Would anyone be interested in getting together for a post MM get-together...especially those of us who missed the party on the 4th?

Drop me a line
wyndyl

I will be arriving in Madrid in the early evening of May 3 (Friday). Anyone else going to be in Madrid that weekend? I also want to email Andre to see if he is running a Walks of Spain tour on May 4.
Cheers!
Dargus

Dargus,

A couple of us will be there that weekend....we're trying to meet somewhere...Interested?
(With MM's blessings for the Post MM party, of course )

Email me and I can give you my mobile#

Wyndy

P.s. I was thinking about signing up with Andres for the 6th or 7th...

Wyndyl,
I will be interested in meeting up that weekend preferably Saturday as I am arriving Friday after sixteen hours of flying and an eight hour time change...zzzz. I will try to email you this weekend and hopefully we can set a day, place and time. I will also be in Seville from May 9-14.
Ciao!
Dargus
(I leave for Madrid three weeks from today!!)

Dargus-

17 days left for me!!!WHOPEE! HURRAY
Anyhow, I don't have definite dates yet-maybe a Sunday instead

Wyndy :p

Don't forget to count me in! If it's not a Tues-Fri, I shouldn't have any excuses for not turning up. We'll talk again soon, and come up with a nice spot.

Barry,

How does a Sunday night sound to you?

Wendy/ wyndyl

You all have a GREAT time!! Will you be meeting at the terraza of El Brillante?? Oh man! I wish I could go!!!

Sunday, Sunday...mmmm, probably later on for moi. I'm looking into the Real Madrid game that night or take in a bullfight (I believe they begin at 5:30??) just to experience one in my life. But, being on vacation, I'm flexible for any ideas. I will be available Saturday night also (travelling solo) if anybody's interested.

Dargus

I hope to be there for that weekend looking good so far - how will we know who's who is there a MM badge/banner or something or do we all wear red t-shirts or bandanas??? I've never done this before!
I guess Americans do stand out, i'm sure i'll spot you guys lol. I'm joking of course.

I'll be the litte Asian chick, not trying to look like a tourist, who is trying not to look dazed and confused....with the mobile phone by her ear so she looks "with it"
Wyndyl

I'll be arriving in Madrid the afternoon of the 3rd, and have decided to stay at the Hotel Madrid down off Sol. I'd love to get together with whomever should my schedule permit. I'm waiting to hear if I'll be joined by friends from Valladolid that evening or not... Please let me know where and when!!

Here's the lastest, I think!

Saturday the 4th or Sunday the 5th(May, that is!).
Those are the two days that seem possible for everyone. Chica has suggested a few places, but since I am not familiar with Madrid, any suggestions?

As the date gets closer, I will post my mobile so people can call to say they'll be there , or to cancel

Wyndyl

What places have been suggested Wyndyl? It's only two weeks away...any suggestions?
Adios
Dargus

Las cuevas? "the caves" though she wasn't specific and of course, MM suggested El Brillante...But I'm open...and waiting for the madrilenos and madrilenas to make a suggestion...somewhere in Huertas, was another...

Wyndyl

El Brillante has that BIG terraza outside with lots of tables/chairs and a beautiful nighttime view of illuminated Ministerio de Agricultura building and the Atocha Train Station! (inside El Brillante there's no seating)

How does La Taparia de la Abuela sound to everyone? Has anyone been there? I believe it is on C/ Segovia and the address is C/ Conde, 4.

Otherwise, I need a suggestion for a place to meet around the Huertas area and pronto!

Wyndyl

Maceira!!!!!!

Pim,

We'll see you @ the Post MM Get-together?

Wyndyl

When is it, the first weekend in May?

I'll definetely try to be there!

Saludos,

pim

Saturday 4, May
Time To Be Announced

wyndyl

Darren,

Check your messages. I left u one a few days ago!

Wyndy

Post MadridMan Get-Together

Saturday 4, May
9 in the evening
MACEIRA
C/ Huertas, 66

Wyndy

Send me a note....

Fantastic Wyndyl! I will be there, a bit jetlagged, but ready for my first real Madrid night out. BTW thanks for the email reply and I will contact you on your mobile sometime Saturday. I am staying at the Carlos V so will be close to the action.
Nine more days to go!
Dargus

My husband and I are taking our first trip to Spain, and Saturday May 4 will be our last night there! We will return to Madrid from Seville on the AVE late that afternoon. We would like to try to join you, at least for a drink, if that's OK.

We're very easy to recognize, as soon as we open our mouths. Just listen for the Southern accent . . .

Camellia, we would be so glad to see you there!

