Walk With Willow

…  and then they are not!

The long, slow process back to the states has begun. Up at 5:30 AM for the taxi to pick me up at 6:30 and take me to the train station. Not being an experienced train ridee, I didn’t know how much time I needed, so was there at least an hour in advance. Seems trains, unlike planes, are always on time! I managed to figure out which train car and which seat was mine and then promptly fell asleep for the long five hour ride to Madrid.

As the train approached Madrid I pulled out the information about the hotel I was supposed to stay at tonight. Now the process of finding the hotel was a long, drawn out process back in Arizona in early August. One afternoon Diane and I went through booking.com for over an hour and a half, looking at places close to the airport to stay. Of course we did all this by phone as she was in California and I was in Arizona!

The criteria was someplace close to the airport, not too expensive, breakfast included, and a shuttle to the airport. I have no clue how I managed to get the one that I am staying in tonight, but the only thing that meets the criteria is that it has breakfast in the morning.  When I check the distance on maps.com, it was an 18 minute ride by car. Well, that shouldn’t be too bad. But, when I got in the cab, the guy immediately set the meter at €20. That was the starting place for the ride!  Then we just kept getting farther and farther away from the airport, driving on the freeway to get to wherever we needed to go. When he pulled off into the area where I’m staying, I just shook my head, and asked “what have I done?”

It’s not quite the area that you would want to have anybody you love stay in. Pretty seedy looking, and as I walked into the hotel I had to hold my breath because the smell from of all the cleaning fluids was so strong it was almost impossible to breathe!  Nobody speaks English here, so I had to make my way through the conversation. Seems there is no shuttle, and it will be another €30 if they take me back, or I can take public transportation. But the transportation only goes to terminal one, two, and three, and of course wouldn’t you know it, I need to go to terminal four. ( did I mention that €30 is a little less than $34?)  oh, and public transportation meant I would have to figure out my way on a regular bus! Not the cool bus transportation along the Camino!

So the room cost $50, and transportation back-and-forth cost $70)!  My room looks like something out of the 50s, nothing on the walls except one 18 inch flatscreen TV. The sheets look like they were rejects from an old Motel 6. The lamps are something I probably gave away to goodwill after College.  Then there’s the smell! The cleaning products they used are unbelievably strong! I would’ve preferred a bucket of bleach over what it smells like in here. The air-conditioner does work, so I am freezing myself out, and I have opened the windows to the street, but it is a main street with cars and buses, so not only do I  get the traffic noise, but I get the exhaust fumes as well!

So what’s the take away from all of this? I’m not quite sure, but I certainly wish I was back on the Camino, walking along the paths with the smell of cows instead of the smell of chemicals!

And, it’s only one night. I can do anything for one night.

Thanks for listening!