Spain 2011 Day 0 Sunday May 22

Spain day 0, Sunday, May 22, 2011 – Madrid, the day before the tour started

Hotel Catalonia Atocha, Calle Atocha 81, Madrid E-28012

http://www.hoteles-catalonia.com/en/our_hotels/europa/spain/madrid/madrid/hotel_catalonia_atocha/index.jsp

Arrived Continental 62 at 10am right on time, after a truly sleepless night. Maybe an hour or two, but just could not get comfy and it was cold as I had a window seat. Plane was totally full so a college kid, but a nice one, sat in between us. Got the bags finally, mine took forever, then found the long line of taxis – no shortage of those—but had trouble getting him to understand where our hotel was, despite it being on a rather major street. But OK it is a small hotel after all, but nice, and recently modernized with snazzy bathroom. Bed seems ok but pillows not; too fluffy for me. Traveling with Thaisa Farrar my high school best buddie and we always have a great time together.

So, left the airport by 11am, were checked in by noon thankfully. Rested up for an hour, then hit the streets to see some sights!!

First stop was the Plaza Mayor, only about a 15min. walk from our hotel, which is very centrally sited. This is a beautiful, if almost too regular, square, with three-story buildings on all four sides, tall archways leading to the side streets, and a bronze equestrian statue of Philip III in the middle. People walking to and fro on cobble-stones, and it was not easy. Cafés all around, so we sat down at one to observe the people-scene, and ordered our first meal in Spain. Unfortunately it was really awful paella, mostly just rice with chicken bones and tiny empty shells. We toasted with a glass of sangria though and had a nice rest while we watched the activity.

After a bit, we wandered off to another big square, the Puerta del Sol, and quite the opposite in every way, Not pretty at all, ugly buildings all around, and crowds of demonstrators with signs and tents, but oddly peaceful and no shouting at all, just hordes of young folks milling about. Today is election day so they must be all wiped out from demonstrating earlier this week.

We thought to go to the Prado next, but got lost among the twisting side streets and ended up back at our hotel so had a rest before going on. We found the small (very small like a hot tub) pool on the hotel Roof Terrace, so sat with our tired feet in it for a relaxing time!

At last The Prado! Although we were pretty tired, we waited on line for 20 minutes to get in free at 5pm, and since it is open until 8pm that was fine. First to Velazquez of course, and then for tea and snack in a really very nice modern café in a new wing, which was very welcome indeed. After that a few more rooms and then by 7pm we were nearly comatose. Found a taxi back to the hotel for 4 euros well worth it even though the hotel was a short walk away as we found out much later. And in fact we didn’t even eat dinner as we were so so tired. Nice to get to bed early.