Traveling in Madrid - mostly work, some play

Stephen our Chinchon tour guide in Spain
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Woke up early for our early Air Europa flight to Madrid. Arrived at our hotel, NH Eurobuilding, around 11am . Immediately got to work, checking email and working on my presentation. Had lunch with Sylvie at a decent restaurant across the street from our hotel recommended by our concierge. Found out eBay bought Skype for $2.6B. Managers call at 7pm to find out why the heck why. Skipped dinner and went to bed at 10. Wanted to be lucid for my presentation the next day.

Tuesday, September 13th

Friday was my only day to see Madrid. How to visit all of the sights of the city in one day?

Meson Cuevas Del Vino
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After a day full of meetings, my presentation and a cocktail reception hosted by one of our vendors, a small group of us snuck out for dinner at famous chef Dario Barrios Dassa Bassa (villalar 7 28001 Madrid) in downtown Madrid. Again dinner at 9PM was too early. The chic crowd didnt arrive until 10PM. The dining rooms are downstairs and the very chic dcor is mod with white brick cave-like walls, funky mid-century design lighting and accents of red. We had an awesome prix fix dinner for 50 EU. The first course was green tea with lemon foam and a jello liquor ball, which was like a martini exploding in your mouth. We all had ceviche with guacamole for the starter. The fish course was exquisite. The meat course was pork, a rare bacon taste, with sauerkraut. Next a cheese course, then chocolate for dessert, followed by yummy sweets.

Chinchon
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Observations from a Foreigner #2

Spaniards eat extremely late by American standards. Most restaurants dont even open until 9PM. The cool crowd doesnt sup until 10PM or 11PM. Oprah would be appalled. This violates one of the major tenants of her diet eat 3 hours before bedtime.

Wednesday, September 14th

After another morning of meetings, we went on an outing to Chinchon, an olive growing village about 45 minutes outside of Madrid. I got a little nauseous in the bus on the windy roads. Visited wine caves with unique huge wooden wine storing gourds (no longer used for sanitary reasons). Our spirited guide Stephen, who celebrated his 56th birthday today and was also married to his fourth wife in a pagan ceremony on the very site of Meson Cuevas Del Vino where we supped, entertained us. I had roast lamb (a whole leg like in medieval days) and others had the suckling pig, two of the house specialties. After lunch we took a walk about through town. Saw the home of Goyas brother. Werent allowed in the church where an unfinished Goya painting resides. Saw a bull-fighting ring (used as a parking lot during the week bull fights traditionally only occur on Sunday so missed that Spanish experience.) I know that some oppose bullfights on moral grounds, but Im sorry to have missed this traditional Spanish experience.

Marble floor of Case deAmerica
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Thursday, September 15th

On the last evening of the summit, Experian hosted a cocktail party at Casa deAmerica, located at the Plaza de Cibeles, a major historical center of Madrid. Unfortunately, I had to be on a conference call, so missed the tour of the place, but did get there in time for a drink and some tapas and chocolate truffles!

Trish, Amy, Chae, David Knight and I went to Dassa Bassa again for dinner this evening. This time our reservation was for 10PM, but the place didnt get hopping until 11PM. It was an awesome culinary adventure once again. This time the handsome chef, Dario Barrio, came out and talked to us and prepared a special menu for us. His pregnant wife picked our wines. Delicious.

Palacio Real
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Went to a club afterward where a bunch of the eBay folks were hanging out. My watch apparently stopped at 1:45am, when I got home and realized what time it really was, I was surprised to discover it was 3:30am!

Friday, September 16th

Friday was my only day to see Madrid. How to do a city in one day? I suggested buying the 25 EU pass for the Madrid Vision tour bus. The price includes 3 different bus lines and admission to the museums. I made the mistake of going to the Prado first thing (and paying for it separately), but by going to the Palace and the Museo Thyssen I felt I got a deal. (Just the bus is 13 EU for 24 hour use.) I was actually able to take the blue line within about 3 blocks from my hotel so didnt need to cab home.

Plaza Mayor - a sign of Madrid
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The Prado is simply a spectacular museum. Highlights included Velazquezs Las Meninas (the painting that inspired Picassos studies), many Goyas including la maja desnuda (right along side the dressed version), Goyas dark period room included Satan Devouring one of his Sons, Boschs The Garden of Earthly Delights and Rubens The Three Graces. Interestingly enough, lotsa milk shootin virgin boobs in this museum.

Took the green line of the Madrid Vision bus tour to the Palacio Real, a huge castle with over the top dcor. The porcelain room and the immense dining room were highlights here. The church across the way has a free exhibit the only highlight was an Ascension by El Greco.

Plaza Mayor
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Got off the bus at Puerta del Sol and walked around a bit. Had lunch at a caf. Went to Zaras, a store with chic, affordable clothing. Was tempted to buy something but didnt want to spend the rest of the day walking around with a shopping bag.

Walked from there to the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza with 3 floors of European paintings (and some American) covering the 16th century to today. The chronological layout was much appreciated after the meandering Prado. Listened to the audiotour this time and got a great review of art history. Highlights (for me) included works by Dutch artist Frans Hals, Canalettos scenes of Venice, Caravaggios Saint Catherine, Hoppers the Hotel Room and Robert Rauschenbergs Express.

I then got on the red line and did the historical tour, followed by the blue line which tours more modern parts of the city, including the soccer stadium (these Europeans love their football) and parts of town where people actually live.

Tried to shop, but with so much to see, had very little time. Didnt buy a thing.

Went to the Plaza Mayor with Joanna and Rosalina for dinner. We ate outside and were entertained by masseurs soliciting clients.

Saturday, September 17th, 2005 Madrid to SFO

After a mere 3 and a half hours of sleep, grabbed a cab to the airport for our flight back to California. Madrid to Paris to SFO. Unfortunately, had another horrid experience at CDG airport. The transfer was tough once again. This time we needed to get from terminal F to terminal C in less than an hour. Got the bus no problem, but then got stuck in a really long passport control line. Had to be an ugly American and push ahead as our connection was supposedly already boarding. Rosalina ran over someones foot with her luggage. Christine smoothed the way. However, again the flight was delayed and we arrived to find hundreds of people waiting outside our gate and the gate for the flight to Washington DC, which also left at exactly the same time. There were probably only 20 seats in this whole area for two 747s full of people. We were crowded into the bookstore, much to the shopkeepers dismay. Its probably a good thing I dont understand French, because Im sure she was cursing at us. (Pardon her French.) Boarding was willy-nilly, so much for business class status.

Observations from a Foreigner #3

The last time I traveled to Europe on business about 7 years ago for Navtech, I was struck by how class conscious Europeans were. I remember being asked again and again what my parents did and somehow electrician and teacher never quite got me anywhere. The only way I was able to get any respect was to pull out the HBS card. This in striking difference to my experience in the states where I am constantly downplaying my business school degree.

Back in the US, we sped through customs with extreme efficiency. On the way out a French guy asked us if we had enjoyed our shopping spree in Europe. I hadnt bought anything, in fact I had $0 to declare, hadnt even bought a postcard, so I was immediately confused, but he had noticed the eBay tags on Rosalina and Christines baggage and was referring to our purchase of Skype. Yup that was a spree all right.