Once Em and Lincoln had headed back to England, one of my first free weekends in a good while ensued. I didn’t feel like doing much, preferring to sit at home alone to recuperate and save a bit of money, but Bogar managed to convince me to head out for a little picnic down by the river.
After a lovely spot of sunbathing and a proper catch up, a week of work then ensued which then ended with my next summer activity – a visit from Danni and Abi! The last time they visited was back in 2016, when they flew over for a few days whilst I was completing my internship was Erretres, so it was exciting to have them back again!
Their visit began with an epic battle in the airport, as droves of people had poured into the arrivals lounge for the arrival of what I assume was a big flight or possibly some kind of famous person. Once I’d managed to find the two of them and plucked them out of the crowd, we headed straight for my flat and spent the rest of the day relaxing and chatting.
That evening, however, it was about time that the three of us had a good few drinks and headed out together – it’s been a while since we all last went out as a three! Heading once again to my favourite cheesy karaoke bar, the three of us sang along to Queen, Bowie, and – of course – the typical cheesy local hits.
We didn’t head to bed all too late, so the next day we were up bright and early(ish) and full of energy, heading to the park for a picnic with the food we’d picked up from Mercadona the day before. From there we headed down to Malasaña, as the Pinta Malasaña (Paint Malasaña) event was well underway, with local artists renewing the street art which coats the vibrant walls of the neighbourhood. I caught this event last year too, when Kevin visited me in Madrid, but this time I didn’t think to take a single photo of the shenanigans – oops!
The next day we headed down to Parquesur, a shopping centre in the south of the city, but we managed to end up way off course! Just when we thought we couldn’t walk through any dodgier areas, I realised that we’d headed the wrong way, and so we had to perform a u-turn and head all the way back through said questionable area! After having to make a dash for it across a slip road, however, we did eventually make it to Parquesur in one piece.
Later that evening, and once back in the city centre, I decided we should try to do something a little different. For the first time since me and Kevin made the creaky journey over the trees of the Casa de Campo, the three of us jumped on the Teleférico (cable car), taking a little trip to enjoy some of the best views back over the city.
With a lovely evening meal to conclude Abi and Danni’s visit to the city, we headed back to my flat for an early night – they, like visitors gone by, would be up early to catch a taxi to the airport, and I’d be up to see them off and get myself off to work.
I had a fabulous few days with two of my oldest and dearest friends here in the city, and I can only hope that they’ll be able to come back and visit again very soon. If nothing else, however, I will be back over to see Sigrid live in Leeds with Danni in November, so I do at least have that to look forward to for now!
Now I must wrap this blog post up, as the next weekend saw the arrival of one of my summer’s last visitors – I shall once again leave it as a little surprise. Until then, it’s time for me to head down to Murcia for a weekend relaxing with my parents!
In the spirit of how things actually happened during the week which I’m talking about, we’re going to move straight from one visit – that of the Cake Club girls – to the next: Em & Lincoln!
As I mysteriously mentioned at the end of my previous blog post, I waved Megan off as she headed to France one morning before heading off to work, and returned back home to find a pair of intruders had somehow gotten into my flat! Of course this was all planned, as they had arrived around lunchtime, picked my keys up off a friend, and let themselves into my place to wait for me to return from work.
Em was actually the first person I met when I moved to Leeds for university, as she was moving into my flat at exactly the same time as me. She met Lincoln that same year, and they’ve been together, with me third-wheeling on the odd occasion, ever since!
We reminisced about this as we headed out for our first evening of exploring the city, where I took the two of them for a meander around the centre to give them their first taste of Spain. In doing this, we passed by quite a few spots that I visited during my very first trip to Madrid, and so begun three days of reminisce!
The next two days I had taken off work in order to spend more time with the two of them, and so for lunch on the first of these days I simply had to take them to Casa Dani, a restaurant within a market which I think showcases some of the best local dishes imaginable.
In the afternoon we proceeded to explore more places, with one of the highlights being time spent by the lake in front of the Crystal Palace in Retiro.
