Adios Madrid!

 

My final day was cold, 4-12 degrees, and back to 4 degrees overnight. I took an easy stroll through the city and found a place for coffee and a sandwich. Wrote a while in my notebook, some reflections on culture which I’ll record later when my trip is finished.

I went to the park again. By lunchtime it had filled with school holidays teenagers, lovers, families and tourists. Lots of young couples were kissing on park benches. I found a seat to people watch by the lake. Paddle boats can be hired here and the lake filled with little blue dinghies, more couples kissing in boats, lots of smiling and laughter as the sun came out. 

A gypsy woman came past and handed me some fragrant tarragon. She offered to read my palm for £5 so I submitted. She spoke in Spanish and the only bit I think I understood was that she said I was going to have five children! And then she pointed to the sky and smiled, so I asked if I was going to have a thumbs up life, and she nodded. Then asked for £10 to read my other palm. At this point I politely ushered her on her way.

I walked off back to the city and half an hour later realised I had left my backpack behind. There was practically no chance it could still be there, Madrid is well known for pick pocketing. But I had time to spare, and kms to get in, so I strolled back and you’d never guess, the bag was exactly where I had left it! My faith in humanity restored, I happily walked back to Tara’s and had a little siesta.

At 6pm, we had a guest from upstairs, Fernando the piano player, born and bred in Madrid. He is a colleague of Tara’s and we all talked a while about politics and trade wars. Fernando was playing some exquisite music yesterday, which I had guessed was Chopin - he confirmed this and told us the story of getting his grand piano inside the third storey of this apartment building. First, they had tried to lift in my crane, removing all the casing and legs - but the frame was too large. Then, five men lifted it up through the stairs, three large flights of stairs. It only just got through the doorframes. I then told my story of the German piano at my apartment in Cuba Street. Heavy as a truck, four large men, their blood on the walls of the stairs. Then to discover it had a cracked tuning board - I had no option but to take to it with an axe and remove it piece by piece. I only wish I had kept the bags of piano keys, the ebonies and ivories, and made some art from it.

Dinner was across town in one of the Franco style buildings, which look like soulless Soviet structures from the outside, but inside are modern mid-century style homes with luxurious lobbies. The home we visited for dinner and board games was very cool, with a window that looked out upon the expansive western side, and was framed with the most delicate weeping leaves of a springtime tree coming into bloom.  

I flew out very early the next morning. Caught a few takeoff pictures from the plane. I am now in Rome, and a day behind my blogging. I hope you enjoy these last pictures from Madrid!