Visit to Spain, Spring 2012: Day Two - Madrid

Up bright and early to do another walk about.  Headed down Gran Via to explore the sights. Stopped for breakfast at one of the local cafes.  It's interesting to select food from a menu when you don't know the language.  Lots of the menus have photos so you can kind of/soft of guess what you might be getting.  We picked a small sandwich on crusty bread with chorizo and tomatoes, the other was a piece of bread that tasted like french toast and bread pudding, served cold.  The coffee, cafe con panna, is espresso with steamed milk.  All very good!

Breakfast at the Nebraska Cafe on the Gran Via

Headed for the historic buildings and the park. Madrid is a very large city -- very cosmopolitan and extremely clean. There are workers everyplace manicuring the lawns and gardens, cleaning the sidewalks, and maintaining the buildings.

City Hall

Plaza de la Lealtad. This obelisk dedicated to the popular uprising against the French on May 2th, 1808,
now honors all those who gave their lifes for Spain.

La Puerta De Alcala arch

The Retiro Park was the highlight of the day. It was absolutely beautiful and peaceful. We walked for a few miles and saw so many lovely trees, flowers, a gorgeous lake where you can rent a small rowboat or take a pontoon ride, a glass atrium building and lovely flower garden. 

Entrance to the Park

The Boating Lake

The Palacio de Cristal

Flower Garden

We also stopped in to visit two beautiful churches.  The exteriors look dull and boring, but when you walk inside, the ornate statues, tile work, paintings, woodwork, windows, and overall architecture are stunning.  The churches are open and they don't mind if you take photos.

Beautiful Historic Churches

The Interiors of the Churches are Beautiful

On the way back to our hotel, we stopped at a few different tapas bars. When you purchase a drink, most of the places will serve fresh olives and/or small slices of bread or breadsticks and chorizo as an appetizer.  There are hundreds of tapas bars all over the City, each have their specialties, such as gamba (shrimp), olives, sardines and other types of seafood, chorizo and other types of cured meats and sausages.  

Tapas Menu

Went back to the hotel to take a siesta. Woke up from our nap and did an evening stroll. Found a little pizza place for dinner. 

ME Madrid Hotel (our Hotel) at Night

There was a light rain on and off during the day and evening, but most of the day was partly cloudy to full sun.  It was perfect for walking and exploring.


Some observations:

• Spain is very affordable. Food, hotels, entertainment, shopping and activities are all fairly priced. 
• Even if you don't speak Spanish (which we don't), you can get around with no worries at all. Just a few words of Spanish, some sign language and Google Translate will get you anyplace.
• The people are very friendly, kind and helpful. Tourism is a big deal, and they want you to be happy.
• In the large cities, like Madrid and Barcelona, you can walk for miles and miles to see the most interesting places in the cities. However, you should be aware that you are in a large city and be mindful that pickpockets and scammers are out there and you have to be careful.

Looking forward to another day of surprises tomorrow. 

Hasta Luego! Thank you for reading my blog! More to follow. Bless sends her blessings.

Our gorgeous Galga, Bless!

Please support Scooby!
Know an organization that will donate dog food?  Please let me know.

Visit to Spain, Spring 2012: Day One - Madrid

Statue of a Bear and a Madrone Tree (madroño), the Heraldic Symbol of Madrid

Had a smooth journey from San Francisco to JFK - New York (5.5 hours) and then on to Madrid (another 7.5 hours).  We flew Delta and paid an extra $80 each Economy Comfort for the NYC->Madrid leg, which provided a bit more leg and reclining room. We felt that it was well worth it to have the extra space.


Once we arrived at the Madrid airport, we grabbed our bags and the extra carrier for Benji's return to the USA and headed for the "Left Luggage" building, where we left the carrier for 2.50E/day for the next couple of days. Returned to the Delta ticket office to inquire about two fellow Scoobettes' reservations who plan to bring back Galgos to the USA. There are some complications, which I've explained to Eva (Scooby) so that they can decide how best to handle. I wish them the best in bringing back their dogs. Once again, Delta staff was totally awesome to us. Spent a lot of time with me sorting things out. From there we navigated the Metro to Gran Via. 

Madrid Metro - Easy and Inexpensive

Beware of pick-pockets on the Metro:  It was a quiet day for the subway (Sunday), but one still has to be wary of those who would take advantage of the un-attentive. Noticed two middle-aged women following us closely throughout our journey from train to train. On two of the escalator rides, they moved closer and closer to my backpack, which was guarded on one shoulder. One of them reached right up and managed to unzip the first zipper (nothing in there).  I was onto them, so I stopped, turned around and just looked at them. They backed off, acted like they decided to go a different way and then slithered off to look for another victim.  Be extra careful and keep your valuables that you need to carry right in front and close on your bodies when traveling.  Keep your other stuff in the hotel or room safe. 

