The Briggs Siblings Reunite

23.10.21 — Madrid

A mere week after my parents visited me, and over two years after she was last able to come over, I was joined once again by my sister here in Madrid! After work one day, I left the office and hurried my way up to the airport on the metro, as I’d agreed to meet her so that we could head back to my flat together and kick off of her week with me here in Spain.

Our first evening together was spent having some drinks: I was in no rush because I’d taken the next day off! We discussed what we might get up to over the coming days, throwing together some quick plans for the next day before heading off to bed.

The next day we headed to a lovely restaurant on Gran Vía that I’d visited with my parents, as my mum had spoke so much about the dessert that I decided it was worth going back. We rocked up and ordered plenty of little plates to share at, and Ellie decided we should share a litre of sangría. Once we’d polished off our crema catalana (basically a crème brûlée) and torrija quemada, we began to realise that the sangría had more of a kick to it than we thought!

There’s nothing more dangerous than a sangría that lures you into a false sense of security…

We then paid up and headed out into the city, having another decidedly non-alcoholic drink on another terrace before heading down to the lake. There, Ellie grabbed herself an ice cream and we relaxed for a while, resting between the racket of the squawking parrots in the trees above. We then walked back towards the city centre, grabbing the train back home.

That evening, we headed out for an evening meal, grabbing some delicious dishes in my favourite local Italian restaurant. As we ordered a huge slice of chocolate cake for dessert, it was getting quite late, and so we finished out last glass of wine and headed back home.

As we awoke the next day we were already in day three of Ellie’s weeklong visit, and so headed out bright and early to make the most of the sunny Saturday. After some breakfast near home, we headed down to the Matadero, having a drink whilst we waited for an exhibition at the design centre there to open.

I was particularly keen to visit the Exposición Madridgrafía, as some of my work at Erretres was included in this exhibition looking at graphic design made in Madrid. It was lovely to see the brands I worked on for Buendía Estudios and Seedtag up there, and I felt honoured to have work included in a place that I’ve been visiting for a good few years!

After taking the obligatory photos alongside my work (which I have omitted here), we headed just down the road and to the city’s public greenhouse, which Ellie always enjoys a wander round being the biologist that she is. It was actually a much more pleasant experience than last time – despite the obligatory face masks – as it wasn’t half as humid and much cooler than last time.

With all the plants seen and all the obligatory aesthetic photos taken, we then headed back home to prepare some food, as we’d a picnic planned in the Retiro park. We last did this when Ellie visited with her boyfriend Johann back in 2018, and it went down a treat, so we’d another lakeside lunch planned.

After we’d tucked into our original creation of bread with alioli, tomato, and basil, we then headed back out of the park to grab some bikes, which we then used to tour all four corners of the huge park. Once we’d tired of the park, we then headed onwards to the Temple of Debod, where we caught a gorgeous sunset to end another long day of exploration.

One of the few selfies of the two of us that we actually got round to taking…

The next day, we made the most of the bikes that we’d taken out, heading down to the river for a cycle around before heading out for lunch. Ellie was keen to head back to NAP Pizza, my favourite pizzeria in Madrid, and it was there that we made the discovery of the trip – a delicious starter made with strips of aubergine with cheese and tomato. It was absolutely delicious!

With lunch done, we ended up back on our bikes again, cycling all the way down to the Anillo Verde (literally the “green ring”) leading out into the north of the city. The trip back took us past the lake again, but we didn’t stick around for long as we’d elsewhere to be…

Once we’d finished our little exploration of Madrid’s cycling routes, it was time to get the metro down to the south of the city to do something that even I haven’t done since the last time Ellie came – watch the sunset from a park down in Vallecas. This great vantage point was the perfect spot for a Sunday evening, and we enjoyed some drinks and snacks as the sun put on a lovely show.

