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And how about the latest tidbits of my beloved Spain; my choices of course. There are plenty more and getting the smell of Summer and travel again looks great. Hope you are all doing well from this pandemic and be able to travel again. Now let me tell you about the latest some news from Spain!!

The autonomous communities of Spain have been publishing this week the measures that will remain in force in their territories to limit the expansion of the coronavirus as of this May 9. This is what is known to this day. In the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, the Valencian Community or Navarra, the curfew will be maintained, although most regions limit themselves to applying restrictions to the hours of the hotel business, their capacity or the number of diners per table. The macro closures also will  disappear, so it will be possible to travel between the territories. However, the islands will maintain access controls, and many communities will impose perimeters to the localities with the highest incidence of the virus. Only some such as Castilla-La Mancha or the Valencian Community will ask to keep it. Also the Balearic Islands, which also intends to continue with the restriction on mobility until May 23. The Community of Madrid has announced that there will be no curfew once the state of alarm subsides next Sunday. In this way, Madrilenians regain the fundamental right to circulate at night.

The Fiesta de los Patios de Córdoba, a century among flowers. In the streets of the Alcázar Viejo neighborhood, in Córdoba, a tense calm erupts inside their houses. In the patios, the explosion of color of the geraniums and gypsies that hang from the pots anchored on their walls mixes with the bustle of their owners, who clean leaves, move pots or whitewash walls in the final stretch for the Festival de los Patios of Córdoba, which, after breaking with the uncertainty of the pandemic, will be held until May 16.

There is an association already for this the Asociacion de  Amigos de los Patios Cordobeses or the association of the friends of the Cordobese patios. Webpage: https://www.amigosdelospatioscordobeses.es/

The illusion of the participants in the contest remains intact ; however; the owners of the 50 courtyards that compete are all year round looking after their plants, although when spring approaches they increase their cello. If we are guided by the awards, in addition to the streets of the Alcázar Viejo, on the route we must mark the streets of the Marroquíes, Tinte, Parras or Chaparro. The patios de San Basilio offers guided tours of the various patios of the Alcàzar Viejo;webpage: https://www.patiosdesanbasilio.com/

 I will suggest possible trips one hour from Madrid, my recommendations of course, and written on many in my blog. The monastery of El Escorial, history in a big way; Chinchón aniseed, bullfighting, comedies and a unique plaza; Colmenar de Oreja: the quarries of Madrid; Aranjuez: gardens for royal relaxation; Pelayos de la Presa: blue flag on the beach of Madrid between the towns of San Martín de Valdeiglesias, El Tiemblo, Cebreros and Pelayos de la Presa; Manzanares El Real , the castle: where the Mendoza reigned; Buitrago de Lozoya: a castle and a lot of Picasso; Patones de Arriba: the town that had a king chronicles said that the king of Patones, head of a picturesque hereditary monarchy, survived independently of the king of Spain in this town of difficult access until 1750. He even exchanged letters with the kings, until Carlos III decided to end this pseudo rural dynasty by refusing to pay taxes. ; Alcalá de Henares: the first university in Madrid and The best gin, with water from Guadarrama, is made in Los Molinos Monti London Gin is not distilled in the English countryside, but in the urban center of Los Molinos, one of the best-known towns from the Sierra de Guadarrama. Enjoy the tour folks.

Moving right along on more suggestions to really enjoy the Comunidad de Madrid and around the capital city of Madrid. In the Lozoya valley, at the foot of the highest mountain in the Sierra de Guadarrama (Peñalara, 2,428 meters), the thermometer never goes up very much. For something the capital of the valley is called Rascafría. The trick to not being cold here in winter  is simple: don’t stop all day. Rascafría is easily reached without going up or down any port on the A-1 motorway, turning off at kilometer 69 on the M-604 to go up the Lozoya valley, so green that it does not seem north of Madrid, but that of Spain. By going through the M-604 road to the port of Cotos, where Rascafría adjoins La Granja de Segovia! You can stop by the main monument of Rascafría, the monastery of Santa María de El Paular, founded in 1390, which has always been a magnet for tourists but more since in 2011 it recovered the 54 large canvases by Vicente Carducho that decorate its Gothic cloister. The visit can be guided by a monk or on its own, but always with prior reservation. Also, the Puente del Pérdon or bridge of forgiveness. In the Middle Ages, those condemned to death in this valley could request, when crossing the river on the way to the gallows, that a court of the highest instance review their case and obtain a pardon. Or not. And a little further on, the ruins of the Batanes mill, where the paper for the first edition of Don Quijote was made! Another wonderful tour of the Comunidad de Madrid!

