A FEW DAYS IN MADRID - SIN NINOS

As cryptically alluded to in earlier posts here we were recently less than our usual caring, excellent, attentive, devoted, model parent selves.....

In mid March Sally went to Madrid for work and was scheduled to spend three days there before returning on the Friday. However, staying the weekend presented the opportunity for some kid free time - something we had not had since January 2009 in Canberra when the kids had overlapping guide/scout camps.  On that occasion we took the chance to jump in the car and head for the Southern Highlands. This time Mark jumped on a plane and headed to Spain!

So what happened to the kids ? 

Well, long term friends and Mark's London landlady from 1991, Jane & her husband Nigel had been offering for quite some time to take the kids off our hands for a weekend. We knew we had several good neighbours in the street we could rely on if needed. We also knew we had pretty sensible kids whom we have encouraged/allowed to be independent over the years (aged 9 & 7 we sent them down to Tasmania on their own for 10 days to visit family.) 

Needless to say the kids were happy at the prospect of being rid of us and of seeing Jane's son Julian (Big J) in Romsey, just out of Winchester. Initially our immediate neighbour Helen offered to either have the kids sleep the Thursday night at their house (#9) or for her to sleep here. The kids decided to go it alone though. Helen & James had them to dinner at their place and then sent them back home....ALONE. They took themselves to school the next day, after Helen checked in to make sure they were still there, then headed down to Waterloo after school to meet Nigel for the trip to Romsey. 

It was therefore with only a small amount of unease then that Mark flew out on Thursday afternoon to meet Sally in Madrid. While it was not warm in Madrid it was nowhere near as cold as London and it was reassuring to see that Spring might not be too far away with blue skies and Spanish flowers in bloom.

Cabbages bloomed too. 

Madrid seemed to be a bit like Canberra; wide streets and well planned, but perhaps lacking a little of the charm of older, less organised European cities. Nevertheless it was easy to do lots of walking in and has some fantastic galleries, notably the Prado and Thyssen. The Prado is massive, rivalling the Louvre in the sheer bulk of art. The Thyssen has more contemporary art and between the two we saw more masterpieces yet again. Below are an El Greco 'Christ with the Cross' and a Rembrandt self portrait. It was interesting to see the Henry VIII next to the portrait of Catherine of Aragon.

We had Churros con Chocolate at San Gines, a famous  24 hour churrascuria which has been running since 1894. We also had angulas (very tasty baby eels) at the Mercado de San Miguel, a very old market which is now a very popular place to wander the stalls choosing tapas.

We found a couple of good tavernas, including Casa Alberta. The tavern dates from 1827 but is in a building from 1614. It was a noisy, packed tavern with a head waiter who initially seemed brusque, but who clearly knew how to work the crowd. He served the beers at the bar with a smack or squeezed through the gaps to serve up the plates of food with a flourish. Tapas can be a little repetitive but this place offered variations we had not had before. It was delicious and fun. 

The plaque says..
In this building in 1614, Cervanted finished "The journey to Parnayo" 

We ventured into one of what we later realised was one of many Museo de Jamon or 'Museums of Ham'. They are actually bars doubling as delicatessens, selling a huge variety of ham products. Hundreds of full hams hung around the walls in different coloured wrapping. The colour denoted the quality and therefore the price. Sally got talking to a father and son from Venezuela who we happily whiled away some time with, hearing about post-Chavez politics. They were amazed when we bought them beers; something they said strangers don't do in Venezuela.

While unemployment rates are very very high and the state of the economy overshadows much of the discussion with Madridenos, it was interesting that people continue to go out in the evening in the usual large numbers to walk, talk, eat and drink.  Spanish colleagues said that it wouldn't matter what state the place was in and if it meant they had to drink water, they'd still go out because this is so inherently part of the culture of Spain.

Madrid has some interesting sites.

Unemployment overshadows 

One of many good sculptures around the city.

There were lots of buskers trying to earn a living.

We went to the weekly market and Sally even managed to get Mark to do some shopping, an almost unheard of shared activity, and he came home with two new pairs of very nice shoes! 

We had a great time in Madrid and got home about half an hour before the kids, who had travelled all the way home from the south of England by themselves. They were fine and, amazingly, somehow managed to survive without us.

We obviously couldn't have done it though without the help of our great neighbours Helen & James and of course Jane, Nigel and Julian in Romsey.

Thanks guys!!

At the time this post is published, May 3rd, we have had wonderful weather all week - clear blue skies and temps in the high teens ( 18 right now at 3 pm !!). We are heading off early tomorrow morning for a long weekend on the Isle of Wight to enjoy some sun, Queen Victoria's preferred residence - Osborne House  and to do a fossil hunting tour.