As night fell, we headed back to the centre of the city and began an evening of tapeo – having drinks and eating tapas around the literary quarter. Ellie was back on her favourite, patatas bravas (fried potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce), and we even made a visit at the pintxos (small bites of food) bar that had been such a success with my mum and dad. The night ended in La Esperanza, one of my favourite bars for a drink and a quick bite to eat before heading home.

Nothing says Madrid more than a gin and tonic, a vermouth, and a bite to eat.

We began the next day at Ojalá, a spot which never fails for a slap-up breakfast. From there, we headed down to the Parque de Atracciones, Madrid’s theme park that I visited for the first time just a few weeks ago. There we spent the rest of the day, knackering ourselves out on the various attractions before having our evening meal at my local bar.

The day after signalled our last full day in the city together, and we’d arranged to meet Luis for some drinks after we’d stopped by to meet him and some other friends one evening before. This took us down to the Matadero and then back up to the pizza bar that had been such a hit, all before ending up in Citynizer Plaza to have a few drinks after I’d spontaneously bought myself a new iPad.

The Aperol Spritzes may have flowed a bit too easily, as the ice creams we bought after nearly ended up on the floor.

Ending our last full day with some drinks by down the river, it was then time for me to head back to the office – but I wasn’t alone! Ellie joined me for a few hours in the morning to lend me a hand preparing a workshop, before heading out to do a bit of shopping after we’d had lunch together at a little bar near work.

That evening was a chill one at home. We ordered in some arepas and had one last drink as Ellie packed up ready to head back to old Blighty the next morning, which she did as I bundled her into a taxi destined for the airport as I headed off to the office and back to the daily grind…

As with the last two times Ellie has come over to see me here in the big city, the two of us had an absolute blast, and I hope that she can nip over more often now that we’re all vaccinated and things are a bit more under control! It’s been a busy period for family visits, with my parents’ visit just the week before and my auntie and uncle coming the day after – but I’ll save that one for the next blog post!

The Parents Return

16.10.21 — Madrid

After being graciously hosted by Loredana and David in Vienna, it was time for me to be the host for an important visit: my parents were coming to Madrid! Seeing as I hadn’t seen them since January, which wasn’t the most pleasant of trips, I was excited by the prospect of seeing them again and sharing my favourite spots with them from across the city.

Their visit began with some drama at the airport when I want to pick them up. I arrived on the metro but then couldn’t enter the terminal building as I had no boarding pass, so I’d to leave via a car park which spat me out onto an abandoned exit ramp which took me to a rather large and busy road. There, I’d to jump over the metal barriers and risk life and limb to get to the other side, where more risky crossing and parkour-style acrobatics were needed to finally get me to the arrivals area outside T1. What’s more, I couldn’t even contact them to see where they were and to tell them that I was outside, as their roaming data hadn’t kicked in!

Through some sheer luck I was eventually reunited with my mum and dad as they wandered outside and found me waiting where everyone else was congregated. We then hopped in a taxi back to my place, where they unpacked as I threw together a platter of nibbles before we turned in for the night – it was already quite late.

The next day began with breakfast down at a bar a stone’s throw away from my building, before some drinks down at the Matadero (an ex-abattoir-turned-cultural-center by the river). We then headed up to the Lavapiés neighbourhood, stopping for a pizza lunch at one of my favourite pizzerias.

Our afternoon then continued at full steam ahead – no rest for the wicked! After lunch, we had coffee and dessert at Citynizer, and then took the metro down to the lake in order to catch some last rays and have a round of sangría. We then headed back to the La Latina district, where we had a selection of tapas and another drink in a lovely little square away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre.

Mum always enjoys a glass of sangría down by the lakeside.

We begun the next day with breakfast at the same local bar – it had quickly become a favourite spot of my parents, who couldn’t believe how cheap it was! From there, we grabbed a bus up to Retiro Park, where my mum fancied a go on the city bikes. There we avoided a near catastrophe when one of the rental machines refused to release my parents’ credit card, and I’d to go asking in a nearby bar for a pair of pliers which I eventually used to yank the poor thing out.

