¡Madrid es el mejor! ¡Total de mi suenous eres vera aqui! MadridMan, thank you for your board, I cannot tell you this enough!
First, I have met the most incredible woman I have ever known, Guianna, from Ecuador, at my favorite internet cafe, and accepted her invatation to move in with her in Hollo de Manzanares, a beautiful resort town about one-half hour north of Madrid. I am totally head-over-heels in love with her, and her with me! We live in the most beautiful pueblo in the mountains, and take the bus back and forth to the city.

Secondly I have found, thanks to my good friend, Florienco, "el fontenero," who knows everyone, and seems to have a key to every door in Madrid, what has to be the best studio in the world. It was the studio of my landlady's father, who was a theatrical designer, and, besides 20 or 30 years of dirt, it has about 100 stage curtains, costumes, scenes (100's!), and treasures beyond belief. The main room is about 5 meters by 15 meters, and 3 meters high, with three smaller rooms and a huge terrace overlooking the northeast and southwest of red tiled rooftops! Six windows give it incredible light and warm sun. I am totally in love with it too!

Finally, my painting is starting to take off, and I am doing the best work I have ever done, with my lady and Madrid for inspiration. Believe me, after four years of "living" in Orange County, CA, and the whole plastic lifestyle, ¡Madrid es el cielo! I don't ever want to leave! My friend Carlos will start to pose for me, along with other friends at La Soleá, and on the 21st of December we are having a private juerga for some affecionado friends (Guianna's birthday is the 23rd, mine is the 22nd!). To top it all off, my Spanish is improving rapidly, since G. speaks little English.

Although Thanksgiving is past, my hope is that all of you enjoy the same quality of experiences I have here! Do what you must, but come to Madrid for as long as you can, then stay longer! It is truely magical.

Bienvenidos, Martín