Four Canadian Provinces and one U.S. State in 15 Days - July 6-20, 2013

Day 1: Bright and early this morning, we flew out of Melbourne, Florida. We departed from Melbourne because the Biologist’s sister lives there and we had to drop off our cats, Rascal and Scamp, with her and her husband before leaving. All went well until we got to Atlanta for our connecting flight to Calgary, Alberta. We boarded our connecting flight and it looked like we’d be departing on schedule… until the pilot announced that catering had messed up and was scrambling to get our plane loaded with “for-purchase” meals, snacks, and drinks. An hour past our departure time, we finally had what we needed and took off. Unbelievable… an hour wait for some pretzels and sodas. Ugh. Oh well, at least we made it to Calgary safely.

Once in Calgary, we went to pick up our rental car. We had chosen a discount rental car company located off-airport. Bad mistake!!! It was over 30 minutes before the company van arrived to pick us up. By then there were 11 people waiting for a ride in the 6-passenger van. You get the picture. Anyway, fortunately we were the 4th and 5th people to arrive at the waiting spot and made the first transport. However, once we got to the off-airport rental car location, pandemonium reigned. It was the most unprofessional and disorganized rental car experience we’ve ever encountered. It took an hour and a half to get our car. Seriously. Oh well, at least we got our car. Of course, as soon as we got into the car, the skies opened up. Really?! Is this what our vacation was going to be like?! Ugh. Anyway, rather than try to wander around Calgary in the pouring rain, we just booked it to our hotel and decided to play tourist in Calgary when we returned to catch our flight in 2 weeks.

Day 2: Today was a long driving day. We left Calgary early and made tracks to Regina, Saskatchewan. We passed through the Canadian Badlands. Lots of rolling hills with crops and/or cattle, sheep, horses, and goats. Fairly repetitive scenery, but very pretty. And best of all, the weather was absolutely beautiful! Yea, things were looking up.

Before leaving Alberta, we spotted an Alberta Historical Marker at a rest stop. Yea! Of course later we discovered that BruceS had already waymarked it, but a visit is just fine... for now. We’ll try to find another Alberta Historical Marker on our way back west after visiting Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Legislative Building and Grounds

Upon arriving in Regina, it was time do get down to some serious waymarking and geocaching! Our first stop was a virtual cache. We weren’t sure what the cache owner was looking for answer-wise so we made our best guess and continued on our way. We next made our way to the beautiful Saskatchewan Legislative Building and Grounds, a Saskatchewan Heritage Property with a Saskatchewan Historical Marker. On the grounds, we found an Equestrian Statue of Queen Elizabeth II. We were surprised to learn about the strong link between Canada and Great Britain as we wandered around the Queen Elizabeth II Gardens on the grounds.

Our next stop was the historic Union Station, another Saskatchewan Heritage Property

Regina Post Office Bell Tower

with a Saskatchewan Historical Marker. This old train station is now the home of the Regina Casino and has an old Locomotive and Dining Car Restaurant on-site. Sweet! Next we headed down to Market Square, an historic square in the downtown area, and Victoria Park. We found several more Saskatchewan Historical Markers and Saskatchewan Heritage Properties. These included the historic Canada Life Assurance Building, a 6-story, terra cotta-faced office building constructed in 1914 in the Gothic Revival style; The Northern Crown Bank building, the oldest (1906) commercial building in Regina's central business district; and the old Regina Post Office, a 1906 building constructed in the Beaux Arts style. The old Post Office is also a Canadian National Historic Site that has a lovely Bell Tower and Town Clock. It also has a Human Migration Monument that was placed in honor of Regina's pioneers, as well as 2003 a Community Commemoration marker placed in celebration of Regina's Centennial.

While wandering around downtown, we also came across a cool Silhouette Sculpture of a bison, titled "oskana ka-asasteki", that has three individual silhouettes lined up with one another.  Nearby we also found a Statue of Historic Figure Frederick W. Hill who was one of Regina's most distinguished citizens.

