Maybe I should withold judgement. Maybe it's too soon to say. Maybe it will grow on me. Maybe it's because I haven't been feeling well the past few days - an oncoming cold, a little off balance from my meniere's wanting to act up (from eating too much salty food). Maybe I am a little travel weary. Tired of living out of a suitcase (this apartment doesn't have any clothes storage), tired of looking at maps to see where I am and where I am going. Maybe it's that Madrid just seems so big, too big in fact. I know in the two short weeks that I am here, I am not really going to get to know it very well, so there is a feeling of why should I even try?
I bought a two day ticket for the hop on/hop off sightseeing bus that has become part of my ritual of getting myself oriented. It beats walking around and getting lost and is a good way to see things from a higher perspective (and not have to worry about avoiding other pedestrians, cars, etc.)
Yesterday I had a 4 p.m. skype call planned and took my time getting up and out, but I thought I had enough time to do one round on the bus. I walked to Plaza del Sol, which is not too far from here, because I knew it was a stop on the tour. I bought my ticket and stood in line. One bus came. It was full. No one at my stop got on. Another bus came. It was full. No one got on or off. Another bus came, and this time the driver told us to go down the street to another stop and we'd have a better chance. He said there was a demonstration.
I walked down the street, not sure where I was going. I saw a bunch of pink balloons and t-shirts, and thought it was the right to lifers I saw on Saturday near the Prado. Turned out it was a breast cancer walk. Lots of people were pouring into the square and I made my way through the sea of pink. When I got to the other side, I was not sure where the stop was. I asked at a newspaper stand and the guy pointed me back towards Plaza del Sol. I told him it was too crowded there and the buses were full. He pointed in the other direction and said at the next corner. I could tell he was not a native speaker of Spanish, and guessed like the guy in the Locotorio in Toledo who sent me on a wild goose chase, this guy would not be able to tell me much more than he did. So I didn't ask.
Instead, I went walking and looking for the bus. I walked, and walked. A guy tried to hand me a flyer each time I passed him, which was maybe 4 or 5 times, as I walked back and forth, not sure where the bus stop was. Finally a bus came, there were no seats on the upper deck, but I got on. It was Route 2 - Modern Madrid. I wanted Route 1 - Historical Madrid. Oh well. In the end I figured it was okay since it took me to parts of the city I probably was not going to go on my own.
When I got off the bus, I was starving. I had two restaurants in mind. One a parilla near Plaza del Sol, and the other the restaurant across from my building. I passed the parilla and then thought I should just wait until I go to Argentina since it would be cheaper and probably better. I walked home and got a table outside, right in front of my building.
The meal was expensive and salty and not that good. I was sorry I hadn't just come home and made lunch.
By now I was feeling really off. My balance was feeling funny and I was tired. I took a nap and made my skype call which lasted much longer than I had planned. My evening plan of going back on the bus for a late afternoon ride was shot. It was now too late.
So, instead, I made a salad and then went out for churros and chocolate. It was good. The service was a bit weird, but the location was perfect and the chocolate and the churros were both excellent.
Today I decided to try again for the bus. I went back to Plaza del Sol, waited and again the buses that came were full. Even worse, a German guy in front of me was smoking a cigar (what is it with these Germans and cigars?) and behind us a city worker was tearing up the street with a jackhammer. I was not very happy.
As I was standing, trying not to get too close to the cigar smoking German, a young guy started to move in front of me. This is what happened yesterday. People were trying to jump ahead in this ridiculous line that wasn't going anywhere. I moved slightly forward and this guy's mother said, "that guy is in front of you in line" to which he replied "there is no line". I turned to him and said, "yes there is". And he moved back. But when the next bus came, two women stepped right into the line a few people in front of me. I said to them "there is a line" in Spanish, and one of them responded to me in Spanish but I am not sure what she said. I watched at they tried to push their way into the line. As we got to the door of the bus that was now full, they stepped in front of me. I tapped one of them on the shoulder and said, "we are all waiting in line". Again she made some lame excuse like she had been there all along and I said, "I saw you two come after everyone else here". They ignored me. When I saw that the bus was really full and there were no seats on the upper deck, I let them go. I said "vaya con dios", meaning to say "go to hell" - instead, I said "go with god" - I hope they got that I meant it ironically anyway.
When the next bus came it was also full, but there was one seat on the upper deck I grabbed. Finally, after two tries, and maybe over an hour waiting in line!
It was cold. Really cold. I had a jacket, a long sleeve shirt and a scarf, but I was cold. It was kind of gray and overcast and it was cold (I know I said that three times already, but it was).
I was not enjoying the ride at all. We sat in traffic a lot and most of the sites we passed were not really that interesting. Lots of Baroque and Neoclassical stuff. Nothing really outstanding or super interesting. I did get oriented to where I am and now know of some places nearby that I can walk to, but I see no need to take another ride. Unlike Rome or even Seville, I don't think Madrid will look that much more interesting light up at night (and it will be cold).
So I got off, went to Corte Ingles and bought some lentils and a few more things. I have a pot of lentil soup on the stove to warm me up and can hear a guy outside playing the accordian. Even though it has it's oddities, this apartment is so far my favorite place in Madrid.
After a nice bowl of soup and maybe a nap, I might go out for some churros and chocolate and maybe a little walk. Madrid might be a fast-place kind of town, but I'm feeling like taking it slow, and that I will.
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