Friday, 30 September, 2016:
I definitely slept in late this morning after all of my long, long distance traveling and it paid off, I felt GREAT!
It was time to re-explore Central Madrid.
The Metro station is only a block from Daniel and Vanessa Vilches' apartment where I am staying for about a week. I was off on Metro Madrid's #2 red line which is a straight shot to Puerta del Sol, the heart of old-time Madrid.
A lottery ticket vendor
on the way to the Metro
Dare I?
McDonald's Promotion
My Abuela's cooking would have kicked this McDonald's chefs' ass deep into next month!
A block from the apartment in
the Centro Las Rosas
Just a look today, I was off to . . .
. . . Puerta del Sol
Go Osos GO!
Puerta del Sol
Love this place!
It was more crowded than
usual so I moved on
Bullfights this weekend
With the help of Daniel and Vanessa
I bought a ticket to this Fiesta Brava
on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. in
Madrid's famed Plaza Las Ventas
Let my blood lust begin.
This place was not crowded
For 3.90 Euros, I had a Jamon Iberico croissant sandwich and a cafe con leche.
Quite the bargain.
Non-Stop Ham Slicing
all over Spain 24/7
I'll come back here for sure
This remind's me, I wish
Laurie was here
Random Fountain near
Plaza Mayor
Entering Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor never ceases to
be of interest
King Philip III
up close and personal
Colorful Plaza Mayor
Not so colorful me
One of my favorite hangouts
on Plaza Mayor
I first ate here in 2008 with Laurie and Joe Mollica.
A beer with a tapa for a mere 1.90 Euros.
I LOVE this country!
Next stop, for viewing only, was the
Mercado de San Miguel
No, gracias
Busy but still serene
I was STRONG!
A GREAT mercado indeed!
Politics and MORAL Sciences Academy
Especially interesting in these politically charged election days in the USA.
Segwaying through Madrid
Danny Page do you know
about this place?
The Royal Palace . . .
. . . up close
It felt artsy
Kids at play at
Plaza de Oriente
Nice Fountain
King Philip IV
Feeling artsy yet again
Calle Arenal leads back to
Puerta del Sol via . . .
. . . a favorite outdoor book seller
located on . . .
. . . a small walking alley
leading me to . . .
. . . HEAVEN ON EARTH!
But again I was strong, no churros or chocolate for me on this warm Iberian afternoon.
Why did I do that?
GREAT cookies in here
but "My Body is a TEMPLE!"
King Carlos III
keeping watch on Puerta del Sol
One of Laurie's go-to stores
Laurie LOVES fans
Continuing to ramble enjoying
the Ben Hur inspired architecture
"Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef"
Words to live by in my estimation.
Iconic Madrid Intersection
Star Wars?
What a building!
More Words to Live By
Do I get a discount here?
In the evening, it was time for my first two practices with the Osos Rivas team. The Juniors were up from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. followed by the Senior practice from 8:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
This main emphasis at both sessions was physical fitness as we are still in the off-season here in Madrid.
Junior team HC Carlos
welcoming a new Oso to the fold
Juniors doing Step Training
at the Estadio de Atletismo
in Rivas
Juniors doing Ladder Drills
In EuroBall you constantly
need to improvise
Here, sideline markers double as step-over bags.
The Juniors ended their session
with five man flag football
games on two fields
Nifty Juniors in action
Carlos closing out the Junior practice
Seniors warming up
The start of some
relay/conditioning drills
SPRINT to the front of the line!
While these conditioning practices are extremely important to team development, I spent the last half of the practice working QB/Receiver fundamentals with the four Juniors in the background of this photo that stayed way after their practice to improve their skills.
After practice several of us met at a local bistro for some good food, another adult beverage or two and some great camaraderie!
On Saturday morning I'm off to Guadalajara for a practice with the home town Stingers team that is an Osos' feeder program and, of course, in the evening it is on to the bullfights.
VIVA ESPAÑA!