Bison Silhouette Sculpture

Regina Riot Marker

We also found a Canadian Legion Memorial Cenotaph in Victoria Park that was placed in honor of Regina's fallen heroes of World War I. It was the perfect day for wandering downtown since the weather was ideal and it was a Sunday so we didn’t have a workday crowd to deal with. Our final stop downtown was at the Regina Police Station where we found a cache, which was hidden near a Police Memorial. Also at the Police HQ was another Saskatchewan Historical Marker about the Regina Riot, the July 1935 rioting that erupted in Regina's Market Square when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Regina City Police arrested leaders of the "On to Ottawa" trek, a trek of single men headed to Ottawa from British Columbia to demand better conditions in relief work camps set up for the unemployed.

Whew, that was a long day. Time to head to our hotel. Once we got checked in, we were so tired that we decided to have a pizza delivered. Over 2 hours later, our unreasonably expensive pizza arrived. After the delivery person spent 15 minutes trying to figure out how to use the credit card machine, the Marine said, please can we just pay with cash?! We did and then choked down a few cold slices of pizza that tasted like cardboard. Oh no, our bad luck from Day 1 isn’t coming back, is it?!

Day 3: We awoke to another beautiful day in Canada. What a great time of year to escape the brutally hot and humid summer weather in Florida. Before leaving Saskatchewan, we stopped in the small town of Fleming to waymark the Fleming Grain Elevator, the oldest standing grain elevator on its original site in Canada, but alas it was no longer there. However, we did spot a WWI and WWII Veterans Memorial that was also a Canadian Legion Memorial Cairn, as well as a Canada Post Office, before getting back on the Trans-Canada Highway.

Canadian Legion Memorial Cairn in Fleming

Brandon Normal School/Marker

We stopped at the first rest area after crossing into Manitoba, and there was a Manitoba Historical
Marker there about A.C. Emmett and the Development of Manitoba’s Highways. Cool! Then on to Brandon, Manitoba, where we found several additional Manitoba Historical Markers, including ones for the Brandon Courthouse and Gaol (a Retired Prison) and the Brandon Normal School, a Former School now used as an Extension Service Center. While in town, we also found a geocache within Manitoba. We attempted to find three other caches but weren’t successful (either because we’re severely out of practice or they just weren’t there, probably the former reason though).

By the time we finished all of our planned stops in Brandon, we got back on the road to head back to Saskatchewan. Our goal this night was to reach Yorkton, Saskatchewan, as we began our trek back west.

Yorkton Court House

Day 4: Before leaving Yorkton this morning, we stopped by the Yorkton Court House, which had a Saskatchewan Historical Marker. In the median of the road running in front of the Court House, we also spotted a Canadian Memorial Cairn and a Canadian Memorial Cenotaph, as well as a WWII Veterans Memorial, dedicated to Yorktown soldiers. After this nice little morning waymarking bonanza, we jumped back on the Trans-Canada Highway to continue our westward journey.

We reached Saskatoon a little before noon and decided to

Saskatoon Utility Box

wander through the University of Saskatchewan and downtown Saskatoon for a little while. The city seemed so busy compared to all the time we’d spent so far driving along the Trans-Canada Highways with very little traffic and only farm crops to see for miles and miles. Anyway, we walked around downtown Saskatoon for a bit and spotted a couple more Saskatchewan Historical Markers on old buildings, one which (the Saskatchewan Land Titles Building) was listed as a Saskatchewan Heritage Property. We also stopped to waymark three Artistically Disguised Utility Boxes. These designed boxes sure look better than they do when in their “natural” state! Then onward to North Battleford, Saskatchewan.

Battleford Memorial Cairn

After checking into our hotel in North Battleford, we decided to do a little exploring of some of the nearby historic sites. We spotted the Battleford Cemetery, where we found a Canadian Memorial Cairn and the Headstone of a Centenarian! Next, we discovered four Saskatchewan Historical Markers, including one for the Battleford Land Registry Office, which was constructed in 1877-1878 and is the Oldest known brick building in Saskatchewan. Cool! Then back to the hotel to get some rest before tomorrow when we head to Alberta and Jasper National Park.
  

