Meetings, Heat and Trains

On Saturday, the 15th May Movement (as the protests have become known), held local meetings in squares across the city. I went along to our local one at Plaza Puerta del Moros, where around 300 people were gathered, sitting and standing under the trees, sheltering from the midday heat. It is incredible how organised this movement is for a spontaneous thing. There was a PA system set up with mics and two sign language interpreters on hand. The mics are open to anyone and consensus decision making is used, which makes the process very slow but ultimately, I always find, more satisfying. I watched a discussion about whether to meet locally, how often, and where unfold at a crawling pace. The mood was quite light however, and people blocking decisions would stand aside if a large majority was in favour, and were rewarded with applause. Many of the speakers also made the crowd laugh and, although their purpose was serious, people weren't taking themselves to seriously, which I have often seen in similar meetings in the UK climate movement. It seems that the camp in Sol will stay for now, and the neighbourhood groups will meet weekly so it looks like this movement is here to stay.

 
I've had some interesting reactions when getting my students to do mini-presentations over the last week, from 'I'm going tonight' to 'They need to shut up and get jobs'. Mostly though, they seemed to sympathetic, largely agree with the aims of the camp and share their anger at the political system, but not necessarily agree with their tactics. The fact that there's a fair amount of cannabis being smoked in Sol came up a couple of times too (I'd noticed this when walking around as well). I told a couple of them that if they really wanted a three-party system, we could probably spare Nick Clegg for a while...

It's now getting really hot here, and you can see why people describe Madrid as being a place of extremes, either frozen or scorched. It's cloudier today but I realised the other day that it had consistently been hotter than the hottest summer's day you'd get in England for about a week. Most of the companies I work in have air-con but bussing round the city is becoming an increasingly clammy experience.

I've actually been feeling quite homesick over the last week or so. One of my friends summed it up well recently when they said "Sometimes you just get sick of feeling like a foreigner." It's very true, and I haven't been home since Christmas and that wasn't for very long. Really looking forward to being on home ground and seeing people over the summer. I cannot wait to kick back and shoot the breeze in a good old-fashioned pub. I've just booked my travel home, for the rapidly approaching end of June. I'm taking the train to avoid flying (for environmental reasons), for which I'm paying considerably more. £240 for an overnight from Madrid to Paris and Eurostar to London. Surely it could be made cheaper? It's also ridiculously difficult to actually buy a ticket, and I ended up having to have the tickets sent to my parents house in Sheffield and then sent out here for some bizarre reason. A subsidy to make it more attractive compared to flying would be nice, but at very least could they make it less of an effort to get yourself a ticket.

It will be an experience anyway... an 18 hour one.

Safe Cycling In Madrid

So, after a fairly manic weekend running round trying to see all there was to see at the protests, writing about it and trying to lead my normal life around it, it's been back to the same old English teaching routine this week. It does feel like a bit of a daily grind really, especially shipping around the city all day, but I've relaxed a bit more now that I've only got a few weeks left, and at the moment my students are just as likely to be a few minutes late as I am. The protests in Sol are ongoing, until at least Sunday, and today it's been reported that they have launched a clean-up operation after complaints from local businesses. Attention has shifted away a bit in the wake of the election results (and some calls renewed calls for Zapatero's resignation), and the camp isn't quite as vibrant as it was before, but there still seems to be a high level of energy, and the square just south of Sol was crammed full of people sitting and having small meetings when I passed on the bus on Tuesday. Anyway, time for something completely different, here's my guide to cycling safely in Madrid.

A lot of people I know would only use one word for this: "don't", but in my experience people say this about every city and they usually turn out to be non-cyclists. Cycling around a city is a brilliant way to get around and can be a real pleasure. In Madrid, there's no actual monetary incentive to cycle. Even if half your journey's are by bike, you'll still want an abono metro, it's that good value (€47 for unlimited metro and bus travel in Zone A). However, cycling can make getting around the city much quicker, rather than waiting for bus connections or walking to metro stops. All this considered though, Madrid is very different to, say, Manchester, and there are some things that you should consider when cycling on the road here.

Firstly and most importantly, as when cycling on the road anywhere, it's important to be a bit bold and a bit stroppy. Don't hug the pavement. Studies have shown that the further out in the road you are (within reason obviously), the more room cars give you when passing. Also, if you don't want a car to pass you, get in the middle of your lane. As a general rule, motorists don't intentionally mow down cyclists, in Madrid or anywhere else, so as long as you've signalled you're coming out and checked behind you, this can be the safest place to be, especially when approaching a junction or turn.

