38 Avenida Reina Victoria Madrid, Espana

In a daze, I stepped off the plane in Madriad having survived two flights and a 5 hour layover to reach my destination- about 20 hours of travel. Since watching my bike box glide away on the cart in Dulles Int´l Airport, I had a bad feeling, which was founded. My oversized cardboard box did not join me in departing the aircraft in Madrid. Instead, I filed a claim, rubbed the 3 hours of sleep from my eyes and set out in search of the address I was furnished by Oliver to accomodate me for my time in Madrid.

Fortunately, when I arrived at Maria´s door, she immediately ensured me that I could stay until everything arrived and I was prepared to cycle away. The rest of the day was surreal and this out-of-body feeling was not aided by my hosts´ decision to go to Starbucks immediately after my arrival. Sitting in Starbucks, listening to American music, I tried to pick up my first words of Spanish and make sense of the conversation. Maria and her brother, who has increasingly enjoyed using english with me, translated as I chugged a grande Cafe Americano. In Spain.

The rest of the day, with no additional sleep, we walked the avenues and I gazed at architecture I had laid eyes on just over a year prior. I felt at home at once. One stop brought us to an incredible living wall in the city. At four stories and 50 feet across the entire wall was a lush garden, dripping moss overlaid by a variety of plantings in beautiful patterns. I later explained to Maria why such a garden could be so beneficial to reducing pollution and runoff into the urban streams during rainstorms- a fact which may have been lost on the greater public. Continuing, we ate Tapas and drank beer through the rest of the evening. We talked amongst hanging pork and chattered with our backs to dozens of Amrican tourists refusing to attempt to speak Spanish as they over consumed alcohol.

Having consumed enough myself, and the time reaching 2 AM, we returned home finally. I had woken up 37 hours before and caught approximately 3 hours on my flights. I slept on a tiny couch with a bar in my back. Best 7 hours of sleep of my life.

I will leave Madrid tomorrow, on my bike which arrived yesterday. All the pieces came and nothing appears to be damaged, though I haven´t ridden it yet. It is assembled for the most part and my full, though limited, existence came with the bike. I am only now realizing the daunting task ahead. Tomorrow morning I say ¨goodbye¨ to TV, internet, and english and ¨Encantado, me llamo Krisztian¨ to the Spanish countryside.

And, yes, I can lisp my z´s and c´s, my y´s have a j sound, my v´s sound like b´s, and certain g´s sound german. Vale!