Ukrainian Settlement Marker

Day 5: Today we made it to Hinton, Alberta, just east of Jasper National Park. We made a few stops at rest areas along the way and discovered a couple of Alberta Historical Markers at them, one of which had not yet been claimed and was about the settlement of Ukrainians in Alberta. Yea! We also found a nice Silhouette Sculpture and nice mural at a refreshment stop during the drive. The scenery got better and better the further west we traveled, especially when we started seeing the beautiful Canadian Rocky Mountain range. Absolutely lovely. We can't wait to start climbing up them tomorrow.

Day 6: Today we headed to Jasper National Park, but unfortunately the weather forecast called for 70% chance of rain, and rain it did. Fortunately, there were many breaks in the rain so we were still able to explore this gorgeous park. Shortly after entering the park, the Marine spotted a moose off the side of the road moving through a meadow. By the time the Biologist convinced him he needed to turn around so she could see it too, the moose was gone. Darn it!

The Marine at Jasper House Site

Our first stop was the original site of the Jasper House, which was part of the fur trade network that stretched across North America during the 19th century. An Alberta Historical Marker at the site provided details about the house's history. The site is also a designated Canadian Historic Site.

Next we headed to the Mount Edith Cavell viewing area, where we were able to also see Angel Glacier. An Alberta Historical Marker and Citizen Memorial at the viewing area explained that the mountain was named in 1916 for an English nurse who was executed by the Germans for helping allied soldiers escape from occupied Belgium to the Netherlands during World War I.

After leaving this spectacular location, we came across the Athabasca River and Whirlpool

Athabasca Falls

River Confluence. The water was moving very swiftly and was quite an impressive site. An Alberta Historical Marker at this site provided information about the Fur Trade in this area. We then came across the Athabasca Falls, quite a powerful and beautiful Waterfall. A little later, we spotted a pullover with a sign indicating Mountain Goats could be sited there. Even though it was starting to rain again, the Biologist was able to spot three goats high on the mountain, including a kid, with her high-powered binocs. Very sweet.

By this time it was getting late and the rain was getting heavier so we decided to start making our way to Prince George, British Columbia, where we had a hotel reservation for the night. Within minutes of entering British Columbia, we spotted a British Columbia Heritage Marker about the internment of Japanese-Canadian men during 1942-1945 in a WWII Prisoner of War Camp. These men were forcibly separated from their families and made to lay the groundwork for the present Yellowhead Highway along which we were traveling.

Japanese-Canadian Internment Camps Marker

Along this highway, we kept seeing warning signs about moose crossings but alas the Biologist still didn't see one! Maybe tomorrow. However, we did see a black bear cub gazing at us from the side of the road. Adorable. Wonder where mama was?

We made it to Prince George without mishap, checked into our hotel, and then went in search of a place to eat dinner. We opted for a small pub called Nancy O's. OMG - they had the most amazing beer and food. The Marine had a couple of Innis and Gunn pale ales and couldn't stop talking about how good this beer from Edinburgh, Scotland, tasted. The Marine had a burger called the Drunken BBQ Burger (burger with crispy onions, bacon, mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, and sweet and spicy rum BBQ sauce) on amazing herb focaccia bread. The Biologist had a Flaming Nancy Veggie Burger (falafel burger with roasted jalapenos and poblano peppers, applewood smoked cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and buffalo sauce) on the herb focaccia bread. Both burgers were amazing, as were the french fries that came with them. We will definitely make a stop back by here if at all possible before heading south to Vancouver from Hyder, Alaska. After such a big meal, we decided to walk around downtown Prince George for a bit and spotted several British Columbia Heritage Markers, a couple of Citizen Memorials, and a Sit-by-Me Statue before heading back to our hotel and calling it a night.

