Well, the train proved to be even slower than we expected. It was over half an hour late getting into the station here in Madrid. By the time we arrived, we hadn�t slept much. We couldn�t really get used to the rocking of the train, and I kept waking up anytime I heard anything, afraid that someone was going for our luggage. Paranoid, I know, but sometimes you just have to be on guard. Colleen, luckily, was able to get some sleep on the slow train from Irun, so she was feeling much better than I was when we arrived at the hotel.
Our hotel here is very nice. Aside from some minor plumbing problems on arrival, the room is one of the best we have stayed in so far. We were delighted to find that they have broadband Internet access which allowed us to connect for real for once, not just race the clock in a caf�. I was excited to see how the World Series was going, so we grabbed some food and sat down. Over the course of the next few hours, we watched the first two games. I have to admit that, although I admire what the Red Sox have done this year and in the past (and here I have to apologize in advance to Rich del Rio), I just love a good curse. So I have been rooting for the Cardinals from afar. Fat lot of good it did.
Yesterday we hit a nearby Starbucks in the morning for a good cup of American coffee. Coffee in Europe is very different than in the US. The Europeans like to go to a caf�, order an espresso or something similar that comes in a very small cup and is stronger than the Hulk. It takes a bunch of sugar to cut this stuff. I personally like the way we cart around our sometimes super-large coffee cups every morning. It�s a sign that the day is beginning. So we couldn�t resist the temptation to indulge a bit.
After a quick visit to the local travel agency to iron out some final details of the next leg of our trip, we headed to the museum district for some art. We had a wonderful lunch on the way at a vegetarian restaurant, where I proceeded to revert right back into the depths of sickness. I was amazed at how quickly this cold came back. I had stopped taking the medicine I bought, because I was feeling great. It turns out the cold medicine here just really works better than anything we have at home. So I had to go back to the hotel for a nap while Colleen explored the museum.
Last night we went out for dinner at a local cafeteria, our first real taste of traditional Spanish food. We were very impressed. We headed back to the hotel well fed and ready for a good night�s sleep.
So right now it�s morning, and I am watching the replay of last night�s game, while Colleen continues to sleep. Today should be much more eventful, so tomorrow�s email should be meatier.
Paul and Colleen
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