Saturday, April 8, 1989

A Detour Through The Twilight Zone (The Journey from Madrid to Hull, Part One) ...

I didn't think I'd have a more bizarre traveling experience then the one I had when J.P. and I were trapped in Perth back on Dec. 30. I was wrong.

Oh, it started out fine... very sad, but fine. And then it got frustrating. Viv and I woke up a little before noon. Late, true, but long before everyone else in the flat. I packed my bags while Viv made us some food.

At a little before one, I said farewell to Liz (the only other person who woke up before I left). She was very sweet - gave me a hug and tearfully said "Aw, you're my friend, Rick." Very touching. Then Viv and I caught the Metro for my last trip. After that stop, we walked to the area where we caught the bus to the airport, and our timing was quite good.

We got off the bus, found my terminal, and checked in without any problems. I bought a newspaper and sat with Viv awhile, until the last moment when I couldn't stay there any longer.

Viv and I said our tearful goodbye. I hope to God she is able to come to America this summer.

That's when things started going a little... funny.

While in the terminal at Madrid Airport (right), waiting to take the same flight as me were most of the European Business Students (like Viv, only in reverse) from Spain where were actually heading back to Humberside College in Hull. What are the odds on that occurring?

Nothing too thrilling to report about the flight, though I should say something, considering how much I had to pay out of my budget for the trip. It was pleasant, and the food was pretty good as well.

My plan was to meet up with J.P. after our flight arrived at Gatwick Airport south of London. J.P. was staying with his girlfriend Sid in Kent, outside London, and I was going to be staying at her house overnight, since my bus ticket is for Sunday. I had sent J.P. a postcard with my flight time, number, terminal, so he knew where to meet me.

That was the plan, anyway.

Well I arrived at Gatwick (right) and checked through with no problems. However, no sign of J.P. No worries at this point, though. After awhile, I decided to grab the Gatwick Express train back up to Victoria Station. Once I arrived there, I struggled to put my bag into a locker there, and at that point called Sid's house. No one was in. Hmm, that's odd. But no worries, I can try again later.

I went and grabbed some dinner at the nearby McDonald's, then came back to the public phone booth and called Sid's house again. Still not in.

Then I made what turned out to be a mistake. I decided to take a chance and go out to Sid's house on my own. So I purchased a one-way ticket to Longfield, and took the train out with the hopes that they were just out for a little while, and that I would catch them by the time I got there.

So when I arrived at the stop after a 45-minute train ride, I made the walk to Sid's house (click on the map to see where her house is in relation to the train station). No luck. The house was dark, and no one was home. Still, it wasn't terribly late, so I decided to wait a little while to see if they came back home.

But after waiting around for awhile, it started to seem more and more likely like they weren't coming back. Perhaps they forgot, or perhaps J.P. never got the post card. So I had two choices, continue waiting and risk being stuck outside in the country all night, or catch the late train back to London and take my chances there, where I could at least go inside some places if it got too cold.

I wrote a note to J.P. and Sid telling them that I had been there, but that I decided to take the train back into London. So I trekked back to the station, where I waited just under an hour for the 11.18 train to London. During this time I was annoyed by three pestering kids hanging about, who fortunately left fairly soon after. There was one other girl there at the station who for some reason found it difficult to believe that I was telling her the truth that this train goes to London.

By now, as I rode on that train back to Victoria Station, I was starting to feel more and more like Griffin Dunne in "After Hours," wondering where Sid and J.P. were, and where exactly was I going to stay, and what I was going to eat, since I had very little money on me. As I thought more and more about my situation, I resigned myself to realizing that this was going to be a long, long night.

The saga continues tomorrow.

(Editor's note: This was the last time I saw Liz, although we did send letters periodically to one-another for a few years afterward. I have since lost contact with her. The same is true of all of the other students I knew and lived with while I stayed in Spain... except, of course,Viv.)

Friday, April 7, 1989

My Last Full Day in Madrid ...

Today is going to be my last full day here in Spain. It started out with not much to do during the day except sleep in, clean, draw a bit and read. But then Viv skipped class to spend more time with me on our final day here, so we decided to walk down to El Prado (top, with me in front of the statue) and check out more of the paintings that we missed the first time we were there a few weeks ago.

Of course, it was great. Saw the Bosch painting again (that's our favorite), as well as another favorite of mine, "The Triumph of the Dead" (middle). I bought postcards of both of these paintings, as well as one by Goya (bottom). It is simply a spectacular art museum, unlike any I've ever seen before. Granted, I've only seen a few thus far...

So then we left the museum, only to be greeted by a downpour, and after a wait to see if it would stop, we decided to dash through the rain and go to a nearby gift shop. Eventually we realized the rain was not about to stop in the near future, so we scratched our plan to visit the Templo de la Egypt and made it to the Metro for the return trip back to the flat on Calle de Pelayo.

Tonight was to be the flat mates' housewarming party, so Viv and I bought some rum and coke for the evening. After umpteen more games of Gin Rummy, we joined the party of international students. I met another American student, Todd, from Minnesota, who is braving it out over at the Residencia with The Old Man.

I mingled with the gang until Puri, Liz, Viv and I took a late night excursion to McDonald's, had Big Macs, then returned. We saw a scuffle take place out in the street (it is a bit of a rough neighborhood), though we never figured out exactly what had transpired. After that excitement died down, several people went to a disco, but Viv and I stayed behind.

