Madrid - Ronaldo and Robbery
This was a second attempt to enjoy Madrid after an earlier visit was over shadowed by ordinary weather. So here we were a in March where by the afternoon the temperatures could rise to 20c and Madrid could be enjoyed in all of its glory. The primary purpose of this visit was football and more particularly the city's foremost club Real Madrid. The club has an enduring rivalry with Barcelona and city foes Athletico. Today though it is Sociedad from the Basque city of San Sebastian who provide the opposition. The match and experience lives up to expectation and Real Madrid win 5-1.
Day two by comparison shows a darker and altogether more frequent side to this lovely city. We are robbed. It was a classic pick pocket trick of crowded Metro train, a distraction with a "tourist" loudly pretending to be lost and the light fingers getting to work.
So at La Latina station en-route to El Rastro we were a wallet down containing credit cards, driving licence but joyfully the perpetrators will have found a paltry 25€ within. The rest of day two was largely a write off with banks of various competences being called and cancelling the credit cards. A walk around the more peaceful surroundings of Jardin Botanico (3€) revived our faith in the city.
Day three and it was an unscheduled visit to the police station (comisaria) in the morning. We chose to visit the central station. New Scotland Yard it is not but rather an unimposing office along an unimportant shopping street. We were taken to a telephone to make a statement to an English speaking operator. It was detailed process as the events of the previous days were recalled once more. Then after a short wait in a barren room it was a short walk to the office where the statement was gone through thoroughly to check details which was then signed and ready to be filed. Meantime, I suspect, the villains were rifling through the pockets of another unsuspecting innocent traveller.
Day two by comparison shows a darker and altogether more frequent side to this lovely city. We are robbed. It was a classic pick pocket trick of crowded Metro train, a distraction with a "tourist" loudly pretending to be lost and the light fingers getting to work.
So at La Latina station en-route to El Rastro we were a wallet down containing credit cards, driving licence but joyfully the perpetrators will have found a paltry 25€ within. The rest of day two was largely a write off with banks of various competences being called and cancelling the credit cards. A walk around the more peaceful surroundings of Jardin Botanico (3€) revived our faith in the city.
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| Jardin Botanico - Botanic Garden |
Day three and it was an unscheduled visit to the police station (comisaria) in the morning. We chose to visit the central station. New Scotland Yard it is not but rather an unimposing office along an unimportant shopping street. We were taken to a telephone to make a statement to an English speaking operator. It was detailed process as the events of the previous days were recalled once more. Then after a short wait in a barren room it was a short walk to the office where the statement was gone through thoroughly to check details which was then signed and ready to be filed. Meantime, I suspect, the villains were rifling through the pockets of another unsuspecting innocent traveller.
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