When in Rome….Day One

We made it to Rome last night after fairly short flight. It took a while to get to the hotel and get situated, so we decided to just eat dinner and get a good night’s sleep. While eating dinner, we saw a famous soap opera star walking with her daughter (Alexis on General Hospital if anyone watches that show). As it turned out, it was Wendy’s turn to get sick. We got here some medicine this morning and she decided she wanted to try to do some sight seeing anyway. She was a trooper! We went to the Vatican today, which is absolutely spectacular. We were prepared to wait in line for an hour or two, but we were surprised to walk right in a get a ticket. The tour through the Vatican takes a while and it is very crowded. It seemed that most people were like us and really just wanted to see the Sistine Chapel. That’s not to say that the things you see in the Vatican aren’t beautiful, but what you hear most about is Michelangelo’s ceiling. They let you take pictures just about everywhere, except for here so we apologize for not having any pictures of it. It lived up to the hype as it was amazing. St. Peter’s Basilica was even more amazing and they do let you take picture in there. But they don’t let you in if you are not dressed appropriately. That is why you will see us in jeans in the pictures from today. There was a long line of women that could not go inside because they had bare shoulders or midriffs. Also, shorts must come down below the knees. Once inside, the church is easily the most beautiful I have seen including Notre Dame, Sacre Cour, and Westminster Abbey. It is built on St. Peter’s tomb and dates back to 1506 as currently constructed. We were going to go back to the hotel and get some rest since Wendy still wasn’t 100%, but the Trevi fountain was just a couple of metro stops away. We wanted to try to see as much as we could, since our last trip to Rome was so short. The Trevi Fountain is built on top of the end point of the one of the original aqueducts that brought water into ancient Rome from over 14 miles away. Legend has it that if you throw a coin into the fountain it will ensure that you make it back to Rome one day. We are about to head out for dinner. Tomorrow will be an even bigger day as we plan on seeing the ancient Forum, the Coliseum, and the Pantheon.

Madrid-Part 2

We took a high speed train from Barcelona to Madrid (about 4 ½ hours) and both Billy and I were able to sleep through some of the trip which helped pass the time. Fortunately our hotel is in the city center which makes getting around either a quick ride on the metro (underground subway) or a short walk. On our first day back we went to the Prado Museum and saw various works by artists such as Rembrandt, Velazquez, and Goya just to name a few. The museum also featured an artist by the name of Joachim Patinir. He was a 16th-century artist who was considered to be the father of landscape. After that we went back to the city center to Puerta de Sol and Calle de Acala which is a wonderful monument in the shape of an arch surrounded by a vibrant array of flowers. In the evening we had dinner at Sobrino De Botin. Ernest Hemingway made this restaurant famous. In the final two pages of his novel The Sun Also Rises, Jake invites Brett to Botín for the Segovian specialty of roast suckling pig, washed down with Rioja Alta. The décor appears to be just as it was in 1725, the year the restaurant was founded. You see an open kitchen with a charcoal hearth, hanging copper pots, an 18th-century tile oven they still use to this day for roasting the suckling pig (one of their specialties). Painter Francisco Goya was once a dishwasher here. There are four floors in the restaurant and Billy and I sat on the bottom floor (basically the basement), right next to the wine cellar.
On Sunday, we went to the Palacio Real De Madrid which is the royal palace of Madrid. The royal family does not reside there (they live on the outskirts of Madrid) and now is used for state events (in the early 90’sthe Middle East Peace Conference was held there). The Palace itself was enormous with a large courtyard in front. In addition to walking through the palace itself we also viewed an armory exhibit displaying the history of Spanish soldier’s armor. It is hard to imagine having to fight with all of the protection they had to wear. In each room in the palace the attention to detail was evident from the chandeliers, tapestries on the wall, and the furniture. Tonight Billy and I had tapas and sangria at the Plaza Mayor, which is a huge courtyard full of cafes. Tomorrow we leave for Rome and can’t wait.
We have updated new pictures in the Madrid photo album. Enjoy!

