Flying into Madrid and with my instructions clamped tightly in my hand I negotiated passport control, the metro and the Cercanias train system to arrive at my destination for the next week .  Senorio de Illescas is a dormitory town which lies bang in between Madrid and Toledo, just 35kms to either on a train or a bus and with the journey costing an amazing two and a half euros.  I had discovered the family who were to be my hosts on the Workaway website – but unlike working on the farm in Portugal my remit here in Spain was to speak English.  And to play with the adorable seven month old baby who I shall call Garban (Spanish for something small like a tadpole or a chickpea)

After the structure of the farm where we had a specific (though flexible) timetable to follow, here there was no such structure.  The timetable was dictated by Garban, but with his ready smiles that was no hardship.

the familiar symbol of Madrid

I began writing this account of my experiences in Madrid intending it to be factual and objective but as I leave, heading south to Estepona, it is hard to remain composed.

The family that I lived with for three weeks took me into their home and into their hearts. I have met both sets of parents, brother, sister, aunts and uncles, cousins and the amazing grandmother.  We have prepared meals together and swapped recipes, cycled, walked, shopped and chatted late into the night.

Dyana and Hunter have been the ultimate hosts, tour guides and friends and there were tears all around as we said our goodbyes.  They have ‘met’ my parents via skype and they extended an invitation to them to visit them in Madrid which was reciprocated by my parents should Dyana and Hunter return to the UK.

Since my arrival, Garban has sprouted two new teeth, he has begun to crawl and he has started at his nursery.  It was difficult to watch the anguish on Hunter’s face as he walked away from his crying son leaving him with the nursery staff, and it brought back many memories for me with my children.  Perhaps if I could turn back the clock and I had the benefit of hindsight I would maybe do some things differently – but there is no point regretting what I did or didn’t do – they were the right things at the time.

tapas dish of pig’s ears

Anyway, I digress.  It was easy to love Garban and I loved every minute of my time in Illescas – even when challenged to eat tripe (pigs intestines).  With ten pairs of eyes watching me, and the family holding their collective breath, I struggled gamely to chew and swallow.  Feeling rather like a contestant on ‘I’m a Celebrity’ I regret to say that I failed miserably, although thankfully Mario gallantly reached me with a bucket in time!  I felt honoured that despite many of the family not speaking any English they included me in the family birthday celebrations and with sign language and with Dyana and Hunter translating, I felt very much a part of things.

The economic situation in Spain is bad – but Dyana (named after an actress) and Hunter (so called following his wild antics one evening when he chased a massive bug around the kitchen with a tea towel) have good jobs.  Dyana was enjoying her last two weeks of her maternity leave when I rocked up at their door, and then during my third week Hunter took annual leave and stayed home while she returned to work and little Garban began his gentle introduction to the nursery.

I was impressed with Dyana and Hunter’s standard of English and also that of their brother and sister.  It made me keen to persevere with my Spanish lessons. I know that my understanding did improve over the three weeks although I still lack confidence when trying to speak.  Learning a language is a pleasurable pain – or should that be a painful pleasure – for people who want to be stimulated and love learning, and I know that forthcoming experiences will be greatly enhanced if I can understand and make myself understood in Spanish.

So what exactly did I get up to?

Well, no two days were ever the same.

sleepy tigers

To begin with, I usually rose at eight-ish most mornings and after breakfast I would usually entertain the baby and chat to Dyana.  We would often go out for a walk or we would go to the shops.  We went once to the weekly market set up in the shadow of the futuristic looking bull ring, where they sold local produce, stopping to study a pair of tigers who were sleepily sprawled out in a trailer which was parked on the street.  They were not a permanent feature of the town but were part of a travelling circus which was in town. We stopped several times for beer or a coke and tapas in some bars and as the temperature was a toasty thirty degrees for the majority of my stay, I often lay in the garden on a sun lounger or I dipped in and out of the little pool.

Garban is totally doted on by his entire extended family and I never once witnessed any irritation or impatience with him.  If he couldn’t sleep then not to worry, it just meant more time with him.  If he refused to eat, no matter, still more time with him.  Perhaps because of the devotion that he received, he had little need to cry or grumble and was ready with his smiles and cuddles.  Dyana’s brother and Hunter’s sister showered him with affection and it never ceased to make me laugh when either set of grand parents arrived and the battle to cuddle and hold him began between the couples.  He was so content and happy to be with me and I earned the nickname Mary Poppins.

With encouragement and plenty of hints and tips from Dyana and Hunter I set off on some mini-adventures and I explored Toledo, Madrid and Sergovia – and you will get in-depth reports from these amazing places in the future I met some lovely people including a lady from New Zealand, travellers from Colombia and Poland and of course from Madrid itself, and amazingly I also met up with friends from the UK who happened to be in the area.

the local bull ring glows under the sunset

As I now bowl south on the coach I can see an intriguing looking castle on a distant hill which is flanked by a row of old fashioned windmills.  The rain that accompanied our departure from Madrid has stopped and the windmills gleam in the sun.  The plains of Spain are truly enormous.  Stretching for as far as the eye can see, crops and dried grasses wave golden yellow in the sun and with far away mountains propping up the sky on the horizon this is certainly no place for the agoraphobic.  I have loved every place that I have visited so far on my travels and Pollyanna-like, I always try to find beauty or something of interest.  Madrid felt very special to me.  The centre is compact – even more compact than Lisboa and contains a diversity of sights all within walking distance to each other.  The metro system is sleek, modern and inexpensive and there is a range of eating and drinking places to suit all tastes and budgets.  Most importantly of all for me, it felt safe.  When the lights come on at night it takes on a whole new persona but still envelops and welcomes its inhabitants.

I am very excited to be moving on and to be meeting up with friends at a wedding in Estepona but I am also very sad and truly sorry to leave an amazing family.  I know that I have made some friends for life.