Madrid to Brisbane

Sunday 12 June 2016 - Day 46

Madrid to flight home

Another hot and crowded day in Madrid. I was really thankful to have some really good quality sleep, and even a much longed for lie-in. After doing a reorganise in my backpack I left my gear in the hostel lock-up and headed to Plaza Mayor to join a free walking tour.

Plaza Mayor is huge and open to the baking sun. Along the perimeter are shaded walkways with cafes and souvenir shops. There are many hawkers and lots of set-ups where, for €1, you can stand behind a Spanish costume and have your photo taken.

My tour started at 11am and the tour guide was Maria. Many languages were provided and there were numerous English speaking guides. I was with a Polish couple to make a tour group of 3. Maria led us around for about 2.5 hrs. The tour is 'free', but the guides only get paid if people give a donation at the end. It was a great tour, even with the heat.

We went into many areas that I would not have known about or ventured into. We saw the oldest restaurant the world, 'Restaurante Sobrino de Botin', which has been operating since 1725. It had a Guinness World Record certificate in the window. Any business operating over 100 years is awarded a plaque on the footpath near the door. We saw a few of these.

We went through the indoor gourmet food market. Here's the olive stall.

As we went, Maria pointed out where various ancient city walls were situated. This one was part of the original Muslim city wall. We also viewed one in the basement of an American -style restaurant.

We walked past the cathedral I visited yesterday. I was incorrect in yesterday's blog saying it was recently built, I should have said recently completed. It was started about 400 years ago, but not finished until the 1990s. It is the work of a number of architects and builders, and incorporates many styles. It is sometimes referred to as the cathedral of 'neo-everything and neo-nothing'.

It faces the royal place, which has 3000 rooms! Here's a view of the front of the palace. When the king is in residence, which isn't very often, there are two flags flying.

This statue of one of the kings was the first ever made where the horse was not standing on all four legs. The sculptor contacted Galileo for advice, and was told to make the back end solid and heavy and the front end hollow. An impressive sculpture.

Our final stop was at the 0 km marker (another one) opposite Puerta del Sol. It shows how all roads either lead to or radiate from Madrid.

After my tour I ate some lunch, then sat in a cafe nursing a cold 'agua con gas' with ice. I collected my backpack and walked the 1km to the airport express bus stop. The bus was packed and I had to stand all the way with pack on. Filling in time, enjoying the air-conditioning, waiting for check-in.

Flights both went well. Not being a regular international traveller, I still get amazed at the size of the big airports. Madrid and Dubai both have underground fast rail systems that take travellers to the right terminals. Everything is always so well signposted that it's not hard to find your way from where you are, to where you need to be, even though it might take you 30 mins or more.

Was very happy to touch down in Brissie, and see Paul waiting for me in arrivals. Some rainy weather for my return, but it's lovely to be home amongst familiar things. Camino, which was my life for some many months in preparation and then 2 months of living it, is now a wonderful memory of people, places and cultural experiences unlike any other.

I was really happy to hear that Elvira made it to Santiago as I was flying home. She also had many foot and lower leg issues to contend with along the way...a great effort!

Can't believe I've been away for 8 weeks. Thank you to everyone who followed me and thanks for all the encouragement and positive feedback. This contact with home meant a great deal to me. Once I'm home, and I've had time to think about my experiences, I'll do an 'after thoughts' on my Camino, so check in again in a week or so.