Days 13, 14 & 15: in which not much happens and then I get sick

Babies, chatting, cups of tea, visits to grandma's, visits from sisters and their babies, naps, babies, chatting, cups of tea, dinner and chatting with Dan and Karen, a dodgy movie, babies, chatting, cups of tea...an annoying sore throat and general lurgyness. My last days in Manchester were not exciting, but it was nice to just hang out with Karen. I had wanted to make it over to Liverpool to see the Klimt exhibition at the Tate Liverpool, but just didn't feel up to it today or yesterday. A shame, really, but I'm glad I didn't push it.

Day 12: more wedding bells

Today brought Madrid friend Faye over from Huddersfield for wedding dress shopping. By the time I hooked up with her and her mother they'd already secured a lovely Marilyn Monroe type affair and it was time for lunch. Down the road we trekked to Castlefield for a canal-side lunch. Then it was back into the shopping district to secure the coolest shoes ever and to visit M&S to get what they're good at: lingerie. Then a coffee and something sweet was in order. Unfortunately, the only place nearby where we could sit out was a Starbuck's. I took some solace in the fact that they seem to be losing ground in the UK to local chains and a declining economy. Not such a very rah rah Seattlite, am I?

Lunch at Dukes 92 for the three of us: ₤27.35
Marks and Spencer, one basic black bra: ₤16
Metrolink tram, single (Karen very kindly drove me into town) from Manchester Picadilly to Radcliffe: an amazingly expensive ₤3.45

Days 10 & 11: Wedding Bells

And there were lots of bells, with real live bell ringers, too!

And so we were off the Wirral for Sara and Simon's wedding. Yucky traffic and dodgy sat-nav directions notwithstanding, we arrived just in time. The whole weekend was a lovely family and community affair, with bride's mom and dad hosting post-ceremony, pre-reception tea and cake, and Sunday lunch at their house, bride's brother acting as excellent guest wrangler for photos, singing and poetry reading by friends and family, church hall decoration by friends and more. I had a fine old time chatting to new acquaintances and old: Sara and Karen's university friends, who've I've gotten to know over the years; Maru and César, who I never saw as much as I should have in Madrid; and Ben and David, who I once enjoyed a lovely Thai meal with when visiting Sara in London.

One night's stay at the Heswall Premier Inn, with abundant continental breakfast and Sunday Observer: ₤59.05

Day 9: first day in Blighty

Spent no money today! Well, except for the wedding present from John Lewis for Sara and Simon, but putting the amount of that would be even more gauche than chronicling your trip to Europe through euros and pounds spent.

Spent the day at home with Karen and the twins. Love love love feeding kids. It's somehow immensely satisfying to be giving them the sustenance they need to live and watch them enjoy it. Both are great eaters, and I even did a two-fer at dinner so Karen could get their food sorted for our weekend away. Only a few tears from Katie when I was tending to Leo. They are lovely.

Then there was dress modeling and accessory deciding. Always fun the day before a wedding. Really looking forward to seeing folks I only get to see at occasions like this and sharing Sara's special day with her.

Day 8: last day in Madrid

Taxi up to Pza Castilla, scene of many years' work, catching sight of the progress made on the scary new "Business Area" to the north with four shiny new skyscrapers, to visit the school for coffee and pastries with Faye and MaÁngeles (yet conveniently avoiding my old boss, who was on vacation), because again, I overslept: €11.20
The visit was fine, filled with unexpected additional guests: another much-needed caffeine-infused coffee with Faye and Amparo at Treess, where for many moons I had breakfast just about every day; a bit of a chat with Alex, who returns to life in the States this Sunday; and a short visit around the copy machine with Clare. In another just like old times, stopped in my bank branch to get my bank book updated. All life as normal. A strange disconnect of stuff so regular and everyday as to be unexceptional, but made so by the fact that it is patently not for me anymore.

metrobus to my old neighborhood for attempts at some sort of not necessary but possibly helpful official business, all of which didn't get tended to because I couldn't be asked to wait in the long lines: €0.67

