light. One sign: "ring the bell". Cee pressed: "buzzzzz", again,"buzzzz". Silence. We sat down on the bench. Nothing. Knock on the large door. Silence. Sit on the bench. Press the button, "buzzzz","buzzzz". Silence....wait, no, "did you hear that?" Silence. Press the button, "buzzzz-zzzzz". Suddenly we heard scraping close by, behind the door. Scraping as though dragging something across the concrete floor. Scrape. Scrape. Scrape. As though step by step. Then muttering. Finally a craggy, scratchy, haggardy voice crept out from the walls, demanding, "open the door". We realized the small dumbwaiter door had a small handle. Cee pulled, the door seemed stuck, a quick, hard yank and the door stubbornly opened a few inches as chain gave permission for it to move just ever so slightly. "What do you want" came the voice from Igor (we are sure that is what the ogre is named). "Marzipan" we replied in a timid octave, as though in a question as we were not really sure what was behind the door and at this point not really sure what we were about to get. "Open the door .... More" came the order. Cee pulled once more on the handle, the chain continued to release link by link by link, sounding more like a drawbridge than a door. The open door revealed a small empty rotating cabinet. "How much? Quarter kilo or half?" Coughed the old hag with the hunchback, long warty nose, pointed whiskered chin, long curved pointed yellow-black fingernails who wore a hooded, ragged brown dress and worn, scuffed and dirty slippers. By now we had a much clearer picture of who or what we were dealing with, even though we could not see her, um him, um ... Well, whatever, you know where we are coming from. Cee ordered the quarter. More scraping & scratching as the cabinet rotated, first counter clockwise so the shelves were no longer visible, then back to us, clockwise with a small green box - marzipan on the lowest shelf. "9 euros", came the voice. Cee exchanged the box for the coins. The shelf rotated out of sight. "Close the door" came the command. We did as the chain was pulled from inside, link by link, the drawbridge closing until the door was sealed again. And silence. Except from us as we were giddy, squealing and laughing as we ran down the cobblestone street, reveling in our Mel Brooks moment.
Tenerife and Hotel Botanico are just a short two hour flight from Madrid. Enter into one of the leading hotels of the world, with uniformed attendants taking your bags to your room, a beautiful putting green and sea view from our room, black swans and ponds with lilies and a wonderful buffet breakfast: Hotel Botanico - only for one night as we hopped on the Star Breeze the next afternoon.
The Star Breeze is one of 6 ships of the Windstar fleet. 212 passengers at full capacity but we were sailing with 147 and a crew of 156. Our suite was 277 square feet, quite large by cruise standards for an entry level cabin. It was beautifully appointed,two twin beds, sofa facing 2 arm chairs by the large window, desk and chair, tv, bathtub & twin sinks. The only downside, and this was a real up & down side was that we were far forward. This made for a pretty rocky-rolly ride for several of our 7 nights at sea. Sea bands, Dramamine, and ginger helped, but even thinking about it now makes me queasy.
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