Madrid

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The plane took off on time and landed in Madrid on time. In Madrid we waited for the Hilton shuttle, which came about 15 minutes later. When we checked into the Hilton we noted that breakfast was €35 each (yes we are in Spain where stuff is expensive and unemployment is beyond 20%, and they have yet to figure it out). The concierge at the check in desk recommended that for an addition €65 a night we could get an upgrade to the Executive Floor; this would give us a free breakfast, free access to the lounge, free booze, and free Internet. The math made good sense and we also got an upgraded room. I would say that this was the highlight of our trip in Madrid - we could have just stayed in the hotel.
After getting settled into the room we took a short 10-minute walk to the METRO and went downtown; the ride was about 30 minutes and cost €1 each. We walked around town for a while and then had lunch. Lunch was nothing spectacular, although the menu was in English. The food, the price, and the service were not even close to what we had enjoyed in Istanbul. After lunch we took another stroll and decided to head back to the hotel to enjoy the executive lounge. In the lounge we met some nice people and spent the evening enjoying some good Spanish wine and food.
The next morning we had breakfast at Hilton. The breakfast was absolutely excellent, as was the service and the surroundings. This hotel was just one year old and it was very modern in all of its aspects. We then decided to take the metro to downtown and get on the Madrid Vision (hop on - hop off) bus for a couple of hours to see the city. The weather was great and the bus tour was very good. We decided to have lunch at an Argentine restaurant; it was a little better than the day before, but again nothing like the food in Istanbul. We took the second bus tour after lunch and then headed back to the hotel. In the hotel lounge we met some nice people from the UK and we enjoyed some good champagne for several hours.
On the last morning we had breakfast at the Hilton and then headed out to the airport. The flight left on time and arrived early. We picked up the Mini at the airport parking lot and it took us almost 3 hours to drive home. On the way home we hit a big pothole and I thought the wheel was going to fall off; we made it home in one piece. The next morning when I looked at the tire, I would have to say we were lucky to get home; the tire will have to be replaced as the sidewall is badly damaged. Overall, we had a very good trip. We loved Istanbul and were amazed at how much English is spoken there and how nice the people are. Spain, - do I need to say anything more?

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