Madrid: More than Ham
I raced from Paris to Madrid to catch my friend Serene before she left for Brazil.
Ham is popular in Spain; it's like they're sponsoring a vegetarian.
Madrid's symbol: "Bear and the Madrono Tree", posing with tourists.
Plaza Mayor
A view of the street from my room at Hostal Riesco, across from the Sol Metro Station. The horns and drunken cheers didn't simmer at 3am.
On some trains, the subway cars are connected without doors. The train is like one long car.
All swans are white.
"The Fallen Angel", "said to be the first statue in the world dedicated to the devil" (source: Lonely Planet), in Parque del Retiro.
Palacio Real, official residence of the King of Spain.
People go outside and watch other people who go outside.
May 21, 2005
Lisbon & Sintra: Town & Country
I took the Eurail from Madrid to Lisbon, Portugal. As soon as I arrived at Pension Santa Tirso, Annalena and Petra showed up in the room across from mine. They were visiting from northern Portugal.
The three of us walked around and snapped our cameras. That night we discussed religion in depth and examined our disagreements. Delicate topic. The next day they introduced me to their friend Edson and the four of us spent much of the weekend together. I was surprised and glad that we could get along so well with fundamental differences.
On Saturday we took a daytrip to Sintra and climbed to the Palacio da Pena.
A view from the Palace.
On the way down the mountain from the palace we passed by a wedding. The couple got pegged with rice or something similar.
A model posing in the street waited anxiously for me to take her picture from the back.
Torre de Belem, "built in the period from 1515-1521 by Manuel I of Portugal."
My shadow in the water at Torre de Belem.
Fashion statement: "You can beat me you can abuse me but if you touch my hair I will kill you". In the reflection on the left is David, a guy who sat next to me on the train to Lisbon.
David and I walked around Lisbon and reached the end of the street. And the end of the city.
Hello from three statues with fork hands. Some statues, like this one, really do comfort me abroad.
This is my way of saying I miss you.
