Part of the bargain price is changing planes at Milan. The local weather? Snow flurries. Someone else in the security check line says a woman ahead is a movie actress. We watch as what's-her-name declines to give our informant an autograph. A quick cappuccino, and we board for our airborne nap to Madrid.
Apparently because of the Schengen treaty, our passport check in Milan served for Madrid. We take a cab, view the passing brick high rise housing and gang graffiti, and arive at the Hotel Principe Pio. The in-room brochure says its Un hotel en constante renovation, apparently meant in a good way. My wife finds it acceptable.
Across the street are the grounds of the Royal Palace. It's so convenient, we'll save it for another day. We have set out on our anti-jet lag day. We board the Metro and encounter a street performer. He's a flutist with a microphone mounted on his instrument which feeds his playing into his symphonic accompaniment; he's the featured soloist.
We take in part of the Prado. Then, crossing back over the Paseo del Prado, we see that, if needed, there are Starbucks in Madrid. While we weren't at the moment looking for a church, we see one up a side street: the local Church of Scientology. Another block and we pass the Congress of Deputies, the lower but more powerful of the houses of the Cortes, the legislature of Spain.
We had hoped to stop for dinner at a particular restaurant, but we were too late, and too early. The persisting custom of the siesta leaves typical Madrid restaurant hours 1 to 4 pm and 9 pm to midnight. We walk on to the Puerta del Sol, a public square (actually semi-circle) that is Madrid's equivalent of Times Square or Picadilly Circus. There we find that McDonald's is open. Per World History
Spain has fewer McDonald's restaurants per capita than a lot of nations - 6.8 McDonald's for every million people compared to 44 per million in the U.S., 35.5 per million in Australia, 28.3 per million in Japan and 18.5 per million in the UK.
Sorry, no photos. You'll have to take my word that I had a hamburger, potatoes deluxe (more or less steak fries) with sauce (some kind of cream sauce, not bad), and a beer. The beef tastes just slightly different than in the U.S. McDonald's in Madrid have a McCafe, a coffee bar, as well. On the walk back, we pass the Teatro Real, and, very near our hotel, the Senate of Spain. Like the Congress, it's across the street from ordinary commercial and residential building, rather than set apart like the U.S. Capitol. ¶ 1/14/2006 01:19:00 PM