BC Heritage Marker along the way

Day 7: Today consisted of a long day of driving north to our destination of Stewart, British Columbia, a couple of miles from the border of Alaska. Along the way, we stopped for a few British Columbia Heritage Markers, a Welcome Sign for the town of Fort Fraser, and a Canadian Memorial Cairn. This cairn included a Gift from Another Country, namely a stone from the castle walls of Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, England, that was given to its namesake city of Tintagel in British Columbia. About half way to our destination, we ran out of radio stations. There was nothing but a few small communities and towns along the way, nothing big enough to host a radio station. It was extremely unfortunate that the last song we heard before losing a signal was for a song with a chorus that went "Chew tobacco, chew tobacco, chew tobacco, spit." That was in our heads for the rest of the drive. Ugh!

We reached Stewart at around 6pm, checked into our hotel (which had a Bear Statue in front of it), and went to the

Mountie Marine to the Rescue

nearby Bitter Creek Cafe for dinner. Salmon (the freshest he's ever tasted) for the Marine, and BBQ Mushroom Steak for the Biologist. Yum! After dinner we took a stroll around town, where we spotted a Canadian Mountie Photo Cutout that the Marine grudgingly posed with. Then we wandered over to a small park near the town's Visitor Center (where we found our first geocache in British Columbia) and looked at the Stewart WWI and WWII Veterans Memorial and an Avalanche Disaster Memorial.  There was a lovely Estuary Coastal Boardwalk at the park, so we strolled along it for a while before heading back to the hotel and calling it a night.

Day 8: Today we had high hopes of seeing black bears and grizzly bears at the Tongass National Forest Fish Creek Observation Site in Hyder, Alaska, one of the best locations to watch bears feed on salmon during their annual spawning runs. Unfortunately, we arrived before the salmon, which usually migrate through in July and August. Darn! However, we did spot a large black bear crossing the road as we entered Hyder. Pretty cool. Too bad it wasn't a grizzly bear though! When we got to the Fish Creek site, we spoke to a couple of rangers there, and they said a grizzly had been spotted crossing the road earlier that morning, but it had moved on. Oh well, at least we found a cache here.

Army Engineer Storehouse No.4

Anyway, before reaching the Fish Creek site, we had stopped at the Canada-Alaska border monument (a U.S. Historic Survey Monument with a Canadian Benchmark at its base). It was here that we found our first Alaska cache, as well as three Alaska Historical Markers about the Army Engineer Storehouse at this location. The storehouse was Alaska's First Masonry Building; this Superlative building was constructed in 1896. This was the first time we'd ever been in Alaska, and until today it was the only U.S. State the Biologist had never been to. Sweet!

It was a relatively dreary day, so after finding our second Alaska geocache and spending some time looking for bears around the Fish Creek Observation Site boardwalk and then further into the Tongass National Forest by road, we decided to head back to Stewart to get some lunch and do some laundry. Upon entering Stewart we spotted two Painted Fire Hydrants, one that looked like a male bear lumberjack and another that looked like a female bear in a blue dress with white polka dots. Too cute!

Lumberjack Bear

Day 9: This morning we left Stewart dark and early. We made our way back to Prince

Overland Telegraph Marker

George for the night. Along the way, we stopped at a rest area and spotted a Fauna and Flora Information Sign about the cycles of nature. At this same rest area was a British Columbia Heritage Marker about the Overland Telegraph, a failed plan to create a land route linking America and Asia by telegraph.

We made one other stop on our 8-hour journey and that was in Houston, British Columbia, where we couldn't resist checking out the World's Largest Fly Fishing Rod, a Superlative for sure! Near the Ginormous fishing rod was a Millstone that was a gift to the Equity Silver Mines in Houston from its sister silver mine in Minera Real de Angeles in Zacatecas, Mexico.

Ginormous Fly Fishing Rod

After arriving in Prince George, we stopped in at Nancy O's, the restaurant where we had dinner 3 nights ago. The Marine had a delicious Spanish Omelet and the Biologist had a Mid-East Veggie Burger. Yum! Finally, we checked into our hotel and decided to relax for the rest of the day. It's been a fun, but exhausting trip so far.

