We have been in Madrid now for all of 10 hours, so not enough time to really understand anything about Madrid. We did learn that our carrier, Air Europa, and Ryan Air have a similar business model (‘Sorry sir, but the fine print on Page 6, Paragraph 4b clearly hints that a 20kg suitcase will be an extra €60 each.’). We’ve been learning about our lack of Spanish, and we have reinforced our dislike when travelling of spending lots of time with lots of people like us.
I have learned, or at least suspect that if I was even the least bit famous and there wasn’t a statue of me somewhere in Madrid then I’m actually not even the least bit famous. Madrid is statue central. If you get a statue with a horse, you’re one up on just the basic model, if you get troops or natives or other animals, that’s two, if you get a flood-lit fountain with all of the above, that’s three. But to be really big in Madrid your statue needs all of that – the horse, the natives, the water buffalo, the flood lit fountains – and to be in the middle of a major roundabout, or outside somewhere like the Prado Museum. Then you are Big in Madrid.
We have been in Madrid long enough to walk quickly through the most famous market, but then grab an Uber to get to a market about 6km away that only locals frequent. There we bought the best Serrano style ham I have ever had the fortune to taste, wonderful fruit and veg and some local cheeses (We were assured that the blue was ‘velly smelly’, and it is). We have been here long enough to befriend a Morrocan Uber driver whose grandfather came over to Spain with Franco in 1936 and who will be our driver when one is needed.
Tomorrow will be a museum or art gallery day, tomorrow will be a Serrano ham and velly smelly cheese day. Tomorrow will be a day to wander in a new city. We’ve been in Madrid long enough to know that we’ll love the place, I’ll even see a couple of statues I reckon. Maybe even one with a horse, native troops, fighting bulls and a fountain at a major roundabout. Can’t wait…
F C-S
The Very Excellent Adventures of the Cunnington-Smythes 
Hola mon ami
Que? Si, that was a bicultural greeting but as Basil used to say, “he’s from Barcelona”, or “Barthelona” as it is pronounced where you are now.
Hope you enjoy Madrid – it is a majestic city that displays the Spanish imperial past very clearly. The parks, squares, museums, galleries and buildings etc are impressive and the subway is a great place to have your pockets picked. One statue you might appreciate is that of Cervantes in Plaza de Espana (with Don Quixote and Sancho Panza). A photo of you there would mean a lot to me given our shared interest in that story that predates your asking me for some milk.
One word that has stuck with me from my time in Spain is cerveza , and I am about to crack one now as it has been another stinking, hot day here in S.E.Q.
Por favor, BLYG.
Farquhar