Madrid to Santiago

Spent an hour doing the blog update... With photos... And then got a taxi back to our previous hotel to meet S & M who have two extra days in Madrid before they head off to France. Shared a bottle of vino blanco with them and then went to a little cafe style restaurant that they had found earlier in the day that was a short walk from the hotel. It was after 7pm and we should have picked up more quickly that we were probably in for another Fawlty Towers experience when we walked in and we were the only customers. However the very obliging bar man quickly changed the music to English speaking and next we were being serenaded by Manfred Mann right through to Phil Collins. I was having a real throw back to the 60s and 70s for a while.
As he spoke no English and I've gotten behind in my online Spanish lessons,  Jo wasn't able to make him understand that we wanted to see a wine list. However, I was able to eventually ask for a bottle of white wine and as they only had one type, the first tasting from the bottle was wasted on us as there weren't any alternatives. Yet on we went with the dinner ordering process. (Should have listened better to those alarm bells in my head). Jo decided to ask for paella but because I have at least learnt how to count to ten in Spanish I realized that Manuel was telling us that paella is only available if two order it. Not sure why there was only a single price on the menu, but no point arguing with the fellow as he was trying so hard. When the dear chap poured our wine for us he fussed over opening the bottle and then put a wine aerator on the bottle. Didn't have the heart to tell him he was wasting his time on a dry white wine but he was enjoying his attempt at silver service. Then when the dear chap was pouring the wine into Jo's glass at too high a height from the glass, much of it went onto the table cloth. Oh, forgot to tell you that he only put the table cloth on the table after we sat down and we all had to help smooth out the edges, only to see three black cigarette burns across the centre of the cloth. What is it they say about 'A' for effort???
He then brought out some appetisers that we didn't order but it was too problematic to send them back. I think they were the display items that had been sitting on the glass shelf for a while, but we
were determined to stay the distance at this place, especially as S was feeling so embarrassed about picking it based on when they had gone for a drink late afternoon and there were a lot of people there. However upon further questioning we establish that no one was actually eating there, just drinking spirits!!! The wine was doing its job and Manuel kept fussing over the pouring and messing about with the little towel he put over the ice bucket. Next minute there is much tapping on the window from the street and in walks another fellow who we surmise is either the manager or at least Manuel's boss. Don't know why he had to tap on the window, but he just did. Then we totally lost it when finally another patron walked in.... With a little dog. S bursts out "Well that settles it. Now every man and his dog is here!!!!!" I think I might have even had a little bit of wee in my pants, I laughed so much...
Shortly after a fellow walks in, out of breath and in track pants and t shirt and heads straight for the
kitchen. I think that the chef had now arrived... Because S had ordered a salad entree we have to wait
until she had eaten that before we get our food. Eventually a large pan of paella comes to the table for
Jo and M to share. I tuck into my seafood salad and giggle over my lagostinos which are meant to be king prawns. They have been sliced as thinly as smoked salmon, but it was all edible and I am being optimistic that we are not all in for a bout of salmonella. Anyway S & M share a creme caramel dessert and we are done. We have been joined in the restaurant by this stage with two guys who came in together and sit at the bar drinking. One of the guys has long black hair pulled back in a pony tail and another with a shaved head wearing a baseball cap. They are known to Manuel so appear to be regulars. I tell S & M that they probably need to leave to give Jo and I a chance to get lucky, but another person comes into the bar covered in tattoos and sits with them... And it was a woman so we might have dodged a bullet there.
As we are about to gather up our gear to leave, the manager comes over to us to ask if we want coffee and when we say no he offers us a liqueur on the house. He then brings over a tray with four shot
glasses filled to the brim with a clear bright yellow liquid which I think he calls something like herbius. Anyway it has a slight aniseed taste and burns going down the gullet so we are now well and truly done for the night. We pay our bill and as we walk out the door the music suddenly changes back into Spanish songs. What an adventure.. Fond farewells to S&M as we leave them at their hotel and we get a taxi back to ours. Time for bed.
Didn't get a good night sleep which was really annoying as it is such a lovely hotel, however bags out at7 and on the coach at 8 as we head off toward Santiago which is a lond days driving. At about 10 we stop at Rueda which is a lovely little wine making region. Jo is in her element at the wine tasting so while she is discussing what side of the hill the grapes were grown and how many hours of sunlight each day and what are the grape names (I mean readers... Who gives each of their grapes a name for goodness sake... ) I go downstairs and order a  cafe latte. Jo eventually comes downstairs
with her arms full of wines. Should have seen the jaws drop on our new group of travellers. I just told
them all, that this is why I am enjoying travelling with her and I had never met her before this trip. Some people will believe any old tripe you tell them.
Back on the coach after the box of wines are safely seat belted in behind us and another couple of
hours driving past pretty countryside until we have a freeway restaurant stop for lunch,. During this drive Denise, who is turning out to be the consummate tour director, puts the movie 'The Way' on the coach DVD player for us. It tells the story of a man played by Martin Sheen taking his son's ashes on the El Cimino to Santiago pilgrims' walk of some 800 km, and we see some of the places we have been and are about to go to.  Then after lunch we are back on the road again for another 2 hours until we reach Santiago where we will be for 2 nights. Our hotel is lovely and we have done or washing and already set up our Chinese laundry in the bathroom. Time to break open one of Jo's bottles of vino blanco as we relax and put our feet up prior to meeting up with group for dinner at the hotel. We have opted not to do the optional tour in the morning so will have the day free until 3 pm. I am soooo looking forward to a lie in. This truly is the good life.