Salmon Bench in Quesnel

Day 10: We left Prince George at about 9am this morning and started our long journey south to Vancouver. On our way out of town, we spotted a Silhouette Sculpture begging to be waymarked. We sure didn't make it far before stopping! But we couldn't keep doing that if we wanted to make it to Vancouver before dark, so we tried to minimize the number of stops we made today. However, we couldn't resist stopping in the town of Quesnel when we spotted an old pump, the First of Its Kind in the Cariboo District; riveted boilers and other iron parts from an old riverboat that were Preserved Machines on Public Display; a Canadian National Historic Site for the Collins' Overland International Telegraph; the old Fraser River Bridge, a Truss Bridge; and a cool piece of Artistic Seating in the form of a salmon bench.

We continued south and made a short stop in 100 Mile House when we spotted a large

Willow Springs Inukshuk

Inukshuk. Unfortunately, it was made of wood, not stones. Darn! We took a few pictures anyway, then moved on. But low and behold, not much further down the road, we spotted another Inukshuk at the Willow Springs Campground. When we pulled in, we spotted a sign that said "Geo Cash Parking on the Grass." Hah! So there was a geocache there, but we didn't have any information about it so we just took coords and photos of the Inukshuk and continued on our drive.

We only made one other stop before reaching our destination and it was a rest stop. Fortunately, there was a British Columbia Heritage Marker at this rest stop so we spent a few extra minutes here reading about the B.X. stage coaches that connected Barkerville with the outside world for 50 years.

Salmon Bike Rack

Day 11: We had a different sort of adventure planned for today. We took a Ferry from the city of Vancouver to the city of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island to spend the day wandering around this harbor city. On the walk from the ferry terminal to the downtown Nanaimo area, we spotted a Chinese Pioneers Memorial Garden, a lovely Human Migration Monument. Once we got close to town, we spotted a sign that pointed to the harbor walk which leads into town along a walking path with great views. Along the way, we spotted a wall of Brick Pavers titled the Lions "Great" Bridge, a Lions Club project. Across the bridge was the Matteo Sutton Park where we spotted a cool salmon Bike Rack. Just beyond the bike rack was a large Framed View with a lovely panorama of the ocean and harbor. What a great find!

Framed View in Matteo Sutton Park

Lions Club Weathervane

We had a fun time wandering around this lovely park that was filled with a Statue of an Historic Figure, several Figurative Public Sculptures, a Lions Club Pavilion with a Unique Weathervane, and a Sundial. We next spent a little time wandering around Nanaimo looking for a place to eat and on the way spotted an Artistically Designed Utility Box. We soon found a nice little Mexican restaurant and stopped in for a bit. By the time we finished eating, it was time to head back to the ferry terminal to catch our ride back to Vancouver. What a beautiful day this was! The weather was perfect.

Nels Nelsen Ski Jump

Day 12: We started making our way back toward Alberta today.  We only had one stop planned and it was at an historic site on Mount Revelstoke near the town of Revelstoke, British Columbia. There, we went to check out the Nels Nelsen Ski Jump, an abandoned ski jumping hill that was originally known as Big Hill, which was built in 1916 and was the first permanent ski jump in Canada. Big Hill was rebuilt in 1948 and renamed in honor of Nels Nelsen, a local ski jumper who had set two world records on the hill.

Inukshuk in Golden

After the stop for the ski jump, we made a beeline for our hotel in Golden, British Columbia. Once in Golden, however, we spotted a nice-sized Inukshuk and a Canadian Memorial Cairn, which was a Non-specific Veterans Memorial, and had to stop at them before reaching our hotel. After a quick dinner, we called it a night.

Day 13: We spent the majority of the day visiting the amazing Banff National Park. This park is a must-see for anyone visiting Alberta. The Canadian Rockies are gorgeous and well worth a stop!

