I cannot really ‘wrap up’ my time in Spain since I have at least two more quick visits planned between now and September, but my extended stay with this mob has come to an end

and I am transitioning from pseudo-flatmate these past few weeks, to grateful guest moving forward.

In the spirit of ‘Madrid keeps on giving’, the fam took me to see Tomatito in concert in an amphitheater in Madrid’s Royal Botincal Gardens.

Tomatito is considered the best flamenco guitarist alive today and this concert with its syncopation, vocals, guitar and dancing brought flamenco to whole new level for me.

Crazy, lucky I got to share it with these fine folks.

Madrid also hosted its anual “Feria de Libros” while I was in town, which turned out to be the biggest book fair I have ever seen.

Check out how far this extends into the distance . . .

They even had poets writing poetry for you ‘on-demand’.

And to top it off, I noticed, for the first time, book exchange boxes on the subway platform.

And the food and fellowship kept coming at me with home-cooked meals . . .

Gina and Juan’s dinner that kept growing in size by the minute.
Juan and I doing lunch at home.

We even had time to pop up to Bilbao/San Sebastian to see Marta’s besties . . .

But if I had to distill the simple pleasures of Madrid down to singular happy moments, it would be as simple as a beer in a plaza at midnight with your buddies (and a few dozen others) — and I’m not into beers, but there is no better way to chill on a hot summer night in Madrid.

I miss it already.

Norbert chewing his hamburger . . .