Lessons

 Some of what I learned on my trip through Spain in no particular order of importance or occurrence.

Siesta is a thing. A good thing. There is something brilliant about scheduling down time every afternoon. We leaned into it. Most places close for a few hours late afternoon. Dinner really is 9 o'clock or later. If you go earlier, you'll be eating alone.

Eat as many olives as you can because they never tasted so good whether briny or buttery or bitter.

 

Don't walk against the crosswalk EVER. You never know when one of these will whiz by.

 

Always take a walking tour of a new city preferably early on in your stay. It is such a great way to get acquainted with a place and usually your guide will have suggestions on what to do and where to eat, and if you're lucky, you'll get a cheeky Brit who is an expert on Madrid's history gossip and all. Lexi's walking tour in Madrid was our favorite.

Make plans and reserves, but be sure to leave time to explore and then also to just be. If we had not done so, we'd never have ended up in the basement of a blues club, and that was a fun night.

 

 

Dine outside when you can. Street seating is excellent for people watching.

Sometimes you can get a table if you walk in even though you cannot get a reserve online especially if you are willing to sit at the bar.

There is no such thing as a bad glass of wine in Spain, or a bad time for one either. Spaniards drink wine, not water.

Or Cava. 

 Forgo fashion. Dress in layers and bring a pair of comfortable walking shoes. You walk everywhere and will wear them 90% of the time.

A cross body bag is a must. I loved the Wander Lust Anti Theft bag. Sunglasses and a travel umbrella too.

 

 

Dress comfortably on planes and trains. It makes it easier to schlep and sleep. I slept on every ride. In fact, I almost slept the entire flight on the way to Spain so long flights no longer scare me.

The fast train is brilliant. We are light years behind Europe in public transportation. It's so easy and affordable.

 

Download a couple movies on a device for travel. Our flight home was without onboard entertainment. Many passengers had to raw dog it. 

We are a baby nation. The sense of history in Europe is captivating. So many countries, monarchies, rulers, sultans have left their marks. I cannot wait to dive in deeper.

There are at least two portraits of The Mona Lisa. One in Spain at the Prado and another at The Louvre. It's questionable whether Da Vinci painted any of them.

They still make espadrilles and I absolutely bought a pair. Leave some room for souvenirs. We ended up buying a carryon suitcase to bring home our purchases. But do not try to bring back jamon Iberico even purchased from the Duty Free store.

Gilipollas means asshole. Don't say it too loudly. Vale means okay.

Location location location. It matters when selecting hotels and apartments. We really lucked out here. Do your research and read reviews. It was fun to do a mix of hotels and an apartment when we were four in Sevilla.

Bidets are amazing. Use them.

Don't bother asking for ice, but you can ask for agua de grifo aka tap water. They must give it to you by law if requested. If you say tap water, they will act like they don't understand you.

The caps smartly stay attached when you open a bottled drink.

The Spaniards love their plazas (pronounced plathas) and so do I. Pigeons too.

 

They also love their dogs. Everyone has one and they are everywhere, but don't pet them. It's considered rude to do so unless you are asked. They are so well-trained that they ignore you. Spanish dogs strongly resemble their owners just like in the states.

 

You aren't supposed to tip in restaurants and bars. At least Spaniards rarely do, but I feel like Americanos are more apt to, and we usually did.

You will have to ask for your check. Don't be offended when the waitstaff ignores you...see above.  

Charge when you can. You get the best exchange rate. We went to the ATM once for more walking around cash. A $300 withdrawal came through our bank account at $390.

The food is so fresh and affordable. The markets are amazing. Spice is not in their culinary repertoire though. We only had two misses on meals, which was remarkable for 10 days of eating out.

 

Eat as much pan con tomate and potatas bravas as you can. They are always different and always delicious.

 

The architecture is beyond: Romanesque and Gothic to Renaissance, Baroque and Modernist, and then there's Antonio Guadi.

You can and will take 1000 pictures even of people you don't know.

 

 

The University of Sevilla was founded in 1505. 

Las Meninas is my new favorite painting. I didn't take a picture of Velasquez's masterpiece because I didn't want to break the rules. The above photo of the Mona Lisa was taken by Lily who broke the rules and btw so many people were, which made me want to refrain from doing so even more. I'm not so much a rule follower as a contration.

From the train you see windmills, fruit trees and windmills as you travel through the countryside. Spain is long on renewables hence the recent power outages.

They do a changing of the guard at the Royal Palace in Madrid. Said palace is an exact replica of Versailles only twice the size because King Felipe V missed his childhood home and was a bit competitive. He was a Bourbon.

The crown is only worn for selfies. It's too heavy to wear every day. Too fancy too.

The royals in Spain are proclamated not consecrated.

My daughter is a beer drinker now. We're on a mission to find Estrella here in the U.S.

I love traveling with Mike and Lils. We make a good trio. I was the event planner, and they shared navigation and concierge tasks. They did a great job of picking a delicious variety of international restaurants when we tired of tapas. Lils was also the translator. Most people speak English. In Barca they speak Catalan and they don't really appreciate touristas practicing their Espanol, since they want to succeed from Spain.

 

 There's not much I would change about this trip. I think we'll find ourselves in Spain again, and definitely in Europe, and with the whole fam.