Mountain Goat Sculpture

We first headed up to the Columbia Icefields within the park and spotted several Glaciers along the way. At the Visitor Center for the Icefields we spotted three cute Figurative Public Sculptures, one a Bear Sculpture depicting a grizzly sow and her cub, one of a mountain goat, and another of a golden eagle.

Lake Louise in Banff National Park

We visited the gorgeous Lake Louise within the park; the blue of the water has to be seen to be believed. Photos just don't do it justice. We spent most of the day enjoying the sites within the park and taking lots and lots of photos. So, so pretty! By mid-afternoon, it was was time to start making our way to Calgary where we had made hotel reservations for the next 2 nights before we fly out on Saturday afternoon. What a wonderful day. We couldn't have asked for better weather.

Day 14: Wow! It's hard to believe we've already been in Canada for 2 weeks and that we fly out tomorrow. We stopped at a McDonald's near our hotel and while eating saw a children's TV presentation about geocaching and turned around to watch it. After the segment finished, the couple seated at the table next to us asked us if we were geocachers. Why, yes we are, we said. They were too!  Small world for sure. We had a nice time talking with them for a while, but unfortunately forgot to ask them their geocaching name!

The Unicorn Pub Sign

Next, we decided to take the C-Train, Calgary's answer to The Underground, to the downtown area. We got off the train at City Hall and made our way over to the Olympic Plaza, the plaza where the Calgary Winter Olympics medals were presented. We couldn't resist paying to go to the top of the Calgary Tower to oversee the city. We also spotted several Artistically Disguised Utility Boxes while downtown, as well as a few Figurative Public Sculptures, and a really cool Pub Sign at The Unicorn Pub where we stopped for a bite to eat. We also spotted a Converted Firehouse now being used as a Budget Rental Car location and a couple of 100+ year Old Churches. We had a nice day, but were glad to get back to our hotel to kick back and relax for the rest of the day.

Day 15: Today we flew home. We had a really nice vacation in Canada you betcha! We look forward to visiting other provinces on future trips.

Sightseeing in Spain - January 21-27,2013

The Biologist traveled to Spain in January 2013 for a 3-day business meeting in Madrid and was able to squeeze in a little sightseeing before and after the meeting.

Day 1:  The Biologist's flight left Jacksonville in the early afternoon.  The first leg of her journey took her to the Atlanta Airport in Georgia, where she met up with three colleagues who were on the same flight to Madrid.  Fortunately, it wasn't a long layover... or at least it wasn't supposed to be.  However, the plane had mechanical problems and a new plane needed to be flown in!  Glad they discovered the problem before we were over the Atlantic!

Iglesia de Santiago

Day 2:  Our overnight flight landed in Madrid in the morning and the four of us shared a cab to our hotel in the historic downtown area.  As soon as we checked in and dropped our luggage off in our rooms, three of us headed out to explore the city.  Our first stop was Plaza Mayor, a plaza in the city's center that has origins dating back to the 1500s, that has an article on Wikipedia, is the site of a Philatelic Photograph, and is home to an Equestrian Statue of Philip III, a Monarch of the World.  Then we took off to the Iglesia de Santiago.  This Old Church, a Catholic Church featured in Wikipedia that has two Signs of History about it, is a medium-sized church dating from the 19th century and is located near the Royal Palace. Unfortunately, the church was closed so we were unable to get inside.

Palacio Real de Madrid

Next we headed over to the Palacio Real de Madrid, a beautiful palace of Baroque Architecture that is the site of a Philatelic Photograph.  Although this Spanish Heritage site is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family, it is only used for state ceremonies.  We took the palace tour and were amazed by its opulence.  Unfortunately, photography was not allowed so we have no photos to share of the interior.  By the time we finished our palace tour, it was getting late and it was time to head back to the hotel, although we did make a short stop at a European Post Office and our way!

Days 3-5:  Time to work. Our meeting location was about a 10-minute walk from our hotel, and on Day 5 a few of us took a route to the meeting site that took us by the Palacio del Marques de Perales, the 18th century palatial home of the Marquis de Perales del Río.  The building, which has a lovely Baroque facade, is a Spanish Heritage site and is now the headquarters of the National Newspaper according to Wikipedia.  The meeting location was also only about 100 meters away from a geocache, our first geocache in Spain!

