Bebidas Frias, Madrid

Traveling through Spain, I took various opportunities to check out the Coca-Cola signage. Madrid (and Spain in general) is dominated by Coca-Cola soft drinks. Of course! It’s the real thing. Anyway, I came across many signs with retro themes including this set. First, the vertical.

That’s an excellent sign with the pretty lady at the top. Here’s the horizontal that was on the door.

Furthermore, in most every store I purchased a Coke it was ICE COLD. Ah, refreshing! I’ll have more Coke signs in future posts from the recent voyage around Spain. Stay tuned.

Published in: on May 20, 2010 at 7:32 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Curiosity Shop, Madrid

The Curiosity Shop fronts a pedestrian throughway only a few blocks south of the Plaza Mayor in Madrid, Spain. I was walking by here in search of postcards when I came upon it. The sign is an old-time painted one that is hard to miss:

And the door bears plenty of logos and stickers that also catch the eye:

There’s plenty to gaze upon right there. However, the items in the window and beyond are the real treat. You’ll find all manner of old toys and novelties on display. Peer through the glare on the window to see for yourself. When was the last time you saw things like that?

I imagine if you’re a toy collector or someone who appreciates such things, this place would be a must visit while in Madrid. Be sure to bring your Euros. Those old toys sell for tall prices. By the way, just a few doors down, you’ll find some nice postcards and ice-cold Coca-Cola, too.

Published in: on May 19, 2010 at 7:46 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Escorial Lunch, Spain

Typically, I don’t like to eat outside. However, there’s nothing like lunch with a view. We happened to be only a few blocks from El Escorial in Spain and there was a series of restaurants with outdoor seating that looked out over the palace. Therefore, I broke the rules, took a table, and settled in for a nice lunch. The menu of the day featured some interesting choices, none of which I can explain in Spanish. The first plate was a shrimp in cream sauce over a puff pastry as you can see here:

Tasty and light, despite the cream sauce. The other first plate was a mushroom concoction with the same cream base as you can see below:

You can see one of the Escorial towers in the background there and get a sense of the view from this table. Quite nice, eh? Well, there was a main course, it was a sort of lamb rolitini type of thing as shown in the next photo.

The meal was tasty as was the wine. Sadly, El Escorial was closed for a holiday. My sightseeing was limited to the outside areas, which are nothing more than stone plazas. Always good to call ahead or check the internet to see what attractions will or will not be open. Lesson learned.)

Published in: on May 18, 2010 at 8:19 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Bones of Monks, Spain

While in Sigüenza, Spain, I came across the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Huertos. It is a Franciscan monastery built in the 16th Century as you can see from this plaque on the wall.

An here’s a look at the building itself.

A fairly imposing structure, I decided to go in for a closer look, when I came across this sign, explaining how some of the monks were buried in the space adjacent to the church.

Much to my surprise, the grave pictured in the diagram above can be seen under a sheet of glass on a few steps to the left. Here it is:

Wow! I wasn’t expecting to actually look down into the grave. But, there they are, the bones for all to see. Seems a bit macabre, or even somewhat disrespectful. Then again, the faithful may be attracted by such relics. It’s hard to tell. Either way, it brings history into sharp focus. There were real people living and dying here. The evidence is everywhere to be seen.

Published in: on May 17, 2010 at 2:06 pm  Leave a Comment  
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