Don't forget to go home

On Thursday and Friday I spent the night at a hotel near the airport. I rode the metro back in on Friday morning for class, and after class I went to the apartment. I finished cleaning up a few things and waited for my AirBnB host to come at 4:00. Then I gave him the keys and left the apartment for the last time.

I took one last walk in Malasaña, until it was almost dark. I ate some Italian food and bought a new suitcase, then returned to my hotel room and repacked everything. Early on Saturday morning, I went to the airport.

I was in transit for something like 19 hours -- Madrid to JFK, a few hours' wait, then a long flight back to San Francisco.

San Francisco

Back home now. It's pure pleasure to walk to the cafe on the corner, return to the church for the morning prayer service every weekday, and make plans to meet friends.

The first time I went to Europe on my own, I ran out of money about 5 days before my return flight. I sponged off a friend of a friend and could do nothing but walk around Paris. It was very inglorious. This trip, 40 years later, was redemptive. It was really gratifying for me that my trip to Spain was so successful. Limited only by time, energy, or the lack of someone to have dinner and drinks with, I spent freely. Now I'm taking pleasure in telling everyone how great Madrid is.