Day seventeen: We need high speed trains in the States!

Drove to Dublin the night before after my last class at Ballymaloe for early morning flight to Madrid this morning. Took bus from airport to Atocha train station where I was able to store my luggage in a very cool luggage locker system. Walked around Madrid, catching a royal procession of some kind just pass right by me, after I stopped in a bar devoted to bull fighting. Ugh.

Back to train station, and took train to Madrid’s other train station where I took a high speed train to Leon. 2 1/2 hours (with 3 stops) versus 4 hours by bus. It was like being in a plane.

Leon is a fantastic city with cathedral, a building by Gaudi, and lovely courtyards in convents. My dinner of a cheese omelette was just such a let down after Ballymaloe!! Covered a lot of ground in one day!

To sleep in an old building. My room has exposed brick on the walls and beams on the ceiling and – thankfully – a lovely clean modern bath.

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