There was art to be seen! My feets took me back to the Prado Museum for the Renaissance Portrait exhibition, which was well worth abandoning responsible adult tending to duties in order to attend: €8

Prado café, pincho of unexpectedly delicious veggie tortilla in mid-exhibition to stave off peckishness: €4.45
Very nice and interesting exhibition catalogue, which weighed a ton, and consequently did not get bought: €0.00 for me, €40 for the softcover edition for those who don't have inter-European country weight restrictions of 20 kilos for checked luggage
VIPS, sort of a Denny's/good airport gift shop combo, bottle of wine to thank Sam and Josué for their hospitality in absentia: €12.95
metrobus for the very conveniently located and timed bus back to Delicias: €0.67

Much mad racing around the apartment occurred to tidy up and pack. Ah well, the art was well worth it.

Taxi to Nuevos Ministerios to hook up with the airport subway, as I was a bit on the late side and basically couldn't be asked to deal with the bus/commuter train combo to get there: €8.55
metrobus for subway to the airport: €0.67
Airport café, bocadillo de jamón y queso, café con leche and a chocolate bar for a late lunch and the last bit of jamón for a while: €7.75
Aldeasa, the duty free folks, bottle of patxaran for me to take home and prezzies for my various hosts in England: €37.50

Flight was delayed, so I watched the hordes of Chinese girls waiting for a flight to I don't know where in fascination and lay my head down for a bit. (Still sleep deprived.)

bmibaby Boeing 757 plane, an airline about which I have no complaints based on this one trip, cuppa accompanied: €1.80
Manchester International Airport Spar, sandwich, bag of crisps and a soda while waiting for for Dan to pick me up after his footie was finished: €3.85

Day 7: in which much gets done

Taxi because I overslept: €7.80
Xanadu Cafe across from the OU office, café con leche and a fresh hot croissant each for Kate, my former OU boss and tutor, and I: €4.40
metrobus punch back to Delicias: €0.67
Juteco drugstore, bits and bobs and some Sanex bath gel for Karen: €7.93

Home for a bit of a nap, as it was a late night working and chatting with X the night before. Got a bit of the Tour in while finishing another job. Unfortunately, it was the boring part of what turned out to be a very exciting stage. Spaniard Carlos Sastre made a great escape, got more than two minutes up on his main rivals for the general classification and finished the day in yellow. Saturday's time trial should be super exciting. Karen has kindly agreed to record it for me. All I've got to do is avoid any news Saturday night and Sunday eve and then I can watch it with bated breath, which is the fun part, after all.

metrobus for the subway out to the quinto pino to meet Ana, the woman who runs one of my translation agencies, her husband a couple other translators for lunch: €0.67
La Arrocería de María, delicious paella and fideua, wine and gorgeous appetizers: €55 (translators' treat and worth every penny, a delicious and enjoyable meal)
Jewelry store in my old neighborhood, rest of the payment on a replacement earring I asked them to make in October! (Wasn't ready in January, when the other one was ...): €40
100-peseta store, 5 big envelopes: €0.60
Correos (post office), postage on envelopes for Pedro to forward my mail on to me: €12.90
Pharmacy, six months' pills: €2.20 (a savings of approximately $140 over what I would have paid in the States! What is usually at least an hour-and-a-half wait was just 10 minutes, making it even more worth it.)
Marco Aldani, much-needed hair dye job (intensive study of gossip magazines included): €22.95

metrobus for subway to the center: €0.67
Círculo de Bellas Artes, entrance to the building: €1 (the space is so lovely, it's worth paying to get in and they let you hang out in the café for as long as you might like, which is about how long it takes to get served and which is handy when you're doing some serious catching up and talking about boys with Cathy and Dionne)
Círculo de Bellas Artes, café con leche fria: €1.80
La Naturbier, in a packed Plaza Santa Ana, lovely brown beer and delish raciones of baby squid, salad, croquettes and patatas bravas: €17 each
metrobus for subway home to Delicias at a relatively reasonable hour for once: €0.67

This whole last day was most odd, as it could easily have been a day from when I lived in Madrid. Wandering around my old neighborhood running errands and stopping in to visit my building's portero added to that sensation. It all feels so natural when I'm back in Madrid. Walking down sidewalks I've walked hundreds of times and passing shops and neighborhood figures I've seen most weeks for five years.

