My life is seriously crazy. Jeff had a business trip in Spain and asked me if I wanted to go with him. Of course, I said yes. My parents are excellent babysitters and who wouldn’t want to see Spain? I’ve never been and am always up for an adventure, even if we had to leave before the sun rose this morning!

After checking into our hotel, Jeff went to his conference. I haven’t toured a major city by myself since my consulting days when I used to explore the Boston Commons and the streets of New York with big eyes. Today was much of the same and I loved wandering and getting “lost” in the city. I eventually wandered into the tourist information office to charge my phone and to recharge my feet. I wore high heeled boots today, which was a stupid choice! While there relaxing, I read some of the Madrid pamphlets and discovered a 2 hour city walking tour for 6€ that was starting in an hour. So I went. I highly recommend joining a tour wherever you go. Tour guides bring to life the details and context you might miss by just reading a guide book. They know the alley ways and rich history and lead the way. I’m hooked, and for 6€, it was cheaper than a drink.

Jeff came back from his conference around 7 pm and had a conference call with the States at 9 pm. No problem. I took a late siesta and we left for date at 10:45 pm!! When in Spain… Dinner doesn’t usually begin until 9 pm. By 11:30 pm we had strolled down Cava Brava and found a nice tapas place for a late dinner. The metro system runs until 1:30 am so we had plenty of time to get back to our hotel.

The best part of my day was enjoying the sunshine that was bright and warm all day. I miss the California sunshine and now living in Holland makes me realize how much I appreciate this simple gift.

I really liked the vibe and ambiance at the Mercado de San Miguel. I was curious about the cloistered nuns who live in a convent and never leave or see people from outside the convent walls. I also enjoyed the history and architectural influences from the Arab world. I liked the difference in timing that I’m not used to, like watching the stores close midday and seeing people out for dinner past 11 pm.

Today was perfect, except for my sore feet. Tennis shoes tomorrow for sure!