So we catch the local metro to Irun (getting very confused as it pronounced like ichun). There we fumbled our way to the international station at 8-30 in the morning. We queued in line and got to the front only to find that every train to Barcelona or Madrid was sold out until 3-30 in the afternoon. Not only that, there were no available trains from Madrid to Barcelona that day leaving after after we would arrive.
I had a small freak out. I just couldn't deal with it all. I thought my head was going to explode. Dani grabbed me and hugged me and told me everything was going to be ok. We stood there for a short time. I let her hold me until I could breath again.
We formulated a plan. We booked the train we could get plus the 6-30am Madrid to Barcelona for the next day. It was the earliest we could get. We took our bags and walked the near by streets. We found a reasonable private triple room in a Pension a few minutes from the station. We would spend most of that day recharging. We needed it. I hadn't showered since the Wednesday before, almost a week. I felt disgusting. Finally I got to wash my hair and scrub myself down. I felt so refreshed. Next we walked around until we found a shoppuing centre with a laundromat. We shopped for food and did a well needed clothes wash.
we got tea and coffee. We sat by the washing machines dunking dinosaur shaped chocolate cookies. I felt a lot happier than I had a few hours before. One thing I did notice was the language. we were in France,right on the west border with Spain. But all anyone spoke there was Spanish. It was my first real chance to try out my Spanish learning. I used it to find our way to the shops.
3 Oćlock came and we rushed back to the station. we spent the next 7 hours of that train getting to Madrid. We arrived at 11-30pm. We were still exhausted. We hadn't gotten a decent sleep in a real bed since before pukkelpop. We were numb as we moved from the train to the last runs of the metro from the North station to the South. Half the line was under reconstruction so we had to get off half way and take a special bus. Somewhere on the metro Josh managed to lode his jacket. I dont think anything really registered for us anymore.
Off the bus and into the other train station. It was just closing down. We were too late to drop our bags in a storage locker,so we were stuck with bags and tents for the night. We had 7 hours to kill, through the middle of the night in the middle of Madrid.
we were all so tired we became quite grumpy. At the drop of a pin we would make snarky remarks to each other or sarcastic responses to reasonable questions. We were also the poster children of indecisiveness. Eventually we decided to call a cab to find us a place to be. We wanted a late night bar that wasn't too busy so we could keep our bags with us. The driver Max knew only a little English. I tried to explain what we wanted with my limited Spanish and did an ok job I think. We remembered a cafe mentioned in the lonelyplanet that had amazing chocolate drink and churros. It stayed open all night. Max knew the place and took us straight there.
The place was hidden down an alley behind some closing pubs. The decor was almost Art Neuvou. The waiter was smartly dressed. The serviettes were blotting paper. The churros were indeed unbelievable. So was the chocolate sauce. We ate slowly to kill time somewhere warm and light and safe. Then we ordered juices that we drank even more slowly.
Just after 3 we were too tired and caught a cab back to the station. The driver was crazy. We sat against a wall by the station that was well lit and had a security guard near by. There were still a few hours before the station reopened its doors. Luckily it was a hot summers night.
We lay on our backpacks, drifting in and out of sleep....
1 comment:
those churros and chocolate sauce look like an ok price to pay for everything falling apart.
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