The next day we’d decided to head up into the mountains of the city, as I had an inkling that the two of them would appreciate seeing the more natural landscapes which surround the rather isolated city – much like I knew Ellie and Johann would like it when they visited last year.
After a long walk in the increasingly hot sun, we arrived at the river which runs through the area and which gives the town its name – Manzanares El Real. We sat by the river – the same one which eventually runs through the city and near my flat – for a good while, chatting and reminiscing about various university scandals.
Once we’d made it back down into the city from the mountains, there wasn’t much time left for anything else, and so we headed back home and decided to head out for a late meal. I took the two of them to one of my go-to options for a delicious meal of a rather unexpected (for us Brits, anyway) cuisine, Venezuelan.
This meal provided the perfect conclusion to a lovely, relaxing few days spent with Em and Linc. Sitting there ready to burst with delicious food and somewhat tipsy after a few beers, it was upsetting to think that in the morning – as with many other visits as of recent – we’d have to say goodbye until I’m next back in England.
As I saw them off the next day, I was upset to see them head off again, but happy to have finally been able to invite them over to my place after years of regular crashing in their spare bedroom. I had a lovely, relaxing time with the two of them, and look forward to a reunion back in Leeds very soon!
And now, a little warning that my next blog post also deals with a visit from another two people, but this time I shall leave you hanging (well, any of you who know me) and refuse to divulge who they are…
Just two days after returning to Madrid from Tenerife, I had an exciting Thursday evening to look forward to!
Some of you may remember that I spent a lot of last year hanging out with my friends Heidi, Loredana, and Megan, with the four of us forming a group we like to call Cake Club. The original plan of meeting up to make cakes and share recipes was soon scrapped, with the four of us spending more time eating tacos, scaling the mountains surrounding Madrid, and generally chatting many an evening away with a drink in hand.
I was, then, very upset in the summer of last year when one by one they all eventually left Madrid back to their home countries – Heidi to Norway, Loredana to Austria, and Megan to the USA. We all made sure, however, to stay in regular contact, with our Cake Club WhatsApp group lighting up at least once a day. I even, if you remember, managed to make a trip over to Oslo last year to visit Heidi!
As you can imagine from the above paragraphs and the title of this post, the weekend of a few weeks ago was a rather special one, as the four of us were to be reunited at long last in Madrid!
The first to arrive was Megan, who had already been in Europe for some time, flying in from Rome after spending a few days there visiting Loredana. After many hugs in my flat, the two of us headed out for pizza, and then for an early night as I was working the next day.
The next afternoon I arrived at my flat to find that Heidi had also arrived during the day, having flown in from Oslo, and the three of us anxiously awaited the arrival of Loredana from Rome. She arrived just in time for the four of us to head out for tacos at our old haunt, a taco restaurant just below what used to be Heidi and Loredana’s flat!
Loredana and Heidi just had to have a photo stood outside their old flat…
The next day was Friday, and so I headed off early in the morning, leaving the girls to have a lie in and do what they would with their day. We did, however, have a plan set, and just before we all left work, they arrived at my office to check out the new space and make the most of our new garden!
After chilling at the office for an extra hour and enjoying a few games of ping-pong, we headed back to the city centre and to Bodega de la Ardosa, one of my favorite spots for a proper slice of Spanish omelette. From there we decided to wander through Malasaña for a while, with the girls resolving that they’d return the next day to check out the shops along the way, shops from which I had to half tear them away – I was getting tired and wanted to go home!
Well, I soon had to recover from said tiredness, as that evening we popped open a bottle of gin and started up the music in my flat – it was time for us to all head out together! After many laughs, some questionable dancing, and a round of tipsy selfies, we hopped on the metro and wandered to one of my favorite haunts – a tacky little karaoke bar.
After further questionable dancing and even more dubious singing, we all made it home in one piece. The next morning I didn’t feel up to moving too much – shocker – so the girls headed out to watch Loredana’s football game and indulge in a spot of shopping around Malasaña. I did eventually move, however, and whipped up a carrot cake to celebrate my fake birthday.
The main part of said celebrations involved the evening meal with the four of us plus Bogar and Napo. We headed out to Goiko Grill – the same spot as last year, in fact – and then enjoyed a relaxing evening of drinks on a terrace in Chueca.