ME Hotel in Madrid, Comtemporary, Comfy - Great Location & Services

It warmed up to be a beautiful 70+ sunny day.  We found our way to our hotel, the ME Madrid. It's in a lovely area called the Plaza de Santa Ana, and right in the heart of the City, walking distance to all of the greatness of Madrid.  The receptionist at the hotel was wonderful. She mapped everything out for us to see and do in the area, showed us to our room and explained all of the room features.  It's a very contemporary hotel, comfortable and quiet room. The shower is to die for. We freshened up and then did a walk-about. 

There was a Big Photo Shoot going on Near our Hotel
from what we could tell, it had to do with Fashion - Maybe for a Magazine?

Streets of Madrid - Nooks and Crannies Everywhere to Ezplore

Beautiful Architecture

 Casa de Correos,  Puerta del Sol

Ate some great Tapas and then took a nap from our jet lag. Got up to watch a bit of TV and do this blog entry. Up bright and early tomorrow to explore all of the beauty. Expecting some Spring rain. We look forward to tomorrow's adventures and sight-seeing in Madrid.

Hasta Luego! Thank you for reading my blog! More to follow. Bless sends her blessings.

Our gorgeous Galga, Bless!

Please support Scooby!
Know an organization that will donate dog food?  Please let me know.

Off to Spain! Scooby, Here We Come! Can't wait to visit again... (Fuera de España! Scooby, Here We Come! No puedo esperar a volver otra vez ...)

We are off to visit Scooby Medina del Campo Again!
Photo: Buy it at the Scooby Shop - Scooby background for computers 

Our long anticipated vacation has arrived! We will be traveling to Spain to tour Madrid for a few days, and then spend time volunteering at Scooby Medina del Campo. This time, my husband Darrell will travel with me. I can't believe that almost one year has passed since I first visited Scooby to bring home our Galga, Bless. It truly has been a journey -- and an exciting one at that! 

We've had our Galga Bless for Almost One Year Now - She's Wonderful!

Madrid

It will be fun and interesting to tour Madrid for a few days before we visit Scooby.  It is a beautiful, historic City, and we plan to do walking tours every day.  Hoping that the weather will be good, but we expect that there will be some rain, since it's Spring.  The day and night temps are comparable to ours in California. 

Beautiful Madrid - Looking forward to Learning More about You!
Photo: runningadvice.com site

Volunteering at Scooby

While at Scooby, we will be working with fellow volunteers from the UK and USA.  I'm excited to reunite with several of the UK volunteers that I met last year. We're staying at the same hotel in Medina del Campo, so we can all have dinner together after work.  As serendipity would have it, one of the other volunteers from the USA is also the friend of one of my friends, so we will all have a lot to talk about while we go about our daily chores at Scooby.  I'm not sure what we'll all be working on, but we know that it will be good work that helps Scooby take care of its many lucky rescued animals.

Three Beautiful Galgos that I Met Last Year at Scooby --
Bet they all having loving homes now!

Bringing Benji and Rayo to Their Forever Homes in the USA
My husband, Darrell has our travel kennel packed and ready with supplies for bringing back two adoptees, Benji (a Podenco mix) and Rayo (a Galgo - travel kennel is ready in Spain). We will meet with their adoption mothers to pick them up at JFK Airport in NYC on our journey back to California.  

Benji Will be Traveling with Us from Scooby to his Forever Home In the USA (New York) 

Dear Fellow Scooby Fans, Virtual Adoption Parents and Lovers of Scooby Dogs in General - Can I Do Something for You While I'm There?

• Is there a dog that I can pet, cuddle and kiss for you? 
• Can I take a photo of any special animal and post/send to you? 
• Do you want a status report on any of the animals there that are special to you? (I know -- they are all special. Right?) ;-)  

If you would like me to give you an update and/or photo, please send me an email by 4/7/12, and I'll do my best to provide that to you.

I plan to blog about my trip, take lots of photos and videos too.  I'll post everything so that you can enjoy the updates about Scooby and the wonderful rescued animals. Rest assured that Bless and our other pets will be in loving hands with our Pet/House Sitter while we are away. :-)

Hasta Luego!

Thank you for reading my blog! More to follow. Bless sends her blessings.

Our gorgeous Galga, Bless!

Please support Scooby!
Know an organization that will donate dog food?  Please let me know.

Surprise! Great News: Maldot Has a New Home in Europe!

Surprise! Maldot is Officially Adopted by Ana Merino. He now has a home and will stay in Europe. Hooray!

This past week brought a wonderful turn of events.  The most beautiful and beloved Maldot, rock star of the oldies at Scooby, has been adopted. Yes. It is official... Ana Merino has adopted our beloved one.  We will not be bringing the dear one back to the USA, so we have room for another dog instead.