Wyndyl

I wish I were posting to say "I can't wait to arrive in Madrid Friday and the BIG get together Saturday night" but, for the second year in a row, I regret that I've had to cancel my trip to Spain due to unforeseen circumstances here at home. Moving issues that involve big finances which dictate that it is best I don't take a big trip this spring. I don't think it's a good idea to be far from home with nagging issues on your mind (especially financial) as it's harder to chill and relax. C'est la vie, it could be worse. I am in a major depression now (I didn't sleep last night) but WILL get to Spain, probably next year. All of the planning and research, hotels booked two months ago...boom...all for nothing. Believe me, it is an incredibly empty feeling here and we're having one of the coldest springs on record (there is NO green anywhere here in Alberta) which doesn't help the cabin fever. Sorry to rant about this but, what can I say, this is a downer and I really wish I could join everybody Saturday night for my first Spanish experience. Thanks so much to everybody who helped me with my inquiries which I DO intend to use hopefully in a year. Wyndy, it sounds like you're having a great first few days please give us a full report somewhere down the line! A great website Madridman and keep up the fantastic work this is such a great source of information and some incredibly interesting people here.
Waht more to say...I am sooo disappointed but will get over it. I may be able to afford a quick jaunt to New Orleans for a long weekend, one of my favorite American cities.
Hasta la vista!
Dargus (I will be following this board)

Until when will you be there? I will pass by I get into Chamartin at 6, then I have to meet my friend and go to the hostal and eat.

Uhhh... Nativo... Chica... vuestra presencia es OBLIGATORIA.

Great get together Wyndy! Thanks for organizing it!

Uhhh Asterault...I was there...WHERE WERE YOU??

Antonio, PIM, Joe, Andrew, Barry, Pablo, Camilla & Husband and Ignacio..it was nice meeting you all! We´ll have to do it again sometime. (The mountains are calling!) And maybe, just maybe Asterault will have the xxxx to show up!

Wyndy, we´ll be waiting for the pictures. You know how anxious Jo gets! :p

Hope you all had a GREAT TIME!! Can't wait to see PHOTOS!! (I'm impatient too.. JUST like Jo-Anne )

Don'tcha just hate it when people say they'll be somewhere and then back out at the last minute?

Yodel-ay-hee-hoo!!! (them mountains is callin'!) - MadridMan

Glad you've had a great time. What a lot of you!

PHOTOS PHOTOS PHOTOS!

We've had an 'iteresting' time in the new chat room . Michelle and I are getting genned up on the tricks from Agomor!

Checked out the jamas yet Wyndy???

Speak to you all soon.

Jo

Hey folks,

It's about 6:00AM here in Madrid and I've just come back from the little 'reunión'.
Chica, I wished you had stayed a little longer, you would have "checked out" Barry & Pablo's A-M-A-Z-I-N-G apartment right in Pza. Sta. Ana (I saw one bathroom which size is almost half the size of my living-room!). Anyway, I really want to thank them, they've been such gracious hosts allowing us to talk for hours over....how many beers? I've loved meeting them!
Wendy, it's been also grrreat meeting you and I hope to see you again before you have to leave on Wednesday.
And Andrew, great to meet you....again!

I think I better go get some sleep now!

Pim

P.S.: LiM, I hear there may be some (great) news next time you log in to this our beloved forum
¡¡¡BUENA SUERTE!!!

I am SORRY. My train took FOREVER as they kept on stopping in the mountains with some problems. The renfe bocadillo made me a bit ill. Then the metro ticket machine in Chamartin ate my bank card and I had to force them to call the ´keymaster´ or whatever to open the thing up (by the way, the security code for Madrid metro machines, if you open one, is ´1234´ ), and then there was a problem in the metro because a train sprayed oil on the anden... anyway when I got to the hostal I just fell asleep right away... si un poco soso ya lo se.

Sigh.
Wish I was there last night as I look out the window and see snow AGAIN this morning. I've only just started to accept that I'm not in Spain and planning to got to Toledo tomorrow as was planned. Ouch! It's great to hear the get together was a blast. Until next time...

We missed you Dargus!!

Thanks everyone, I had an AWESOME time! Everyone was so warm and gracious and FUN! I´ll have to do a full write up of everything when I get back home.

As for pictures, I have some, not too many, I was too busy keeping up with the conversations...

I loved meeting all of you! And for those of you who missed it, we will DEFINITELY do this again.

Talk to you all soon...
wyndyl

The pictures at this link:
http://www.digitalxfer.com/webxfer.shtml?wyndyl

AAAGH, I missed the gathering. I really hate it. Working and studying....madrid me mata. Next time I'll be there. I agree on Barrys & Pablo's hospitality...they are great. By the way, Pim don't you think that Barry has an "alucinante" mastery of spanish?.
Aster, are you moving to town?

