First day in Madrid!

Arrived in Madrid around 3PM on Sunday, 9/13. Flights were great and very happy to see my Heavenly Bed at the Westin Palace hotel.  One night of luxury before I head to the Camino. I did good with jet lag – stayed up and walked around Madrid near my hotel to see the city a bit. They were having a big bicycle race – like the Tour de France but for Spain – and most of city streets near my hotel were blocked off. Took the cab an extra 30 minutes to get me to my hotel since he had to drive around the whole city. Finally a police took pity on me when the cab driver said I was American and didn’t know how to get to my hotel. 🙂 I at least knew enough Spanish to know what he said.

Walked to Puerto del Sol and Plaza Mayor yesterday evening. Two popular squares with cafes/shops. Everyone seems to go there on Sunday evenings. Looked a little like Time Square or Munich. Went to San Miguel Mercado for Tapas – hotel concierge said it was the best tapas restaurant in Madrid. I was expecting a patio on the Plaza Mayor square but it was a block off and actually looked like a big market from the outside. Inside it was full of individual tapas and wine booths. It was like a big festival. You walk around and pick the tapas or drinks you want from each vendor and then just stand or sit if you’re lucky to find a seat with everyone else. Great way to meet people and try a variety of tapas.

Enjoying everything so far but ready to connect with JT and head to Burgos today. Our bus leaves at 1 and we should be in Burgos by 3:30 or 4:00. Tomorrow starts the hike!