It's best to walk the streets at night...

Restless and cold, it's time for me to step outside - I need to go on a walk. My doorman is still here. It's getting late, why is he still here?

He's obviously from northern Spain. I can tell because he always says "venga" as a goodbye. He's missing his two middle, bottom teeth, and intensely smells of cigarettes.

For some reason he's always really happy to see me - i think he likes the shitty conversations that we have. Like today we had a conversation about the bread i was eating, and the paintbrushes that I had in my hand. Horrible conversation - but in Spanish. I like the guy. He's a good doorman.

Whatever happened to my other doorman, Orlando? He was my homie. Maybe his wife had a baby...come to think of it he did tell me she was pregnant. Orlando told me where to buy some socks and see a cheap movie - i've lucked out with good doormen thus far. I'm curious as to who will be my doorman next month. It seems as if they change every month. What if all doormen just rotated buildings every month - at the end of the month they just pick up and move one building to the left. I bet Orlando is at the next building. I'm going to go check it out tomorrow.

I walked in a direction that I hadn't been before, tonight. The streets were busy with people. I love Madrid at night. The stores are all open late. People walk their dogs at 11 pm. The side walk cafes are overflowing with food, people, and bier. It's nice that it's cold, too. I enjoy living in the big city.

The chino stores are where the bargains are. They can't speak english or spanish, but they sure know how to stock a store full of random, incoherent, and utterly useless items. One aisle carries snow globes on the top shelf, and deflated basketballs and soccer balls on the bottom. While the next aisle over is filled with gardening tools and bedsheets. Canned soup on display near the front, and roller skates in the back - it's like they are reading my mind.

I perused the store for a while before leaving with a deflated basketball. I've had the basketball itch lately.

I found a nice little outdoor vending tent. I've never seen it before. Great place to buy gifts. I bought a leather wrist band, before finding a bench to sit and inflate my basketball. Pumped, i dribbled the ball down the crowded streets looking for a place to find some food and a bier.

El Chiprón...there we go. That's the place. It was right next to the bus stop and there was a lot of foot traffic, but i like it that way - plus it has CHIP in the name. Got some calamari and a bier before I headed back home.

A simple night in Madrid. Couldn't be happier.

Tomorrow the Atlético game. Soon a story about my travels to Bilbao and San Sebastian. Italia on Saturday.

Involved,

C.M. Stassel