Still waiting in Madrid

The past couple of weeks have been tedious waiting for the visa, but we have kept ourselves busy. We enjoyed many strolls around Madrid, especially after 8 pm when the weather becomes more bearable, on some occasions the temperature has hit 40+ degrees C. Raul has been very patient with us and has allowed us to stay in the apartment as per our needs. We viewed events on Facebook, and things to do on TripAdvisor.

Hot weather, Madrid

We saw an Open Air Summer Party in one of the parks in Madrid, so we decided to attend. It was organised by a group called 'After Brunch' who organise parties around Europe. It was enjoyable (if a bit pricey) and had Ibiza-like vibes, but we enjoyed it for a couple of hours.

After Brunch Open Air Summer Party, Parque de Atenas, Madrid

We also did an 'Escape Room', something which seems very popular at the moment. I noticed one opened up in Portsmouth before we left to go traveling. According to TripAdvisor, there are 72 escape rooms in Madrid, and we went for the number 1 rated called "EXIT Madrid'. We had to book a day in advance and were apprehensive about what to expect being our first time. Upon arrival, we were briefed about which room we would be in; we were placed in a Science Laboratory. We were told that this is not about how clever you are, but more about logic and intuition. The average escape is about 50% for larger groups up to 4 and more like 30% for couples. The aim is to escape the room in 66 minutes, and we managed it in 65 minutes which we were really pleased about. The game was fun, and bonding and I would recommend it to do when on holiday.

EXIT (Escape Room), Madrid

The visa for Bali was finally sorted, after having to wait 2 weeks for authorisation from Jakarta. We picked up the visa and booked the flight for the next day. Conscious of money, and overspending in Madrid, we booked a 25-hour flight, with 2 stops (in Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong). I write this blog as we are waiting in Hong Kong, still yet to arrive at our desired destination, with delays to our flight of 2 hours....

Gran Via Station, Madrid

Gran Via Station, Madrid

Cathedral, Madrid

Frog outside Gran Casino, Colon, Madrid