Disaster averted, we eventually grabbed some bikes and began our bike ride around the lush gardens of this huge park, stopping at all the must-see spots along the way. Once tired out and ready to eat, we headed for lunch at a local tapas spot, where the different plates and desserts went down an absolute treat.

I swear everyone who comes to visit has this exact same picture taken.

After a much needed post-lunch rest, we headed out for our last meal of the day, which took us to a local Italian restaurant that I enjoy visiting. As I write this I am beginning to realise that it seems like all we did is wander, eat, drink, and chat – and that’s pretty much the truth. If you’re not doing that, you’re not living the Madrid lifestyle properly!

The next day saw us back un the city centre for a spot of shopping, after which we had something to eat before hopping back on the bikes. After passing by the Royal Palace, we came across some dancing in the street, and eventually had a drink in the Mercado de San Miguel, a street market that I’d never before managed to get a seat at. Great success!

That evening we wound up at the Templo de Debod, one of my favourite spots to catch the sunset. The sky put on a beautiful show as always, but we were soon hungry and ready to celebrate my parents’ last night in Madrid – the whole trip had come and gone so fast!

I took the three of us down to the Writer’s Quarter for the evening, as I’d a bar in mind that I hadn’t been to for quite some time. Whilst on our way to this spot, however, I caught sight of another bar that I’d heard great things about, and there they had a table free and perfect for the three of us!

There we had a selection of the most delicious pintxos – the small dishes of food famously found in the Basque Country – and I fell in head-over-heals in love with a salmon and cream cheese pastry. Whilst tucking in to our meal, my sister Ellie gave us a call, and I spent a while chatting to her in preparation for her visit to Madrid just one week later!

With this last bill paid and my parents’ bags packed, we had one last drink at home before they turned in for the night. The next morning saw the three of us then bundle ourselves into a taxi which would drop me off at work before taking them onwards and up to the airport for their flight back to old Blighty.

As you can see, the three days that I had my parents’ company in Madrid positively flew by! I had a lovely time, as we managed to cram a lot in without rushing around too much, and it was great to catch up with the two of them in person after nearly a year without being able to visit.

Well, I already gave away the topic of my next blog post towards the end there, as it’ll be delving into the many aventures that me and my sister got up to during her week here in the Spanish capital – I’m running a bit behind on these blog posts thanks to so many visits, but hopefully it’ll be worth the wait! Until then…

Vienna

25.09.21 — Vienna

I left my last blog post revealing that I eventually – after two bouts of COVID – managed to escape Spain for a quick holiday. I can now reveal that this little four-day trip took me to the Austrian capital, where I was reunited with my friend Loredana! I’d not seen her since she joined Megan and Heidi in coming to visit me in Madrid back in 2019, so I was looking forward to a few days relaxing at her place and exploring Vienna.

The trip kicked off with a rather early 05:30am start, which had me in a taxi and through airport security in time to catch the beautiful sunrise from Terminal 4 of Madrid’s airport. I didn’t have long to appreciate it through, as between breakfast and an early boarding, I was soon flying east over Europe and prepping my immunisation documentation to enter Austria.

I arrived in Vienna around midday, was waved through the health checks by the grumpiest man I have ever encountered, and headed straight outside to eat the soggy sandwich that I’d bought in Madrid before setting off. This killed a bit of time whilst I waited the 45 minutes for the next bus, with some other time took up by a moment of intrigue as the fire brigade turned up to put out a fire that had started in a bin thanks to a stray cigarette butt.

When my bus finally arrived in the centre of Vienna, I was met at the station by Loredana. Reunited, we then headed down to the metro headed to her apartment so that I could leave my bags and freshen up a bit before an afternoon exploring the city!

A surprise awaited me, as Loredana and her boyfriend, David, had prepared an old bike so that the three of us could explore the centre of Vienna on two wheels. I’m always banging on about how I love cycling around Madrid – they know me so well!

