{"id":1515,"date":"2012-09-18T01:28:57","date_gmt":"2012-09-18T07:28:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lundeby.com\/blog\/index.php\/2012\/09\/17\/"},"modified":"2025-09-18T10:46:33","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T16:46:33","slug":"adios-spain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lundeby.com\/blog\/2012\/09\/18\/adios-spain\/","title":{"rendered":"Adios, Spain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Our final day is without a plan, other than to get ourselves in position near the airport in Madrid by day’s end. But Spain has so much to offer, we fill our day with good things anyway. First, we drive around outside the Segovia city walls to see the town and the Alcazar from a distance. We pass the Jewish cemetery, which is right outside the city gates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Then, we take the scenic route from Segovia to Madrid. The land reminds us of the wide open spaces of Wyoming and Montana. Mile after mile after mile of flat ochre. We stop at a roadside restaurant, and order the menu of the day because we can’t read the menu and it’s all a big mystery to us. A kindly fellow at the next table steps in after our waitress gets good and frustrated. He tells us how to avoid highway tolls and that we should stop at the Valle de Los Caidos, where Franco is buried.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, we find it, but guess what? Closed. Looks like an interesting place though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once in Madrid, we check in to the Axor Feria Hotel, a swank ultra-modern number right near the airport. But first, we try to check into the other Axor Hotel, which is right next to this one and looks exactly the same. We walk to the Hertz return across the road, settle up, and then walk back to sign up for breakfast and the morning airport shuttle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two bottles of wine we’ve been schlepping all over tarnation need to be finished off. Finally, we walk out to see what’s nearby, and find an enormous shopping mall to rival the Mall of America. We buy a few final trinkets, mostly to get rid of at least some of the 50 pounds of euro coins we’ve accumulated over the past two weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our journey is over, and we’ve enjoyed it all. Spain is a wonderful country, with wonderful sights and friendly, helpful people. You should come here!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click on any photo below for full screen slideshow.<\/b>

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SWIPE or use spacebar to PLAY\/PAUSE.<\/p><\/center>\n\n\n\n

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