DAY 1 - MADRID
8:35AM
“Attention ladies and gentlemen, this is the First Officer speaking. It has gotten a little busy around Barajas airport and we have been asked to hold here awhile.”Hold here?!? Where’s “Here?” All I see is cloud tops. Oh well… I’m sure he knows the way to Madrid, [I hope!]
After promising us at takeoff that we would be arriving 1 hour early, we now found out that the big tail wind wasn’t so big and we might just get there on time. That’s if we aren’t “Holding Here” too long… wherever “Here” was.
After dropping out of the clouds, literally, our driver made a perfect landing [we all applauded] and then we taxied for at least another 20+ minutes. We finally got off the flying cigar tube without incident, and began the long trek to find our luggage and line up to process customs. No less than12 lines at the passport control, [ours moves kinda fast] Stamp…stamp, “Bienvenidos a Espana, Senior” and we breezed through passport control.
“Oh look honey, you can buy a phone card at this little booth.” She says.
“Don’t need a card now”. Mumbles Chuckie in a hurry to find our transportation
“I think you ought to get one now.” She insisted.
“Later, I just want to find Fernando and get going.”
“I really think you should get one now, we’re surely gonna need it later, remember Italy?”
“Illy, lets go!”
We round the corner towards the Salida [exit] and start looking for the promised sign “Chuck Mercurio” to be held by our new friend in Madrid, Fernando Gibaja, Food & Beverage Director of the 5 Star Westin Palace Hotel.
No sign, no Fernando, no Worries… we’re a bit early. He had the itinerary [the whole Bloody Free World had the itinerary!!] and he must have figured how much time it takes to get outta customs etc., and is running on time according to his calculations… [purely speculation on Chuckie’s part].
“Why don’t you call?” smirks the smug Dragon Lady.
“Don’t have any change yet, and I don’t have a Phone card” [Uh - Oh…. Here it comes…]
“Du-uhhh,” she grins.
Score one for the Dragon Lady. So I proceed to look for another Phone card counter… Ooopppss… the only one is on the way from the plane to the baggage claim.
The nice lady at the “Información de Turística” desk suggests the yellow phone card vending machine on the wall by the pay phones. Great! … Uh- Oh… OUT OF ORDER.
“Stay here with the bags”, and I hustle off to the next set of phone banks… and Tabac stands… and the bank window and…. ok…. no phone cards and the bank line is too long to get coins for the phone and…..
Thank Gawd…. There’s the sign “Chuck Mercurio!!!!” Fernando and his lovely wife Elena have just arrived to save the chagrined Chuckie from any more snide remarks from the ever lovely but enjoying the sarcasm Dragon Lady.
I gather up the bags along with the still smug Illy [“Told you to buy the damn card….but noooooo… the stubborn little Italian man doesn’t listen….yada yada yada…”] and hurry to greet Fernando and Elena, ignoring the Dragon Lady’s harping.
Besito’s [kisses] all around, “Welcome to Spain!” they declare and we are off to retrieve the car for the ride to the hotel.
Along the way, we get mini-sightseeing tour and make the acquaintance
of two of the warmest folks we have met since the delightful strangers we met in the Mountains of Italy who took us in for lunch [even if we weren’t their long lost American cousins].Elena’s eyes flashed with the passion of a native Madrileño as she pointed out the various national monuments we passed along the way, while Fernando offered commentary about the route we were taking and directions on how to get out of the city to Toledo on Monday.
They dropped us at the Hotel Regente, located on a verrrryy narrow street, just steps from Gran Via, right in the heart of all the action, with instruction to be ready at 1pm. They were taking us out for a quick tour of some special places and then lunch at the Palace. What a pleasant surprise! They really are very nice.
Check in was easy. We retrieved the travel packet left by Ole
Spain/Fiesta Tours [here after referred to as OLE] with all our hotel and tour vouchers and some nifty maps of the cities we are about to visit. We were escorted to a cozy room with a balcony overlooking Gran Via and all the hustle bustle action, and proceeded to settle in, grab a quick shower and change.In the process… Chuckie discovers that the trusty voltage converter from Italy was not working correctly and set out to find a replacement at the Cortes Ingles [one of the biggest department stores in Spain… they even do tour and travel arraignments] which just happens to be right out the hotels back door.
Nice try… you wont believe what he had to go through. First, they don’t have ANYTHING like what he wants… a universal travel converter. They do have one that screws to the wall and takes all types of plug adapters to work…nope, not an option.
I then tell the clerk that I really need it for my laptop’s power adapter. He says, “ no problem. All those adapters will take either 120V or 240V input, all you need is a wall plug adapter.”
The skeptical Chuckie ain’t so sure and goes to get the adapter to see if this is true.
Back to the hotel… wait on the slow elevator #1 [#2 is broken]… run to the room… grab the adapter and dash back down the stairs… [They are now working on #2 elevator].
Across the courtyard to Cortes Ingles, up three floors to the nice guy with the plug adapters and Voila’ he’s right… the computer adapter will take 240V, so all we need is a plug adapter…. Uh-oh… it’s a 3 prong plug [dumb little Italian man did not check this before leaving Hollywood, or he could have taken a 3 prong adapter… he only has a DOZEN in the garage!] so now what… It’s time for the famous Jury Rigging routine. Fortunately, the clerk is another McGyver type like Chuckie and together they “RIG” a combination of plug adapters to get the job done.