Our bike ride then commenced, and after some teething problemas as I accustomed myself to the lack of electric motor and the unfamiliar back-pedalling method of braking, we were soon zipping down towards the city centre. We passed through a couple of the city’s numbered zones before arriving at the museum area, a lovely pedestrianised zone full of gorgeous buildings, museums, and terraces. We sat down on the terrace of a café where David’s brother worked and I immediately ordered a plate of Kaiserschmarrn, an Austrian dish consisting of shredded pancake with sugar and a fruit marmalade for dipping. Delicious!

Pretty much every single building in the centre of Vienna looked like it was out of a fairytale.

After a coffee and this sweet indulgence, we continued our bike ride, passing by a lot of iconic buildings which I didn’t have time to photograph or which were currently undergoing repair work. Loredana did snap a photo of me wandering around with a helmet on, but it’s not a look – I’ll leave that one out for now…

We then circled around the “ring”, a road which – as the name suggests – circles around the centre of the city. This took us past the river, and we seized the opportunity to have a cycle along the banks of the water and stop for a drink at a pretty riverside bar. To go alongside my lemon gin and tonic, and to quell some of the first rumblings of hunger, I also grabbed some mini dumplings – and in the process used up the 10 words of German that I know.

This drink stop left us tired and weary, so we headed back home for a rest before heading back out for our evening meal. As I’d just arrived in Austria, I was keen to try out the local fare, and so Loredana and David took me to one of their favourite Austrian restaurants to try some typical dishes from the region. These included fittatensuppe (a soup with strips of crepe), meat with spätzle (a kind of doughy noodle), and – of course – schitnzel. This was all topped off with some apple strudel and a shot of schnapps – which it turns out is nothing like the sweet stuff I used to shot at university!

The taste and strength of real schnapps has to be one of the biggest shocks I’ve had recently.

Before heading home, we then wandered down to have some drinks on a street lined with bars set into the arches of the metro viaduct near Loredana’s place. I polished off a few tequila-based cocktails there whilst we all had a good laugh whilst chatting about all kinds of nonsense, eventually winding our way back home once we were all to tired for more.

The next day was the only day that the three of us would be together, so we made the most of the good weather and planned our day over a delicious breakfast spread that Loredana and David laid out on the table in their pretty little garden. Leaving the bikes behind, we decided to move around on foot or public transport, and so headed back into the centre of Vienna via a tram and then a metro.

I even made a couple of new furry friends along the way.

The metro left us bang in the centre of the city, at Stephansdom, the city’s iconic central cathedral. In a happy coincidence, there was a street market set up and in full swing, and so we headed in to have a snoop around whilst I admired the colourful roof and striking height and architecture of the cathedral in the centre.

The patterned roof of the Stephansdom has turned it into an icon of Vienna.

In the market I had my first taste of sturm, a young wine which is still very sweet and relatively low in alcohol. It was absolutely delicious, and could definitely become an easy vice if I were to have easy access to it. Now I find myself wondering if there’s any kind of equivalent in Spain – but perhaps its best not to go there…

We then headed further into the centre, checking out some more iconic buildings, squares, and sights before making another stop to relax in the shade with a drink. As we polished off or radlers, we spoke about where to go for lunch, as so much exploration had stirred up quite the appetite. Loredana suggested a Lebanese restaurant, where we enjoyed a delicious and very, very filling meal.

I was really lucky with the weather during the whole trip, the sun just kept on shining.

Fit to burst after such a large lunch, we continued meandering the streets of Vienna, finding ourselves crossing one of the city’s many beautiful parks after David had to dash off to meet some other friends. Now in a different and rather fancy area of the city, me and Loredana wound up engaging in a spot of what an American would call “dumpster diving” – I found a nice tie that had just been thrown out and sported that for the rest of the afternoon!

Now tired from so much walking, we headed back home, where Loredana had a surprise in store. Although the space is technically off limits, her building has an access hatch which leads to the roof, and so we snuck upstairs and quietly lowered the ladder to the forbidden terrace.

Loredana marched up that ladder without a hint of respect for the rules.