Now, Spanish driving is notorious for being a bit haphazard and careless, and having witnessed it first-hand and up close, I can confirm this is true to a certain extent. You see parking cars giving others a little nudge a lot more often than you would in the UK, and no-one looks remotely fazed by this. Really though, it isn't recklessness so much as a different driving culture. There are a lot more zebra crossings in Spain, and the traffic lights change with less warning, and so because of all this sudden stopping and starting, cars will speed up to traffic lights before swooping to a halt, which is more than a little disconcerting as a pedestrian! I still always have to wait for the car to stop before I dare stepping out at a zebra crossing too. There's also a flashing yellow on the traffic lights, which comes on with the green man, apparently meaning 'go, so long as you don't run anyone over'. It's a good idea to make sure your brakes are pretty sharp just in case you need to follow suit and make a quick stop. My back brake snapped the other week and I felt very unsafe only using the front one and got it fixed quick-sharp, despite riding a bike with only a front brake in Manchester for the best part of a year.

The main hazard for a cyclist however, is Spanish drivers' use of the slow lane. Most main roads have two lanes, and cars parked down the side, however the main purpose of the slow lane is generally accepted to be to provide a place to stop, turn on the hazzards and drop someone off/nip in to a shop/have a chat with a passing friend/go for a cervesa. Cars very suddenly deciding to stop right in front of you can get pretty iritating, particularly with taxi drivers (who tend to always be the least concerned about cyclists safety anywhere in the world). The police are actually also some of the worst offenders at this too. This also means you have to be on constant watch for every cyclists nightmare: a suddenly opened drivers-side door, particularly when passing stopped cars.

Another thing is that there just aren't as many cyclists as in most British cities. There are a lot of scooters though, so drivers do still look for you, but not as closely and have different expectations of your behavior, speed etc, which is something to be aware of. Also, beware old grates, particularly in Old Madrid (double particularly in Malasana). Many of the slits are easily big enough to get a racing bike wheel stuck in and I've nearly come a cropper a couple of times this way. The climate is also a lot hotter and drier than the UK and something I didn't expect is that this leads to more dust, detrius and bugs in the air and therefore in your eyes. I've been considering buying goggles. It can be pretty hairy when you're coming up to a big junction you suddenly find yourself having to do it an eye down. Lastly, big junctions: some of the roundabouts and the like are pretty complicated in Madrid and if you don't feel confident, it's far better to just get round it on the pavement. Chances are you'll get around it just as quick too!

A little ironically, before writing this I actually had a nightmare cycling home this afternoon. Two punctures on a 15 minute cycle, very unusual, and I botched the first repair as well. I think I might try and sell my bike soon actually, seeing as I've only got about a month left and if it keeps on getting hotter, which I'm told it will, it'll be untenable to cycle to work in a shirt and trousers. Honestly though, sometimes nothing beats cycling around a city, and it's a great way to get to know a place and see some sights. Madrid is on a gentle slope, not too hilly and has a small city centre which makes it ideal for this too, I only wish I'd bought sooner after I arrived.

Word of the Day: bicicleta carretera - racing bike

Camp Stays For Election Day

There was no sign of the police moving to disperse the Sol protest camp last night, which was probably very wise on their part. There were a huge number of people camping out in the square, some sleeping, some sitting around chatting, the odd guitar here and there. They covered virtually the entire square, and the camp looks firmly entrenched. Someone had even been busy replanting the trampled flower beds around one of the fountains with a herb garden.

I don't think I've emphasised yet how out of the blue this protest has come. There had been some relatively small demonstrations that I'd seen, often union organised, and some posters and graffiti, but no real sign of any great anger at the crisis until now and it seems to have taken everyone by surprise. Furthermore, this isn't a usual kind of occurence in Spain and hasn't been seen since the transition to democracy. Where the movement goes from here after today's local elections, and how the political class reacts to it, will be very interesting. There are parallels with the 'Arab spring' protests, particularly Tahrir Square in Egypt, although obviously the stakes are different. However, both are demanding greater democratisation and representation and expressing anger at being marginalised. How Spain will change to reflect their demands, or if it can, will be fascinating to watch.

No Hay Pan Para Tanto Chorizo!

