Pablo & Judi Kauffman

We were privileged to travel to Madrid, Cieza and Murica to see a little kingdom work on behalf of RMM and do some sightseeing in the process. We stayed at a quaint little hostal on the fifth floor of a building in the heart of Madrid. This old cage elevator took us faithfully up and down.

Madrid is huge compared to Granada. In the very center of town is the Plaza del Oro. Many important historical events took place here, including the beginning of the war against Napoleon in 1808. This building was used during the Franco dictatorship as a police headquarters. It’s now the governor’s office.

The guards of the city government buildings have these funny hats with a square back. Some think it may be to permit them to rest their head as they lean on the wall behind them to take a smoke.

This marker in Plaza del Oro marks the center point of Spain, kilometer 0, from which mileage (or kilometrage) is marked throughout the country.

There used to be bears in the king’s hunting grounds around Madrid hundreds of years ago. This is probably the only bear you’ll see now. The “madroño” tree produces a berry which was (is?) used to produce a local brand of liquer.

Plaza del Oro at night. This “Tío Pepe” sign was the first billboard in Madrid some 100 yrs. ago.

Plaza Mayor is just what the name says – ‘major.’ It’s a huge, enclosed plaza that throughout history saw major events take place, including Inquisition trials and execution of Protestants. Sobering! Now it houses government offices, ‘touristy’ restaurants, and various and sundry exhibitions. Mexico was featured the weekend we were there. By the way, the populace of Madrid consumes 1,000 tons of seafood a day!

There are some interesting ways of making a living in Madrid, apart from “normal” jobs. How about being a “living statue?” I’m not sure who this lady represents.

But it’s pretty clear what this one does! They stay rigid until someone throws a coin into the box, then they move around a little. I don’t know how they can paint themselves up and dress like that, and stay stick-still in near 100 degree heat!

Or if you can sing or play something, there are options – this Mexican mariachi group

Or what looked like a Thai musician sawing on this one-stringed instrument,

Or you can get creative like this glass musician. Nice music.

Madrid is home to the Royal Palace, the former home of kings and queens. It’s still used by King Juan Carlos for official state functions, mainly the hosting of foreign dignitaries for receptions, dinners, signing of important documents like Spain joining the European Union in 1985. We were not allowed to take pictures, but if you can imagine… sumptuous decorations, paintings, tapestries, chandeliers, royal bedchambers – it gives new meaning to the phrase, “fit for a king.” In one room was a Stradivarius string quartet: two violins, a viola and a cello – behind lock and key, of course, but the instruments are still played on special occasions. How many thousands (millions?) of dollars do they represent. We also toured the armory, full of medieval-looking armor for various and sundry kings and their steeds. Sorry we can’t provide pictures! We also spent some time in the Prado Museum, looking at some magnificent paintings, including an extensive collection of Francisco Goya, a Spanish artist.

The U.S. has their 9/11. Spain has their 3/11 of 2004, the day of the terrorist subway bombings in Madrid. The Antoch train station, shown here, was a main target.

There is huge, 300 acre park in the middle of Madrid, “El Retiro,” where you can walk and walk and walk (or run, or bike), and on the way see fountains,

Lakes,

And flower gardens.

Of course, all the walking can make you tired, like these guys in the photo!

We visited with Fred & Mary Kay Eichelman in San Agustín de Guadalix, 40 min. north of Madrid. They were getting ready to do a week-long English day camp for children in the town.

Dion & Naty Peachey and Matt & Mim Roggio, among others from Belleville, PA, came to help out in the camp. Matt is a nephew of Mary Kay.

From Madrid we traveled southeast to Cieza, passing fields and fields of vineyards,

Peaches,

And wheat. I bet Kansas doesn’t have in their wheat fields many remains of old “mesones,” ancient lodging places for weary travelers. You can almost imagine Don Quixote and Sancho Panza stopping here for the night,

Then sallying forth to slay the “giants”, only to get tangled up in one of the windmills still visible in parts of central Spain.

Cieza is a small city of 30,000 people or so, with four small evangelical churches: Brethren, Pentecostal, Gypsy and Latino.

Miguel and Patricia Nuñez live and work in Cieza. He’s from there, she’s from Nicaragua – we’d met her in Feb. when we helped out on the eye team there. It’s good to see how the Kingdom is growing in many parts of Spain. They both have neat testimonies!

An old Muslim lookout dating from the 13th century guarded the city

From Cieza we went to Murcia and spent several hours with Fernando and Nancy Rodríquez, Ecuadorians, who are pastoring a church of mainly latinos there. Unfortunately, Fernando was not feeling well that day, so we didn’t stay long.

Nancy treated us to Salcedo ice cream, made in Spain by an Ecuadorian, but typical of a town in the mountains of Ecuador. We always got some when we would travel through that town.

It was good to see more of Spain, but it was also good to get home to our little apartment in Granada

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There are some wonderful hiking trails in and around Granada. I go on Wednesdays with a group of men. We usually start out by taking a bus to a nearby town like this one, beyond the bridge.

Then we strike out into the countryside. Some of these men have been doing this for 30-40 yrs, so they know the trails!

This time we followed a little valley to the headwaters of the Darro River, which runs through Granada. It’s not a big river, more like a stream. A number of years ago it was diverted underground through the city, under one of the main streets!

Of course, a main feature of the hike is the midmorning snack break!

We found a cave,

Which at one time probably housed flocks of sheep or goats.

During Spain’s Civil War from 1936-39, Franco’s men had an army camp on this rock outcropping, a strategic place to monitor movements in the valley below.

