Patty took me to airport Thursday morning. Other than having United verify my passport, vaccine card and Spanish Health form, all went well. The flight to Newark was fine and the flight to Madrid was delayed about an hour. I then went to the Italian Embassy where I met my friend, had coffee and got the keys to his apartment. I walked the 20 minutes to his apartment, unpacked, had lunch and rested. Friday evening, I walked 35 minutes to Cafeteria Via 22, Calle Cartegena 22, for the meeting of the ESG - the English Speaking Group. As usual, they had a variety of activities to get everyone speaking English.
Saturday morning, I had breakfast at my favorite coffee shop across the street from the apartment. I did some work on my classes and I did some wandering around the neighborhood where I found this cute shop with interesting sayings on the bags they had for sale.
Since I teach Business Ethics, I thought this one was very good.
Sunday morning, I walked the 40 minutes to the Vaughan Systems office, Calle Orense 66. I took several people to the local coffee shop two blocks away. There used to be a VIPS and Starbucks on the corner, but they have both closed. When I was here in November, I found Boa Massa, a locally owned coffee shop and bakery two blocks away.
All of us were given Covid tests and we all tested negative. We then got on the bus and made the three hour drive to the Izan Hotel Gredos in El Barco de Avila.
As per usual, we had many one on one conversation periods, mini-bubbles for meal times (to limit our indoor contact without masks) and group activities. Several selfies were taken while walking on our one to ones - it was always much nicer to be outside where we could remove our masks and talk while walking.
Monday Dec. 6 was Constitution Day and Wednesday Dec. 8 was the holiday for the start of Christmas. Many of the Spaniards chose this week because they only needed to take three days off from work.
Because of the holidays, the El Barco de Avila Chocolate Factory was closed on Monday and Wednesday. Since Covid, they now are only open from 8:00 a.m. (0800) to 2:00 p.m. (1400). To shop there, on Tuesday and Friday, I led groups there before breakfast at 7:30 because it was a 35 minute walk each way. On the way, we passed one of the remaining gates to the walled town - since it was not quite sunrise, the Christmas lights were still on.
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, in the hour before dinner, we had entertainment with skits, improv and presentations involving many Spaniards and Anglos. On Tuesday, I was in a skit and on Wednesday I did my presentation with samples for everyone of mesquite flour, prickly pear cactus candy, agave syrup and tequila.
We had many great group activities and training sessions for presentations - on Thursday, all the Spaniards had to give a five minute presentation in English.
The hotel is at the base of the Gredos Mountains - while there was snow on the mountains, we did not get any at the hotel or in town.
This is the shop for Chocolate Friday on Friday morning. They only allow four people at a time into the shop, so the four Spaniards went in and I waited outside.
On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, I walked into town before breakfast. Bar Alpe opens at 8:00 a.m., so I could get a decent cup of coffee there and then walk the 35 minutes back to the hotel for breakfast at 9:00 a.m. Each day during siesta, I would lead a group of people on the 35 minute walk into town to see the Romanesque bridge, the park, use the ATMs and/or to have coffee on the main plaza - because of the holidays, the plaza was busy on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Anywhere from one to five people would go with me, some with faster or slower walking speeds. The important thing was that we kept all conversations in English and that we enjoyed ourselves.
On Friday, we had a certificate ceremony where everyone was recognized for 80 hours of hard work.
As usual, at the end of the week, we took group photos, one serious and one silly.
Friday afternoon, it was back to Madrid. I walked the 35 minutes to my friend's apartment, unpacked and then walked to the Friday night session of the English Speaking Group at Cafeteria Via 22. Saturday morning, I walked to Boa Massa where four of us had breakfast.and chatted. A great way to end the week.
On the way back to the apartment, I saw this travel agency. Living in Arizona, I had to stop and check it out - no trips to Arizona, Arizona is just their name.
I like to walk and typically walk five to seven miles per day, between 35 and 50 miles per. week. With being in Spain, in Madrid I walked (other than taking the Metro from and to the airport) and in Gredos, on nearly every one to one session - and also the walking mentioned above. That meant I walked 75 miles the week I was in Spain doing Vaughan Town - much more than the 100 KM required to get the compestela if I had been walking on one of the Caminos.
Saturday afternoon, using eMed and Navica to monitor my covid test at the apartment, I tested negative for covid. Results were sent to United Airlines, along with my passport and vaccination information. That meant I was cleared to fly Sunday. Because of flight delays, it was a long day - I left the apartment. at 7:00 a.m. Madrid time (11:00 p.m. Saturday Phoenix time) and got to our condo in Phoenix at 1:00 a.m. Monday - 26 hours later. And so another adventure in Spain has ended. I look forward to my next trip.
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