D125 - Roots

We both woke up feeling a little off. Perhaps it was the partying going on outside our window until 2 am. We checked out of the Parador and went to the fort part of the castle across the parking lot – we had stayed in the palace part. The castle is on a hill, so the views from the roof were pretty great. It must have been a great strategic location back in its day.

Thomas drove us to Madrid, and we saw signs for Talavera de la Reina along the way. I wanted to stop so we could see where Mexican Talavera pottery came from, and Thomas obliged even though he wasn't feeling well. Quite disappointing. This sign on the way into town was nice, but I didn't like any of the designs at the two places where we stopped. Granted, maybe they were just tourist traps, but I still much prefer Mexican-style pottery.

We arrived in Madrid with plans to see the Rastro (a big flea market) and the Prado Museum, but Thomas was still feeling sick and there was no parking to be found. So we checked into the same hotel we stayed at last week, went to the train station to return the rental car, and then vegged out in the room. Giant came on TV, so that occupied me for a good three hours while Thomas slept. Man, I like that movie. Its treatment of discrimination against people of Mexican descent in Texas must have been groundbreaking back in the 50s. I just love it when Elizabeth Taylor asks Rock Hudson if we stole Texas from the Mexicans.

Being in Spain has been interesting. Given my skin color, a good percentage of my ancestors must have been Spanish, yet I identify completely with Mexican American culture and not at all with Spanish. In my mind, the Spanish were always the white people who decimated, enslaved, and forced their religion upon my ancestors. And yet, they are my ancestors, too. I will always classify myself as mestizo or Mexican American rather than white, but it has definitely been interesting thinking about my roots here. I wonder where the Mendozas and Rodriguezes came from...

-Elva