The flat was a wreck, but it was a modestly fun last evening in Madrid. This will be the last time I see Viv until she (hopefully) makes the trip over to visit me in the United States this summer. I'm going to miss Viv so much.

Thursday, April 6, 1989

More American Graffiti ...

Another gloomy day indoors. Not much to tell, really. Cleaned up the room a bit, and ate as much food as I could gather. I didn't do much school work, though. I did manage to gather quite a few notes for my Sociology essay. It's quite interesting, although I dread writing it.

When Viv came back to the flat, we went out to get a few provisions and ate hot dogs for dinner. That evening we played several games of Gin Rummy.

The highlight of the day was probably adding some more "artwork" to the graffiti hallway. I decided to recreate the album cover of my band, Yokel, for the wall.

It didn't turn out too bad. I wonder how long it will last before someone removes it? It's kinda cool to think that I was able to leave our mark here in Madrid, even though only a few people will get to see it. And none of them will get it.

Besides that, there just wasn't much to do today, and we went to bed rather early.

Pictured below is an artist's rendition of the artist's rendion of the Yokel picture that was added to the graffiti wall at the Madrid flat.

Wednesday, April 5, 1989

'Un Pez Llamado Wanda', y 'Groonan' Uno ...

Another day of not-much-to-do, so I did more things around the flat, like clean up the kitchen. I read the paper and The Satanic Verses a bit, worked on my Social-Political Structures report a bit (time to start working my way back to reality!), and I added my first bit of artistic flair to the graffiti wall here in the flat... The Monkees guitar logo (hey hey!).

Shortly before everyone returned from class, I began to cook Viv and my dinner, chicken, rice and chips. And once again, when Viv returned, she helped me prepare the meal. This meal was an overwhelming success, unlike last night's fare.

Following the meal, rest and cleaning up from the meal, we went out shopping. Bought tickets to see "Un Pez Llamado Wanda," a.k.a. "A Fish Called Wanda." At Madrid Comics I found a copy of issue #1 of Sergio Aragones' comic book "Groo the Wanderer" (called "Groonan: El Vagabundo" here in Spain), and it was selling for face value! That will be a nice addition to my complete "Groo" collection back home.

We also bought a pillow, black paper, tape and Spanish earrings at El Corte Ingles for my sister. We found a 100 peseta coin on the ground, and Viv gave me 50 to buy another International Herald Tribune. Mariners lost their opening game of the season, 3-2, to the A's. Michigan beat Seton Hall by one point in overtime to win the NCAA College Basketball Tournament.

Well, next we picked up Liz (not literally) and the three of us went to see the film. It's a great movie, and now I've seen it three times, in three different countries, once dubbed in Spanish. Oh, and nothing bad happened to me after this viewing, so my "Wanda" curse has been lifted. Great!

Came back to the room, read a bit, then went to bed.

I only have 3 days remaining in Spain before I head back to Great Britain.

Pictured top is the cover of the Spanish "Groo" comic book, and below, a street shot of Calle de Pelayo, outside the flat.

Tuesday, April 4, 1989

Tastes Not Much Like Mom Used to Make ...

Not much to say about today. I woke a little past 9 a.m. this morning, ate breakfast, broke Raquel's mug, cleaned up the room, read the paper, did the crossword puzzle, wrote the last of my postcards, ate raviolis for lunch (they just don't taste quite the same without a classic rerun of Hogan's Heroes playing on the telly while eating), read a bit of The Satanic Verses, then took a nap until 5 p.m.

At 5 I began to make dinner... my own concoction of Mom's beloved ham, noodle & cheese casserole. Viv came while I was cooking and helped. It didn't taste quite as good as Mom's since we used canned ham, but it filled us up anyway.

After we ate, we contemplated going out, but didn't bother until about 9 p.m., when all the shops were closed anyway. Still, it was my first time out all day, and it felt good to get out of the flat for a bit of a walk. I bought another paper, brought it back to the room, and Viv and I, after some cola cao (hot chocolate milk), played another Gin Rummy tournament. This time she clobbered me, pulling out to a 9-2 lead before I caught up a bit, finally losing 15-9. That was fun.

Following that, we went to bed.


Photos are more images of El Retiro.

Monday, April 3, 1989

Confusion Sets In ...

Ate breakfast with Viv this morning, but once everyone left for class, I went back to sleep until late morning. The hot water heater was out of gas, so there was no hot water for a shower this morning.

Everyone was finished with class by 1 p.m., so they came back, and after Viv and I ate some sandwiches, we headed out to the Royal Palace. It started to pour down rain (only the 3rd time on the entire trip so far), and when we got to the palace, it was closed for formal functions until Saturday.

So, we walked back through the rain and stopped in a doorway until it died down. We walked through a few shops, buying another International Herald Tribune to read, and pricing pillows in Galerias Presadios and El Corte Ingles, two larger department stores here in Spain.

Finally, we returned to the piso to wait for Kurt, Angie, and the rest of the crew to go visit Sanchez, the real estate agent. Of course, although we were scheduled to be there by 4.30, they didn't arrive at the flat until 5.

And that's when the confusion began.

Viv and I left to go shopping and took the keys with us to make copies, so that everyone who is living there would have one. We left under the pretext that we would be back in an hour, so that when they returned from the agent's office, we could let them in.

