Hace buen dia !

After a week of solid rain, the city came out in force today to worship the first serious sign of spring sunshine. Cafes brushed off their outdoor furniture - competition for seats was pretty fierce. This guy in Plaza Mayor was probably worn out.

El Escorial

Philip II's monastery palace out in the hills above Madrid. I remember my Spanish teacher showing us a video about this a couple of years ago - I knew nothing of Spain and nothing of Spanish when he played us the tape. This was only 2 (..okay, maybe 3) years ago. Amazing

Classifieds

A (pretty restrained) sample from the classifieds section of the local expat newspaper

like a seive

Everytime there is even a slight drizzle these buckets appear all over the metro, it seems to leak in just about every station for some reason.

Hmm...I think I'll try to take some photos not related to public transport next week!

underground emptiness

storm vs. sun

Looking out over the rooftops opposite my house

Colours of the Rain

night driving

Serious Face

Experimenting with window light

What's up bus man ?

This photo was taken back when I was a spritely 19 years of age. ...Only 4 years for it to come in handy

final de trayecto

hombre verde

undercover

Teaching

A selection of stuff from the front pocket of my bag today

malvarosa beach

A sample of the super funky buildings around the (kind of dilapidated) beach area in Valencia. I would have been happy taking photos of flakey paint against this impossibly blue winter sky for the whole day

leave before the lights come on

This weekend saw me undertake a one-man pilgrimage to Valencia to see Sheffield's finest in action at a free gig for MTV. An emotional experience! I am - of course - talking about the Arctic Monkeys

out of context

My supervisor from work riding the metro dressed as Mr T en route to the school Carnival party last night

Reading List

Bookstalls between Atocha and the park

February Neon

Feeling Lucky

I pass this betting shop every day on the way home from work and usually peer round the corner like the guy above to see whats going on in the world of sport. Aside from Spanish football, they are almost always showing English greyhound racing, including (interestingly) live races from Sheffield. Weird to think that when you're driving past the Owlerton Stadium in Hillsborough, there are a bunch of guys sat at the same time on gaudy plastic bar stools a thousand miles away, watching the same motorized rabbit go round the same track...

retro metro

lost in the crowd

Sunday shopping in the Rastro market.
Check out the guy with the sunglasses and giant headphones

Day trip in Toledo

'Wandering around and looking at a bunch of old buildings would've held little excitement when you were 14 you know', my Dad said to me. I had to concede that maybe he was part right.
I guess this is growing up..

killing the night

Taxis queing for fares at Atocha Station

Thursday Almudena

Reflection of my Mum looking across to the Almudena Cathedral

yummy

El Brilliante

My parents are in town this week so I've been doing my best to play tour guide and show them my favourite parts of the city. Whilst thinking about where to go, I decided (maybe a bit pompously), that with no Eye, Eiffel tower or Gaudi - Madrid is less about seeing, and much more about doing. Of the list of things I came up with, I think eating fried seafood, sipping cold beer, getting scowled out by hairy barmen, and then chucking your used napkins and olive stones on the floor, -in whatever bar- has to rank pretty high.

Cold but Sunny