Madrid, Spain

We started our 2007 vacation for real when we flew from London into Madrid, the capitol of Spain, and a massive city of 3.2 million. We rode the metro into the city center and walked for hours throughout the city. Above is the Plaza Mayor; the scene of multitudinous events: markets, bullfights, soccer games, public executions, and, during the Spanish Inquistion, "autos de fe" against supposed heretics and the executions of those condemned to death.

We spent quite a bit of time exploring The Palacio Real, the largest palace in Western Europe. The top picture is me hiding in one of the gardens while Lindso is trying to take an artistic picture.

We didnt find too much exciting Madrid nightlife, which apparently doesnt start until after we usuually go to sleep. We did find a nice small restuarant to relax in. On the way home, the real fun began. We had to take the metro back to our hotel, which was as far from the city center as one could go on the metro line. Usually I plan all our metro connections and Lindso just follows along. This year she decided to learn how to read a metro map and plan our journey for herself. Just then a train pulls up and Lindso announces that this is our train and she walks over and gets on it. I thought I would be a smart-ass and pretend that it was not the right train (it was) and not get on until the last second. I timed it a little too late. The doors shut and Lindso was gone and I was left behind. Not a bid deal for me, I knew how to get home and could just catch the next one in 10 minutes. However, I had no idea if Lindso really knew how to get back to our hotel. If she didn't, we were in deep trouble, because there is no way she was going to just happen upon it in a city of three million, and we had no cell phones.

I hoped she would get off at the next stop and let me catch up. She didn't. She had hoped I would stay put, and she caught a train back to where she left me. I had already gone. Now, both of us figured we just needed to get back to the hotel, and hope the other one could do the same. After 30-40 minutes I arrived at our hotel to find no Lindso. I told the desk clerk our situation and asked her to make Lindso stay at the hotel should she arrive, and then I went out to wander the streets of Madrid looking for her. It was a good 10 minute walk from our hotel to the metro station, so I could at least wait for her at that station. Thankfully, she was only a few minutes behind me and we met in the street just outside the hotel! We no longer mess around with getting seperated on international transportation.