sadevil.org

… or the story of our two-week vacation in Madrid. 

So, in between the jobs we thought it’d be nice for me (Jan) to go to Madrid for a two-week stay. We looked online, found a nice place with Rent4Days: a loft located close to Ciudad Lineal, some metro stops, in short: nearly ideal. The pics on the site also make you believe it’s lovely. It would also be overlooking a park, which is great - nature always is very relaxing. It also says it sleeps 7, so it’s gotta be big. Nice!

Diana did some initial shopping the day before, and on the first day we headed over to the place. We were a bit dissapointed, since it was actually more of a store that had been ‘reformed’ into an appartment. (reformed being a key word here). Oh, and it wasn’t really overlooking a park either - you had to get outside, walk a block, and then there’s the park. Ah well, as long as it’s nice, quiet, cosy…

Boy, were we wrong about this one.

Here’s a list of problems with the thing:

Overall problems:

1. The place is _cold_. Both physically cold, and not cosy at all. It lacks furniture, posters, … anything on the bare walls to make it cosy. We had to put on the heating, while it was 25ºC outside.
2. You get to enjoy the sounds of your neighbours peeing, taking a shower,… since every time they flush, or do anything with water, it sounds as if the ceiling is going to collapse. Not fun.
3. Light. I like light by day. I hate it by night. The curtains (if you can call those pieces of fabric curtains) that were there were utter, total, complete, mega crap. They let through 99,9% of the light.
   They weren’t even long enoug! The bottom part was hung from the curtains using pins… (not even sewn on)
4. Noise. NOISE. NOISE! You hear everything, the smallest movement someone makes in the other appartments, you’re part of it, you can follow it, it’s all yours!

Bathroom problems:

1. The bathroom has a leak, from the upstairs neighbours. We reported this, no one came to look or even bothered to call us back.
2. The shower is useless - it’s got a 5cm deep basin, and the drain is crap, so if you shower, you flood the bathroom.
3. Again on the shower, don’t use it. It will break. We had to buy a new shower tube because it broke, and we didn’t want to cough up 50e or more (standard fee by Rent4Days, it costs maybe 8e if you buy it in a shop)

Kitchen problems:

1. If you dare use the washing machine (good luck without the instructions), and spin stuff, don’t be amazed when the kitchen cabinet falls apart.
2. The sink is placed in a way that you can never stand completely behind it, unless you’re a plank. Wonderful.
3. There are no cabinets. Don’t even think of storing anything - there is NO room.
4. This place is supposed to sleep 7, but forget about eating or drinking with 7. Not enough dishes/glasses/cutlery! You can even forget about cooking for seven! The biggest pot is about 3l.

Bedroom:

1. This is supposed to be a double bed. It is 120cm wide, the width of a double bed about 30 years ago. Good luck trying to sleep in that with 2 people.

So after about 6 sleepless nights, we moved back into Diana’s place (which is tiny and with four definitely over-populated), and called the people of Rent4Days to explain the situation, and to tell them that their offer was below anything possible. What did they tell us? “You are the first persons to complain”. On the remark that this place does not overlook a park, they said “We know the area, it overlooks a park.” Sorry, it overlooks a GARAGE. Not a park. Not even remotely.

We took some pics so you can compare them with the things on their site.

So really, if you’re looking for something - stay away from Rent4Days. They’re crap. Expensive service that offers cheap crap.

To make a long story short, the rest of the days we spent at Diana’s place, and we didn’t really do much. The six sleepless nights were enough to drain our energy.

We did throw a party there, for our friends - even though it wasn’t allowed. Sorry, but after all this they deserve a very big screw you. It was fun, we played Killer Bunnies (having to explain everything to Diana and then she had to translate it into spanish… what a mess *g*). We had loads of food, brought by our friends and cooked by us, we also had booze! (sangria and sweet wine), and since it was the last Formula 1 sunday, the tv was on. It was great fun.