My Madrid is full of places capable of falling in love that many I have walked, I am not a fan of tours but these by Civitatis are interesting for the visitor and are free, they are located in the Plaza de la Paja, in the area known as Madrid de los Austrias, a dynasty known, among other things, for the intense sentimental life of its members, to such an extent as to have a route for themselves. It is about Los amoríos de los Austrias. The jealousy, intrigues and betrayals that marked the reign of monarchs of the stature of Carlos I or Felipe III mark this walk through the Villa and Court, where special emphasis will be placed, how could it be otherwise, on Felipe IV, known for that addiction to sex that gave rise, according to legend, to more than 45 illegitimate children, although 29 are officially recognized. The free tour begins in the Plaza de Oriente, at the foot of the equestrian statue of someone who was also known as the Planet King. From there you walk through the streets of Requena and Almudena and go to the Royal Palace, where the old Alcázar was, residence of the Habsburgs and behind whose walls Felipe II lived a passionate romance with the lady Isabel de Osorio. After an hour and a half of travel, the route will end in front of the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales or like Monastery of the Royal Barefoot, where many bastard daughters of the Habsburgs lived.

The Madrid de los Borbones (Bourbons) route departs from the heart of the city, the Puerta del Sol, with Carlos III as the first protagonist, the tour of the Congress of Deputies, Cibeles, the Prado or the Puerta de Alcalá will not be an obstacle to dealing with the married life of a Royal House that has also been marked by the shadow of adultery, highlighting the sexual life of Isabel II, which came to be satirized by the Bécquer brothers themselves. Although it is not the only one: there is still doubt about the paternity of the 14 children of Carlos IV’s wife, María Luisa de Parma (did someone say Manuel Godoy?) And the saying that the Carlists dedicated to the fourth wife of Fernando VII, María Cristina de Borbón-Dos Sicilias, after his death; married in secret and pregnant in public! Intriguing histories of my Madrid, enjoy them if you can.

The exhibition ‘‘Pasiones mitológicas’  or Mythological Passions brings together works by Tiziano, Veronese, Allori, Rubens, Ribera, Poussin, Van Dyck and Velázquez in the Prado Museum. In room C of the Jéronimos Building until July 2 2021. More info here: https://www.museodelprado.es/en/whats-on/exhibition/mythological-passions-tiziano-veronese-allori/0fe29f8e-c205-af98-9306-51b5b1f26675

According to ACI data global passenger traffic during 2020 fell by almost 65%, according to this report, while that of the ten busiest airports in the world fell by almost 46%  The top 10 worldwide traffic passenger airports were in order from 1 to 10. Dubai, Amsterdam ,London ,Paris, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Doha, Incheon (Seoul), Singapore, and Madrid! More info: https://aci.aero/news/2021/04/22/aci-world-data-reveals-covid-19s-impact-on-worlds-busiest-airports/

I love markets and Madrid has plenty , however in two of them as recently as before the pandemic I have enjoyed eating in them. There is a lot of culinary excellence in them. My treat at the Mercado de Anton Martin is  Doppelgänger  Calle Santa Isabel, 5  stand 44. Also at the Mercado de Chamberi,  Juancho’s BBQ Calle Alonso Cano, 10 ,stands 7-8. Buen provecho! 

And there you go folks a short news bulletin today but things will pick up by end of May and hopefully we will be in Spain this summer again. Hope you enjoy the post and thanks again for your loyal following since 2010.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!