LYNN’S SPAIN/MOROCCO
JOURNAL
Day 1, Wednesday-Thursday, May 8/May 9
Travel Day to Spain (SFO to Munich to Madrid)
We boarded our Luftansa flight without mishap, although since we had neglected to ask for either aisle or window seats we found ourselves in the two middle seats in the middle row of four. Since much of the flight would be at night, we didn’t miss being able to look out the window that much and managed to sleep quite a bit. We arrived in Munich the next day and had a two-hour layover, which allowed for some shopping, mainly for candy for Corinna (Snickers and little Swiss chocolate bars). On our flight to Madrid, our seatmate was a German guy. As had happened to Philip before, when he sits with Germans, the Luftansa stewardesses end up trying to talk to him in German or trying to talk to the Germans in English, assuming that the people sitting together must be speaking the same language.
We took a taxi to our hotel, Hostal Persal, near the Plaza del Angel, near the Puerto del Sol. The taxi driver grabbed our bags quickly and quoted a price of 50 Euros, which seemed way too much. The meter wasn’t running, but when we got to the hotel he clicked on the meter which read 45 Euros. It must have been preset, since he learned from the hotel clerk that the cost should have been close to 20 Euros. We took a walk in the neighborhood before retiring. All of Madrid is out at 11 at night walking, eating, talking. We bought cookies and drinks at a small grocery store down the street from the hotel (Asian-run, Korean?). Our room has tall ceilings and a balcony, plus its own full bath. The noise from the street remained loud far into the night.
Hostel Persal with Lynn on Balcony