Budget break(er)

Saw lots of people, spent lots of money, came to Manchester. Will update tomorrow.

Day 6: back to the hot city

Supermercados Condis, bottle of funny sparkly rosé and some chocolates to take to Juan Carlos and Berta's for dinner with them, Felix, little Dianita, au pair Mona and Berta's sister Rosa María: €7.78
RENFE Cercanías, commuter train through town to Nuevos Ministerios station to catch subway: €1.15
One stamp on the old metrobus to get to their house: €0.67

Morning and lunch spent in Robledo hanging and eating and going to the park. Drove back to Madrid with the Josué taxi service, which was on airport duty again. Caught the last three minutes of today's stage of the Tour. Tomorrow should be a good one, but I'll be out and about and won't get to watch it.

Day 5: chillin' in Robledo

Bar Asturias, on the village square, two beers for Sam and Josué, one tonic water for me, peach juice for Emma, grilled ham and cheese sandwich to share because I suddenly realized I was peckish and couldn't wait until dinner: €10 (including unnecessarily generous by Spanish standards €1 tip)

And that's all she wrote money-wise for today, and I had to fight to get to spend that! Couldn't get to sleep last night so ended up remaining abed until noon! Chilled at the Robledo homestead with Sam, Emma and Hannah (paddling pool, water pistols, coloring books, dinosaur lego set, spaghetti bolognese, fantasy trips for the family to the States, more reasonable trips by the family to London to meet up with me and go to the Natural History Museum, a siesta). Poor Josué had grandmothers to take to the doctor and works to do in Madrid, so spent the day in the much hotter city.

Day 4: pleasurable endeavors

One stamp on my metrobus to get me and my bag up to Atocha station, where it was to be stashed: €0.67
Rental of one luggage locker at Atocha, size small: €2.40 (minor stress upon retrieval when the locker mechanism ate my card and "What a shame, the guy who can really help you's just popped out for a sec.": free)
Random old-man bar, brekkie of café con leche and a napolitana de crema (think cream-filled pain au chocolat): €2.00 (yes, old-man bars are cheap)
Museo del Prado, admission to regular collection (which I was most surprised to find is not free all day Sunday any more what with I imagine them having to pay for their fancy new annex and all): €6.00

Mom & pop Chinese grocery, bottle of water (had to jettison mine before entering museum as they don't allow water bottles in, or at least they never used to, saw one gal with one just all sorts of hanging out of her pocket so...hmm...): €0.75
Champaneria Gala, paella lunch with Faye and MaAngeles: €22
Random bar with outside seating, café con leche with above ladies: €2.50

Renfe, commuter rail ticket from Atocha to Chamartin station (sailing right through the center of Madrid, underground, of course): €1.15
Renfe, train ticket for 45-minute journey from Chamartin to Robledo de Chavela (round trip): €7.10 (No charge for the stress about possible being chucked off the train because the machine wouldn't sell me a ticket for the one I wanted, saying it was sold out, but cheeky me having lived for long enough in Spain not to be daunted by such details, went to the platform, saw there were seats and got on anyway. Ticket inspector didn't even seem to notice, or care.)
Five-year-old Emma's excitement at various dinosaur-related gifts I brought: priceless

Day 3: adjusting

"Los chinos" (as 100-peseta stores are generally referred to), summer pantyhose to make into "shorts" for more comfortable skirt/dress wearing in this ridiculously hot weather, black cotton clamdiggers, cotton jammies (I did forget something!), bag for Sam's birthday present, hair thingy to go with wedding outfit plus a silver one I couldn't resist: €12.50
Juteco (which is not quite Boots or Bartell's, but will do as a drugstore/chemists's), my favorite toothpaste, which you can't get in the States: €1.39
Frutería de las Delicias, ummm, fruit!: a surprisingly cheap €1.78

Lunched on more tortilla and gazpacho. Yum!

