09.27
Hotel Acceptable, Madrid.
Left I…
Left II…
Right…
On the road again: the suitcase is about-to-be-becoming having-been-closed…
… guitar in flightcase by the door…
… computer about to be shut down…
… and lobby call is 09.45.
The Minx has ‘phoned with a happy grrrr & life begins again.
14.40 The ‘bus left Madrid punctually at 10.00 en route for San Sebastian I…
II...
… with feeble lunch stop along the way…
Lunch is not served until 14.00! we were informed by Madame El Grumpy at 12.45, who served another tourbus at 13.15. We returned to our own ‘bus…
… where a newspaper featuring news of our tour is being viewed with some interest…
It’s true that the Maestro Who Has Mystical Experiences did once look like this, 26 years ago in NYC. Back on the road…
16.31 Hotel It Sucks – With Smoke! San Sebastian I…
II…
III…
We are fortunate to have a hotel almost on the beach, close to the old town, or so we are informed. Neither coast nor old town appear to be proximate, judging by available sensory evidence. It’s only a 20 minutes walk to the old town! we are assured. Only 10 minutes in a taxi! So, only a 40-minute walk for a coffee, then? There’s coffee in the bar! And there is, with smoke in the coffee.
My room is on a no smoking floor, the corridor to it filled with smoke between lift & door, and then smoke inside the room. I returned to reception.You have a no smoking floor! There’s smoke everywhere. Iberian Shrug.
The Mystical Maestro has been allocated a suite, as befitting his Star Status I…
II…
III…
Yep. It’s life on the road in Europe. This is only our first hotel & touring scars are beginning to itch already.
Take that!...
17.12 Wifi is available in the coffee shop & bar area, complementary, as is the smoke. A smoky e-flurry underway…
22.11 The 20-minute walk to the nearby old town is actually a brisk 30-minute walk. The team walked down for dinner & back again. An hour’s brisk walking to somewhere-next-door leads me to question the Spanish understanding of adjacent.
Superb family restaurant of LCG choice…
… close to the Cathedral of Saint Sebastian I…
II…
III…
I…
II…
A walk around the old town I…
II…
… and a brisk 30 minute walk back to our hotel, adjacent to the old town, with hovering smoke in my non-smoking room on the non-smoking floor.
"Before we move from A to B, better to know we're at A."
