After only four hours from Vancouver to Toronto, a few hours in the airport there and finding the right gate the first time around, another 7 hours later and I was in Madrid. Not in a window seat so I couldn't see the landscape, but what surprised me was the amount of pollution that we were flying into during our descent to the airstrip... It vaguely reminded me of landing in Buenos Aires, and seeing that yellowy-brown haze blanketed over the entire city. The airport was slightly hazy from smoke it seemed - Frankfurt Airport anyone? - but it was quick to navigate through to Customs to receive a stamp then grab my bag off the conveyer belt. No lost luggage here, I lucked out!
My plan to take a taxi into the city worked out well, as there were plenty of government-issued taxis out front of the airport, very few drivers who spoke English. All the same it was not a cheap ride - 30 euros from the airport to Hostal San Isidro on Calle Principe - but all in all I appreciated the lack of hassle and transfering which would have been the metro. Upon my arrival at the hostal though I was in for a surprise. It was amidst a blend of shops, kioskos and book stores, but part of an apartment building... it seems like here in Madrid, every available space is turned into housing! In any case, after only 4 flights of stairs I made it up to the door of the hostal, welcomed in and taken to my room which has the typical tall windows, original fixtures and even a full bathroom attached! I am still in shock how 'at home' I felt when I arrived... I will always view Canada as my true home, but coming here I was comforted by the smells, the people, the little kioskos and 'antique' buildings amidst a flurry of fashionable modern women and historic copper statues, the friendly housekeepers, it all reminds me of Argentina... across the Atlantic maybe, but the warmth of hispanohablantes is something I will always admire.
Now the stairs were not the nicest with a 50lb bag... but wow it made me happy that I didn't pack it until it was overweight and then would have to lug it up those stairs... Calle Principe is nestled between two plazas that have restaurants lining the sides and a few people milling about, but traffic moves along one edge with a constant flow of cars and scooters... here, too, crosswalks are merely decoration, you basically just have to run for your life when there are no traffic lights... I didn't get to explore much due to being tired from flying however it is a city I will have to spend a few weekends in to see it all...
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| Photos on the bus ride from Madrid |
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| Not Villanueva.. but on the way, a castle! |
Seems pretty seamless so far no? Well, come today - September 24th - I woke up at 4AM, caught my bus at 8:30AM, the right bus too, and made it to Villanueva but was confused as to whether this was the main stop or not since so few people actually got off and the bus was labelled "Madrid - Vva. de la Serena". So I stayed on the bus..... and ended up about 5km out of town in a small farming residential area called "La Haba". I wouldn't have minded so much if it hadn't been for the fact that the English teacher I would be working with was waiting there since 12:50PM...it was now 2:00PM, he was likely in a panic. I asked for a taxi and caught a ride back to Villanueva however after checking in to my hotel and lug;ging my bags up more stairs, and trying to access my email to get Miguel's number.. it was now 2.30. I called him and he was still waiting at the bus station, very confused but not angry. Nevertheless, he came by the hotel to pick me up and took me to his house between Villanueva and Don Benito - a gorgeous house perfectly sized for himself, his wife and 2 children Beatriz (6) and Jorge (21 mo.) We chatted mostly in English, but Spanish with his wife and kids.
I guess I can adjust to living in the future 9 hours ahead.. just will take some time and lots more Portuguese tar.... I mean coffee :)