An even bigger turn out at Puerta del Sol tonight, with the surrounding streets filling with people too and the camp expanding to fit a bigger crèche and more sleeping space. People had also scaled the scaffolding on the building where the famous Tio Pepe sign used to be and unfurled more banners. When we arrived the TV crews were trying to make live broadcasts from a platform in the square. I say trying, because every time the reporter stood in front of the camera, a huge whistle and boo went up. It's not only the politicians this crowd are angry with it seems but the mainstream media. I even read that people were refusing to give interviews to Spanish TV.

Again, the atmosphere is just great. People stopping to read all the slogans posted in the camp, while others were furiously painting more. Among the chants of "Democracia! Real!", one of the most popular was "No hay pan para tanto chorizo!" - There isn't bread for so much chorizo! As well as the sausage, chorizo can also mean a kind of thief or scoundrel, so meaning not enough money for so many theives. Corruption in politics is another major issue in Spain, with some politicians likely to get re-elected tomorrow depsite being involved in scandals. There are homemade banners wherever you look, some personal, about not being able to get a job, some optimistic (`The future is now'), some not so ('No hay pan...'). Many also made a big deal about the fact that it was Sol where the protests were taking place, given it's symbolic status as the centre of Madrid, and the whole of Spain. There was also a samba band in full swing by the time I left and a party atmosphere, although with people still being urged not to drink.

The samba band highlighted by camera flashes

The best moment however, was while the crowd jeered the TV crews, the message to be quiet spread through the square, and for around a minute everyone was silent while shaking their hands in the air, the only noise the rustling of thousands of fingers. Then a whistle sounded and a great cheer went up over the whole square, a really incredible show of organisation and unity. I can't see the police even try and move the crowd tonight, and the police chief has said that they won't try to solve one problem by creating another, but I'm going to go back later and check what's happening. The only police presence this evening were 4 riot vans pressed right up against the Town Hall.

 

Meanwhile, although the crowds were spilling into the surrounding streets and  neighbouring squares, down the road in Plaza Mayor it was business as usual, with tourists eating expensive dinners and maybe a few more street performers than usual because they'd been pushed out of Sol. You wouldn't have known anything was even happening.

Protest In Sol II

Just got back from Sol again, the camp is still very busy and full of people with a massive public meetings going on with many speakers mostly young but of all ages. There's a friendly and fun atmosphere and still no police entering the camp itself. However, there's at least one newspaper headline saying that the authorities are unable to enforce the law. The day before an election, that's a dangerous thing, but they probably won't want to look like they are preventing free speech either which makes the situation interestingly poised, so we'll see how it plays out. It's difficult to see how they would even go about trying to move people though, the camp is very entrenched and if there are as many people tonight as on the previous few, it'll be near impossible.

It's all very organised, with a PA system announcing (to cheers) that paella would be available from the shop in 15 minutes and reminding people to drink water because it's such a hot day. It feels like a kind of political souk under the tarpaulin in the centre of the square, with people wandering through, lounging on camp beds, signing petitions and seeing whats happening. I wish my Spanish were better so I could understand what was being said in all the speeches being made, but I can more or less get the drift. A sign that seemed to some up the mood of the camp read "No estamos contra el sistema, el sistema esta contra nosotros" - We are not against the system, the system is against us. There are plenty of other signs along the lines of "Revolucion no es botellon!" - Revolution is not street drinking! - trying to discourage it turning from something serious into a street party at night. I'll be going back later to see what happens tonight.

Protests In Sol

On Thursday night and yesterday, I went to have a look, and join in, the huge protest in Puerta del Sol, dead in the centre of Madrid outside the town hall. It started last Sunday after a march protesting against youth unemployment (45%) and the financial crisis in general, ended in the impromptu occupation of Sol, one of Madrid's main landmarks. It was then reported that the police had evicted the campers in the early hours of Tuesday morning, but by the time I went down on Thursday evening, the square was overflowing with people, chanting, pumping fists in the air, climbing scaffolding and unfurling banners over the giant advertising hoarding on the north side.

After dark, the atmosphere was incredible - all smiles and people chatting. No violence or aggression and a barely visible police presence since the protest had been allowed to go ahead after Tuesday. Cheers went up every time a new banner, with some pro-democracy slogan was thrown out over the massive shampoo advert. The aims of the protest are very vague, but 'organisers' insist that it is independent of any political party or union movement (according to English news), and it seems to be a general outpouring of anger over the crisis and the political response to it, in particular the austerity measures proposed by both main political parties. Many are frustrated with the lack of choice offered by the two main parties under the current voting system, and one of the most numerous posters I saw featured pictures of Zapatero and Rajoy, the opposition leader, with an equals sign between them.

