The air of Madrid
The first thing I noticed when I get out of the huge Madrid’s Atocha Train station is the air pollution, there is the end or the beginning of a 8 lanes highway that intersect with 2 huge boulevards both with several lanes add to that the fact that Atocha Train station is also part of the problem the level at the street is a huge parking lot, the whole area is a car heaven. There is only a very small green lung in the form of the Botanic Garden (Real Jardin Botanico) near by.
I arrived at 12 and I had a plane to go back home in Brussels at 20:00, so I had several hours to spend , I did a walk around it was warm about 18 degree Celsius and I carried my heavy bag, it wasn’t a pleasant walk because of the air pollution and my bag weight.
I ate something at fast food and bought the Mystic River DVD to watch in the airplane , I managed to walk until an area called Velazquez without a map or some kind of place to go it was pretty annoying but Madrid is a worthy place to visit, I have been there once but I had no time to visit, I think I should take a few days to visit Madrid , Madrid is different than Barcelona, the city doesn’t feel and look the same.
I went back to Atocha from there it was easy to go at the airport , just ask for a plan of the metro network and manage to go at the Aeropuerto station on Linea 8 (that the airport station, you arrive at the Terminal 2) , their plan is very clear in Spanish , you cant go wrong.
I wanted to go back from Madrid airport because the airport has been redesigned with roof in laminated strips of Chinese bamboo that allow the light to penetrate the structure, the new design is great especially at the Termninal 4 I was , they paid 6,2 Billions Euro for their airport (it get between 40 and 70 millions passengers a year, that the fourth European airport)
This end my trip I did Malaga (1 day), Sevilla (3 days), Caceres (2 days) and Madrid (1 day)
Paid 310 euro in hotels (2 four stars hotels) and meals (I ate at hotels), I benefited from discount price at the hotels due to low season, flight Brussels-Malaga was 102 euro, flight Madrid-Brussels is 85 euro. I also had to pay for taxis, bus and train about 70 euro in total.
My next travel is in New York this 21st March 07.
