Cordoba to Madrid to Bordeaux

Cordoba to Madrid

I awoke early and thought I might skip a shower and have a little more sleep but as I turned over, I felt a sharp pain inside my right shoulder blade. Bugger! Now I will have to get up and use the hot as hell shower treatment I have been using all round Europe. It’s Elizabeth’s birthday today and we had planned to meet in our room at 7.40am to surprise her, but she was intent on going to breakfast at 7.30! I delayed her by asking her to rub deep heat onto my back- the pain is just where I can’t reach. Ploy successful- by the time she had finished, Lorelle and Kiryn had arrived. They had bought her a beautiful hand-painted fan and of course I gave her the cameo and the wooden box I had bought yesterday. Then off to breakfast and on to the train at 9.29am to Madrid.  The pain in my back had worsened so, the first thing I did when we reached our rooms at the Chamartin Hotel was take a double dose of muscle relaxants and sleep. Combined with more deep heat, they worked a treat and we headed out to Molly Malone’s Irish Pub for tea about 5.30. We arrived after 6, but were told food would be served at 7.30 so we had a few drinks.

And a few more! They were extremely generous with the scotch, which is probably an understatement. None of the bar staff measured at all, just poured until the glass was at least half full (and they were huge glasses!) Eventually about 8.20pm, we were able to order our dinner- bangers and mash for me, which went down a treat. We managed to catch the metro home without getting too wet (it was raining) and had a good night’s sleep in a very wide single bed. I think the Scotch helped as I normally drink beer or wine.

Madrid to Bordeaux

On the train at 8am to Hendaye, a little town just over the border in France where we have to change from a Spanish train to a French one. We had an hour and half in Hendaye during which time I had a beer and went to the hole-in-the-wall. Then on to the train to Bordeaux which finally arrived at 4 minutes past 6. Fortunately, Kiryn looked out of the train station and spotted our Hotel Etap right across the road. It was probably the smallest room we’ve encountered since Copenhagen, with a bunk over the top of a double bed, a tiny separate shower straight off the bedroom, and a toilet that I thought was a cupboard!, but we were too tired to care!

Kiryn, Lorelle and I headed out to find something to eat. Kiryn and Lorelle just wanted a burger but I opted for a 3 course set menu for $13. A mixed salad for starters- carrot salad, beetroot salad, potato salad and tomatoes- after which I was full- but managed to fit in half a chicken done in the Basque fashion with tomato and onion sauce which was delicious, but couldn’t eat the huge plate of chips as I had to save room for dessert- crème caramel, which also tempted Kiryn and Lorelle. Kiryn and I shared a small bottle of Bordeaux simply because we were in Bordeaux. (any excuse!)

The Bordeaux we drank in Bordeaux