Evil El Corte Inglés, adaptor for my laptop's plug, cause I couldn't find mine in the hour or so I spent packing for the trip: €2.60
Café y Té, sandwich vegetal and agua con gas: €0.00 because my lovely former Italian teacher insisted on paying, the doll

Then I was off to Alex's going away party, which he very conveniently scheduled for my weekend here. Saw all sorts of good folks and got some chatting in and even managed to find time for a crazy game of Shipwreck!, which we abandoned after one round because it was, well, kinda silly.

Taxi home: €7.45

** late additions

two punchs/datestamps/ticks on my metrobus, going to meet Laura the Italian teacher and then on to the party: = €1.34
OpenCor, a bottle of lovely Enate red to take to the fete: €10.10

Day 2: arrival

Barajas airport parking lot: €2.35 (poor Josué had been waiting for an hour for my delayed flight)
Supermercados Condis, gazpacho, jamón serrano, manchego cheese, tortilla roasted red peppers, olives, milk, madalenas and chocolate to make my standard summertime lunch and for breakfasts (Sam and Josué are at their house in the village with the kids but have generously allowed me to stay in their apartment in Madrid): €20.15
Metro de Madrid, metrobus (10 journeys on metro or bus): €6.70, plus one use: €0.67
Según Emma, the fine bar Miriam introduced us all to and which we faithfully frequent, lovely salmorejo, lamb's lettuce salad with feta and honey mustard dressing, goat cheese and caramalized onion toastette and salty boiled potatoes in mojo sauce: €17 each for Cathy, Dave and I (no charge for fine conversation)
Bar with outside seating in a nearby secluded and mellow square with just the right amount of people, two G&Ts each: €14
Taxi home ('twas very late): €7.35

Day 1: en route

Let's just see if a list of purchases can sufficiently capture the essence of my trip. (Plus, I think I'm feeling too lazy to actually craft intelligible narrative describing my "adventures". Plus, maybe it'll stop me from wasting money on silly and possibly embarrasing things. (Hope, she springs eternal.)

Sea-tac B Concourse Starbuck's (no Tully's in sight), soy latte and a mediocre lemon poppyseed muffin for a much needed caffeine and sugar boost after a long night's translation and a short morning's packing (items I've realized I've forgotten so far: 0): $5.15
Sea-tac/AT&T I'nets provider: an outrageous $7.99 (for 24 hours, which of course, if you're in an airport, do not need)
Sea-tac, Hudson News, Vanity Fair and bottle of (evil but only choice) Disani water: $6.39

Headphones and booze on plane: $0.00 (I slept! The whole way! Love my new Rick Steves pillow thing and having an empty seat beside me!)
Food on plane: $0.00 (Continental still feed you on domestic flights.)

Newark Liberty Airport, Famiglia pizza place, slice of mushroom pepperoni to combat travel-induced peckishness: $4.73
Liberty Airport newsagent's, chocolate: $1 something

The Count Censored

Ha ha! As X says, hard to believe they didn't write the song thinking of this.

El espinazo del diablo

Walter was just here and we spoke of movies, among other things. Guillermo del Toro came up and I remembered that while I'm not his biggest fan, I like some of what he does visually, and was reminded that I found 'The Devil's Backbone', through flawed, to be his most satisfying film.

i'm

If you already use hotmail or messenger, why not do the i'm thing? I'm always up for doing stuff for good causes, 'specially if I'm spending some corporate money instead of my own!

Legs

So when I went to take a shower just now, I noticed two small bits of something. Long and rather thin and sort of hairy, I at first thought they were pieces of down which had escaped from my comforter or pillows. It wouldn't be the first time I'd found them in odd places and couldn't initially figure out what they were. However, upon closer inspection, I determined that they were in fact insect legs. From the position, rather in situ, if you know what I mean, it appears that Flavia plucked up that tasty morsel from where it stood, leaving two of the legs to fall where they may. It was rather like stumbling on the scene of the crime. Could it have been the bug in the hallway early this morning that judging from here repeated miaows, she could apparently see but I could not?

No photo because looking for one kinda grossed me out and reminded me of tupperwared cockroaches.