Winner announced!

Alas, this is not going to be a story relating how I won a big prize in Spain’s famous annual Christmas lottery - “El Gordo” (The Fat One).

How cool would that have been? Actually it would have qualified as another Christmas miracle since I hadn’t purchased a ticket, nor had a stake in one. (Side note:  I heard that a  couple on our tour group did win 220 Euro on the El Gordo... only thing is, though, you have to collect in Spain. Still, I imagine Antonio may be able to help....)

Nevertheless, it is still a happy face story.

As the postings on my blog can attest, I carried along with me my handy-dandy tablet. Free WiFi is almost a given for all hotels nowadays, so this allows me to check my email on a daily basis as well as make a (brief) posting on my blog or Facebook page. It was while I was pursuing this activity – in the late evening, in my hotel room, in my pj’s - that I received a notification from WestJet that I was the winner of that month’s “Up Magazine’s” online contest.

!!!!!!

Wow. What this translated to was a thousand dollar prize in WestJet credit to use on its flights over the next 12 months. (WestJet is a wonderful, highly reputed Canadian airline that flies all over Canada, the U.S. and the Caribbean.)

There was a worry, however. The notification contained a skill testing mathematical question (no worries, grade two level math required), and a request for an email confirmation and return of two official release documents – within 72 hours!!!

Horrors! How could I possibly return those documents within that time frame? I have no printer, nor any knowledge of how to achieve this feat away from my own PC at home.

I immediately did the skill testing question (answer: 6) and sent it back with my email confirmation of having received and accepted the prize.

Then I explained how I was in Spain.

I went to bed. I could not sleep. I got up. What to do? What to do? I reconnected my WiFi and emailed our valiant leader and Tour Director, Antonio.

I explained my dilemma and requested his help. So wound up was I that I sent it twice to the wrong address (kept missing a letter in his email address) before successfully sending it to him.

Well Antonio was fantastic. When he met the group the next morning he had already printed out my release forms all ready for me to sign and fax to Canada to accept my prize. What service. What a man. (Side note: Between my request and the next morning WestJet emailed me again saying that they would wait upon my return – so problem sorted. Even so, that does not diminish Antonio's incredible help.)

What does this mean? Well, I have won another contest – one thousand dollars worth of credit to fly with WestJet. I must use it within 12 months, alas. Given my upcoming trip to Italy that means I won't have a lot of holiday days left, but no worries... I haven't visited friends and family recently so that will be how I use it.

So yes – happy face - :) - story!

So some images of Torremolinos - stroll along the boardwalk, see some more wonderful sand castles as well as a 3 dimensional representation of one of Picasso's famous paintings:  The Two Dancing Ladies.  Perfect for the location their joyous abandon as if they were running in delight to the sea....... (Click on them for full screen)

More Madrid

Prado Art Gallery

El Prado is one of the biggest art galleries in the world and holds some of the world's most important masterpieces.

Museo Thyssen-Bormemisza

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum offers visitors an overview of art from the 13th century to the late 20th century.

Travel memories:

• I remember scurrying from one room to the next to see as many of the ‘highlights’ the two art galleries have to offer given the limited time, particularly in the latter. Nevertheless, it was worth it. (Decidedly!)
  
  
• I remember the unexpected ‘extra’ offered by the tour company and Antonio in arranging for a drop off/pick up at El Prado to allow for this visit to occur without the stress of having to get there and back.
  
  
• I also remember the streets of Madrid. Love the tiled street signs. Love its architecture. Check out some of its window treatments. Fun.

What to say? This visit gave me just a very small taste of what these galleries and this city has to offer and it whetted my appetite for more. I guess I shall just have to return to Madrid.

:)

Plaza Mayor, Madrid

The Plaza Mayor was built during Phillip III’s reign (1598–1621) and is a central plaza in the city of Madrid.

Throughout its long history, the Plaza Mayor has been (and still is) a market square as well as previously the scene of bullfights, soccer games, and during the Spanish Inquisition "autos de fe" (“acts of faith” – a ritual of public proclamation and penance of heretics) and the public executions of those unfortunates condemned to death.

There is a bronze statue of King Philip II at the center of the square, created in 1616 by Jean Boulogne and Pietro Tacca. The building “Casa de la Panaderia” the seat of the powerful baker's guild with its colourful allegoric murals was under restoration.

Travel memories: 

• I remember Antonio describing some of the execution techniques witnessed in this square. Gruesome to say the least! (See him in the pictures explaining – with gestures! - some of the terrible executions – and see the reaction on our faces!)

• I  shall always remember the incredible crowds in the Plaza. It was a public holiday weekend in Spain and the square was packed (understatement). 

