Me in Plaza Mayor, Madrid
May 5-6, 2010
This trip was over a year in the making. When I finally landed in Madrid, nonstop direct from San Jose, Costa Rica with only a 25-minute nap on the 10.5-hour flight, I was excited and a little awestruck. I used to travel for my work in the 70s and 80s, bopping in and out of airports, when I was young and resilient. But in Madrid, I had to concentrate on understanding Spanish, which, although I've been studying and practicing for five years, still eludes me at times.
But I quickly got my bearings, took out Euros at the ATM with my US debit card, and learned how to buy Metro tickets from a machine. The hostel had sent me directions from the airport, so I got off at the prescribed Metro stop, only to find out that my hotel was not located anywhere near there. A kind security guard brought me over to an information clerk, who looked up my hotel in the phone book, then told me which stop I needed. The guard let me enter the Metro without paying again, and I was on my way, lugging my suitcase behind me. So my first experience of the people in Madrid was very friendly = muy amable.
My private room at the hostel could not have been more tiny, but the bed was comfortable and the shower had hot water. I was surprised by the pillow; it was more of a roll that extended the width of the bed. Even in hotels where I slept in a double bed, the pillow was as wide as the bed. Despite the odd shape, the pillows were comfortable, and I had hardly any neck problems during my 20 days in Spain.
But I didn't go to Spain to stay in bed, so after a brief nap, the street noise lulled me out. I walked down the street from the Gran Via (a main street with majestic old buildings) to the Puerto del Sol, a popular plaza, and then meandered down streets too narrow for cars to drive. The shops were quaint and darling.
It was colder than I was used to, and most of the women were wearing scarves. I don't usually like things around my neck, but I found two nice scarves for 5 Euros (about $6.50), so I bought them and wore one or the other for the next two weeks. If I had brought my earmuffs and gloves, I would have worn those, too.
My first night I felt a little homesick for Latin music, but then I saw a sign for Club Cubano, and walked there about 9pm. I listened to a guy with a guitar sing Cuban songs, many of which I knew from my Buena Vista Social Club CD. I stayed long enough to have a Caipirinha, a Brazilian drink that had me drunk in 3 sips, and a dish of papas rellenos, potatoes stuffed with chilis, which were delicious.
Back in the room about 11pm, I knew I had to adjust to the local time, so I took a Tylenol PM and slept for 11 hours.
May 7
I had found a TV station with only white noise and no picture, so I had that going all night. It took the place of my white noise machine that I didn't bring.
Churros and Chocolate
I arose at noon on my first full day in Madrid. For breakfast, I went to a place in the guide books that served churros, long and narrow fried dough, with liquid chocolate. I dipped the churros in the chocolate, and drank the chocolate, too. Qué rico!
To get an overview of the city, I took Bus #27 from the Prado Museum north to Castellano, walked through open-air food stalls, then took the bus back. I went into the Prado and saw old art by Velasquez, Goya and El Greco. I am not a big fan of these religious paintings, so I was out of there in about an hour, just in time for a light rain. I walked more, went in stores, including El Cortes Ingles, the biggest Spanish department store, where prices were high. I bought 19 fans for friends back home. At an outdoor cafe, I grabbed a pencil-thin sandwich of smoked salmon, anchovy, lettuce and cream cheese, and chased it back with a caña, a small beer. I was beat after a long day of walking.
May 8
Me in the Crystal Palace
This was another walking day to see Madrid, starting with a cafe con leche and a chocolate croissant. I went to the Botanical Garden and the Parque Buen Retiro. Madrid knows how to do parks right! They are expansive, manicured and clean, and lots of people enjoy their beauty in the midst of the country's capital. I was particularly impressed with the Crystal Palace, a building made of glass.
Even though I had a 10-ride Metro pass, I preferred to walk, even in the rain, with my scarf over my hair. Finally back near the Puerto del Sol, I stopped in at a bar, La Abuela, and ordered sangria. I wanted mussels, but they were out, so the bartender/owner, Antonio, gave me a sample of boquerones, anchovies in oil and garlic. I would not ordinarily eat anchovies, but ooh, they were good! I got to talking to two guys, Fernando and Miguel. Fernando was a bookie for bullfights and other sports; Miguel was a transplanted businessman from Cadiz. We spent a few hours at the bar,drinking and eating. Miguel and I made plans to go dancing that night, and said we'd meet back at La Abuela at 9:00pm.
Miguel and me
I got lost on the way back to La Abuela - so many narrow streets! - but finally found the place. The place was crowded with people watching a soccer game on TV, so Miguel and I hung out there, eating and drinking, til 11, when we went to a dance place he knew about. It was closed - boo! - so I suggested Club Cubano. It was raining, so he bought us an umbrella for the walk. On the way, he propositioned me. I thought about it, but declined. He was handsome and had money and was only 42, but I was leaving the next morning, and I missed Indio, so I declined. He stayed at Club Cubano long enough to buy me a drink, then said he was leaving. I stayed and enjoyed the music, then left an hour later.
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