,
The final
destination of our 14 day excursion to warm and sunny Spain was Madrid, where
we spent two days puddle-jumping, seeking refuge from the torrential rain and
trying to shake off the damp and unpleasant cold. By now you must be so sick
and tired of having to continuously read about the incessant rain in Spain, but
how do you think we felt, having to endure day after day of unrelenting rainfall? It was
no wonder then, that my travel buddy (Oz) booked himself on a flight to Florida
upon our return to Canada, as the lack of Mediterranean sun had sent him away
shivering, desperate for the warmth of a hot and sunny locale.
Even though
our journey was approaching an end and I would be back home more than 48 hours
later and blissfully re-claim my woolly sweaters, shawls and parkas, I was
unable to endure the cold any longer and I was forced spent the last of my
Euros on a winter coat.
I’ve
re-iterated this countless times, and have obviously failed miserably at following
my own advice, but it is essential that you pack for all types of weather, as
you never know what Mother Nature is going to throw at you. It did seem as though She was being
particularly hostile to us by holding the sun hostage and unleashing the curse
of Neptune upon two sun-starved Canadian travellers.
So, I now had
less than two days in which to tour the world-famous Prado Museum, visit the
Royal Palace, hunt for treasures in the flea markets, shop along the Gran Via, all
the while keeping my eyes open for the latest designer winter coat at a bargain
basement price. Yikes!! My pink-sneakered feet are really going to be in for
some heavy-duty pavement pounding.
Staying at the
opulent Westin Palace hotel, located just steps away from the Prado Museum and
Royal Palace, I was able to kill two birds with one stone and scurry around the
outside of the museum, and hastily snap pictures of the magnificent
architecture. I consoled myself with the thought that since a full day was
needed in order to fully appreciate the priceless masterpieces inside, I would
forgo setting foot in the museum and opt to purchase an illustrated glossary
instead. An added bonus was that I now had some reading material for the plane
ride home!
Having freed up a couple of hours, I was now
able to devote the remainder of the day to searching for a chic, designer
European labelled winter coat. The allure of the shop vitrines with their
promises of transformation, invitingly beckoned to my inner shopaholic. It’s
cliché to say or admit, but my Chanel, Gucci and Carolina Herrera tastes were
unattainable on a Zara budget. I had blown all of my spending money on a long
for coveted limited edition Carolina Herrera satchel and had spent the
remainder of my vacation frugally pinching pennies. I even contemplated earning
some extra dough by impersonating the human statues that perform for a few coins
on the streets of Barcelona (See October
31st post “Rambling along Las Ramblas).
Before
heading out to the shops along the Gran Via, Oz and I needed to fill our
tummies and have a bite to eat. Since we were staying at the Westin Palace for
free, courtesy of my travel buddy’s frequent flier points, we decided to
splurge on breakfast and dine in the spectacular stained glass domed dining
room, La Rotonda. Hesitantly placing my pink sneakered foot into the main
entrance of the resplendent dining hall, I was mesmerized by the opulence and
magnificence of the brilliance of the light streaming through the intricate
glass domed ceiling. Wow!! So this is where royalty feasts, entertains and
idles away their leisure time! Never have I seen such an abundance of Chanel,
Dior and Louis Vuitton handbags, perched aristocratically upon the sequin
bedazzled arms of the impeccably clothed patrons.
Hoping
against hope that management would not kick us to the curb for sporting canvas
keds, jeans, and Canada logo sweatshirts and not being attired head to toe in European
designer duds, we were instead graciously escorted to a table, handed a menu
and asked whether or not everything was to our satisfaction. Whew!! Scanning the
exorbitantly priced menu, we eventually settled upon the buffet of appetizers
and desserts for the somewhat affordable price of 23 Euros each! Our waiter,
Prince Charming himself, could not have been more hospitable and courteous.
Pinkie
extended, delicately holding a porcelain china teacup, I was momentarily transported
back in time to an era where life was simpler, proper etiquette was the norm
and where horse-drawn carriages whisked velvet and gold embroidered jewel clad
mademoiselles from one magnificent ball to another. Daydreaming, lost in my thoughts,
my Cinderella moment came crashing to an end when the fragile Limoges teacup
slipped out of my hands and shattered into a million pieces onto the floor.
Yikes!!
Come enjoy tea and crumpets in the luxuriously elegant Westin
Palace with me...come travel with me...
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