Outside My Window: Madrid, Spain

Puerta del Sol, Madrid

The first night I ever spent in Madrid was at the Hotel Europa

located in the center of Madrid in the Puerta del Sol

or the Gateway to the Sun.

Since it was just before Easter and the processions for

Semana Santa were about to begin our apartment rental was

not available until the day after we arrived.

We had taken the kids out of school early and drove to

Detroit to catch our flight to Frankfurt, Germany.

After a short layover we then flew to Madrid.

My brother had arrived the day before and as we

came out of customs he was there with our Metro passes

and could lead this exhausted group to the hotel.

As we exited out of the Metro, there was the wonder

of the Puerta del Sol.  A large square that is the center

of not only Madrid but the center of Spain.

We were filled with that thrill that is Spain!

We checked into our hotel and the kids went off with my

brother to his room and the bellman took Rob and I to our room.

When we walked in the shutters and drapes were closed

and I told the bellman I wanted a view and a bathtub.

With that, he flung open the drapes and shutters and there

were our 2 balconies overlooking Sol Square.

We went to my brother's room located on the other side of the

hotel and sprawled across the beds, snacking on olives and sipping

Tio Pepe while looking out the window at the Tio Pepe sign
and enjoying a warm Spring breeze coming from across
the Spanish plain.

Just below our balcony is the Hotel Europa Cafe.

Everyday that I am in Madrid you will find me there

as the afternoon turns to evening.  I'm the girl in a

scarf reading the International Herald Tribune.

I knew I was finally a regular when the hardened

Europa waiters would bow and say Buenos Noches Senora

as I left and other regulars would look over and nod to me.

I have wanted to be part of cafe society ever since reading

Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises.
This is my Lady Brett moment.

As I sit in the cafe, I listen to the dueling marimbas,

or a gypsy orchestra or the beautiful Spanish guitar.

And I watch the world go by and get into the

Spanish rythym of slow down and enjoy.

That first night, after a very late Spanish style

dinner we were headed back across Sol Square

and my brother said, " Isn't it great to be back in Europe?"

Yes, it always is...