Duncan and I arrived in Madrid, Spain Wednesday, May 5-three days ahead of our planned incentive trip with Mutual of Omaha. We settled in to the lovely Hotel Catalonia Las Cortes in the heart of the city. We spent three days unwinding from our whirlwind trip to visit Leslie but did manage to enjoy many of the local attractions (as suggested by The Lonely Planet). First of all our bearings---rise mid morning, light breakfast and then lunch (quite an affair that begins about 1:30 until 4 which should include a siesta) then activities followed by dinner that begins no sooner than 8:30-not our normal schedule so did take some adjustment. The only other option was tapas (small bites) offered 24/7 at many bars. The real kicker was the continuous flow of wine and food-the Spaniards do enjoy their libations! "Hablas englis?"...the answer is NO..until we connected with Mutual and their interpreters on Saturday, we did struggle.
Thursday, May 6 we ventured from our hotel. Our first stop was the Museo Naval-a fabulous exhibition of the Spanish Armada through the centuries-just amazing! Next stop the Iglesia de San Jeronimo El Real-a lovely church that is often frequented by King Juan Carlos and his family. On to Museo Prado which features collections of Spain's outstanding artists; our focus was the collections featuring Goya and Vasquez. The museum rivals the Louvre-just grand. Time for an afternoon break at El Brillante best known for their chocolate con churros-doughnut strips dipped in chocolate-quite delicious. Our afternoon was spent wandering through the Real Jardin Botanico-19 acres dedicated to flora and fauna of the country. Pre dinners each evening were spent at a pub we discovered near our hotel.
Friday, May 7 we walked (almost 5 miles) to the Rodeo Drive of Madrid-Salamanca. The district featured every imaginable shop that included several Spanish designers. Fun to window shop! We selected El Caldero for our final evening alone-the paella that was their signature dish was delicious.
Saturday, May 8 we moved to The Ritz-home base for our trip sponsored by Mutual of Omaha. What an elegant venue to showcase such a magnificent city. And now we begin.....the requisite "getting to know you"-lunch and cocktail event to be followed by four hectic days.
We begin Sunday, May 9 with a morning business meeting followed by a tour of Madrid which included the Palacio Real-the royal palace often used for official royal events. Yes, although there were 150 plus persons, we had an elegant lunch at ABC Serrano then a brief siesta to eat again-this evening in a smaller group at Los Galayos-their specialty was suckling pig.
Many tours were offered on Monday, May 10; we selected an excursion to Toledo-the religious center of Spain. The cathedral was spectacular and the surrounding area was breathtaking. Our group lunched at a villa high above the city. Then perhaps not the best decision of the day-or week-...we went to the bullfight in the Plaza de Toros Monumental de Las Ventas. I am not sure I would describe it as a fight-from my perspective the bull had a definite disadvantage. Been there-done that-will not do again!
The Tuesday, May 11 business session proved quite exciting...Venus Williams (in town for the Madrid Open) spoke to our group; she was very entertaining. After the morning session we elected to join the group that toured the Museo Thysson-Bornemisza which featured a private art collection of wonderful masterpieces. Yes it did get better-we spent the evening at a private hacienda Finca Los Jarales that was charming. We were entertained by musicians, a dressage exhibition, flamenco dancers and a tremendous amount of wines and food. Overall it was my very favorite experience in Madrid.
There was one more day...Wednesday, May 12 we had the day to ourselves....needless to say we relaxed at the hotel. There is such a thing as "too much of a good time"! The final event was an evening at a private casino in Madrid-very surreal! At this former palace we had an elegant dinner followed by opera. As I sat enjoying the evening, I remembered that it is a long way from a small town in Eastern North Carolina to another continent...how lucky I am....Gracias !
