Alas, on 04/06 Mika friend comes to visit us! She’s like a supply ship who came to the desert, carrying with her incense, vitamin supplements, mail, Eurail pass and organic tobacco. It’s a bonus that she’s a whirlwind of good energy, unrestrained spontaneity and fun at maximum amplitude. We got well acquainted with all the bocadillo places in Madrid, ate fried chorizos, went to window shop on Serrano on a Sunday, dined and wined (cider’ed) at Casa Mingo, relaxed in Parque Retiro and visited El Prado on a two-hour power guided-tour. We even went clubbing at the legendary “The Room” while the legendary DJ Angel spun.
Mika got thrown into the mix of Armando’s family and friends as soon as she stepped off the plane, as we initiated her into the whole caña and tapas culture. Things must have gotten pretty surreal for her after a few rounds of beer + tinto de verano + morro + orejas in the company of Pedro, Maria, Pepe, Silvia, Ivan and of course Armando and I. When it came time to buy cigarettes she happily dodged billiards in a random Irish bar as she made a bee line for the tobacco vending machine. The fun with food and Madrileño friends continued for the next five days.
The next day, Armando led a power tour through Madrid. We ate at the Ham Museum and went to lunch at Casa Mingo where Armando’s best friend Ivan worked. This restaurant’s real old, and they’ve been serving the same food and cider since 1888. The highlight of the day would have to be Parque Retiro, where the a statue honoring Lucifer the Fallen Angel stands. We relaxed by the lake inside the park, and I successfully exploded a cloud in the first attempt I ever made at this well-known thought-intention experiment.
We took a day trip to Cuenca on 04/08 to get our feet wet. There, we visited the Cuenca cathedral and met a gypsy woman with two heads. Yes, two heads. It was like meeting the hunchback of Notre Dame. We ate baby pigs, and went to the fantastic modern art museum housed in the legendary hanging houses, Casa Colgadas. As we were not able to make it to the strange rock formations Ciudad Encantada due to lack of of a car, we hiked a ways by ourselves on a private winding mountain road (where the rock formation were pretty weird but not that weird) until we heard the barking of a guard dog in close proximity.
Next day was a shopping excursion in Madrid. After a day of shopping, came the memorable Spanish clubbing experience. Apparently no clubs even open for business until 2am. Standard practice is to warm up with a few rounds of drinks at surrounding bars until the clubs open. Armando was thrilled with the music, as it was spun by the very DJ (DJ Angel) who inspired him to spin house music way back when. As we existed the club at 6am, I experienced the all-purpose Chinese street vendor. He sells everything you’ll ever need after a night of dancing and sweating: water, beer, and gum. And, if you’re hungry, he’s even got a plate of hot steaming chow-mien! All these supply housed in the seemingly magical and never-ending milk crate which also acts as a stool he sits on when business is slow. Amazing.
Mika and I planned our Italian trip and routed our Eurail passes on the weekend while Armando mused over how crazy our itinerary was becoming: Two girls, one ticket, ten cities in twelve days. By the time we finished our planning Armando was thoroughly pleased with the fact that he’s not part of this trip. On the other hand, I was boiling with anticipation…. I love being on the road! I’m seriously the happiest when the only downtime is spent on a moving vehicle going from one place to another! The last time I did this was an Eastern Europe journey in 2001, and here I am nine years later with Mika doing it in Spain and Italy. Ah, the anticipation. Needless to say we packed up a bunch of food for our train ride to Barcelona, as we enjoy eating while sitting in confined spaces. Whenever I have the luxury of this combination of good food, good book, good company and a small sitting compartment that’s moving at high speed, I am reminded of what Felice remarked on a road trip we took in Taiwan. Why is it that the joy of having these seemingly mundane elements gets amplified when they are enjoyed in a confined space, and even more so when this space is moving at high speed?