Galacia Cross

After our meeting ended on Day 5, there was still about an hour of daylight left, so the Biologist did a little nearby exploring and found the Galacia Cross in the Plaza Jacinto Benavente.  This Christian Cross bears the Statues of Religious Figures of the crucified Christ, Virgin Mary, baby Jesus, and Apostle James, and marks the Way of St. James.  Next, the Biologist spotted the Orpheus Fountain depicting the legendary Greek musician, poet, and prophet.  This beautiful Fountain included a Dog Statue and a Musical Instrument and, according to Wikipedia, is an Exact Replica of the original fountain that used to be at this site but was taken apart in 1865.  And then just before darkness fell, the Biologist stopped to admire the Iglesia de la Santa Cruz. This Old Church is a Catholic Church that was built from 1889-1902 and is a Spanish Heritage site with a statuesque Bell Tower.

Vertices Geodesica

Day 6:  While most of the other meeting participants headed back home today, three of us stayed over through the weekend.  The first goal for the day was to head to the Feria area of Madrid where we found a Vertices Geodesica.  This waymarking target was a difficult one to find in Madrid.  I had identified several in the city... at least on paper; however, most of them were atop buildings that did not have access to their rooftops and weren't visible from the ground.  Luckily we found the one in Feria.  Unluckily it was behind a locked fenced-in area so we were only able to take photos from afar.  Fortunately they were good enough to post.  Whew!  That was a tough one.

Next we headed back to the city center to the Puerto del Sol where we spotted an Equestrian Statue of  Historic Figure Carlos III, a Monarch of the World who ruled as King of Spain from 1759 to 1788 according to Wikipedia.  Close by was a cute Statue of a Bear on its hind legs with it front paws resting on a strawberry tree.  The statue represents the city's coat of arms.

Madrid Coat of Arms

Bear with Strawberry Tree

We split up at that point and the Biologist started moving away from the city center toward the popular garden known as the Jardines del Buen Retiro, but on the way she found a Dead Poet's Society Memorial to Cervantes, a famous Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright best know for his magnum opus, Don Quixote.  This Statue of an Historic Figure was the subject of a Philatelic Photograph.  The Biologist had brought along a picture of the stamp in hopes of finding the statue but wasn't sure exactly where it was located.  Fortunately, she stumbled upon it while out and about playing tourist.  Sweet!

Un Pintor Para El Prado

Also on the way to the garden, the Biologist spotted an Occupational Monument titled "Un Pintor Para El Prado," in recognition of artists (painters), located on the grounds of the Museo del Prado, the main Spanish national art museum.  Then on to the absolutely stunning Iglesia de los San Jeronima el Real, which is a Spanish Heritage site.  This Old Church is a Roman Catholic Church from the early 16th century has a stunning Doorway of the World, not to mention twin Bell Towers and a multitude of Gargoyles and a Unique Weathervane!  Some excellent waymarking opportunities here, that's for sure.

Finally the Biologist made it to the garden where she spotted Love Locks on a fence surrounding an enormous ahuehuete (cypress) tree.  Unfortunately, there were only four locks on the fence so far so it wasn't enough to post under this lovable category.  While in the garden, she spotted a monument to famed Spanish dramatist Jacinto Benavente who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1922.  Next she strolled along the Paseo de las Estatuas or Statue Walk and spotted 13 (yes, THIRTEEN!) Monarchs of the World.  Wow, the Biologist sure did look funny running from statue to statue and taking coords and photos of this royal entourage.