This town, Visnar, is near where Federico García Lorca, a famous poet from Granada, was executed during the Civil War.

On the hike this week we went past this old burial grounds, dating before Christ.

Water is an important commodity in a dry country.

Some of these canals were originally made a thousand or so years ago to supply water from the melting snows and springs in the mountains to the tillable land and population centers.

This old reservoir has been restored.

It’s surprising what you see along the way. It can range from color and scenery contrasts,

To little horse farms.

And to swinging bridges.

This narrow gorge has been turned into a national park with trails so people can walk

Or crawl along its edges!

I’m glad this rock didn’t fall on me,

And I hope this one doesn’t! It looks precarious, way up there!

If you look closely, you might see a face on this rock!

And if you look closely again, you might see the rock climber on the face of the face of the rock!

This little plateau

Looks like a good place for the famous midmorning snack!

Then it was back to the city and the daily grind!

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This week we spent a pleasant and most interesting day in the old city of Córdoba (most cities in Spain are old!).

Jorge and Angélica, our friends, invited us to accompany them.

Córdoba was an important Roman city in the first few centuries after Christ. Some Roman ruins are still being discovered and excavated.

An old Roman bridge newly renovated, originally built in the 1st century AD, crosses the Guadalquivir River, one of the most important rivers in Spain. Over the centuries many battles were fought on this bridge and much blood was shed in defense of the city.

On the far side of the river is the Great Mosque, construction on which began in the 8th century A.D. with add-ons continuing over a 300 yr. period. After the Catholic Kings’ reconquest of Córdoba, a Christian church was built right into the middle of the mosque. We’ll visit that in a moment…

Jorge and Angélica especially wanted to see the patios in Córdoba. Every spring 43 flower-adorned patios are opened for the public to view (for a fee). We saw 5 or 6 of them.

In some of them you can see fancy sink/washing areas,

Wells,

And even old kitchens.

This basket-like thing is an antique clothes dryer. To dry wet clothes, they were draped over the basket which was then hung above a charcoal heater used to heat strategic parts of the house.

Córdoba also had a sizeable Jewish quarter (until the Jews were expelled after the Catholic Reconquest). Here is an old synagogue,

With a cross etched into the décor - after the Jews had left, of course!

Moses Maimonides was a famous Jewish scholar, born in Córdoba in 1135.

Judi thought it might be profitable to be near such greatness, but it took a little doing!

The entrance to the Great Mosque with its bell tower, which was built over a minaret.

Just inside the outer wall is a “patio of oranges.” You don’t see the oranges on the trees because they are not currently in season.

The mosque is massive, originally built over a Visigothic Christian church, which was probably built over a Roman temple. The interior of the mosque is characterized by these pillars and double arches.

The front area of the mosque, left largely untouched.

The modifications made by the Catholic monarchs were in stark contrast to the original style of construction and decor.

The soaring arches of the cathedral. Much of the interior and exterior of the cathedral is undergoing renovation, as seen earlier.

Afterwards we headed for home, stopping on the way for a picnic lunch/supper (lupper?) and later on for café con leche.

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Last week Jorge and Angélica, he’s from Granda, she’s from Chile, took us out on the town one evening for a history lesson on Granada, including tea at one of the arab tea shops. For those of you who know what the apparatus is in front, we didn’t use it!

We also stopped at this restaurant. Notice the cured hanging ham hocks behind Jorge’s head. Ham is huge in Spain – a whole ham from a black-footed swine costs over a hundred honkin’ bucks!

On Sunday we went to a little Brethren church where they had a baby dedication for 3 Ecuadorian babies. Technically, they’re Spaniards, having been born here, but their parents are Ecuadorian.

Pastor (head elder) Hans is originally from the Netherlands. His wife is from Granada.

These two little boys are twins, the one on the left has Down’s syndrome.

After the service they had a carry-in meal with an international flavor.

We especially liked the flavor of the Ecuadorian dish, ceviche de camarón (shrimp – here they call it “langostina”) By the way, I’ve never seen such a variety of size of shrimp here in Spain, from little bitty to the size of an 8 oz. steak!

How about a little tour of our apartment? We’re on the fourth floor. Get off the elevaror and we’re the first door on the right. In the entry way you’ll see this painting (not ours). Evan Mayer says it’s ‘naughty.’ Strange, yes, but naughty?? Below is our grocery cart – without it, walking the 5 blocks home from the store, those bags get heavy! That space looks like a good spot to store my bicycle, YTBB (yet to be bought).

Turn left from the entry way and you’ll enter our dining room.

On the other side is our living room.

Look out the window to the right and you’ll see (on a clear day) the Sierra Nevada. In the evenings the swallows swarm. You see only one, so you’ll have to trust me on this!

The kitchen is just off the living/dining room, not huge, but compact and adequate. Notice the washer down below and the on-demand gas hot water heater above Judi’s head. We have to keep slatted wooden door open to avoid igniting it!

Outside the kitchen is the clothes line. You have to lean out the window to hang the clothes, and hope you don’t drop them on neighbors’ lines below. However, it’s a way to get to know the neighbors!

Back the other way is the hallway, with lots of bookshelf space!

At the end is the bedroom and the bathroom (the photo of which we’ll omit!)

And the second bedroom/office. We needed a table for the computers, but everything we saw was too big or too little or too expensive. I finally made one of wood scraps found on the street, waiting for trash pickup. It felt a little conspicuous to be carrying it through the streets, so I waited until dark. It looks a little crude, but it works!

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