Two nights in Madrid

Trip Start Jun 02, 2008
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10
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Trip End May 01, 2010


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Where I stayed
Johnny's appartment Retiro district
(Madrid hotels)

Flag of Spain and Canary Islands  , Madrid,
Tuesday, June 17, 2008

I was meant to be stopping just one night with an old off piste ski friend Johnny.. the last we'd seen of each other was over 4 four years ago riding horses in Richmond Park ..He'd been thinking at the time of moving to Chile for a year. But Chile never happened instead he'd learnt Spanish intensively for a year, rented his house and escaped to the fun filled capital of Spain.

I took the slick metro from the airport to the Retiro district - what would normally be a daunting trip in London made effortless with air conditioned carriages, space to move and an easy system to understand. I arrived early and stopped off in a local tapas bar for a beer. Jonny joined me about 8 pm...the Spanish work long hours, the reward is they get off early on a Friday. He took me to a local area frequented only by Spaniards ...and we chatted over a meal catching up on four years of ski stories, lost friendships and the meaning of life...

Jonny generously offered me his flat until the end of the week as I wasn't sure if I would take the train to Seville to see John and Lyn who were busy with a house full or Malaga - back to my parents for some R&R. I took him up on a second night, relaxed and grateful for his generous welcoming and glad for some home comforts ...

I spent the next day wandering Madrid, heading for the Plaza Mayor, St Ana and the shopping district of Sol . I revisited places I'd been before but somehow my heart wasn't in it..I had the urge for a dose of el campo..space and the sea. The perfect solution was waiting for me in Cesares so putting Seville on hold for the time being, I bought my tickets for the fast train to Malaga next morning...
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