Over the last couple of weeks, the electioneering of the two parties has heated up, with posters for the candidates for mayor and president of the commuity (which controls a large proportion of welfare spending) everywhere you look. The election is tomorrow, and the electoral commission has ruled that the protest cannot continue on election day as all campaigning is banned

Although Thursday night seemed chaotic and revelous, when I went back yesterday afternoon, the (considerably less crowded) camp, under huge blue tarpaulins stretched between lamposts, was engaged in big public meetings, workshops, committees and building and banner making parties. There was also a couple of shops, a kitchen and portaloos, apparently donated by a sympathetic building company. The camp is also completely covered in posters and signs with demands and slogans written on, as is the Gaudi-style entrance to Sol metro station (that someone has been round renaming 'Plaza del SOLucion').

Most of the meetings seemed to be using some form of collective desicion making, with people doing the 'jazz hands' for "I agree", familiar to anyone who's used it before. The lack of police presence, given it's one of Madrid's main landmarks, was incredible. They seem to have been given orders to stand well off, presumably for politicians fear of a backlash in the election if they are seen to crack down too hard. The atmosphere reminded me a lot of Climate Camp in the UK, but with the strange sight of bemused tourists walking through the middle of it all.

The camps demands, although still pointedly non-specific or party orientated, seem to have crystallised a little through the public meetings, with greater democratization and representation being one of the key demands on the central poster pasted onto the metro entrance. Funny that that's exactly what we in Britain just voted against in the referendum on AV. The protests have now spread to other cities around Spain and it's being dubbed (unironically) 'the Spanish revolution' by the protesters. It certainly looks like the camp is there to stay, but there may be a confrontation in the offing with the police later today or tonight as they have been ordered to clear it before polling day tomorrow.

Sorry if this seems to be written a little breathlessly, I'm typing it quickly so I can go back up and see what's happening now! Expect an update later. You can see other news stories on it here and here.

A Drinker's Guide To Malasaña

Blogger has apparently been on the blink and decided to delete this post from yesterday so here it is again.

All my classes have been cancelled over the last two days, so I've had a nice little mid-week holiday to do not a lot of anything. It means my paycheck's going to suffer at the end of the month though. One of the hazards of being a self-employed teacher is that your classes can get cancelled and there's not much you can do about it. On Monday though, someone cancelled at the last minute, which meant I got paid €40 for sitting around at home for two hours. Its meant I've had some good time to sit in the sun, do some bike maintenance, and sit in cafes in Malasaña, as I'm doing now. So this seems like as good a time as any to give you a guide to the many, many bars of Malasaña, in no particular order. (Click the names for a map).

Malabar
An ideal starting point on Plaza Dos de Mayo, slap bang in the middle of Malasana, this circus themed bar has tables on the square, but don't miss out on it's cozy, nicely lit and entertaining interior and perma-friendly staff.

Garaje Sonico
Just across the street is Garaje Sonico, a dark and dingy punk dive bar with a great atmosphere and music policy taking in 60s, 70s and more modern alternative guitar music. There's a little dancefloor in the backroom too and its open late. It's not the cheapest at €3 a bottle but they have a happy hour between 10-11pm where its €7 for 2 Jagerbombs if you like that kinda thing.

La Via Lactea
Less the Milky Way, more UV lighting and skate-punk graffiti. Grab a booth or stand around the massive pool table downstairs, its usually pretty packed but would you have it any other way?

La Lolita
If the answer to that was yes, maybe you'd prefer the more laid back 50's bossa nova vibes of La Lolita (which I'm actually sitting in right now). Wi-fi during the day, buzzing with conversation at night, there's not a lot of seats but they include some comfy armchairs to sink into. A friend of mine refers to it as his 'pulling bar' because it's where he always takes girls on dates, the rascal.

La Catrina
This little Mexican bar plays up to all the stereotypes, covered in Mexican memorabilia, including a huge collection of Mexican wrestler action figures. You probably wouldn't spend the whole night here but it makes a nice little stop off.

Tupperware
I'd heard so much about Tupperware that by the time I went there I was a bit disappointed. It's one of the best known bars in Malasana but no better than the rest really. They have DJ's (as do most of these bars, even if it's just the barman most of the time) and a bit of room for dancing but it's nothing special really.

