Michael: I will never again take a nine-hour overnight train without getting a berth. Peter warned me, but I wanted to save a few Euros. I figured how bad could it be. Well, the overnight trains from Santiago to Madrid are not the same as the other trains I have happily rode while in Spain. It was older, creaked a lot, the seats were uncomfortable, smelled a bit bad, and wobbled for nine hours. I couldn’t sleep at all and I had to fight down the occasional bout of nausea. Even the lavatory door would not lock. Sigh. On the plus side, it was miserable. Enough said about that.

Sandy: The flight overseas was on Lufthansa – what a wonderful airline. They really highlight how bad Air Canada is to their passengers. The leg room however was still much shorter than almost everyone who sat there. Oh well. Sleep was not an option – they came around every couple hours with juices or hot towels – hard to complain when they are trying to take care of you. Free alcohol, by the way. The boys were doing okay – they could sleep. We had packed a handful of books too – they were a lifesaver on the trip as I think every book was read by all of us.

Michael: When the train rolled into the Madrid station I was overjoyed; not only because the train ride was finally over, but I was going to see my family soon. My heart was thumping and I was so very excited! However, before seeing them I had to get to the airport and the Madrid central train station is so very intimidating! It is massive, contains several levels, incomprehensible maps, and guides for non-Spanish travelers who have not had enough sleep and can’t think straight, and they have most wonderful staff in the world! A very helpful woman who worked there very happily helped me get the appropriate ticket, and pointed me to the right level, track, and train. I was on my way and I was hoping to arrive before my family’s plane landed. I had about an hour to go. It was a strange feeling riding the train in Madrid, pack on my back and staff in my hand, but people for the most part seemed to ignore me. They must get a few pilgrim running through the city so I was more self conscious than they were.

The train finally arrived at the airport, and I hunted down the arrival lounge. Their plane was a little late, and I had 15-20 minutes to relax and have a drink. At last, the plane started to clear and people started to pass through the doors. Slowly the trickle of people disappeared… I began to worry that they had missed their connection in Dusseldorf when finally, the door opened and just beyond I stopped Sandy for the first time in five very long weeks. She was smiling at me and I was enchanted by her again. They were stuck behind a bit as their luggage was left in Germany, but they were here! They came out and I hugged Sandy, Kieran, and Aleksander. I have missed them so very much and it I am still amazed that they are here, albeit without luggage. Both boys seem to have grown, although that I know it must be my imagination. Sandy looks happy and excited to be here, and quite fetching in the new outfit that she purchased for the trip.

Sandy: He is so brown, and thinner! I’m caught standing at the luggage carousel waiting for the lost luggage, wanting to ditch the whole thing and run out to see him. For such a big airport, there is no one standing where we are. We finally give up on the bags and race out to see him. 30 seconds into reunion and I already have a problem for Michael to fix. At least they have drawings of luggage types to point at on the airline counter.

Michael: After dealing with the airline and the lost luggage, we hopped into a cab and took a death-defying cab ride through Madrid, at a speed that, to be honest, I just was not used to anymore. We checked into the Novotel Madrid Sanchinarro hotel and asked the front desk to expect our luggage at some point. We spent some time just being together as a family again, chatting, telling stories, etc., and then I convinced them to travel the trains to downtown for a look around.

Sandy: It’s not so much the speed that freaks out the sedate prairie drivers, as the lack of space between vehicles while switching lanes or coming up behind another car. Madrid looks like they are building everywhere – scaffolding and new building pop up all over. It is warm but not hot, and red poppies and yellow flowers colour the sides of the freeways. The ride takes about 20 minutes – not sure how we didn’t get there faster while approaching light speed. The cars are all much smaller – no big SUVs or Hummers here. The taxi is filled to the brim with us, luggage and carry on bags. How do you get anywhere with 5 pieces of luggage?

Michael: We walked about 1 km to the station, found our train, completed a transfer at another station and found ourselves in bustling downtown Madrid. That was a lot to take in; the streets were packed, the hustle and bustle was tremendous, and all a bit over whelming. As well, it turns out we were all exhausted. Too exhausted to enjoy ourselves so we hit a café, ate (Kieran and Aleksander did enjoy their first Spanish hamburgers) and had something to drink, and then headed back to the hotel.

