Spain Trip: Day 19

August 10, 2016. Our last full day in Spain. We finally got our missing luggage but not without suspense, as has been the norm with Air Europa. We went to the airport baggage claim to once again check on our luggage if it made it on the day's first flight from Málaga.

To review, the missing luggages were mine - my suitcase and my golf bag.  And no, I was not walking around Madrid for two days on the same set of clothes. Luckily, I had some dirty clothes in Tess's suitcase that we immediately sent out for laundry after we checked into our hotel.

Back to the airport. My suitcase came out but after the baggage carousel stopped running, my golf bag was nowhere to be found. I asked the ground crew that was feeding the carousel if they saw an "amarillo bolsa de golf" but was told that it may have been delivered to a different carousel. They said to wait 5-10 minutes and if it doesn't show up, it may not have made it on the flight. The wait was nerve-wracking.

I love that set of golf clubs. I've had it for a couple of years and we've played some memorable golf courses and set some record scores. I played this set for the first time on a trip to the Big Island where I was paired with an airline pilot on the first tee time of the morning. We had a common goal -- to play fast and get the round done before our wives were ready for the day's tourist activity.

This is the set that I took to Peru where I was chauffeured to the golf course by an elderly driver through Lima's rush hour traffic like a slalom, bent on making my tee time and cursing like a sailor. This is the set that introduced me to Tom, a Thai entrepreneur, at Danang Golf Course in Vietnam, who became a friend.

I was roused from my daydream by the carousel alarm. It delivered just one piece of luggage - an amarillo bolsa de golf. The most beautiful sight that morning. I peered into the feeder curtain and thanked the ground crew. They gave me a thumbs up; apparently they went hunting for my golf bag and they delivered. And the world was right again.

After dropping off our luggage at the hotel, Tess went shopping and I went on an important mission that I've planned before the trip to Spain: to trace and check out where Dr. Jose Rizal, Philippines' national hero, lived, dined out, went to school, and met with his fellow Filipino compatriots. I spent a few hours walking from one building to another and getting a feel of what it was like back in the late 19th century when he lived here. After this tour, I feel like I know him on a more intimate level I'm calling him Joe.

 Sandwiched between two stores, on 13 Calle de Amor de Dios, is Joe's first residence when he first arrived in September 1882. Just more modern but the building is still intact.

Still in business, Viva Madrid is Joe and his friends' favorite restaurant. 

This apartment on Calle Attocha is where La Solidaridad, the propaganda paper of the Filipinos, was printed.

Another place of residence for Joe.

Ateneo de Madrid on 21 Calle Prado, is still an exclusive club for men of "letters and science." This is where Joe regularly attended theatrical presentations, music and poetry recitals and book launchings. 

 Inside Ateneo de Madrid.

The final stop of my Rizal tour was at his monument on Avenida de las Filipinas. Built in 1996, it is a replica of the monument in Luneta, Philippines.

Last dinner in Madrid.

 ¡Adios, España!

Spain Trip: Day 18

The highlight of today was meeting new friends at the Mercado de San Miguel. The downer was wasting hours going back and forth to the airport tracking down our lost luggage.

Mercado de San Miguel is like a  Spanish food court gone wild. The building is walking distance from our hotel in one of the many plazas of Madrid. The walls are made of glass and one can see the bustling activity inside. The best food that Spain has to offer may be found in the many shops and stalls. And wine and beer are overflowing.

Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid, Spain.

The mercado caters to shoppers with the freshest seafood, meat, fruits, and vegetables but these may also be cooked and consumed in the premises. I think most people that go there eat and drink at the mercado. And why not? It has such a noisy festive atmosphere! The limited number of tables are jampacked and waiting time is long. We were lucky we got a table right away. We stayed there for quite some time and ended meeting tablemates who became friends.

Los mariscos (seafood/shellfish) cooked the way you want it.

Pasta on bread Nope, that's fish - like tiny eels. And that's my adventurous wife eating it. I tried a bite and it was delicious! 

Would you believe this couple from Italy, Vittoria and Guiliano, are both 67 years old? He's a retired army pilot and she's the most gorgeous sexagenarian we've met. 

Our young señorita wine server was very friendly and generous with the serving sizes.  

This is Esteban, a university professor. We called him Steve. He hung out with us while his family was out shopping. A world traveler, we had so much fun comparing notes. 

This couple is from Ireland. We talked about UK and US politics, in English for a change. Ha! 

After dinner, i.e., close to midnight (la cena in Madrid starts @10pm), we went to the airport for the second time to see if our missing luggage made it on the last flight from Malaga. No luck. But we remained in high spirits, I guess from the new friends and the wine. Also, we got acquainted with the Madrid night scene and the Metro.

 The Madrid Metro is a fast, easy to use,  and inexpensive mode of transportation in Madrid.

 The cabins are clean, well-ventilated, and the AC is cold.  Necesito en verano!
  

A well-lit government edifice.