Barcelona

We took a 5 hour train ride from Alicante to Barcelona along the Mediterranean…it was absolutely beautiful. I sat by the window and enjoyed the entire trip but unfortunately Billy was suffering from a cold (he is much better now, thank goodness). We arrived in Barcelona around 7:00 and because Billy was feeling ill, we ate dinner at a café close to the hotel and then went to bed.
On Thursday, we went down to Las Ramblas which is a long tree-lined street in south Barcelona full of shops, side streets, vendors, artists, street performers, and tons of outdoor cafes. We took a recommended side street called Carrer de Ferran (thanks Mindy!) and stumbled upon the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. It was similar to Venice in the fact that there were no cars, the streets were narrow, and it was full of wonderful cathedrals. Next, we went to Port Vell and tried to take the gondola to the top of the mountain where the Olympic village is but unfortunately due to high winds it was closed. Later in the evening, we went back to Las Ramblas for an authentic Spanish meal of Paella and Sangria. The restaurants throughout Barcelona are different in that they have both an outdoor and indoor serving area. Most of the outdoor seating areas are in the middle of two roads with a large strip in between. The waiters have to dodge cars as they bring the food and drinks, so it costs a little more to sit outside. We guess it is because they have to risk their lives to bring the food. We ended the evening with a café con leche and puff pastries with chocolate as we sat outside admiring the scenery. If we haven’t said it before, Barcelona is spectactular! It is very similar to Paris in that the streets are tree lined and the architecture is amazing. Billy and I both agree it is one of the most beautiful cities we have ever been too!
On Friday (our 5 year anniversary), we woke up early and when to eat an “American Breakfast” of eggs, bacon, ham, toast, orange juice, and coffee. From there, we took the Metro to Park Guell which is a park designed by Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi’s influence is felt throughout the city as can be seen in the pictures. You can’t walk too far without passing a building that he designed (see pictures of Casa Mila and Casa Batllo). A look at our pictures will show that. The park is like walking into a real life Dr. Suess book. There are no straight lines anywhere and nothing is ordinary. The park also overlooks the entire city of Barcelona and provides some amazing views (see the pictures). After a short Metro ride, we were at the La Sagrada Familia, perhaps Barcelona’s most notable landmark. It is hard to describe in words, but it is the most wonderful architectural structure we have ever seen. It was started in 1882, and it is still not completed. We can’t do it justice by writing about it so please view the pictures. It tells the story of the life of Jesus…from the birth, to the gospels with the 12 apostles, to the crucifixion. In the evening, we went to a café called Tapelia and had tapas (appetizers) and a pitcher of Sangria. Then we walked along Passeig de Gracia and now we are at our hotel having a nightcap on the outdoor patio. We leave for 2 days in Madrid tomorrow morning. It is hard to believe it has already been a week! We will update the blog from Madrid.
Continue to check the online photo album. Adios for now!

Alicante

Hola Amigos!

Billy is asleep and I am wide awake…it must be the two café con leches (coffee with milk) we had before going to the hotel. Alicante is absolutely beautiful! Our hotel is only a 5 minute walk from the beach which is very convenient. Tonight we ate at a wonderful café near the beach then went walking by the shops and then into the city streets of Alicante. The streets are narrow and full of restaurants with outdoor café’s and wonderful street music and vendors. Earlier in the day we passed a bar called “Austin” and stopped by later in the evening for drinks. It turns out, the owner lived in Houston for 23 years and has visited Austin and San Marcos many times. Hanging above the bar were t-shirts from various colleges including The University of Texas (HOOK EM). We couldn't believe it! Oddly enough there was no t-shirt for Texas A&M and the owner was not willing to put one up either (smart guy…good for business if he doesn’t). We also met a couple from Fort Worth and they told us of a bar (The White Bar) in Barcelona that we must visit. It was nice to visit with someone who spoke English. Billy and I have been speaking Spanish as much as possible and the people are willing to let us try. Enough for now…I think it is time I go to sleep since it is 3:00 in the morning and Billy is begging me to stop typing as he cannot get to sleep. Miss everyone very much.
Today we went to the beach and swam in the Mediterranean! The water was very warm and very clear. The beach was packed and there were several women that forgot to bring their tops. Wendy remembered hers of course, if you were wondering. We are about to go out for the evening. We will probably go to dinner and then have a few drinks before we head to Barcelona tomorrow morning. Hope everyone at home is okay.

Link to Photo Album

http://picasaweb.google.com/billlaurence

This is the link to our photo album. We will continue to post the pictures throughout the trip.

First day in Madrid

So we have arrived in Madrid. It was good flight with no issues. Suffice to say we were happy to see our luggage come down the ramp, Wendy more so than me. After arriving in Madrid, we navigated through 3 metro lines to get to our hotel. We checked in absolutely exhausted (we only got 2-3 hours on the flight). We took a couple hour power nap, and then went to see the sights.
Our first stop was to validate our Eurail passes at Atocha Renfe Station. After that, we went the Parque de Retiro. We saw the Palacio de Cristal and the Palacio de Velaquez. This is Madrid’s version of Central Park.
After the park, we went to a restaurant close to the Atocha Renfe Station where we ate outside (café style). The waiter came to our table and saw our Spanish phrase book and abruptly handed us and “English menu”. We ordered a steak sandwich and chicken with salad and fries. Everything was delicious, but the even the sodas were $2.50 for a small bottle. No matter where you go in Spain, the Hamberguesa and Fritas are on the menu. We passed several Burger King’s and McDonald’s, but we were never tempted to settle for what we could get back home. We fully intended on going back to the hotel for an early evening, but we found a local bar. Enough said. We met several locals including the new owner of the bar. He was from Egypt, but had lived in Spain for a few years. Between our broken Spanish and his broken English, we ended up being able to communicate well enough to order several cervazes. We are back at the hotel now enjoying the skyline view of Madrid. Miss everyone very much.
We are heading to Alicante early in the morning. We will be on the beach for the next couple of days, so we apologize in advance for the lack of updates.