 |
| Madrid's Gran Via at night |
The month started with the annual Patronal Procession.
Our branch of the U3A has been invited for the last two years to be part of this event which is a feast day for the patron saint of Torrevieja. I suppose it can be said that this isn't a saint in the true sense but more of an event in itself. The feast is the Immaculate Conception. Catholics believe this to be the conception of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in her mother's womb, free from Original Sin.
Each year at the beginning of December, a procession takes place starting from "The White Cathedral" and winding through the streets to the main church of the Immaculate Conception in the town square. Here offerings of flowers which have been carried in the procession are made to the church and they are placed in a framework either side of the main doors.
 |
| Our members preparing for the procession |
 |
| Our floral presentation |
 |
| The British military representation |
 |
| The Parish Priest receives each floral display |
 |
| The church on 2nd December |
Representatives from many organizations are proud to be invited to take place in the procession which is followed by the inauguration of the Nativity scene, also known as a Belén, in the Plaza de la Constitución. This is more than the traditional "crib" of English towns and churches but a whole Nativity Story set out in a large tableau, complete with villages, temples, etc. Many towns have a Belén in Spain and, unlike in vandalized England, they will remain untouched throughout the Christmas period. The joke is always to find the person doing what he shouldn't be seen doing - like taking a poop behind the barn. There is a whole tradition behind Beléns in Spain and the setting up of them is a delight for children as it begins the Christmas festivities.
 |
The last two photographs show how the local interest is put in.
In Torrevieja's case it is the salt industry. |
Mid month we travelled to Madrid. We have promised ourselves that we would visit this city before long and we, along with our friend Penny, were invited by Sue, another of our friends who intended to go there to see the Gaugin exhibition.
We travelled on an organized trip with Dave's Coaches, a much grander company than it sounds, for a visit of three days, two nights.
We set off at the crack of dawn, stopping en route for lunch and comfort breaks (and for Kathie to buy very expensive but extremely comfortable leather boots) and arrived in the city in mid-afternoon.
What a fabulous city. We were given a tour around the major boulevards on our arrival and were most impressed. Big wide avenues, impressive monuments and fountains, and posh shops galore.
On our first evening we had decided to visit the Gaugin exhibition as it was open until quite late. By taking our passports along to show that we were of pensionable age we were admitted at a reduced rate. I am not a fan of Gaugin and his works were mixed with those of other painters. Some of them in my eyes were just a waste of paint and canvas but each to their own.
The city was decked out in its Christmas regalia and the weather was fine so we continued with a walk to the Atocha railway station, the scene of the bomb atrocity committed there in 2004 when 191 people were killed. The station has been put to new use and the whole of the old central plaza is a giant tropical garden, with craft and market stalls around the walls. We sat outside a cafe and had a bottle of wine and a chat then found our way into an old quarter where we had dinner in a Moroccan restaurant.
 |
| A "Garden Wall" |
 |
| Christmas decorations |
 |
| The area approaching The Atocha Station |
 |
| The Tropical Garden in the old Atocha Station |
Being pensioners has a few advantages and the following day we were able to take the open top tour bus at a much reduced rate for a guided tour around the city. We made good use of the bus and were able to criss-cross the two routes available, alighting wherever we wanted. It was bloody cold however and more than one of us wished we had taken warmer coats out with us that day. Kathie ended up with a hoodie which stated "I Love Madrid", it being the cheapest means of getting warm.
 |
| Ski suits would have been a better option |
 |
| The Eternal Flame |
 |
| Madrid's version of a Belen |
 |
| The Bernabeu Stadium - home to Real Madrid - in the heart of the city. |
Penny and I travelled to another exhibition once Kathie had decided to go back to the hotel and here we were able to see Picasso's famous painting The Guernica. It is huge. I did not expect to see something so large. It is over seven metres wide and three metres high. It was closely guarded and photographs were forbidden but - WOW! I felt really moved just to be seeing this picture with what it meant etc.
 |
| The Guernica |
In the evening we walked from our hotel, past the Madrid Royal Palace opposite, past the Cathedral, and into the old centre of Madrid with its narrow streets and old market area. In there was a Christmas market which is strictly controlled so that all the stalls are only allowed to sell Christmas related goods. I have never seen so many stalls selling articles for Nativity scenes. Baby Jesuses, donkeys, oxen, cribs, bundles of fake straw etc. etc. were available at every stall in sizes from the minute to the enormous.
 |
| The Royal Palace |
 |
| The Cathedral |
 |
| A statue of Pope John Paul II |
 |
| A little hidden courtyard |
 |
| The Christmas market |
In the new indoor market area were stalls serving mulled wine, chocolates, cheese, cakes and other goodies. We sat for a while and it was quite a wrench to leave the convivial atmosphere and find somewhere for dinner. This turned out to be a small cafe a couple of streets away from the market. Prices dropped amazingly quickly as we moved into the smaller streets.
On our final morning Kathie and I had a walk around the park at the back of the Royal Palace before we all boarded the bus for our trip home.
We will be Back!
------------------------------------