Yes Nativo, I agree. I on the contrary, felt really really "clumsy" whenever I spoke the other night, because I had just spent a whole week glued to my two and a half-year-old half British niece, speaking childish Spanglish, or just plain made up baby-talk.

Wendy,
I hope you've gotten my msg and we get to talk before you go. Have you been able to check out those famous 'jamas yet???

We had a great time meeting you guys! My only regret is that we couldn't stay longer, and that we couldn't join you again later. (Our dinner ran late and we had to catch an early flight the next morning. ) Even in that short time, I think Ignacio convinced us that our next trip must be to the north of Spain. And you also AT LAST got my husband to try sangria (instead of his usual cerveza), even if it was on his last night in Spain!

Good job, wyndyl.

Well, I had a great time too, I think. It's all a bit blurred. Too much Mahou. Windy, get in touch if you're still around a want to go for a drink. I was quite hung over when you rang on Sunday, and didn't really sober up until about 9pm, thanks to a Bloody Mary. Hope to catch you before you run away. The rest of you should keep in touch too. See you all soon.
PS Jo Anne, I just got your email here at work, but can't seem to access my Terra account, so I'll be in touch when I get home.

Nativo - Working on it, I should be back in 2 weeks or so. Trying to find a piso and some teaching english jobs. Send me your móvil.

Maceira 6th, May sometime after 9 pm

Chica and I agreed to meet by the bear and madroño tree around 7:30 p.m. I walked down c/ Hortaleza and wandered for the first time into Sol. I arrived a few minutes early and tried my best not to look like a tourist! We found each other not too long after staring at virtually everyone who was there looking to meet someone else! We decided to get a drink before meeting for dinner...we wandered a bit before sitting for a drink. I was thankful Chica spoke spanish, I was felt too scared to speak it!

We walked down to C/ Huertas and found the restaurant nearly empty, found a spot to sit and chat some more. We ordered a pitcher of sangria; actually, Chica ordered the sangria. A little bit after nine, people started trickling in. We were a little worried that no one would show up, aside from ourselves and Antonio(whom I spoke with earlier that day).

Ignacio came in first, followed by Antonio about 10 minutes later. It was wonderful to finally meet and put faces to the names. Camellia and her husband arrived soon after, though they we'rent going to stay long...they had dinner reservations...Chica called Pim a couple of times to see if she was going to make it. She had just arrived from Zaragoza that afternoon...She did show up! This was great! We ordered food after Joe and Andrew showed up. We lost Camellia and her husband to their dinner reservations, but Barry and Pablo came in!

Chica convinced Joe to try the octopus...he actually liked it! I tried the coquettes...what were they? They were trying to explain it to me, in English, mind you! I kept thinking...I think they mean dumplings....I still think they meant dumplings :p

After dinner, we, they made me decide of course! went to get a couple of drinks at a bar nearby. Don't ask me what it was called! I just followed everyone there! After a few drinks at the bar listening to Andrew and Pablo discuss and debate intellectual issues, I opted to listen in on something else. The conversation was interesting, but in small doses... They did continue it at Barry and Pablo's flat...Chica had to leave, her hubby was picking her up for their trip back to the wild mountains of Segovia...the rest of us trekked back to Plaza Santa Ana.

A few San Miguels later, I was being instructed on how to be coquettish with the fan! But the intellectual debate continued between Pablo and Andrew. Barry talked about his job.

We left the flat after 0600... time does fly when your having fun. And that was fun...Antonio, Ignacio, and Joe left a lot earlier...I was a little concerned about finding my way home but chivalry does still exist! Andrew volunteered to walk me back to Hostal Chelo...On the way back, I got to see Plaza Mayor. It was quiet but beautiful. I got an abbreviated history, thanks to Andrew!

I know there weren't very many pictures of the evening...but it was great fun!
Let's do it again soon! Let's do it again soon!
The pictures are at this link:
http://www.digitalxfer.com/webxfer.shtml?wyndyl

wyndyl

croquettes Wyndy, croquettes!!!

Great pics! PIM, open your eyes!!

Yeah, we don't want our pal Wyndy trying any coquettes!

AAAARRGGHH!!! I must start to learn to do this "the American way" (Cheese!), 'cause....look what happens for being so goofy!

Chica, ok...croquettes!

I laughed so loudly when I read that! Dumplings, okay?

Dumplings, okay?

It was a fun night, wasn't it? Pim, sorry we couldn't get together..but I promise to be back within a year!

Wyndyl

Pim

No need to learn the American cheeeeeze, just get to bed a little earlier instead of checking out posh bathrooms! Eyes will open naturally then!

Jo