Where Is Joey Today?

A Salamanca Evening

The Plaza Mayor at night (on the left) is the defacto meeting place for us. This is called the best plaza in Spain (some say Europe) and for good reason. Not only is it amazing from an artistic point of view, it is the life center of the town and just about everyone crosses through it at some point during an evening. I have heard that it is better in the Spring because people actually spend time IN the plaza, sipping coffee until daybreak.

That Friday I switched to a Student Residence (on paper not actually) because I was not happy with my family. I got so lucky with Betty and Rolo, everything was just smooth sailing...I definitely owe them a post return gift.

We did some frog spotting, the required activity for all students. On the entrance is an incredibly ornate fascade with animals and the like. Spotting the frog means good luck for the year, a guaranteed exam performance, or someone even said marriage. And speaking of marriage, I would like to congratulate my friend Religious Steve on becoming hitched two weeks ago.

So we called it a somewhat early evening so we could head for Toledo.

Too much to see; Toledo time

The plan was was to leave for Toledo around 10am from Salamanca, arrive by 1pm and spend 3-5 hours strolling.

Plan B.

We go to Avila, stay the night, wake up and arrive in Toledo spend the day and return home. What is Avila you ask? Apparently a town. I passed it on the way in to Salamanca and it seemed ncie but I didn't know much more than that. This was probably one of the best small towns I have ever seen. Why? Because it has this hugely cool fort, catedral and town center. The kicker is that the tourists are mostly Madridlenos wanting a B&B away from the chaos of the Capital. So we set about trying find a hostal (a pension everywhere else). The first one was closed (but someone was there...weird) the other was a ghost town and there was no one there. Strike two. The next budget accomodation was next to the city hall...inside a restaurant. No I am not kidding you. It was called Casa Felipe, again not kidding. Clean, comfortable, and a faucet with some water pressure. Sweet.

So we strolled around trying to find some place to eat, but being that this is not tourist Spain, that is hard to do around 6ish. All the restaurants open at 9 with people arriving around 10-11. So we helped ourselves to an Avila hometown favorite. Candied egg yolk. Third time, and still not kidding. It was good, really weird, but good. On the outskirts we found little sandwiches that took the edge off until later.

Once inside the walls of the city center, which is really beautiful and exceptionally well preserved, we went back to our first restaurant pick. I tried pig and Angela tried lamb. She made the better choice. At first I was convinced it was snout, later I think it was just a thigh or something. The skin on it was making farting noises as I pushed it from one side to another. Real appetizing. Meanwhile they bring her this flank steak that looks incredible.

I tried vino which is sort of like an apple wine, fortified...on crack not my cup of ale, but a nice change of pace, and another regional specialty. In the morning we awoke to another snow fall and a brilliantly blue sky. We are talking truly post card weather.

I don't think we are in Kansas anymore

In the real Toledo, we arrived to find an amazing city and a mazing city. I dont believe any map would help you there. We traveled by bus to save time and arrived at a dingy bus station on the outskirts. They had lockers so through it all in there and asked about the next bus to Salamanca. If it had been phone conversation in English my end would have sounded like...

What is the last bus to Salamanca?
None!?! Why not?
Oh we have to go to Madrid first... gotcha when is the last bus from Madrid to Salamanca?
You don't know? Can't you look it up?
No!? What's the website, I´ll do it...
What do you mean you don't know if they have a website.
Okay fine let me get a locker. I need a special token?

A similar frustrating experience at the train station and it became clear...we either leave in one hour (maybe 90 minutes) or we stay the night.

Ugh.. Toledo has such a long way to go to get up to even a French Tollbooth Operator level of customer service. We walked into town where Angela got some good news. She is going to be an Au Pair in Marbella for a year and her dog gets to come along for the ride.


The entrance to the city, regardless of which you pick, is mindblowing. The town is the better part of a 1000 years old (UNESCO "recently" gave it a special status). The narrow streets makes for such an interesting and alien setting. After shopping around for the best room rate, we settled on one on the outskirts with a nice little vista. It occurred to me that I should call my family so they are not worried when I don't arrive. Although my technical check out was Saturday morning I wasn't going to spend Sunday night there. But now... it was going to be Monday. My notebook being in the locker at the bus station and all the locutorios closed made me say...eh oh well, I don't even like the mother anyway. There is no way I am going to risk trying to find this place again...at night to allow George Costanza's mother to be completely plugged in.

The room even came with a 17" TV (which I hope was built into the price of the room as it was a little more expensive that our other picks but still well worth it).

For the night, Angela wanted some local fare or McDonalds (yes I am fully aware of that contrast). The pig from the prior night scared her (and me, to a lesser extent) away from trying things we dont completely understand. We jumped on a bus and decided to ride until we found something that looked good. Sunday night everything is closed so pickings were slim. Angela upgraded McDonalds to TGIF or something similar. Ask and ye shall receive.

Luz De Tajo is an uber modern mall on the outskirts of Toledo (really in the center of the new town) and it had a ... Foster's Hollywood Grill! I was never so happy to find something so familiar feeling (it was so disconcerting being in Spain in that environment that I almost spoke English to the waiter several times). We left and barely missed the bus. The next one, if there was a next one (it was 11:30 by now) would be 30 minutes. We waited, shot the breeze, the breeze shot us and after 45 minutes we decided we would be walking or calling a cab. The walk was probably 7km but with the way Toledo is you have to double distance and time. Cab it was.

The next morning we woke up a little late and went to the escalators to find the Museo de Greco, closed on Mondays. So then it was to the cathedral. Along the way, we repeated our steps a few times but, getting lost in Toledo pretty much trumps knowing where you are going in Tampa. I looked down and I saw an IPAQ (a small computer). I looked inside, found the owner information and gave him a call. He said we were "muy buena personas" for returning it. The happy fellow is to the right.

The cathedral was cool, and out a sculpture that went up into a dome. One of the coolest things I saw (including St Peter's) inside a cathedral.

>>You know what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Spain?
>They don't call it a Quarter Pounder?
>>No, man, they got the metric system, they wouldn't know what a quarter pound is...they call it a Royale with Cheese



Time being of the essence, we ate at McDonalds... but to make sure it was a culturally enriching experience, everything was different than back home.

Back in town we went to the train station to go to Madrid...Atocha, not Chamartin. We had to take the metro to the other (which is good because I will be doing this in Madrid next week). The train to Salamanca took much longer 2 hours and change and upon arrival in Salamanca I decided to check into my student residence before going back home. Why? Because of exactly what happened. My family is not going to be happy with me... I didn't call, and I moved out...and never told them. So why have to put up with crap, drag my luggage (heavy luggage) around town, if there is a problem with the residence? Turned out, there was a problem with the residence. The key did not fit...assuming I got it right. So I go to the cibercafe and there is no confirmation...crap. I called Enforex's emergency number and they said "Oh yeah, we changed your apartment, but your mother didn't know where you were...she has your keys"

Mierda.

Back to their house. Everyone is asleep so I decide to packup, sleep, wakeup and blitz. We'll see if they want me to pay for extra time. I got the keys from her and she looked ticked...real ticked.
Oh well, I moved in to the new residence and feel much much better. I do need a shower though. With that...

A View of Toledo by El Americano

And one of Avila

--Joey