smooth landing, rocky roads

As soon as the plane landed I knew I was in Spain. The trees, light, landscape all paralleled the minutae I'd seen in great paintings. Spain is hard for me, still. I come here for inspiration and adventure but it is work. All of it is, I suppos,Tthis is just harder work than I remember it will be.

I reserved a train for Bilbao from the airport Renfe window. Very convenient... except I had jet lag and didn't notice that there are two train stations in Madrid. When I asked for directions to the train station at the Ritz they didn't ask me WHICH train station, they just gave me directions to the Atocha station even though they knew I was headed to Bilbao and there are no trains from Atocha that go to Bilbao. I'll be checking in there tomorrow after my generous friend Carole arrives. Believe me, someone at the Ritz is going to read or hear about this since I missed my train because I went to the wrong station. It happens all the time so you think the desk clerk at the friggin Ritz Carlton would know better.

It all worked out in the end since I wound up on a night train to Bilbao. which was worth it. I didn't expect so but I loved it. I have to say, I do like the Guggenhim style. All those Kiefers...and the Louise Bourgeois is perhaps one of her best. There is some amazing work in all of their collections. I loved photographing the building in all kinds of light. It pure eye candy. I left the Gug close to closing time and was completely exhausted... and now two nights later I finally have a bed! All in all I've spent the last three nights sleeping in an upright position! The plane and then a night train there and back...! My back is in knots and my husband is far away. I think a visit to the Madrid hammam I read about in the NYT last week will unravel those knots nicely.