Mannequins in Madrid

It took a double-take to check that these weren't real people

overlooking the plaza in Madrid where we were heading for the food

hall. After the austerity of my previous visit to Madrid some 40 years

earlier, it was a pleasure to see how much livelier and agreeable the

city was, with a very young population, late-night dining, loads more

art galleries, museums and theatres, good transport links, music

everywhere in street performances, and these sorts of quirky sights

all over the place. Madrid is now a city I would be happy to go back

to for another visit, but then that's also true of Rome, Moscow,

Lisbon, Berlin, Amsterdam, Venice, Lucca, and lots of others I've

never even been to. Some I shan't miss at all include Vienna, Quito,

Beirut, Belgrade, Amman...well, you can't win them all.

It took a double-take to

check that these weren't

real people overlooking

the plaza in Madrid where

we were heading for the

food hall. After the

austerity of my previous

visit to Madrid some 40

years earlier, it was a

pleasure to see how much

livelier and agreeable the city was, with a very young population,

late-night dining, loads more art galleries, museums and theatres,

good transport links, music everywhere in street performances, and

these sorts of quirky sights all over the place. Madrid is now a city I

would be happy to go back to for another visit, but then that's also

true of Rome, Moscow, Lisbon, Berlin, Amsterdam, Venice, Lucca, and

lots of others I've never even been to. Some I shan't miss at all

include Vienna, Quito, Beirut, Belgrade, Amman...well, you can't win

them all.