Sometimes it’s like that. Get-togethers with friends can be fine, good,
or leave you feeling really really fortunate to know such wonderful
people. (of course drinking lots of good beer helps too)
Yesterday, we had another Movie with MadridMan gathering as discussed on the message board. We went to see “La Jungla 4.0“, or “Die Hard 4.0“, or “Live Free or Die Hard”
as it was named in the USA. Wow. What a movie. I REALLY enjoyed it –
lots of rather unbelievable action as is the recipe for Hollywood
movies of this type. It was MUCH better than “Die Hard 3“. Bruce Willis can STILL be an action hero, I say.
Anyway, message board members Jamongris, Valenciano_en_Madrid, & I met at the Cine Ideal where they show (mainly) American movies in Versión Original
with subtitles in Spanish. Got our tickets and chose middle-center
seats in the theater which, by movie’s start, housed about 10 person
for the 4:30pm movie. I was NEVER bored during all the action, but
exercised lots of eye-rolling with each inhuman action scene. Action,
explosions, fights and falls but not very bloody and several
tongue-in-cheek statements by Willis as is his “motus operandi” in
these DIE HARD movies.
Time passed as fast as topics of conversation and consumption of delicious Belgian beer (called Chimay, I think). The generous waiters (from Morocco and Cuba) were great, friendly, talkative, and gave us good cheese cubes and nut-mixers for free tapas with our somewhat pricey beers. MAN, how time flies when you’re enjoying yourself. Before we knew it it was about 10pm and TWO of us had to get make trains and buses to get home before it was too late.
Steve and I, having more flexible work (?) schedules, decided to walk
through the Plaza Mayor on the way to our respective homes. Steve says,
“Shall we have a last drink? And maybe something to eat? I’m hungry.”
Eh! Why not. We look around the still-crowded Plaza Mayor and try to
decide on an overpriced, touristy terrazas. But which one? They’re ALL
so wonderfully touristy! hehehe… How ’bout La Torre de Oro?
Sounds good to me. We sit down at the terrace near Plaza Mayor’s
northwestern corner and the waiter approaches immediately. OKAY! Let’s
go wild! We chose a high-priced Gambas al Ajillo and the Chopitos. All turned out to be fair-to-good. Wine for Steve and beer for me.
Chit chat, enjoy the view of the illuminated paintings of the northern
side’s “Casa de la Panaderia“, drink, eat, more chit-chat. I notice a table of
3 American girls/women at the adjacent table and we all begin to talk.
They’re from Chicago and just off the boat (plane) in Madrid, arrived that day. They’re staying for quite awhile it turns out, all English teachers.
Once again, time flies, the girls/women leave, the bar starts to turn off its lights, and Steve and I shake hands and say our goodbyes until next time. I walk towards OPERA where I usually catch my bus but I know it’s already too late for that. It’s shut down for the night and so I’m in no hurry to get there. Will take the metro at Opera instead.
What a walk. My head’s full of memories and beer. I’m walking down one of Madrid’s narrow streets in Old Town. It’s after midnight. And then a smile crosses my face when it hits me. $%/*&! I’M IN MADRID!!!!! It happens like that sometimes. Joy washes over me like a summer rain – or maybe it’s just the warm beer, or something, I spilled down my leg. JUST KIDDING! But regardless (or “irregardless” as a masters degree-educated former coworker used to constantly say, making me crazy!), I’m in heaven on earth. I’m in Madrid. Hope I never wake up from this dream come true.
Well done MadridMan
You have finaly let your hair down and maybe unknowingly celebrated your ten years of service with some of your friends.
One of your best blogs for me this one, i can relate to it as i do with my mates when we go out. Beer and food and great conversation Never to worried how or when i get home VERY FAMILIAR.
Its also nice to see pictures of people i/we corrispond with and put faces to names
p.s maybe more pictures of the topic you talk about if possible to give a feel to the subject
cheers billy
Thanks so much for having this blog. It keeps me connected to Madrid. I usually hate reading blogs about people’s lives (mine is strictly a soapbox) but can read the most mundane details about Spain because it keeps me in touch. By the way, which neighborhood/part of Madrid do you live in?
Thank you, erika, for your kind words. Glad the blog is keeping your attention. I live “on the OTHER side of the river”, outside of the M-30, along the area around the Paseo de Extremadura (metro Alto de Extremadura or Lucero).
Hi MM, the picture you posted on this entry made me so yearn for Madrid! I have a fond memory of you, Steve, and Valenciano en Madrid, and myself at our lunch/terraza beers that wonderful cool day in July! hello to all my friends there.
I’m so glad to have friends in Madrid!!!!!!!
Your blogs are wonderful, btw….
Hmmm, been in Madrid 5 days and will be here a little while more…
everything’s been lovely so far except, have very few people to talk to… can’t speak Spanish 🙁
Stumble upon this site and figured, there may be more English speakers out there?
Hi Amelia! You’ll find a lot more people in Madrid via the ALL SPAIN Message Board @ http://www.MadridMan.com/bbs.html . If you’d like to post a get-together, please do so in the “Classifieds & Personals” forum category. Thanks and enjoy your time in Madrid and Spain!