This past week, Ana's beloved Urco, who had health issues, crossed over the rainbow bridge, and passed along a warm loving home to Maldot. Ana and Maldot have always shared a love and appreciation for each other.  Now they will be together, in his forever home.  Life just couldn't be better.

Here is Maldot in his new home with Ana. What could be more perfect?

 

Muchas gracias!

Thank you for reading my blog! More to follow. Bless sends her blessings.

Bless is our beautiful Galga, adopted and traveled with me to California in 5/11.
She's SO LOVED and SO AWESOME! :-)

Please support Scooby!
Know an organization that will donate dog food?  Please let me know.

Another Spanish Adventure: Madrid, Scooby, Maldot and the Galgo

¡Hola!


Espanol: Estimado Scooby, no tardaremos en Visita para que Scooby Maldot y una Galga Hermosa a los EE.UU., a sus hogares para siempre. Muchas gracias por todo lo que he hecho por ellos. (Pardon the Google translation, please!)


English - Dear Scooby, We shall soon visit Scooby to bring Maldot and a beautiful Galga to the USA, to their forever homes. Thank you very much for all you've done for them.


My husband Darrell and I are soon off to Spain for another exciting adventure!  In early April, we will travel from San Francisco to New York City to our destination, Madrid.  

Beautiful Madrid

We'll be staying there for four days to do some sight-seeing and enjoy the local culture. We'll then travel about 1.5 hours northwest to Medina del Campo to meet up with our fellow Scoobettes from the UK and other places to volunteer at Scooby.  We cannot wait!


The BIG news is that we will bring back the famous rock star of the oldies' paddock, Maldot, who has been at Scooby for a few years now, to be in his new home in the Big Apple, New York City.  

Maldot has Come a LONG Way from when He Arrived at Scooby.
Start spreading the news... he's ready for YOU - NEW YORK, NEW YORK!

An added delight is that we will also bring a lovely Galga (details to follow) for adoption on the East Coast.  Two more lovely Spanish beauties will find their forever homes in loving arms in the USA. Maldot is a BIG boy, so we are carefully planning for his crate and transfer to the States.  I'll be taking our Galga, Bless' crate to Spain for the other Galga we are bringing back. Stay tuned for more information. I'm checking on travel arrangements this week to make sure all is OK with Delta. They were so good with flying Bless to California last year, I am hopeful that traveling with Maldot and the Galgo will go smoothly as well.


On a related note, please see this recent story about dear Scoobettes from the UK, and their adventures to bring the most wonderful Brox (Barnaby Bear - another oldie)  to his forever home in the UK with Ellie:  

Brox comfy in his new home with Angel Ellie



Barnaby Bear (aka Brox) packs for his trip to his forever home in the UK



"Brox comes Home - Scooby UK Blog - a Love Story about a Girl who visits Spain & falls in love with a gorgeous oldie. She returns home, but never forgets her true love: Over 620 mi, 21 hrs, 3 countries, 2 ferries, 1 vet, lots of lovely people, wonderful ♥ Scooby ♥ folks pulling together and one gorgeous, extremely special, very tired + well traveled doggie ♥ Barnaby Bear AKA Brox!! Welcome to England super, precious boy ♥ Every centimetre was worth it to have you here in Ellie's arms! :-)" scoobymedinauk.blogspot.com 

Muchas gracias!

Thank you for reading my blog! More to follow. Bless sends her blessings.

Bless is our beautiful Galga, adopted and traveled with me to California in 5/11.
She's SO LOVED and SO AWESOME! :-)

Please support Scooby!
Know an organization that will donate dog food?  Please let me know.

Dear Family & Friends, I've Finally Found the Perfect Job That I Really, Really Want!

I've Finally Found My Dream Job! :-)

Folks, what a discovery! I've found my dream job...

Great hours, excellent benefits, free meals and snacks, everyone appreciates you for who you are, regular massages, and more perks than I can list here.

The job/position:

I want to be a dog in my house. Here are a few of the reasons that I want to pursue my new dream job:

1) I get to lounge around all day -- eat treats, play and sleep any time I want -- except I have to get my greyhound, Wilma, and galgo, Bless out of my lounge chairs.

Wilma and Bless on the Lounge Chairs

2) I can cuddle up with Bless and Wilma to get my ears and face cleaned, as they do for each other, just before I nap with them. It doesn't get any better than this!

Bless cleaning Wilma's Ears - So Sweet

 3) I can take that well-deserved morning nap with Bless.

Bless Napping

4) I can take another well-deserved morning nap with Wilma and Jake. OK. That takes care of the mornings. Now for the afternoons.

Wilma and Jake Napping

So you're getting that napping is one of the primary responsibilities for this job. Right? :-) I could be good at that. I just know it!