We made the mistake of locking the door to the flat when we left, thinking that it could be unlocked from the inside, no problem. So we went and had the spare keys made, gathered a few other provisions, and also purchased tickets to see "Rain Man" later that evening. We returned at exactly the time we said we would.

Viv and I only discovered our error after returning from this excursion, and everyone unnecessarily started yelling at us, upsetting Viv and angering everyone. These doors are quite funny, and when they are locked from the outside, they cannot be unlocked from the inside. Wow, that's safe.

I installed a lock on our other door, and then Viv and I went out to do some grocery shopping at El Corte Ingles. When we returned, we received apologies all around and all was well once more.

Next I installed some lights for Viv in her room, and then we once again headed out for a budget-friendly meal at McDonald's for some Big Macs, etc. Then we went to see "Rain Main," dubbed in Spanish. It was strange for me to watch, and not nearly as good as seeing it with the original actors' voices. Nonetheless, it was interesting to see an American film presented as a foreign film, and although I could understand very little of what was being said, I could still catch the jist, having seen it in Hull not too long ago.

We returned to the room at 12.30, and an hour later, after unpacking our food, talking to people, reading the newspaper and doing all of those little things that you do before going to bed, we went to sleep.

Still need to get a pillow and sheets, though.

Sunday, April 2, 1989

Another Cash Poor Day in Madrid ...

Since we are poor until Monday (OK, we're always poor... but cash poor until Monday), little was done today. Woke up late, had a bowl of Chocapics for breakfast, then worked on fixing up Viv's room some more. We switched beds with Isabelle, then went to the store room to get out what was supposed to be a wardrobe, but after we pulled it out, we determined that it was something for the kitchen, so Viv didn't want it.

We took one of the chairs that was in the room, but later in the day one of our chairs was "stolen" from us, leaving us with one.

Isabelle the frog managed to get on everyone's nerves at one point or another.

After eating sandwiches for lunch, Viv and I took a walk down Gran Via to El Retiro, where we just sat on a bench for a while, relaxing and talking. It was nice. Then we got up and gradually made our way to the Television Tower, which we found out too late that that visitors weren't permitted. So much for an unrivalled view of Madrid.

From there we caught the Metro at O'Donnell Station (good Spanish name!) back to Chueca station. It looked like it might be closer to the flat then Gran Via, and it was. It turned out to be only about 500 yards away, but immensely seedy. Apparently, the leather-clad teddies liked to hang out in this area. Not exactly my scene.

The flat is located at 19 Calle de Pelayo. It's not exactly the greatest neighborhood. But the price is right, and the door is secure.

We rested in the room until Liz returned, when we made pizza and chips. Liz semi-whined about getting a smaller portion, so later Viv decided that she was not going to share meals with anyone if they act like that.

Viv and I sat chatting in our room, and at around midnight, the cheeky frog next door told us to shut up (in her outrrrageous Fronch axscent), not too unlike how The Old Man did it just a few nights earlier. So Viv and I decided to stay up even later than planned and continued talking and playing Gin Rummy. We finally went to bed a bit past 1 a.m.

Pictured to the right is a street photo of the flat that Viv and the other seven international students that abandoned the Residencia were now living. And where I was now living until my departure from Madrid back to Hull. The heavy black door was the entrance, andthe window above was to the room that Viv had claimed as her own. I didn't actually take any photos of the place, but found this photo on Google Map, actually. Never thought I'd find it... but there it is. Looks pretty much the same as I remembered.

***

• Number One Song in Britain This Week: "Like a Prayer" - Madonna
• Number One Song in America This Week: "The Look" - Roxette

Friday, March 31, 1989

If They Put Me in the Zoo ...

Viv woke early for class, but I couldn't be bothered, so I slept until 11.30 a.m., at which time I got up, read the paper and waited for Viv to return. When she did, I got ready and we went out to get a sandwich at good ol' Don Jamon's, across the Calle.

After lunch we caught the Metro to Batan, where we proceeded to walk to the Madrid Zoo. It cost about 800 pesetas each to get in, but with our International Student ID cards, we got 20% off. It was a nice zoo and I really enjoyed it.

Even though it wasn't the best zoo I've ever visited, I think it's the on I enjoyed visiting the most. We saw, among the many animals, elephants, tigers, lions, kangaroos, strange and colorful birds, monkeys, hippos, rhinos and eagles. Of course, photos were taken of the flamingos (my favorite bird), as well as the Giant Pandas, the playful red pandas, large pelican-like birds that Viv was able to stand right next to, and the highlight of the day: the baboons.

They were very playful and eager to put on a show for the tourists in the hopes of scoring a treat. One baboon would do back flips, while the other jumped up and down to get our attention, and when a peanut was thrown, he would usually catch it.

Following that, we were able to catch the first part of the dolphin show, but after taking two pictures we had to leave, because it was getting close to the time where we had to meet with the agent to sign the contract for the new flat. We were to meet at 4.20, and it was 10 past already. We arrived at Gran Via at 4.50 and what do you know, we were the first to arrive.

After we got everyone assembled (and I bought another copy of the International Herald Tribune), the five flatmates (Viv, Liz, Kurt, Angie and Raquel) sat and mitigated the circumstances while I sat off to the side and read my paper next to Mark, Raquel's boyfriend from back in Germany, who just arrived for a visit today (ah, the plot thickens).

