I'll start with my new mate. We have made a lovely friend over our stay at the current setting. I've not got his name yet, but a name will follow. He's Portuguese, doesn't speak a word of English, but lived in France for 46 years, so we found common ground with French, although I have a lot to learn yet. Anyway, a delightfully cheery chap, lots of jesting, joking, arm slapping etc. we both greeted his liveliness with good humour, and since then we have kept on bumping into him everywhere. And so it was, as we went to catch the bus to go to Madrid, he was there with his wife waiting at the stop. So our amusing conversation from the previous night continued. I would say that about 50% of the messages both ways were getting through. Life, work, children, places to go etc were all discussed in a sort of vague interpretation, amongst laughs and chuckles on both sides. Then the bus arrived. He swiftly negotiated his tickets, unlike us, who fumbled our Spanish, but did so with good grace and good humour, and an apologetic English manner that eventually got us the correct tickets. We then followed him onto the next bus and repeated the same painful process.
Upon arrival in Madrid, we all bade each other a good day and then departed. And so into Madrid, amongst reports of pick pocketing, muggings, bag snatching from numerous sources, we carefully held onto our belongings and I started the incessant pocket checks. We walked (as has become our way) around Madrid, and found ourselves initially in the streets leading to the Plaza Mayor.
The streets were fantastic, a real heritage about the city. As we stepped into the Plaza we were greated by the Sunday flea markets, a whole host of street performers and some amazing architecture. All in all quite special. We then followed our noses and the streets down to the Puerto del Sol. Again, the back streets were brilliant, lots of fantastic shops and street performers (this is not a career for me though, I can't sit or stand still long enough) until we entered the Puerto del Sol. Another intriguing place. The main focus of this area was a bronze statue of a bear and strawberry tree, the symbol of Madrid. However, the hidden part to the Puerto, was a plaque on the floor called 'Kilometre 0'. This is the centre point of Spain, the place from where most Spanish measurements are taken. I say hidden, because in the end we had to go and ask to find it. It wasn't signed at all and was away from all the action.
We then continued our walk, strolling past the Opera house and then towards the Royal Palace. We decided to go in. So we paid our way, and ended up having a real treat. Essentially it was the equivalent of Buckingham Palace, mixed with the rooms of Longleat house, which if you haven't visited the private rooms of Lord Bath, then do it! Each room was quite special and different in its decor, it's colours and it's whole theme. Each one did however have amazing frescos on the ceilings and plenty of ornate gold bits!
The views also across Madrid from the Palace were fantastic; the mountains, the city, the cable car, the forests and as ever in Spain, a huge blue sky.
We finished our day by walking through the a very fashionable food quarter, where a cool mist was sprayed from the roof. Feeling a little unfashionable and even a little old for this area, we continued our way through the food stalls, bars and amazing delicious things on offer to eat.
We purchased and ate a snack to prepare us for the journey home.
For the journey, read the equivalent incoming trip about fumbling our way onto the bus etc. The amusing thing was, that when we got off the first bus and went to wait for our second bus, our old mate was there. So more laughing, back slapping, chuckling, mixed messages and poor language before we finally onto our last bus.
I'm not sure how to summarise Madrid though, as there were things that didn't work for some reason. It might be part of the culture and the way the place runs, but there is an overwhelming amount of graffiti everywhere. If it doesn't move, then graffiti was on it. Also, the litter and the smells in the streets left us both thinking....ueeeggh! So it wasn't quite as magical as Paris, and to be honest we enjoyed Bordeaux and Pamplona much more.
Ed
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