Day 19

Spain Trip: Day 17

We left Málaga and Costa del Sol today and flew back to Madrid for a three-day stay. I have mentioned in an earlier blog that the Spaniards are not in a hurry to do anything. Unfortunately, that is also reflected with our domestic air travel with Air Europe. Flight delays and lost luggage seem to be the norm. Our experience was later confirmed by numerous disgruntled passengers onboard and online on Trip Advisor reviews.

We knew two of our luggage were, once again, left behind before we took off; we saw them with others on a cart on the tarmac as our jet-prop plane taxied to the runway! So once again after we arrived at our destination, we filed for a missing luggage report. (Which was really unnecessary because we ended up coming back to the airport three times to check and finally pick them up. ¡Caramba!

However, we vowed not to let these insignificant events taint our otherwise awesome and memorable vacation. Limited wardrobe and all, we pushed through with our planned activities. Tonight was flamenco night and, boy, was it awesome and memorable. ¡Ole!

Not sure how we got so lucky but we had the best seats in a full house. Middle of front row, right up to the stage. Casapatas is the #1 Tablao Flamenco in Madrid.

The audience are from all over. We heard conversations in at least five languages. Not too hard to hear when you're elbow-to-elbow with them. Ha!  

The floorboard (tabla) enhanced the rhythmic taps of the dancers' shoes. 

So much passion from all members - the dancers, the singers, the cajon player, and the guitarist. Everyone was so in sync and connected, flamenco is an emotional rollercoaster.

This guy was so close I feared he was going to kick our drinks! 

He did not kick our drinks but his sweat beads got in them! 

Encore!

Day 18

Spain Trip: Day 16

Back from Portugal, we spent the day in the central area of Málaga. We checked in at Molina Lario, walking distance to many interesting edificios including the Málaga Cathedral, the Picasso Museum, various plazas and a smorgasbord of top notch restaurantes.

Málaga Cathedral.

 Side entrance to Malaga Cathedral.

 Molina Lario Plaza.

 Vineria Cervantes, Trip Advisor's #1 in Málaga.

That smile complements the price of this bottle of wine, which was more than the food. It was worth every drop, though. ¡Excelente!

 Good food, good wine, good ambiance. 

 One big reason this restaurant is #1 is the friendly staff.

The plazas are alive and bustling at midnight! 

 The Malaga Cathedral tower.

 Street dining is norm.

We couldn't resist walking inside this jamon store. 

 Cured ham are rated and priced differently and you can taste the difference. What makes a type of Spanish jamon taste better? Apparently it's what they feed the hog - acorn.

Day 17

Spain Trip: Day 15

Our trip today was probably our most anticipated one - we flew out to Portugal for a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Fatima. A trip we will never forget for many reasons.

Fatima is a town about 80 miles north of Lisbon. This is where the Virgin Mary appeared to three children once a month for six months in 1917. These apparitions are recognized by the Catholic Church and thousands of pilgrims visit the shrine and basilica - that were since built over the apparitions sight - every day. Many pilgrims claim that their faith is tested when they go on a pilgrimage. These pilgrims - Tess and I - were on this trip.

Our flight to Lisbon, as we should have expected, was delayed. As such, we were unable to check in to our hotel after we arrived and had to scramble to make our tour bus. In the mad rush, Tess left her cell phone in the taxi that took us to the tour group meeting place. Also in the mad rush, we were unable to purchase local sim cards and so I was not able to call her phone. We made it to the bus, but unable to concentrate because we were so worried. Not so much of the loss but more on what's on the phone - Tess had pictures and links to sensitive info and documents, and credit cards configured in Apple Wallet.

I remember I had an app,  Find iPhone, that can locate, trigger an alarm, report a loss, and wipe out another gadget on the same account. I immediately tried to locate Tess's phone but it appeared that whoever found the phone had already turned it off. However, I was able to set the phone to wipe itself out as soon as it's connected to the Internet. We felt a little better and vowed not to let this ruin our Fatima visit.

Another jet-prop ride. This one was not only late, it also had a scary hard landing in Lisbon. Ouch! 

Final approach into Lisbon, Portugal. 

One of a few stopovers on the way to Fatima - Alcobaca Monastery. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it's also the burial place of Portuguese kings.

Tomb of King Pedro I. 

Entrance to Alcobaca Monastery, built in the early 12th century, is the first gothic edifice in Portugal. 

Lunch with some of the friends we made on the tour - an Indian and an Italian couple. 

This small shrine was built over the site where Our Lady of Fatima appeared to three children. 

 The Fatima Basilica is almost as big as St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and dwarfs the shrine next to it.

The basilica is also the burial place of the three children whom Mary appeared to.

Back in Lisbon, fantastic dinner at Chao de Pedra. 

 The quote from a poem on the wall loosely translates, "Rocks along the path, I will carefully tread so one day I will reach my castle."

Chao de Pedra rocks!

Day 16