Raquel (right, photo courtesy of Vivienne King) was being quite annoying, and left early with Mark for her own personal benefit, and the contract was not signed. However, money exchanged hands and things moved otherwise smoothly. Viv was extremely upset with how Raquel behaved there.

Afterwards, we went to McDonald's for some grub followed by another tour of the flat. This time, it had been cleaned and was actually quite appealling. Although the graffiti was still prominently displayed down the hallway, I offered to help paint over it if they wished. The consensus, however, was that the graffiti was pretty cool and should stay (and be added to as well). That's fine with me.

Viv picked out the room she wanted in the flat, but feared that Raquel would want it, and since she usually gets her way, she would end up getting it. I told Viv she should stand firm if she really wants it and not back down. She has no more or less claim to it than you, and you didn't ditch the group at the contract signing.

Everything was in pleasant order, so we left, and those four went to the Chueca Metro Station while I returned to my room at the Villa Garcia. I read the paper a bit more, then went for a walk to find out the showtimes for "Rain Man." Viv didn't get back until 10.15, though, so we didn't get to go see the movie tonight.

Pictured is Viv at a fountain in Madrid. This photo is not from the zoo. As you can see, there are no photos from the zoo here (you can click on the zoo link above to see the animals).

Editor's Note: OK, so here's what happened. Back in Barcelona, when I finished the roll of film, I rewound it, took it out and replaced it with a new roll. Unfortunately, the new roll did not catch on the camera, so I proceeded to think I was taking photos, when in fact, I was not. It was only when I thought I was finished with the roll that I rewound it and discovered the mistake. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed at this discovery. And this is why there are no photos actually taken from the second half of my trip to Madrid. Ah, if only digital photography had been invented about 10 years earlier...

Thursday, March 30, 1989

The Old Man Gets the News ...

When it was time to wake up and go to class, only about half of the students in the Residencia actually made it. Viv was one of the stragglers.

Somehow, when we woke up, Kurt was in the same bed as Angie. (Even Kurt says he doesn't know how that happened. He said the last thing he remembered was going to his room at the end of the evening. But I guess drinking straight gin will have some impact on your memory.)

Viv took Raquel's bed, and with a chair firmly placed in front of the door, Angie, Viv and I slept peacefully until 1 p.m. At that time, I took a shower, and shortly thereafter the students that actually made it to class had returned for lunch. Following lunch (which was actually quite good), most everyone went back to class, except for Kurt and Angie. Kurt and I played some Gin Rummy and a quick game of chess (he beat me), before I ventured out to purchase today's International Herald Tribune (2nd time in two days... it's an excellent newspaper).

When Viv returned, there was further discussion about the flat before Viv and I left to find a Hostel to stay at tonight. After last night's debacle, we wanted to go somewhere where we could both get a good night's sleep and get away from the Residencia.) We went back to the Villa Garcia off Gran Via, where I stayed when I first arrived in Madrid, and got a different room, this time with a balcony.

After getting squared away with the room, we returned to the Residencia to discover that The Old Man had already been told about all of the students who were leaving. His reaction wasn't what everyone expected, and The Old Woman said "we already knew" (but she said it en Espanol).

Apparently, they've already lined up some new suckers, I mean students, to move in. Poor sods. I guess The Old Man's scam is to overcharge and false adverties to students, then get a new batch to move in every month.

Well, we ate our dinner (my last here), and after Viv and I packed all of our things, we returned to Villa Garcia. I can't say that I'll miss life at the Residencia, except for some of the students that I've befriended who won't be moving into the new flat.

Viv and I relaxed and went to bed much earlier than we were able the night previous.

Pictured is the sign for a building located not-too-far-away from the Residencia.

Wednesday, March 29, 1989

No Rest for the Weary ...

I didn't wake up until 12.30 today when the cleaning lady came in. I took a shower, and when everyone returned from class, we went downstairs to eat a weak and unsatisfying lunch.

Then everyone went back to class again with me alone in the room. A bit later, The Old Man came in and turned off the light, complaining about the music. Stupid man. I'm looking forward to getting out of here.

I tidied up a bit, played some patience, and rested listening to "Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" and some Neil Young. Up until now, a relatively uneventful day.

Then evening approached.

It was Leona's birthday (one of the students staying here at the Residencia), and permission was granted to have a party. All went well. It was held down in the basement and featured music, dancing, "special" drinks, and they even had the back door open so that you could stand out by the so-called "pool."

It was after the party that the fireworks began.

First, Angie got rip-roarin' drunk, and after we went back up to the rooms, and while Viv and I were playing a few games of Gin Rummy, she and Kurt started fooling around a bit, and then Angie asked us if we would leave the room. This upset and angered Viv, but we left and went for a short walk (which was preceded by a hassle from The Old Man, naturally).

When we returned to the Residencia, we stayed downstairs until we had an opportunity to make it look to the Old Man and Old Woman like I had left for the evening. However, with money tight, I needed to stay here, and did not want to have to pay the extra money. So when we finally made it up to the room, it was about 1.30 a.m. We were tired, so we decided to get some sleep. I had to share a tiny bed with Viv, because no other empty bed existed (a problem that will be remedied in a few short days). So there we were, Angie drunk and out like a light now, while Viv and I tried to get some sleep.

It was not to be.

In the room next door, the French students and others were still awake and talking (including Kurt and Raquel). No problem there.

