Sandy Supposes....

Strolling, segway, and tasty tapas...mucho gusto!

Prompt :Check out itinerary and talk about what you've seen,what you liked, and what you've eaten.

         I barely slept at Las Musas, the hostel named after The Muses. There were so many people to gab and chatter with, I think I may have laryngitis. A smile and shared laughter really is the same in any language, I'm so glad I remembered to pack my smile! I was too excited to sleep.

          The first tour of the day took us to an art museum known as The Prado Museum. Of course, I wanted to know what 'prado' meant, and I learned it means 'meadow'. How appropriate, beautiful things such as flowers bloom in a meadow, so I was expecting colours. I wasn ' t disappointed. The artwork I saw took my breath away. The painting 'Las Meninas' by Spanish artist Diego Velazquez was so detailed like a photograph . I cannot imagine wearing the period clothing depicted in that piece, it didn't look too comfortable . The teeny tiny waists must have been cinched by tight corsets, how did the women breathe? Perhaps they never sat down with their immense hooped skirts.

         The architecture of this grand building was an awe-inspiring sight, too. It was crafted with such care and pride.

         I experienced some tourist trepidation when I learned that our second tour was to be spent aboard a segway. Yeah, not the verbal segue at all, something I might have been confident enough to manage. I'm a klutz and wheels that can and do free roll at will are to be viewed as diabolical and treacherous. Huh, the guide pointed to the segway promo:" get to grips with self-balancing machine." My balance is precarious at best, and I was urged to trust a machine? Get a grip: on my nerves, my wariness, my foreboding..... Well, I teetered and tottered, maybe I even sputtered , but I managed to wobble not too far behind everyone else in my group. White-knuckled , I managed to get a real feel for the streets and people. Once again, a smile is readily exchanged. The Sabatini Gardens were lovely; flowers speak a universal language, too.The Palacio Real or Royal Palace was incredible. There's nothing comparable back home in Canada, that's for sure.

         After my adventures, I was really anticipating the walking dinner tour, I can always eat a little something, amplify is my middle name, Sandy Sampling . Woohoo, we were ginger to taste 'tapas', Spanish for finger foods. It was so much fun to see, hear, smell, touch, and taste new things! My senses were greedy, wanting more. The bars and restaurants we strolled to were vibrant; loud, colourful, constantly moving. My feet were persuaded to tap, and my hips couldn't resist a sway/swing to the irresistible music.

         Oh, the queso, or cheese as the locals back home know it, was delisioso. My tummy enjoyed the tapas, mucho gusto!! The fresh seafood in the paella was heavenly, too.

         Tonight I expect to fall asleep without any reservations. My stomach and my memory bank have much to digest. My feet need to recuperate also. Buenos noches, Madrid.