As much as I love hanging out with the Vacationeers, traveling for me is also about spreading my wings and exploring new places on my own. I love playing disc golf, and I’ve found and played courses in many different countries and cities. This trip, as usual, I had brought along two discs, my driver and putter, and I was anxious to use them.
Here in Madrid, there is a disc golf course on the grounds of the university, officially called Complutense University of Madrid. It was originally founded in 1293 (!) and is one of the most famous research universities in Europe. Albert Einstein had agreed to chair a new institute there, but WWII got in the way of that, and he ended up going to Princeton in New Jersey instead.
The disc golf course is a little farther away than we usually like to walk, so I had to figure out the city bus system to get there. After taking several minutes to study the map, I chose the only route that didn’t involve changing buses along the way. It turned out to be a great way to see parts of the city we hadn’t seen yet, and it only cost a few coins.
I got so interested in watching the scenery go by that when my stop finally came, I just assumed the bus would… you know… stop. I had forgotten to press the button to tell the driver I wanted to get off there, and there was no one waiting to get on, so he just kept going. Not a big deal, though. I just took the next stop and walked a few more yards back.
The university was not in session, so the campus and disc golf course were deserted. All the holes were pretty short par 3 jobs. The only challenge I faced was trying to throw more gently than usual.
Afterward, I tried and failed to figure out which bus or buses would take me back home to Plaza del Sol. It seemed like every station I walked to was the wrong one and took me farther away rather than closer. Eventually, I decided to just buck it up and walk home.
When I was getting near Plaza del Sol, my Dad texted me and asked me to join him for a beer. He had been exploring on his own a little as well and found a music store that let him play a Spanish guitar for a bit. We sat in a sidewalk cafe just across from the Opera House, drank a cold one, munched some olives, and talked about our day’s adventures.
That night, we made our first home-cooked meal in the flat. Tacos with chips and salsa. Comfort food! Afterward, the others were all full of tacos and tired, but I was still full of energy and curiosity. There were still tons of people milling around the plaza below our window, and I decided to join them and take an after-dinner walk…
Sometimes a simple walk down the street can turn into a lifetime event.
I had no expectations of what the night would bring as I stepped out of the elevator and into the bustling streets around Puerta del Sol. All roads lead here, as it serves as the official kilometer zero point from which every radial road in Spain is measured.
All I knew was I wanted some ice cream and I’d take it from there. So I headed across the square to the Helados Italianos Florenci, purchased a cone of delightful pistachio ice cream, and started strolling up one of the boulevards.
It was about 11:45 pm, and I had already decided to make the 30-minute walk to my favorite chill spot in Madrid: The Temple of Debod. I moved with the herd of people down a pedestrian street lined with sidewalk cafes, making my way to the main avenue, Gran Via!
The first intersection I reached looked like Times Square to me; giant LED screens lined the tall buildings sprouting up all around me. More people were congregated here, so I took a left and started walking up the most famous street in Madrid. At over one hundred years old, Gran Vía is one of the city's main arteries and one of its most iconic avenues. A large four-lane street with wide sidewalks on each side lined with shops, restaurants and giant theatres with grand billboards above their entrances. At night, this is something to behold!
At this point, I saw an old man busker just finishing up a song on his Spanish guitar sitting next to his inebriated “seemingly” best friend. I tossed them a couple of coins and said “play me something” in Spanish, then I started recording. He proceeded to play me a beautiful Spanish lullaby to which I started gyrating my hips, and before I knew it, I had a crowd of locals dancing with me!
It was already becoming a surreal night, and I hadn’t even walked 10 minutes. The busker finished his song, and the crowd dispersed, dropping a few coins on their way, and I kept moving. Following Gran Via to the north end dumps you into Plaza de España, and that’s where I found myself next. But this wasn’t the same place I had passed through before. I mean, it was, but it looked completely different now. Set up as an outside festival, the place was lined with pop-up vendors selling food, drinks, and all manner of other local goods. During the day, this place is just a simple statue of Don Quixote and his pal Sancho, where I had stopped and taken a quick selfie. But tonight it was a party!
Next thing I see is a giant movie screen showing the new Superman movie and a hundred patrons all wearing the same headphones with blinking blue and red lights on the sides sitting in rows. Tall hotels and historic buildings line the skyline, all blinking lights seemingly in pattern with the movie. It was surreal and I almost couldn’t believe my eyes. Was this really happening? Am I the luckiest man on earth right now? Things I ponder as I make my way to the cervecería tent to quench my thirst.
The air is dry out here, and the beer is cold. Quatro euros and a smile got me a beer, but my journey must continue, so I did not loiter around too long. My next leg took me past a really pretty fountain and through a children’s park. As I approached the usually fairly tame park, I heard children… lots of children… LOTS of loud children. I got closer and closer and realized this place is jumping with activity.
And it’s midnight! Like a playground in America on the 4th of July, every single swing, every slide, every monkey bars had children on it at midnight on a Saturday night. It was amazing. I’ve never experienced anything like it before. Kids darting out across my path, parents laughing with each other as they push their kids’ swings, the buzz in the air… all in the middle of the night!
At this point, I started to doubt if I was actually awake. I was pretty tired today. Maybe I got all dressed up and fell asleep waiting for my phone to charge up. Again. But no, it’s real, and I move on.
The next step is, well, the next step is actually several steps straight up! A steep staircase brings you up to the pinnacle of my midnight stroll. A 2,200-year-old structure built as a temple by the Egyptians. The Temple of Debod, which dates back to the 2nd century BC, was transported from Egypt to Madrid’s Cuartel de la Montaña Park. It was cool, but it’s not why I like coming here. It’s the surrounding park itself that is the real hidden gem here. As I strolled past the temple and started to approach my favorite spot, an overlook that spans the whole west side of Madrid, bookended by the Royal Palace to my left and the unrefined nature found in Casa del Campo to my right!
It’s a sight to behold during the day, but what really made it special tonight was the giant orange waxing half moon setting over the city. I just sat down as soon as I laid eyes on it and finished my journey by watching this beautiful moon set over the city, surrounded by local youths picnicking, drinking… smoking… and I just felt overwhelmed with gratitude. Grateful to my parents for bringing me here, grateful for everyone involved in this great adventure, grateful to whomever or whatever created all this.
But I was also pleased with myself for making it here. It wasn’t an easy journey to get where I’m at now, but I wouldn’t change a thing because I could not have been prouder at that moment. A simple midnight stroll turned into a magical ride and led to a spiritual awakening.
You just never know what the next adventure might bring!