Day 26-28 (26-28/12/09) New York City --> Madrid (Welcome To The Hostal Acapulco)

There had been a great deal of rain overnight which washed away most of the snow. Our flight was not until 9pm, so we awoke early and tried to make the most of our last 12 hours in New York.

After a buffet breakfast at the hotel we went downtown to Ground Zero, where we saw the construction site for the new "One World Trade Center" and visited the memorial. There is not a lot I can say on this, except that it was as sobering as one would expect.



We watched a video presentation and viewed the model of the new Trade Center. Then we went shopping; or at least we tried to. We went to Century 21, a huge department store that houses big-name brands (Tommy Hilfiger, Vivienne Westwood, Dolce & Gabbana) at up to 70% off their retail value. It was a mad-house: women clawing at clothes in a bid to get the last one off the rack and scared-looking men following said women around. We escaped and took refuge at Borders.

After lunch at a small Japanese deli we headed back to the hotel. It was lucky that we did - our airport shuttle arrived half an hour earlier than expected, so we said goodbye to Chelsea and were on our way to JFK Airport.

We were expecting to go through hell at security due to the previous day's incident, but we sailed through without any fuss. The only hitch was waiting on the tarmac for 40 minutes once on board the plane; but the flight itself was fine.

Due to the time difference we arrived in Madrid just after midday on the 27th of December. We passed through immigration without the guards even looking at our passport photos (they were busy talking to each other) and then caught the metro to our hotel. This involved a very convoluted route up stairs and down escalators and across three different lines; but it was only 2 euros, so one can't complain.

We arrived at our hotel, Hostal Acapulco, to be greeted by Javier (the owner). He was very helpful, pointing out good eating places on the map he gave us and telling us which parts of town to avoid. We are located in Plaza del Carmen, just off Gran Via and close to many places of interest. Our room is small but clean, and has a little balcony which overlooks the square.


This is the view we were greeted with yesterday:


For dinner last night we went to Puerto Rico, a small cafe Javier had recommended and one that appears to be a favourite with locals. Everyone there seemed to know each other. We ate too much and shared a pitcher of sangria between us, then hobbled back to the hotel.

Today we had planned to wake up early and fit in some museums and galleries. When we awoke, however, it was close to 4:30pm. I guess that's jet lag for you. We wandered along Gran Via for a bit, although Javier did say it is a tourist trap. Then we joined many others in lining up outside Gloria's (although we were the first there so did not wait long for a table). The food portions were generous and the large restaurant filled up within minutes of opening, so it must be a popular spot.

So that was our first day in Madrid: an extended siesta and too much food and wine. When in Spain...