<i>Editor's note: The Umpqua Singers graciously agreed to blog about their musical trip to Spain. Unfortunately, a crush of holiday news-related business kept the newsroom from posting these blogs in a timely manner. For this, we offer our most humble apologies. We hope our readers still enjoy the snapshot of Spain offered by Jason Heald and his talented troupe. This is the second dispatch from the group, sent in mid-December.</i>

Buenos Dias!



It´s early Monday morning here in Madrid, and I am at a Lucotorio, an internet cafe, while the Umpqua Singers are sleeping in. Hostal Triana is a quaint establishment on the second floor of an older building on the Plaza de Carmen.

We´ve stayed in very economical places, including a low-rent hotel off Las Ramblas in Barcelona and a dormitory at the Escuela de Musica in Aranda de Duero. All have been very hospitable, but the Triana is certainly the nicest with a lovely view off of the balconies.

After an afternoon at the Prado and an evening at a Madrid discotheque, it´s a good morning for the Singers to have a little extra time to sleep. We will head back to Barcelona this morning and on to Las Estados Unidas tomorrow.



Both performances in Aranda went extremely well. The audiences were ecstatic about our program, and "El Marcha Real," the Spanish National Anthem, was a big hit. The Lerma performance on Saturday was a tremendous experience, too. The venue was a 13th-century church with great acoustics. The audience was filled with local musicians, and we had a great time chatting with them after the performance.



We visited Penafiel Saturday afternoon where we hiked up to a large castle that overlooks the town. Pictures are incapable of capturing the magnificence of this fortress. We´ve walked a lot since arriving in Spain, and this element of European lifestyle has made an impression on all of us. It makes you sore or buff, depending on who you ask.



It´s time to roust the group and catch the Metro at Plaza del Sol.



Ciao!



Jason Heald / The Umpqua Singers