Winding Down …

 Before leaving Valenca on Saturday morning, early, by Renfe AVE train heading to Madrid, we stopped by Ristorante La Spaghetteria for one last delicious meal!

Al and Ingrid ordered the same sauce, Boscaiola which has Tomate, nata, champiñones y funghi porcini (tomatoes, cream, and porcini mushrooms) and different noodle choices- spaghetti for Al and Tagliatelle for Ingrid. Norm ordered lasagne which he has had at least twice because it is so delicious. I would have ordered it also, but the pharamacist suggested a blander diet while I try to get past the Traveler’s Malaise from drinking the Valencian water this past week. I had the Basil Pesto sauce with tagliatelle noodles, much more flavorfully uninteresting than my usual Italian food choices, but I need to be good.

After we caught one last cab in Valencia we were at the Juoquin Sorolla Tren Estación by 7AM, and on board at 9AM. This is the only train ride where we didn’t eagerly snap pictures during the ride. I did open my eyes long enough to see beautiful, rolling, green farmland at one point and to focus the camera for this selfie, and then slept blissfully as we rolled along at 300 clicks. We did gradually climb in elevation until arriving in Madrid before 11AM and transferring by cab to the “Puerto de Toledo Hotel”, meaning the gate from Toledo. If you entered or exited Madrid through this gate long ago, you would be going to or coming from Toledo, just the the road a bit.  There is actually a stonework gated arch that now has a traffic circle around it.

We spent some time at the Museo Sorollo. It is maintained in the house where Juoquin Sorollo lived and worked. We didn’t snap any photos, but did love his work. Above is a sampling from the brochure. It is worth googling his name to take a look … most of his work is quite large – 5×4 feet for example.

Norm, Al  and Ingrid took a day trip to Segovia today, a walled city. I know Norm will have some good pictures to show me for a future blog.

Before coming down to the lounge area in the lobby today, I snapped the activity six floors below, not at all slowed down by a Sunday morning. In the center area by the tree, I can hear a religious service with the word Alleluia. People are formed in a circle and each takes a step in unison with the others, first right, then left, then into the circle, but all very slowly. The tune is not familiar. People stream by in that direction, and the red, roofless Hop-on, Hop-off bus rolls on by. I hope to be on it tomorrow to see some sites.