Spain 27/6

How soon before the days start to merge and you have trouble separating them? Our days are starting to fall into a pattern. Today, however, we ventured further afield to see the temple of Ebod which is a gift to Spain from Egypt when they flooded the Aswan Dam. We don't have a topographical map and didn't see that the park was Parc de Montana until we were up there. I think it was worth it. Rob said things like never going there again and oh god more stairs. This on top of walking up hill and not enough down dale through some parks. Misled by the map that didn't include road closures for construction we ended up at the magnificent Palacio Real again. We went into the same bar as the day before to recover and were delighted to discover that the dreadful food we had ordered from the menu sitting outside the day before gave us no hint of the delicacies now laid out behind the bar. Lesson learnt. On our perambulation we came across a very jolly though also seeming serious demonstration - we are not sure what it was against, but it was linked to money so it may be a protest against the enforced reduction in pay for civil servants which is going to cause the public transport strike in Madrid this week - three days. We actually started the day with a trip to the Rastro market, a mix of crafts, cheap imports and trash & treasure. The most remarkable thing is that it is in ALL the streets and lanes of the whole suburb. Everything is there from a man standing offering a single pair of sunglasses through goods on blankets to hardware old and new, souvenirs and the same imported clothes you see everywhere. All similar to a blend of St Kilda esplanade, Byron Bay and Bentleigh t&t. In a small plaza at the end of the market was an extraordinary swap card exchange - conducted standing up with everyone looking through albums and piles of cards in hand. Our plan - post siesta - was to go to the Prado, but siesta took precedence so we will save that for our return. Argentina won the soccer and just around the corner from our chosen dinner table we could hear the fans celebrating in the Puerta del Sol. Sounding noisy and cheerful among the police sirens as they gathered just in case I suppose. Madrid was promenading again, but in nothing like the numbers of Saturday night. Having walked up high and overlooking the city we know we will always have something else to see when we come again - which is only a few weeks away after all.