The bi-annual trip that is already becoming a much
celebrated tradition took us this time to Madrid, capital of the kingdom of
Spain and home to exactly the kind of joy enhancing traditions that we were on
the lookout for. Imagine rich brunches in the bright sunshine, classy cocktail houses,
crowded bars with 6 Euro buckets of beer, the world’s oldest restaurant with
their exquisite choice of sucking pig and baby lamb, 1 Euro cans of beer in the
streets and 12 Euro cocktails in classy venues with more than competent female
bartenders... Despite the economic crisis Madrid buzzes with people enjoying
life, outdoors in the streets and parks, indoors in the bars and restaurants. Watching
El Classico on a big screen, squeezed in between supporters of both the Royal
and the Catalonian sides, transcends any experience of watching this clash of
titans beyond the borders of the Iberian Peninsula.
I was particularly appreciative of the fact that Spanish is
not giving in to the slightest to English as the lingua franca, despite the
many visitors, and that bilingual menus are a rarity beyond the very core of
the touristic centre. The landlady of the ho(s)tel did not speak a word of
English, which led me to chat to her in Italian whereas she would respond to me
a slow Spanish that was fairly well understood. I am all too glad that my hard
earned Italian skills come of use at times, also beyond the Alps!
As the tale goes that the ability to sleep little and party
hard ties in with one’s juvenility this trip was the perfect yardstick to check
whether I am still as young as I generally behave. As I had Griselda from
Estonia over for a drink or two on Friday, my head did not touch the pillow
until about 1 a.m. whereas the alarm clock woke me up from a deep satisfied
sleep a mere two hours later. The odd experience of waking up and walking
through a city in which people are still awake ended when I boarded the air
coach to Dublin airport. Bar the occasional dozing off on the airplane it was
not until four o’clock that night (new time!) that I fell asleep again, after a
long night of drinking and dancing. 26 hours, I can still do it!
Griselda wasn’t the only ghost from the past suddenly
popping up in my contemporary life that weekend, as my first experience in
Madrid was a coffee with 5.5-year absent Lu who aroused distant memories of
glorious times as an ESN mentor in Tilburg City.
The trip was all in all one to be cherished, and Madrid was,
however much she had to offer, only second to the company I was in, as weekends
as such truly serve to catch up with good friends you don’t see too often.
Trusting Madrid to be a trustworthy keeper of our adventures and experiences, let’s
finish off with the best and worst of our experience. Gentlemen, it was a true
pleasure!
Best value for money (1): The bucket with 10 beers for 6
Euros
Best value for money (2): Luijkx’ metro ticket
Worst value for money (1): Koen & Teun’s metro tickets
Worst value for money (2): Luijkx’ new ring
Best tips (1): Gabri
Best tips (2): Lu
Mostly spotted street: Gran Via
Most random place to drink beer: Building excavation
Best drink: Gin tonic with pepper and cucumber
Most beautiful elevator: in the hostel
Longest consecutive time awake: 26 hours
Longest consecutive time asleep: 10 hours
Best way to finish off in style: with a bucket of beer 2 hours before departure
Cherished forever: Our trip to Madrid and the lovely time we had
Lost forever: De pot (toen Luijkx hm had)
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