The problem arose when The Old Man came up and told them all to go to bed, accused them of being drunk (a point on which he was correct), threatened to call the police on them, and said he was going to stay there until they all went to bed. That didn't work out well.

To give you an idea of further atrocities these people infringe upon these students' privacy, The Old Woman then came up into Viv's room without knocking, and flicked on the light to look for bottles. Of course, I'm not supposed to be here. Fortunately, I was able to hide between the two beds and The Old Woman did not see me. Later, whenever they came back upstairs, I hid under Angie's bed, Angie sound asleep right above, until they went back down and it was safe.

Also during the evening, Angie got rather ill, so we had Kurt come and take her into the bathroom. This, of course, also brought The Old Man back upstairs. When Angie was safely in bed asleep, it was around 4 a.m., and we finally managed to get some sleep... until 6.30 a.m., when Raquel and Jerome rather noisily entered the room. With Angie snoring loudly on one side of the room, and Raquel and Jerome making their own special noises on the other, it became rather difficult to get back to sleep. But somehow, I managed.

Pictured above is my collection of Metro tickets from Madrid. They feature paintings from El Prado on the back. I thought they were pretty cool, so I started keeping my tickets when I got one that I needed. No idea if it's a full or partial collection. The ticket in the middle shows the reverse side with the train information.

***


The second picture is of some of the students who were at the party (photo is not from that party): from left to right - Kurt, Angie, Raquel, I don't remember her name, Viv and Liz.) Photo provided for this blog courtesy of Vivienne King.

Tuesday, March 28, 1989

Well I Went to the Post Office ...

Hey, today is the 10th anniversary of the TMI Nuclear Accident. I wonder how they are celebrating back home. I was in fourth grade when the accident occurred. Very bizarre day, that was. We weren't quite sure what was going on, but it wasn't good. Throughout the day parents were coming in and taking their kids out of the class. We thought we were pretty funny when we all laid down on the ground and "played dead" after lunch, before the teacher came back in the room. She didn't think it was quite as funny.

Anyway, Viv woke me up at 8:45 a.m. for breakfast, which was a much-too-exciting array of biscuits and cocoa. Afterward I came up to Viv's room and fell asleep in Angie's bed, only to be awoken by The Old Woman at 11 a.m. I got up like I think she requested, sat in the other room, and waited for it to be cleaned. When it wasn't, I went back in and fell asleep again until the cleaning lady came in. She said she would go and clean the other room first, which was very nice of her, but a few moments later old Beelzebub came back in and kicked me out.

So now that I was reluctantly up, I did a bit of writing, listening to music, etc., until the others returned. I was informed that it was now official... they called the agent back and confirmed the flat off Grand Via. Now they'll have to inform The Old Man that they're moving out at the end of the month.

We ate lunch, which was pretty good, and after Viv went to the bank and we finally had some money again, everyone went back for their afternoon classes. When everyone returned from class, Viv and I went to the post office to send all of our mail. It costs 69 pesetas to send a postcard to the United States (35p, or about 50 cents), but it costs only 115 pesetas to send the big letters. The stamps tasted icky, though.

We returned and rested until we were treated to the most repulsive meal I have ever seen: Red (purple, actually) cabbage, followed by cold fish with mayonnaise. I ate almost none of it, and after the meal Viv and I walked up to the nearby Wendy's and had hamburgers.

Now fully satisfied, we returned to the Residencia to talk, play cards and once again not do all that much. It was Kurt and Angie, Raquel and Jerome (not Geronimo, as I thought earlier), and Viv and me in the room for the final moments of the evening.

Pictured is one of the Madrid post cards I sent, this one of El Prado for my parents. It was actually one of several I put into one envelope, then had my parents hand them out to people, in the interest of saving money on those icky-tasting stamps.

Monday, March 27, 1989

Flat Decisions ...

Easter Monday is another "big day" here in Spain, which means that the banks were shut today as well. I awoke this morning to the sight of ants crawling all around Dave's room (obviously, they are friends with last night's cockroach).

It was late morning by the time I woke up, and it was soon time for lunch. I grabbed a shower after leaving "the zoo," which was followed by an adequate meal. During an afternoon plagued by loafing, reading, and playing cards while everyone else was studying, Liz and a few others returned from whence they came.

With Liz here, we were prepared to finally take a look at that flat the students are interested in letting. Unfortunately, Liz disappeared before we left, so we had to make the trip without her. We took the Metro to Gran Via, saw the agent, who gave us the key, and we then walked to the flat.

It was a dive.

The flat was messy, with junk all over the place. It even had graffiti painted all over the walls in the hallway. It needed a lot of work, but it was huge and cheap - about the same for five to stay here as it would cost for one to stay at the Residencia.

Initially, the answer was a unanimous "No." But further consideration on the way back left it again up in the air as a possibility.

The lecture from The Old Man back at the Residencia during a repulsive dinner (fish cake thingies) sealed its fate. He talked of a student's duty to study and not fool around, and offered to give the students Statistics lessons for £25 a month. (Viv translated for me.) He said all of this while everyone basically ignored him and showed him no respect whatsoever, simply continuing to carry on their own conversations while he talked.

Granted, the way he runs this place, he deserves little respect. Still, I felt a little bit sorry for him when he was being completely disregarded by the students. Hopefully he will learn a valuable lesson from his errors. These students really got ripped off by these people here.