The views from the rooftop were unexpectedly spectacular, with a near 360° view over Vienna and its suburbs. We’d also happily timed our little adventure just right, and caught a gorgeous sunset over the rooftops. I don’t really have to say much more here, the photos speak for themselves…

Still full from lunch and exhausted from so much wandering, we opted to spend the rest of the night in at home, and so Loredana dragged out Sing Star for her Playstation 2. I’d never played the karaoke game and I am possibly one of the most tone-deaf people out there, but we had a great laugh singing out hearts out until we were too tired to carry on.

The next day I awoke to an empty flat, as both Loredana and David had headed off to work. I’d been left with a key and some instructions on where to go and visit to entertain myself until Loredana got back home around lunchtime, and – after mooching around in bed until l late – I dutifully headed off in the direction of the Schönbrunn Palace.

With the sun beating down on the city quite relentlessly, I hopped off the metro with a cinnamon roll in hand (that I had managed to order in German, miraculously) and looked for the entrance to the gardens which Loredana had promised me were rather beautiful. I eventually found the main gate of the ex-royal residence and pottered in, amazed by the sheer size of the place.

As you can see from the photos, the promised beauty of the place did not disappoint one bit, with the giant yellow structure almost paling in comparison with the vast expanses of gorgeous gardens which surrounded it. I walked around the area quite slowly at first, in awe of everything and taking photos of every small detail, but I soon realised that I wasn’t getting anywhere at that pace. I thus grabbed myself a delicious kaiserschmarrn and strawberry flavoured ice cream and headed off to see the first spot that Loredana had marked on my map, the Palm House.

As soon as I saw kaiserschmarrn (the shredded pancakes) as a flavour option I knew I had to have it.

After this leisurely walk around the lovely, flat gardens, it was time to brace the huge hill that stood behind the palace in order to visit the next spot that Loredana had marked on my map, the Gloriette. This is a vantage point atop a hill with views over the palace and the city beyond. As I got close, I deduced that I’d need more calories in me to make the climb, and so grabbed a snack in the form of a wurst covered in ketchup and mustard.

I then began the tedious climb upwards, stopping every now and then to catch my breath and finish off my fizzy apple drink of apfelschorle that I’d grabbed form a kiosk. Once atop the hill, however, the views were definitely worth it, and I spent a good while just taking it all in and snapping a few photos before I headed back down.

I arrived back down at ground level as lunchtime approached, and so I took a few last potos of the palace and gardens before heading back to the metro to be reunited with Loredana at her place. She was tired after a long day at work and I was exhausted after my morning exploring Schönbrunn Palace, so a nap was in order before we commenced with the outings marking last evening in Vienna.

Before we headed out for my last meal in Vienna I had one last errand to run – a trip to a local supermarket to pick up some Austrian snacks for the team at Erretres. Loredana helped me pick out some sweet and savoury goodies to take back to Madrid, and we grabbed a local snack favourite – a kind of formed spiced meat patty in a fresh bread roll. It felt quite unnatural to be eating meat with that shape and texture, but it was delicious and we were hungry, so it really hit the spot!

As the afternoon gave way to the evening the three of us then headed out to an Asian fusion restaurant, where we devoured dumplings, ramen, and more delicious goodies. To work off some of the food, I insisted we should climb up the many, many steps leading to the roof of a local building – maybe not the best idea after a recent COVID infection, but I made it!

We snooped around up there for a bit before heading back home, where we had some shots of Berliner Luft, a mint liqueur which I noted tasted exactly the same as mouthwash. I then had to begrudgingly pack my bag ready for the trip back the next day – it felt like I’d only been in Vienna for five minutes!

The next morning I’d to wake early to shower, pack the last bits and bats, and say farewell and thank you to Loredana and David for having me stay at theirs and for being incredible hosts and tour guides for my first time in this very pretty city. Even though I’ll definitely be back to visit again, I also insisted that the two of them should come to visit me in Madrid whenever they got a chance – I enjoy hosting just as much as I enjoy being hosted!