I spent my newyears in Madrid, went there the 28th (evening). After an uneventful flight, we went to Diana’s place, didn’t do much and went to sleep.

The 29th we first went to check into the hotel, did the grocery shopping in El Corte Ingles. We bugged the cheese-salesperson because we needed a fondue cheese mix that contained no cow cheese… he was so kind to find a mix, try it out if it melted well, and gave us a nice cheesy mix.
In the evening we met up with a good friend of ours (who’s a member of the Marmotfish Studios and who gave us a copy of Freakmen 451 - very cute magazine!). We walked around a while, I lost me bankcard in an ATM (when it gave my card back I couldn’t reach it *sniff* so I pushed it back in completely with another card), and had dinner at Ginos.

The next day we went to the jokes market on the Plaza Mayor - all kinds of fun masks, wigs, and whatnot - strange people those madrileños! Afterwards we went home and were lazy…

On newyearseve we stayed home all day, Diana killed the chicken like a pro and stuffed it with a lovely Mixed Mushroom and Sweet Potato Stuffing.
Around midnight we exchanged some gifts… I got a ton of them *blush*

The first of the new year we didn’t do anything really. Not that there was anything to do - we stayed at home/hotel and were lazy :p

On the 2nd of january we went shopping for a cute fondue set for making a fondue sometime during the next days. Really the only thing we did. Yeah, we’re lazy :P

The next day (3rd) we went to a lovely Artisans market in Madrid, where I bought a penguin shaped candle for myself, and a 1/12″ doggie for mum.
In the evening we had to rushrush because I decided last-minute to buy a portable dvd player for on the hotel and on the flights - so they’re less boring.

The 4th of january we didn’t do much. Diana made a very tasty ciabatta at home, which we ate with the lovely cheese fondue in the evening. Diana also made the beginning of the Roscon de Reyes - traditional cake for the three wisemen day.

The fifth we finished the actual Roscon, and it came out very nice! Other than that, it was really quiet that day, as it also was the the sixth… the sixth I had to leave unfortunately, and I miss Diana very much…

(ps: pics are here)

Jan

I went, had fun, came back (unfortunately)… It’s all on Diana’s blog!

Oh, she’ll be here sooooooooooooooooooooon! The beginning of december!

Last week I went back to Spain to visit my girl - it was an overall quiet and relaxed stay, we didn’t really do much - except making american style pancakes (thick ones) *mjumm* and we went to an Indian restaurant, the Taj where we tried the Chicken Vindaloo (Red Dwarf anyone?).

Sad to go, but I’m going back! Wheeeeeeeeeeee! On the 8th of november!

On tuestday, 20 september I took the plane (yes, I gave it back ;p) once again to spain, to visit Diana :) :)

After a pretty boring flight (but good inflight menu) landing there, taking the cab to the appartment and having a mjummy good home-made pizza (even home-made dough!!), I helped reinstalling Diana’s laptop - new, faster and bigger harddisk. The Windows installer was a bit of a bitch, so we continued on with linux, which was on pretty soon. Putting it to download all the packages for Debian and then to sleep… (bed waterbed-effect without water! :P)

The next day we packed up soonish and drove with Mum off to Rascafria, a little village to the north of Madrid, for the remainder of the week. It was a bit of a boring drive there, and then ofcourse finding the way in the village itself. It’s really a cute and pitoresque village, and it felt like going back a few deccenia in time :P
The house itself was a modern house, nicely built and roomy, with a nice bathroom and kitchen - which is important!
After unpacking all the stuff from the car we took a little stroll into the village, which has a has-been waterstream and so, did a little bit of necessary grocery shopping and then went back to the house, having dinner (pisto with eggs), watching some tv and bed!

