Yesterday I set out into the city again with Maggie. She had an errand to run for her work. We went to the department store to do a little browsing. Walking through the "men's fashion", as they call it here, we stumble across the swim suites where we find la speedos. Maggie immediately starts to push me into buying one. Since were going to a pool on Sunday, with men in speedos and topless women, and Rick Steves did say to try and be apart of the European way, I figure "Why not!" and purchase my first speedo. They aren't the stereotypical pair. They're black and look like little shorts. I wasn't about to go full on banana hammock.
We make our way back home but not before doing a little grocery shopping. I purchase some lunch meat and salad stuff so I don't have to go out and buy food all the time. We get home and its siesta time. As I nap, Maggie and Kristin both have classes to teach. We make plans to meet at the Alanso Martinez metro station at eight o'clock.
We rendezvous and go to an Irish pub called "O'Conors". Have a few beers over some good conversation, discussing the previous nights debauchery, then head to Chueca. Its pride week here in Madrid and Chueca would be considered the "gayborhood". We get to Chueca and its a party in the streets. Multiple concert stages, street side bars set up in front of every bar establishment. Whats different about Pride here in Europe compared to Pride in the states (or at least Dallas) is that EVERYONE, practically the entire city, goes. It's a huge festival here.
Bernise and Markos meet up with us. We have a few drinks in the streets, watch some of the performances and head home. Markos has a car so we all pile in like clowns and go home. Along with marijuana being decriminalized here, I think its safe to say that so are traffic laws. What a hell of a ride that was. Cars cutting you off left and right, people just walking out in front of you, speeds topping 100 mph.
Today is Saturday. Kristin, Maggie, Pablo (Maggie's boyfriend), Bernise, Markos, a few others and I are going to the Pride parade. It's supposed to be one of Madrid's largest celebrations of the year. There is an anticipated several hundred thousand people expected to show. We're all pre gaming at the house before hoping on the metro to Treca.
Miss you all back home. Hope you guys are doing well.
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