Well, as talk among The Five (Kurt, Angie, Viv, Liz and Raquel) leaned towards taking the flat (Viv was still very skeptical and unsure), the evening continued. Later, many of the students went out, but Viv and I stayed behind, again because we have no money until the banks open tomorrow.

So instead we played two games of checkers (draughts), which I won, and then a first-to-five series of Gin Rummy (I won again, 5-4). Then when that was finished, we parted our separate ways for the evening. I had trouble getting to sleep at first, but managed.

Pictured is the cover of the Metro map I used during my stay in Madrid. It didn't take too long before I didn't really need it to get around. I would show you pictures of the flat but, well, more on that later.

Sunday, March 26, 1989

Mixing It Up with The Old Man ...

Woke up very late today... 1 p.m. in the afternoon, to be exact. Played a few games of Patience before Easter lunch. It wasn't much to scream about... some icky bean and potato casserole followed by a pretty good steak and chips (as in potato chips).

Spent most of the afternoon on the terrace writing postcards, reading The Satanic Verses, and acting silly. Dinner was sandwiches... great.

Viv and I played umpteen games of Gin Rummy, and for quite awhile she was clobbering me. Then we played a first person to 10 series and I narrowly beat her, 10 to 9.

Following that, we got together the students in the Residencia for an international game of "Up the River, Down the River." For our international French and German friends, I ran the game in Spanish. So now I still can't speak the language, except to play this drinking game (and to order mas pan y mas agua, por favor... more bread and water, please.):

• "Tres bebe dos." (3's drink two [times])



• "Nueves regulan cuatro" (9's give four)

Well that was all fine and dandy, but just as the game was breaking up, The Old Man came up to the room to complain about the noise. After he left, everyone except Viv and me (who are broke until the banks open again on Tuesday) left for a pub. We cleaned up the room a bit, interrupted by The Old Man three times (one time he told us that the lady next door had called the police).

We're still not sure if he suspects that we aren't brother and sister.

Well, the evening didn't end there, no siree bob. When everyone returned from the pub at about 2 a.m., we sat in the room talking and making coffee when The Old Man came up again and yelled that we should be in our own rooms and in bed by midnight.

On this point, Kurt (pictured right) blew up and began a spirited argument with The Old Man. In the room at the time was Angie, Raquel (who had just returned earlier today from Germany), Geronimo (cool French dude who looks a bit like my friend Bill Lattanzee back at Millersville, and who later hit it off with Raquel), the guy whose name escapes me but looks like Lou Diamond Phillips and my friend Duncan Campbell from Camp Hill High School mixed together, Viv and me.

Well, after the row, I went downstairs to Dave's room, my place of residence for the evening, and after getting rid of a cockroach, I went to sleep.

Pictured above: I am leading a game of Up the River, Down the River with the students at the Residencia. Note that I have my trusty Spanish translation guide to make sure everyone understands what to do. The second photo is of Kurt, celebrating... who knows? Sunday? Both photos are courtesy of Vivienne King.

***

• Number One Song in Britain This Week: "Like a Prayer" - Madonna
  
• Number One Song in America This Week: "Eternal Flame" - The Bangles


• Eurochart Hot 100 Singles This Week: "Like a Prayer" - Madonna (it hit #1 this week, and would stay there until June 10.)
  

Saturday, March 25, 1989

With 3 pesetas in my pocket ...

Woke at 10.30 a.m. and showered before packing our things to check out of the room. They wouldn't accept Vivienne's check, so we had to go out and find a bank. None were open (again with the Easter weekend, in hindsight probably not the best weekend to visit a very Catholic city), so we had to go to an automatic teller and use my Access card to get the money we needed.

We went back to Pension Pintor, paid our bill, and then left our luggage there so that we could take in a bit of last-minute sightseeing. Again, we walked through Gotica and Ramblas, eating sandwiches at a little shop near our room (the only way to eat on a vacation to Spain!) (Pictured is one of the buildings located in he Gothic Quarter.) Next we took the Metro to the Arc de Triomphe, and it was an absolutely clear day. I took a few more photos and relaxed in the park before we returned to our room, picked up our luggage, and returned again to the Arc de Triomphe, this time to wait for the bus.

At 3.30 p.m., our bus left for the return journey to Madrid. Along the way, we were treated to listening to the American Top 40 countdown on the radio while getting another look at exactly the same beautiful scenery we saw when we first came to Barcelona.

Unfortunately, we had Mario Andretti as our bus driver, who insisted upon driving excessively fast along some very narrow and winding roads that would be tricky for a regular car, let alone a large motorcoach. We weren't the only ones who thought he was going a bit too fast. Eventually, he was pulled over by the police and ticketed for speeding, which was actually quite humorous to me. Of course, it did little to deter him, and it wasn't long before he was speeding along the Spanish countryside once more. (Pictured is some of that Spanish countryside, zipping along.)

Well, after passing through the cities of Zaragoza and Guadalajara, as well as making two pit stops - one where I bought a Barcelona '92 Olympics key chain and a can of beer (since it was 60 pesetas cheaper than buying a Coke), we finally arrived at Madrid's bus station, poor and tired, at midnight.

Further revelations occurred at this late hour:

1. Being Easter Sunday now, the Metro was closed.
2. This meant we would have to take a taxi back to the Residencia.
3. The clocks here were moved ahead an hour, making it even later than midnight.
4. We had very little cash on hand.
   

