WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

Today I am taking a different type of walk, a walk down Memory Lane to reflect on a trip to Spain taken in August 1974. It will be the third post in my “Fifty Years Ago” series.

The concept of “Fifty Years Ago” began in August 2019 when, just for giggles and for a brief pause in my nature walk posts, I decided to time travel back to 1969 after hearing and seeing endless social media retrospectives about the first footsteps on the moon and the Woodstock Music Festival. That post is found by clicking here.

In 1969 I also had a first, albeit not as monumental as the above feats. I took my first trip abroad, a turbulence-filled Transatlantic flight headed for a month-long visit to Germany and Austria. I was accompanied by my father, who was returning to his homeland for the first time since emigrating from Germany to Canada in 1950. My grandfather died in April 1969, so my grandmother, now retired, spent the Summer in Michigan, so Mom did not travel with us. Truthfully, my 13-year-old-self thought the scenery and food were great, but since I spoke no German, my father’s aunt and uncle spoke no English and no one paid me much attention during this three-week vacation, suffice it to say I was happy to be back home again.

Last year I took a long look-back at the year 1973.

I didn’t post about any more significant events in my life five decades prior until last year as 2023 marked 50 years post-1973, a year of many changes for me, among them: finishing high school and starting college, my first job, my first car and a 10-day trip to Puerto Rico to visit friends of the family. That post is found by clicking here.

To me, 1973 marked a turning point when suddenly I felt like an adult, even though I had just turned 17 in April that year. I was the youngest of 613 students in our high school graduating class. For me, the year was significant due to newfound freedom thanks to a having a paycheck as opposed to allowance, plus owning wheels, a brand-new 1973 VW Super Beetle in Biscay Blue.

Three weeks spent in España in August ’74.

I mentioned family friends that I visited in Puerto Rico during Spring Break my last year in high school. They lived there for several years on a work assignment. We had a wonderful time as they wowed me with all the local tourist venues and beautiful beaches. The last day of that 10-day vacation, Alfonsa and Werner floated the idea of a trip to visit Spain, Alfonsa’s homeland, the following year. Well I was all in for that idea, so we coordinated the dates and I booked my flight shortly after returning home. We would reunite once again and it was sure to be another trip of a lifetime.

So, in August 1974, the first year of college under my belt, I took a three-week vacation from my job at the diner and flew to Madrid for a meet-up with Alfonsa and Werner. We stayed with Alfonsa’s family in Madrid while visiting the touristy places there, then left on a two-week journey down the country’s midsection, then traveled up the coast of Spain.

There was no language barrier, since Alfonsa, a Spaniard, spoke fluent Spanish, so we were able to stop at tiny towns to sample regional fare or enjoy local entertainment at a leisurely pace, unlike an organized tour where you are on a tight schedule. I enjoyed myself immensely.

In compiling this post, I do concede that many of the photos are dark or unclear, except some that were taken with Werner’s 35mm camera. My photos were taken with my trusty Kodak Pocket Camera.

We visited all the touristy places in Madrid.

We began by going to the top of the Hotel Plaza Mayor to get a panoramic view of this busy city.

Then back down to ground level we stopped at two very busy streets. The first was Jose Antonio Avenue …

… and Del Prado Avenue, where Werner handed his camera to someone for a photo of the three of us.

The visit to the Royal Palace was breathtaking, with a lot of opulence to take in. Hmm – looks like I almost stepped out of the photograph here.

Madrid is brimming with historical architecture, like the Plaza Mayor, which opened in 1620 and is in the center of the City.

There are many monuments like the Arco de la Victoria (Arch of Victory), a triumphal arch commemorating a victory in the Spanish Civil War.

In this monument you may recognize the characters from Don Quixote the novel by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes. The Monument to Cervantes in The Plaza de Espana has Don Quixote riding his horse and sidekick Sancho Panza riding his mule.

This is the Cibeles Fountain.

Here I am on the steps to the Prado Museum.

The three of us gathered at El Retiro Park and got a passerby to snap our photo.

You all know about my love for animals and, had it been up to me, a visit to Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas, the largest bullfighting ring in Spain, would have been skipped, but I was not calling the shots so off we went for a sunny afternoon of bullfighting.

First, we stopped at the small chapel where the matadors go to pray before they enter the ring.

Before we entered this venue, I told Werner and Alfonsa I would watch the fight, but once the bull was injured or blood was spilled, I would shut my eyes, so that is what I did, while they filled me in on what was happening and when I could open my eyes again. Of course, if I had been watching, I would have rooted for the bull, so best I shut my eyes and stayed mum. These are a few shots I can show you.

We strayed from the city proper on a half-day trip to the medieval monastery of Lorenzo de El Escorial.

After Alfonsa gave us a thorough tour of her birthplace, we set out on the rest of our journey through the heart of Spain, venturing into the historical venues of Toledo, Cordoba and Granada, then on to enjoy the resort areas along the Southern coast, Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca before returning to Madrid to conclude our trip.

I must say that after two solid weeks visiting multiple ancient venues steeped in history with amazing architecture, it was difficult to keep them apart, so I am glad that when I got my photos processed I paired them with notes I’d taken each day, because fifty years later I would not be able to ID any of those shots without the aid of Google Image Search.

Other historical venues visited.

In central Spain we visited the ancient city of Toledo and stopped at Alcazar Fortress. The walled city is high on a hill and we went through the winding streets, sometimes walking, but also by horse-drawn carriage.

Toledo is the birthplace of painter El Greco and is famous for its jewelry, known simply as “Toledo Jewelry” or Damascene jewelry, beautiful black matte pieces adorned with intricate gold filigree flowers.

We spent a half-day touring the city of Córdoba with a stop at the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos.

We spent a full day in Granada, making a must-see visit to The Alhambra Palace, a huge complex which took a long time to tour and I’m sure we still didn’t see it all.

Tooling around Torremolinos.

It was time to take a welcome breather from ancient architecture and historical sites, so our next stop was Costa Del Sol, along Spain’s southern coastline, to spend a few days relaxing at Torremolinos, renowned for its beautiful beaches and nightlife. After culling all the cheesecake photos of Alfonsa and I in our bathing suits, that left only a handful of photos from this locale.

This was on our hotel balcony – yes, I am tall and she was almost a foot shorter than me, (even wearing platform shoes).

This was also taken on our hotel balcony.

The hotel’s play area was perfect for a pose by the cacti.

We went to a few nightclubs and another must-see, a club to watch flamenco dancing. I bought some castanets … ask me if I ever used them?

Next stop was more R-n-R at Alicante, another resort town.

Alicante and Costa Blanca are in Valencia, known for sandy beaches, near-perfect weather year-round and sweet-tasting oranges. This is where Alfonsa and Werner retired some 20 years ago. We relaxed at this resort in Costa Blanca a few days before heading back to Madrid.

But, before we departed and went our separate ways, the idea that we should reunite for our third trip in a row was suggested. Werner and Alfonsa were going to go to South America for a month-long trip in the Summer of 1975. Would I like to join them?

We were NOT reunited in 1975 as I had already committed to being the Editor of my college handbook, a job/title that I thought would help me in my career … it did not help and in retrospect I should have reunited with them on this South American adventure.

Thank you if you made it to the end of the very long, picture-laden post. I am joining Terri Webster Schrandt’s August 18th Sunday Stills Photo Challenge: Reunited.