With the next day being a Sunday and the lack of things to do, we decided to make good on a plan we’d organized in advance, and headed to Retiro park for a repeat of the picnic we had just before they all began to leave last year. We sat on our picnic blankets for a good few hours until, in a sad repeat of last year’s picnic, it was time for one of us to leave – this time Heidi. We saw her off, waving and nearly sobbing, as she hopped in a taxi and made for the airport.
The three of us who remained then headed back home to drop off the leftover picnic supplies, and then made our way down to a place we’d never visited as a group – the lake in Casa de Campo. There we dragged out the picnic blanket once again, this time opting to take a siesta by the water’s edge – all after a little photo shoot, of course.
If there’s a photo shoot going down, you can rest assured that it’ll have been Meg’s idea.
As the sun began to set, the three of us then headed up to the Templo de Debod, grabbing a beer and watching the sun set from one of the most picturesque spots in the centre. Another early night then ensued, as I’d to head to work the next day and Loredana was up early to catch her flight back to Italy. I bade her another sad farewell that evening, and then there were just the two of us – Megan and me – when I returned from work on Monday evening.
After another relaxing evening putting the world to rights, the two of us once again headed off to bed early, as the next morning it was Megan’s turn to head off in the early hours and catch her flight on to her next European destination – Paris! There’d be no rest for me, though, as that same day I’d arrive back from work only to find another set of visitors already in my flat – but I’ll have to save that for the next post!
All that remains to say is the obvious: that I can only hope that Heidi, Loredana, and Megan had as much fun visiting me as I had having them all back in the city! I am hoping to visit Loredana in her native Austria later this year, and I’ll be sure to hop across the pond next year and spend a couple of my summer weeks with Megan in Vermont and Kevin and James wherever they may be…
As mentioned in my previous post, the next instalment in my series of crazily busy weekends involved a weekend out in Tenerife with my friend Cami and her family! Technically I have been in Tenerife before, but I believe I was two years old at that point and hence have zero recollection…
Anyway, my weekend began on Saturday morning, as I took the train line up to Terminal 4 of Madrid airport. This terminal is somewhat famed for its colourful design which, due to my getting lost looking for my gate, I didn’t have chance to take many photos of – but here’s an attempt I made:
The flight that ensued was a bit longer than I’d expected – as a European it seems odd to be able to fly for two and a half hours and still land in the same country – but I closed my eyes and, before I knew it, walked out of the arrival gates in Tenerife. There to meet me was Cami, who then drove me down the island and to where she and her family live in the south.
After being welcomed in by her family and receiving a noisy salute from Cami’s dog Luke, we headed out for some lunch at a little local spot. Here we enjoyed a wonderful meal during which we tried a wealth of local dishes, with one of the highlights being a potato dish known as “patatas arrugadas” (literally “wrinkly potatoes”), consisting of roast potatoes dressed with a powdered type of cereal called “gofio”. This dusting has a unique flavour which I can’t really describe, but it was tasty!
I also have to laud the wine we were served during our meal, which was one of the fruitiest and freshest white wines I have ever tasted. I wondered whether it was unique to the island, but Cami informed me that it was in fact unique to the restaurant, being made in-house! I’ll have to get some sent over at some point…
Anyway, after a slap-up meal and plenty of fun with our merry waiter, we headed back home to be reunited with Sam, Cami’s partner, who I hadn’t seen since one of my previous trips to Asturias! Once together we head out for the beach, which involved a wander past a rather fancy looking hotel complex…
I enjoy walking past hotels I will never be able to afford to stay in.
After a perilous descent down some uneven steps, a journey not helped by the flip-flops I had adorned, we reached the sand and spent a few hours taking it easy. Once we’d worn tired of nipping in and out of the sea, Sam graciously made the journey upwards alone and picked me and Cami up in the car right from the back of the beach.
From there, we headed further down the coast and to a little ice cream parlour favoured by the two of them. The company and the sights were all great, but I was extremely excited to find something on the menu which I haven’t eaten since a trip to Germany around four years ago: spaghetti ice!
