Madrid

When I first arrived by train I instantly realized that I wasn't in a sleepy beach town or in the slow moving region of Andalusia. I was in a city bustling full of stimulation. It reminded me a bit of NYC, but without the edge, slightly more laid back. Intimidated at first, I quickly found my city legs, had to. 

In such a big city you think you won't find the warm that you might find in a smaller town, but that's not the case here. Every drink comes with a tapa (I find that to be polite, why should they?). And last night met some friends from NYC who were so much fun. It was nice to finally hang with some people from the homeland. We drank, danced, and hung out like a local would, til 5am. 

Today I checked out the city by bike. You can cover a lot of ground in a couple hours but it can be a bit cumbersome, dodging people and constantly locking up your bike. That's what Ms. Jamis and I signed up for though. 

I had couple of "to dos" while I was in a big city. On my list of things to do while I was in Madrid was to get a cap for my handlebar grip, it must have fallen off at some point. I spotted one while on my way to the Royal Palace. It just so happens it is the oldest bike shop in town. El hombre from the bike shop was so welcoming and filled with joy. He was so pumped I was doing a long distance tour across Europe that he hooked it up it for free. 

Una ciudad de amigos!