Paseo de las Estatuas or Statue Walk

After leaving the part from its northern end, she did a double take when she spotted the Alcala Gate.  This magnificent Freestanding Arch, the subject of a Philatelic Photograph, was commissioned by King Charles III and completed in 1778.  Across from the neo-classical gate was the Banco de España or Bank of Spain, a Spanish Heritage site that was also the subject of a Philatelic Photograph and according to Wikipedia is the national central bank of Spain and was established in 1782 by King Charles III.  Cha ching!  Also near this location was the James Joyce Irish Pub with a Pub Sign depicting the pub's namesake, James Joyce, an Irish novelist and walking in his trademark hat and glasses.

Alcana Gate

Alcana Gate Postage Stamp

Continuing on the way back to the hotel, the Biologist stopped at a couple more historic Catholic Churches listed as Spanish Heritage sites.  These Old Churches were both of the Baroque Architecture style.  Just lovely.  She also spotted a couple more Dead Poet's Society Memorials.  All in all, a great day for wandering around Madrid.

Garcilaso de la Vega

Day 7:  Today, the three of us remaining in Spain after our meeting ended took a half-day tour to historic Toledo, located about 70 km south of Madrid.  It was a whirlwind tour, but we got to see some of the most amazing buildings in the old city area.  The tour bus dropped us off at the at the base of the hilltop on which the old city is located.  Then after taking escalators up most of the way, we began the rest of our climb on foot.  We first came across the Iglesia de Santa Leocadia (Church of Saint Leocadia), a Catholic Church that was constructed in the 13th century.  This Medieval Church is listed on the Spanish Heritage site and has a Bell Tower and Doorway of the World.  Next to it was the Iglesia de San Pedro Mártir (part of the Convent of San Pedro the Martyr), which dates from the late 1500s.  This Old Catholic Church is also listed on the Spanish Heritage site and has a Sign of History, a nice Bell Tower, and a Coat of Arms above its entrance.  Across the way from the convent was a small garden with a Statue of Historic Figure and Dead Poet Garcilaso de la Vega (1501-1536), a Spanish soldier and poet claimed to be the most influential poet to introduce Italian Renaissance verse forms, poetic techniques and themes to Spain.

Toledo Cathedral

The next stop on our walking tour was the spectacular Toledo Cathedral (also known as the Catedral de Santa María de Toledo or the Cathedral of Saint Mary), which has quite an ornate Bell Tower and Doorway of the World. According to Wikipedia, this Medieval Roman Catholic Church is "one of three 13th-century High Gothic cathedrals in Spain and is considered, in the opinion of some authorities, to be the magnum opus of the Gothic style in Spain. It was begun in 1226 under the rule of Ferdinand III and the last Gothic contributions were made in the 15th century when, in 1493, the vaults of the central nave were finished during the time of the Catholic Monarchs." Unfortunately, because we only took the half-day tour instead of the full-day tour, we didn't have time to go inside.  What a shame.  I'm sure it would have been awesome to see.

Monastery Dome of the Underworld

A bit further along we came to the Palacio de Fuensalida, a 15th century palace and a Spanish Heritage site.  This palace was built in the Toledo Mudéjar style, which is a blend of the Gothic, Plateresque and Mudéjar Architecture styles of which very few specimens remain in the Spanish heritage.  Next was the Iglesia de San Juan de los Reyes (aka Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes or Monastery of Saint John of the Kings), which was built from 1477-1504 and is listed on the Spanish Heritage site.  Fortunately, we had time to go inside This Old Medieval Catholic Church, which has a beautiful Dome of the Underworld, and got to see its verdant courtyard that is surrounded by Gargoyles.


After exiting the monastery, we began making our way down the hilltop until we came to Saint Martin's Bridge, a medieval bridge over the river Tagus that was constructed in the late 14th century.  This historic Arch Bridge is a Spanish Heritage site constructed in the Gothic Architecture style.  After taking some photos of the bridge and the view of the river from the bridge, we hopped back on the bus and made our way back to Madrid.

Saint Martin's Bridge

Day 8:  Today, it was time to bid farewell to Spain.  The Biologist hopes she'll make it back to this country some day to see more of it than Madrid and Toledo, although they were both wonderful.  But she just barely scratched the surface.  So for now it's adiós y nos vemos luego Spain!