Maderfaker
This blaxploitation themed bar is actually pretty bare but the posters for classics such as 'Blacula' stare down at you from the wall with films playing on TV screens and a great soundtrack playing over the stereo.

Aroma
Two painstakingly made and delicious mojitos for €7 in an otherwise unremarkable bar. They even hand-grind the ice, bless 'em.

La Realidad
Far and away my favourite bar in Malasana and, in fact, Madrid, Realidad's walls are covered by a huge paint-by-numbers mural that has slowly been being filled in over the last 7 months. Otherwise fitted out as a hella-quirky living room, it does great, if pricey and pretentious, cocktails (is that a rose petal? Yes it is) and €3 doble's served by some of the coolest bar staff you will ever see.

El Perro de la Parte de Atrás del Coche
Roughly translating as 'The Dog That Nods It's Head In The Back Of The Car', this is a little bar-club which I've admittedly only been to once, and that was when I was very drunk, but from what I remember it was a whole lot of fun, playing what I'd call 'alternative cheese' (think The Monkees). Good for a laugh.

Taboo
Moving up the pretention-ometer, Taboo is all silly haircuts, tight jeans and loud electronic music. It's hidden away on Calle Vincente Ferrer, but inside you'll find all sorts kicking off. When I was there, the DJ was pumping a picture of Jesus in the air while a man in speedos, goggles and a swimming cap did some kind of underwater dance next to him.

Sideral
Crap ustairs but a lively little indie bar-club downstairs in the arched cellar. When it's full it's a fun place to go for a warm up drink and get an energy boost.

This is only a small cross-section of the options open to you on a night out in Malasaña, a must-do if you're visiting the city. There's also the big Pacha club next to Tribunal metro, a sprinkling of cheaper old man bars, Chueca just a hop over Calle Fuencarral and usually a load of botellon going on to boot.

Words Of The Day: Botellon - Street drinking
Caña - Small beer
Doble - Bigger beer
Jarra - Even bigger beer

A Bullfight

Last weekend I had six friends over from England (more or less the same lot I went to Barcelona with), escaping the Royal wedding and taking advantage of the 4-day weekend. It's always great when people come to visit, you get an opportunity to show off the city and do the touristy stuff you might not get round to otherwise, as well as having an excuse to hit the city's nightlife pretty hard. Mainly though of course, it's great to see friends, catch up on news from home and touch base a little. Monday was also a holiday in Madrid (to celebrate the 2nd of May uprising against Napoleon) so we had plenty of time to relax and shoot the breeze. But that's not all we did.

It's now bullfighting season, which means there are fights every weekend at Las Ventas, the beautiful Moorish style bullring which students have described to me as the Wembley of bullfighting.

Now, whether to go and see a bullfight or not is an ethical call you have to make for yourself really, but for me, living in Spain, it was something I wanted to experience. I don't like the idea of killing animals for sport, and it's little consolation that the bulls are well treated before and eaten after the fight, but it has such a rich tradition and important place in Spanish culture (for better or worse) that I thought I wanted to see it enough to justify supporting it with the €6.80 ticket price (for the cheapest seats in the house, at the top in the sun).

Stupidly, I didn't take my camera but got my friend to take some on his iphone (you won't see anything too gory by clicking on these pictures by the way). The bullring really is quite a spectacle, and holds upto 25,000, although it was fairly empty on the more expensive shady side when we went. First of all, all the people involved from the toreadors (they don't actually say 'matador' in Spanish) right down to the groundsmen parade around the ring, including horsemen riding heavily armoured horses. Why were the riders wearing metal shoes, we naively wondered? And why were the horses blindfolded?

After the pomp, the band plays a little intro and in charges a lively looking bull. They are impressive animals, big, heavy and muscular, and when running at speed they look like they have enormous momentum. The first 'act' involves about four guys with pink capes which they wave around to tease the bull towards them before hiding behind a small section of fence on the edge of the area. The bull, utterly stumped by this, then stands there looking baffled until it's attention is caught by more flapping of pink across the arena. All this was seeming quite fun, playful and harmless until they waved it over to where one of the horsemen was waiting. Not knowing what to expect, we gasped as the bull charged into and attempted to gore the horse while the rider (out of the bulls reach apart from his metal-clad feet) fended it off with a spear, stuck inbetween the bulls shoulder blades. After having a go at the astonishingly calm horse for a few minutes the bull finally retreats at which point the next act begins. The pink caped fellas return and get the bull to charge their capes before whipping them out of the way, while two others collect barbed spikes covered in ribbons from the side of the arena. These two then have the brave task of running up to the bull, which is now mad as hell, and stabbing the spikes into its back where they stick.

