Hola Madrid

First impression of Madrid: the guy stamping my passport is hot. 

As we stare at each other and I look into his piercing blue eyes, I think this is a fluke. No one working in an airport can look this good - until I look at the guy in the next booth. Crap! I focus quickly at the task at hand and and get one more glance in before I grab my bags and head towards the Metro. 

I was underground most of the day getting to my hotel and then to get a bus ticket for the trip up north.  Tested out my Spanish after I got out of the Metro to ask a nice gentleman in a suit where a certain street was. It came out comprehensible which was amazing and I even understood his directions.  

Found the bus depot which was packed and asked for a one way ticket to Aviles. In Spanish we conversed and I chose the 2:00pm trip and glad I purchased in advance - the line was long.  

In between the hotel and bus station I crashed for a bit during the siesta time of the day and fell asleep to the Simpsons in Spanish. Marge sounds a lot huskier over here.

Stopped in a store to pick up a power converter. A girl shopping in the store recommended it and convinced me I wouldn't blow up my computer.  I came back to the room and decided the cell phone could fry first if need be, but it didn't and I've been charging everything since.  

My mind and body feel like Jello. Part jet lag and the other part is the exhaustion from the whirlwind movement I've been on in the last week trying to pull things together and leave town. Overall, the people here are really nice and laid back. There is a wonderful sense of flow and calm that I can't believe exists in a big city like this. People are polite and help each other out: 

A young man takes an older man's luggage up a set of stairs for him. Metro riders all get up to give a group of Nuns their seats. A tourist man sits down with a street painter (the one above) and starts painting with him.

I went to the Puerta del Sol which is essentially the Times Square of Madrid. Streets fan out from this center point to the rest of the country. It's dirty like Times Square but also has a bagpipe player and painters. Sort of reminded me of Mallory Square in Key West - I high tailed it out of there and searched for more. Saw the Museo de Jamon (The Ham Museum) and many many hanging carcases. Spaniards like their meat.

Looking forward to the muesums tomorrow...