Enjoying Spain

Compared to all the action and adventures of previous day's on this little foray today was relatively quiet. It's amazing how easy it is to sleep in when there's no pressure to do anything much. The only appointment we had was to meet the Segway tour folk at 11:30. Easily achieved even with stopping for a pleasant breaky along the way. Still enjoying walking past the nachos rip off place at least 3 times a day. All other gourmet experiences here have been pretty much that. Even today's toast with marmalade was a cultural experience due to the great accompanying coffee and general Spanish ambience of the cafe. There are some fabulously looking people in the cities of this country (no reference data to the country folk) and it's great to just watch them strut their stuff.

The two wheeler powered stand up tour was a stand out event. Great fun as well as an easy way to cover a lot of space in a short time. Given an hour's learning in a vineyard in the Yarra Valley last year we were reasonably proficient in the use of the vehicles and as such with only a wobble or two we were off. Tearing through the tourist throngs the three two-wheelers tried tirelessly to tour the town. Our guide (Gus for short) was very adept at his craft. As it turned out also well educated in South America and therefore had a very good perspective on how the Spanish got their wealth (ransacking and destroying native nations), how Chris Columbus thought he landed in India and indvertantly mislabeled the natives of North America. Always wondered why Chief Bald Eagle was called an Indian but did not have curried priarie dog on the menu. Now we know....The story about how his son "Two Dogs" got his name is of course completely off-piste for this blog. And so we spent over an hour winding our way through a variety of different environments in the centre of town. Through major squares, tiny cramped cobblestoned alleyways squashed up against ancient city fortress walls, into green parklands with copious fountains with adjoining ponds. All really good fun and somewhat educational as well. It's a real shame these machines are banned on the public streets back home. We have to leave the Nanny State to really enjoy all the world has to offer. After an awesome lunch (Ceasar Salad and a mini burger - al fresco of course) we followed a tip from a recent visitor to the town and had a look through the Palacio de la casa de Alba which is a recently opened grand residence of the local nobility for many past generations.

This was really cool. On a few different levels... Pity the pool was empty as that would've been even cooler. The gardens were fabulous - well tended, very green and shady ( thus cool) and used very effectively to create entrance ways into the various buildings which had high open entrances leading into the opulence contained within. All sorts of different themed rooms from reception to dining to study to worship to dance studios...all amazingly presented and well explained. There are still people living here so the upper story is closed off and the whole place is still fully functional as a working house ( they do call it a palace though). It was extraordinary to be so close to huge tapestries that had been hanging there for over three hundred years. Very faded but that actually adds to the power of what you're seeing. The furnishings and all the other showing off "I've got a lot of cool stuff in my house" attitude were almost too much to take it all in. Worth being there to be impressed by it all though.

Afterwards we sort of fell into a non-descript sort of an afternoon. We finally found a supermarket in the basement of a huge department store (single malt for 16 Euro's) A bit of in house research by one whilst the other slipped out to the shops. Dinner in a nearby Tapas place was suitable but a bit noisy due to traffic. We have been spoilt recently with our locations when we start to whinge about mildly noisy steets in Saville. Back to base camp to try and sort out details for the next few days. Where would we be without the internet?