Now its back to the hotel only to find… the travel iron/blow dryer has the new US wide prong plug with a ground fault package and of course…IT DOESN’T FIT THE NEWLY RIGGED ADAPTER THINGY!!!
So…. now Chuckie has to rig the old power adapter as a thru plug [the iron has it’s own built in converter] and gingerly hang it out of the new combo plug contraption from the wall so the Cuban Lady can press some creased slacks and dry her hair…not of course, at the same time.
1PM –Madrid… And more…
The Gibaja’s arrive promptly and we are off to tour the Palacio Real, the Cathedral of Nuestra Signora de la Almudena [patron Saint of Madrid], and stroll past tons of little bodegas, restaurants and tapas cafes into the famous Plaza Mayor. 
After pictures all around it was time for lunch.Now ya gotta understand, Fernando had just arrived at the Palace Hotel 2 months ago but he is a like a proud and anxious father [which he actually will be soon, he and Elena are expecting their first child in the spring]. He is very anxious to show off the Palace, a 5 Star hotel regarded as one of the truly elegant hotels in Spain.
On top of that, today is the first day of his new restaurant promotion series and Buffet… and of course the first menu is: Italian! He can’t wait to see how well it is going.
It is going so Fabulously… we can’t get a table! Not to worry, as with all new bosses… the staff
will do anything to please and since seating is in a rotunda arrangement under an extraordinary stained glass cupola, a table magically appears and is set while the ladies freshen up and Fernando gives me a mini-tour of the adjacent meeting space.Lunch was extraordinary although Fernando noted a few items on the beautifully presented buffet that would do better if done “ala minute”… but hey…it’s only the first day. I was truly impressed with his style and class as well as his exceptional knowledge of the industry. His Ritz Carlton background showed as he described his plans for the Palace.
After another brief tour of some of the most elegant Public Space and meeting rooms [Rene,
ya gotta see this bar…pictures to follow] we were ready to head back to the hotel… [Chuckie was fading fast as he got no sleep on the plane, while the ever easy to nod off Illy slept all the way]. Fernando surprised us with the gift of a gorgeous hard bound book on the Palace Hotel with a great color photo spread on the history of the hotel including all the royalty and celebrities it has entertained since its opening in the late 1800’sWe retrieved the car [the underground parking is not to be believed…Verrrryy tight quarters, and they drive a little crazy in Madrid but not even half as NUTZ as the Italians] and they dropped us back at our hotel with instructions that when we returned on Wednesday the 13th to be prepared for a night on the town Madrileño style. [We can’t wait, I hear the folks in Madrid, really know how to P A R T Y].
Besito’s all around and we headed to the room for a little nap before a planed romp in local Gran Via night life.
Chuckie was so wiped out that the 1-hour nap turned into 5 and at midnight we decided to see if there was an internet kiosk open to send the first NOWAT.
After a short walk, we found the Telefónicas internet place Fernando recommended with ADSL internet connections closed…[Du-uhhh Chuckie… it IS Midnight!]
The Dragon lady smugly pointed out that the nice little café ZAHARA on the corner from the hotel had a very large internet chat room upstairs and it was there that we uploaded NOWAT ESPANA – M.I.A.
Now that was an exercise in itself. First, they would not let us hook up the laptop to their connection. So Chuckie, who had loaded it on a floppy in the event this happens reaches into his pocket only to find…. he left it in the room… he had the laptop, but no disk. Sooooo, back up to the room… [#2 elevator is fixed now] the desk clerks are getting used to his frequent in and out… he grabs the disk and back to the ZAHARA he ran, only to find out that he only has 15 minutes before they close….
No problem, just pop the disk in….upload it to Yahoo… address it, do a quick edit and bingo… Wrooonnngggg!!!
Some how, Yahoo has fragged the NOWAT address list, or at least that is what it appears like… Chuckie is in a panic…he is copying and pasting…. and losing the file…and now the time on the connection runs out and loses the uploaded NOWAT…. more Euros into the slot and start over again…
Finally after some real “RIGGING” [we know how that goes, don’t we Rene'] we get yahoo to accept an address list copied from the disk as a back up and get the first NOWAT off just as time runs out again.
We decided to grab a quick bite there before they close, and then take a quick stroll around the area to see what kind of trouble we could get into.
Of course now it’s 2AM and it starts to drizzle… so it’s back up to the room for the umbrellas Chuckie so wisely packed… [Hey…. remember…The Rain- In Spain - falls Mainly… ok… ok… you get it]… the desk clerks are beginning to get a kick out of this Wacky American Turista with his dashing in and out… and we are off to see what’s “Goin’ On” around Gran Via after dark”.
A short walk… Chuckie’s leg has developed a small pain, and we discover that there truly is Night Life in Madrid. You can’t turn a corner without finding a disco here… a disco there… hot spots and more discos…. and… the ever present Velvet Rope brigade with macho doorman types waving in the Beautiful People and ignoring fat old Italian Wacky American Turista’s [not really, we didn’t try to get in…too much cigarette smoke for Illy’s liking, these Spaniards smoke like chimneys].
Back to the Hotel, [“Buenas Noches”, Señior giggling desk clerks] and up to a toasty room to write NOWAT ESPANA – DAY 1- MADRID.
Tomorrow it’s more walks around the area, a bus tour in the afternoon and loads of other fun stuff.
Hope y’all are enjoying our trip so far… drop us a note to let us know that you got these first 2 installments.
Ciao 4 NowChuck and the smiling, but snoring contentedly, Illy
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