Faintly shaken in Madrid

I failed to beat the jetlag and so was wandering the deserted streets not long after sunrise. I do love the way Madrid has these enormous imperial boulevards surrounded by winding alleys of multi-storey buildings with balconies. Later in the day the narrow streets ensure there’s some shade available, but at 7 am they just provided atmosphere.

After a long breakfast and several coffees I went for a walk in El Retiro. The Retiro is an enormous park, so large and tree-filled it smells like the countryside. There are little paths, wooded areas, a huge boating lake, statues to poets and warriors. There is also an artificial mountain which is where I headed. The mountain is more of a pimple and, frustratingly, the tunnels under it which I had really come to see were not open as promised. Ah well, the park is beautiful.

The way back passed by an avenue of second-hand book sellers operating out of little stalls. The publisher in me remains interested in why most European books have very plain covers. I should have asked one of the booksellers I suppose, but instead the internet tells me that books in Europe are more an intellectual artefact than a consumer good requiring competitive marketing. So there you go.

In the afternoon I went to the Reina Sophia gallery – mostly because of the air-conditioning. There are come interesting works in the gallery – Guernica of course – but the really captivating thing is the exposition of art as social comment – Guernica again as an example. That said, the gallery is not my favorite, it lacks something. It did not, however, lack shaded cloisters and air-conditioning.

Early evening and I decided to walk up to the Plaza Mayor and sit people-watching with an over-priced beer. The enormous unshaded plaza, put paid to that idea. Instead I popped around to the Mercado de San Miguel, which is a big covered market converted to a Spanish food court, for some tapas. Lots of beautiful food, nowhere to sit.

So I decided to walk back to the hotel. About half way there the lack of sleep, exercise and relentless heat got to me and I almost fainted. Shaken, I made an emergency visit to a supermarket and got some water and food. I’m fine now but realize the dry heat requires more water than I was drinking. Won’t make that mistake again.