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11/14/2024   Up early, cleaned up and finished packing.  We were out of the room by 6:30. Downstairs we met our friends and staged our bags.  The Hotel had coffee and pastries available and we indulged. At 7 we were on the road to the Airport.   The mini-motor coach did not go to the departure area.  It drove to a gate where the driver said the magic words and we were whisked off to the Sala VIP. Inside we were ushered into a large seating area, provided with coffee and cookies and relaxed.  We surrendered our passports as requested and in an hour we were handed them back with our boarding passes all the way to Chattanooga!  Apparently this room has been used by the Rolling Stones and Richard Gere—we are definitely VIPs!   Close to 9:30 we boarded those same black Mercedes vans that picked us up.  We were driven to the VIP security desk and had our carry-ons scanned and walked through the metal detector. Shirley ...
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11/13/2024   Today started a bit more slow-paced than prior days.  We had the nice breakfasts (salmon bennie again) and relaxed in conversation with our fellow pilgrims. Sara and Javier met us at 9:45 and we were off on a highlights of Madrid tour.  Our first stop was the Plaza de Toros – the bull fighting arena.     The Plaza de Toros   Javier is a bull fight enthusiast and so spun a few facts (and maybe fiction?) about the sport. It seems that these animals live a life of luxury until they are 4-6 years old. Then, if they are deemed worthy of the bull ring, they are scheduled to take part in the pageant that is a Bull Fight. The rules and form date back to medieval times (and earlier if the archeologists are right about what happened in Knossos 6,000 years ago).   During the season an event features 6 bulls and three matadors (with accompanying support staff). The bull dies eventually, but not before he may hurt some of the company. Matador...
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  11/12/2024   We were up fairly early for breakfast as we were to meet the mini-motor coach at 8:30. Breakfast is included and so we didn’t have to pay the 28 Euros for Paul’s salmon bennie. The weather was clear and in the 60’s.  Our tour guides met us at 8:30 and introduced themselves (Sara and Javier).  They will accompany us today and tomorrow. We got on the road forthwith and had no traffic issues leaving the city. That could not be said for those going into the city, however. Traffic looked like Atlanta on I-75 at 8 AM.   Once out of the city, the country became hillier and we saw occasional fields with cattle.  No fields of grain etc. were in evidence. About 45 minutes out of the city, our guide asked us to look to the left (luckily, we had a left window).   Valle de los Caisos (nee Valley of the Fallen)   Franco had this built after the Spanish Civil War to entomb some 35,000 Spaniards who lost their lives between 1932 and ...
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  11/11/2024       Sunrise over the Prado   We arranged with the Concierge a pair of skip-the-line tickets to the Prado for the morning and so after a nice sleep in we sauntered across the street to the Prado.     Our Hotel from the Prado   There was a skip-the-line line and so we queued up at 9:50.  By 10, when they opened the line stretched another 100 yards.  We were in and viewing by 10:10.     The Skip-the-Line line (note St Jerome church in the background - over 1000 years old)   Pictures are not allowed in the Prado and so we only took one (pleading ignorance and we were not caught anyway).  The Hotel gave us a cheat sheet of the Must-See paintings and in which gallery they resided. We made a bee-line to the Hieronymus Bosch room.  Well, Paul tried to, but Shirley got distracted along the way. Soon it became clear to Paul that Shirley is driving the bus and he got in line.    ...
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  11/10/2024     Adding Chattanooga to the Airport tree   We were up early putting last minute things in the luggage. It was all tic’d and tie’d by 5:55 and we were off to breakfast. It wasn’t open, so we chatted with our fellow pilgrims until time to eat.  After breakfast we turned our keys in and waited some more for the bus to take us to the airport.  By 7:45 we were on the bus with our luggage and headed toward the airport.   The Porto airport is modern and large.  We were shepherded by a group of 5 who specialize in VIPing VIPs.  We are VIPs just now and so we watched them load our luggage on carts and take us to the check in area.  It wasn’t open yet, and so we passed the time in an airport café outside security.  There was a fake tree there with restaurant receipts where patrons had written their place of origin and stuck it on the tree.  We did the same.   Before too long the chec...
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  11/09/2024     Sunrise on our last day on the river   During a beautiful morning we were making way through lifting fog toward Porto/Gaia. We spent a lot of time on the sun deck watching the ship going through 2 last locks. Brian and Donna managed an invitation from the Captain to join him in the wheel house.     Helping the Captain   And before you knew it we were docked in Gaia exactly where we boarded several days ago. We had time to organize and get on a bus to Guimaraes (pronounced gim-a-resh). We were off-loaded near a castle/palace of the Duke whose family went waaaaay back.  And bumped into the Camino (again).     Paul on the Camino (again)   And we continued down the quaint streets which reminded us of Sienna.  There seemed to be excitement in the air.  When we rounded the corner, we found out why.  We found ourselves in the middle of a rehearsal for a festival. Hundreds of kids wit...
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