Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Sketching Madrid (at the Plaza de Chueca)


plaza de chueca sketch, originally uploaded by farmboyz.

C wants to move to Madrid. It's wonderful for many reasons:

a) Despite traffic in streets not designed for it, there is very little horn honking. The Smart Cars are so smart.
b)Fewer Maclarens on the sidewalks assaulting your ankles. Kids walk, run and kick balls through the pedestrians with skill.
c)The back rooms (no need for Visharas and Unicorns and Bijous)and discretionary door policies, especially the one(s) at the Eagle (long story which I might be able to assemble on the train to Barcelona tomorrow). Madrid sex is fun and easy.
d) the public spaces, cafes and parks everywhere. No need for artifically designed "playscapes" for kids. They seem to be actually using their imaginations.
e) This is a city in transition that has begun to discover itself in recent years. Construction everywhere. High energy.
f) cell phones? Not here. People on the streets are actually talking to adjacent humans.
g) Affordability.
h) Perfect weather.
i) Good coffee, bad food. Hence everyone skinny.
i) The men. Beautiful and friendly. Long long stories.Train. Tomorrow.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree with everything you have listed except for "perfect weather".

I don't really know Madrid, but I was there in August once, and it wasn't perfect.

Dave said...

right now i could really go for a warm roll filled with iberico jamon and a small beer at the 'musuem of ham' while gazing thru the window at madrilenos going about their business.

Helen the Felon said...

Absolutely not. I forbid it. Unless, of course, you need to take along a mouthy housekeeper with big gazongas.

R J Keefe said...

Nice sketch!

Bad food wouldn't help me. I get all my calories from gin.

dpaste said...

Just how "long" are these stories? Inquiring minds want to know.

Conor Karrel said...

You've tempted us all with the thoughts of the descretionary door policy. I'm hoping for details about that and the back rooms please. Glad to hear you guys are having such a great time, and Wow! What a beautiful sketch!

Anonymous said...

Tony, you are just amazing. I sat at that very table over Easter weekend in 2004.