Madrid (Spain)
26 Aug – 29 Aug 2019
26 Aug – 29 Aug 2019
Airport lounges are the best,
even if you don’t quite get the value out of them that you might anticipate,
they do a lot of good for an over-burdened, over-tired and sometimes
underwhelmed traveller.
In recent years Inga and I have
taken to paying for entry into lounges when our transit time has been 3hrs or
more. Aside from the free flowing drinks and buffets, which when you consider
it, probably betters the cost and comfort of most airport restaurants/bars. So let me tell you what the upside is when it
comes to parting with $50-$80 to access a lounge.
- Avoidance of duty free, which immediately negates unnecessary spending
- Comfort, both in avoidance of foot traffic but more importantly, a place to stretch out and relax
- Reliable WiFi
- Reliable service
- Reading material
- Showers, amenities, and all things hygiene related
- And even though I’ve mentioned it, free flowing drinks and food. Have three drinks, a bite to eat and you’ve made your money in an instant
I spent a blissful 3hrs guzzling
GnT’s and making unnecessary trips to the dessert bar of the Al Raheem lounge
in Abu Dhabi as I waited for my next jump to Amsterdam. With my flight
departing at 02:05 the next morning those blissful G'n'T’s also instigated a
welcoming snooze that sent me off to the land of Nod right up until 1hr prior
to departure, perfect timing.
A quick boarding process, more
snoozing and there I was landing, at Amsterdam’s Schipol airport at 06:50 which
in itself gave me flashbacks to late 2014 when I was making my whirlwind trip
to Paris, via Amsterdam, in order to have my first date with Inga. Now here I
was, just under 5 years later, flying out to Madrid in order to catch up with
Inga and my 5 month old son Aiden. Sometimes the whole ride of how we got to
now still amazes me.
Battling through the Schengen to
Non-Schengen queue at Schipol was a nuisance, but another necessary hurdle for
me to overcome in my ‘hop-step-skip’ approach to getting to Madrid, and so it
was, with Abu Dhabi & Amsterdam out of the way, all that I need was to skip
right on through Lisbon and ‘hey presto’, 'we'd have had airplane rides and Spain appearing out the window side' - thank you to the Counting Crows for that line.
Flying over Amsterdam - Netherlands
There’s something about Spanish
speaking countries that makes me feel good. It activates another part in my
mind which both comforts and invigorates me. Understanding the
language of course plays a large part in that, so it’s the eternal drawcard
now, but that’s only a small part of it’s impact. The people, the culture, the
food and way of life simply agrees with the type of person that I am, so
there’s not defeating that type of kismet.
At this point it had been over
six week since I’d bid farewell to Inga & Aiden from Melbourne’s Tullarmarine
airport. But finally, standing on the street of Calle Nunez de Arce just off Plaza
Santa Anna and buzzing up to the apartment of where we’d be staying for the
next few days, it was time to get reacquainted with my family again. In all honesty, perhaps somewhat surprisingly,
those first few hours felt a little odd, almost in the same manner when Inga & I
met again in Paris after 4 yrs (not quite as extreme obviously). It’s that feeling of knowing of a person without
really knowing them. I almost felt like a ‘friend’ visiting another friend than
a husband being reunited with his family. After weeks of Skype and phone calls at odd hours, meeting again in person just felt a little detached from the reality that both of us had been living in. Not that the feeling lasted for long,
perhaps a few hours into the early evening and then everything returned to
normal.
I have warms feelings for Madrid. I hold it in high regard, and it's very close to being my favourite city in Europe. This was the city where 10 yrs prior I convinced myself that I would learn Spanish, this being my 'punishment' for obnoxiously ordering a beer in English and believing I was justified in doing that. I recall walking out of that bar feeling a sense of shame and convincing myself that I would return to the same bar and make amends. Thankfully I kept my word and did that 2 years later, but, internally, I have been repaying the debt many more times over since then. Admittedly my Spanish should be far better for the time I've dedicated to it over the years but hey, my life isn't over yet.
I have warms feelings for Madrid. I hold it in high regard, and it's very close to being my favourite city in Europe. This was the city where 10 yrs prior I convinced myself that I would learn Spanish, this being my 'punishment' for obnoxiously ordering a beer in English and believing I was justified in doing that. I recall walking out of that bar feeling a sense of shame and convincing myself that I would return to the same bar and make amends. Thankfully I kept my word and did that 2 years later, but, internally, I have been repaying the debt many more times over since then. Admittedly my Spanish should be far better for the time I've dedicated to it over the years but hey, my life isn't over yet.
Knowing Madrid reasonably well
and having 3 Latvians and 1 very small Australian that didn’t know the city at
all, it was on me to act as tour guide, which in all honesty I love doing.