After a few more minutes of this, the band play another major-note, minor-note flourish and the main toreador steps into the centre ring with a bow and places his hat on the floor. He is now, for the first time one-on-one with the bull which is by now bleeding quite heavily. He makes a show of cajoling and shouting at the bull and uses his red cape to make it charge past him. In the first fight we watched, the toreador got into some difficulty, and at one point lost his cape, right in the middle. Suddenly he wasn't so clever and the bull caught him slightly on the leg before the pink capes arrived to distract it away. It's a crazy rush of emotions that fly through your head when that happens. Part of you is sort of cheering on the poor bull but at the same time you suddenly realise that that's a real person down there and you might be about to see them die or get seriously injured.

After the toreador had been restored with his cape and sword and a bit more of the luring with the cape, he stood facing the bull and adopted a different stance with the sword poised above his head. With intense concentration, he took a couple of hip-thrusting steps to the side and took a leap forward, plunging the sword into the bulls back. The idea is to make a clean kill through the heart, but this guy didn't quite manage it first time and had to try again. The crowd do not like this and boo loudly. On the second attempt the sword went in right to the hilt and the pink capes come out and surround the bull making it twist and turn so that the sword in its torso does more damage. Within 30 seconds, the bull drops to its knees and then quickly keels over before a pink cape comes and brains it with a knife just to be sure. At this point a carriage pulled by three mules comes on, ropes are attached and the heavy corpse is dragged ignomiously out of the arena to the cracking of the mule drivers whip.

It's horrific, and we were all pretty horrified by what we'd just seen. It's brutal and bullying, unfair and unbalanced. A tradition and cultural curio it may be, but an art form? I don't see it. I don't quite get why killing it is necessary at all. Anyway, soon enough another bull charged into the arena looking fresh and chipper, completely oblivious to the bloody smear left across the floor by the last one being dragged out. Although slightly unpredictable, the fights run in a very similar way, and what was shocking was how quickly the four of us became desensitised to it. The second we took much more lightly, the third we watched with detachment, and during the fourth we were talking about something else while watching it. After that we decided that we'd seen enough and left.

All in all, I wouldn't go again but I'm glad I went. It's pretty horrible and more than a little cruel but it's perhaps worth suspending your morals to have the experience. It's a very Spanish thing, and combines a lot of attributes that you notice in general in Spain. The lack of political correctness, the disregard for health and safety, the red bloodedness. Curious about what people thought, I set it as a debate topic in my classes last week and heard a lot of different and interesting views on it: there are other forms that don't involve killing the bull (Portuguese), the bull has to be killed to test it's courage (a 'good bull' apparently gets braver when wounded), it should be banned outright, it's no worse than battery farming and so on. The most common view, however, was more or less 'It's not for me but it's part of Spanish culture and I wouldn't ban it'. It's a prickly subject though, and I stopped using it after the debate got quite heated in one class between two for banning and one enthusiast.

So there you go, that was my experience of it. You'll have to decide for yourself whether you want to go or not.

Anyway, we also did do some less bloody activities, including going boating on the lake at Retiro, which is well worth the €4.50 for 45 minutes, and eating and drinking a lot, with a great afternoon on a hidden little terrace in Tirso de Molina. I'm going to write more about bars in the next post unless something comes up so I'll leave our nightime adventures for there.

I cycled past a Partido Populare (right wing opposition party) rally today down by the river. There's some elections coming up (I think local but I'm not sure) and there are PP posters everywhere, but not many PSOE (socialist government) ones. The PP are currently in power in the Communidad de Madrid and are responsible for the river regeneration project and were using the opportunity to show it off with a tightly co-ordinated gathering where the entire crowd were bizarrely wearing purple cowboy hats. The people standing around were noticeably better dressed than the usual crowd by the river (all dresses and blazers), and it's pretty clear who their key constituency is. I stopped to listen to one of the speeches for a while and was surprised at how much I could understand. A large part of this, though, I realised halfway through, was that it sounded like exactly the same kind of annodyne political-speak you hear British politicians spouting. Speaking of which, I didn't sort out my postal vote in time, and thus didn't get to vote in the council elections or referendum on Thursday. Not that it would have made any difference as people bafflingly voted for less choice in the referendum. Sigh.

Word of the day: cambio - change (much used in the PP speech)