5) I can take that well-deserved afternoon nap with Frank (kittie) and Wilma.

Frank and Wilma Napping

6) I can take another well-deserved afternoon nap with Bless.

Bless Napping

Whew! That's a long day. May just be time for another nap to rest up...

What a perfect job opportunity! Bet you're excited for me. :-)
I'm sure that I'm the perfect fit for this position when the Easter Family reads my resume and sees just how cute and loveable I am. I have some serious competition with Bless, Wilma, Jake and Frank, but I know they must have room for one more employee in that household. I'm just waiting for that call...  getting soooooo tired of looking for that perfect job, and am confident that this is the one for me.


BTW - Wouldn't you like to be a dog (or cat) in my house? Oops - sorry! All of our positions are currently filled, as are our hearts. ;-)  All of the Easter's pets, including our dear Bless, are getting the love and great lives that they deserve.

Hasta Luego!

Thank you for reading my blog! More to follow, including news of our upcoming trip to Spain to visit Scooby to volunteer. Very excited about that! Bless sends her blessings.

Our gorgeous Galga, Bless!

Please support Scooby!
Know an organization that will donate dog food?  Please let me know.

Happy 2012! Thank You for Supporting Scooby's December 2011 Auction!

"Greyhound Meets Galgo" Wilma and Bless,
Custom Portrait that I won in the Auction, by Charles Mumah

Our December auction raised over $3,000 for Scooby Medina del Campo in Spain to help rescue Spanish Galgos (greyhounds) and other animals.  Thank you so much for your support!

In this auction I was lucky enough to win bids on some beautiful jewelry and a very special item, which was a custom-portrait of up to two animals, from the artist Charles Mumah, who donated his time and efforts.  I've included a photo of my custom portrait from Charles of our rescues, Wilma, greyhound (left) and Bless, galgo (right). He worked with me to get it just the way I wanted it. :-) Awesome work, Charles! 

Diane Ward took care of the donated auction items, shipping and billing, and is a super star for doing so. We worked with Mary LaHam, and a big THANK YOU to Mary and 2 Hounds Design for hosting the auction, and helping administer everything, from postings to descriptions to making sure everything went smoothly.

The folks who support Scooby are absolutely amazing! I'm connected to the network on Facebook, and feel honored to be part of their network. What wonderful, wonderful hearts and souls they are.  So thankful to be part of this magnificent network of angels. 

Muchas gracias!

Thank you for reading my blog! More to follow. Bless sends her blessings.

Please support Scooby!
Know an organization that will donate dog food?  Please let me know.

Merry Christmas! Another Auction for Scooby, 12/4-12/12/11

Print from the Scooby Auction

Season's Greetings!

We just launched another auction for Scooby, which has a number of lovely gifts for greyhounds, galgos, cats and peeps.  Diane Ward and I worked on this one together, and it is hosted by http://www.2houndsdesign.com/.  Mary LaHam, who coordinates and does the postings for all of the groups, did a phenomenal job guiding us throughout the posting process, and made sure that our items and descriptions are top-notch. HUGE thanks to Mary for all of her help!

The money raised from this auction will go for medical and food expenses for the animals at Scooby Medina del Campo.  Soon, we hope to have enough funds to build a much needed puppy house.  All of your donations, whether it be your time, items for the auctions, purchasing auction items, and regular support, are so very much appreciated. Scooby would not exist without you!

Merry Christmas to You and Yours, and Keep the Faith, as we move forward to 2012 and new adventures. Wishing you Blessings from Bless!

Bless is all snuggled up for Winter in her new coat and snood.

My Galgo is like any other dog... except, she's even more special :-)

Bless Easter - our adopted Galga from Scooby Medina del Campo
Isn't she lovely?

We adopted Bless in April of this year, please see my past entries for information:  A Journey: Adopting a Galgo. Bless has been a member of our family and pack for six months, and it's just getting better every day. It is amazing to see how well she has adjusted to relocating to California, joining our pack of two other dogs, a cat and us, and her new surroundings (a house, back yard with swimming pool, etc.)

She is truly a wonderful companion, although she's never been anyone's pet, but rather was raised to be a hunting galgo. Watch this video for a new perspective on galgos: commentary is in Espanol, however, you'll get the gist of it: Reportaje Canal Sur Maltrato Galgos.   These dogs are resilient souls just waiting for the love and lives that they deserve.

Just look at the good life that our beloved Galga, Bless has:

Bless and Jake (American Eskimo) barking at anyone who dares to walk past our home.

Bless happily chewing on her bone

Bless and Wilma all snuggled up - sleepy time

Bless is one of the joys of my life.

Thank you for reading my blog! More to follow. Bless sends her blessings.

Please support Scooby!
Know an organization that will donate dog food?  Please let me know.