There’s not much left to add with all of that said, apart from thanking Loredana and David again, and promising that I’ll be back in Austria again just as soon as possible!

Izzy Visits & More

18.09.21 — Madrid

Once my double whammy of COVID lockdowns was over, I was understandably looking to spend as little time in my flat as possible. Thankfully, I had plenty of ideas of what to do after so much time to think about it, and begun my freedom with the first of many trips around Madrid. This took me up to Las Rozas and to my friend’s house, where we’d arranged to have a dip in the pool and then head out for a bite to eat.

The sun setting over Las Rozas created some lovely autumnal colours.

We had a lovely catch up at his pool before heading out for pizza, and then spent the evening chatting away in the park with a beer. Eventually I’d to get the train home after the sun set, as it was a Sunday night and I was due back in the office the next day.

The next weekend saw me jump on a bike and head off to explore some of the city centre, as I’d to do some reconnaissance for Izzy’s visit and I also fancied visiting some of my favourite spots around the city. On my first bike ride, I headed to Ópera and the area I like to call “Royal Madrid” around the palace and cathedral. There, I stopped for an ice cream, before swinging past the new viewing platform that has just been opened after gosh knows how many years of construction – it was boarded up the first time I visited Madrid in 2015!

My second runaround took me in a huge loop around the city centre, which ended with a descent down to the lake in the huge park in the west of the city. From there, I headed down the length of the river and back to my house, stopping along the way to jump on one of the swings which hangs from an overpass – it’d been years since I last climbed aboard a swing!

A few days later, when I should have been in Oslo (a trip that COVID put a stop to), I decided to finally redeem the theme park ticket that I’d bought back in April and which I couldn’t use back then because my neighbourhood got plunged into a hyper-localised lockdown. Although this meant that I’d have to go alone, I decided to head on down to the Parque de Atracciones as I was running out of time to redeem the thing and I thought it’d be a good distraction from the sadness of not having been able to travel abroad.

The theme park is just a metro ride away from my flat, so I headed down for opening time (midday) and redeemed my ticket. Heading in alone surrounded by groups of people was a bit odd, but after my first ride (where I wound up sat next to Javier, hello if you’re out there), I soon got into the swing of it and began racking up a ride on all of the attractions that I’d noted down as looking interesting.

After a few rollercoasters and a good drenching on the log flume, I sat down for some lunch, which naturally took the form of the usual mediocre theme-park pizza. After that I headed on yet more of the park’s bigger rides, including some flat rides (rides which aren’t rollercoasters) which were also quite a laugh – except one which span us so much I felt like I was about to spray the poor lad next to me with the pepperoni and cheese I’d had earlier!

I took a video of myself on the log flume, but I daren’t upload it.

With the day wearing on and my energy levels low, I stopped again for a cheeky beer and a huge waffle cone filled with chocolate and ice cream. Once I’d devoured all of that, it was then time to re-ride some of my favourites from earlier, which took me back on a few of the rollercoasters and even led me to find a drop tower which wasn’t on my list but which packed quite the punch! Thankfully not too much of a punch, though, and the people below were saved from a light sprinkling of ice cream and bits of waffle.

After another wander around the park, day became night and I became fully exhausted, and so it was time to start winding down and thinking of going home. As the park was open until 10pm, I decided to grab myself one last jug of beer and a sandwich as the sun set, but not before I’d accidentally stumbled across the River Rapids and then Los Fiordos – a fjord-themed water ride.

I jumped on this last ride a few other people and we went around the relatively short course, getting lightly sprinkled with water after the main drop along the way. When we got into the station, however, there was nobody waiting, and so the group of teenagers in front of me asked if we could go around again. The ride operator insisted that anyone who wanted to get off could, but I thought I’d go with the flow and go around again – a decision I paid for with a proper drenching to the skin on this second round!

Being in a theme park past sundown made for some pretty unique sights.

