Spain, Fabulous Spain!

Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies

So my husband casually informed me a couple months ago that he had to go to Spain for a business trip. My thought: HAD to go to Spain? How 'bout GET to go to Spain? And how about asking your wife if she'd like to tag along?

Needless to say, I spent last week exploring Madrid and Toledo. (No, not Toledo, Ohio. Toledo, Spain. Pronounced Toe-lay-doe.) I managed to lose a pound (whoo-hoo!) despite eating tons of freshly-baked, chocolate-dipped churros, because I walked so much. As if that weren't enough to make me wax poetic about Spain, I now have this blog as an excuse to put thoughts about my latest European adventure in writing.

Got that drum rolling? As my first Simon Pulse blog entry, a top five list of reasons why you (yes, you!) should try—at some point in your life—to visit Spain.


1) The Joyeria. This is what the Spanish call jewelry stores—a fitting name, if you ask me. And they're EVERYWHERE!
2) Siesta. How cool is it to get to stay out late every night, and to either visit with family or take a nap in the middle of every afternoon?
3) Museumpalooza. In Madrid alone, you can see art by everyone from Picasso to Goya to Salvador Dali. In the Thyssen Museum, you'll see Monet, Degas, and Pissaro, among others. Across the street, the Prado has Tintoretto, Raphael, and Titian (and that's just the ground floor.) If your feet aren't aching after those two, there are a half-dozen more museums to explore.
4) Real Madrid's extremely hot soccer players. (Current players include David Beckham, Fabio Cannavaro, and Ruud Van Nistelrooy. And yes, I got to see them all play!)
5) Museo de Jamon. Translated, it means the Museum of Ham. You stand under a bunch of different types of ham (really...it's all hanging from the ceiling!) with a bunch of Spanish guys and point to the picture on the menu of sandwiches, chicken, or—you guessed it—ham. Even if you don't eat ham—or you hate museums—this place is something to experience.

And a bonus number six? Imagine yourself sitting at an outdoor cafe sipping a fabulous cup of coffee or eating gelati while the sun reflects off the cobblestones under your feet. People around you are speaking in languages you don't recognize, and there's laughter all around. Bueno!