A weekend in Madrid!

Thomas, Margaux and I set off for a special fare-thee-well trip to Madrid, arriving at about midnight on Friday the 14th March and leaving on Sunday the 16th, ostensibly for Thomas to say goodbye to the friends he made while he was there. It was lovely for Margaux and I to be there as well; I had a great time seeing my teaching compatriate Rebecca Groesbeck and saying goodbye to various other friends I'd also made.

The above is a montage of photos donated by Rebecca... and here is a video link you might enjoy: https://www.magisto.com/video/PwAFMgAHSjowXxFgCzE

SATURDAY:

We had a lovely lunch on Saturday - including a rather potent gin and tonic (for me) at the Mercado de San Anton with Sandra, Maryline, Rebecca, and Naagla, followed by a delightful walk to the Parque el Retiro - making the most of the crisp but sunny weather there.

That night we had some quality family time at a wonderful restaurant just next to our accommodation... decent family time was something we hadn't done for quite a while, it seemed!

SUNDAY:

 

Sunday was another very social day - as of course it should have been, since we had only two days to cram in as many people as could to say goodbye to!

This time we went to Plaza Dos de Mayo, where we met up with Seb, Ditte and their two girls, and Rebecca again. We braved the chilly outdoors for a while, before conceding that inside the little restaurant we were dining from was a much better idea.

All this was going very well, with Thomas and I taking turns to entertain Margaux in the play area associated with the plaza... until Margaux, under my supervision, went down a slide on her tummy face-first (her usual way) and careered straight off the bottom onto the sand below. She must have bumped her chin as she hit the flat bit of the slide, because suddenly her mouth was flooded with blood and, understandably, she was crying uncontrollably.

Seb and Ditte kindly offered to host everyone back at their flat, which was just a short walk away, so that Margaux could have a snooze and we could all relax a bit... it was a wonderful idea that we took up immediately! Joining us at their place was Helene, a volleyball friend of Thomas', and Enrique, his former Spanish teacher. We all had a delightful afternoon, and we were quite satiated when we took the plane back that evening.

You'll be pleased to know that Margaux's bitten lip recovered relatively quickly, and that no teeth or any further damage was caused. And yes, she still goes down slides face-first...