With my long day at the theme park over, I headed back home and fell asleep pretty much instantly. The next day I had made various plans with Sara, including a brunch in the city centre, after which we ended up at my place doing a spot of colouring in and calligraphy – a nice and relaxing afternoon! We then headed back to her flat and met up with her boyfriend and his friends who were visiting, nipping down to a local terrace for a few drinks and some nibbles to end another busy day.

The day after marked Izzy’s arrival, and so I spent a while cleaning my flat before cycling up to Atocha train station to meet her and Alex as they arrived from Barcelona. Our first task was to nip by a clinic so that they could have their PCRs done, and then we headed back home to drop off their suitcases, after which we headed out into the city centre.

That evening we had tacos in Taquería Mi Ciudad, a tiny little Mexican restaurant I took Izzy to the first time she visited and which I haven’t been to for quite a long time. Full on delicious tacos and gringas, we pottered down to La Latina and then Lavapiés for that evening’s drinks, heading home for a relatively early night ready for a long day of activities ahead.

Saturday was one of the most intense days of exploration I’ve ever undertaken in Madrid – we did so much from 8:30am to 11pm that I can’t even begin to list it all here. In between other things we had breakfast at Ojalá, scootered our way around Retiro (the big park), cycled past the Royal Palace, had drinks at the Matadero, cycled down the river, had a picnic and watched the sunset at the Templo de Debod, and wound up back at my favourite local bar for a bite to eat before bed. Quite the day, huh!

The next day was a Sunday, but there was no rest for us, even after the busy day we’d just had. Heading off on the bikes again in the morning, we headed up to the north of the city for some pastries for breakfast before heading down the river back home. With time running out, however, we’d to grab a taxi back to my place so that Izzy and Alex could grab their suitcases and head off to the airport to fly back to London – it was a quick and intense trip!

After I’d seen them off in their taxi, I had a quick nap in order to gain some energy for lunch, as I’d arranged to meet up with Napo for pizza at our favourite haunt in Lavapiés. Lunch consisted of a beer in the square whilst we waited for a table, a delicious pizza at NAP, and then a cheeky G&T back at my place – a great way to finish off an afternoon.

But wait! I wasn’t done yet, my non-stop weekend continued. To celebrate Hugo’s boyfriend’s birthday, we’d arranged to have a meal out that evening in the city centre. I’d to get another nap in before heading out, but we had a lovely time (even if I still don’t have much of a sense of taste) and I enjoyed one of the wildest desserts I’ve had for a long time…

After my busy weekend it was time to get back to work, but that didn’t stop me from taking some photos and enjoying the odd evening out. My first new perspective on Madrid comes from the third floor of my hospital, where I’d gone for a quick scan. As I walked out I caught a glimpse out of the window, and couldn’t resist snapping this shot of the Air Force building behind the Victory Arch.

I also spent a couple of evenings down by the river where I’ve been writing blog posts and just watching the world go by. A little restaurant and bar that I never paid any attention to before has become one of my new favourite haunts, as I can sit down with my iPad and work on whatever I need to whilst enjoying a cheeky beer with lemon and watching the sun set – bliss!

One evening I was invited around to Sara’s, where we had a catch up over a quick bite to eat and a beer – she’d laid out a lovely spread of delicious meats and cheeses from the north of Spain! We then wound up in a local bar, where we finished off our evening with a plate of calamari rings and one last cheeky drink.

With that, I bring my blog almost up-to-date, as I’ve another post pending looking at my first and last international adventure this summer – thanks, COVID! I shan’t reveal where I got off to for now, however – you’ll have to wait for next time…

Coronavirus: Buy One, Get One Free

07.09.21 — Madrid

After some ominous foreshadowing in my last post, I’m sure the title of this one leaves little to the imagination as to what happened to me next: I got COVID – and not once, but twice.

Before we delve into how I managed to kill time in my flat by myself, I should address the elephant in the room: how did I manage to get COVID twice? And how, just how, did I manage to get it in as many months?