• I also remember that although I had to muscle my way through the crowds, I was rewarded and delighted by the exquisite Nativity scenes set up at its centre. It was worth it but (note to self) should I ever visit Madrid again in the Christmas season, I will visit it in the early morning hours.

Reputation in tatters in Mijas!

This is a 'further to', to the previous post... so please read it first.  Otherwise, it won't make as much sense as it could...

Essentially the story does not end with the last post (Alas, no.)

With my reputation of possessing Marco Polo-like abilities already compromised, who would know by the end of the day it would end up in utter tatters? Such was the sad, sad, sad case….

Okay, so we got to Mijas already, but at some point we had to get back….

Really you would not think that should have been a problem. We were to catch the return bus at the exact same spot we were dropped off. We were to get off the bus at the exact same spot where we picked it up. How much clearer could it be? What is the issue?

Well it was, alas, an issue for Ellen and I who were returning together. The problem was that we didn’t get on the bus at the best location (as clearly illustrated by Terry) so we hadn’t clearly imprinted the landmark where we were to get off upon return. 

We both had noticed a decorative fountain however. Consequently, we dutifully pushed the ‘request stop’ button and disembarked at the first operational fountain we saw. We did this although – as both of us confessed to each other later – our instincts were screaming it was not the right place.

Nor was it and we knew this instantly. We knew it really in fact before the tail lights of the bus had even disappeared from our forlorn view. But there was nothing we could do. Nothing of course except begin walking….

And walk we did. A short way along we came to a landmark that both of us remembered on our first journey – at least we were on the right track! – but then things didn’t look quite so familiar…

With our confidence jeopardized we asked a man on the street. He was British. (Residents from the UK flock to Spain each year during the winter months.) We wanted to get to the intersection of “San Migue”. 

He looked at us and said, “But that’s in Torremolinos!”

 

Oh my. Not only had we gotten off at the wrong bus stop, we had gotten off in the wrong TOWNSHIP. 

How sad is that? Yes, my reputation as Marco Polo reincarnated was in ruin.

Side note: He gave us clear directions with the realistic time frame of steady walking for 20 minutes and it found us back in familiar territory. 

Ellen and I agreed we wouldn’t share this story with the group, nor did we. But this blog doesn’t count, does it? 

Was Mijas worth all this trouble and strife? 

Hmmm??? Well no deliberation necessary here – a resounding “Yes it was!”.

AND I got my donkey ride!

Check out the following pictures - and click on them to view best!  (See my donkey's ears in the picture?  Although I was terrified to take my hands away from the reins for more than a second or two, I did snap this picture!)

 

Memories of a lesson learned in Mijas...

In Spain I learned a hard lesson. 

I learned that just because I was nicknamed “Marco Polo” by my previous trip’s group (due to my ability to navigate easily throughout the labyrinth that is Venice without getting lost), does not mean I actually have superior navigational abilities. Somehow I let my reputation go to my head and -  as fate will have it - have been profoundly humbled ….

It all started with my decision to forgo the optional tour to Morocco, opting instead to go to Mijas – a white washed, quintessentially Spanish village perched on the side of a cliff. I had read reviews on this village and despite the strong lure of the exotic shores of Africa, Mijas ended up winning the day. (Oddly the possibility of a donkey ride rather than a camel ride tipped the scale, although why either is appealing to me is still a bit of a mystery.)

Because it was not part of the regular tour itinerary, if you were going to Mijas you were ‘on your own’. Of course this sounds a lot harsher than reality. A person may be ‘on his/her own’ but of course you could still seek and obtain directions from our incredibly patient and helpful leader, Antonio. 

 Problems resulted, however, when:

a) I didn’t pay close enough attention to Antonio (a character trait he had to deal with more than once with me, poor man)

b) I didn’t take good notes, and

c) I got conflicting directions from Spanish people and tourists on the street with whom I also consulted

This situation was further complicated by the fact that there were four of us from the group who opted for going to Mijas – Nancy, Terry, one of the two Ellens and I – and we all interpreted Antonio’s directions in a different way.

Suffice it to say that confusion reigned. At one point Terry sat down at a bus stop bench and proclaimed that was the right spot to catch the bus to Mijas. However, he was over ruled and on we trekked. 

To make an already long story somewhat shorter, we did eventually find and get on the correct bus to Mijas.

:)

However, it also stopped and picked up passengers at the very spot Terry had said it would.

:(

Nancy must have queried why he didn’t stand his ground since I overheard Terry say to her… “With three women telling me something else I knew I could never win…”

Well, it had to be said, so I said it. “Terry. You were right and I was wrong.”

Terry simply said, “Thank you.”

:) :( :) :(

Enjoy a few pictures (more on Mijas later).  Remember to click on them to bring them into full screen for best results.