We left Madrid March 21 2020 as the pandemia was overtaking the world and especially Spain and Italy. We returned to Spain on September 12 to walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. We are now returning to Spain on March 12, exactly six months later to resume our experiencing Madrid. It all seems very symmetrical and appropriate. We are renting the same three bedroom penthouse that we left two years ago as we were not refunded the unused ⅔ of a months rent. They are using that money to pay for our present stay. We are also very fortunate to have our oldest grandchild, Jackson, accompanying us as he is on spring break from RWU. He is always a great help when traveling as he is very travel savvy, yes even better than we are.
The other person who is meeting us in Madrid is one of our stalkers, Dick Maniace. Dick and Andrew have sold their home in Sitges Spain and are in process of selling their condo in Berlin. Andrew and Henry, their English Bulldog, have returned to the Boston area and Dick is hanging out in Europe until the condo sells. He will be meeting us the afternoon of our first day in Madrid and spending the week with us. Jack and Dick have spent a week with us in the past as we all drove from Paris to Sitges in 2017.
We left Newport Saturday morning March 12 and drove to Boston where Sandy had a hair appointment. Jack and Jim had lunch while she had her hair done.We introduced Jack to the Business class lounge.and the business class seat,
and the business class bed.First glimpse of Spain and the last glimpse of sun and blue skies for a few weeks.Only a few hours sleep but they both look great.Walking down stairs to a waiting bus. Passport control was an hour wait.Jack’s upper terrace. His room was in the penthouse of our apartment. Note the scaffolding.Our first meal in Spain in one of the tourist traps outdoors in Plaza Mayor. The food wasn’t bad and the waiter was very fun.Jack treated us to churros and chocolate at San Ginés which is just outside our front door and is arguably the most famous churro place in Spain. Jim showed Jack how to put his credit card on Apple Pay and this was his first time using it.The Cathedral de la Almudena. One of the newest cathedrals in the world. Completed and dedicated in 1993.Jack and Grammy.Our second day here and we suddenly noticed all of this red dust on the cars.Walking into Plaza Mayor.Plaza Mayor on a quiet morning. It can be chock-a-block with tourists.A Galician Restaurant very close to home.Casa Gallega, we will return.Plaza de Toros, Madrid.We had a private guided tour by a young tour guide who was very knowledgeable and enamored by the corrida.Matador’s in training.The second day of dust on everything and the air was full of a dusty red haze. Dick informed us that this is dust from the Sahara Desert.Boston Globe article on the Sahara dust. Very unusual for it to reach Madrid.We had lunch after the bullring tour and Jack took the Metro home while Sandy, Dick and Jim went to visit the Prado. Jim and Sandy became Amigos de Prado Museo as we will be returning here many times.The front of the Cathedral, just across from the Royal Palace.We took a private tour of the National Palace with Dick and Jack.Pictures mostly not allowed inside the palace.We took a self guided tour of Santiago Bernabéu Stadium where Real Madrid plays football.Blowing the red sands of Sahara off of the seats.Dick took a similar picture of us at the Coliseum in Rome.Dick treated us to dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant .Our building completely covered by scaffolding. Also note the gray sky. We haven’t seen sun or blue sky since the first day, you can check all of the pictures with gray sky except the first day.We did a private driving tour of Madrid with Diego. Here we are walking into the Mercado La Paz in Salamanca which is the Rodeo Drive of Madrid.Inside the market.The palace gardens with the palace in the background.Houseguest overlap. Donna Quirk and her brother Mark Neylon arrived in the morning and Jack and Dick are leaving around noon. Our apartment is being cleaned at 10.Jack and Dick took an Uber to the airport together, Dick is flying to Geneva and Jack is returning to Boston.Jackson wrote this in our guest book. This is the third time he has written great notes to us.
We have a lot of houseguests on our travels but we are most honored to have our grandchildren visit us and this visit by Jackson was no exception.
Another lovely blog 🌸Blessed and Beyond to have your grandson with you. Our short visit to Madrid in the Summer was lovely and really hot. Keep on blogging. We hope to join you again soon somewhere in Europe. Be safe and be well friends🙏
Jim and Sandy, Each time I read and view your blogs my heart skips a beat. I wish I had the physical capabilities to visit you, although I am living vicariously through your blog postings👍 It is wonderful watching you live your dreams ❤️
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