Our last leg of the Italian Spanish trip was an afternoon in Madrid. The transfer options were better to ride the train from Malaga and take Vueling flight from Madrid than a direct Norwegian flight from Malaga. What can I say. The Norwegians are expensive.

Regardless the transport catch, it was actually good to refers the memory of this Spanish capital.

Way back, when we were young and free, childless we spent 10 days in Madrid, staying as a members of Couchsurfing community.

Our host were locals and they showed us how the locals live, especially in the evening after hours. It was a great way to explore the city through their eyes and I remember long hours in the bars eating and drinking, with plenty of museums and sightseeing during the day.

This time we didn’t have time to explore the city or stay out late. It was actually Saturday afternoon when we arrived, and the city was bustling with people, streets filling up with youngsters meeting their friends, and taking a smoke out on the pavement. At one point we could not push the strollers on the sidewalk that was overcrowded so we had to walk the street. Debeli was delighted, as he remembered that Madrid was one of the cities where he was thinking of moving. For me, it was too much. The noise and the crowd were just overwhelming. Living in Oslo and having a loud toddler, lowered my level of tolerance for other I guess.

Anyway, we didn’t have any plans other that walk around the monuments that we visited first time and to snack something on the famous Mercado de San Miguel, that has become a hipster overpriced space. Overcrowded, even in October, with prices that could feed a three member family just for a handful of tapas.

Still got a plate of some delikatese to nibble before dinner in one of the bars recommended by locals.

The weather switched from sunny and warm to ‘’I need a jacket’’ mode and it was a sign to get going home.

Just few months more, until our next adventure!