We arrived back in Atlanta just days before the travel requirements changed in a way that would have made our return to the U.S. more complicated. We’re grateful for safe travels, good weather, delicious food, and the kind people that we met along the way!
Our last day in Madrid was a serendipitous day. When we left the hotel in the morning, we had just a vague idea of what we wanted to – here are the highlights:
Here’s something that we didn’t know – there is an Egyptian Temple in Madrid! In 1968, Egypt gave Spain the ancient Templo de Debod. It was a gift from the Egyptian government as a way to thank the Spanish government for help in rescuing monuments that were threatened by the rising Nile waters when the Aswan Dam was build. According to our guidebook, it’s the only place in Europe where you can tour an intact original Egyptian temple and it’s free to visit. Here’s a link to more information.
Next stop – one last museum visit – the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. It’s described as holding “minor works by major artists and major works by minor artists.” We had a nice walk to get there, enjoyed the fall colors along the way, and the art inside the museum.
Shop windows are always intriguing and this hot pink dress with pink boots to match got our attention! The Spaniards are quite stylish.
Later, we found a quiet alleyway for a late lunch.
I devoured a few bites of this creamy Spanish potato salad before I took the photo,
mainly as a reminder to look up the recipe. It’s called Ensalada Rusa – made with a combination of potatoes, peas, roasted red peppers, hard boiled eggs, carrots, canned tuna and lots of mayo. It’s really delicious! Another favorite Spanish salad is called Papas Alinas and if the link works properly, here’s the recipe – we didn’t imagine that a tuna and potato combination would go together so well.
Back at the hotel we packed our bags for the flight home on Wednesday morning. One more chance to see the holiday lights from our balcony at the Hotel Europa.
We are so grateful for the chance to visit Spain after several years away – we’ll be back! Now it’s time to decorate our tree at home.