Spaghetti shaped vanilla ice cream, crushed nuts, whipped cream, and a strawberry sauce.
Once we were peckish, we headed to yet another coastal spot and tucked into a lovely meal of Lebanese food, with some of the most stellar hummus I have ever tried. The plan afterwards involved going for some drinks along with the rest of the British tourists, but now that we’re all boring old women, we decided to head home instead!
The following morning meant that it was time to take Luke, Cami’s dog, out for a walk. During this little wander I snapped a couple of photos of the lovely area surrounding Cami’s place.
With Luke worn out and our appetites nagging, I, Cami, and her mum all headed out for breakfast together. We headed to a lovely little coastal spot and ordered a big shared breakfast between the three of us. This was served beautifully on tiered platters – very much like the high tea I had just before leaving England – and was all absolutely delightful!
Unfortunately I had left my phone at home during the trip, and so I didn’t get any photos of the breakfast – or did I? I did take my film camera along, so we’ll have to wait and see if I can get those developed over here soon and what the photos come out like, if indeed they do come out at all! In the meantime I leave you with this lovely snap of me and Cami taken by her mum.
Me and Cami then headed out together once again, making for yet another beach for an extended afternoon of sunbathing, paddling in the surf, and chatting the day away. At a certain point in the afternoon, however, we had to head back to Cami’s house, but for a very good reason: her parents were throwing a BBQ!
I didn’t take many photos during our delicious BBQ lunch as we were much more concerned in enjoying the food, company, and delicious wine. Cami’s dad opened a bottle of red which his relatives had sent over from Chile, and it was absolutely delicious, almost as delicious as the various cuts of meat that he kept serving from the grill. I’m not usually that fussed about chicken, but words cannot do justice to the succulency of the chicken breasts we were served – all washed down with some lovely Chilean salad and enjoyed between endless jokes!
After lunch, there was talk of “heading up Teide”, the name of the volcano which dominates the island. With our stomachs ready to burst after so much food, I wondered how on earth we would manage to walk to the front door, never mind up a bloody volcano! To my relief, said trip was to be made in Sam’s car, and so we piled in and started our ascent with the sun already low in the sky.
The sun, low in the sky, bathed the area in a lovely light.
We’d soon climbed up through the clouds, and made a few stops to admire the view over the blanket of them below.
Moving further still up the volcano, we reached a plateau which had the look of a lunar landscape. Stopping to take a few of the photos below, we found a plaque which revealed that the area was in fact used to test a lunar rover due to its similarity to the surface of the moon!
We then pushed further towards the summit of the volcano, reaching the lower station of a cable car to the summit before deciding to turn back. This cable car, it turns out, only runs upon request, as permission has to be granted to visit the crater of the volcano itself.
After this we began our descent back towards sea level, and it was during this return trip that one of the most breathtaking things I’ve ever seen presented itself. Looking down into what I assumed was the sea, I asked which island I could see in the distance, and the response came that what I was seeing was the tips of the mountains of the neighbouring island. At that precise moment, I realised that I wasn’t looking at sea, but rather an uninterrupted blanket of clouds floating below a spectacular multicolour sunset.
I’ll leave the following photos in large and isolated – I implore that you take a moment to look at the detail and appreciate what a sight it was to behold!
After admiring the view during the rest of the journey downwards, we soon found ourselves in a restaurant near Cami’s place for tea, and then back in bed ready for my last day.
During my final day, we didn’t really do all that much, sitting through a power cut and enjoying a pizza for lunch at another local spot. This was followed by the journey back to the airport, and then a flight back to Madrid which seemed to pass rather quickly.
I had a wonderful time in Tenerife, and I must thank Cami and Sam for showing me around the island, as well as Cami’s parents for being so welcoming and hospitable. I’m definitely looking forward to another visit sometime very soon!
To finish, I must once again admit that this post comes to you all rather late, as I’ve been in Madrid for nearly a month since. In this time I’ve enjoyed three more visits from friends from all over the world, and of course I’ll be bringing you all the latest on those whenever I get a moment! Until then…
You are currently browsing the Ollie Briggs blog archives for June, 2019.