Our first day was dedicated to a
walking circuit that I had mentally planned out a few days prior. Madrid , for
the most part, is a very pedestrian friendly town. So walking is not arduous in
the slightest. Flat & accessible, I honestly believe that one of the best
ways to experience this place is just to walk. So starting in Puerta del Sol we
headed to Plaza Mayor, the Palacio Real, walked along the Gran Via and had a
stop at one my favourite Rock Cafes (Hard Rock Madrid).
Palacio Real de Madrid from Templo de Debod - Madrid - Spain
The afternoon was dedicated to
Retiro Park, which is simply gorgeous. This beautifully maintained, immaculate
park in the city centre is a perfect way for Madrilenos to enjoy warm Summer
days, bathed under the glorious light directly, or diffused by the abundance of
trees. We adopted the local approach and picked our own piece of grass, to be
supported by our own bottle of wine and few glasses in the comfort of the
wonderful surrounds. A perfect afternoon jaunt in such a regal city.
Our 2nd day in Madrid
utilised the services of the ‘Hop-on-Hop-off’ express, which respectfully,
whilst handy and a comfort for those that don’t like walking, practically took
use along the circuit which I’d introduced to the crew the day before. It did
however provide us with the opportunity to visit Templo de Debod, a shrine that
was originally located near Aswan Egypt but due to the building of the Aswan
Dam, was relocated to, in this case, Madrid, in order to preserve a construct
of cultural significance. For me, whilst the story of the Templo and its
relocation is impressive, the true drawcard is the view from its standing
location in the city, personally a much more impressive feature.
The afternoon I’d dedicated to a
culinary stop of significance, El Botin (Sobrino de Botin), understood to be
the oldest active restaurant in the world. Founded in 1725, the restaurant,
according to the Guinness Book of Records is the oldest, and is famous for two
specialities, it’s suckling pig and roasted lamb. 
Plaza Mayor - Madrid - Spain
Plaza Mayor - Madrid - Spain
The choice between having a
famous meat dish or having another, equally as delectable equivalent is like
choosing between favourite children (I’m told), or perhaps choosing between a
great white or red wine. When it comes down to it, it’s all about mood and about
getting ‘some pork on your fork’, which is where the collective conscious of
our tastebuds took us.
The oldest continuously operating restaurant in the world - El Botin - Madrid - Spain
Post our participation in the
ongoing achievement of El Botin we all took a leisurely still down to the Prado
Museum, recognised as having one of the finest collections of European art,
dating back to the 12th century and extended all the way to the 20th.
There are extensive works on display, with special significance given to
Spanish artists such as Greco, Velazquez and Goya, but includes many other European
names such as Bosch, Rubens & Titian amongst others.
Now, the thing about museums of
this stature, that have a weight of significance is that without a true
dedication by the participant of time and interest, you generally become the
tourist of transit. A passenger that places a geographic pin on their mental
map of achievements. Unfortunately with a 5 month old and a group of 4 adults,
some of whom were not particularly interested in the various displays, our time
become more laborious and a quest to resolving logistics rather than anything
else. So for me, this top was disappointing in all honesty.
As another gorgeous early Autumn
day closed out, Inga and I spent some time in Plaza Santa Ana before heading to
the Mercado San Miguel, a real highlight in terms of food, drinks and activity.
It’s been a favourite stop of mine in Madrid since my first time here some 10
years ago and it’s just a delight, not only for what’s available but visually,
it shows you what a market can be. A real drawcard without needing to have that
gritty feel of a typical street market. It’s a neighbourhood focal point and is
more of a meeting place in the way that a local bar might be, just that this
bar contains a whole range of vendors and you can peruse their wares in comfort
before sitting down, grabbing a few snack plates and indulging in your
favourite tipple.
Plaza Santa Ana - Madrid - Spain
Plaza Santa Ana - Madrid - Spain
I like this method of living. The
late night, food, wine and banter is just right up my alley. It’s a point that
I’ve commented on many times before in my blog and I feel the Australian
culture in terms of nightlife and the night economy is less for not adopting
this Spanish/Latin approach. In Australia we target restriction as the method
to prevention where really the shift needs to be both in mentality and opportunity.
Wouldn’t we be better served by having restaurants, bars, and all other forms
of business open for longer? We have such a fixed mindset that Friday nights
and Saturday nights are set as dedicated sessions for drinking that when we
press the release valve bedlam ensues. How is it that major European cities
operate with much later hours, have bars freely accessible and don’t have the
same issue of violence that we have? Unless we’ve deliberately cast ourselves
under the guise of a ‘yob’ culture then one of the reasons of our failure is
what we bring about by restricting, rather than being more open.
Parque de el Retiro - Madrid - Spain
Parque de el Retiro - Madrid - Spain
Rooftop bar on the Gran Via - Madrid - Spain
Of course in Australia we live in
a very typical ‘Nanny State’ where control is exerted under the pretence
protection, pandered by bureaucrats who have their own agendas through these
controlling methods.
Makes you consider moving – maybe
we just might.
