Summer to Autumn

If you keep up with my blog, you’ll know that recently I’ve had plenty of visits: from friends to my parents and then my sister. This wasn’t the end of things, though, as I’d still one visit more to squeeze in as summer turned to autumn: my auntie and uncle!

After Ellie left on the Thursday, the two of them rocked up into Madrid on the Friday, stopping off as they often do for a couple of nights on their way back down to Murcia from the UK. I reunited with them after work, and found them waiting in a bar just by my house.

We went out for tea down at the slaughterhouse that evening, after which it was soon Saturday and time to enjoy their only full day in Madrid. This took us into the centre, where we passed by many of the sights, stopping for a snoop around the Almudena Cathedral on that had enchanted me so during my first visit to Madrid. Breakfast was also quite eventful: it was accompanied by flyovers from the Spanish military to mark their national holiday: Hispanic Day.

The cathedral’s patterned and colourful roof is always a pleasure to photograph.

After this, we headed up to the northern neighbourhood of Malasaña, where I was keen for them to try some potato omelette from one of my favourite bars. There was a big queue out the door, however, and so we headed to another bar and had some tasty lunch there, all before heading home to rest for a while.

That evening, the three of us headed back out for tea at my local restaurant, arriving home ready for their last night staying at mine. The next morning we didn’t have all that much time to do much, having breakfast before heading back down to the car park for them to carry on their journey back down to Murcia.

It was lovely to see the two of them again in Madrid, even if it was a whistle-stop trip! As they left on the Sunday, I had another busy week at work in store afterwards, with some relaxed evenings in order to recover from so much activity recently.

The weekend after my auntie and uncle’s visit was one of semi-forced relaxation, as on Friday – and after two bouts of coronavirus – I was finally able to get my vaccine! Props to the Madrid health service, as the whole procedure was about as easy as going to the fish counter in the supermarket, even if it did leave me a bit feverish for the next couple of days.

I’m finally vaccinated and ready to try to return to some sense of normality!

One evening I did, however, decide to push back against my general state of malaise as I headed out for some wine and food with Sara. We popped down to a local Galician restaurant, where we just about managed to munch our way through three huge plates of seafood and meats. It was absolutely delicious, but left me even more feverish than before. I’ll never learn!

I was fully recovered for Monday and my return back to the office, where another busy but rewarding week awaited me. I was once again kept going by my lovely evening drinks with friends and wanders through the park – even if the cold is now beginning to bite at my toes a bit.

There’s been no better spot to ring my friends back in the UK and across the globe.

And with that, I bring my blog up to date and to this long weekend. I’ve some plans with friends to head out for a drink and even to the theatre tomorrow, so it should prove to be a nice relaxed few days – despite the rain that has descended over Madrid and which won’t giving up until next week.

Fingers crossed that it does lift before Friday – I’ve another important visit coming up, but that’ll have to remain a little secret until closer to the time. Until then!