Sandy: Wow. The buildings where we got out are positively medieval to my eyes – stone sidewalks filled to overflowing with the flow of constant pedestrian traffic. You can’t walk around the masses, you must slip through. I have a vague idea of what New York must be like, and I suddenly want to go home. My day is long, I have been awake for more than 24 hours and my temper is fraying. Michael suggests lunch and we find a restaurant. I can’t even remember what it was. The trains are great! We need trains like this! The systems calls out the next station in either a male or female voice and then switches gender for the next announcement. The maps are well marked and the trains are clean. The weather has shifted and suddenly we are cold, and the rain has come in. We stop in at a gas station on the way back to the hotel and the boys stock up on Spanish candy, while we grab beer.

Michael: Back at the hotel, we lay about, called the airline a few times, watched the news, and vegetated for a while. Finally, we went down stairs to the hotel bar for a pricey, but nice supper and cerveza. The kids were a little unhappy with the pool still being closed for the season, but nothing could be done about that. Back at the room we relaxed some more and planned tomorrow. The luggage finally arrived and that allowed us to relax a bit more too. Tomorrow, Sandy and the kids will be flying to Granada, but since the plane is full I will be taking the train. I will need to leave very early, take the train to the Atocha station, and catch the train to Granada. Hope I make it in time.

I woke up this morning in a dark Madrid hotel. I washed and gathered my gear as quietly as I could, gave Sandy and the kids hugs and kisses, and headed out into pre-dawn Madrid. The sky was an amazing purple-pink and the air was cool. I carried my gear the kilometre or so to the nearest train station and prayed that my connections would meet properly and that I would make it to the Atocha station in time to board the train to Granada.

I anxiously rode south through Madrid accompanied by early risers off to work or school. The transfers went well, but as we rode I kept looking at my watch urging it to slow down. Not only so I could board my train at Atocha, but perhaps have some kind of breakfast as well. Well, I got half my wish and I arrived at my gate with just minutes to spare, no time for breakfast but the ticket taker assured me that there was a dining car on board. My mood lifted.

I found my seat and the train began its slow roll down the track. It was a comfortable seat and I had the luxury of a free seat beside me so I could spread out a little. I wish I had taken Kieran with me, he would have loved travelling this way, especially as flying hurts his ears so.

I was somewhat nervous last night about finding a place to stay in Granada. In the past we tended to over plan our vacations, so we are hoping to play this more by ear, so we have no reservations in Granada. But now on the train, I am in better spirits and I am feeling myself going into Camino-mode; positive, eager and willing to take what life presents. We are on our adventure and we will overcome!

I had a nice café con leche and a croissant in the dining car. It was lovely to sit at the counter and watch the Spanish countryside race past. When I come back to Spain, and come back I will, I intend to travel by train whenever possible. I felt good, relaxed, and excited about seeing my family in Granada. I want to show them and discover with them the marvels of this amazing country. The food, the architecture, the energy, the people, and the lifestyle.

Back in my seat I watched the terrain slowly change. I found myself looking for paths to walk, and there are many. I miss walking into unknown terrain, not quite knowing what waits around the bend. I think I understand why the Camino is so often a repeated event for so many. The sun would occasionally peak out from behind the clouds and I hoped that Sandy would get the sunny Spanish experience she was hoping for.

The feeling of loss of my former traveling companions is starting to lessen, but I do hope to maintain ties with them. I also hope to renew my ties with friends at home. I think that I have been distancing myself too much for too long.

Good news for Sandy! We passed under a mountain range and now the sky is a wonderful blue colour with a beautiful occasional white cloud. The sun is shining!

For lunch I moved back into the dining car and had a small but tasty jamon bocadillo and infusione de menta. I met an American lady traveling through southern Spain for ten days with a friend. We chatted about our travels for a while and then said our good-byes and I went back to my seat and she rejoined her companion.

The train went through more mountains – the views were impressive. The terrain reminds me of pictures of Arizona, but with more green poking out here and there. It is such a contrast with much of the North, especially Galicia, but it is lovely.

The porter came by and gave everyone some candy. This put me over the top of the happy scale.

The streets are wonderfully small. We watched a mini van try to turn up the street we are living above. They had to fold the mirrors to squeeze through and even so, there was a scratch along one side. There´s a rat´s nest of small crowded streets just beside the cathedral that sell almost all the same stuff. I think it´s all made in China.

We sat outside a bar last night, chatting with a couple from Holland. He is a Brit, she´s Dutch. They had their 15-month tot with them. Beer was cheap, and they kept bringing us free food with beer. Tapas! There´s an amazing amount of people on the streets here at night – makes Winnipeg seem so small. Sort of like Little Italy on a soccer final night except if the area was the entire downtown.

The kids like the bakeries. They like the pick-up food and strangely eat less, but better. There´s something to be said about this lifestyle…

Later,
Sandy