On thursday we drove off to Segovia, further up north in Spain. It has a well-kept Roman Aquaduct, and lots of old beautiful buildings. We first got lost in the city centre with the car, finally got out (damn smalls streets!) and parked around 10-mins walk from the centre. Unfortunately it’s a pretty touristic city, but it’s nice nonetheless ;)
For lunch there we had the typical Segovian dish: Cochinillo Asado (Roast Pig), which is made in a coal oven until it’s so tender you can cut it with an eating plate! (which they did, and then trew the plate on the ground so you could see it was a stupid plain old porcelain plate). Verrrrrrry good. As soup we had Sopa Castellana (Castillian soup), which is a sort of broth, with lots of old bread, pieces of meat, olive oil, garlic and egg. Heavy, but good soup.

After lunch we walked around in the city more, looking at the Cathedral and the churches. After that we went back to the car, and drove home - happy and tired ;p Dinner that eve was home-made croquetas! Mjummy!

The next day was a quiet day at home, legs tired and all.. Just watched some tv, read some, overall restful day. We baked an orange cake too, which is like *droooooool* mjummmmmmmmmm….Dinner was stew with baked potatoes, good!

On saturday we went off to Buitrago, to see the Midieval Fair there. Unfortunately I wasn’t feeling too well, and it was too crowded to find a place to eat, so we bought some stuff and went back home. Lunch consisted of meat with pan con aceite (olive-oil bread). Quiet day too, overal. In the eve we had more croquetas, cheese and the bread. After watching some tv we went to bed.

Sunday we had to go back to Madrid, pack up everything in my own suitcase and leave back for Belgium in the early eve. The stays are always too short… but I’m going back next month!

Jan

(ps: pics can be found here)

Okay, yesterday I added the few pictures I took in Madrid.. they’ve come out great tho :D especially the girl on it *whistle* :)

Jan

I’ve spent the last 12 days together with my lovely girlfriend… Travelled off to Spain last week on wednesday, to find her in Barajas Airport. she came together with her mum to pick me up :) Had a lovely stay at the Abba Hoteles in the Pza. de Castillia, tho the elevators are a bit noisy there :(

I went along with her to uni, followed classes (tho I understood perhaps 1/10th of it, my spanish ain’t to good yet :|, and it’s complex matter), stayed some time at her home and so…

On friday ‘eve we baked cookies together, and on saturday we flew off back to Belgium together… Watch out .be, here we come :P

Saturday evening I took her to meet some friends of mine, and en groupe we went to have dinner in a local Chinese restaurant, lovely dinner :).

Sunday was a relaxed day, more or less, with my sis + friend + kiddo’s coming over to my parent’s place.. We watched some old photographs (oh, the sentiment! The memories *snif*) but had a nice time on the whole…

On monday we went to Liège, saw the Christmas market there (lovely) and walked about a bit…

Tuesday we went to visit a friend in Maasmechelen, David… we met up at a shopping village (??!? - didn’t know that existed), and we trondled off to Maastricht, saw the Christmas market there too (boooo - crappy one) and had some drinks (after looking for half an hour to find a place to drink something, everything closes even at 6pm!!)

Wednesday was a bit quieter (stayed at home mostly), in the eve we went to Ghent, for xmas shopping, looking at the then-closed market… then went to Bruges, where the xmas-market was closed half already (only food and booze ones were still open), and back to Ghent for dinner in a veggy restaurant.

On thursday we drove all the way to Luxembourg (city, in Luxembourg country) were we met up with a Fenfen, a good friend… Had a nice time freezing and getting lost.. the old city looks nice, but everything closes too early. Guess it’s better during summer when it’s warm ;p

On friday we stayed home mostly, we baked cookies (mjummmy ;p), in the eve we went to Ghent for dinner in another veggy restaurant, and afterwards picking along “The Incredibles“, phun movie ;)

Saturday was very quiet, only a quick stop in Ghent to see the then-open christmas market, and to Bruges to get chocolates! CHOCOLATE RULES! :) :) >:) *cough* sowwy, got carried away. ;p

And today.. sunday.. well, we woke up, then packed her suitcase, since she has to go back home .. :( It was a very quiet day otherwise, and I drove her to the airport where she departed then at 17.25 to Madrid…

Miss you a lot, love, more then ever after this lovely time together.