Flamenco

Watching flamenco dancers perform on a wooden stage over a delicious dinner was absolutely one of the most romantic things we have done throughout our travels. At the suggestion of our friend and Madrileña Kyra, we made reservations at the swanky El Corral de la Morería for a true flamenco show. The dancers were fabulous and the intimate setting made me feel like a part of the show. The whole experience was wonderful, but our personal highlights are below:

The clappers: Palmas (clapping) are a crucial part of the show. I honestly do not know how the three men were able to produce such consistent sounding claps in harmony with each other for over an hour. Their hands must get tired!
The tourists: There was a man sitting on the front row with his iPad propped on the stage. He literally filmed the entire show. Even the dancers were laughing at him. If you're reading this: don't be that guy.
The male dancer: Though he was an amazing dancer, his fly was down during the entire 30 minute solo. Call me childish, but it almost appeared intentional when he would take dramatically long strides, emphasizing the issue.
The guitarists: I have never seen such impressive guitar playing. These guys played from the heart - alone on the stage on a wooden stool without sheet music. At one point I even counted the fingers on one of the guitarists - I was certain he had an extra in there to help him make those sounds!

Madrid Spotlight: Rejoneo

San Isidro = Madrid's patron saint

Madrid = famous for bullfighting

Therefore, attending a bullfight in Madrid during the annual San Isidro festival = a guaranteed good show!

We were lucky enough to get tickets to a Saturday night fight at the famous La Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas del Espíritu Santo (aka "Las Ventas") in the middle of town. The whole ordeal very much reminded me of Gladiator and the Colosseum we visited just a few months ago. Every seat in the stadium was packed, even the "cheap," €50 seats directly in the sun, and people were chanting the names of the famous fighters as they took the stage.




We attended a rejoneo, a bullfight in which the fighter, the rejoneador, is on horseback. The skill of controlling horses millimeters away from a bull's horn to the thigh was incredible. Apparently, the horses are blinded, but even after a couple of the horses received a swift jab, the rejoneadors maintained control. These horses could easily outrun the bull, so the rejoneador would have the horses side step to taunt the bull - I was amazed at how fast and steady the horses were with this seemingly awkward movement.






Earlier that day, we stopped at the Torre del Oro Bar Andalú in Madrid's Plaza Mayor to get excited about the fight, educated on the sport, and of course a glass of sangria. We saw how large a bull's head and horns actually are, read about the famous matador El Cordobés, and found out that even the most skilled fighter can end up with a horn through their chin. This made it even more impressive when the rejoneadors hung off the horses and literally grabbed the bulls by their horns.






Bottom line: Saturday night rejoneo during the San Isidro festival = the ultimate Madrid experience!

10 Resons to Visit the Gläserne Manufaktur

Though I had heard of the Volkswagen Phaeton before moving to Germany, I had never seen one in person. VW's top of the line car starts at $65,000 but averages well over $100,000. Though the car comes with either a V6 or powerful V8 engine, the majority of Phaeton owners are not driving the car themselves, but instead telling Jeeves where to go from the back seat.

The Gläserne Manufaktur (photo credit: http://www.glaesernemanufaktur.de)

Phaetons are made exclusively in Dresden, Germany in the beautiful Gläserne Manufaktur (transparent factory). Here are 10 reasons the factory tour was the highlight of our trip to Dresden:

1. The building itself: Almost all of the walls in this pristine factory in the middle of Dresden are made of glass (hence the name "transparent factory"). The 16-story cylindrical vehicle tower proudly showcases up to 280 cars at once. Since everything is transparent, you can see the manufacturing process from different angles at all times. There is no bad view! Surrounded by parks, the landscaping is also a marvel - there was even a large pond with blooming waterlilies and goldfish in front of the main entrance.
2. Environmental concern: Apparently some found the Gläserne Manufaktur to be a little too transparent. All year long, you can hear birds chirping through speakers in the trees to keep real birds from nesting in the surrounding trees (they planted over 350). Apparently the local birds were in danger of running into the windows and meeting their maker.
3. White glove dining service: We opted for the brunch/tour package, which, for €35 a person, includes an extensive and delicious buffet, drinks, alcohol, and the tour. The restaurant was elegant, and eating among the Phaetons made us feel very fancy.
4. White glove manufacturing service: That's right, employees of this assembly line wear white gloves and white lab coats. Buttons are strictly prohibited to avoid paint scratches and dings.
5. The tour: Capped at 15 people and offered in English (or eight other languages!), you will definitely feel special on the 75 minute tour. At only €5 a person, they do book up quickly, so plan ahead! Thankfully the factory is open seven days a week.
6. The assembly line: A far cry from the black rubber conveyor belt I was picturing, the Phaetons glide across the factory on a beautiful hardwood floor conveyor belt . The cars can rotate around in a circle to give the workers the best angle, and robotic arms pick them up delicately to move them to the next station.
7. Lack of robots: Our tour guide was proud that almost all of the Phaeton is assembled by hand. Only four robots are used in the process (fitting the windows, installing the spare wheel well, aiding the "marriage" of the chassis with the body, and engraving the back of the car with whatever the customer desires).
8. VW "CarGo Tram": The main logistics center is located on the other side of Dresden, so instead of moving everything by truck, VW bought their own special, bright blue tram to transport the materials. The tram can be seen around Dresden - it cuts through the center of the city!
9. Customization: Though over half of the cars produced are in straight black, VW allows for extreme customization of the Phaeton. Customers can bring in materials to include on the interior, and paint colors can be mixed to match anything. Rumor has it they even created a yellow Phaeton to match a customer's dress!
10. Acting like a boss: Sitting in the back right of the Phaeton was pretty cool, but particularly after we learned about the "Boss Button" on the right of the back center console. Since the owners of these cars are generally chauffeured around town while seated in this coveted spot, there is actually a button to force the front passenger seat forward in case the leg room is not sufficient. Like a boss.