MADRID

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MADRID - Tuesday 28th May

Have been wandering the streets feeling both excited and apprehensive. I think I have just realised what I have done. Here I am, on my own, and I don't speak the language!!!!!!

Madird is extremely lively and busy - there is some evidence of the financial sitution - some homeless people sleeping on the street - one with a cat (and it's litter tray!) and a demonstration outside a bank - seemingly about BANCO FRAUD from the placards - I could hear them before I could locate them as they were blowing whistles!

I walked further than I had planned along the Calle de Mayor - had actually missed the Plaza Mayor totally! But this, of course, led to much better things to see - the beautful Jardines de Sabatini - an oasis amongst the hectic traffic, lying beside the Palacio Real and below the level of the Calle de Bailen. A sanctuary, that despite the background noise of the traffic, the sound of birds and water from the central fountain drew me in. This made me slow down. I realised that I had been just walking - and fast! Not really seeing.

At a much more leisurely pace, I walked further along the Calle de Bailen to the Plaza de Espana - dominated by a stature of Don Quixote. Market stalls, with souvenirs of a reasonable quality, can be found here. I saw some lovely, colourful cotton shirts that I will have to come back to buy at a later time. There is no room in my bag for anything extra at this stage. I should have brought my back pack instead of my trolley bag!!!

I sort sanctuary from the hustle and bustle in a McDonalds - desperate I know, but they do have clean toilets and free Wifi! Not that I could access the wifi - connection not strong enough. So I satisfied myself with an orange juice and a cup of tea - well that's what I thought I ordered! I will have to get used to coffee!!!

I continued on, further down the Calle Gran Via, towards my hotel, but turning right back up the Calle Alcara to find the tourist office I could not find this morning - I had walked past it! The friendly woman suggested that the best way for me to get to the train station tomorrow morning would be by the Metro. So I decided to try it out! Two euros, 2 metro lines and 40 minutes later I was at the Chamartin train station! While there I got my Spanish rail pass validated and my ticket checked, had a bite to eat and returned by a different metro line - taking only 25 minutes and one line. I walked back to the hotel in only five minutes! This would be the line I will take tomorrow.

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