Madrid with the Thomas Sisters

Today we had about a half day to explore Madrid before our late afternoon flights. So we woke up and headed out on the subway straight to Plaza Mayor. Here we saw lots of tourists that looked like all of us and had breakfast. A few photos below:





Then we walked around the Latin quarter and passed some sights. Here’s Tresa in front of Mercado de San Miguel:



We walked by some impressive buildings:



And took pictures of the Cathedral:



And the Royal Palace:



We didn’t want to go inside anything as we had limited time and wanted to just wander. We enjoyed the street music, particularly the accordionists. This was my 3rd time to Madrid, so it was fun showing them around. Here’s a photo of the Sabatini gardens behind the Royal Palace:



And then in front of the palace, but behind the opera:



We had some quick drinks and headed back to our hotel on the subway. I was not feeling 100%, so I rested in the hotel while Mary Ann and Tresa had a small lunch on the corner. We called a cab and headed to the airport where we had to split ways due to the terminals. It was sad to part as we spent the last 12 days together through aches, pains, laughter, and so many memories! Mary Ann and I shared some snacks at the airport, including these ham flavored chips!



Tresa was incredibly thoughtful and Mary Ann with her brevity and Spanish skills coming along, was sheer laughter and fun. We discussed doing the Portuguese way in 2021 as that’s the jubilee year for the cathedral and the renovations are supposed to be completed by then. So hopefully then we could attend the pilgrim mass, see the portico, and head to the ocean - all the things we didn’t get to do on this Camino. But we were thrilled with our trip and grateful we survived, and I’m personally grateful we had an awesome trip with such wonderful companions. I know this won’t be the last trip for us, so until next time.... hasta la proxima Camino!

Also, special shout out to all the readers from around the world! I’ve never had such a global audience! A snapshot of the blog audience in the middle of the trip!