Madrid via Bus.

So here we are after midnight after planning on an early evening.  Long drive today – Mikey did most of it.  Packed up and ate at Seville.  It was a lovely spot.  Ate our pastries (eclair for breakfast!)  with tea (using sugar this time instead of the salt I used by mistake yesterday 🙂 )  Also Manchego and cured ham with toast and apricots.  Got out of Seville very smoothly then just kept driving on the A41.  Stopped for lunch en route.  Veal cutlet for GL, M&M had chicken cutlet.  I had more calamari with a very nice salad of tomato, potato, olives, lettuce, pineapple and oil dressing.  Also filled up with diesel for E52.  GL and I had garlic soup (quite mild but yummy which came with a poached egg in it).  Mike had the samarallejo.

Then on the road to Madrid.  All went well til A4 disappeared and we mistakenly exited.  But found our bearings and then discovered the protests!  Our street was blocked fully by masses of police with riot gear.  So after much small street maneuvering we dropped Mike and Marucia (with out any money! and a dead phone) one block over while GL and I tried to drive there.  M & M knocked (pounded) on the door but no luck.  A little old lady tried to help them but they just had to wait.  Eventually a woman showed up to let them in.  She tried to charge a late fee which we refused due to the road confusion.  Had to pay E40 cleaning fee cash which we new about.

Meanwhile, GL and I were in stopped traffic with many policia.  We even saw water trucks.  Eventually GL & I just parked at the Prado parking area for E30/day.  Finally re-met with M&M and headed back to the parking lot to get more luggage.  We just brought essentials which of course included camera and laptop.

Once the internet was established and Marucia called for Ana to check the house in Burlington we are finally headed out.  Had a fantastic caiparinha at a little bar that Michael had spotted.  The drinks were made with a homemade crusher – Put chucked limes (2) and 1 lemon, scoop of sugar then crush.  Lots of ice then filled cashasa.  GL had another Rum Meil, then for Paella – quite yummy for Mike & I.  We had a funny waiter which made it more enjoyable.  Then back to email Paul & Lucy, Derek.