Well, we dished out all of our money to the taxi driver (including 100 pesetas extra for night service.) So with a secure 3 pesetas in my pocket, we carried our luggage from the taxi back into the Residencia. We said our hellos to everyone who was present, and even The Old Man gave us some food - a delicious hot ham sandwich.

After unpacking and a game of checkers, Viv and I hit the hay for some sleep. After all, it was 3 a.m.

Wednesday, March 22, 1989

Madrid to Barcelona ...

Today marked my 6th month living in Europe. I woke up quite early today - 7 a.m. - to eat breakfast and then leave with Viv for the bus station. With our bags in tow we set off and arrived with 15 minutes to spare. However, we very nearly missed our bus when we waited in the wrong area. Fortunately, we caught the error in time and just made it on the bus.

The trip was quite long... nine hours, to be exact, including an hour in stops along the way. But it was fascinating because of the amazing scenery we enjoyed along the way. We saw towering snow-peaked mountains, sleepy little Spanish towns that almost seemed deserted, and everything from farmland to desert.

Viv and I sat in the back of the bus relaxing during the journey. While she rested, I read some more of "The Satanic Verses" and took a few photos. They showed the movie "Splash" on the TV in the bus along the way. But of course, it was dubbed in Spanish, so I couldn't understand it.

We finally arrived in Barcelona at 6 p.m., and after a bit of disorientation, I bought a map and decided which way we should head. We hopped on the Metro and headed from Arc de Triomf to Jaume I, on the fringe of the Gothic Quarter. After a short walk we finally arrived at our destination, Pension Pintor, a recommended hotel in my cheap Europe guide, nestled deep in the very old buildings of this section of Barcelona. We got a room for 1,800 pesetas a night, and after we unpacked we took a walk towards the beach. It was windy, so when we found it we didn't stay very long.

We returned to the room and made sandwiches with the luncheon meat we had. We were exhausted after our long journey, so soon afterwards we went to sleep.

Tuesday, March 21, 1989

And the Winner Is ...

Well, I woke up very late today. I led another game of Up the River, Down the River with the gang at the Residencia, and let's just say I am never playing it with Gin and Lemonade again. Ever. (Editor's note: It was actually a few years before I could even drink gin again.)

Viv and I went back to the bus station to purchase our tickets (billettes) to ... drum roll ... Barcelona! It beat out Andorra only because it is more difficult to get in there thanks to the damn French government.

Anyway, after we bought our tickets, we returned to the Residencia and did close to nothing of any importance other than eat, pack, watch bits of a dubbed "Roxanne," and get a lecture from The Old Man and Woman, which I, of course, didn't understand. After faceless nondescript endless games of cards, we went to bed.

Monday, March 20, 1989

Andorra or Barcelona? ...

We had a lie-in today and I woke up after 11 and began to finish writing my postcards before Viv got herself up. We had missed breakfast by this time, and since were to look at the apartment at 1.30 p.m., we asked if we could have our lunch at 3.

We went to the place and waited for Kurt and Angie to show up, but while we were waiting, the guy who was showing us the flat came out and said that we had to come back tomorrow because the place was being cleaned.

We then saw Angie and Kurt approaching and went to McD's for a little food. Viv and I then went through Sol to the American Express building to cash in my travelers checks before catching the Metro back to the Residencia for lunch.

Following that, Viv and I set off once again, this time to the bus station to do some research on possible trips to take, since she is now on spring break. I brought up Casablanca, Morocco as a possibility (it's actually not too far away, and yes, I know that Rick's Place isn't actually located there), but we quickly realized that would be expensive and problematic getting in. So we narrowed down our possibilities to Barcelona or Andorra (the tiny country nestled in the mountains between Spain and France.) (Pictured is Andorra bus trip brochure.)

After finding out what we could about both destinations, we came across difficulties with Andorra. The French Visa restrictions on Americans such as myself apparently apply to entering Andorra as well. At least, we think that is the case. We'll find out for sure tomorrow. Basically, if we can go to Andorra, we will. If not, then it's Barcelona.

We returned to the Residencia to sort things out, eat some dinner, and partake in other social activities of little importance with the rest of the gang. (Pictured at the Residencia doing things of little importance are Raquel, Viv and Liz.) Should find out more about our upcoming trip tomorrow. (Wow, a trip, within a trip, within a trip for me!)

Sunday, March 19, 1989

Exploring the grounds of Palacio Real ...

We slept in a bit and got our breakfast close to noon. After this, Viv and I picked up our pack lunch and headed for El Lago, a lake on the outskirts of Madrid. It was a mild, sunny day, perfect enough for a picnic.

We sat on a hill overlooking the Palacio Real (the Royal Palace) and the lake, where we ate our lunch (top photo). When we were finished eating what we could, we walked down the hill and over to a kiosk, where we both bought very old cans of 7-Up. We could tell they were old because the cans had rust on them.

When we were nearly finished, we began our walk toward the Royal Palace. We arrived a short time later and spent a good deal of time in the front garden, looking for the palace entrance before we decided to rest on a bench for awhile in this incredibly peaceful area.

Later we walked out the front gate and around to the front (middle photo), where we passed through another garden before we found the gate... and the sign that told us the palace was closed on Sunday.

