Follow Your Arrow

I arrived in Madrid surprisingly awake after my overnight flight from Toronto. Shifting my circadian rhythm to more closely match Spain’s time zone really worked. Thank you, Sheila, for working this schedule out for me AND for eating dinner at (nearly) lunchtime with me.

Getting into the city from Madrid’s Adolfo Suárez international airport was easy: bus #203 direct to Atocha train station, which put me within a 15 minute walk to my quaint little pension for the night. Hostal Gonzales is in the rather hip neighbourhood of Barrio de Letras, the “Literary Quarter” named for the renowned Spanish writers who lived here – Cervantes, Lope de Vega and others. Javier and his brother Angelo run the pension, which was clean, comfortable and simple – just what I needed for my 30 hours in Madrid.

After settling Pickle into our room, I headed out to explore Madrid. This city is alive! Not in a hectic New York City kind of way, but full of the kind of energy that comes with people sitting in cafes sipping coffee or wine, talking with friends, enjoying life in an unhurried way. In the afternoon I joined a walking tour, led by Duarte, who speaks at least 4 languages. His English was impeccable. The tour covered many of the major architectural sites of Madrid: the Royal Palace, the Royal Theatre, the Cathedral City Hall, and a few plazas. We did not visit the insides of any of these buildings. On my next trip to Madrid, I will reserve time for the Prado museum and a Flamenco show.

After my tour, I met my friend, Dana, and we did what the locals do: drinking and eating and chatting. Over the course of a few hours we visited three bars and sampled the local beer (in a cerveceria), wine, and vermouth, and I had my must-have Spanish happy hour drink the Tinto de verano – a mix of lemony soda and red wine over lots of ice and a slice of orange. We had a plate of dried and cured tuna that was amazing. And, who knew that Roquefort and anchovies were a good match on a piece of lightly toasted bread… paired with a Spanish red wine.

Once back in my pension, I fell fast asleep. A very good first day of this Spanish adventure.

Next up: Zaragoza.