Its been a long time since my last post, and alot has happened and alot hasn't. Two weekends ago my field trip in Sax was cancelled AGAIN and I was going to do the Rascafria, 2 puertos assault...but I discovered my rear tire was worn out. i mean fabric showing worn out. I also somehow destroyed the valves of three tubes...how does that happen? I think there is something gravely wrong with my pump. But anyways, I've just been working over every defect in my bike: new tire, new brake pads and cables, a thorough cleaning. next is the big chainring which is really worn with a couple broken teeth. Turns out that shit wears out. So instead i went to a movie in english in Madrid with Santi and his girlfriend who was visiting. Before the movie we went to an Egyptian Temple. There just happens to be one in a big park in Madrid, as if every park has a temple to Isis. Spain contributed funds to help "save" several archaeological sites when Egypt decided to trade its heritage for the Aswan High Dam, a dam which can kick the ass of Hoover dam (I think thats what they really wanted, not hydroelectricity or controllable irrigation). So Egypt gave a salvaged temple to uncle Franco. Who knew Franco was such a softie. Turns out theres also one in Amsterdam and another in New York for the same reason. It wasn't much to look at, and seemed more Roman that Egyptian (In fact its final makeover was when the Romans controlled Egypt)...but does your town have a 2000 year old Temple in the park? i didn't think so. I enjoyed it very much, its also where Madrid goes to see the sunset and get married.

The next day I took a day trip to Alcala de Henares, the town of Cervantes. I went pretty ignorant, so I do not know the significance of much of what I saw, but I just wandered around and enjoyed the old buildings like I always do. It is mostly Renaissance aged, and was/is the home of a famous humanist university. My favorite thing ended up being the door to the cathedral, which had these sponge-like sculptural elements with birds living in them. it happened to be across from an "official guiness-certified irish pub". I thought for sure they might actually serve a pint in there, but just bottles and they cost either two nuts or an ovary depending on want you got. At least it wasn't canas (half sized beers, what is the point really). The Guiness tasted great though, after a steady diet of Spanish lager. Standard issue Spanish beer isn't any worse than its American counterpart. Mahou is most common and is pretty much insipid...not bad not good, just beer. Cruzcampo is thought of as a shitty alternative, probably because it comes in plastic bottles, but I like it a little better. But they are just the cheap working class shite, the PBR and Oly of Spain. Also, Amstel light, a dutch beer and possibly the most boring in the entire world is ubiquitous for some reason. If you come to Spain and want a good beer, try Voll-Damm, Bock-Damm, or Mezquita. As i understand, Spain's wines are excellent. But I'm a wine ignoramus. it all tastes fine to me. Besides, I can't stomach all of the hooplah and ritual surrounding wine. wafting, swishing, texture, sniffing, swirling, etc. The bottom line: IS THE SHIT FOR DRINKING, OR WHAT? Ok, that was a rant that had nothing to do with Alcala or its architecture. Anyways, we just don't put much effort into our buildings anymore, its too bad because these details are really amazing. In 500 years will our modern buildings be of interest to anyone? Not to this guy, he is an enemy of wind power. He also appears to be frozen in carbon...thats what you get for being an enemy of wind power.


Its kind of funny that I always seem to be visiting some form of church. Churches and castles, chrches and castles, you'd think it would get boring but everything is so unique that it doesn't. Too bad the churches don't serve real pints of unswirled, unwafted, American IPA, or Irish stout.