The sincere answer is that nobody knows. Both my GP and the Madrid COVID helpline have been great during the these two bouts of the virus, ringing me periodically to see how I am getting on and describing the next steps to take. One of these times my GP rang me to clarify the situation, and admitted that even she didn’t know how I managed to give a positive result twice. One theory is that the first time was a false positive, which could well be the case, but we’ll never know.

The important thing is that I’m now COVID-negative and fully recovered – except for my sense of taste and smell, but I’ll leave that story for later on in this post. As mentioned, I’ve to express gratitude to the Madrid health authorities for their constant contact throughout these odd few weeks, and also to my family and friends who kept me entertained during the long evenings alone in my flat.

Now, on with the story. My first bout of the virus came after Cami and Kevin’s visit, after I’d gone to a private testing centre to get a PCR ready to fly back to England to visit my family. I was shocked when I received the positive diagnosis as I’d not a single symptom, but I dutifully locked myself in my flat and began my ten days of quarantine.

Being stuck at home was made less tedious by some mood lighting.

This first bout of quarantine wasn’t all too bad, I was just sad to have missed a chance to visit my family and then get out and enjoy Madrid’s summer activities. I moved some of my holiday days at work in order to work from home to keep myself occupied, and with the idea of then taking these days off when I could enjoy them and get out of the house once again.

As mentioned, I was completely fine, except perhaps for a bit of a light cough, and so I kept myself occupied and entertained by cooking and setting up spa evenings at home to pamper myself. One day I even made banana bread for the first time, which I didn’t expect to be so tasty nor so big – it took me a good while to get through the entire thing!

I’d to make banana bread in a cake molde thanks to my temporary imprisonment.

One evening I was in bed and noticed that I felt a little feverish, and so I took my temperature to discover that it was slightly elevated. I wasn’t too concerned, as I’d had some out-of-date salmorejo (a cold tomato and garlic soup) earlier in the day, and so resolved that my body must just be reacting to that. It was an easy conclusion to jump to seeing as I’d had COVID just weeks before – I assumed that it’d be impossible to get infected again so soon.

With my light cough gone and the ten days of quarantine over, I was eventually allowed back out, and my life returned to normal for a while. After the excitement of my trip to Sweden, however, things got a little heated – literally.

As a precaution, however, I stayed put at home, popping a paracetamol the next day and carrying on working. The day after this, however, I awoke with very little sense of smell or taste, and by noon it had disappeared completely. Knowing that this was a telltale sign of COVID, I rang my GP and arranged to be tested that very afternoon.

In a surprise to nobody except myself at the time (and perhaps those of you that didn’t read the title of this post properly), the test came back positive. Plunged into another ten-day quarantine, I was forced to find other ways to occupy myself that didn’t involve making delicious food. I played with the lighting in my flat for a while, practiced my calligraphy, and began fun experiments involving making and eating most disgusting culinary combinations that I could possibly imagine.

With two trips cancelled, which would have seen me back to Oslo to see Heidi and back to Tenerife to see Cami, this second quarantine was a little more disheartening than the first. This, coupled with the fact that I was feeling under the weather, unable to enjoy food, and stuck inside again for the second half of my summer holidays, made this second round particularly tough.

After a few days of me living off paracetamol, my GP rang me to see if I was fit to be let back out. Thanks to a lingering bit of a cough, she instructed me to stay inside for another three days, and so I found my imprisonment extended into the second week of my summer holidays.

This extension of the quarantine was a nuisance, but at least it didn’t ruin the last of the three plans that I had for my summer holiday: acting as host for Izzy and her boyfriend Alex who were to come and visit me in Madrid! That, however, will have to wait for a future post.

We thus come to the conclusion of this perhaps somewhat dull post, but I’d like to end on a more optimistic note. Since the second round of COVID I’ve had a great few days with Izzy and Alex, and there’s more to come in this month of September and the next, as I’ve got plenty of visits and other short adventures lined up! You can be sure that I’ll be back just as soon as I can to report on all of the goings on – until then!