I think you have all guessed that we arrived in Spain. But please check the translation to justify the time that it took me to write the blog title …. Please do not read on until you have done so.

ok … So I know most of you have continued to read on anyway fearing that I am now quoting Monty Python in Spanish.

But the arrival greeting was relevant because when we landed in madrid airport, we were automatically entered into the Spanish national marathon …. The marathon requires you to move as quickly as possible from your terminal arrival point to the baggage collection finish line before someone grabs your luggage and does a runner.

And since we travelled with Air Europa … The jet star of Europe ……. Our arrival point in the terminal felt like it was just inside the Spanish border.

So off we set with hand luggage swinging around as we tried to win the coveted race …… Our bags were hitting other marathon entrants, walls, poorly placed rubbish bins and the odd small child that popped out of no where. Luckily their parents were also in the marathon, so they did not notice. Their only focus was to reach their luggage … So I think a few kids were dropped on the way as they were slowing their parents down.

Anyway we made it there in time. When we registered for the marathon, they neglected to tell us that our luggage was actually coming to madrid by train and would arrive later that day. So to all those bruised heads of little Spanish kids, I apologise … But perhaps it will prepare you for later in life when you run with the bulls. Ole !

But seriously it was not too bad and we enjoyed the 5km walk with a bustling crowd after the exhausting 55 minute flight from lisbon.

I will shortly get some photos sorted for posting on our couple of days in madrid before we are due to join a Spanish Sangria and Tapas highlights tour (well at least I hope that is the tour Kylie signed us up for)

But before I go one important photo for madrid. Lots of people were taking photos and even touching this statue. I tried to ask some dude in the plaza who kept offering me coke in a foil wrapping …. About the importance of the statue. But when he said it had something to do with Madrid being a sister city with Berlin and there are lots of bears in Germany ….. I politely moved on.

I did find out the historical details later, but I am sure you will enjoy researching it yourself if not already known. Please do not google the question of …. What do bears do in the Spanish woods  ……. You will not find the cultural answer that I would like you to read.