Madrid
I wandered Madrid
Enjoying the sights
Believing I am El Cid
A beloved Spanish knight
Fighting not for blood
But time
A tourist stud
Searching and seeking in rhyme
So much to see
For two days of travel
And I was free
At my pace to unravel
All of the great destinations
Sitting in courtyards and plazas
Sipping coffee on vacation
Recalling all Spains mighty causes
Fighting Muslims invaders
Discovering the new world
Subduing the English pirates and raiders
Surviving Fascism as it whirled
Spain had endured
From good times to bad
Unsecured to secured
Moving past the dictatorship fad
Reminding me of Don Quixote escapades
One of my favorite operas and books
He is fighting villains on his crusade
There is more going on than it looks
He is fighting a noble fight
To stay pure and true
A beacon of light
And a strong bond or glue
To the noblest of ideals
For all of the needy and depressed
You must hear his appeals
To be brave and pass the test
True to goodness
True to the humanity
True to the truth
True to God
Anything is possible
If you give it your best
Possible and best is compossible
With a holy quest
A holy quest for what is right
Maybe not popular
Pushing back the blight
As a holy swashbuckler
My mind ran through these thoughts
As I sat at Don Quixotes statue
And I was happy to bear the cross
And I remembered and knew
It should all be for God
The number one thing
And it is hard not to be a fraud
But you must cling to the King
No matter what
Or under any circumstance
You know it in your gut
Take a holy stance
For your friends and neighbors
For the born and unborn
God will reward your labors
And you will be reborn
I am consolidating my notes and pictures into a travel book to Europe. I visited Europe two years ago and I took the train around Europe for twenty-six days. I traveled to eleven countries and visited 22 cities – London, Brussels, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Berlin, Wittenberg, Zurich, Budapest, Warsaw, Vienna, Milan, Paris, Venice, Florence, Rome, Bari, Thessaloniki, Athens, Corinth, Barcelona, Madrid, and New York.
Excert from Book
“Now the tricky part, I had studied how to perform this maneuver, and I knew it would be confusing and chaotic. Yes, it was all that and more. I was a little punch drunk from the long trip, so it was hard to get my bearings. I am glad that I downloaded the Citymapper for my android phone. Once I got on the train, I could sit down and open the app, and study on it. I knew where I was going, but it gave me a little more comfort.
I made it to Tower Bridge station and transferred to the District line to get to Notting Hill. Notting Hill was the location that I had picked out for my stay. Everyone remembers the movie Notting Hill and the warm, good vibes it gave you. I understand it is a movie, and it was planned and acted out to perfection. Everything turns out rosy pink in the end, and is that not what we want for our lives. I think so.”