We still got a magnificent view of Madrid from here, and decided to continue walking into town. We stopped at a sidewalk cafe and had some Coca Colas, then continued to walk until we found ourselves outside El Prado. So we again walked up to El Retiro (bottom photo, Viv at the park) and relaxed for awhile outside the Glass Palace.

We bought some treats on the way to the Metro Station, and got back in plenty of time for dinner, so we rested. After dinner, Viv and I relaxed at the Residencia while others went out.

***

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Saturday, March 18, 1989

Un Día en El Prado y El Retiro ...

Today was El Prado Day - finally, a chance to see the famous Madrid art museum. Fortunately, I was not discovered spending the night at the Residencia, so when we awoke we made it look like I had just arrived and went down to get some breakfast. We waited for a pack lunch to substitute the one we would not be getting at the Residencia, but when it didn't come, we decided it wasn't worth waiting any longer and left.

We took the Metro to the stop close to the American Express building, and ate lunch at McDonald's (two McPollo sandwiches.) I then bought loads of postcards at a store that sold them for 10 ptas. apice, so I ended up buying 20 for the equivalent of about £1. We arrived at the American Express building, but it was closed, so we continued toward El Prado. We stopped at two gift shops before entering the magnificent art museum... free admission with our international student ID cards. (Pictured is the entrance to the museum.)

"El Jardin de las Delicias," by Bosch

It is an absolutely incredible art museum... so vast that we didn't get even close to seeing the whole thing on this visit. Fortunately, we should be able to carve out some time during my stay to come back and explore the second floor. But on the first floor we saw pieces from Hieronymus Bosch, El Greco, Anthony Van Dyck, and many other master works. We saw some works by Francisco Goya and Diego Velazquez on the second floor before we started to get exhausted and decided it would be better to save these paintings for another day.

We walked out of the museum to a very brisk afternoon and headed toward the nearby El Retiro. (Pictured is me at the park.) We sat by the lake for a bit, but because it was quite chilly, Viv and I decided it best to catch the Metro back to the Residencia.

Viv and I spent the rest of the evening there, at first relaxing, me writing out some postcards, but then I got an opportunity to lead this band of merry international students in a brilliant game of "Up the River, Down the River." With students from England, France, Germany and Holland, the only common language they all have is Spanish... and I don't have that one, making it difficult to converse with many of them. However, I learned just enough to lead this drinking game. It was foreign to all of them (actually, the concept of a drinking game is somewhat unusual. As Kurt said, "We don't play games, we just drink." But they were game to try it out.)

The game went on for well over an hour, and we had some very interesting rules added to the game at the end of each round (failure to follow a rule results in the taking of a penalty drink.). The rules included, "You must drink with one hand on your head," and when a 3 comes up, you must put your hand on the bed, last person taking a drink. It was especially great because Kurt had 3 Kings, which got him beyond buzzed right quick. If it could take down a serious drinker like Kurt, you know it's an effective game! (Pictured playing a game are some of the international students. Angie and Kurt are laying down. Viv is to the left with her back to the wall. The others are international students whose names now escape me.)

Anyway, when the game finally ended, Viv and I chatted for a good long time, and we finally went to sleep at about 3 a.m. Of course, most of the other students were still up when we fell asleep.

Pictured above is one of the guides provided by the museum, this one for the Goya section of El Prado. Very interesting publication. At least, I think it is. It's all in Spanish so I can't read it. But the photos are nice.

Friday, March 17, 1989

Flat Hunting in Madrid ...

Checked out of the Villa Garcia hotel this morning (pictured), paid the bill, packed my bags, and left without knowing exactly where I would be staying tonight. Viv and I headed back to the Residencia. We bought a local newspaper, "Ya," to look through the ads for flats once we got back to Viv's. After we realized that Viv (as well as everyone else) had missed their lesson, we went out to eat some breakfast.

Afterwards we contemplated heading to El Prado, but decided to postpone that visit and instead decided it would be best to go apartment hunting instead. I found what I thought would be the ideal place, but we looked at all of the others before settling on that one. After phoning an agent in the phone box, we got an appointment to take a look at the apartment at 8 p.m. tonight.

We called two others, but ruled them out as well as all of the others because they were being handled by agents, which made them more expensive. Later on it began to rain (...the rain in Spain does not stay mainly in the plains), so we canceled plans to go out anywhere and we stayed in. Viv, Kurt, Angie and I played (off and on) umpteen various games of cards, stopping for mealtimes. After dinner we watched bits of dubbed episodes of "The Cosby Show" and "ALF," before returning to cards.

At half 7 we left for the flat, which was in Gran Via, the main road in the heart of Madrid (pictured in the lower photo). We arrived at a very posh building. It looked very promising, until we realized that this was just the owner's office, and not the flat building itself. The one he advertised in the paper, it turns out, was too far away. But he suggested another one that was only five minutes away, which had five bedrooms and was 65,000 pesetas a month rent. (Divided among 5 students, that would make it around £70 a month each, compared to the £300 a month they are currently paying to stay in the Residencia. They scheduled an appointment to take a look at the place on La Lunes (Monday), so I really hope it works out.

After that I bought six more postcards and when we returned to the Residencia, I wrote out five of them. We finally decided that I would stay at the Residencia tonight and just hope that I don't get caught. Angie, Kurt and others went to a pub, then came back and had a party here. Viv and I finally fell asleep at about 2 a.m.