Ok…break time is over. It’s been a week here, a week there…some times up in the mountains…a few days over inLondon…the post-riotLondon. Always nice to spend a few days outside of Madrid just to say how much you miss it and are glad to be back. Always nice to roam around another European capital too. It was also a relief to get some relief from the daily summer heat…only to come home and be greeted by the hottest week of the summer. And no end in sight nor sight in end.
What’s going on in Madrid? Easy. A million or so pilgrims, young people from all over the world have descended upon this town to celebrate the World Youth Day with the pope. Non-Catholics might find this unappealing, but there is something to be said about that number of young people coming together to enjoy a week in this city. Regardless of your faith, it’s fun to see them having such a good time walking around and enjoying the sights. The capital has literally been overrun by herds and hordes of young adults, and each group normally waves around a banner or flag of the country they represent.
The place I work at has taken in 500 young people from Germany, France, the United States, England,Vietnam, Bulgaria and Latvia. We provide them with all the necessary basics and they spend the rest of the day out and about.
So, if you were hoping to take advantage of the quiet time of August to see the museums and other sites that this city has to offer, you can forget it. You can join the fun or wait a week.
